Camp Syndicate: The Monster Lady, 1 (Escape from Club Apophis, 63)

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STORYLINE: Neu Seoul, 5pm

Helga trudged along the sidewalk, her arms aching as heavy grocery bags cut into her fingers. Beside her, Happy the Dino Dog darted between her legs, his bio-construct claws clicking sharply against the pavement.

"Watch where you're going, you little menace," she scolded him playfully, juggling the plastic handles.

Ten days ago, she’d found Happy beside the wreck of Lisa Liemawr’s car, guarding the missing Hexa Herald reporter’s halophone. Lisa’s last broadcast had been looping on its screen, insisting the Forbidden Zone wasn’t radioactive at all, that it was full of monsters. Helga had only meant to do the right thing. She’d pressed Share.

Instead, she'd turned her life into a waking nightmare.

Happy's tail wagged furiously, his scaled snout lifting to sniff the evening air.

Her halophone chimed. Helga groaned, trying to balance two overstuffed grocery bags on one knee while fishing the device out of her coat pocket. Her inbox had exploded with toxic stupidity. Cruel memes. Insults. Badly photoshopped creatures holding political signs featuring her face, as though she were their preferred candidate for president.

She had blocked accounts. Reported them. Ignored them. Nothing worked.

Then a message from Mira appeared.

Mira, founder of the Romaniacs, had arranged that surprise meeting with DJ Romance, the celebrity impersonator. She'd been strangely quiet ever since.

GET OUT OF THE CITY. NOW.

Her thumb hovered over Delete.

A prank. It had to be a prank. But it wasn't like sweet Mira to make fun of her.

Happy stopped weaving around her ankles. His leathery ears twitched. He turned toward the end of the block, letting out a low, vibrating growl.

An icy breeze made her shiver and she tightened her coat. "Come on, Happy," she whispered, quickening her pace.

When they reached her apartment building, Helga's stomach turned. Splashed across her front door in wet red paint were the words MONSTER LOVER.

Happy shoved against her leg, growling at the door.

For the past ten days, he'd appointed himself her personal bodyguard. He slept outside her bedroom and followed her everywhere, even to the bathroom. She'd never had the heart to tell him his vigilance was unnecessary. She wasn't Lisa Liemawr, forever stirring up trouble and making enemies of the rich and powerful. Helga had always lived a quiet life, far from that kind of danger.

Until now.

For a moment, she couldn't move. Happy pressed close, his growl rumbling through her leg. For the first time, she was grateful for his overprotectiveness.

She dropped the grocery bags onto the grass and fumbled for the paper towels. The thick, wet paint smeared beneath her frantic scrubbing.

Lisa Liemawr had gone missing trying to expose the truth about the Forbidden Zone. Helga had only shared the broadcast. She hadn't done anything to deserve this.

Behind her, Happy began to bark again and again.

Her halophone vibrated. Ringing. Ringing.

She snatched it up, ready to turn it off, but stopped dead.

Glowing across the screen was Caller ID: DJ ROMANCE.

She stared at his perfect idol picture and touched her lips, which had never quite stopped tingling since his kiss.

How did he have her number? Mira must have given it to him.

Her thumb hovered over the answer icon. If she didn't answer, she'd spend the rest of the night wondering whether it was really him.

She accepted the call. “Um… hello?”

"Helga."

His voice. That deep gravitas. Her heart skipped a beat. It really was him.

"DJ Romance?" she whispered. "Are you... are you mocking me too?"

The screen flickered wildly with static. Romance's panicked voice crackled through the speaker.

"Helga, listen to me. Please. Get out of the city. Go now!"

She swallowed hard. "You sound just like Mira."

Static swallowed Romance's reply. "If you can't..." His voice broke into a glitching distortion.

Then silence.

Helga's battery icon plunged to zero.

The screen went black.

"Hello? Romance?"

She tapped the screen, then held down the power button. Nothing.

A deep pulse reverberated through her jaw. She felt it in her teeth, a low-frequency hum rising through the pavement beneath her feet.

Helga looked around, trying to locate the sound. Several blocks away, a billboard flickered. Its brilliant advertisements stuttered through bands of static before the entire display went dark. Then, the streetlamps died in a long, dark cascade toward her.

Happy stopped in his tracks. His scaled head snapped upward.

Helga followed his gaze, her breath hitching.

The blood-red sky stretched outward like an open wound over Neu Seoul.

A cold wind swept through her hair.

The smell hit her a moment later. Damp earth. Stagnant water. And beneath it all, something sweet and rotten.

Happy's collar frills sprang fully open. He planted his feet and faced the street, snarling so fiercely that the sound rattled in his chest.

Helga gasped. She fumbled for her door key fob, aiming it at the door. Click. Click. Click.

Nothing.

The power LEDs on both the key fob and the door lock had gone dark.

She slammed her fists against the door. "Damn it!"

Behind her, Happy erupted into furious barking. He didn't look at the building, but at the street, his teeth bared, scales bristling along his tail.

She spun around. Whatever had frightened him was out there, somewhere beyond the darkening street. She couldn't see anything, but the hum was growing louder.

She ran to the neighboring building and beat on the door.

"Help! Please, let me in! Something's wrong out here!"

For a moment, there was only the sound of her own breathing and Happy's desperate barking.

Then she heard a soft movement on the other side of the door.

Someone was home.

"Please!" she cried, pounding again.

Whoever it was, they were as scared as she was. She couldn’t even blame them.

A heavy, wet dragging sound echoed through the unnatural quiet of the blacked-out street.

Helga backed against the front door, petrified. “Oh, God...”

Out of the shadows shambled a horrifying figure in a torn, blood-stained dress. Its head lolled at a nauseating angle, a filth-caked burlap sack tied tightly over it. Dark fluid seeped through the fabric. No signs of breathing. Its joints clicked like dry twigs with every jerky step.

Happy charged.

"Happy, NO!"

The Dino Dog launched himself at the creature, claws scraping against the pavement. The thing lurched forward with a sudden, sickening burst of speed, its malformed arms reaching for him.

Helga couldn't see what happened next. She heard the crash of bodies, the scrape of claws, and a horrible series of wet impacts in the darkness.

"HAPPY!"

Something struck the pavement with a heavy thud.

Helga's stomach lurched. She stumbled toward the sounds, one hand reaching blindly into the darkness.

A furious bark answered her. Angry. Defiant.

Thank God. 

She barely had time to feel relief before another sound punched the air inward.

A violent WHUMP slammed through the street. Windows rattled in their frames. Loose paper towels and spilled groceries blew across the pavement as vibrant pink smoke erupted between Helga and the creature.

A second monster had appeared.

The smoke churned, swallowing the darkness around it. A vast silhouette rose through the pink haze, giant black bat wings unfurling against the blood-red sky, violet light pulsing through the membranes. Beneath a gat hat, magenta hair framed a face crowned with horns thrusting straight forward.

A gleaming scythe caught what little light remained.

Helga couldn't move. Couldn't breathe.

The demon straightened, wings spread wide, its clawed hands tightening around the weapon.

It lunged toward the creature. A sharp, sickening whoosh cut through the darkness, followed by two heavy thumps against the pavement.

