Lila 2026/04/16(Thu)14:35 No. 1125504 ID: eb7cbf
File 177635013410.png - (24.83KB , 800x600 , 124.png )

>__________

>>1125504
Damn. Why can't we take the elevators?
Also I wonder if the key opens the door to the aquarium. Can we even swim? Do we have to swim to get up to the beast strata?

>>1125498
The encouragement
voices say they'll help
me so... I guess. Fine.
This is such a pain in the ass.
I was just supposed to
do some dusting...

>>1125499
They want me to ask some
questions. Like... How
do you pronounce your
name and uh... Why can't we
move? Well, that's obvious. We
can only go where our Work
needs us. When that's done, if we're
done early, we can go to
a designated rest area. That's
just how it is, right?

>>1125500
Hm... They wanna
know about the Poem.

>>1125501
Are there just o
protocols for this
kinda thing?

>>1125502
.... Hey, M**li(???)

Can you point out
where we are in
the Tower.

>>1125503
And the Queen's
chambers,
where you
want me to go,
they are...?

>>1125504
... And how do
I get there?

The Beasts are between us and the Queen? ...I hope this infection isn't some kind of rebellion, that would make it very difficult to get through the area.
Ask where the Worms and Leaves are.

>>1125499
Things don't work quite like that for us, but I imagine it's because our Work is less defined. Our orders include "ensure the tower continues to function" and "clean all messes", and it's vague enough that would let us go anywhere where a mess is, I suppose, and even if we couldn't call a leadership collapse "messy" (which we can) it's undeniably something that impedes the tower from functioning.

>>1125509
>Ask where the Worms [...] are.
is Miire not a Worm herself? she certainly seems to know things.

>Leaves
So that's what that word was. Now there's only one word left I'm not sure about.

>>1125498
Hold up you can even hear my voice!? Nod vigorously if so.

Soooooo, worse case scenario, queen is missing, dead, or worse... what's plan B?

Also is there a way for us to contact Miire outside of walking back to this room?

Oh and if we find anymore survivors should we send them back this way since this area seems safe? Since no one seems to have a plan for this emergency I kind of want to tell all the survivors to group up, fortify a safe area, and watch each other's backs until the situation is resolved. Cause after seeing what the infected can do I really don't like the idea of just leaving Miire or other of your sisters alone in an environment like this. Strength in numbers and all that.

Lila 2026/04/18(Sat)18:05 No. 1125584 ID: eb7cbf
File 177653551843.gif - (19.45KB , 800x600 , 125.gif )

> Hold up you can even hear my voice!? Nod vigorously if so.

Lila 2026/04/18(Sat)18:06 No. 1125585 ID: eb7cbf
File 177653558613.png - (135.43KB , 1000x1400 , 126.png )

>Damn. Why can't we take the elevators?
>Ask where the Worms and Leaves are.

Lila 2026/04/18(Sat)18:07 No. 1125586 ID: eb7cbf
File 177653566337.png - (24.56KB , 800x600 , 127.png )

> And... What if the queen is dead or.. Worse? What then?

>>1125585
Why not? And if I can't
take the
elevator how
do I get there?

So if the Beasts
are
between us
and the Queen...
Sorry, where
is everyone?

>>1125586
And... What if the
Queen is dead
or... Worse?
What then?

>>1125590
Welp!

Nothing can be done
for all that. Guess
I gotta go.

>>1125591
Oh and if we find
anymore survivors
should we send them
back this way since this
area seems safe?

Alright. Any
hints where I
should go next?
(oh great, "hints" looks like "this")

>>1125592
Time to see what's in the door in the room to the right.

well, now that you have gotten a minute to get your head on straight, you should probably head back to the room where you just fought and try the door that was in there and see where that leads.

So like. Not that you necessarily know, but what happens if you open that aquarium door? It seems like poor design for water to just flood the place? I notice the door protrudes substantially; maybe that's an airlock? Er, waterlock? Can you breathe water (yet)?

>>1125235
It's been... a while, so here's a translation.
To those whom will
eventually arise.

Allow me to instruct you
in the location you will
soon inhabit.

These will be your allies.

There are five bug types
that help run the Tower.


The Standard can be summoned
to any area to do odd jobs.

The Aquatic is designed to work
in water environments.

The Worm is designed
to store vast amounts of knowledge.

The Beast is designed
to work with red matter.

The Leaf is designed
to work with green matter.

Depicted is a Standard with
no additional poems sung of them.

>>1125315
Of them, they are further
divided into their respective jobs
and given a part of the Poem.

