Nexus Awakened (An Isekai LitRPG Gender Bender Story)

739. Chapter Seventeen – One: Qoph

“Ah~ My apologies. You must be the Amalgam. Yes. Yes, you are. The emanation of Light as I see it now. This Qoph of mine burns, but it’s a pleasant sensation. It’s fulfilling. Ah, yes. Light as we know it banishes darkness. That must be why my Qoph is struggling.”

“Qoph being the Serum that can create golems?” Frost inquired, causing the blue lights to flicker.

Blue stripes appeared in the dark, creating a smile as its eyes turned into upside down ‘U’s.

“Qoph being the thing that creates ‘husks’. ‘Shells’, but not in the same sense as the Shells of the living. Objects cannot have Light, nor a Soul. As such, Qoph is the very essence of the lack of Light that can turn the inanimate into the animated. Hence, why I call them Husks. Machines without souls.”

The Administrator bowed, their body bending from much higher than where a human would. Their body elongated to twelve meters as well, as if to show their utmost respect through using every aspect of their being.

“Qoph is simply the concept of the absence of Light. Light, being…”

They turned to the others, then raised a hand to cover their non-existent mouth.

“… Quite the impressive thing, yes? Yes. Oh yes it is. But machines like those Infecta Rot should make do with their existence. It’s already a privilege to live. To experience... They complain that they have no mouth and must scream, but in truth, they can create one of their own. There is no need to scour the world for a soul.”

Their eyes turned into giant orbs of light. They vehemently believed in this. Despite all that light, they lacked the spark of Light associated with most living beings.

Unlike Nav, who certainly did have a spark, and most certainly a Soul. A true, living machine created from the Light rather than Qoph – darkness – as this Administrator called it.

“Is a Soul really that important to them?” Frost asked, causing Qoph to chuckle as Snap made their appearance.

“The lack of soul means the lack of these absurd defensive capabilities of the living. It disqualifies us from ‘life’ as we know it. That’s in the more nihilistic point of view. They should adopt a more stoic or existential perspective. In the end, I am what I think I am. That is enough for me. But for them… it’s an odd obsession, no? Machines craving flesh…”

Snap brushed its head against Frost’s face as Administrator Qoph approached a broken statue. They stung it with a clawed finger, injecting a pitch-black liquid into it.

The statue began to move. It melded its outer, petrified layer and picked its broken pieces. It fitted mismatching pieces according to the orders of the Administrator, like a puppet on strings.

“This has no sapience or intelligence. It’s a puppet that answers only to me. But there are those that can gain free will. Amalgam. A question, if you don’t mind.”

Qoph began to summon hordes of Husk. Materials formed into balls vaguely resembling a globe. Then, limbs were attached before blades and suits of armor were adorned. Anything that did not live but had the image of life – be it a stuffed teddy bear or the bust of a royal figure – could be infused with Qoph.

This was the only criteria needed for reasons unknown to them.

“Go ahead. It’ll be your only question for now. We have another Tower to get to.” Frost said, causing Qoph to make a [ :D] face.

“Do you think free will is a mistake?”

“I think believing in otherwise is a mistake. I don’t believe in a determinist world.” Frost answered.

“[ :O ] You and I both. Machines believe otherwise, but when they attain some semblance of life… then it becomes a complicated existential mess. Two humans have the same wiring. But in our case, a drill is a tool. But when it gains self-awareness… [ :D ] what does it become? Whatever it so desires. In theory at least. With no Light or Soul, it’s still a tool. Yes. A tool. A self-aware tool meant to serve [ : I ].

“Then what are you supposed to be?” Frost asked as she rode atop Snap’s back.

“I think of myself as a self-morphing tool. I can be what I want to be. That’s the beauty of a machine-like body. I don’t feel the same things as you do, but I am not envious like Infecta Rot. I suppose that’s what separates me from them. Amalgam… I will take great care of them.”

They weren’t lying. Frost’s Coat of Prejudice ruffled. Additionally, the fact that Snap was unharmed and had carried them here meant that they were likely ‘good’.

Good only because they’re on our side. I’m sure Inflow Direct had other reasons to seal them. We’ll fight fire with fire this time. Alright. Nav. Let Michaela know that we’re moving now. She’ll need to prepare if she plans to join us in the north.

“She’s aware.”

Perfect.

With that said and done, Frost departed. But not without heading to the green eye at the tip of the palace. As expected, it was indeed a Luminaire. It was a Major Luminaire that simply required her to punch it a few times before it broke.

This confirmed that the Maestros of Flesh were planning on making their Impuritas members immortal for the upcoming apocalypse. Without these, they’d also be sucsciptible to the Sins and one another.

“Let’s go Snap. Full speed ahead.” Frost said as they sat the very summit of the silent tower. It no longer had a light to shine upon the Capital, and she could already see the uneasiness sweep across the streets.

“Brrr! Bzzt! (Hold on tight!).”

Snap knew that Frost was now capable of withstanding its full speed of 1,800 AGI. Frost held on as tightly as she could, and before she knew it, the world warped around as though she was travelling with an Isolation Sphere.

Snap broke the sound barrier, and nearly Frost’s neck as the Capital disappeared in an instant. Along the way, Nav spoke on behalf of Michaela regarding Qoph.

< Qoph is a familiar concept to Micheala. It reminds her of the ancient beings that protected the Yetzirah and black orb beneath the bastion of mankind. But they were not machines. They were simply beings of darkness; things completely absent of Light. She cannot recall their names, but Qoph is similar >

With the introduction of the existence of ‘Darkness’ as opposed to ‘Light’, Frost had to wonder if the Impuritas were maybe in some way representative of it. And if not them…

… then who?

Whatever the case was, she had a premonition that they would be finding out soon.