Chapter 319:

Character Q and A!

Nexus Awakened (An Isekai LitRPG Gender Bender Story)


Yui the Binge Reader – Frost, White Wing, Archivist.

“Favorite sport?”

Frost: “Does healing count? Sorry. Sport huh… It’s a tossup between tennis or volleyball.”

White Wing: “You’re too old fashioned. Bloodsports was the way to go. Back in our world, millions would watch and cheer as convicts fought amongst themselves for mere minutes to be shaven off their sentence –”

Frost: “Anyway, Anna, how about you?”

Anna: “U-Um. Mini golf! I could never afford to get into the real thing, but I enjoyed it!”


Yui the Binge Reader – Res

“How do you feel about your sisters?”

Res: “I love them. We’re family, and they’re all I had for as long as I can remember. It’s rare for siblings to make it far in this kind of profession. More often than not, you’ll find that people who lean too heavily on familiar love are the ones who get culled first. Not with us. We’re inseparable. Sure, both of them share the same, one braincell. And don’t get me wrong… *sigh*. Seriously. I feel sorry for that braincell. But… they know how to break the monotony, don’t they? I’m happy they’re getting better. Thanks to Frost~”

“… wait, why am I telling this to a Librarian again?”


Fireknight10 – Frost

“Cutest thing Jury has done?”

Frost: “When she sleeps, she has the tendency to call out for me when I’m not being smothered by her arms. I’m not kidding. Jury won’t get a good night’s sleep if I’m not with her. Really… she’s such an adorable handful.”


The_Enderwolf – Snap

“What’s your favorite photo/memory form being with the group so far?”

Snap: “Brrrrrr. Zzzzt!” (The photo we took when we finally found Nav!).


The_Enderwolf – Frost, Jury

“What is one quirk about each other that gets you liking/loving/adoring the other more every time they do it?”

Frost: “Easy! Whenever Jury comes and comforts me anytime I feel lost or daze off. It’s like she can sense how I feel, and with all the complicated ministrations going on I feel like it should be impossible for her to know. But she keeps getting better as sensing it. There’s nothing I love more than that. Jury’s one of a kind. Also… I like her stomach. It’s like running your hands through the seams of a brick wall, but softer!”

Jury: “I like Frost’s belly…”

Frost: “Hmm? Wait, here!?”

Jury: “I can’t help it~ Ahem. There’s too much to like about Frost. But I think her determination is something I love. It’s unromantic, but… she plans to carry so many things with this small frame. I want to support her. Also, the fact that she will always try to lend a hand. She was the only one who tried to pull me out of my black forest.”

“See? There’s too much to love! Froooost~!”


The Enderwolf – Cer, Ber, Res

“If you had to change the name your trio is called by and everyone would have to call you by that now rather than the Jesters, what would it be?”

Cer: “Wolfgang!”

Ber: “Howl Brigade!”

Res: “Something that can distinguish us as Moons closest to the Amalgam. Maybe planets…?”

Cer:

Ber:

Res: “Because ‘Wolfgang’ is totally better. *Sigh*. What about a security team?”

Cer: “Like security for Frost!? The Nexus!?”

Ber: “We did that for the last 4 months. We’re practically professionals! Security… like a pack of wolves that guard the Nexus!”

Cer: “Guard wolves that protect the Nexus. Heh. Wait, what was the question again? What we’d call ourselves? In that light… why not just combine our names?”

Res: “Cerberus?”

Ber: “GENIUS!”

Cer: “I knew you had it in you!”


Jibi – Archivist

“What is your favorite book series?”

Archivist: “Fairytales. I wasn’t too much of a reader for contemporary works. Because I just wanted to get away from the terror of our world. B-But! I read a lot of romance and sci-fi books! Stuff from something Asimov. They had really good series! I think it comes from Earth. Um… mm. I wonder if our world will ever reach a point where we can envelop the stars… or maybe not. I think it’s more fun to keep our heads held up.”


