Adventurers, of course

The lights on the walls of the Laboratory turned into a red hue as Lauren heard her own monotone voice blaring in the room, and potentially throughout the rest of the laboratory.

Attention! Unauthorized access to the Oracle Facility detected. All intruders will be apprehended and handed over to the Hierarchy.

Lauren and Ariel rushed to the Security Room, which Lauren placed on the Fifth Level near the AI Core. There, several monitors displayed the security feeds from all of the Laboratory's levels. With more expertise than Lauren would have expected from the Angel, he quickly fixed the displays to show the First Level. "There, they seem to have solved your first... did you seriously make the first challenge pushing heavy boxes on top of buttons?"

Lauren blushed and crossed her arms "I thought the first puzzles in a Dungeon were meant to be easy..."

Ariel laughed, deepening Lauren's blush and causing her to sulk. "Do not take it to heart, Lauren. It is just nice to have these constant reminders that despite your Core and all... this" Ariel gesticulated, signaling the room, "you are still human. You are still you. It might be a lot to ask, but please, try not to lose that."

"I'm still me?" Lauren asked, more so to themself than to Ariel. Hearts to hearts were never Lauren's strong suit, and while the Angel had made some big strides from their first encounter to now, Lauren did not yet feel comfortable enough to fully open up to him. Thankfully, she was saved by the adventurers' progress "Oh look Ariel, they're already encountering a guard patrol!"

The adventuring party seemed like a pretty standard lineup to Lauren: an almost hulking, half-naked man, wielding a Greathammer was the spearhead of the group. This was probably the group's Barbarian. His complete opposite, a fully cloaked lithe figure who Lauren guessed was an Assassin, hung back a little behind him, occasionally throwing knives or shooting arrows at the Laboratory's guards. Further back, a lightly armored woman with a sword and a tower shield was keeping the guards slipping past the Barbarian and the Assassin away from the rest of her companions. Unless my eyes are fooling me, she seems to be using some kind of Taunt skill to draw the guards to her Lauren thought If I wasn't immune to status conditions, I'd be curious to experience how exactly that affects someone.

Directly behind the Knight stood an elven Sorceress, whose cloak and long hair flowed so majestically with the blasts from her fireballs, that if Lauren did not know this was a live display from her Laboratory, she'd have assumed the footage was a pretty well-produced movie. Further behind stood the last member of this party, though she had not had much occasion to use her skills, Lauren immediately assumed she must be a Priestess simply because of her almost completely white garments.

"They're really doing a number on your guards Lauren, must be a pretty experienced party" Ariel said, looking at Lauren for a response

"I don't know," Lauren said, squinting at the screens. Sure, the party was strong, stronger than her guards at least, but something seemed off to Lauren. The Barbarian constantly got in the way when the Assassin was lining up a shot; the Sorceress frequently stepped too far away from the Knight's protection, who, in turn, left the Priestess exposed to cover the Sorceress again. The Priestess looked visibly annoyed whenever this happened, and Lauren could only assume the Assassin was equally upset at the Barbarian. "They're too uncoordinated, to the point where they almost seem to not even want to work with each other. Sure, they're strong, and that is compensating for their mistakes for now. But relying on that alone will eventually cost them dearly."

Ariel nodded and looked pleased and nodded Was he testing me? Lauren thought.

The party then finished the guard patrol off. Lauren was surprised at how apathetic she was about it. Even though they were minions produced by the Dungeon, and thus easily replaced, they were still her subordinates, and their fate was her responsibility. Thinking this might be an effect of the automatic emotional regulation from God's HUD, Lauren felt a pang of anxiety and fear for what this would mean for her. Am I losing myself so quickly? This sensation too was mitigated until almost nothing of it remained, allowing Lauren to focus on the task at hand.

