[ February 17th, 2088 (Monday, Morning) ] - [ Room 1708 (VIP Recovery Suite) > Los Angeles' Specialist Medical Center > West Port-City (Los Angeles, USA) > Earth ]
-
The television mounted against the pristine white wall flickered quietly, its volume kept low enough that it blended with the rhythmic beep... beep... beep... of the heart monitor.
Morning sunlight poured through the panoramic window of the VIP medical suite, bathing everything in warm gold.
Four days.
It had only been four days since the Black Tide ambush.
Only two days since he had awakened.
And yet...
It felt like an entire lifetime ago.
Niero quietly stabbed another piece of melon with his plastic fork.
"..."
His body still hurt.
Not the agonizing, soul-tearing pain from waking inside a shattered full-body cast.
More like...
Every muscle remembered being torn apart.
His ribs still protested whenever he laughed.
His shoulders felt stiff.
His palms still carried faint calluses from gripping God Eater.
Even breathing reminded him—
You almost died. Again.
His fork paused halfway to his mouth.
His thoughts drifted.
The Iron Convoy.
The alarms.
The screaming.
Scuba-Scums climbing over the hull.
Black Tide monsters crashing into the decks.
Agent Takeshi.
The Sea Witch.
Amaryllis.
Her childish tantrums.
Her insane laughter.
Her chest...
...pierced by his fist.
Then—
that impossible resurrection.
That black rhombus artifact.
Being impaled.
Feeling coral erupt through his organs.
Watching his own blood suspended in frozen time.
The six-hour struggle inside Ego-Space.
The endless failed breakthroughs.
The black figure.
"Rebel."
The Ascension.
The blazing armor.
The overwhelming rush of power.
God Eater.
The final slash.
The destruction of the artifact.
The collapse of the Black Room.
Then...
nothing but instinct.
Blood.
Gore.
Tearing monsters apart with his bare hands.
His teeth.
...
Niero slowly put another grape into his mouth.
"...I really bit those things..."
A shiver crawled down his spine.
"Ugh...I am never live that down."
>["Unfortunately... you won't."]
Vuldyr's voice answered dryly inside his mind.
>["Agent Armitage has already confirmed that you, and I quote, 'went absolutely feral.'"]
"...Please stop reminding me. It's already bad; I still have that tar and rotten meat aftertaste at the back of my throat."
> ["As one should have when one bit through flesh of unknown status, especially when they smell like tar and sea salt."]
"I know..."
> ["Stangely devastating, though. Like a feral beast."]
"...Vuldyr."
> ["Yes?"]
"...You're not helping."
A tiny chuckle echoed inside his thoughts.
> ["Noted."]
The television changed channels upon Niero picking up the TV's remote control and pressing it buttons.
A cheerful fanfare exploded from the speakers.
Bright pink hearts filled the screen.
A glamorous woman wearing a glittering evening gown stood center stage beneath giant flashing letters.
---
♥ LOVE LOTTERY: FIND YOUR FOREVER HUSBAND! ♥
The audience erupted into thunderous applause.
Today's contestants—
Six wealthy women.
One extremely handsome young man standing nervously in the middle of the stage.
The host dramatically pointed toward him.
"Ladies!"
"Who among you shall win today's perfect husband?!"
Confetti exploded.
Fireworks erupted indoors for some reason.
One contestant dramatically fainted.
Another flexed her platinum credit card toward the cameras.
A third confidently announced,
"Marriage is temporary!"
"Love is forever!"
"And my inheritance is eternal!"
The audience somehow applauded even louder.
Niero slowly chewed a strawberry.
"...America is weird."
He quietly changed the channel.
---
A colorful cartoon immediately appeared, with the aesthetic of the 50s rubber hose cartoons with the white gloves and all.
Cute little girls in nun-like clothsskipped happily through a flower field under the sunny skies, frolicking across the field while singing and holding each other's hands with no care in the world.
Until—
A gigantic horned monster that looks like a cartoon wolf in literal sheep clothing burst from the ground.
The children screamed.
Instead of running...
They all clasped their hands together, interlocking their fingers while beginning their chanting and prayers.
"Oh great and radiant one, our true lord and savior, Radiant Empress."
"Please guide us from darkness and protect our lost souls from danger!"
Golden light descended from heaven.
A majestic woman clad in radiant, ornate golden armor appeared with enormous wings of light.
Her face remained completely hidden behind divine brilliance except for her flowing radiant hair like liquid gold.
She raised a glowing spear.
The monster instantly exploded.
Not even a fight.
Just—
BOOM.
Gone.
The children smiled and cheered.
Then the narrator spoke in a warm voice.
"When darkness appears..."
"Faith grants courage."
"Willpower creates miracles."
"Even the smallest light may overcome impossible darkness."
The Radiant Empress gently patted one little girl on the head.
The screen faded into today's moral lesson.
Believe. Endure. Rise.
Long Live the Radiant Empress.
Niero blinked.
"Huh. That feels less like a cartoon and more like state-sponsored Sunday school, Father Creed told me once."
> ["Technically accurate."]
Vuldyr sounded surprisingly amused.
> ["Studies indicate these educational programs have an eighty-two percent effectiveness rate in early childhood ideological development to cultivate and foster the Queendom's theocratic culture around the Radatn Empress, humanity's so-called 'lord and savior.'"]
"...You say that way, sounding more ominous than reassuring."
> ["For this civilization? It depends on people's perspectives..."]
"...Fair enough."
He changed the channel again.