For a heartbeat, everything went still. A thin, luminous stream rose from the darkness, twisting up from the fallen body toward its destroyer. The demon inhaled, almost imperceptibly. The blue light vanished within its fanged jaws.

Helga touched her lips. That glow. She suddenly felt afraid. Very afraid

Happy's head snapped toward Helga. He sniffed, then turned toward the demon, lips curling back from his teeth as darkness swallowed them once more.

A scream erupted from the darkness.

It was impossibly loud, impossibly high, a glass-shattering screech that climbed and wavered in a sustained vibrato. The note went on without a single breath, a virtuoso performance of pure, unfiltered agony that seemed to force everyone within earshot to share its pain.

Helga clapped her hands over her ears.

Then something about the voice began to sound familiar.

The vibrato. The effortless control. That impossible high note.

Since childhood, she had adored that voice, playing all his songs over and over until she knew them by heart.

Helga slowly lowered her hands. She didn't need to see the demon to know.

No impersonator could ever hit a note like that.

“WHY ARE YOU BITING ME, YOU STUPID MUTT?” Romance howled. “LET GO! I'M TRYING TO PROTECT HER TOO!”

Happy Halloween everyone! For you Halloween needs, hop over to Camp Syndicate to see all the delightfully spooky things. Don't miss gifts, cool sim ambience, and the live DJ parties too!

On Him, DJ Romance:

Teeth, mouth, tongue: Seydr - Cryptid Maw [mesh](Camp Syndicate)(449L)

Lips: Misteria - Smoke [HD Applier](Camp Syndicate)(250L)

Straps: YUEBIN - BOUND Body Straps - [Legacy Athl] - black [mesh](350L)

Top: YUEBIN - RAZE Top - [Legacy (m)+Athl] Fatpack [mesh](1290L)

Pants: YUEBIN - Rift Pants - [Legacy (m)+Athl] Fatpack [mesh](1290L)

Eye, jaw: Cubic Cherry - Terror Jawbone, EYE  FATPACK [mesh]

Horns: Hollow - Nyx Horns [mesh]

Tail: Hollow - Nyx Tail [Bento] [mesh]

Weapon: ORPHIC - Kurohana Scythe - Shoulder L [mesh]

Hair: Raven Bell - Azriel Braids [mesh]

Bracers: Aii - Riftwind Mercenary - Legacy M Bracers [mesh]

Boots: CULT - Darkness - Legacy M [mesh]

Thong: Noche - James Thong Metallic Black [B0] - Athletic [mesh]

Hair: Dura - U129 -LIGHT -Men [mesh]

Hair: Dura - U135-Light(rigged)-Male [mesh]

Necklace: UKIYO - lisa necklace [unrigged + resizer] [mesh]

Heart: RAWR - Diamond Heart Septum [mesh]

Wings: Aii - Nefarious Wings M Bento (b.o.m.1) [mesh]

Claws, rings: NI.JU - Acantha Rings/Nails Set - legacy m [mesh](250L)

Hat: Dope+Mercy - Saja Gat, Sheer [mesh](Gift)

Earring: RavenBell - Starlit Earrings [Moonlit] [mesh](350L)

Tattoos: HISS - PATTERNS FACE ROMANCE [BOM](250L)

Eyes: Gloom - Savage Fantasy Collection - Sclera 03 - Yellow M [BOM]

Head: LeLUTKA - KANE [mesh](3990L)

Body: TheShops - [BODY] Athletic Meshbody (Legacy)(m) (1.7.1) [mesh](5000L)

Pose: DevinVaughn - created in Firestorm

Setting:

Skyline: Strange Merchant - Light City 1 [mesh]

Seoul Tower: Korea City

BONUS IMAGES: inworld raw shots,  midday sky, default camera:

Engine Room: Revenge of the Vampire Nation (Escape from Club Apophis, 59)

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STORYLINE: US Air Force base, Okinawa, late afternoon.

Angry clouds hung heavy over the Pacific.

Massive Mecha Scorpions moved into formation around the lighter infantry armor, their hydraulic joints hissing as hot steam vented across the puddle-choked tarmac. The ground vibrated beneath their multi-leg stomps. Behind them, armored hovercopters whined on helipads as the Night Troops loaded the Scorpion Attack Force for the sea crossing.

Cutting through the rainy mist and reek of aviation fuel came the legendary Commander Ashe. Tall, razor-thin, and clad in a high-density commando weave, Ashe moved with the unnerving stillness of a ghost. A crimson scar ran from his brow down his cheek, while a tarnished silver Victoria Cross dangled from his septum ring over his lips. In the dim tarmac light, his dilated pupils caught the red hazard beacons like a predator's eyes.

He unlatched the massive blast doors of the war room. Cold ozone-heavy air rushed out to meet the suffocating tropical humidity.

"President Spyder." His voice sounded more like a professor's than a warrior's. "The 101st is within visual range of Jeju Island."

Maximilian stood over the tactical holotable, red eyes gleaming. Overhead lights caught the sharp edge of elongated fangs as he devilishly grinned. He clapped a heavy hand onto Ashe’s shoulder with a firm grip. “This is the last stand of the wily old Pharaoh and his Harlot,” his deep voice rumbled. “Corrupt humans and lesser monsters are no defense against the might of the Vampire Nation. This is our world now. His reign ended in Berlin.”

His grin widened.

“Tomorrow, we finally burn out his ancient bloodline.”

Alarms went off, bathing the war room in red. Warnings violently flickered across the holotable. A distressed transmission broke through, framing the face of the Flying Bats Squad Leader. Inside his cockpit, lights flickered on and off as the craft tumbled out of control.

"REPORT!" Maximilian leaned over the projection, jaw tight.

Audio shattered into metallic screeching. Only two words survived the static before the signal died completely: "...No power..."

Ashe immediately swept his hand across the control interface, switching feed angles.

On screen, three more black hovercopters dropped from the sky like lead weights. Their engine glow winked out simultaneously before the black ocean swallowed them whole.

"PULL BACK! REGROUP!" Maximilian roared. "Deploy the Mosquito Bots. All units, locate the perimeter of that bloody shield!"

Ashe rerouted the holotable to an orbital optical feed. Below them, Jeju Island was going dark as if a black wave was sweeping over it. The sky above the island burned crimson beneath the storm clouds. Streetlights were dead. Buildings stood dark along the coastline. Even the traffic signals had died.

"An Entropy Barrier," Ashe said, his voice flat and analytical. "They anticipated our arrival."

Maximilian’s expression turned to iron. "Paine. That bitch betrayed us,” he snarled.

"Possibly. But extending an Entropy field this far beyond the Forbidden Zone would require infrastructure." His eyes narrowed. "The real question is, where did they get enough Entropy to power it?"

Maximilian huffed in disgust.

Ashe zoomed in on the rocky shoreline, targeting a slim lattice structure disguised among sea cliffs. "Notice these relay towers.”

He mapped the shoreline with two quick keystrokes. Six identical towers lined the coast in a precise geometric grid.

"Equidistant. Coordinated." Ashe traced the pattern across the glass. "These aren't cell towers.”

Maximilian turned toward the open comms panel, muscles coiled like a spring. "Unit Five, see that central spire? Dive bomb it."

The sub-window displayed a surviving pilot, pale against his flight harness. "Sir, our flight systems will die the second we breach the boundary zone."