Jibi – Cer, Ber, Res

“What is your favorite food?”

Cer: “Meat!”

Res: “Anything. So long as it keeps us functional. We’re not picky eaters.”

Ber: “Meat casserole with freshly baked bread to dip, with a side of roast boar seasoned with ‘forest mix’, cooked until it’s just barely oinking. Delicious. It was comfort food for me on those cold nights. I know. I ate good because out of all the wolves, I was always the strongest. Hunting’s in my blood.”

Cer: “Naturally.”


TheLord999 – Jury

“What do you think about all of the other- alte- hum… Frost’s id’s?”

Jury: “Hm!? You’re a Beholder too!? How come I’ve never heard of you? Oh – the question! I love them! The Hired Arm doesn’t show it, but she’s always nice to me. The Little Frost is adorable too! They can’t replace Frost because she takes 100% of all my thoughts, but they feel like an extension of our family. I love them!”


TheLord999 – Frost

“Did you play/hear about Lobotomy Corp/Library of Ruina/Limbus Company?”

Frost: “Are those books or games? Hmm? Are they from Earth? I can’t say I’ve heard of them, but I think I might be able to find something in Anna’s Library.”

*Much later*

“Hey. You know what, I’m glad I ended up in this world and not there. Man, and I thought this world was a dystopian existential nightmare!””


Dragon_god – Nav

“What do you want your body to look like?”

Nav: “I think it is perfect as it is appearance wise. I couldn’t be more pleased, and I am just simply thankful I have one. Beauty is not something I can comprehend or worry over.”


Bobple – Frost, Jury, Ignis, Res, Ber, Cer, Carpalis, Archivist

“Iced coffee or cookie?”

Frost: “Iced coffee. You get more of it.”

Jury: “Both!”

Ignis: “Cookie… I love snacks.”

Res: “Iced coffee. Half the time the cookies are spoiled with raisins or lethal doses of chocolate.”

Ber: “Not like chocolate can hurt us! I’d say cookies but look at me! I’m all grown up! So it’s gotta be iced coffee!”

Cer: “Cookies. Because they look like moons if you think about it! They’re the snack of the Moons! The rations of the elite! The baked goodness that’ll bring any lowlife to their knees and start slobbering all over for just a taste –!”

Carpalis: “Whichever is easier to eat.”

Archivist: “Cookies! I can’t clean the coffee stains off a book, you know! Besides – Tea is superior!”

Cer: “I bet this Star of the Nexus is trying to weaken our bonds by daring to ask such a dangerous question!”

Frost: “Res. Can you take care of Cer?”

Res: “Already ahead of you.”


Bobple – Frost, Jury, Ignis

“Favorite color?”

Frost: “Black and blue. White’s cool too.”

Jury: “One color… White, because black reminds me of the Black Forest.”

Ignis: “Red. Because it reminds me of papa.”


Bobple – Snap

“What was life before meeting Frost and the Gang?”

Snap: “Bzzzzzt! Brrrr! Zzzzzzzzt! Brrr~!*Snap*” (Taking photos of people’s happiest moments of soon-to-be broodmothers of the Anid nest, and those that were already impregnated and awaiting their time to come. I offered my Captured Memories as a means of helping them remember those precious moments. I roamed those forests and the town at the end. Little Tais had was populated by many horrible people and slaves. Showing these memories can hurt people too… I have lots of pleasant memories, but just as many are saddening to think about.”

“I’m happy that I can help make a change today!”


Bobple – Frost, Jury, Ignis, Res, Ber, Cer

“Favorite video game/board game/game.”

Frost: “I couldn’t remember the names of any video games from Earth if my life depended on it. For board games though, I think chess isn’t so bad. I know it’s a boring pick, but it has its charms.”

Jury: “The game where I get to privately ‘play’ with Frost.”

Frost: “… Hey… Surely you have a better game in mind.”

