Skadi: Endless Journey

Operator Record Endless Journey
She always thought she was the last Abyssal Hunter.

Unlock conditions

• Raise Skadi to Elite 2 Level 1.
• Have at least 50% Trust with Skadi (the Corrupting Heart).

Characters

Skadi Taciturn Passerby Brave Villager Chatty Bounty Hunter Curious Bounty Hunter Friendly Villager Panicky Villager Terrified Villager Sea Monster

Backgrounds

1 2 3

“

A wounded Skadi comes to an Iberian village. Its people fervently accept her, but she's begun to doubt herself...

”

Skadi does not recall how far she's walked. Nor for how long. She only knows that so long as what lies beneath her feet is solid earth, she does not belong here. But she can only walk upon the land. The land. "Tierra." The first Iberian word she learned. So strange.
<Background 1>
[Skadi is looking for someone.]
Skadi	Who's Rober?
Friendly Villager	Ah, that's me.
Skadi	This is your food for today.
Friendly Villager	Ah, alright.
Skadi	Also, Joni wanted me to bring this present to you.
Friendly Villager	Oh, these are my favorite flowers! Why didn't he come himself?
Skadi	He said he was working.
Friendly Villager	Coward.
Skadi	If you're fine, I'm going.
Friendly Villager	Hey, hey, visitor, wait.
Skadi	He already paid.
Friendly Villager	No, you're Skadi, the bounty hunter who came into the village recently, right?
Skadi	Mm.
Friendly Villager	I hear you've been doing a lot for us. I've been wanting to meet you.
Skadi	It wasn't anything major.
[The villager sits on a chair.]
Friendly Villager	Sit down, Skadi. Eat something, it's on me.
Skadi	...Is there wine?
Friendly Villager	Will ale be okay?
Skadi	Mm.
[The villager heads to take some ale, pour it to a glass, and returns to Skadi with it.]
Friendly Villager	Here. Your accent's very strange, Skadi. You're not an Iberian, are you?
Skadi	Mm.
Friendly Villager	How rare. We often have refugees pass through this place, but I've never seen someone who wasn't an Iberian before. Visitor, where did you come from?
Where did I come from?
Skadi	I came from the sea.
Friendly Villager	The sea? You’re an Ægir? We have Ægir in our village too, but I don't think they're too different from us. Not like you. I felt the difference between us the moment I saw you. I've heard them tell of how they all left Ægir and came ashore when my grandfather was my age. Oh, yes. My neighbor is an Ægir too. I'll get her to have a chat with you.
Skadi	No need.
She once held such hopes, but when she saw the Ægir of dry land, she knew she and they were nothing alike. Only the oldest of them still dimly remembered what Ægir even looked like. She had nothing she could share with them, nor they with her.
Friendly Villager	Alright. Ah, Skadi, did you know? The village has been talking about you every day.
Skadi	Hm?
Friendly Villager	When you arrived in the village, you gave everyone an awful scare. We all thought you were just fleeing here after other bounty hunters injured you. It frightened us. A wounded bounty hunter is like a temperamental beast.
Most creatures of dry land are frail, unable to harm her. What harmed her were those who profess themselves the Church of the Deep. They were fixated on her for reasons unknown. Moreover, they were clearly unlike ordinary Iberians.
Friendly Villager	But now, they're all saying they've never met a bounty hunter as kind as you.
Skadi	Are bounty hunters usually bad news?
Friendly Villager	We've had bounty hunters hiding in our village before. They were especially ferocious, and kept clashing with the villagers. So at first, we'd all discussed whether or not to drive you away.
Skadi	I'll leave.
Friendly Villager	Don't! You've given us so much help these past few days. We're all so fond of you now. You can stay here as long as you like. Or is there someplace you need to go?
Is there someplace I must go?
Skadi	I don't know.
Friendly Villager	Really? Then are you going back home?
My home? Can I go back?
Skadi	I...
Friendly Villager	Ah, I'm sorry. I know, I know, there're so many people who run far away because their homes have been destroyed. I'm so stupid...
Skadi	No.
Friendly Villager	Eh?
Skadi	No, maybe you're right.
[A bell tolls several times.]
Friendly Villager	Oh! The bell's ringing?
Skadi	What's happening?
Friendly Villager	The village's bell only sounds in times of emergency...
[A villager rushes into the bar.]
Panicky Villager	Rober, Rober!
Friendly Villager	Joni, weren't you working?
Panicky Villager	Hide yourself!
Friendly Villager	What's going on?!