This time—
---
A serious-looking news anchor filled the screen.
Behind her floated images of armored BDAAA agents escorting dozens of handcuffed women wearing inhibitor collars.
A bold headline stretched across the bottom.
HUMAN TRAFFICKING RING DISMANTLED
The anchor spoke solemnly.
"Bloom Dominion authorities confirmed the successful capture of the all-female criminal syndicate known as the Scarlet Thorne."
"The organization allegedly specialized in trafficking young males across multiple Ark-Cities while simultaneously operating illegal weapons smuggling and synthetic narcotics distribution."
Images flashed across the screen.
Hidden warehouses.
Shipping containers.
Evidence rooms stacked with confiscated rifles.
Bundles of narcotics.
Rescued young male victims in underwear, wrapped in emergency blankets.
Another image appeared.
Masked BDPD tactical teams storming an underground compound.
"Officials state more than a hundred and thirty victims have been rescued."
"Several high-ranking members remain at large."
"Citizens are advised to immediately report suspicious activity through ArkNet—"
Niero quietly watched.
"..."
He had only been outside Mega Ark-City 01 for less than a week.
Already...
A Black Tide catastrophe.
A Rank-C Witch.
A mysterious anomalous artifact.
Magical girls.
And whatever that black entity in his dreams was.
"..."
He sighed.
"...I've been here less than seven days."
"...How is this place somehow more insane than home?"
> ["Statistically speaking..."]
Vuldyr answered after a thoughtful pause.
> ["Your arrival appears barely correlated with catastrophic incidents, most likely as a series of coincidences you accidentally cross paths with..."]
Niero slowly turned toward the ceiling.
"...Are you implying that I wouldn't have been in that ship during the ambush??"
> ["The ol' 'wrong place, wrong time' coincidence, unfortunately. But then again, you just survive the impossible predicament..."]
"...Ouch."
He stabbed another cube of watermelon with exaggerated offense.
Outside the panoramic window...
The skyline of West Port-City, Los Angeles, stretched endlessly beneath a bright blue sky.
Air traffic drifted between gleaming skyscrapers.
Emergency helicopters still flew toward distant districts.
Life continued.
Normal.
Peaceful.
As if somewhere beyond the horizon...
An entire convoy hadn't nearly been erased from existence just four days ago.
Niero leaned back against the raised hospital bed.
Fruit salad in one hand.
Plastic fork in the other.
"...Guess this really is the beginning."
He wasn't talking about Los Angeles.
Or the Academy.
Or even becoming stronger.
He was talking about something much larger.
---
The television continued playing in the background.
Niero barely paid attention anymore.
A group of impossibly wealthy American celebrities were screaming at one another beside a swimming pool.
"You're a ratchet-ass hoe!"
"BITCH, SAY THAT AGAIN!"
"You heard me!"
A woman with an obviously surgically enhanced figure, BBL, and breast implants lunged forward and grabbed another woman's hair.
The audience erupted into cheers.
Niero stared at the screen.
Chewed another piece of fruit.
"...What the hell am I watching?"
The two women were now rolling across the floor, screaming insults at each other while several production staff desperately tried to separate them.
Niero snorted.
"Humanity survived the apocalypse, crossed the stars, built megacities, developed artificial intelligence..."
He stabbed another piece of melon with his fork.
"...and this is what we decided to do with our television budget."
A faint smile crossed his face.
"Idiots."
Then—
Beep.
Niero froze.
His fork stopped halfway toward his mouth.
That sound.
He knew it.
His eyes immediately widened.
"...It's about damn time."
He placed the fruit bowl aside and quickly summoned his Stargod System.
A translucent interface appeared before him.
A countdown sat at its center.
00:00:03
Niero leaned forward.
"Come on, baby..."
00:00:02
His heart began beating faster.
00:00:01
00:00:00
For a moment—
nothing happened.
Then the interface exploded into cascading lines of information.
-
[STARGOD SYSTEM — RECOVERY ASSESSMENT COMPLETE]
[BIOLOGICAL RECOVERY: 100%]
[TRAUMA RECOVERY: COMPLETE]
[ANOMALOUS DAMAGE RECOVERY: COMPLETE]
[TRAIT — WHAT DOESN'T KILL YOU... ACTIVATED]
[5% of accumulated pain, injuries, trauma, and near-death experience successfully converted.]
[ASCENSION LEVEL INCREASED.]
[LV 36 → LV 38]
-
Niero's jaw dropped.
"...Wait."
Another series of notifications appeared.
-
[ADDITIONAL REWARDS CALCULATED.]
[+10.0 to all primary and secondary attributes.]
[+7 Ascension Points.]
[+1 Stargod Boon Roll.]
[ANOMALOUS ARTIFACT ACQUIRED.]
[ITEM: UNIDENTIFIED RHOMBUS-SHAPED ARTIFACT]
-
Niero stared.
Then slowly—
"...Holy shit."
He immediately opened his full status.
The numbers had changed dramatically.
-
<<<[ STARGOD SYSTEM: POST-RECOVERY STATUS ]>>>
Ascension Realm 2 — Disciple Realm
Ascension Phase 01 — Foundation
Ascension Lv. = 36 → Lv. 38
Health Points = 250 / 250
Shield Points = 200 / 200
Energy Points = 250 / 250
-
"...I gained seven levels."
He looked at his hands.
Flexed his fingers.
His body didn't hurt anymore.
Not like before.
The deep ache was gone.
The internal damage was gone.