Jury: “Second best would be… maybe something with cards. I like the feel of them! They’re smooth, silky, and remind me of Frost!”

Ignis: “I used to play ‘house’ with all the children in the tavern. They let us use their attic. Mm. They were kind people. I always wanted to know what it was like to have a mama. It also helped me cope while papa was gone.”

Res: “Don’t laugh, but there’s a strategy board game called ‘Eternity’s Gambit’. It’s a practical game where teams of people fight each other. You see it a lot in the Academy of Magic. Other Academies fight each other too. It must sound weird for students to fight, but there’s no better way to drill experience.”

Ber: “The only game I like is the Hunt! The big game hunts! Nothing better than eating meat fresh from the slaughter! A Star wouldn’t understand!”

Cer: “Games? You think Moons like us will stoop so low to be entertained by ‘games’? Heh. You underestimate us, Star! But! Hypothetically speaking, if there was a game that allowed the winner or loser to get eaten by another participant –!”

Frost: “– Alright, where’s the wire scrub?”


Bobple – Frost, Jury, Ignis, Res, Ber, Cer

“If you had the power to change the name of one thing or person, what/who would you change?”

Frost: “The fucking use of Latin for almost everything. Man, why is everything written in Latin!? Not that I’m complaining too much, because it does make things sound cooler. Just like my name~”

Jury: “Nothing. I like how everything is.”

Ignis: “Scarlet Logic and the Crimson Hunger to scum. They don’t deserve second chances.”

Res: “Frost’s name.”

Ber: “Yep. Frost’s name.”

Cer: “Thirded. Frost’s name. I don’t know what kind of fungus she ate before claiming that name, but I’m betting it wasn’t the fun kind. But a close second would be Galia. Snake is a better name for that Beholder.”


Dobermann – Snap

“Do you clean your lenses every day?”

Snap: “Zzzzzt~!” (I used to dust it, but Frost now cleans them for me semi-frequently with just the touch of her hand!”


Dobermann – Frost

“Trivia about Jury, please!”

Frost: “Where. To. Start? Let’s see. No surprise she’s a big eater, but you have to wonder where all that food disappears to. Her tail is much softer than you think, but it has the kind of firmness you want when you’re being enveloped by it. The best way to describe her tail is like a pillow with some ‘oomph’.

She’s a quiet sleeper, but she’s super clingy. I couldn’t tell you the number of times I’ve woken up only to find myself held like a body pillow. Not that I hate it. Quite contrary. I love it.

She’s a bit clumsy when it comes to handling delicate things because one of her hands is a claw, unfortunately. Jury’s usually quiet, but deep down she’s an entire treasure trove of joy. I wish she could show more of that exciting side of her to the world.

One thing she likes to do is dress up the Little Frost whenever she can. Mostly because she’d like to see me in those kind of clothes… and lately I’ve been thinking that maybe it wouldn’t be so bad. Another trivia is that she’s not as innocent as she looks. Jury is a wolf in sheep’s clothing. And I thought I was one too, but can you really blame me for feeling like a sheep in her arms? She’s glutenous, and I’m not talking about her urge to eat skewers…

She’s attentive, kind, warm, direct – I could write a list that’d reach the moon. I hope this answers your questions!”


Number133eevee – Cer, Ber, Res

“How do you reliably crit?”

Cer: “Hit them while they’re sleeping. Or surrender, and strike when they least expect it!”

Ber: “Hit them while they’re trying to reply to you! There are no rules in combat!”

Res: “You can reliably inflict critical damage by staggering or exploiting certain vulnerabilities. For example, a slash to an unarmored nape can deal critical damage and often kill the target in a single blow. But when it comes to Moons and Corrupted, it’s a combination of Stacks, Conditions, and abilities. Frost’s Scrutiny Condition is an example that allows for a consistent critical attack.”

Cer: “… what are you, some kind of combat expert?”