Maximilian sneered into the camera. "Then climb to maximum altitude. Aim. And let momentum carry you. Gravity does not require voltage. Ram that target at top speed, soldier.”

A heavy chill fell across the room.

“Delay that order.” Ashe stepped smoothly into the frame, placed himself directly between Maximilian and the holotable, and clicked the master mute button.

The war room went completely silent. Maximilian’s eyes blazed with lethal fury. For three long seconds, the air balanced on the edge of violence as the President confronted his commander's defiance.

Ashe did not flinch. "Wasting pilots and expensive resources on tower relays is inefficient. There is no need to sacrifice pilots and aircraft when the towers can be dismantled by hand. Send the remaining 101st Flying Bats. They can tear those structures apart with more… traditional methods.”

Maximilian glared at him, the tension slowly bleeding out of his shoulders, replaced by a slow, ruthless grin. "Do you think your elite boys still remember how to hunt with wing and claw?"

"It is innate," Ashe said. He unholstered a long-barreled WWII service pistol from his side, the cursed steel dull and heavy under the tactical lights.

“Old technology served us well in Europe.”

Max stared at the antique weapon. "That gun is over a century out of date."

Ashe checked the chamber, the metallic clack cutting through the silence.

"Digital systems fail. Blood and iron do not."

He raised his eyes. The Victoria Cross glinted in the red hazard light.

"We will hunt in the dark."

HAPPY OCTOBER, Everyone! Best month of the year. *throws fall leaves* I have fun spooky posts in the works with Engine Room items. The Engine Room is a historical fantasy event filled with high quality items, gifts, and even hosts DJ parties. This post was inspired by the many awesome war things at the event, and scorpions! I had making a more movie like image for this post.

On him, Maximilian Spyder:

Outfit: FOE -  Imprecari Outfit, Legacy Male (Engine Room)(1999L)

Gloves: FOE - Imprecari Gloves, Legacy Male (Engine Room)(752L)

Boots: FOE - Imprecari Boots, Legacy Male (Engine Room)(799L)

Sword: FOE - Great Sunderer (Engine Room)(799L)

Mask: MILKBATH - Goblin Mask [mesh]

Hair: Wasabi Pills - Draco Mesh Hair, male [mesh]

Eyes: Gloom - Savage Collection - Sclera 03 - Red S [BOM]

Skin: coconut - Dong Skin / Winter Tone / EVO X [BOM]

Tattoo: XTX - Arana Tattoo - 60% [BOM]

Head: LeLUTKA - RUNE [mesh](3990L)

Body: TheShops - [BODY] Athletic Meshbody (Legacy)(m) (1.7.1) [mesh](5000L)

On him, Commander Ashe:

Outfit: TURB - Sunrise Suit, Vest, Legacy M, fatpack [mesh](Engine Room)(2500L)

Gun: Aii - Red Moon Revolver [mesh](Engine Room)(2000L)

Helmet: SOLE - SA - Helmet DND (Black) [mesh]

Collar: AVEC TOI - Aiden Neck Corset - TIGHT - V1 (LegacyATHLETIC) [mesh]

Cap: Oracle - Sovereign Cap, male [mesh]

Nose chain: Remarkable Oblivion Paragon Cap, Nose chain [mesh]

Earrings: Swallow - Earrings H01 for lel Evo X Human Ears MALE [mesh]

Gloves: Archivefaction - Penumbra Gloves_Legacy M_Slim Fingers [mesh]

Boots: Livalle - Payne - Combat Boots  - Male [mesh]

Head: LeLUTKA - Kane Evolution [mesh](3990L)

Body: TheShops - [BODY] Athletic Meshbody (Legacy)(m) (1.7.1) [mesh](5000L)

Setting:

Scorpion tank: AxisMundi - SiegeReaver-Mount- Large[Animesh](Engine Room)(1500L)

Scorpion: SEmotion Libellune - Venom Antares Companion LIMITED[Animesh](Neo Japan)(188L)

Scorpion Chairs: Nebur Cyborg - SCORVA Rover R-027 (PBR) [mesh]

BONUS IMAGES: inworld raw shots,  midday sky, default camera:

Midnight Order: Maximilian Spyder (Escape from Club Apophis, 51)

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STORYLINE: "We are reporting live from the edge of the Forbidden Zone!"

The frantic voice crackled from a holographic tablet resting on the steel desk, its audio ragged with static and barely cutting through the deafening thrum vibrating from outside.

From the quiet dark of the Okinawa command bunker, Maximilian Spyder watched the glitching archive footage. His long, pale fingers danced over the tablet's controls while his other hand idly twirled a black king chess piece. He was an ancient Briton warlord surviving in a cybernetic age. In stark contrast to his jet-black hair, his skin was the color of bleached bone. But it was his eyes that truly betrayed his terrifying power: solid, pitch-black voids of a supreme apex predator. Where his eternal rival’s eyes burned with gold, Maximilian’s shone with a cold, merciless crimson.

Behind him, torrential rain battered the reinforced glass, each drop a tiny, violent percussion against the sweating steel walls. The storm was merely a backdrop to the mechanized empire mobilizing for war on the tarmac below. Matte-black stealth hover-copters whipped the heavy, ozone-scented air into a wall of sound. Beneath them, thousands of vampire soldiers marched with machine-like precision. They wore high-tech, interlocking tactical armor and carried silver-alloy rifles equipped with UV-laser sights that sliced through the deluge like thin, blood-red wires.

Stark white UN insignias gleamed on the sides of the massive transports. They were no longer monsters lurking in the shadows. They were a supernatural superpower: authorized, weaponized, and preparing to strike.

A heavy transport shuddered the ceiling overhead. Maximilian didn't blink. His focus remained locked on the tablet as the reporter's face, framed by the rusted, towering gates of the Forbidden Zone, filled the screen.

"It’s not radioactive! There are no biohazards!" Lisa Liemawr’s scream tore over the ambient roar of the engines. "That’s right, folks, it’s all a government lie! What’s really inside the Zone is monsters! The government has a pact with them! Our boy, Yoon Jihoon, he’s the first person to escape that place alive, and they set him on fire for it!"

The camera panned over a crowd of terrified students, eventually zooming in on a dossier image of Yoon Jihoon. A second later, the feed cut to the final, horrifying footage: a human-sized inferno blazing across a college baseball field.

Maximilian stopped twirling the chess piece.

"Excuse me, Sir," a high-ranking officer interrupted, his combat boots clicking sharply as he stepped into the dark bunker. "Incoming Deep-Net encrypted call. It appears to be from Mother Superior."

Maximilian’s red irises flared slightly, the title echoing like a ghost from another decade. "Are the credentials legitimate?"

"The security certificate is out of date, but yes. It's an authentic ping from the Neu Seoul network." The officer handed over a heavy, secure halophone and immediately stepped back, lowering his eyes.

Maximilian laid the device flat on the tactical table and pressed accept.

The air above the projector shimmered, smelling faintly of scorched copper. A classified, military-grade VR link established itself, weaving a flawless, table-top hologram into the dimly lit bunker. The figure that materialized was not the visionary engineer Maximilian expected. It was a blonde woman clad in the austere, symbol-laden habit of a nun. Her digital avatar blinked, adjusting to the simulated rain hammering the bunker and the sharp chemical scent of jet fuel drifting through the ventilation.