Panicky Villager	There's a pack of monsters near the village! They've hurt some of us already! We need to hold them off! Get down to the cellar and hide, now!
Friendly Villager	O-Okay!
Skadi	......
Panicky Villager	Skadi, you... you're not one of us. You'd better run.
Friendly Villager	If you're scared, come with me. Our house's cellar can hide plenty of people.
Skadi	...No.
Since coming ashore, Skadi has had a constant feeling. This feeling gradually grows ever stronger in the wake of these occurrences. Violent, relentless, restless. But she has never dared convince herself. She dares not convince herself– that she is why the sea monsters come.
<Background 1>
[A pack of Sea Terrors attacked the village.]
Terrified Villager	Eek! Noooo!!!
[Someone throw rocks at one of the Sea Terrors.]
Sea Monster	–!
Panicky Villager	Quick, hide behind me!
Terrified Villager	Wh–What are these monsters?!
Panicky Villager	I've heard tales! They're monsters from the sea! Normally, they'd never crawl out to a dry inland place like this. Why would they show here...? And so many!
[The terrified villager throw rocks at one of the Sea Terrors.]
Sea Monster	–!
Terrified Villager	What now?! It doesn't look hurt at all!
Panicky Villager	...They don't move that fast. Run, meet with the others!
Terrified Villager	Okay...
[The villagers run away, but came across more Sea Terrors on the way.]
Terrified Villager	Eek! They're here too! No! Stay back!
Panicky Villager	Damn things! I'll take you with me!
[The panicky villager fights off the Sea Terrors, but they overwhelmed him...]
Panicky Villager	Guh...
Terrified Villager	No! Nooo!
Sea Monster	–!
[...as Skadi shows up and slashes the Sea Terror attacking the panicky villager...]
Sea Monster	......
[...killing it.]
Panicky Villager	With just a single sword... Skadi, you're so strong!
[Skadi looks at the villagers.]
Skadi	......
Panicky Villager	Are you going to stay and help us?
Skadi	Mm.
Panicky Villager	You really are a good one!
Skadi	I'm not. ...Come with me.
[The villagers follow Skadi as she heads off.]
<Background fades out>
When Skadi opened her eyes on the beach, she found not a single soul by her side. Ægir. Abyssal Hunters. All lives on the line, flesh to flesh, blood to blood. None of it seemed to exist. Only the sounds of the waves and the wind stirred in her ears.
<Background fades in>
Sea Monster	–!
[Skadi strikes a Sea Terror...]
Sea Monster	......
[...killing it.]
<Background fades out>
Countless times she tried to return to the ocean. But every time, countless sea monsters would surround her, forcing her to turn back midway.
<Background fades in>
Skadi	Out of the way.
<Background fades out>
At some point, as she was forced yet again to swim back, she even felt a sort of misperception arise within her– That the abyssal infinitude of monsters were not pursuing her, but rather sending her off.
<Background fades in>
Skadi	(Ægirian) Why–must you come near me?
<Background fades out>
Once she became aware of the possibility she may never return to the sea, she had no choice but to turn around on the shore and set foot onto this land she'd never been concerned with before. This land.
<Background fades in>
[The villagers watch Skadi fending off the Sea Terrors.]
Friendly Villager	Skadi's incredible...
Panicky Villager	Rober, what are you doing out here?!
Friendly Villager	I was worried for Skadi... and besides, she's come to help us. Shouldn't we at least help defend our own homes?
Panicky Villager	You're right...
Brave Villager	Absolutely right!
Skadi	I don't need help.
In her eyes, the people of dry land are by and large akin to the ones before her now. Frail, melancholic, leading lives devoid of efficiency or any positive qualities to speak of.
Friendly Villager	Don't be like that, Skadi. We can't let you bear everything for us.
Panicky Villager	I'll go and help her! I don't know if I can hurt any of these monsters, but I can at least distract some of them!
Friendly Villager	I'll help too!
Brave Villager	Everyone, with Skadi!
Skadi	(Ægirian) I said–don't come near me!
But she is forced to admit. There are some points of intersection between them, where they can understand one another. In the emotional. She can understand what circumstances lead them to feel what sentiments. And it is exactly this that vexes her more and more. It is for this that she feels guilt. But she cannot divulge these feelings to the villagers. She can only hasten the swing of the greatsword in her hand.
