Rebuild...
...the world...
Shi Rang looked at A Piao, feeling a sudden chill rise and spread down his spine, engulfing his entire body.
The most important part of this arrogant declaration was actually the word "our".
Shi Rang was human, but A Piao was a monster. Unlike humans who rely possessed Anomalous Effects, it was a genuine non-human entity.
It constantly brought up its compatriots and its own loneliness, its words overflowing with longing.
Without a doubt, the "our world" it spoke of was a world of non-human monsters, a world that did not belong to humanity.
A Piao waited for his response with a smile, its eyes full of anticipation, but Shi Rang simply could not feign the fanatical expression needed to play along.
He was much more concerned about how long A Piao intended to stay, where it would live during the operation, and whether it would interfere with his search for Number 210.
...If A Piao was monitoring him, he couldn't go looking for Ying Shang, lest he bring danger to her.
Shi Rang temporarily suppressed the unease in his heart and raised a question. "But doesn't the Ascension Society want to build a world where humans properly utilize anomalies? In such a world, what would happen to non-humans?"
"I discussed this point when I joined them," A Piao explained. "I do things for them, act on their behalf, and serve as a Head. The condition is that after they take down the Managent Bureau, The Ark will fall under my control. I will pick a pri piece of real estate—like those lawless zones in the Eleventh and Twelfth Districts—and establish our own territory."
"...
...using The Ark?"
"That is correct. Using The Ark."
The bright afternoon sunlight spilled into the room through the window, coating A Piao in a divine haze, making the dream it spoke of seem to sparkle as well.
Adopting the tone of an elder recounting history to the younger generation, it began to explain everything to Shi Rang.
"Within the Managent Bureau, there are exactly twelve S-Class Containnt Objects. They are the foundation of the Bureau, their true source of confidence in secretly ruling the world.
"And the designation for The Ark is CVA-S-01.
[The following content is protected by a tic kill agent and is visible only to Level 5 clearance. Unauthorized access will result in death by cardiac arrest. Personnel without the anti-tic inoculation must exit imdiately.]
[Life signs detected. Disengaging safety lock.]
[CVA-S-01 — The Ark]
[Special Containnt Procedures: The entrance to The Ark is currently disguised as a sewer line managent room within the ■ Forest Park in the First District. Aside from routine security personnel at the entrance and the expulsion of tourists, no further containnt operations are required. Since containnt was established, the entrance to The Ark has never been breached...]
[Description: The Ark is the collective term for an Underground Facility complex. Its purpose is to rebuild civilization in the event that a K-Class end-of-the-world scenario cannot be prevented in ti. No operations other than routine maintenance may be perford on its main processor system.
[It is projected that after an end-of-the-world scenario occurs, The Ark will activate autonomously. Carrying all internal devices intended for civilizational reconstruction, it will relocate to a chosen new world via an unknown thod and rebuild modern civilization in a short period of ti.
[According to the main processor logs, The Ark has activated at least three tis. Due to component damage, data regarding the construction and operating principles of The Ark has been lost.]
Even before A Piao began its formal explanation, Shi Rang had already followed that designation string and accessed the Records for The Ark.
He had seen this file when he first ca into contact with the Managent Bureau Main Station, but he had only skimd it briefly with his own eyes. The Ark wasn't as flashy as the other S-Class Subjects, so Shi Rang simply hadn't retained much information at the ti.
As it turned out, The Ark was an actual doomsday ark, a possibility for fleeing the apocalypse and rebuilding civilization.
'Has the world really been destroyed three tis already? Is the present day the result of its fourth migration?'
'Establishing a modern civilization in a single step... Does that an all past ancient history is fake?'
The sheer magnitude of this truth gave Shi Rang a severe sense of disconnect. He tossed aside these nihilistic questions and grounded himself back in reality.
For him, reading and comprehending happened instantaneously. The information transfer was highly efficient, though it placed a burden on his mind.
Obtaining specific intelligence ahead of ti helped him judge the veracity of what A Piao was about to say, preventing any preconceived biases.
The file for CVA-S-01 wasn't complex. It only took him the blink of an eye to absorb the data, but when he saw A Piao's smile turn sowhat subtle, he imdiately confird sothing else. Even with his Anomaly Sensing acting as a cover, A Piao could still sense that he had used his data-link ability.
Shi Rang's breathing slowed as he awkwardly t A Piao's half-smile.
'Will I lose my life over this oversight?'
A Piao simply asked, "May I continue?"
Shi Rang froze, unable to stop himself from asking, "You don't mind?"
"I am not a narrow-minded human. Only humans sche against one another," A Piao replied. "We are compatriots, perhaps even the last surviving kin in this world. I won't be that harsh on you. Of course you can keep your secrets. I have plenty of secrets I'm hiding from you as well. If you want to hear them, we can trade. Do you want to trade? Trade? Trade?"
Its candor and tolerance left Shi Rang bewildered. Aside from the suspicion and wariness it bred, he also felt a faint twinge of guilt.
'Are compatriots truly that important in its eyes?'
"We can talk about that later... Please continue," he said.