"Who are you?" Maximilian’s voice was a low, authoritative rumble that seemed to vibrate in the very floorboards. "And how did you get this line of communication?"

"I’m taking a massive risk contacting you," the woman replied. Her digital form stabilized, and she lowered her hood to reveal a cold, deeply exhausted face. "My name is Paine. Acting Mother Superior of the Children of Apophis."

Maximilian planted his knuckles on the heavy-duty tactical table and leaned forward. "And why is Lucien Ginerva’s most loyal disciple calling his archenemy?"

The hologram flickered as Paine bristled. "For two years, I believed my predecessor, Sophia, was merely in hiding. Tonight, I received confirmation her body has been found."

Paine’s digital avatar shuddered slightly, her rigid posture failing for a fraction of a second.

"She left a contingency packet with strict instructions to open it only if her death was confirmed. I broke the seal an hour ago." She swallowed. "Its contents included her secret contacts and far more than I ever wanted to know."

Maximilian murmured, the sound blending with the thunder outside. "Yes, I have not heard from her in some time. I assumed the worst."

"So it’s true, then. She was working for you. A traitor and a heretic," she sneered.

"Hmm," Maximilian offered a terrifyingly polite smile. "I imagine she contacted me for the exact same reason you are now."

Paine ground her teeth. "Make no mistake, I am not your ally. What I want, what we, the Children of Apophis, want, is to restore the Old Ways."

Maximilian let out a short, hollow chuckle. He picked up a crystal goblet of synthetic blood from the desk, swirling the thick, scarlet liquid slowly.

"I’m aware you run Lucien’s scam plastic surgery clinic," he said, his tone entirely unbothered. "Something extraordinary must have happened for you to turn on a master you've served for decades. But first, enlighten me. What exactly do you mean by the Old Ways?"

"The natural order," Paine said, her voice dropping into a fanatic's mesmerizing cadence. "All things must die."

Maximilian raised an eyebrow, his gaze dragging over the intricate embroidered symbols on her habit. "So you worship Apophis not as a God, but as the symbol of death?"

"Neither. Apophis is a force of nature," Paine corrected sharply. "Entropy. The physical direction of time itself. Order to disorder. There are too many undead walking the Earth, defying the arrow of time." She pointed a trembling digital finger at him. "How old, exactly, are you?"

Maximilian smiled, allowing a single, razor-sharp fang to peek over his lower lip. "An amusing irony, Sister. You worship decay, yet you serve the oldest, most vain creature of our kind, a man obsessed with erasing the very signs of decay you revere. You don't practice your religion very well."

"Apparently, neither did MasterGin," Paine fired back, stepping so close to the edge of her holographic boundary that the projection crackled at its edges. "He tricked us. Betrayed his own creed. He doesn't want to feed Apophis to honor the universe. Sophia warned me, but I didn't believe her."

She paused, her hands pressing flat against her habit.

"MasterGin wants to use Apophis, the only God capable of killing other Gods, to murder one for him. He wants to slay his creator."

Maximilian went entirely still. The scarlet liquid in his goblet stopped swirling. He set the crystal glass down with a slow, deliberate click that cut through the baseline hum of the bunker.

"Lucien wants to slay the Pharaoh?" Maximilian’s voice dropped to a dangerous whisper. "A bold delusion, even for him. How does a fraud plastic surgeon intend to shackle a cosmic force?"

Paine took a sharp, jagged breath, her eyes darting to the tactical maps on his desk. "He spent centuries engineering the infrastructure." She stopped, her jaw working. "Apophis cannot be tamed by worship alone. So he changed the parameters. If the god will not obey him, he will trap it in something that will."

Maximilian glanced at the peripheral glow of his tablet, where the muted footage of the university students continued to loop. His eyes locked onto the frozen frame of Yoon Jihoon. He tapped the glass directly over the boy's face.

"The boy who escaped the Forbidden Zone,” Maximilian murmured, completing the equation. He looked at Paine. "He is building a vessel."

"Yes," Paine whispered, the confession leaving her sounding entirely hollow. "The Opening of the Mouth ceremony is tomorrow. If he succeeds, he controls the weapon that ends the Ruler. And that’s only the start. He intends to remake the world in his design, with power I doubt he can control. The consequences are too horrible to fathom."

"Indeed," Maximilian said softly. He leaned back, letting the silence stretch between them until the weight of it became a weapon.

A sheet of rain lashing across the reinforced window swallowed the tarmac armada in a blanket of grey. Paine looked past him, taking in the silhouettes of the stealth transports and the sheer scale of the mobilization.

"Can you stop them?" she asked, the desperation finally bleeding through her rigid exterior. "Can you take them out?"

Maximilian did not answer immediately. He reached beneath his heavy tactical collar and pulled out a thick silver chain. Hanging from the center was a single, yellowed human canine tooth. He laid it flat on the illuminated tactical map, the ancient bone stark against the glowing blue topography of Neu Seoul.

"With this tooth, I purchased sovereignty for the Vampire Nation."

For a heartbeat, the red in Maximilian's eyes disappeared, leaving only two endless black wells staring back at her. Lightning violently strobed outside, flashing his pale face in stark white relief.

"Berlin, 1945. The Allies were so desperate, they forged an alliance with creatures that eat them."

"Wait a minute." Paine’s holographic eyes grew wide as she stared at the relic. "Are you suggesting that tooth is...?"

"Yes." Maximilian tucked the necklace back beneath his armor, hiding history away. "We can make many things that should be dead, die, possibly even Lucien Ginerva. However, the Ruler is beyond our capabilities. He is too old and too powerful."

"So this conversation is pointless. I shouldn’t have called." Paine moved her hand toward her console to sever the connection.

"Not necessarily," Maximilian said, his voice smooth and absolute. "Unlike my opponent in Neu Seoul, I believe in evolving with humanity, instead of enslaving it. Our purpose is the Rule of Law. Capture, convict, and if found guilty, imprison. Surely that should make me worthy of a little more time to see this great work through to the end."

Paine held his crimson gaze for a long moment. Whatever calculation she was running showed in the tight line of her mouth. Finally, she reached into her pocket. She held out her hand, and a glowing, holographic data chip materialized in the air between them, instantly transferring its encrypted payload to Maximilian’s terminal.

"The barrier override codes," Paine said.

Maximilian smiled, a genuine expression of respect. "You’ve done the right thing. Thank you for this intel. My people will ensure you and your loyalists are protected in the fallout."

"The boy, Yoon Jihoon, and his university friends too," she quickly added, her voice tightening with newfound panic. "Or no deal."

Maximilian stood up. He pulled the image of Yoon Jihoon back to the center of the display, studying the boy's face with cold, clinical detachment.

Paine went rigid, her projection pixelating for a moment when the silence dragged on. She had already given him the access codes; the leverage was gone. "Did you hear me? I said the students must be safely extracted."

Maximilian ignored the demand entirely, keeping his back to her. Somewhere in the bunker, a cooling unit cycled on, pushing cold air across the room.