The agony that had once made every breath feel like acid had vanished completely.
His body felt...
new.
Stronger.
Lighter.
More responsive.
Like something inside him had finally finished rebuilding itself.
Vuldyr materialized beside the bed, looking at the status display.
> ["Technically, you gained five levels from your Ascension breakthrough and the aftermath of killing an S-Rank anomalous entity."]
Niero nodded.
"Right."
> ["Then the additional two levels came from [What Doesn't Kill You..]. converting approximately five percent of your accumulated trauma and near-death experience into progression."]
Niero stared at the numbers.
>["You also acquired an unidentified anomalous artifact from the corpse of the Sea Witch."]
That caught his attention.
Niero opened the inventory.
A small object appeared in the interface.
A black rhombus-shaped stone.
The same thing that had been embedded inside Amaryllis.
The same artifact that had transformed her into that grotesque abomination.
Niero's expression became serious.
"...That thing."
> ["Yes."]
He stared at it.
For once, he didn't make a joke.
That artifact had nearly killed him.
It had transformed a Rank-C Sea Witch into something powerful enough to overwhelm his newly awakened abilities.
And yet—
somehow—
he had brought it back with him.
>["Its properties remain unknown."]
"Can you analyze it? Like, what else can I do with this...cursed object?"
> ["Not yet. It going through a series of analysis, which the data will out shortly. Meanwhile, just take a rest until then."]
Niero sighed.
"Got it."
He closed the artifact window.
Then another section caught his attention.
-
[UNUSED ASCENSION POINTS]
17 Available
[UNUSED STARGOD BOON ROLLS]
3 Available
[UNUSED EMPYREAN RELIQUARY BOON ROLLS]
2 Available
-
Niero's eyes widened.
"...Oh."
A slow grin spread across his face.
"So I have seventeen Ascension Points..."
He looked toward Vuldyr.
"...three Stargod Boon rolls..."
His grin became wider.
"...and two Empyrean Reliquary rolls."
Vuldyr immediately recognized that expression.
>["I highly advised to keep them aside until you are sure enough to use them for potential powerful perks, and boons."]
Niero's grin remained.
"Makes sense. I will keep this point for now."
Niero leaned back against his pillow.
For the first time since waking up—
he felt genuinely excited.
He had survived the Black Tide.
He had killed Amaryllis.
He had broken through into the Disciple Realm.
He had awakened the Astra Kavacha.
He had manifested God Eater.
He had survived death itself.
And now—
the system was giving him even more opportunities to grow even stronger.
Niero looked at the television.
The two celebrities were still screaming at each other.
One of them had apparently thrown a champagne bottle.
He looked back at his status window.
Then at the television.
"...You know what?"
He picked up another piece of fruit.
"I think I'm starting to get the hang of this whole leveling-up thing."
Vuldyr sighed.
> ["Please don't make dying a hobby...or tactic..."]
Niero popped the fruit into his mouth.
"I will try...."
=
=====
=
The elevator doors slid open with a soft ding.
Niero stepped into the hospital lobby for the first time since waking up.
Fresh clothes.
Smartphone, mom's Purple Fang (karambit), his pocket-sized FoldTech storage device, and his sister's pocket taser tucked safely into his jeans pocket.
The white gift box tucked beneath one arm, containing the only thing salvaged from the Black Tide—
his torn black sleeveless shirt with the faded blue V.
Around him, the lobby bustled with patients, nurses, visitors, and the occasional orderly wheeling someone toward another department.
It felt...
Normal.
Wonderfully, blissfully normal.
No mutant sea monsters.
No witches.
No cosmic entities trying to beat him to death inside his dreams.
Just...
people.
"...I almost missed this."
Before he could make his way toward the exit—
"Niero Ripley?"
He turned.
The elderly physician who had overseen much of his recovery approached him with a clipboard tucked beneath one arm.
Her silver hair was tied neatly into a bun, and despite her age, she carried herself with the confidence of someone who had spent decades patching up every injury imaginable.
"Doctor."
She smiled.
"I wanted one last look before we discharge you."
She adjusted her glasses before looking over the latest scan displayed on her tablet.
"I still can't quite believe it."
She glanced between the medical images and the healthy sixteen-year-old standing before her.
"Four days ago you were covered in bruises, muscle trauma, fractured bones, extensive lacerations..."
She shook her head.
"Today, you're one of the healthiest patients in this hospital."
Niero rubbed the back of his neck.
"...Guess I heal fast."
"Apparently."
She gave him an amused smile.
"I've been practicing medicine for nearly forty years. I've seen remarkable recoveries."
"But yours..."
She tapped the tablet.
"...is something else."
Fortunately—
she chalked it up to his registered Psionic Metatalent.
Not an immortal cosmic cultivation system.
The old doctor lowered the tablet.
"One last question."
Niero nodded.
"Of course."
She asked it with complete professionalism.
"How is your crotch?"
"..."
Niero froze.
"...I'm sorry?"
A faint blush spread across his face.
"What? What kind of question is that?"
The doctor looked genuinely puzzled.
"I mean exactly what I asked. Any irritation? Pain? Burning sensation?"
Niero's face became even redder.
"W-What are we talking about here?!"
The elderly physician blinked before realization crossed her face.
"Oh."
She chuckled.
"You're embarrassed."
"I-I'm not embarrassed!"
"You absolutely are."
She smiled kindly.
"It's a medical question. You don't have to be shy."
Niero looked around.
Several people in the lobby were within earshot.
"...Can we maybe lower our voices?"