"Alright. In short, The Ark is an incredible thing. It can generate a modern civilization out of thin air along with a batch of capable leaders, then erase everyone's mory of the process. After that, it retreats to the background to wait for the world to be destroyed again before setting sail to escape. It's just a pity that it's already broken."
"Broken?" Shi Rang forced down the urge to search the Main Station again.
The data in his mind was still crystal clear; there was no need to reconnect and agitate A Piao.
'The file clearly showed that The Ark still has scheduled routine maintenance. How could a civilization-rebuilding machine like this just...'
'And how did the Ascension Society find out about a secret of this magnitude?'
"Yep, broken. It was already broken when it fell into the hands of the Managent Bureau. No matter how capable it was of creating miracles, it's ultimately a machine without blueprints. Critical components aged one by one, and in the end, it just broke. This is the Bureau's most precious secret. If this news were spread, the Alliance might go insane." A Piao smirked. "It's a pity the Alliance wouldn't believe my words. After discovering that this massive machine was damaged, the Bureau dismantled it. They took the Human Manufacturer from it to establish the Charity Foundation and a chain of hospitals to make money. Word has it that at its peak, it could produce a hundred thousand adults a day, fully equipped with implanted mories."
"But if it can only manufacture non-anomalous humans, then for rebuilding our world, it seems...
"
Snapping out of his thoughts, Shi Rang looked at A Piao. He noticed it staring intently at that plu of smoke—just like the other prefabricated humans—and suddenly realized sothing. "Can it also manufacture anomalies and non-humans?"
"Uh-huh, I am one of them. Not long after the Bureau dismantled The Ark and started the manufacturer independently, I was born. They usually destroy any non-human embryos that develop abnormally, but the mont I was born, I hid among those mindless bodies and evaded their search.
"Since then, I have kept a close eye on the Charity Foundation's headquarters, hoping to wait for a second entity lucky enough to escape just like . Alas, there were none. Their inspection procedures beca stricter and stricter.
"So I went looking for naturally born anomalies instead. I searched for those who resembled humans, possessed rationality, and had the power of Sensing...
"Over all these years, I've only t you.
"The Prism wants another key component of The Ark, which was relocated along with the manufacturer and is now hidden in another nearby facility. But what I truly want is that Human Manufacturer itself. With it, we won't be the only two left in this world.
"
'What a grand ambition...'
Shi Rang never imagined that one day he would be dragged into a conversation concerning the survival of the world.
Without a doubt, A Piao was incredibly lonely. Lonely enough to make an enemy of the Managent Bureau just to create more of its own kind.
Having experienced this feeling himself, Shi Rang could understand it. Hidden beneath that loneliness was often a near-mad stubbornness and despair.
A sliver of sympathy sprouted within him for A Piao, but ultimately, the entity was not human. It was a monster that fed on humans. It treated him very well, giving him a level of elder-like care he had never experienced before, but at the sa ti, it remained a looming threat capable of detecting his abilities.
In the end, this bond was maintained by lies as fragile as glass.
In truth, Shi Rang didn't care about these overly grandiose matters at all. He only cared about his little family. He wanted nothing to do with anything beyond that.
Besides, A Piao's plan was far too distant. Shi Rang wasn't a non-human, so how could he possibly agree to it?
Just as he was preparing to return to the present and shift the topic to ask if A Piao had a concrete action plan going forward, he suddenly caught a glimpse of several figures flashing past the window, briefly blocking out the sunlight.
Fortunately, those people didn't peer into the house through the window, and A Piao didn't lash out in anger.
Shi Rang had just breathed a sigh of relief when he heard the footsteps stop right outside the front door.
Buzz. The doorbell rang.
A Piao, who had been eagerly awaiting Shi Rang's answer, narrowed its eyes. The Anomaly Fluctuations radiating from its body suddenly surged, and the sunlight outside the window seed to dim for a split second.
Shi Rang hurriedly stood up and called out to the door, "Coming!"
Only then did A Piao retract its power.
"I'll handle it, I can sort this out. Just sit here and have so tea—or so water, that's fine too. I'll be right back," Shi Rang babbled.
Having placated this almighty ancestor, Shi Rang hastily dashed toward the foyer.
'Who on earth is it? This house is holding a spy from the Ascension Society. It's incredibly dangerous, don't you know?!'
He threw the door wide open.
Three people—n and won—were standing outside. The mont they saw Shi Rang, they waved enthusiastically.
"Hey, buddy! Welco to the neighborhood!"
"Director Shi, I, uh, I ca to thank you for what happened this morning. I ran into them on the way, so we ca over together...
"
"Hello."
Shi Rang had seen all three of these people before.
One was an off-duty Managent Bureau employee he had noticed while wandering around the town, the second was Employee Vya, whom he had helped during the morning orientation ceremony, and the last person...
He stared blankly at the face of the final woman. She stood in the back, giving him a faint wave. She was carrying a bag and looked travel-worn, as if she had just taken a vehicle back into town.
The gradually descending sun stretched her shadow across the ground. In an instant, the street, the town, and the clouds on the horizon all seed to fade away from Shi Rang's perception.
It was Fan Yingshang.
Reviews
All reviews (0)