Behind him, the heavy steel door of the bunker hissed open. A communications officer stepped in, his face pale under his tactical visor, holding a secure datapad. "Excuse me, Sir. The President of the United States is on the line. The US abstaining vote is now a yes. The resolution has passed."

Paine blinked, her avatar glitching violently in shock. "The US President? No, that is impossible. He’s one of the clinic’s primary benefactors. Why is he talking to you?”

Maximilian’s smile widened into something truly wolfish as he finally turned around. He picked up his tablet and cycled the authorization screens with clinical precision.

"Lucien Ginerva is a theatrical idiot," Maximilian said softly. "He actually thought he could threaten to melt the face off a sitting US President during the State of the Union address and not expect consequences."

He turned the tablet so Paine could read the flashing red authorization codes.

"Washington just signed the resolution," Maximilian stated, his voice ringing with the cold clarity of a funeral bell. "The United Nations has officially authorized us to violate Neu Seoul’s airspace. Monstrum's sovereign immunity on the Korean peninsula is revoked."

"But the clinic," Paine whispered, her digital form trembling as the reality of her complete ruin set in. "The children. What happens to the rest of us when your troops breach the barrier?"

Maximilian stepped aside, granting her an unobstructed view of the massive military armada spooling up their engines through the glass. He reached down, his pale fingers closing around the black king on the chessboard, and casually flicked it off the table. It clattered loudly onto the metal floor.

"Thank you for your report, Mother Superior," Maximilian said. His tone carried no malice, only the absolute, chilling certainty of a general who had already won the war. "Have a good death... when your time comes."

Before Paine could utter another word, Maximilian severed the connection. The hologram collapsed into a shower of blue sparks. He turned his back on the empty space and walked out into the pouring rain without a coat or umbrella.

Outside, thousands of Night Troops snapped to attention. Every head turned to follow him. Every soldier stood perfectly still in the downpour. The hover-copters continued roaring above, their searchlights cutting through the dark. Cold rain sheeted off his shoulders. He raised one hand, and thousands moved simultaneously.

After a long hiatus from the blog, Maximilian Spyder returns in killer drip!   From Midnight Order is the Sovereign's Grace Rapier & Spite by FOE. Each sword comes with an unrigged scabbard and animations you can trigger by touching it. Draw, sheath, and various poses.  They both have texture huds to change the the different textures on each zone.   ...From Krova is the Devil Mask. It's unrigged and mod so you can adjust it for the perfect fit. It comes with a texture hud.   ...Matching the Oni style is the Kyouran pant set by Yuebin. The fatpack comes with texture hud with solid colors and Japanese fabric options. I used the Spider Lilly for Max.   ...For Military style, I used Yuebin's Echo of a Dream jacket and top. You can wear either, or both together. It comes with a texture hud.   ...From Oracle is the Sovereign Jacket and Cap. The cap is unrigged and mod so you can adjust it. The coat comes as an attachment or animesh attachment. Attachment has pose to keep the arms down. The animesh version has bonus arms down poses. It comes with a texture hud.  ...I couldn't resist using the XTX Arana tattoos when I spotted them recently. They are Bom with several opacity options.   ...And rounding out Max's look are the Sintiklia Axel hair, combined with the wet look for Argrace's Chizuru. Demon red and black eyes by Gloom. Coconut's intense Dong face texture. And Laura's black sheer bodystocking I use so much.   ...Stay tuned for more shocking reveals as Escape from Club Apophis races to the finale.

On him, Maximilian Spyder:

Mask: KROVA - DEVIL Mask [mesh](Midnight Order)(225L)

Swords: FOE - Sovereign's Grace Rapier & Spite [mesh](Midnight Order)(1299L)

Jacket, top: YUEBIN - Echo of a Dream, jacket, top,  LegacyA, megapack [mesh](1290L)

Pants: YUEBIN - Kyouran Set, LegacyA, fatpack [mesh](1290L)

Jacket, cap: Oracle - Sovereign Jacket, Sovereign Cap, male [mesh]( L)

Boots: L&B - Swear Havoc Ops Boots, LegacyM, Black [mesh](499L)

Claws: L'Emporio&PL - Oblio Vampire Claws male [mesh](350L)

Hair: Sintiklia - Hair Axel Rigged M [mesh]( L)

Hair: ARGRACE - CHIZURU_II / men [mesh]( L)

Bodysuit: Bas de Laura Store Laura's Black Sheer Bodystocking with Long Sleeves [BOM](150L)

Eyes: Gloom - Savage Collection - Sclera 03 - Red S [BOM]

Skin: coconut - Dong Skin / Winter Tone / EVO X [BOM]( L)

Tattoo: XTX - Arana Tattoo - 60% [BOM]( L)

Head: LeLUTKA - RUNE [mesh](3990L)

Body: TheShops - [BODY] Athletic Meshbody (Legacy)(m) (1.7.1) [mesh](5000L)

Pose: Diesel Works - Baasha2

BONUS IMAGES: inworld raw shots, hi-res, midday sky :

Salvage Station: The Resistance (Escape from Club Apophis, 49)

(click to enlarge)

STORYLINE: "Are you sure this is a good idea?" Kyra gripped Romance’s arm.

Romance stopped at the heavy iron hatch leading down into the Resistance headquarters. "Relax. Neither of us is easy to kill. You don’t win wars by playing it like a mortal."

He brought the thick heel of his combat boot down hard on the rusted metal. The booming impact echoed into the vast, hollow chamber beneath them.

Kyra’s grip tightened, her metal knuckles glinting in the dim light. "Do you think they’ll know where Lisa is?"

"Definitely." He paused, looking at her worried face. "Maybe. No. Yes. If anyone does, they will."

The hatch groaned open, spilling pale yellow light across the mud like an invitation into a grave. This was the first time he had entered feeling like his true self, rather than just playing a role.

As they descended the metal ladder into the subterranean office, the air grew thick with the smell of mold, burnt coffee, and old paper. Condensation ran down the concrete walls, and water dripped somewhere unseen in the dark. The tunnel vibrated as a sonic hover train raced by on the surface above, rattling the buzzing fluorescent lights. The sound of Echo’s voice hit them immediately.

"But if the barrier operates on a closed frequency, couldn't we theoretically invert the signal? Or what if we bypassed the main junction completely?" Echo was pacing furiously in front of a desk covered in blueprints, firing questions in rapid, relentless succession. Romance noted how the weakest member of the Jae Won team now seemed like a tiger, already bloody from battle. He wondered what had changed her.

Behind the desk, Hwan rubbed his temples, exhausted. Hwan used to look like a man who could disappear into a crowd. Now the Resistance clung to him like heavy chains. Romance had watched him spend months moving people, supplies, and secrets into place, trying to outplay monsters who had been cheating for a thousand years.

Hwan's office was cobbled together from salvaged junk. Used coffee cups littered every surface. The trashcan overflowed with them. Stacks of maps covered the desk. Diagrams plastered the walls next to a calendar detailing human ration lists. Hand-bound ledgers crammed the shelves, carefully labeled with the name of every person who had gone missing in The Pen. There were even crayon drawings by children tacked with love onto the side of a rusted filing cabinet.

Romance looked away before Hwan caught him staring at the drawings. He leaned back against the concrete wall, folding his arms and watching with deep amusement as Hwan shot him a desperate, pleading look for help.