Panicky Villager	What's she saying?
Brave Villager	Look, she's moving faster! I'm sure she's encouraging us!
Panicky Villager	Alright, watch this!
Sea Monster	–!
Panicky Villager	Get out of my sight, monsters!
[The villagers throw rocks at the Sea Terrors...]
Sea Monster	–!
[...which agitates them.]
Panicky Villager	Rgh...
Brave Villager	Don't be scared! See how you like THIS, monster!
[The brave villager throw a large rock at the Sea Terrors.]
Panicky Villager	Appreciated!
Brave Villager	We're all friends. It's only right.
Sea Monster	–!
[The Sea Terrors start to back off.]
Brave Villager	They're scared! Keep going, everyone, let's drive these monsters out!
Villagers	Yeah!
<Background fades out and in>
[The Sea Terrors have been driven out from the village.]
Friendly Villager	Wonderful! I think the rest have run. I can't see any trace of them around the village anymore.
Brave Villager	Heh heh. We're pretty incredible ourselves, aren't we?
Friendly Villager	What are you so proud of? If it wasn't for Skadi, we'd probably all be done for.
Panicky Villager	Hahah, just leave him be. We all made it through, so let him have this one.
Friendly Villager	Alright, alright.
Skadi	......
She too once had comrades-in-arms, ones who fought alongside her, shared in the revelry of battle with her. A vast number of them perished in that battle. In the past, she was no stranger to sacrifice. But as she watches the villagers share in the joy from the bottoms of their hearts, a thought suddenly comes to her– She may be the very last Abyssal Hunter.
Skadi	......
Friendly Villager	What's wrong, Skadi? You don't look happy.
Skadi	...It's nothing.
Brave Villager	If you ask me, I bet she's hungry.
Panicky Villager	Now that you mention it, I'm a little hungry too, haha!
Friendly Villager	Enough of that. Still, Skadi, you saved the day today. I'll personally prepare a feast in honor of you tonight. And I'm sure nobody in the village is opposed to you becoming one of us, after you helped us in such a tremendous way.
Brave Villager	I was never opposed from the start!
Panicky Villager	No objections from me either! Hear hear, Skadi, stay in our village as long as you like, I say!
Skadi	......
Go. To you, the battle just now hardly registered as a warmup. But to a village as weak as this, those monsters could easily have been the wave that drowns them.
Friendly Villager	It's true, Skadi. With your might, we'd also feel so much safer if you stayed.
Go. You don't belong here. You'll bring ruin to this place.
Friendly Villager	Don't you have nowhere to go? You can live with us.
Go, Skadi. The farther, the better.
Skadi	No. I've decided now. If I can't return to the sea, then I'll go where there's no water.
<Background 3>
[Two bounty hunters are discussing about Skadi.]
Chatty Bounty Hunter	Hey, you hear about that Skadi business?
Curious Bounty Hunter	Skadi? Don't think I have.
Chatty Bounty Hunter	Something tells me your grapevine sucks.
Curious Bounty Hunter	Fine, fine, I'm out of the loop, just tell me already.
Chatty Bounty Hunter	Skadi's this Ægir who suddenly showed up out of nowhere a little while ago.
Curious Bounty Hunter	Ægir? Where's that from?
Chatty Bounty Hunter	You... whatever. Makes sense a Kazimierzian would never hear about Ægir. I don't know too much myself, but I know it's a country and that's enough.
Curious Bounty Hunter	Ohh... and? What's up with this Skadi?
Chatty Bounty Hunter	She's got this giant greatsword, and you wouldn't miss her clothes from a mile away, but she's refused to ever work with anyone else. At first, everyone thought she'd kick it in the middle of nowhere. But she's not only been thriving, she's been stealing a lot of other people's work.
Curious Bounty Hunter	Huh?
Chatty Bounty Hunter	Last month, "Flamelung" announced he was going to sort her out. Guess what happened?
Curious Bounty Hunter	He drove her off?
Chatty Bounty Hunter	No, she took down the entire squad he sent at her!
Curious Bounty Hunter	That's... Where the hell did she come from?
Chatty Bounty Hunter	Don't know. Got sources who say she showed up alongside a bunch of bounty hunters coming back from Iberia. Either way, apparently it's got "Flamelung" pretty goddamn fuming now. Me, I'm looking forward to the show.
[A familiar Feline lady passes by the bounty hunters.]
Taciturn Passerby	Excuse me.
Chatty Bounty Hunter	Huh? Who're you?
Taciturn Passerby	Who I am does not matter, I'm simply curious. You just mentioned an Ægir. Where is she right now?