Nivalis Nights The Aseptic Quest Guide: Walkthrough, Killer Identity, and Important Choices

The Aseptic is one of the major storyline quests in Nivalis Nights. It follows the investigation of a serial killer targeting the city’s debt orphans and eventually leads the player towards Ava’s location and identity. This guide covers the complete quest walkthrough, the killer’s identity, important dialogue choices, and one easily missed opportunity involving Mertie.

How to Start “The Aseptic” Quest in Nivalis Nights

“The Aseptic” in Nivalis Nights is a main storyline quest given by Ava, but its progress is mainly marked by the player’s communication with Gamova. The player does not need to complete a specific side quest or perform any special action to trigger it.

After reaching Day 4, Gamova will contact the player through the encrypted communication line and introduce the investigation. She explains that a serial killer known as the Aseptic is targeting people around Nivalis.

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“The Aseptic” Quest Walkthrough [Major Story Spoiler!]

The investigation contains several stages involving crime scenes, witnesses, and evidence. Follow these steps to complete the main quest.

1. Step 1: Investigate the First Crime Scene. Speak to Rheno, the crime scene investigator who appears at the location. The player can learn from Rheno that the killer leaves a very clean crime scene with no evidence left behind.
2. Step 2: Visit the Second Crime Scene. Wait for Gamova to contact the player with further instructions. She will direct the investigation towards another crime scene. The second crime scene has a NATA-Log that the player can investigate later.
3. Step 3: Find Steven McFellow (if the player hasn’t talked to him). McFellow provides information about a missing contact and the NATA-Log. The NATA-Log contains train and metro information, which is important to hobos. This leads to Huckstash and DeeDee, and the latter claims to have seen the Aseptic.
4. Step 4: Deliver the NATA-Log to Huckstash. Huckstash has information about the killer and a potential witness. Continue the conversation and accept his request to deliver a letter to DeeDee.
5. Step 5: Find DeeDee. Speak with her about the Aseptic and listen to her account of the killer. She provides additional information about the murders and the possible motive behind them. After the conversation, collect DeeDee’s reply and return to Huckstash to complete the letter delivery.
6. Step 6: Investigate the Next Crime Scene. Wait for Gamova to contact the player again. She will provide another crime scene location. Visit the location and speak to Rheno. This investigation reveals another victim, Mertie Batt, the NPC of the quest “Neon Sellout”.
7. Step 7: Enjoy Your Freedom.Gamova eventually tells the player that the investigation is over and that they are free to return to their normal activities. However, this is not the end of the quest. The player must wait for the next development and return to the apartment in Lowtown. Gamova will be waiting in the apartment.
8. Step 8: Find Out What Ava Knows. Ava will reveal additional information and help the player identify the location to investigate.
9. Step 9: Meet Gamova and Investigate the Suspect’s Apartment. Travel to the suspect’s address and meet Gamova. Enter the apartment and investigate Rheno’s computer. Choose either to transmit the recordings to the public or hand them over to Gamova.

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Should You Investigate the Aseptic Privately?

Yes. Investigating the Aseptic privately is worthwhile because it allows the player to learn more about the killer’s motives without causing the quest to fail.

DeeDee’s insights and her account of the killer’s look and voice are particularly important. She reveals that the debt orphans are the most valuable assets for the corporations. As the Aseptic removes the debt orphans, the corporations lose future profits on them, and there are no future generations to inherit these debts.

She also mentions that the killer is a young man with a soft voice. He says something like “You’re the cure”. If the player has finished “The Aseptic” quest and knows the killer’s identity, DeeDee accurately described what the killer is like and his motive.

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Who Is the Aseptic? [Major Story Spoiler!]

The Aseptic is Rheno, the crime scene investigator who repeatedly appears at the murder scenes throughout the quest.

This revelation makes the earlier conversations with Rheno particularly interesting. He is present during the investigation and appears to be helping the player understand the crimes, while concealing his own involvement.

His motive is connected to what he considers a form of martyrdom. Depending on how the player interprets his reasoning, he believes his actions can avenge the corporations for his sister’s death and the debt he got into, an echo back to what DeeDee heard – “You are the cure”. To complete this martyrdom, he has to end the killing with his own life to avoid the hypocrisy.

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Should You Transmit the Data or Hand It Over to Gamova?

During the final apartment investigation, the player must decide what to do with the Aseptic’s data.

There are two available choices:

1. Transmit the data: Send the Aseptic’s manifesto as part of the investigation.
2. Hand it over to Gamova: Give Gamova the evidence directly instead.

Both choices allow the main storyline to continue. Neither prevents the player from progressing towards the investigation of Ava’s identity and location. The decision is therefore largely a matter of personal preference and how the player views the investigation. However, as Ava’s joke indicates, is handing the data over and siding with Gamova a sense of game over?

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Important Warning: Mertie Is an Unexpected Victim

One important detail that players should know before progressing through the Aseptic quest is that Mertie Batt becomes the third victim. This can affect another character quest, “Neon Sellout“, which involves Mertie. Mertie will introduce herself as the auntie people refer to in the Meridian Market. She asks the player to help sell neon lights for her. At the end of the quest, she mentions that one day she wants to see the ocean.

If the player has not yet completed “Neon Sellout” or wants to speak with Mertie and get to know her, it is strongly recommended to finish her quest before advancing to the third-victim objective in The Aseptic.

This is an easy opportunity to miss because the Aseptic quest does not clearly warn the player that another character’s quest may be affected. Once the player gets to know Mertie better, they may find what the Aseptic has done is more unforgivable.

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The Ending of The Aseptic in Nivalis Nights: Is It Too Sudden?

The Aseptic is what seems like one of the most important main quests in Nivalis Nights, connecting the serial killer investigation with the larger mystery surrounding Ava. At the beginning of the game, there are also many mentions of the Aseptic in newspapers and from other NPCs. Naturally, the player will expect a longer quest progression and more complicated outcomes and repercussions.

On the other hand, the story does fill in another puzzle to the Nivalis Nights worldview. As the “Seafaring” quest discusses the border of the Nivalis ocean, The Aseptic delves into the struggles between the corporations and debt orphans in Nivalis Night’s cyberpunk city settings.

Additionally, Mertie’s death also comes as a surprise, showing how the quests in Nivalis Nights are interconnected. The game certainly has the ambition to build Nivalis and its NPCs as a community and to improve the player’s immersive experience in this matter.

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