She leaned closer slightly.
"When you were admitted four days ago...your groin area was covered in an orange-colored chemical irritant."
Niero blinked.
"...Orange?"
She nodded.
"Our initial concern was exposure to an anomalous corrosive compound. Fortunately, laboratory analysis identified it as..."
She checked her notes from her clipboard.
"...commercial bear-grade pepper spray."
"..."
Niero stared.
"..."
Then his eyes slowly widened.
"...Oh."
Memory struck him like lightning.
"...Daisy's pepper spray."
His little sister had insisted he carry it before leaving Mega Ark-City 01.
"...I actually forgot it was in my pocket."
The doctor nodded.
"It appears the canister ruptured during the incident."
Considering the beating he'd taken from Amaryllis—
that wasn't exactly surprising.
"I did notice..."
Niero admitted awkwardly.
"...things felt kind of... warm. But it isn't bothering me anymore."
The physician smiled approvingly.
"Excellent. We were rather concerned."
Niero swallowed.
"...Concerned enough to...?"
She answered matter-of-factly.
"We administered opioids for pain management."
He nodded slowly.
"...Makes sense."
"We also irrigated the affected area with sterile saline repeatedly."
"..."
"For approximately two days while you remained unconscious."
"...You what?"
"It was medically necessary."
She said it with such clinical certainty that there wasn't an ounce of embarrassment in her voice.
"The chemical had to be thoroughly flushed away to prevent tissue damage."
Niero's soul briefly left his body.
"..."
> ["Pffffh!."]
She somehow sounded amused.
> ["Your penis received premium medical treatment."]
"...shut up."
The old doctor smiled kindly.
"Mr. Ripley. You truly don't need to feel embarrassed. We're medical professionals. We've seen everything."
Niero covered his face with one hand.
"...I know...It's just...knowing several nurses spent two days washing my—"
"No need to finish the sentence."
She patted his shoulder reassuringly.
"It was simply another medical procedure."
"...I'm going to remember this forever."
"I imagine you will."
She smiled sympathetically before glancing at her clipboard.
"I'll go prepare your final prescription."
"Some painkillers. A short course of antibiotics. And your discharge paperwork."
She pointed toward a nearby row of comfortable chairs.
"Please have a seat. It'll only take a few minutes."
Niero nodded weakly.
"...Yes, Doctor."
=====
Niero followed the elderly doctor's instructions and made his way toward the waiting area.
As the elderly physician walked away toward the pharmacy counter, Niero slowly lowered himself into one of the lobby chairs.
He stared blankly into space.
"..."
The hospital lobby was alive with the quiet rhythm of ordinary life.
Children darted between rows of chairs, playing an enthusiastic game of tag despite repeated reminders from their parents to slow down, as this place is not a playground.
An elderly woman had already fallen asleep with a magazine covering her face.
Another quietly knitted while half-watching the television mounted in the corner.
A sharply dressed businesswoman paced near the reception desk, speaking into a headset.
"I don't care if they rescheduled it. I booked this appointment three months ago—"
Not far away, a frazzled mother sat beside her daughter.
Or rather—
her daughter's head.
The girl, who looked no older than ten, had somehow managed to wedge a stainless-steel cooking pot over her entire head.
Only the lower half of her face remained visible.
"..."
Niero blinked.
"...How?"
The exhausted mother sighed without even looking up from her phone.
"She wanted to see if it'd fit."
The little girl mumbled from inside the pot.
"...It did."
"It just won't come off."
"..."
Niero decided not to ask any more questions.
Instead, he sat down in one of the aisle seats, placing Flick's expensive gift box beside him.
For the first time in days...
He simply relaxed.
The steady hum of conversations.
The smell of disinfectant.
The distant chatter of nurses.
It was strangely comforting.
Then—
the automatic doors slid open.
A woman shuffled inside.
She looked to be somewhere in her thirties, though it was difficult to tell.
Several oversized jackets with patches hung loosely from her thin frame.
Her lips were cracked.
Her skin was pale.
A runny nose and glassy eyes gave her the appearance of someone battling both illness and exhaustion.
In one hand, she carried a crumpled brown paper bag.
She slowly looked around the lobby.
Then...
her eyes settled on Niero.
"...Uh oh."
The woman wandered over before stopping directly in front of him.
"You got any cigarettes?"
Her voice was raspy.
Niero offered a polite smile.
"Sorry. I don't smoke. So...I don't have any."
The woman stared at him for a moment.
Then lifted the paper bag slightly.
"I got this cheeseburger."
Niero blinked.
"...Congratulations?"
"You want it?"
He looked at the bag.
Then back at her.
"...No thank you. I already had breakfast."
The woman shifted her weight restlessly.
Her eyes darted around the room before returning to him.
"I'll suck your dick for cigarettes."
"...What?"
Niero's entire face froze in horrified disbelief.
His brain completely stalled.
Did she seriously just—
Before he could even react—
two female hospital security officers were already moving.
"Ma'am."
One gently stepped between them.
"We've talked about this."
The woman groaned.
"I just need cigarettes..."
"I know. I know."
The guard spoke with practiced patience.
"But you can't keep approaching patients."
"Come on. We'll get you something to eat."
The second security officer stayed behind for a moment.
She looked toward Niero.
"You alright, sir?"
Niero slowly nodded.
"...Yeah. I think. Thank you."
She gave him an apologetic smile.
"I'm sorry about that. We've had... several encounters with her."
Niero still looked stunned.
