Nexus Awakened (An Isekai LitRPG Gender Bender Story)

The Audition was far from the primary method of recruiting Actors.

But it was also where 90% of Act X's Heralds, Missionaries, Prelates and Prophets were born depending on how far they were able to push through the Audition.

Personnel of higher orders, such as the Exarch, the Patriarch and Matriarch were not considered in the Audition. These were roles granted on a per Living Loom basis. The same was true for the Weaver Hierophants, although only few were known to exist.

Not even this Missionary was aware of where Act X kept them, as they were the ones who wove the interpretations of the Living Loom into the Scripts.

Basically, they were translators of the Living Loom's Commandments.

* * *

Suddenly, the Exarch began naming the Denizens present and the Corrupted they were derived from.

"The Devoted from the Indoctrinated Dolly Boy, the Drones of the Bee Queen, the Templars of the King of Midnight, the Followers of the Knight of Night's End, the Jugglers of Sunshine Jack, and the Deserters of the 1st of the 9th, 325 PA. The Acolytes appear to be overwhelming them. But they are no match for the Anointed Anids. Pay it no heed. The outcome here does not change what must be done, as per the Script."

There was a reason why there were so many Missionaries were present.

"Sever the Strings of the white-haired traitors." The Missionary uttered, having yet to move an inch.

"As the Script commands. I do not possess their String. However, I see it in the harbor. Prepare to sever it."

"Shall we make our way to them? I doubt the 'Blind Eye of the Head' and the traitorous Star will prevent us from completing our order."

"We shall wait. Their only means of transport is by this river. If they drown, then we must only recover their bodies and pluck their Strings."

It was a simple task. They did not have a Beholder on their side, nor did they have the Amalgam. There had never been a Script pertaining to the Amalgam, aside from one that was given to a Patron of the Highways Grandis months ago.

However, the Exarch was aware of the Amalgam's inability to appear in the Scripts. Still, it was unlikely that the Amalgam was here. If they were, then they would not have needed to stay at the harbor or take the ship as they were witnessing.

They were confident in this.

As soon as they witnessed the ship begin to move, the Missionaries strolled towards the edge of the cliff with smirks. It was a kilometer off, but there was no need to hurry. If everything was going according to Scripts – which were absolute – then they only needed to walk.

However, there was a cry from the battlefield. Several more joined it, until the air became saturated as they witnessed a sight that stumped the Missionaries.

"It is moving and floating? Impossible. The boat is designed to fail in these waters. How can it be possible?" The Missionary questioned out loud, a testament to how absurd the sight was.

The four main masts of the ship collapsed. Two were positioned on either side, and they were ploughing through the armies closest to the cliffs. A paste of red was left in its wake. Only the Anointed Anids were able to escape in time or leave relatively unharmed.

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Then, the Anids began swarming aboard the ship using these masts.

"Attracting the Anids to them? I've never seen this method of taking one's life." The Exarch didn't seem too worried about this development.

The twins had sealed their fate. In fact, they had only made it worse by inviting the Anid on board.

They were Healers, after all.

However, they had not yet understood how the boat was floating, let alone moving against the hidden rapids.

That was until the Exarch noticed a figure in front of the boat.

"… Impossible…"

The Exarch, a being who knew every possibility due to the Script, uttered the one word that caused the Missionary before it, and even the Missionaries across the battlefields, to take a step back.

"That is Beholder Jury."

"Of Time Reverberation? The Script did not mention her." The Missionary stated as a matter of factly.

The Script could not have been wrong.

And yet, reality was staring them back in the eye with such a carefree smile.

"That halo. The radiance. Is it because of that?" The Exarch had no choice but to believe this to be the case.

The reason for this was because this was not the first incident of a Script failing to take a figure into account. Indeed, Frost was not the only one. What made Frost different was that she was invisible to them, whereas these beings – who called themselves Sparks – required immense effort to predict their movements.

It also did not help that they had only just recently begun appearing in Emvita. One in particular was the Otherworlder 'Dorothy', whose also went by the name of Mebahel the Crystaline Spark.

The radiance Beholder Jury possessed was similar to these beings, only that Jury was clad in white rather than a radiant gold like the Sparks were described to carry.

Furthermore, her halo was fully completed.

The ship did not sink because Beholder Jury dragged the ship so quickly that it skidded across the surface of the water. The ship barreled by them, and there was nothing they could do to stop it.

"YEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHH~!" Beholder Jury's voice faded as quickly as it arrived thanks to the doppler effect.

The stunned duo was left in awkward silence. It was quickly broken by the Missionary.

"Exarch. What shall we do?"

"Those who can, will head aboard. The rest of us will regroup at the Grand Stage and await their completion. The Amalgam is not with them. Nor is the dreaded Fang of the Head."

Though they had no facial expression, one can imagine their brows furrowing with deep contemplation.

"Although, there is a possibility that she may be accompanying them. She possesses a halo. As do the Iron Stars and Black Moons. Let us return. Bring the Prelates and Prophets, unless the Script advises otherwise."

The Herald's many hands moved within his coat.

Then, after his next words:

"As ordained, venerated Exarch."

A crushing, squelching sound came from inside his coat. Blood bloomed across the white, and seconds later, his head was unceremoniously ripped off with his own hands. With it came pieces of his spine.

Yet, he died whilst standing and profusely gushing from his neck. Even in death, a Missionary did not allow themselves to fall unless the Script explicitly allowed them to.

"The Fang of the Head. What a terrifying foe. But a respectable one. As for the Amalgam, I do pray that Beholder Marionette is prepared. A Script does not need to warn us that the Amalgam will not take the persecution of a Healer lightly."

Still, it was their mission to kill those Healers.

Their stance did not change, even with this knowledge.

Instead, it was worthy of venerating. Another drive had been granted to them, thus, another purpose to continue living. Another day to fill the emptiness that was cured by the Scripts of Act X.

"But I am curious. What were they intending when they dropped the masts? Such an irrational decision that lacks an overt purpose. How very befitting of those who struggle with free-will." The Exarch spoke in an endearing tone. "Such is the beauty of duality. Beauty. Ah. The fireworks in the Grand Stage, by the Grand Narrator, the realizations of newfound roles… there is no greater word to describe it."

The being reached into the maw behind their head, and retrieved a furled Script.

They opened it, and an invisible smile bloomed on their face.

"As ordained by the Script."

* * *

//////// < WARNING > ////////

< ACT 3 >

< Usher a new transition from stumbling away from shadows to confronting them. May the transitory road remain clear, less they are pulled deeper than where they began. Will they understand the flow of their purpose, or will it be easier to stay afloat with a granted purpose? >