It was not long before Lauren's prediction started to hold true. While the Knight and the Sorcereress were bickering -or at least that's what Lauren assumed, since the feed in the Security Room had no audio to it- the Priestess stayed back examining a wall, eventually finding a secret passageway to one of the Loot Chests Lauren had hidden. Unfortunately for the Priestess, being separated from the group meant no one was there to warn her about the tripwire she set off, nor about how the secret doorway had closed behind her. No, the Priestess had not realized how precarious her condition was until she opened the Chest and started smelling something... weird. By the time she noticed the open vents on the room's walls, as well as the closed door, the toxin Lauren fabricated had already caused her to get lightheaded. Her movements sluggish and her voice failing, the Priestess attempted to reach the door, but she fainted before being able to do so.

Milestone achieved. Defeat an adventurer for the first time. +1 XP (modified to 12 XP by Sacred Dungeon Lab)
Milestone achieved. Defeat a member of the Church of Justice for the first time. +1 XP (modified to 12 XP by Sacred Dungeon Lab)
Milestone achieved. Eliminate or subdue an adventuring party's healer before any other party member for the first time. +1 XP (modified to 12 XP by Sacred Dungeon Lab)
(Home Defense) Eliminate, subdue, or chase away the uninvited guests in the Laboratory (4 remaining)

"Is she dead?" Ariel asked, with clear concern in his eyes.

"Shouldn't be," Lauren replied, "The toxin was not meant to be lethal, but I don't actually know how different her body is from that of a human on Earth. I can't rule out the possibility, sorry."

"Oh," Ariel looked dejected, until he noticed the Priestess was still breathing.

Although they were intruders, Lauren could not help but feel disappointed in the party. It took another encounter with the last "regular" guards before they realized the Priestess was no longer with them. This, of course, worked in Lauren's favor. The ever-reckless Barbarian took risks he probably wouldn't have had he known there was no one to heal him, and the same could be said for the Knight. Their injuries, though small for now, would become impediments in their encounters with the Laboratory's elite guard: the Emanations. Possibly assuming the Priestess fell to a trap, and confirming their lack of unity, the party decided to press forward.

From that moment on, things only got worse for the party. An unspotted trap caused the Barbarian to break one of his arms, leaving him unable to properly wield his great hammer; the Knight's shield was destroyed by a poorly aimed spell from the Sorceress, which worsened their formation and led to more bickering between the two; and the Assassin? The Assassin just seemed absolutely done with the Laboratory and the Party. It was at that point that the party decided to cut their losses and leave the Dungeon.

"Well that's a relief" Ariel said "It'd have gone very poorly for them if they kept pressing forward like that"

Lauren, however, did not share the Angel's sentiment "It's not over," they said, "Look, the Emanations are pursuing them."

"What? Call them off!" Ariel shouted.

"I don't think I can do that Ariel," Lauren replied. The Emanations, though slightly more complex than average ones -owing to their added complexity from Sacred Dungeon Lab-, were still extremely single-minded. Having waited for the perfect chance to strike, they would now fulfill the purpose stated by the Oracle: All intruders will be apprehended and handed over to the Hierarchy.

"Of course you can!" the Angel pleaded "They're your Emanations, all it will take is an order from you!"

The change was not immediate, but Ariel's pleading tugged at the feelings Lauren's Perks had quieted. On an impulse, she immediately ran towards the elevator. She could hear Ariel shouting something at her, but her focus was elsewhere. I can make it! I can make it!

Milestone achieved. Defeat an adventuring party for the first time. +1 XP (modified to 12 XP by Sacred Dungeon Lab)
Quest completed. Eliminate, subdue, or chase away the uninvited guests in the Laboratory. +2 XP (modified to 24 XP by Sacred Dungeon Lab)

Unfortunately, Lauren was not able to make it. When she arrived at the First Level, the outcome of the battle was already decided. The adventurers' escape attempt had been thwarted by the Emanations, and they were a gruesome sight. Shit! Fuck! Please be alive! Please be alive!

Lauren rushed to the adventurers and ordered the Emanations to halt their attempts to transport them to... wherever they were attempting to transport them to. Instead, she had them move the adventurers towards the clinic on the Fourth Level. She also had one of the Emanations retrieve the Priestess to the clinic.

What is wrong with me?! Lauren berated herself, following behind the Emanations They were no longer a threat! Was I really just willing to let the Emanations do this? What if they had died?!