Res: “We’ve been doing this fucking job for 30 fucking years, and the only thing you numbskulls got out of it was the equivalent of throwing sand in someone’s eyes!”

Ber: “Because it works! Hah!”

Cer: “Ex – act – ly! C’mon Res.”

Res: “WHAT!?”

Cer: “Do you enjoy living like that? Always being mad?”

Res: “… Frost. FROST! Where are you? Please, get me away from these idiots. I can’t… I can’t deal with this shit anymore!”


Number133eevee – Ignis, Ber, Galia

“What are your opinions on hot cocoa, milkshakes, and smoothies?”

Ignis: “Hot cocoa is delicious. Milkshakes are tasty. Smoothies are yummy.”

Ber: “What am I, a kid? Hot cocoa? Never tried it. Milkshakes? Neither. But smoothies? Those are amazing!”

Galia: “All are abominations. There is only one true beverage. Hot cocoa? Mud water. Milkshake? Mud milk. Smoothies? What’s the excitement over crushed fruit? I, for one, do not understand the primitive thought process that leads one to drink such liquid poison.”

Ignis: “Is Galia always like this?”

Ber: “She like’s a certain brew of drink. Anything that isn’t that is automatically hearsay. Tell her you like tea and you might find a hole in your chest if you’re not careful.”

Ignis: “Scary…”


Number133eevee – Nav

“Is sanity damage permanent?”

Nav: “It’s difficult to tell. People as we’ve seen have recovered from the Corruption. Ber has also shown that sanity can return even when one becomes unstable. But in a broader perspective, sanity can be irrecoverable, especially for those that undergo immense distress or are faced with unimaginable horror.

Healers are not able to heal the mind. Take that for what you will.”


Number133eevee – Frost

“What does invulnerability and yourself taste like?”

Frost: “Alright. Hear me out. Invulnerability kinda tastes like Jury’s lips. Funny thing is, she has a Skill that applying Invulnerability if she kisses you. Jury tastes like whatever she last ate. Me? I taste like a fruit, believe it or not.”


Number133eevee – Frost

“Can you eat the air?”

Frost: “Yes. Put me in an encloses space and it’ll become a vacuum eventually.”


Number133eevee – Nav, Anna

“What is wet?”

Nav: “The state of being saturated or compromised by water or a liquid. When the cloth is drenched by water it becomes wet as water adheres to it. It’s quite simple.”

Anna: “W-what she said.”


Number133eevee – Ber

“During Frost’s breakdown event, what did instability feel verses being Corrupted?”

Ber: “Very similar to being a Corrupted. There’s some key differences, like the longer it goes on and the more mana you expend, the more ‘control’ you have over your own body. Something just bursts from your chest and takes over you, like you’re wearing an autonomous shell made from your worst qualities. It’s like being stuck in a fit of rage and slowly dying out of it. Your sense of self gets flipped, because in that moment, that becomes you.

It's not easy to explain. And I hope you or anyone has to deal with becoming Corrupted or undergo an Instability. But that’s if you have a Corrupted Persona like me, heh.”


Number133eevee – Arbiter

“What was the strangest case you had to judge?”

Arbiter: “A case between a mouse attempting to convince a rat that a mouse only exists in a house, and when they leave, they become a rat. But when a rat enters a house, they become a mouse. Then it had me thinking. Have I ever seen a mouse outside of a house? Mind you, I am blind, so it was a difficult trial to determine the truth…

… was this real? I shall leave that to your imagination.”


Number133eevee – Anna

“What is your favorite color and favorite Color?”

Anna: “Blue! And my favorite Color is the Orange Disruptor. There’s something intriguing about her character. Did you know that she’s affiliated with every Atelier? It makes you wonder what kind of person she is. I wonder if we’ll get to see her someday.”


Number133eevee – Jury

“What are some of the sins of the coat revealed to you from Frost’s Group?”

