The thing about Cerealia is, there really isn't any nature to be found here. Sure, you can go outside the walls of the city and explore the land beyond but who wants to risk a terrible, horrible death just to sniff the flowers? Not you, that's who! CERES understands that, CERES sympathizes, and sometimes CERES decides to take action when such problems arise. As part of the company's current "Healthier and Happier YOU" initiative, they've decided to let everyone get back in touch with nature a little.
Via ViViD.
Of course, this being CERES, the nature they've sent everyone to is more of a swamp. The place is disgusting, a real marvel of ViViD ingenuity and it smells like the dead. There's strange rustling among the leaves from creatures that may or may not want to eat you, and random pits that open up right under your feet with the goal of sending you straight into the marsh. It's not really that fun. There's no welcome sign either, no nothing except for swamplands as far as the eye can see.
Welcome to ViViD!  This is Mosley. One of our programmers forgot to include a welcome greeting for the level this time. How incompetent can you get? He's been fired now, it's fine. Instead, I will greet you today. Lucky you! You've been invited today to participate in CERES's "Healthier and Happier YOU" level where we've combined both physical exercise and relaxing meditation into the ultimate ViViD experience. Isn't that fun? You can... go camping and stuff. Or whatever. I don't... know...
Honestly, I don't even care. Have fun.
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PHASE I [ 6 00 ] Welcome to your new healthy living training ground! What does a swamp have to do with healthy living, you may ask? Absolutely nothing! To make up for it, CERES has outfitted all players with the proper equipment for their new healthy living lifestyle. They also may or may not have let you keep your shoes based on how benevolent the ViViD gods were being at the time. (Not very.)
Oh, and all newcomers will have something additional on their fancy new yoga shirt. It will be displayed loudly and proudly all over the front and back of it. And if you're one of the few not wearing a shirt, it will be on the back of your pants. As in, your butt. It will be on your butt.
What’s ViViD trying to say, anyway?
Regardless, it probably doesn’t matter as much as finding your way through the swamp. Some sort of dry land would be really nice right now, wouldn't it? You'll have to watch out for the mud that will suck you right down under the marsh, and the creatures with lots of teeth that will never surface from the mud but won't hesitate to snap up an unwary foot or two.
CERES is sure you'll be fine. Totally and completely fine.
PHASE II [ 800 ] Eventually, if you try really, really hard, you’ll make it to a house. Actually, it’s more of a shack, really. If you clamber your way out of the mud and the gunk and the marsh into said shack, you will find it to be empty aside from a table. A table hosting a huge pile of... well, health drinks. See, there's totally a health theme in this level. CERES would never make a ViViD level that wasn't thematically appropriate. Never! Health drinks of all sorts and types and sizes can be found here and there’s even a sign too; it simply says:
Take one.
Well, that seems safe.
Unfortunately, you won’t be able to leave said shack until you do take one. And drink it. The door will lock shut and cover itself in more swamp until you do. Yay. Depending on your luck, the drink may do the following to you: ➟ Cause your ViViD experience to glitch. This may involve phasing through walls, seeing everything in 8-bit, or hearing really annoying old video game music everywhere you go.
➟ Cause status effects. This can include suddenly moving incredibly slowly, being turned to stone for a period of time, suddenly being on fire, suddenly being poisoned, etc etc.
➟ Be healthier. Mmm, kale and hummus smoothie. Taste those veggies. If you try to take more than one, that’s fine too, nobody will stop you, but you probably won’t get lucky more than once.
PHASE III [ 900 ] And back you go, out into the swampy wilderness. Don’t give up! Keep going! Eventually, you’ll find the end of this level. Probably.
Eventually, though, you may stumble across something in the mud and the muck. It’s... a little doll?
In fact, it’s a little doll of one of your most important people (or, alternatively, of someone you absolutely hate). It might be someone in Cerealia currently, or someone who isn’t, but either way, the doll is there and it’s clearly them (covered in mud and all). Be careful, though. If you toss it aside, you’ll suddenly see that important person being tossed aside. If you cut the doll, you'll suddenly see that person bleeding. Even if they aren’t present in Cerealia, whatever happens to that doll, you'll see it happening to them. Is it a hallucination or are they actually there? That's a little more up in the air.
And if they are present in Cerealia, well... doing things to that doll might very well hurt them too -- for real, this time, though.
Be careful! Or don't. You do you, as CERES would say.