"I don't understand. She asked for cigarettes...then suddenly offered me a cheeseburger...and then..."
He stopped.
"...That."
The guard sighed.
"Unfortunately, she's struggling with addiction and severe mental health issues. She tends to approach people the same way."
Niero slowly glanced toward the crumpled paper bag the woman still carried as the other guard escorted her toward the exit.
"...At least she really had a cheeseburger, right?."
The guard hesitated.
"...Actually..."
She chose her next words carefully.
"We've learned not to assume that's what's inside the bag."
"..."
Niero slowly turned back toward her.
"...What do you mean?"
The guard gave an awkward smile.
"We've... unfortunately dealt with enough incidents involving her to know..."
She stopped herself.
"Let's just say...it's...not...cheeseburger."
Silence.
Niero looked at the paper bag again.
Then immediately looked away.
"...I suddenly don't ever want to know."
"That's probably for the best."
The guard gave him one last reassuring nod before following her partner.
Niero remained frozen in his chair for several long seconds.
Then...
very carefully...
he nudged Flick's pristine gift box a little farther away from where the woman had been standing.
Just in case.
> ["...Human continues to surprise me. Quite a spectrum of strangness."]
Niero let out a long, defeated sigh.
=
=====
=
Niero finally stepped through the hospital's front entrance.
For the first time in four days, he was officially free.
He carried a cardboard box beneath his left arm, containing his salvaged belongings and the battered black sleeveless shirt with its blue V across the chest. A small plastic pharmacy bag dangled from his other hand, containing his antibiotics and painkillers.
The moment he stepped outside—
whoosh.
A cool coastal breeze swept across his face.
Niero stopped.
The view was almost breathtaking.
The hospital stood along the elevated coastline alongside cars of various models passing by left and right, giving him an unobstructed view of the ocean stretching toward the horizon.
Farther along the coast towards his right, the enormous silhouette of Los Angeles rose against the afternoon haze—dense towers, elevated highways, megastructures, and aircraft traffic forming a sprawling urban skyline.
After everything he'd experienced aboard the Iron Convoy...
It felt peaceful.
"...Los Angeles."
He quietly smiled.
"Finally."
> ["Welcome to the West Coast, kiddo. Holloywood, Sin City, the whole nine yards."]
"Looks different compared to those movies."
Niero pulled out his smartphone.
"Now I just need to figure out how the hell I'm getting to the G.S.M Academy."
He opened the app store.
"Maybe there's a rideshare app—"
As he was searching through the app store, the sound of an incoming vehicle—a sleek black limousine—suddenly pulled up beside him, as if it were close to hitting him.
Niero stopped.
"..."
His eyes narrowed.
"HEY! I'M WALKING HERE!!!"
For half a second, he wondered if it was the same rich asshole who nearly ran him over back in Mega Ark-City 01.
The driver's door opened.
A middle-aged woman stepped out.
She wore an immaculate black butler's suit, white gloves, and polished shoes. Her posture was perfectly straight, her expression composed, and her entire presence radiated the kind of regal discipline that made Niero instinctively stand a little straighter.
She approached him.
"Mr. Niero Ripley."
Niero blinked.
"Uhhh...Yes?"
The woman gave a small, formal bow.
"Good morning."
She then walked toward the rear passenger door.
Click.
The door opened.
And Niero immediately recognized the occupants.
"Yo!"
JD leaned out of the limousine with a grin, holding a glass bottle of Nova-Cola.
"Look who finally escaped the hospital!"
Beside him, Flick lounged comfortably against the leather seat.
The wealthy Chinese psionic was dressed far more elegantly than necessary, casually sipping sparkling purple grape juice from a champagne glass.
And sitting across from them was Bart, who was currently devouring a cube-shaped cheeseburger from Astro-Cube Fastfoods.
"Hey, Niero."
Bart took another enormous bite.
"Mmph!"
Niero stared.
"...What the fuck?"
Flick smiled.
"We were coming to visit you."
JD raised his bottle.
"Welcome-back party."
Bart lifted his burger.
"We-survived-getting-eaten-by-monsters party."
Flick raised his champagne glass.
"And our admission-to-the-G.S.M-Academy party."
JD grinned.
"So basically, three-in-one parties."
Niero stared at them.
"You guys came to...see me?"
"Correct."
Flick took another sip.
Niero walked closer.
"Wait."
He looked at Flick.
"You really paid for my VIP suite? And these clothes?"
Flick shrugged.
"Of course."
"...Why?"
"Simple. I don't like owing people favors."
He lowered his glass.
"You protected us. You kept us alive. And considering the condition you were in when they pulled you out..."
His expression became slightly more serious.
"...I figured making sure you recovered properly was the least I could do."
Niero was quiet for a moment.
"...Thanks."
Flick smiled.
"No biggie."
Niero looked inside the limousine.
Bart had somehow accumulated an impressive collection of burgers, candy wrappers, and snack packages around himself.
"...How much food did you buy?"
Bart shrugged.
"Enough."
JD laughed.
"He's been eating since we left."
Niero climbed closer to the vehicle.
"What about everyone else? Casualties and all."
JD waved dismissively.
"Minor bruises. Cuts. Nothing serious. We're basically fine."
He paused.
"...Although..."
"What?"
JD pointed at Niero.
"I'm a little jealous."
Niero raised an eyebrow.
"Jealous of what?"
"Look at you. VIP hospital suite. Expensive clothes. Private medical treatment. Meanwhile, I got a bandage and meds."
Flick slowly turned toward JD.