Strong silk to bind, in case of ruin.
Strong arms to guide, for when we falter.
Strong minds to remember, when all else is lost.
Strong hearts to love, a kindness passed down.

And a secret part of the poem

Devotees to the Queen, keeper of the Tower.
(Initially I thought the secret part was not stated at all, and the last bit there was just a general statement about the workers, but... now I think the last line *is* the secret part of the Poem, given to every worker without their knowledge to make sure they stay loyal. So, what happened? Did someone forgot to add the secret part and a worker went rogue without it? Or did the Queen do something so nasty that the loyalty part broke? Or is this actually just something from outside the Tower infecting workers and the Queen is blameless?
I also found it neat how it's just barely possible to translate that first scratched-out line. There's just enough bits of symbols sticking out that you can identify everything needed to figure out what's being said. Even when that one symbol can be any of SEVEN LETTERS lol)

>>1125836
>Depicted
oh gdi, I thought that was a different name, no wonder I wasn't sure about that. I was getting "Besotted", but that didn't really fit too well.

>>1125838
>that one symbol
don't get me started

>>1125838
>>1125839
The code breakers are getting restless.

>>1125848
I'm not much of a code-breaker, really. The fully visible part of the intermission was about the limit of my ability, I think. But the sheer amount of possible corresponding letters a symbol can have means there's a bit of guesswork and trying to find words in context and that ended up being most of the work, and subject to uncertainty.

>>1125849
I thought it was kinda fun! A way of designing a cipher that is impossible to trivially solve via automated tools afaik, though it's not practical to use for most things you'd use encryption for. This is the first time I've seen something like it.

Lila 2026/05/03(Sun)08:29 No. 1126165 ID: eb7cbf
File 177779696473.png - (50.47KB , 800x600 , 134.png )

> So like. Not that you necessarily know, but what happens if you open that aquarium door? It seems like poor design for water to just flood the place? I notice the door protrudes substantially; maybe that's an airlock? Er, waterlock? Can you breathe water (yet)?

Lila 2026/05/03(Sun)08:30 No. 1126170 ID: eb7cbf
File 177779705476.png - (21.38KB , 800x600 , 139.png )

> you should probably head back to the room where you just fought and try the door that was in there and see where that leads.

Lila 2026/05/03(Sun)08:31 No. 1126171 ID: eb7cbf
File 177779708164.png - (23.67KB , 800x900 , 140.png )

>________

>>1126165
I can't breathe
underwater.
But I can hold my
breath for a
really long time.
Looks like when
I go in it'll flood
with water and then open
to the other side. I don't
have the key.

>>1126171
Don't look left...
Ok, we'll check that body as a last resort. Open the closed, clean door to the right. Maybe there's a survivor in there...? If it's locked, try knocking and announcing yourself.

well... this is... pleasant. I say we start with the door on the right that doesn't have nasty crap coming out of it or a blood trail dragging towards it.

...does that doorknob look blue to you too?

The window is your only way into that room on your left. Knock some more glass out of the frame and check it out.

Lila 2026/05/07(Thu)14:58 No. 1126460 ID: eb7cbf
File 177816590952.png - (18.65KB , 800x900 , 141.png )

> well... this is... pleasant. I say we start with the door on the right that doesn't have nasty crap coming out of it or a blood trail dragging towards it.

Lila 2026/05/07(Thu)14:58 No. 1126461 ID: eb7cbf
File 177816592475.png - (36.12KB , 800x900 , 142.png )

>_____

So like, are aqua type spider people super models of the hive or is this one just special? Now that I brought it up where to you rank on the hotness scale for your hive? I want to say above average at a bare minimum but I don't think I can get a good read seeing how you started the day off hung over... then all the shit you had to deal with after waking up... well I just feel like I'm not catching you at your best.

Also free shit below the web, I say take it.

>>1126461
The heck, they get
their own rooms?
Privilege of management I suppose.

Hey, loot! Hmm, also webs. Is that supposed to be there? Is it a bed or something?
Wait is that another coin? You have enough for coffee now. Do you even need it anymore though? You could save up for something else... Also you don't have a cup. And you took the nozzle off the machine, can you put it back?

Nothing at all in here? How suspicious. Check behind the painting for a safe.

Lila 2026/05/08(Fri)06:21 No. 1126490 ID: eb7cbf
File 177822128637.png - (73.57KB , 800x600 , 143.png )

>So like, are aqua type spider people super models of the hive or is this one just special? Now that I brought it up where to you rank on the hotness scale for your hive? I want to say above average at a bare minimum but I don't think I can get a good read seeing how you started the day off hung over... then all the shit you had to deal with after waking up... well I just feel like I'm not catching you at your best.

