角色故事•三(解鎖條件:角色等級60)
邊星地帶有著這樣的傳說:當陷入絕望時,可懷揣捨棄一切的覺悟向星際和平公司請願。若你有幸,一位來者不拒的放債人將會出現。
「歡迎光臨『慈玉典押』。來者何人,所求何物?」
她重複著這句問候,靜待群星間的欲望朝她湧來。
貌美的舞者向她求取容顏永駐的可能,她收走她的部分壽命,為她打開博識學會的大門。一次又一次,舞者重拾青春年華離開慈玉典押,又因衰老再度歸來。直到某一日,她掩面離去,再也沒有回來。
亡國的軍人將情感盡數抵押,以換取復仇的可能。在失去所有的悲傷和憤怒後,他變成了戰爭的機器。往昔的敵人被盡數殲滅,他也永遠留在了昨日,只留下化為廢墟的焦土——它們在日後成了公司的屬地。
還有一對巴維魯夫婦,以自己的記憶為代價,向她換取純粹的財富。他們在生命的不同階段來到慈玉典押,換取金錢,換取聲名,換取地位…直至將記憶揮霍一空。他們度過了幸福的一生,只是最後忘記了所有。
無論何物都能在「慈玉典押」用作抵押,哪怕一貧如洗也有機會魚躍龍門。
「什麼慈善事業!她是個魔女!一個喜歡收藏靈魂的惡魔!」
「一定不要和她說任何話,否則,你將一無所有……」
「那位慈玉女士?她不可能是這樣的人,如果沒有她的資助,我的故鄉早就淪為殖民地了。」
……
她聽著星間關於自己的傳言,並不在意。
「是非善惡,只在人的一念之間。」
「微小的欲望一旦燃起,就會點燃更多的欲求。『慈玉典押』所做的…只是等待和收穫。」
她點數著藏品,一份一份,都是欲望的餘燼。
Character Story: Part III
• Unlocked at Character Level 60
In the Borderlands, there exists a legend that when one is in utter despair and ready to give up everything they have, they may request the IPC's help, and if fortune favors them, a moneylender, who never declines any client, will arrive.
"Welcome to the Bonajade Exchange. Who are you? And what do you seek?"
For countless times, she repeated the greeting, awaiting the desires from the entire cosmos to surge toward her.
A beautiful dancer came to her, seeking the possibility of eternal beauty. She took a portion of her lifespan and granted her access to the Intelligentsia Guild. Time and time again, the dancer regained her youthful years, only to return again when age caught up with her. Until one day, she left hiding her face in her hands, never to return.
A soldier from a fallen country pledged all his emotions for the chance of vengeance. Having lost all grief and anger, he transformed into a war machine sowing death. Eventually, he eradicated all his former enemies and was forever trapped in his past, leaving only scorched earth in the aftermath — territories that later fell under the IPC's possession.
A couple from Baviru traded their memories in exchange for absolute wealth. They visited her Bonajade Exchange at different stages of their lives, seeking wealth, fame, and social standing... until they had squandered all of their memories. They lived a content life, only to forget it all in the end.
Rumor circulated that anything could be used as collateral at the Bonajade Exchange, and even those without any possessions would have a chance to gain a new lease of life.
"You call that charity?! Nah, she's an evil witch! A cursed demon who enjoys collecting souls!"
"Never ever talk to her, or you'll end up losing everything..."
"You're talking about Lady Bonajade? No, she's not like that at all! Without her help, my hometown would have been taken over as a colony ages ago."
...
She listens to the rumors about her circulating among the stars, but she pays them no mind.
"There is but a thin line between right and wrong, and good and evil."
"Once a desire, however tiny it is, is ignited, more desires will ensue. All that we need to do is to... wait and reap."
She meticulously counted her collections, the remnants of people's burning desires.