Echo froze mid-sentence and spun around. She gasped.

His sleek, elegant K-pop idol aesthetic was completely gone, replaced by a street-level nightmare straight out of the badlands. Gone were the immaculate designer suits and the polished, practiced smile. He had styled himself like someone who slept in abandoned train stations and started fires to stay warm. The Resistance was his tribe. It felt good to finally express his rage. His spiked hair defied gravity, and his heavy fur-lined coat was painted with black graffiti that read: Power is not given, it’s taken.

"Whoa. You look different," Echo breathed.

Romance chuckled, a low, rasping sound. He could say the exact same about her. "I’m done pretending."

Echo tilted her head, trying to process the shift, before her eyes darted to the figure shrinking behind him. "Is that you, Kyra?"

Kyra nodded, stepping out from the shadow of Romance's heavy coat. “I’m repaired. Thanks to Romance."

Romance found her quietness strangely endearing. Gone was the malfunctioning cybernetic cheerleader he had purchased at the auction. Faint brass gears ticked visibly beneath the synthetic skin of her neck, and heavy, industrial copper wiring snaked along her collarbone. She looked raw, sturdy, and unmistakably analog. A work of art.

Romance squeezed her hand gently, his thumb brushing her carbon fiber palm. For all that she had survived, he felt the immense weight in her grip. And it was warm. His eyes softened when he looked at her.

Echo looked from Kyra to Romance, then back to Kyra. Romance knew exactly how they must look to her. They were no longer an idol and a toy. They looked like a couple forged in a warzone.

Kyra avoided Echo’s gaze for a second, then looked up long enough to notice the swollen brand across the girl's chest. Her smile faltered. "Are you hurt?"

Echo's hand instinctively pulled the shirt closed.

Romance recognized the gesture immediately. She wasn't trying to hide the wound. She was trying to hide what it would do to everyone else.

"Yes," Echo admitted. "The Resistance had medicine to help me. It doesn't sting as bad now."

Hwan cleared his throat loudly.

The room's attention shifted back to the desk.

"As I was trying to explain to Echo," Hwan said, tapping a heavy finger against a map of the city. "Long before Monstrum arrived, this land already had its own supernatural people. We lost the war against the invaders. Monstrum formed a pact with the government. All supernaturals were imprisoned in the Forbidden Zone. Monstrum claimed the Forbidden Zone as sovereign territory. In exchange for solving the rogue monster problem, Monstrum was given endless business opportunities in the human world."

Echo furrowed her brow, her logic snagging on the details. "But I’ve seen MasterGin, Romance, and you move outside the zone."

Hwan sighed and looked at Romance to explain.

Poor Hwan. He must have been answering questions like this all day.

Alright, Romance thought. I will help on this. He dug into his coat pocket and slapped a sleek, black passport onto the desk. A serpent swallowing the sun was embossed on the cover. "There are exceptions for the Zone elites and management. As for the Jeoseung Saja, like myself, we are too important to cage. Without us, Wandering Ghosts would flood the human world. We get free passage as long as we only guide souls and never consume them." Romance flashed a wicked, sharp-toothed grin. "But we didn’t make any promises about not eating Monstrum."

He licked his lips and winked, his eyes shiny with mischief. There was one asshole in particular he was going to relish.

"Are there any further questions?" Hwan added dryly. He looked at the cracked concrete ceiling, silently praying there were not.

Echo ignored him, turning her focus entirely to Kyra. "Are you okay? I mean, really?"

Kyra nodded. She patted her side, where the faint, rhythmic ticking of clockwork could be heard. "Analog power source. The Zone can't touch it. I'm not running on their energy anymore." She looked up, her quiet voice turning urgent. "Do you know where Lisa is?"

"No," Echo said. "But I know where we are all supposed to meet back up."

Romance pushed off the wall. Hwan straightened up from his maps. Both of them were suddenly very interested.

"All the students of Jae Won are planning to attack the ceremony?" Hwan asked.

"Well, we don’t exactly have a plan. Or we didn’t before we scattered. But we are supposed to reunite at the Safe Zone."

Hwan sat very still for a moment.

"The Sewer Safe Zone." He stood up abruptly and grabbed his heavy jacket from the back of his chair. "I know the place. Follow me."

He paused, his hand freezing on the collar of his coat. He turned back slowly and placed a heavy palm on Romance’s shoulder. "Actually, no. I am sorry. You stay here and wait. There is something down there you should not see."

Romance searched his friend’s face, his punk bravado dropping into genuine shock. "I’m not staying here. What are you trying to hide from me, old Dokkaebi?"

Echo made a soft sound, drawing their attention. She reached into her pocket. "I think he means this. I’m certain this letter was meant for you."

Romance looked from Hwan to Echo. Then back again. Something inside him went cold.

Echo held it out further.

Romance forced a puzzled smile. He tried to brush it off dismissively.

Then he noticed that neither Echo nor Hwan was smiling.

The fluorescent lights buzzed into the silence.

His smile faded.

He snatched the folded paper from her hand and began to read.

The cocky smirk vanished completely. His jaw tightened. His gold eyes scanned back and forth across the page, going wide. His next breath never came. The paper trembled softly between his fingers.

A flash of Sophia dumping water on his head, her laugh so infectious. He had never loved her more than in that moment.

Echo reached out, gently touching his hand. “I’m so sorry. Sophia’s body is where we are going."

The paper stopped trembling.

Somewhere above them, another hover train roared overhead.

The room suddenly felt impossibly quiet.

On him, Romance:

Jacket, belt: Oracle - Armageddon Jacket, Belt, LegacyA, yellow [mesh](Salvage Station)(299L)

Necklace: SIGMA - Spike necklace [Unskinned M][mesh](Salvage Station)(320L)

Hair: TRASH - Ignite Hair - Fatpack [mesh](Salvage Station)(1000L)

Earrings: BADa - Cross B Earrings [mesh]

Nose Chain: Garmonbozia - Write me - Nose Chain - Black [mesh]

Goggles: MILKBATH - Axel Goggles - Unrigged [mesh](399L)

Tongue: The DeadBoy Narius Tongue (Bento)[mesh](699L)

Collar: Artificial Hallucination +AH+ Misaki Collar M [mesh](349L)

Piercings: STOIC - HEART DERMAL PIERCING SILVER [mesh]

Pants: AVEC TOI Kai Pants, Turmoil, LegacyM [mesh](595L)

Boots: L&B Swear Havoc Ops Boots, LegacyM, Black [mesh](499L)

Brooch: Schelm - 2.Devil Heart Straight Barbell [mesh]

Waist Piercing: SOLIAC - Waist Piercing - LEGACY M ATHLETIC [mesh]

Eyes: Gloom - Savage Fantasy Collection - Sclera 03 - Yellow M [BOM]

Tattoos: HISS - PATTERNS FACE ROMANCE [BOM](250L)

Head: LeLUTKA - Kane Evolution [mesh](3990L)

Body: TheShops - [BODY] Athletic Meshbody (Legacy)(m) (1.7.1) [mesh](5000L)

Pose: Le Poppycock - Hip hop hooray

On her, Kyra:

Mask: Waffle Science & Research Lab - [W] Dental Phantom [mesh](Salvage Station)(499L)