Jury: “I can only see Ignis’ and Snaps. The Mantle of Sin doesn’t scale with me. It’s useless to use against Moons. Luckly, I caught a glimpse of Ignis’ before she became a Moon candidate. Ignis’ sin is ‘Defiling’, and Snap’s is ‘Ignorance’.


Number133eevee – Nav, Anna

“How many planets are in your solar system?”

Anna: “Our old world had zero. The black hole was all I ever knew. Records of the past were destroyed by the common book burnings.”

Nav: “In Elysian there are a total of 9 observed planets, but there likely may be more yet to be discovered. Quite similar to Earth, no?”


Number133eevee – Star Child

“What is your favorite equation?”

Star Child: “R = 2 (1+Cos θ)”


Number133eevee – Frost, everyone

“When’s all your birthdays?”

Frost: “I have no idea.”

Jury: “Neither.”

Ignis: “Birthdays are rarely followed in Demi-human customs…”

Cer: “Beats me.”

Ber: “I’d like to know too.”

Res: “Demi-humans count the first day of the year as their birthday, regardless of if they were born 200 days later, or a day before. It means the first day of the year sees massive festivals and celebrations amongst the Demi-human population.”


Number133eevee – Carpalis

“What holidays are there, and are they a good source for Nex?”

Carpalis: “There’s the Demi-human Festival at the beginning of the year, amongst many others. Frost has informed me of a thing called Christmas from their world. Other than that… I am quite behind on the times, hehe... Holidays do tend to generate Nex, but nowhere as much as wars do, unfortunately. A single day of happiness cannot be stretched to months, years, or generations.”

Witnessen – Frost

“Coffee or tea?”

Frost: “Coffee, but tea is good too. Don’t tell Galia I said that, though.”


Zecir – Frost

“Was there a time when you bit yourself by mistake?”

Frost: “Another Moon asking about my maw. Yep. A lot of times in fact. Mostly my tongue. Kinda hard to keep your tongue away from a jaw that can cut through practically anything. Don’t tell anyone I said this, but between the bitterness and irony taste of blood, there’s a weird, fruity sweetness as well… why the hell am I describing what I taste like?”


BINd47 – Frost

“If you’re willing to describe everyone’s fashion sense, what would that be? Who’s willing to wear goth fashion-lifestyle? Or who’s gonna rock some slav Adidas tracksuit and drink vodka while crouching legs apart?”

Frost: “Everyone dresses sharply. Incredibly sharply. Hell, Ignis even wears a suit! This world is full of mutants and monsters riddled with puss and bulging with all kinds of fleshy overgrowth; some even having a fish for a head, but they still take the time to dress themselves like in the finest of suits, uniforms, garbs like there is no tomorrow.

Then you have the Blessed and Adventurers. They’d wear an entire carboard cutout if it gave them 1 additional defense stat over a literal masterpiece of an armor set made from diamonds. And I thought that was a problem with RPG games. Turns out it happens here too.

For goth… I think Cer would fit nicely into that fashion. Maybe Res too? As for a tracksuit… honestly, I can also see Cer and Ber rocking those and drowning themselves in alcohol for fun.”


Killroyistheklobb – Jury, Frost

“Best pet: cats or dogs?”

Frost: “Cats. We have enough dogs as it is.”

Jury: “Both are cute!”


Killroyistheklobb – Nav

“Cake or pie?”

Nav: “Cake. Because it’s closer to a cupcake, but just without the cup. And bigger… I want to try one.”


Killroyistheklobb – Gabriella

“How do you keep your feathers clean?”

Gabriella: “That’s. A. Secret~ However, healers do tend to my lonely wing from time to time. They play it like a harp. Those New World Angels are quite… something, aren’t they?”


Ainciem – Everyone

“What’s your favorite ice cream flavor?”

Frost: “Vanilla.”

Jury: “Apple and grilled meat.”

Ignis: “Blueberry.”

Cer: “Banana.”

Ber: “Mango!”

Res: “Raspberries.”

Nav: “Strawberry, I believe.”