"Is your brain in your skull for decoration? Did you forget what condition Niero was in four days ago?"
JD's grin disappeared.
"..."
He took a sip of Nova-Cola.
"No...I didn't forget that."
Niero gave him an apologetic smile.
"Sorry."
"Don't be."
JD shrugged.
"You earned the fancy hospital bed."
Niero chuckled.
"Now hop in, dawg. We're going to party until we reach the academy."
Niero nodded his head with a sense of appreciation.
He was about to climb into the limousine when another vehicle suddenly pulled up.
A small civilian-class sedan.
A BDAAA banner was displayed across its side.
The driver's door opened.
Niero immediately recognized the man stepping out.
"...Takeshi?"
Agent Takeshi Armitage grinned.
"Welcome back to the land of the living, kid."
Niero stared.
Then he stared harder.
The last time he'd seen Takeshi, the man had been missing a right arm and left leg.
Now—
he had all four limbs.
Well...
mostly.
His right arm was clearly cybernetic.
Takeshi casually raised it and waved.
"Pretty neat, huh?"
Niero's eyes widened.
"You got the cyberarm already?"
"And leg. Medical-grade BDAAA hardware."
Takeshi flexed his mechanical fingers.
"Not bad."
He pointed toward his car.
"I was actually hoping to give you a ride."
Then his smile became slightly more suspicious.
"Along with a little government-issue questioning."
Niero's expression immediately flattened.
"...I knew there was a catch."
Takeshi laughed.
"Nothing too painful. Probably."
Niero looked between Takeshi's car and the limousine.
Then back at Takeshi.
"Sorry, guys. I gotta ride with him. I'll see you at the G.S.M. Academy."
Flick's smile immediately disappeared.
"..."
He slowly looked at his limousine.
Then at the food.
Then at Niero.
"...I rented an entire limousine."
He pointed toward the back.
"I bought food like candies and these...fast food slop. I organized a welcome party. And you're leaving?"
JD patted him on the shoulder.
"Just enjoy the party, bro."
He took another drink.
"We've already got the limo."
Flick sighed dramatically.
"...Fine."
He turned toward the chauffeur.
"Marie. Take us to the G.S. Military Academy."
The chauffeur nodded.
"Of course, Master Lee."
Niero gave the group a final wave.
"See you guys there."
JD raised his Nova-Cola.
"Don't get interrogated too hard!"
Bart lifted his burger.
"Mmph!"
Flick simply waved his champagne glass.
The limousine pulled away.
===
The limousine accelerated down the coastal road.
Through the rear window, Niero could see JD, Flick, and Bart waving at him.
JD had his Nova-Cola raised like a toast.
Bart was still holding his half-eaten burger.
Flick simply waved his champagne glass with an expression that somehow managed to look both elegant and deeply offended.
The chauffeur gave the accelerator another push.
The limousine sped away.
Niero watched it disappear around the bend.
"These guys...."
Agent Takeshi chuckled from behind the wheel.
"Good group."
"Yeah."
Niero settled into the passenger seat.
For a few moments, neither said anything.
Then Niero glanced toward Takeshi's right side.
"...So how are the limbs?"
Takeshi looked at him.
"Which ones?"
"Your missing ones, obviously."
"Ah."
He raised his right arm.
The artificial limb looked nothing like a civilian prosthetic. Its black metallic framework was sleek, compact, and heavily articulated, with thin lines of blue-white light running beneath the synthetic plating.
Takeshi flexed his fingers.
They responded instantly.
"Pretty damn good. The whiskey and painkillers helped."
Niero stared.
"You actually used whiskey as a painkiller?"
"Worked surprisingly well."
"Your doctors must've loved that."
"They strongly advised against it."
"...And you did it anyway."
"Obviously."
Niero sighed.
"Drunkard uncle."
Takeshi immediately raised his cybernetic middle finger.
"Hey, watch it."
Niero snorted.
"You're not even that old. I'm not an uncle."
Takeshi's cyberhand suddenly rotated at the wrist.
The middle finger remained extended as the entire hand spun rapidly.
WHRRRRRRR—
Niero stared.
"...Wow."
Takeshi grinned.
"Pretty cool, right?"
Niero glanced at the spinning finger.
"I'm sure your partner is the happiest person alive."
A pause.
Niero's expression became mischievous.
"...Does it have a vibrator function?"
Takeshi's grin disappeared.
"Fuck off, you little shit."
Niero burst out laughing.
For a moment, the two simply enjoyed the silence.
The road followed the coastline.
The morning sky had brightened considerably, golden sunlight spilling across the Pacific while the distant Los Angeles skyline slowly emerged ahead.
Beyond it stood the colossal coastal defensive wall protecting the city, partially obscuring the lower skyline.
Niero stared through the windshield.
"...Beautiful."
"Yeah."
Takeshi glanced toward him.
Then spoke casually.
"So. About that government questioning..."
Niero turned.
"Yeah."
Takeshi shrugged.
"I lied."
"...What?"
"There isn't a questioning."
Niero stared at him.
"You dragged me into a government car for nothing?"
"I figured we could catch up."
Takeshi gestured toward the road.
"Give you a ride to the academy. Maybe grab some doughnuts and coffee to wash that hospital food out of our mouths."
Niero considered this.
"...That's oddly nice of you."
Takeshi shrugged.
"I don't normally do this for just anybody."
Niero looked at him.
"...Thanks."
"Don't get too sentimental."
Niero smiled faintly and returned his attention to the sunrise.