Cap: KROVA - PILOTKA [mesh](Salvage Station)(499L)

Bodysuit: Eudora3D - Harker BodySuit Legacy, set 2 [mesh](Salvage Station)(225L)

Boots: Eudora3D - Harker Boots, set 2 [mesh](Salvage Station)(225L)

Pouch: Blue Blood - Witch Survival Pouch - Legacy F [mesh](Salvage Station)(149L)

Tattoo: RaptorJenny - Mk4 / Stain, Neck fade [BOM](Salvage Station)(349L)

Hair: MINA Hair - Echo [mesh]

Collar: Naberius - Untamed Collar [mesh]

Skin, tattoos: SOMEONE - Machina NOVA, Gold [mesh](1000L)

Head, eyes: LeLUTKA - lel EvoX LILLY 3.1 [mesh](3990L)

Body: TheShops - Meshbody Legacy (f) Special Edition (Basic) 1.2 [mesh]

Pose: Stiff Pose - SPGF15P1

Setting:

Bedroom: Eclectica - Wasteland bedroom set[mesh](Salvage Station)(850L)

Suitcases: Eclectica - Vintage Suitcases [mesh](Salvage Station)(75L)

Floor Screens: Eclectica - Wasteland Floor Screens [mesh](Salvage Station)(120L)

Bedroom: Eclectica - Wasteland Bucket- yellow [mesh]

Hatch: Bykee - The Nowhere Co. Hatch [mesh](Salvage Station)(349L)

Hanging Lamp: Bykee - The Nowhere Co. - Lamp [mesh](Salvage Station)(249L)

Flowers: Blue Blood - Irradiated Petunias FATPACK [mesh](Salvage Station)(399L)

Bunker: FallenGods - BW BUNKER 313  [mesh](Salvage Station)(890L)

BONUS IMAGES: inworld raw shots, hi-res, midday sky:

Fantasy Faire: God of the Desert

(click to enlarge)

STORYLINE: In the shifting sands of the great wasteland outside the Fairelands, a tiny Fennec’s ears flicked forward. He scanned the expanse. The sands were vibrating from a powerful hum. He sniffed the ground.

Caw Caw Caw.

Above were two black birds racing deeper into the wastelands. His little paws pounded excitedly up the dune, climbing higher and higher towards the birds and the source of the hum.

“Yes, yes, I felt it too.” A man’s voice echoed off the dunes.

When he reached the top, his little paws stopped. In the distance was a great stone circle held in place by two large stone hands. The excited crows had landed on top of them, making a great fuss. Black feathers flying.

The hum was louder here, powerful. It vibrated in his bones. The wind was picking up. He raced down the dune to take shelter from the coming storm. As he neared the stone circle, he saw the glint of gold held by one of the hands. It was a golden circular scepter, with circles swirling within circles. It vibrated and then shot through the air into the distance.

“You think the Unweaver is any match for me?” An annoyed voice replied to the crows. “You can thank me for the sun rising everyday. It is only I, Seth, God of the Desert, that can drive away the Great Serpent Apophis every night.”

The Fennec felt afraid. The hum was emanating from the other side of the circle. The fox crept around it until he saw the man in the distance, plowing forward in knee high sand. His skin the same color of sand, and hair brighter red than the fieriest sunset. He held the golden scepter forward, and the sands began to swirl around him. Growing larger and larger until it formed a great tornado of sand.

“Tell your master, the Harpy King, the Unweaver will not be driven back forever, only until this time next year. You’re Welcome.”

The little Fennec pressed himself flat against the cool stone and watched, ears pinned back, as the desert whirlwind swallowed the God whole. Then, silence. He sneezed out a pawful of sand, and trotted home with an amazing story to tell his kits.


This post is inspired by the Ennead makeup available at the Fantasy Faire by Find the Fish. The Ennead makeup sets include designs for many gods: Thot, Anubis, Isis, Ra, Osiris,  Also by Find the Fish is the hieroglyphic Sahu full body tattoos. They come with options for gold, black and gold, tintable, plus tattoo options for only upper, legs, or arms.   ...From Auro is the Saturnia Staff. The rings and center star gently rotate. It's mod, so I tinted the gemstones black.   ...From Slavia is the Ra Crown. It's also mod to create the perfect fit, and I tinted the Sun Disk black since Seth isn't Ra, but he defends Ra everynight, so I think I can be forgiven for letting him wear it.   ...Speaking on daring, Seth is wearing the male fit for the Petrichor Lekeri dress. It has beautifully detailed metal pieces, and the texture hud contains many options, plus hides.   ...From The Looking Glass are the Not Ok Hand Sculptures. I had fun making them look like they were holding the staff and the stone circle.  ...The Stone Circle is by Good Furniture and has a great stone texture that worked perfectly for a surreal desert landscape. The seating includes many sit options.... The Faire is still going on strong. Keep checking the website for the latest events and news: https://fantasyfairesl.wordpress.com/



On him, Seth:

Staff: AURO - Saturnia Staff, Gold [mesh](Fantasy Faire: Canny Valley)

Outfit: Petrichor P&E - Lekeri Dress, M-Legacy [mesh](Fantasy Faire: Reservoir Zero)

Crown: Slavia - GOD RA Crown [mesh](Fantasy Faire: Amon Galadrann)

Makeup: Find the Fish - Ennead  Makeup Seth, EvoX [BOM](Fantasy Faire: Requiem)

Tattoo: Find the Fish - Sahu, Full Body [BOM](Fantasy Faire: Requiem)

Jewelry: MILKBATH - Ankh - Chest,  Cloth, Collarpiece, Thighs, LegacyM [mesh](799L)

Hair: A&Y - Electric-rain hair (Male) - multicolor [mesh](290L)

Armwraps: AxisMundi - The Embalmer, BandagesArmor, Legacy [mesh]

Shoes: David Heather - Ramses Sandals/LG [mesh]

Headdress: Arwen's Creations - Tiye Underscarf with Diadem by Arwen Serpente (249L)

Claws hand: L'Emporio&PL - Oblio Vampire Claws male [mesh](350L)

Necklace: Montauk chained collar - necklace [mesh](350L)

Rings: Kartel Originals - Ram Bento Rings - Right - LEGACY [mesh]

Eyes: Gloom - Savage Collection - Sclera 01 - Red S [BOM]

Head: LeLUTKA - CAMDEN 4.0 [mesh](3990L)

Body: TheShops - [BODY] Athletic Meshbody (Legacy)(m) (1.7.1) [mesh](5000L)

Pose: Le Poppycock Ain't 2 proud 

Setting:

Hands: The Looking Glass - TLG Not Ok Giant Hand Sculpture [mesh](Fantasy Faire: Requiem)

Seating: Good Furniture - Stone Torus Sofa [mesh](Fantasy Faire: Vervaine Moors)

Fennec: JIAN - Fennec Fox Collection [mesh] (500L)

Land: ProjectBlank - Dune sim surround terrain (75L)

BONUS IMAGES: inworld raw shots, hi-res, midday sky :

 

Cyber Fair: Escape from Club Apophis, 4

STORYLINE: One day ago, at Baseball Practice

The bat cracked like a whip.