Lauren thought... hoped... Ariel would show up at the clinic. If not for her, for the adventurers. The Angel, however, did not show up. Minutes passed. Hours. Lauren's minions worked on the adventurers' wounds while she ruminated, undressing the adventurers and placing them in hospital gowns after cleaning and treating their wounds. So deep was Lauren's spiral that she'd lost track of time, and still no sign of the Angel. Lauren's thoughts brought back memories of home -the good and the bad-, the struggle with her identity; coming out to their friends; running away from home after her father threatened to send her to a conversion camp; finding a support network; finishing high school while working part-time; winning a college scholarship; meeting Alice and Rob; feeling supported by Dr. Woods... getting obsessed with her research... never talking with Alice about that drunken kiss... refusing to really date Rob out of fear of things changing... dying.

Lauren's life on Earth had been bittersweet, and although her mind focused mostly on the sorest parts of her last years there, she ultimately would not have changed much about it, even if they wished they'd had more time. As unjust as Melanoche and Carnachias had been, forcing her to choose between life as a monster and ****, they'd ultimately saved Lauren and given her a second chance at life. Even if this was not exactly the life she'd dreamed of, this was Lauren's life now, and no matter how easy the HUD made forgetting so, this was not a game either. People's lives were at stake, as was her own, and if Lauren was to make sure she'd survive without losing herself, then they'd need to get their skills under control. The HUD, in particular, was a great concern for Lauren. The convenience it offered was also its greatest liability: besides Carnachias' -and possibly Melanoche's- clear influence over it, the self-regulating effect it now had over her had nearly caused Lauren to leave the adventurers to the mercy of her underlings. Without my feelings to help me distinguish between right and wrong, am I even better than one of my Emanations?

Lauren gazed at the recovering adventurers. She never wanted to be in a position where she felt so powerless over something that should have been under her control ever again. Lauren decided she would heal the adventurers, learn why such an uncoordinated group decided to enter her Laboratory, and then... she'd figure it out from there. Having made that decision, Lauren ordered the clinic staff to restrain the adventurers, as she did not know how they'd react once they woke up. She then extended her hand towards their beds. Needle tentacles emerged from the tip of her fingers, ready with a saline solution mixed with Light and Water essence, which according to the HUD would help accelerate the adventurers' recovery.

"What do you think you are doing?!" Lauren heard Ariel shout at her, "Have you not done enough you... you..."

"Monster?" Lauren replied, causing Ariel's face to go red, though if it was from anger or shame, Lauren did not know, "I am healing them, doing my best to make up for my mistake while I still can."

"Mistake?" Ariel whispered before raising his voice "Mistake?! You could have called the Emanations off at any time! Instead of switching your focus to your real body and giving your command immediately, you decided to drag things by going there with this body! What were you thinking?!"

"I wasn't!" Lauren shouted, turning to face the Angel, the tentacles quickly retracting to her fingers as she lost focus "I wasn't thinking, okay?!"

Lauren failed to find the words and the courage to properly explain herself. How horrified she was at her lack of emotions before snapping out of it; how the thought of "switching bodies" didn't even occur to her in her panicked state because the Mobile Unit still felt closer to her real body -the one from Earth- than the Laboratory ever would. How could she convey how guilty she felt for failing to let the adventurers go when she was theoretically all-powerful within the Laboratory? She truly wanted to explain all this and more to Ariel, but she didn't. She couldn't. Instead, she shifted her focus back on the adventurers, as they still needed her help.

Ariel seemed to have more to say, but much like Lauren, he opted to turn his attention back on the injured. Having access to actual healing magic, his efforts would probably be faster than Lauren's. As he approached, the Priestess, who had merely been knocked **** by toxins, began to wake. The Angel squinted his eyes as if trying to recognize something about her. Then his expression turned to surprise and he shouted "Hodges! This one is a follower of Mileth, a fanatic! I strongly suggest restraining her before we have another fight on our hands."