Lila 2026/05/08(Fri)06:22 No. 1126491 ID: eb7cbf
File 177822134938.png - (19.58KB , 800x900 , 144.png )

> Also free shit below the web, I say take it.
> a bed-?
> Wait is that another coin?

Lila 2026/05/08(Fri)06:23 No. 1126492 ID: eb7cbf
File 177822138448.png - (19.73KB , 800x900 , 145.png )

> Check behind the painting for a safe.

Lila 2026/05/08(Fri)06:24 No. 1126497 ID: eb7cbf
File 177822145251.png - (27.62KB , 800x900 , 150.png )

>_______

>>1126490
Eh. To be perfectly honest with
you guys I'm not
really like... Eh.
Worker types are con
sidered a bit uh...
Rough. And honestly this is
the most sober I've
been in my entire life.

Aquatics are cute.
But honestly I like
them longer. Or taller.
I'm not picky about
the direction.
That's just my
opinion, though.
I'm not really the
average
type of person.
Alright, let's save the money for now.
>longer or taller
...does that mean your boss is your type?

>>1126496
Reasonable.

>>1126497
Alright. That's a screwdriver I think? Seems like the only way forward now is the door at the end of the hallway. Open it a crack and peek through before going in... assuming that doorknob is safe to touch? It's blue!

>>1126490
how the hell would you be smashed all the time? The only drinks I've seen in this place are coffee, where would you even find booze around here?

Also calling bull on nobody being attracted to worker drones. With your fighter form I know at least someone would have a muscle girl fetish and the idea of someone being able to just swoop them off their feet in a most literal fashion would probably be a dream come true. Hell your boss keeps tabs on who works under them, next time you see them ask them if they have ever heard of someone who fantasized about being swept up and carried off in a loving embrace by an amazon like drone. I bet she's probably heard of someone who dreamt of something along those lines.

>>1126496
yeah I guess she is kind of long with that tail, might be cheating but if it works it works.

>>1126497
whelp, that distraction didn't last long. Guess we have no choice but to go back to the hallway of ick and try the door with blue knob... great.

>>1126496
hee hee.

Re:
>>1126186
So can you see into the room at all? ...Is there any ROOM left, or is it full of uhhhhhh

Lila 2026/05/11(Mon)11:27 No. 1126647 ID: eb7cbf
File 177849886283.png - (29.08KB , 800x900 , 151.png )

>How the hell would you be smashed all the time? The only drinks I've seen in this place are coffee, where would you even find booze around here?

Lila 2026/05/11(Mon)11:28 No. 1126648 ID: eb7cbf
File 177849889893.png - (48.16KB , 800x600 , 152.png )

>With your fighter form I know at least someone would have a muscle girl fetish and the idea of someone being able to just swoop them off their feet in a most literal fashion would probably be a dream come true.

>Hell your boss keeps tabs on who works under them, next time you see them ask them if they have ever heard of someone who fantasized about being swept up and carried off in a loving embrace by an amazon like drone. I bet she's probably heard of someone who dreamt of something along those lines.

Lila 2026/05/11(Mon)11:28 No. 1126649 ID: eb7cbf
File 177849892135.png - (36.99KB , 800x600 , 153.png )

> ...does that mean your boss is your type?

Lila 2026/05/11(Mon)11:29 No. 1126650 ID: eb7cbf
File 177849895505.png - (60.70KB , 800x1511 , 154.png )

> So can you see into the room at all? ...Is there any ROOM left, or is it full of uhhhhhh

Lila 2026/05/11(Mon)11:30 No. 1126651 ID: eb7cbf
File 177849903740.png - (30.88KB , 800x1511 , 155.png )

> Alright. That's a screwdriver I think? Seems like the only way forward now is the door at the end of the hallway. Open it a crack and peek through before going in... assuming that doorknob is safe to touch? It's blue!

Blue Key Used

-beep-
-click-

Lila 2026/05/11(Mon)11:31 No. 1126655 ID: eb7cbf
File 177849910768.png - (31.18KB , 800x1511 , 158.png )

>______

So... Someone who may (barely) living, dead or a monster, and a thing to grab.
Grab thing, be ready to GTFO.

Ignore wall, do not ignore body, grab thingy. Might be an elevator key? This is still a dead end, only path left to check is swimming up through the tank.