For several seconds, only the sound of the engine accompanied them.
Then—
"Still can't believe you got your hands on a Centurion Armor at your age."
Niero's head snapped toward him.
"...Huh?"
Takeshi continued driving.
"Centurion Armor. You know...rare alien nanotech. Bio-Booster class. Symbiotic stuff. Grants ridiculous physical enhancement, durability, flight through gravitational manipulation..."
He briefly glanced at Niero.
"Some Centurion users can apparently go toe-to-toe with Bellatrix."
Niero's heart skipped.
Oh.
He slowly relaxed.
He thinks my Astra Kavacha is a Centurion Armor.
That was...
convenient.
Very convenient.
Niero tried to keep his expression neutral.
"Yeah. Something like that."
Takeshi nodded.
"Figured. Though I've got no idea how you managed to get one."
Niero looked back toward the horizon.
"...Neither do I."
Technically, that wasn't even a lie.
Takeshi chuckled.
"Man. I wish I had one. You lucky son of a bitch."
The car continued along the coastal highway, the morning sunlight slowly washing over Los Angeles.
For a while, Takeshi said nothing.
Then his cybernetic fingers tapped against the steering wheel.
"There's something else I've been wondering about."
Niero glanced over.
"What?"
"That weapon."
Niero's expression remained neutral.
"The one you used against the Sea Witch."
Takeshi glanced at him.
"That oversized butcher cleaver."
Niero immediately knew what he meant.
God Eater.
The Astra Arm of the Outsider.
The weapon that had sliced through Amaryllis's Rank-S Witch Aura and destroyed the anomalous artifact embedded in her chest.
Niero shrugged.
"Honestly? I have no idea."
Takeshi raised an eyebrow.
"You don't?"
"Nope."
Niero leaned against the window.
"Probably something the Centurion Armor generated."
Takeshi whistled.
"Seriously?"
He shook his head in amazement.
"That's one hell of a weapon. Centurion Armors are already rare as hell. But an armor capable of manifesting a weapon powerful enough to kill a super-roided-up Witch?"
He let out another low whistle.
"That's basically a Bloom Dominion-level asset."
Niero quietly swallowed.
Good thing he doesn't know what it actually is. In a matter of fact, so do I.
Takeshi continued.
"Where'd you even come into contact with a Centurion Armor?"
Niero looked toward him.
"I don't know."
Takeshi's eyes narrowed slightly.
"You don't know?"
"No."
Niero shrugged.
"Can't recall anything suspicious. I just...have it."
Takeshi didn't respond.
His eyes remained on the road.
But Niero noticed the subtle change.
The slight narrowing of his eyes.
The tiny movement of his jaw.
The way his gaze briefly shifted toward Niero before returning to the highway.
He was analyzing him.
Looking for something.
A nervous twitch.
A hesitation.
A contradiction.
A micro-expression.
Anything that might reveal the truth.
Fortunately, Niero had grown up around people who understood exactly how dangerous those little tells could be.
His mother, as a former S-ranked Umbral Maiden assassin, had taught him how to control his expressions.
His aunt, a drunkard, gambler, and money-making schemer, had taught him how to manipulate conversations.
Controlled information.
Double truths.
Strategic omissions.
Never lie more than necessary.
And most importantly—
Never behave like someone trying to hide something.
Niero simply looked out the window.
Calm.
Relaxed.
Bored, even.
Takeshi watched him for another few seconds.
Then eventually—
"...Huh."
He smiled faintly.
"My gut's telling me you've got potential, kid."
Niero glanced at him.
"Potential?"
"Yeah."
Takeshi chuckled.
"Don't know what you're hiding."
"And honestly, I'm not sure I want to know."
"But..."
He glanced at Niero again.
"...I think you're going to accomplish something amazin, kid."
Niero smiled.
"That's a pretty big compliment."
"Don't let it go to your head."
"Too late."
Inside Niero's vision, however, something else appeared.
A translucent golden interface quietly materialized.
-
[GOLDEN EYE — SOCIAL ANALYSIS]
Subject: Takeshi Armitage
Behavioral Pattern: Relaxed / Observational
Suspicion Level: Low
Deception Detection: No significant indicators detected
Emotional State: Genuine curiosity
Assessment: Subject accepts presented explanation with minor reservations.
Conclusion:CONVINCED
-
Niero's shoulders relaxed almost imperceptibly.
Thank God.
The Golden Eye wasn't mind reading.
It was something much more subtle.
The Stargod System utilized paracausal infomation process, gathered fragments of information from facial expressions, body language, tone, environmental circumstances, previous interactions, and—when accessible—relevant personal records and social-network data.
It assembled those fragments into rudimentary psychological profiles.
From there, it could identify behavioral patterns, estimate emotional states, predict reactions, and provide strategic recommendations for persuasion or deception.
In other words...
It was a supernatural combination of a polygraph, profiler, social engineer, and extremely invasive personal-information database.
Niero internally sighed.
Mom and Aunt Alura would probably love this thing.
He glanced toward Takeshi.
The agent was still driving.
Still completely unaware.
Niero quietly smiled.
And apparently, it works.
The Stargod System's golden interface faded from his vision.
Outside the window, Los Angeles continued growing larger.
And Niero couldn't help wondering how long he could keep his real secrets hidden.
For several minutes, the car was quiet.
The conversation about the Centurion Armor had seemingly ended.
Then Takeshi's expression changed.
The easygoing smile disappeared.