Despite the tense state of the relationship she currently had with Ariel, Lauren knew it'd be unwise to ignore his advice on this matter. She extended her other hand towards the Priestess, as more tentacles emerged from her fingers. Okay, restrain. I have something that should help with that, I just hope Ariel doesn't get angrier with me for doing it. Once her tentacles were binding the Priestess' limbs, Lauren began applying a Mark of Submission. Doing so would require a great deal of Mana, but thankfully for her, enough time had passed for both the Lab's Wellspring and her own reserves to recover. As they focused on activating the Mark, imprints of where Lauren's tentacles were holding the Priestess started showing up on her wrists, ankles, and neck. After the mark had settled, Lauren retracted their tentacles from both of her hands, it would not do for the Priestess to awaken to Lauren's treatment of her companions. Her reaction would surely be worse than Ariel's. Tentatively, she looked for Ariel's reaction. He looked at the marks intensely, as if deciding what to even think about Lauren's decision to place them, but ultimately nodded his approval with a sigh.

Moments later, the Priestess slowly came to her senses. "Ugggggh. Where am I? Why is it so bright here?!" Her tone of voice was a bit higher than Lauren anticipated, almost preppy in her delivery "Lord Mileth? Did I really fall into that trap? Am I by your side now?" Her expression had a mixture of happiness and disappointment but ultimately settled with disappointment once she realized she was not in whatever heaven the God of Justice sent his followers to "Wait, where's my equipment?!" The panicked Priestess realized she was wearing nothing but a hospital gown.

While Lauren considered how to even begin talking with the Priestess, Ariel took the lead on the situation before they could even utter a word "Hail Justice Bringer" the Angel crossed both of his arms on his chest, in what appeared to be some kind of salute "We removed your weapons and armor to better tend to your group's injuries. They will be returned to you once the treatment is finished."

Whatever comfort the Priestess got from the Angel's words was immediately lost when she took in her surroundings. The beds, the lights, the monitors, her hospital gown... and Lauren's oddly symmetrical face: "This... this is the Ancient facility!" She quickly got up from her bed and took a defensive stance. Lauren's HUD informed them that this was likely a form of hand-to-hand combat used by magic casters when disarmed. Nonetheless, when the Priestess attempted to prepare a spell on her front hand, the Mark on her wrist started shining blue, and the spell dissipated. Unable to hide her shock, the Priestess took a closer look at her wrists and shouted at Lauren and Ariel "Nononononono! What have you done to me?!"

"You should sit down" Lauren suggested "The toxin may have worn off enough for you to wake up, but there's a chance you might faint if you keep straining your body like that. As it is, you could hurt yourself if that happens, I'd prefer avoiding that."

"I've seen the likes of you before," the Priestess replied in an accusatory tone, "An Ancient Machine, twisted to do the bidding of the Dark. But I will not be tricked by your empty attempt at concern! The power of Lord Mileth is stronger than whatever you can conjure, Darkie! I will escape your pathetic imitation of the Mark of Submission, free my companions, and destroy you along with this facility!"

Lauren was usually a very patient person. She had to learn to be that way for her safety in a world where one wrong move could incur her father's wrath; where her bullies constantly got away with their actions because 'they didn't know what they were doing'; where snapping caused her feelings and opinions to be dismissed because she was 'being hysterical'. But this was not a normal day for Lauren. She still hadn't fully recovered from the stress and guilt over the adventurers' current condition and the disappointment in Ariel's eyes earlier. This was just the straw that broke the camel's back. "I said sit down!" Lauren raised her voice at the Priestess.

"As if I would ever listen to a Dark-HRMPH" As the Priestess' face twisted from smug defiance to strained resistance, the Marks on her body started glowing red. She was in the middle of a battle with her own body, which was slowly but surely moving to sit on the bed. A battle she was losing: "How dare you? HOW DARE YOU?!" The Priestess frantically shouted at Lauren, trying and failing to move her body from its sitting position, each attempt causing another red glow on her Marks.

"Will you shut up already?!" Lauren snapped, causing the Marks on the Priestess' body to glow red once more, forcing her to close her mouth, unable even to grumble. Lauren then took a moment to compose themself, taking the newfound silence in "I can't deal with you right now. Ariel, talk to her."