Another ball soared past the outfield net, denting the fence. The batter didn’t even flinch. His body moved with frightening precision, hips snapping, arms fluid, as if something else was swinging through him.

“Who is that?” someone muttered near the dugout.

That’s when the high-pitched whirring answered. A sleek drone, pearlescent blue and humming with quiet excitement, zipped into view and hovered ten feet above the field. On its glossy chassis, the glowing insignia of The HEXA Herald, the university’s omni-channel newsstream, blinked to life.

RECORDING IN PROGRESS: BASEBALL PRACTICE, DAY 4
SUBJECT OF INTEREST: UNREGISTERED PLAYER? UNKNOWN TALENT?

“Zoom and enhance,” chirped a girl’s voice through the drone's speaker. “Is that... our team?”

The bot adjusted its lens, capturing the impressive player’s stance and the datapoints pulsing from his bat’s smart-core. An on-field player laughed: “Yo, Lathandro! Leave some fence for the rest of us!”

The drone froze mid-hover.

“Did he say Lathandro?” the voice asked, amused. “That can’t be right… Wait. Did the coach say it too? Rewind five minutes.”

The bot rewound.

"ROOKIE ROLL CALL!" Coach’s gravelly voice bellowed. “Lee? Minwoo? Kang? Sohyeon? Lathandro?”

Jihoon’s voice, calm and automatic: “Here.”

A pause. Then a gasp. “Oh my cyber-soul. That’s not even a real name on file, is it? M10, scrape the registry.”

Another pause. Then the data appears:

LATHANDRO
TRANSFER: LISTED TWO WEEKS AGO
MAJOR: UNDECLARED
FILE ORIGIN: RESTRICTED ADMIN LEVEL

“Ohhh, this is a story,” the reporter whispered, her voice brimming with glee.

The drone zipped away, collecting interviews. Girls giggling behind their visors:

“He’s, like, part machine or something.”
“I swear his bat glows.”
“Did you see his gloves? They look like something out of a noir assassin sim!

When asked about the mysterious rookie ringer, the coach only grunted: "Lathandro? No, no. That’s Yoon Jihoon. He calls his bat ‘Lathandro,' like it’s some kinda good luck charm. Hell of a swing on that kid. Hey, ... I don’t ask questions. I’m only interested in results.”

“Ahhhh, I see. So Lathandro is the bat,” the reporter said, barely hiding a smirk. The moment the mystery boy hit the ball, she knew he was marketable.

She already had her headline.

Later, that night — livestream from Jae Won Stadium

The HEXA Herald’s stream overlay sparkled to life. A stunning crimson glass cyborg girl with antennae, slick letterman jacket, and oversized holographic-enabled sneakers sat on the bleachers, holding a mic that gleamed like polished metal.

“Hey there, Dragonlets! It’s your girl, Reporter Lisa Liemawr, with Bot M10,” she winked. “Coming to you live from Jae Won Stadium, where I just discovered an incredible talent!"

M10 projected a montage of Jihoon’s footage: the swing in slo-mo, the glowing bat, the dented fence.

"...Mysterious, gorgeous, and slightly terrifying. It's... Lathandro!”

The floating bot squeaked happily beside her.

“And guess what?” Lisa grinned, raising one foot toward the camera. “There’s already merch! Check out these totally outrageous AHEGAO Lathandro slippers!”

She kicked her feet back and forth—the slippers, black and white with exaggerated cartoonish Jihoon faces, complete with drooling tongues and googly eyes, jiggled like a toy.

“He hates them. Like, absolutely hates them. Which is why I ordered ten more pairs!”

She leaned in, stage-whispering, “Naturally, they’re selling like hotcakes. Grab yours before the Friday opener and wear them loud, proud, and slightly cursed. Just 3,600 credits. Buy it now!”

Bot M10 flashed the QR code in midair with a happy ding.

“Lathandro’s legend is just getting started,” Lisa purred. “And The HEXA Herald has the exclusive!”

Laughs.  This was so crazy fun to do. Thanks to my fellow Blogger Bats, Aarya and Akira, for brainstorming and encouraging this wacky post.   ... The REKT Glass Automata is very cool. It come with cyborg skeleton and exoskeleton of glass. With the detailed image of the texture hud you can change the colors of the various parts. It's mod, so I rezzed the Exo Arms to hide the arms so they wouldn't clip the jacket.   ...Speaking of, the Pallas jacket and pants is by Kira. It has a wealth of color options. I went with a letter jacket type look instead of a cyberpunk style.   ...The Ursidxe Hair, Digital V2, worked perfectly with the Paw Paw headphones, BTRFLK-X01. The hair has many textures and streak options. The headphones come with butterfly wings, but you can hide them like I did. It also has a lot of texture options.   ...The Antenna-like horns, Tech Horn by {ID}, and the bridge augment add even more Reporter on the Scene type of vibe. They include texture options.  ...The eyes are Pixelated. Arcade Eyes, by IKON. They look smooth from the distance, but get up close and you get that 8 Bit artificial feeling.   ...The Face Implants are a tattooo layer by Physique X. They include a few options for different internal views and color wires.   ...The sunny college girl skin is Kyka by GLOOM. It's very nice, and I love the many color options. I used the Dracula, and then tinted the face to match the glass body as closely as I could. Then I made the skin Fulbright with a slight glow to match the head and body. Pretty cool trick!   ... M10 is the InkMe Space Robot 10. You Rez on the ground and click him to start his wander. The face blinks and glows.   ...But you guys want to talk about the funny shoes right? Diaboli Design's Mindbreak Slippers are another wild and eye-catching pair of shoes. This time with an anime face on it, making uh... funny faces. lol Lots of color and animation options, rigged. and unrigged.

On her, Reporter Lisa Liemawr:

Body, skeleton: REKT Glass Automata, Legacy [mesh](CyberFair)( L)
Hair: URSIDXE Digital V2  [mesh](CyberFair)( L)
Headphones: PawPaw BTRFLK-X01 Set [mesh](CyberFair)( L)

Horns: {ID} Tech Horn, and Bridge Augment [mesh](CyberFair)( L)
Outfit: Kiru Pallas Jacket (Fatpack) Legacy [mesh](CyberFair)( L)

Shoes: Diaboli Design MindBreak Slippers Disco [mesh](CyberFair)( L)

Eyes: IKON Arcade Eyes (BOM) - Paradise [BOM](CyberFair)( L)

Tattoo: Physique X FI02 Face Implants Cyber ZR-33 / v1 [BOM](CyberFair)( L)

Skin: Gloom Kyla Skin, Velour Fantasy, Dracula, tinted [BOM](CyberFair)( L)

Microphone: Infinite Karaogay Microphone  [mesh](CyberFair)( L)

Collar: Madame Noir Elsa Collar LEGACY [mesh](CyberFair)( L)

Head, eyes: LeLUTKA lel EvoX LILLY 3.1 [mesh](3990L)

Pose: Foxcity Licky

Setting:

Pet: ::InkMe:: Space Robots 10 [mesh](CyberFair)( L)
Bleachers: ANTINATURAL[+] Deathracer / Neon Bleachers [mesh](CyberFair)( L)

BONUS IMAGES: inworld raw shots, hi-res, midday sky.

(Note: pants not included because they clipped the glass body)