Golden Apple (O-02-04-06) is a HE-class Abnormality encountered during Canto I, acting as its final boss. It is found on the third floor of Branch D-02 of L Corp. where the Golden Bough had taken root within it.
While trying to retrieve the bough from it, Yuri was consumed by Golden Apple causing it to transform into its second form, False Apple.
Golden Apple has the appearance of large a golden apple with thick, branchy stalks acting as its arms and legs. Its body radiates with a reflective golden sheen that seems to grant it regenerative capabilities.
Upon transforming into False Apple, its body breaks open, revealing a grotesque monstrous head and long, lanky limbs formed of writhing maggots. Its apple-like shell no longer radiates a gold aura but is instead a rotten and dull red.
Story
Log Writer: Gregor
Last time I wrote an observation log, I was a kid, so I'm not sure if I'm up to this, but... I guess orders are orders. So, uhh... Start with describing its appearance? Hm, alright. That was an apple. A huge, grotesque apple with limbs. Personally speaking, doesn't it freak you out when a food item gets all massive or starts walking on its own? Is it just me? I went off-topic there. Anyway, that apple was golden. Definitely not something out of your average orchard. Mmm, right. It's what you call an Abnormality, yeah? Then yeah, that apple Abnormality was strutting all by itself. So I... I was getting a growing urge to chop that apple. It was almost magnetic. Hard to explain. ...Well, you won't find a lot of people who hate apples as much as I do. I guess that's on my unusual past. We decided to fall back for now since we had too little intel to try and fight. We'll probably take on it at some point, so I'll write down more when that time comes. → How disorganized. Were your reports as terrible during your military service? (Outis) → Vergilius instructed us to write these however we wanted. Dante agreed with that, too. (Faust) → …If Executive Manager is fine with it, I won't object. (Outis) → [A cigarette burn is left on the paper.] S.P.C. (Ryōshū) → Seriously, some petty complaint that was. (Ishmael)
Man, that was tiring. It kept healing itself or whatever, it just wouldn't fall after we sliced, tore, smashed, and did all kinds of damage to it. Fighting it was pretty simple... Well, it's not like all of us got out unscathed, though. What it does is run into us for a body slam. Not too hard to deal with once you're used to it. I think I get its schtick after fighting it a few times. You see, it's got a golden aura floating around it, yeah? But the aura was gone after the apple recovered several times. Maybe that's its threshold of regeneration. I'll let manager bud know about this. It might be what helps end this tedious struggle.
…[What appears to be foul words are scribbled out.]. This is why you put me in charge of the observation? Did you know this crap would happen and… Yeah, no. There's no way you could have… None of us could, this was our first time. Gah… When I blew that golden apple up, it split open. Then some [What appears to be foul words are scribbled out.]ed branches popped out of the crack, and… That thing, that bastard… It took Yuri… And with that new nutrient, a swarm of maggots piled up inside… "Metamorphosing" into a hideous face. Haha, funny, isn't it. I was feeling a sense of kinship with that crawler. I guess it's because we were both pests… Realizing that, I just couldn't stay calm. I had to tear that detestable face apart to find peace. And then, and then... → Gregor was struggling to maintain his cool in his writing, so I relieved him of his pen. He didn't have much else to offer in terms of information, anyway. (Faust) → Those maggots squirmed harder than I expected when I scorched 'em with my cigarette. Does this count as intel? (Gregor)
E.G.O
The Legerdemain E.G.O is extracted from Golden Apple.
Gregor's E.G.O was added in the Season 1 Battle Pass and is obtainable through the Dispenser from Season 2 onward.
Golden Apple has the associated E.G.O Gift Contained Maggots, which can only be obtained as a possible reward for finishing the Floor Theme The Outcast in the Mirror Dungeon.
This Abnormality has been referred to by multiple names so far.
It is known as False Apple in its second phase.
Its E.G.O Legerdemain previously called it Golden False Apple. This has since been changed to simply Golden Apple.
Similarly, Thread Luxcavation originally gave it the title Maggoty Apple. This too was changed to Golden Apple.
A golden apple is a common element in various national and ethnic folk legends or fairy tales, often a reward or treasure given to the protagonist or something stolen by an antagonist.
This Abnormality appearing as a golden apple only to lure one to their death and showing its true nature as a collection of maggots may be a slight reference to the Apple of Discord, a golden apple that Eris, the goddess of discord, dropped at the marriage of Peleus and Thetis, due to not being invited, which would cause an argument that causes the Trojan War.