PHASE IV [ 1200 ] And then, eventually you reach a quiet, swampy area. Not that the rest of the swamp isn't swampy, this area is just extra swampy.
There’s very little happening here in this swampy place; even the birds are no longer squawking. And for a long moment, everything will remain quiet and peaceful, a place of reprieve... until the swamp begins to bubble. Then suddenly, a new friend will burst out of the swamp, showering mud and gunk everywhere.
Without warning, that creature is going to try to grab for the nearest person (it might be you!) and let out a mighty roar when they have them. Then, they'll hold them up to... read the nutrition facts on their shirt? What?
Of course, it will try to gobble you or whoever else it grabs if it finds, say, the salt content to be acceptable (the monster is watching their carbs). If it's not, then they'll just fling you away and move onto the next snack. For those without a handy nutrition facts label on your shirt, well, it might just take a gamble and try to eat you anyway.
Great. A health-conscious monster. That's just what this level needed.
BONUS [ xxxx ] Finally, you’re free of the game. Without warning, you’re dumped into Cerealia properly and you’re able to scrub the mud and gunk from your clothing (wait why did that come back with you and where are your normal clothes?). You're able to then make your way to your new place of residence (or old) and...
There is a tiny tree there waiting for you. Isn’t it cute? And if you take care of this tiny tree, it will eventually bear fruit! Tiny fruit. Itty bitty fruit.
Depending on which tiny tree you get, it will be one of the following: a tiny dildo tree, a tiny bacon tree, a tiny kazoo tree, a tiny carolina reaper tree, or a (dumb) tiny hats tree.
Everything will, naturally, be tiny. Enjoy your new healthy CERES gift!
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fushimi saruhiko.
[ Well. SCEPTER4 members were sworn into duty in the name of justice and order, not necessarily grace. Munakata had been standing by, watching his every move as he'd searched for a fatalistic execution of attacks. In the meantime, he's prepared to draw his sword for emergency combat whenever necessary, but his unwavering faith in Fushimi's analyzing skills keeps him from even being tempted to intervene. Surely enough, the monster's had it, and there's a breath of (fatherly, perhaps) relief when Fushimi's life was spared. He's undoubtedly impressed by the use of the knives, as usual.
Munakata appears inches from where his third has landed, extending a helping hand. He's used to being refused one way or another, but this time, he's adamant about helping Fushimi to his feet. Event if he doesn't take his head, Munakata will have leaned down to take him by the wrist, urging him up gently still. ]
Fushimi-kun, do you recall the day you solved your first case as a member of SCEPTER4? [ Once Fushimi has gained his grounds, Munakata crosses his hands behind him. He looks less serious without his uniform. ] I had said I wanted you to become a hidden weapon of mine.
[ Glancing over at the fleeing monster, he sighs mirthfully. ]
Hidden weapons are tricky, as you would know best. Only its user know where their tools lie, deep within secrets and shrouded with mystery. They will have to rely on those tools and trust they remain there when needed. [ Now, he turns his attention to the younger man once again. He might have given the allusion that he's speaking solely of Fushimi, but in actuality -- ] You, like those weapons you hide, are invaluable to me as well, Fushimi-kun. I hadn't properly congratulated you for your sacrifices back home, but thank you for your good work.
[ There's a twinkle of a smile in his eyes, though. ] That said, I'm afraid your missions won't quite end there.
no subject
Back on his feet, he lets Munakata talk; he's gotten used to feeling out when there's a point to be made, letting his King's words wash over him until he's laid out what he's trying to say in a way that other people can understand. The praise makes him feel vaguely uncomfortable, the same as any other time someone offers appreciation for anything that he's done, as if it were ever anything that special and not merely him acting like anyone with half a brain would. Now, though, beneath the embarrassment, there's a bit of pride and gladness, too. Not that he's willing to say as much out loud, but it is there.
He looks away, unsure of how to respond, but at least the last part is familiar and safe enough that he can look back, nodding once, short and sharp. He's honestly felt useless during his time here, and it's grating, so the idea of being able to do something isn't unwelcome.]
I didn't expect to be done with working that easily.
no subject
Those behind CERES assign jobs no better than what I'm able to do through simple conversation. You, too, must have been no exception to their suggestions... I wonder what kind of job they had in mind for you? [ It can't be as accurate as his, to be certain. ] No matter. Regardless of their decisions, I shall take your word as an official agreement that you will continue your duties under SCEPTER 4. Will that suffice, Fushimi-kun?