'Prepare for descent.'
Okay. Stay calm. Phin anxiously rubs the surface of his newly acquired Terrasuit. It feels even heavier than in training... even with so much conditioning, my body still struggles with its demands! He tentatively stretches his limbs outward, watching in intrigue as the body suit morphs to his build.
'Three... two... one...'
Phin closes his eyes, controlling his erratic breathing. It's going to be fine. You're in the hands of the strongest Botanists in human history - you'll be completely safe, he tells himself.
'Deploy!'
A sharp blast of wind hits Phin in the face, chilling him to the bone. Where the aircraft's sleek doors had once been, the blue, cloudless sky now spills into the cabin. One-by-one, Unit 00 slides off the class into a freefall down below, where lush canopies - concealing monstrous horrors - await.
What the hell...?! We're still at least 50 meters up! As Phin watches his new Unit-mates take the plunge, he is filled with an unfamiliar mix of courage and pressure. My Terrasuit should nullify most of the fall damage. I have to trust the SciDep'swork. Images of Amara, Max, and Dr. Bouttens flash through his mind.
I can't let their research go to waste! Swallowing his fears, Phin clenches both fists. He joins the line, squeezing between two brawny Botanists. They all look so calm... they've probably done this dozens of times before. When his turn comes, Phin leaps off the edge, plummeting towards the vibrant green net. Alright: I have to optimize drag for a stabilized descent! So - Before he can finish his thought, he crashes through multiple layers of leaves and branches, finally plopping clumsily on the dirt.
'Oof!' Phin coughs aggressively on the ground, recuperating from his abrupt landing.
'Heh. You okay?' Veteran Baukia Benedict strolls past him, his own Terrasuit gleaming without a single smudge.
Still fighting for his breath, Phin lets out a jumbled groan.
'It's fine, kiddo. Rarely do we have newbies nail their first landing - it's a learning process for everyone.' Baukia shoots him a thumbs-up and continues ahead, slinging a pack full of utility gear.
As Phin rises to his feet, he hears a soft rustle behind him. The tree-like Flora whose branches he fell through begins to stir, deadly thorns emerging from its bark.
Eek! Phin silently maneuvers away, cautiously ensuring minimal contact with the dormant plants. Thank goodness for my Terrasuit, he silently sighs. He recalls his learnings from his school days. Low-grade Florae tend to be very dormant, only waking up from direct disturbances. The Terrasuit's technological genius is evident in its detection-evasion system, which allows Botanists to slink by even mid-to-high-grade Florae with minimal trouble.
***
'Alright, unit. As usual, minimal engagement until we reach the Abyssal zone,' Willow announces. She circles around the rest of Unit 00, silently counting heads. 'Congrats - all fourteen of you are still here!'
The Botanists chuckle heartily, but Phin feels his stomach churn. I could get separated from the group at any moment... he gulps. To distract himself from his worries, he reviews Willow's instructions.
That's right - the zones of the wilderness! Phin remembers. Daylight -> Dusk -> Midnight -> Abyssal -> Nightmare -> Hell, in increasing danger. Hell is only speculative, though, as humanity has only ventured as deep as the Nightmarezone. He shudders. It's still unbelievable... even the toughest Scavengers remain in the shallow Daylight zone.
Unit 00 navigates the tangled overgrowth with ease, weaving around Florae to avoid unnecessary contact. Phin finds comfort in the middle of the pack, where he believes he will be safer.
'Yo, Phin.' Eri catches up beside him, still lugging her sizeable sniper rifle. 'You look absolutely spooked - and we're only in the Daylight zone!' she laughs.
Phin slumps in self-deprecation. 'Even these Grade I Florae would murder me if given the chance to...' he sighs.
'Nah. Don't underestimate yourself. In fact, allow me to demonstrate how weak these plants are,' Eri whispers. She discreetly draws a pocket knife from her utility pack, lunging towards one of the dormant Flora.
'Botanist Solthios. We've spoken about this,' Willow abruptly declares - many meters ahead - without breaking stride.
'Eep!' Eri flinches back, sheepishly ducking her head. 'How the hell did she see me...? Her back's literally turned...' she sighs. 'Look, Phin, I'm telling ya. Captain Shirasagi's not human.'
Phin chuckles. 'I wouldn't rule it out.'
***
'It's getting dark. We'll camp here tonight,' Willow decides. 'Dietrich, Benedict - clear the area, please, while we set up fortifications.'
'On it.' Baukia whistles cheerfully as he heads toward the perimeter. Drasil lazily follows behind, grumbling about the mundane job.
Eri smiles at Drasil's childish behavior as Phin watches on in bewilderment. 'We're not actually actively disobedient, Phin,' she points out. 'We respect Captain Shirasagi boundlessly, on the contrary. We're almost like a tight-knit group of friends, and she doesn't seem to mind the casual bickering.'
'Ah.' Phin nods. I'm unsure how this form of camaraderie affects them in combat - but for all of today, they've been coordinating like a well-oiled machine, he thinks.
In the distance, Drasil unconcernedly mows down obstructive Florae. Before the helpless plant-monsters can even react, his Gunsword's blade cleanly slices through their Cores. Baukia litters the ground with various contraptions, subtly weaving a sophisticated defensive network. Around them, the other Botanists are likewise hard at work, illuminated by the soft evening glow.
Wow... come to think of it, this is the first time I've truly seen Botanists in action! Phin realizes. It still astounds me how strong they are...
'Hey, Phin!' Willow waves at him from the opposite corner of the campsite. Phin rushes over to find her kneeling beside a cluster of Florae. 'Come close - no need to worry. Do you see this one?' she points inside the bushy structure.
Phin cautiously peeks inside, and a red shimmer catches his eye. A small flower-like Flora, nestled deep within, glows a blood-red hue, emanating faint pulses.
Phin's eyes wide. 'It's a Corrupted Flora!' he exclaims, instinctively flinching. A cursed omen to Scavengers and Botanists alike, the Seeds of Corrupted Flora bear harmful consequences to those who try to exploit them.
'You're an Appraiser, so you are familiar with the potential-based system correct?' Willow asks.
'Yes.' Ranging from -100% to 100%, a Seed's potential is determined using relative statistical projections. It's almost like an Individual Value - a measure of how strong it is compared to the average of its kind.
'Have you ever tried to Appraise a Corrupted Seed?'
'Well... I've never had the need to. I can tell a Corrupted Seed by just the appearance of its shell. As for Appraising, I've attempted a few times, and their potentials were all 0%.'
Willow smiles secretively, leaning in. 'Did you know that the mutation that triggers Corruption makes both the Flora and its Seed exponentially stronger?'
'Huh?!' Phin stares at her, mouth agape.
'Entropy. A gift from Chaos itself.'