Lauren then left the room abruptly, leaving an infuriated Priestess and a baffled Ariel behind. Is everyone in the Light so exhausting?! Lauren asked themself, I swear I can hardly talk with them for five minutes without them assuming the absolute worst about me!' And what about Ariel?! One moment he tells me he sees the human in me, and the next he is all but ready to condemn my every action as that of a monster! As if he was perfect and never made any mistakes!

While going over their thoughts, Lauren eventually found herself in the room where 'Emanation Alice' guarded the access to the Fifth Level. At the moment, the Emanation only vaguely resembled Lauren's old friend, as its 'skin' was grey, almost resembling the color Lauren's Mobile Unit had before engaging Infiltration Mode. More importantly, where Alice's face was a vibrant source of warmth and comfort, this copy's face was distant and cold, expressionless. As much as the Emanation might resemble Alice, Lauren would always know it was not her friend. A copy, however, would have to suffice for Lauren's needs this time. They had the Emanation sit down on the floor, where she then held Lauren and went through the motions of comforting them.

Interlude: The Lion of Heaven and the Justice Bringer

I know I went a bit overboard there, but did they really need to throw her at me?! Ariel thought to himself Justice Bringers are the worst! Not even Palantha would have the patience for this!

One would ordinarily assume that Ariel, of all people, would have no issue speaking with a follower of a Light-aligned deity. Mileth's followers, however, were anything but easy to talk to. Calling them zealots would mean falling short to describe the depths of their fanaticism. As much as he abhorred dealing with them, however, Ariel had begun to notice a pattern amongst some of their ranks over the years: their beliefs were full of contradictions and fell apart at the slightest prodding. This was not something he liked to exploit all that often since the Justice Bringers did account for a substantial amount of the Light's forces and this method frequently left them with a prolonged crisis of faith and out of the fight. Not that Ariel's sister cared much about that little inconvenience, as most of the Justice Bringer defectors ended up joining Palantha's ranks, but the risk of having them join the Dark was the main cause behind Ariel's **** to use this method. In this case, however, it might not be such a problem!

"So, Justice Bringer, I could not help but notice an elf amongst your ranks. I can't imagine Lord Mileth is particularly pleased about that" the Angel began. This elicited an immediate reaction from the Priestess who, although unable to speak, opened her eyes wide with shock "I don't generally keep up with the doctrine from the Church of Justice, you see. Not quite my cup of tea. But last I checked, mingling with other races is unacceptable. Why, I wouldn't be surprised if you were recalled for an Exalted Hearing when you return to town."

The Priestess' Marks glowed a painful red as she attempted to move, or speak, any way to protest or rebuff Ariel's words. The Angel hoped Lauren had not gone overboard with restrictions on the Mark's control, as he would need some response from the Priestess if this was to work. "Speak, Justice Bringer, that you may begin your atonement for this grave sin against Humanity."

To Ariel's relief, the Marks around her neck glowed a faint green, before stopping their shine. This left the Priestess able to speak, or rather, shout in this case "What do you even know about Lord Mileth's teachings you Darkie?!"

Ariel couldn't help but snort at this "I know education in the Church of Justice's temples is sub-par, but I was certain the curriculum still covered the Lion of Heaven."

The suspicion in the Priestess' eyes was slowly replaced by recognition, then shock, and finally fear. "L-Lord Ariel!" the Priestess blushed, struggling to speak "I-I'm sorry I failed to recognize you!"

"Worry not for me, Justice Bringer, but for yourself. Have you given no consideration to your violations of Lord Mileth's doctrines?" Ariel replied

The Priestess' face went white "I swear I had a good reason for teaming up with those... those things! Surely Lord Mileth will understand!" she shouted in desperation

Ariel shook his head "Think back on the Chronicles of Justice. When has Lord Mileth excused collaboration with demi-humans?"

Though Ariel thought it impossible, the Priestess' face was drained of even more blood. So it begins! the Angel thought with no small amount of glee.