In the end, we decided to stay at a small inn in the heart of Reykjavik—the tranquil capital of Iceland, where colorful rooftops quietly nestled between the white snow and the northern sea and sky.
Early in the morning, I stepped out onto the balcony. A cold breeze brushed past my cheek—soft as the hand of a Nordic mother. I inhaled deeply—the scent of snow, the crisp purity of the air, and the briny minerals drifting in from the far-off sea—all blending into a pristine symphony unlike anything I had ever experienced in any other city.
Below, the cobblestone streets still held a delicate layer of snow. People moved at an unhurried pace, mingling seamlessly with countless R-AGI robots walking alongside humans—without any trace of segregation, prejudice, or fear. Here, R-AGIs wore scarves, woolen hats, and carried baskets, as though they were genuine residents. Some played with children, others assisted the elderly. I felt as if I were looking into a perfected future—a place where machines and humans coexisted in complete harmony, without boundaries.
I exhaled, murmuring to myself:"Iceland… not backward in the slightest… In fact, it feels like a frozen paradise in the middle of this chaotic world."
And then… I stumbled upon a rather special place.
"This place… is real?" My jaw dropped as I stood before a modern-looking building whose sign made me rub my eyes twice.
The Icelandic Phallological Museum—the Icelandic Penis Museum. A very real place, famous worldwide, dedicated to… exhibiting penis specimens from over 200 species of mammals—including humans. Some individuals had even volunteered to donate their bodies posthumously for the display of real human samples.
I stood frozen, my brain still struggling to process what I'd just read.
Shigure stood beside me, hands in his coat pockets, lips curved into a teasing smirk:"So? Thinking about donating yours someday, Shinrai-kun?"
"Ha… Ha… NOT A CHANCE! No thank you! Dream on!" I threw up both hands in surrender, my face twisted as if frozen stiff in the northern wind.
But our "Icelandic cultural journey" didn't end there. Shigure dragged me into a restaurant with an equally… unconventional theme.
The interior was warm and cozy, bathed in soft amber light—but the dishes… were crafted into shapes that left me torn between laughter and tears. From grilled sausages sculpted with alarmingly precise detail, to ice cream molded into… well, certain anatomical forms of mammals.
"This is the pinnacle of Icelandic cuisine. Show some appreciation," Shigure scoffed lightly, slicing into his steak while casting a sidelong glance at me, now sweating cold bullets.
I… could only snap a few stealthy photos and send them to Hiyori and Renji—sharing with them this bizarre corner of the world.
Hiyori's reply came back as a blushing emoji, followed by:"Onii-chan, you pervert!!!! (ಥ﹏ಥ)"
In the short span of three days in Reykjavik, I toured, relaxed, and sampled enough "local specialties" to leave my mind slightly traumatized. But at the same time, a troubling thought began to creep in…
How exactly was Shigure affording all this? International flights, lodging, meals, and now these "cultural explorations." If this was all coming from an "organizational budget," then ASTRAL clearly wasn't just any ordinary group.
I glanced at Shigure, sipping black coffee by the window, his posture poised like an aristocrat, his faint smile betraying not the slightest concern for expenses.
"Hey… is ASTRAL really that rich?" I asked, half-joking, half-serious.
"You think an organization can run a base in the middle of Iceland's ice fields on a shoestring budget?" he replied, taking another sip. "Think simply. We're not 'rich'—we control the flow of power in this world. And money… is just something that follows power."
I fell silent, a chill running down my spine.
But then I told myself:"Forget it. At least… I'm still in one of the most beautiful places on Earth.""And maybe… this is the last time I'll get to live carefree, like an ordinary student."
On the third day in Iceland, the sun rose slowly, peeling back the dim gray clouds to reveal a vast, endless expanse of white snow stretching all the way to the horizon. The morning air bit with a blade-like cold—but by now, I had grown accustomed to it.
Shigure and I left Reykjavik in a silver-armored off-road vehicle, custom-built for traversing icy terrain. Our destination: Vatnajökull Glacier—the largest ice cap in Europe, a natural "forbidden zone" where few dared to set foot.
The vehicle rumbled across desolate roads of nothing but white ice and black rock. No trees, no people—only silence, so deep I could hear the beat of my own heart—the heartbeat of someone about to step into a completely different world.
After nearly four hours, we arrived before a colossal ice mountain jutting out of the glacier like a natural fortress at the end of the world.
"We… made it?" I asked, my voice trembling.
Shigure didn't answer. He simply nodded, retrieving a small rectangular device from his coat pocket before leading me into a deep ice cave opening at the mountain's side.
Inside, blue light refracted through transparent crystal-like ice. The silver gleam of the walls shimmered, each step echoing with a cold clop-clop that sent chills down my spine.
We ventured roughly 200 meters in, until we stood before a perfectly smooth ice wall, gleaming like a mirror. Shigure scanned a narrow groove on its edge with his device. A red beam swept across.
Tick. Tick. Tick.
Beep — Code confirmed.
WHOOOOOM!!!
Part of the ice wall split into a perfect circle, then slid apart like massive gates, revealing a black-silver steel door five meters tall, its edges carved with strange glowing symbols.
I froze.
"What emerged… was a base so massive and advanced it defied imagination."
Pale green light spilled from within, making the surrounding ice glow like glass.
I stared wide-eyed, nearly losing my balance."No one would believe something like this existed here… A base hidden within the glacier, camouflaged flawlessly!"
Shigure smirked faintly, arms crossed like a lecturer:"You thought ASTRAL only dealt in supernatural powers? Don't forget—R-AGI is going global. Without technology, we'd be blind in the digital age."
I waved my hands quickly, blushing."No, no! I didn't mean it like that, Shigure-san… I just… haven't gotten used to it yet."
We stepped into a long corridor, lights automatically flicking on in sequence with our footsteps. Silver-white metal walls, ice-resistant flooring lined with faint blue pulses. In the distance, black-armored humanoid R-AGI guards patrolled, their heads scanning with crimson beams—but upon seeing Shigure, each bowed respectfully.
We entered a large elevator with no buttons—only a biometric touch panel. Shigure pressed his palm against it, and the lift descended smoothly into the earth, almost without a tremor.
Finally, a soft ding.
The doors slid open.
I was awestruck.
A hall vast enough to fit an entire sports arena spread out before me, its ceiling soaring ten meters high. Under the soft white-blue glow, rows of cutting-edge scientific equipment stood neatly arranged. Technical R-AGIs moved about with the precision of busy researchers.
The space was quiet—but far from cold. Instead, it radiated a strange aura—part supernatural, part technological—as though I had stepped into another dimension entirely.
And then…
A woman's voice rang out.
Graceful. Subtle. Carrying a teasing lilt… yet beneath it, a hint of lethal intent.
"Sashiburi dana, Amon-chan."("It's been a while, Amon-chan.")
I stiffened, lifting my head.
That greeting… wasn't meant for me.
But whoever had spoken—What was I about to face…?
Something far deeper than any simple welcome.