"So, Mr. Leon, will you help me?"
Leon stayed calm under the weight of her gaze.
Despite the fact that the conversation with her already made him develop a liking for her, he was not about to jump into something that he had little to zero knowledge about. If he was going to help her, then she had to reveal more.
He needed more information to have a concrete image of the situation.
Crossing his hands, he looked into her gray-green eyes.
"Breakthrough to E Rank?" He asked. "How exactly do breakthroughs work? And I think your price is too vague," he shrugged. "How exactly do you want to help me recover my memories?"
"Don't get my wrong, I'm all in for recovering my memories, but I want an explanation on exactly how you intend to go about it".
Talia didn't say a word for a few seconds as she stared back into his black eyes. Just like she expected, he was a tough nut to crack, but it made her even more adamant in her decision to want to recruit him.
Tap… tap…
She tapped her index fingers on the ground two more times then she replied. "The path of Ascendancy is not as straightforward as you would think".
"Ascendancy is an act of going against the world, and it comes with consequences".
"When an Ascendant nears a Rank threshold, their ADE Signature begins to destabilize reality, tearing open a localized Trial Rift. The body doesn't enter the Rift though, only the ADE-connected consciousness passes through the Rift barrier into the trial".
"From the Freegrid Collective records, the Trial is not pre-programed, it's always random".
"If you're lucky, you may enter a Trial that will be very easy to complete, but if you're unlucky, you may face a trial that may likely result in your death".
Leon's eyes widened.
Talia nodded. "Yes, Ascendants die in trials. In fact, majority of Ascendant deaths recorded yearly are due to Trials".
"But first, before you can enter a trial, there's a requirement," she looked straight at Leon. "A catalyst is needed for every breakthrough".
"Before being able to trigger the ADE Domain of a trial, each Ascendant must gather a special item or meet a certain condition in alignment with their Class called a Resonance Catalyst. That is what allows the Trial to start".
"From records of the Freegrid Collective, time is distorted inside every trial, and it varies from Ascendant to Ascendant".
"What if you fail the Trial?" Leon asked.
"If you're lucky, you die".
Leon's eyes widened. "Death is being lucky?"
"Yes," Talia nodded solemnly. "Failure doesn't always kill, but it always corrupts your ADE signature. Death is solace, but when you're corrupted? You become a wild and mindless Neon Beast that roams aimlessly till you're killed".
"No one wants to live as a mindless Neon Beast, it's a fate that's even worse than death".
Leon nodded solemnly as he finally understood the rationale.
Talia took a deep breath. "There's a reason why I didn't come to these dangerous fringe zones alone. It's not because I'm afraid to come alone, it's because no Ascendant can ever ascend alone".
Leon listened with rapt attention.
"When you activate the catalyst and trigger the trial, the world reacts, ADE reacts. It may not be as prominent as the phenomenon in higher ranks but even at F Rank, reality fractures, and this may ignite storms and even more phenomena".
"Wild Neon Beasts will be attracted to devour your body".
"This is why Ascendants of the Synth Order pay to breakthrough in their data sanctuaries, massive citadels made of pure light and energy".
"In there, their bodies are protected".
"Also," her eyes flashed with an ominous gleam. "In the case that you fail the trial, you don't have to worry about roaming about as a Neon Beast. They have guards on standby that will end your life at the first sign of corruption".
"The Omnicore Federation also have special places for their Ascendants like the Order's data sanctuaries. But Ascendants like us who belong to the Freegrid and who live in the Wastes, we don't have such luxury".
"Since only your consciousness enters the Trial, till you either complete the trial or fail, your body is vulnerable".
"This is why you need a team to protect your body, a team that you can trust to kill you if you fail and morph to become a Neon Beast".
Hearing that morbid part, Kain shifted a bit in discomfort but he kept quiet.
"This is why I gathered a team, and this is why I need your help". She looked at Leon, mustering all the sincerity she could. "You're special, Mr. Leon".
"Not only are you a human, maybe you're the most talented Mechanist that I've ever met. No one has seen a human in forever, you're the first".
"I don't believe that this meeting is random, it was fated". She looked into his eyes.
"I'll feel safer and free to give my all to the trial knowing that you're part of the crew keeping my body safe while my consciousness is gone". She concluded with all the sincerity that she could muster.
Leon nodded slowly as he maintained eye contact with her. "I understand".
"As for your other question," she continued. "I admit that I may not have the power nor the influence to help you recover your memories now, but what I do have is ambition". Her eyes flashed.
"If I successfully become an E Rank Neo NetRunner, not only will my power increase, but my rank within the Freegrid network will also rise".
"Besides, I do believe that your chances of finding the answers that you seek are highest if you join the Freegrid Collective".
Talia's back instinctively straightened as if what she was about to say next deserved the utmost reverence. "Our leader is called Nora -Glitch- Ren," she stared at him, "and he is the greatest NetRunner alive".
"If we somehow find a way to help you meet him, I believe that with his help, you'll be able to solve your mysteries and recover your memories".
"There is nothing that he doesn't know. He is the progenitor hacker, the Master of the Dark Web, the Dark Overlord!"
Talia paused to take in deep breaths and recover; she was talking too fast.
Leon was surprised. Again, this was another new part of her- this was his first time seeing her talk about something so passionately and with such belief. 'This Nora guy is really impressive, huh?' He thought.
She continued. "I do believe that I can help you recover your memories".
"Also, if you feel that the duration of my promise is too long, I can give you something as additional payment right now". Talia added before Leon could speak, almost like she was scared of him rejecting her offer.
"I have an E Rank blueprint, an Electromagnetic Pulse Gun".
"It's one of the most valuable treasures that I have from my years of adventuring and scavenging. If you agree to help me, I will give you the blueprint as part of the payment for your help".
Kain's eyes widened as he stared at her. "Talia!"
She raised a hand to silence him, and Kain stopped talking. Gritting his metallic teeth, he alternated his dull gray eyes between Leon and Talia.
"I accept," Leon finally answered. "I will help you. But have you found the catalyst that you're looking for?"
Hearing that, Talia smiled. "Well, yes. After repeatedly taking the risk to venture into these parts of the fringe, I managed to find a treasure, I found the node entrance to an uncracked ancient network".
She looked at the bracer interface on her right hand. "And my Freegrid interface already acknowledged that it's a capable catalyst to supercharge my very first Ascendant Trial".
"To access the Trial and start the sequence, all I need to do is interface with the uncracked ancient network".
Leon stayed quiet for a few seconds as he internalized everything that he just learned, then looking at her, he abruptly asked a question that completely changed the mood of their little gathering.
"Based on all that you've said, doesn't that make the Omnicore Federation the best faction for me to align with to quickly recover my memories?"
Silence.
Unbothered by the silence, Leon continued. "Afterall, from what you've been saying, they seem like they run the planet, while the Freegrid Collective is just a background player that fight for scraps".
The atmosphere changed, turning cold and oppressive as soon as Leon made that comment.
A deep, suffocating silence suddenly descended on the corridor as Leon's hand instinctively tightened around his spear.
Kain shifted, and Talia's eyes flashed.