>>1126647
Worker secret.

>>1126648
Finally, someone who can appreciate
the greatness of my strength.
Shame it's just my own
personal encouragement voices.

I'll ask but I dunno,
she doesn't really seem
like someone who
cares to keep track
of that sorta thing...

>>1126649
It would
be inappropriate to
think about someone
above my station like that.

But yeah she's super hot
have you seen her tail!?

>>1126650
... I can't go in here, no.
Can't see anything really.
What is all this gunk?

>>1126655
Take a moment, it's ok. This is a lot for someone who isn't desensitized to death.
I saw a keycard in there, so we're gonna have to go in eventually and get it. Those shapes on the wall, do they have any meaning? Why are they red? Something to do with red matter, I suppose? They look kindof like eyes.

>>1126647
so you have a stash or a supplier, whelp if we live through all this guess I know what we're doing to celebrate.

>>1126648
she seems to notice more things then she lets on so I wouldn't be to surprised if she has at least over heard some water cooler talk.

>>1126650
Wait, has the body always been in this hallway? Why didn't I see that before you went into the poster room?

>>1126653
...(sigh), worse then I hoped but honestly better then I expected. I see something rectangular by the right wall and something in the corner right above it.

>>1126655
...take a minute. We're in no rush.

>>1126681
>body in hallway?
She was avoiding looking at it.

Lila 2026/05/12(Tue)14:23 No. 1126703 ID: eb7cbf
File 177859581304.png - (31.30KB , 800x1511 , 159.png )

> Take a minute

Lila 2026/05/12(Tue)14:26 No. 1126710 ID: eb7cbf
File 177859597054.png - (64.66KB , 800x900 , 166.png )

> Those shapes on the wall, do they have any meaning? Why are they red? Something to do with red matter, I suppose? They look kindof like eyes.

Lila 2026/05/12(Tue)14:28 No. 1126711 ID: eb7cbf
File 177859611981.png - (39.87KB , 800x900 , 167.png )

> I see something rectangular by the right wall
> I saw a keycard in there
> grab thingy

Rr'chara's keycard obtained.
Elevator access to Aquatic Strata unlocked.
Airlock for tank maint. unlocked.

Do well in your Work, Rr'chara.

Lila 2026/05/12(Tue)14:29 No. 1126712 ID: eb7cbf
File 177859616606.png - (26.15KB , 800x600 , 168.png )

>This is still a dead end, only path left to check is swimming up through the tank.

Lila 2026/05/12(Tue)14:34 No. 1126732 ID: eb7cbf
File 177859648637.png - (73.12KB , 800x600 , 188.png )

>______________

>>1126720
Oh man she is pretty, i wo der if we can ask her out- oh she js approaching.

>>1126732 ouch... the heck happened. Did we just explode?

Well that's rude.
You're not outspeeding that, and more mass is unlikely to help. Perhaps you can disguise yourself as a smaller version of that masked marauder.

well. we aren't dead. kinda.

so they use threads and theres likely invisible webbing strewn about the room. any chance we can burn it? otherwise we could just... zerg rush and hopefully learn more.

uhh... try not to die as fast.

>>1126706
Why is this
happening
to us...

>>1126709
Okay. You
can do this (___).
You can do this.
No one else can...
(That first symbol in the unknown word looks like a capital L, the second one is a kind of reverse j, and the third is an i. Pet name for herself I'd guess? The second symbol is very odd though. I know that dot isn't part of the L, and besides that symbol is only ever by itself as part of a j.)

>>1126710
Assume if it's not
about cleaning or like...
General info I don't know shit.

Ckaw marks and stuff
everywhere too... Only an
enhanced worker can do something
like this...

>>1126721
She is the most
beautiful
creature I have
ever seen...

>>1126732
You know, it's strange that you're respawning here again. The spawn room is two rooms over, isn't it? And we fixed it too.
Did your items somehow stay in your inventory or do we have to go retrieve them?
...oh, I just noticed, there's a crack in the wall behind the jars. Might as well go over there.

What the fuck was that!? I don't even think you stand a chance against that thing even in fight mode, hell from the explanation you gave us earlier I don't think you have enough in your fuel stores to even transform into that again. Shit...

Whelp, looks like the water tank path is now a no go until further notice... which means that elevator door in the silk pod room is the only exit available to us... wonder if we talk to Miire if she would be able to give us access to the elevator. She might have the authority to give you access to another floor. Hope it didn't need an item you picked up cause it looks like you lost all your gear.