His hands remained steady on the steering wheel, but his voice became noticeably colder.
"Niero."
Niero looked over.
"I'm putting my trust in you."
Niero raised an eyebrow.
Takeshi continued.
"That's not something I do easily. In my line of work, monsters can be dangerous. They can also be intelligent. They can lie. They can manipulate. They can pretend to be human."
He glanced briefly toward Niero.
"And sometimes...the thing standing beside you can be more dangerous than the thing trying to kill you."
Niero's expression became more serious.
"So I'm trusting my gut."
Takeshi's fingers tightened slightly around the steering wheel.
"I've trusted that gut for almost twenty years and it's kept me alive."
His eyes hardened.
"So I hope I'm right about you."
Niero remained silent.
Takeshi's voice dropped another degree.
"Because if you ever betray that trust or threaten the people of the Bloom Dominion..."
He paused.
"I'll take responsibility."
Niero looked at him.
Takeshi's expression was almost frighteningly calm.
"And if the day comes when you're the threat...I'll put you down."
A beat.
"If I have to...I'll kill you...and drag your body to the higher-ups."
The words hung inside the car.
Cold.
Absolute.
Niero's first instinct was to make a sarcastic comment.
Wow. Thanks for the pep talk, Uncle.
But he stopped himself.
This wasn't a joke.
Takeshi wasn't threatening him for intimidation.
He genuinely meant it.
Niero slowly looked forward again.
"...Understood."
He paused.
"Even if I become a Marauder..."
His voice was quiet.
"...I'll do what needs to be done. For my family and the Bloom Dominion Queendom."
Takeshi didn't respond.
The silence afterward was suffocating.
Neither man spoke.
The car continued forward.
Then—
Los Angeles appeared before them.
The highway merged into the city's massive transportation network.
Niero's eyes widened.
"...Holy shit."
The city wasn't simply tall.
It was layered.
Multiple levels of urban infrastructure rose above one another, with highways weaving between enormous towers, elevated districts, transit rails, residential sectors, commercial platforms, and suspended walkways.
Glamorous skyscrapers reflected the morning sunlight.
Digital billboards covered entire building facades.
Movie advertisements.
Celebrity endorsements.
Luxury apartments.
Cars.
Fashion.
Restaurants.
Tourism.
Real estate.
And advertisements that were considerably more sexually suggestive than Niero expected to see on a giant screen in broad daylight.
Niero stared.
"...America really does advertise everything."
Takeshi shrugged.
"Freedom of commerce."
"That's one way to describe it."
Then Takeshi's entire demeanor changed.
Just like that.
The intimidating agent from thirty seconds ago disappeared.
His grin returned.
His shoulders relaxed.
And his cheerful, devil-may-care personality came roaring back.
"Anyway!"
Niero blinked.
"Anyway?"
Takeshi pointed ahead.
"Time for doughnuts."
"...What?"
"Route 66 Glaze. Best doughnuts on this side of the city."
Niero stared at him.
"You just threatened to kill me."
"And now I'm buying you breakfast."
"...You are one confusing man."
"Get used to it."
The radio switched songs.
A bright, upbeat American pop song from decades ago filled the car.
Niero looked outside again.
The city seemed almost surreal.
This was where American celebrities lived.
Where executives conducted business.
Where tourists spent fortunes.
Where ordinary people worked, shopped, ate, and complained about traffic.
A sprawling monument to excess.
And somehow...
it was still alive.
Route 66 Glaze
The car eventually pulled into a retro-looking doughnut shop.
ROUTE 66 GLAZE
The building looked like someone had taken a 1950s American diner and dropped it into the twenty-first century.
Chrome trim.
Checkerboard flooring.
Neon signs.
Vintage advertisements.
Classic American cars displayed along the walls.
Even the menu boards were styled like old roadside diner signs.
Takeshi drove straight into the drive-through.
Niero looked at the menu.
A few minutes later, Takeshi pulled up to the window.
A young cashier handed them their order.
She looked at Takeshi.
Then at his cybernetic arm.
Then back at his face.
Her smile became noticeably more flirtatious.
"Thank you for your service."
Takeshi smiled.
"No."
He accepted the bag.
"Thank you for your service."
The cashier's cheeks immediately turned pink.
She bit her lower lip.
"Have a wonderful day."
Takeshi winked.
"You too."
The window closed.
Niero slowly turned his head.
He stared at Takeshi.
A completely deadpan expression.
Takeshi glanced at him.
"...What?"
Niero's expression said everything.
Are you done yet?
Takeshi laughed.
"Hey. I've still got it."
Takeshi handed Niero the doughnut bag.
"Eat."
Niero pulled out a doughnut, specifically Bavarian custard-filled doughnuts and Malaysian coconut-pandan jam-filled doughnuts.
He took a bite of that pandan-coconut-filled doughnut.
His eyes widened slightly.
"...Okay."
Takeshi grinned.
"Told you."
Niero took another bite.
"...This is actually really good."
"Exactly."
Takeshi accelerated back onto the highway.
"Now we eat, and since we still have some time, I give you the world's least official tour of Los Angeles."
Niero looked toward the enormous city surrounding them.
"Half tour, half ride."
Takeshi nodded.
"Exactly."
The car disappeared deeper into the sprawling metropolis.
=
=====
=
The unofficial tour of Los Angeles continued.
Driving through multiple points of interest in the Sin City they were in, the group passed beneath towering skyscrapers, enormous billboards, movie studios, nightclubs, luxury hotels, and countless high-end stores whose windows displayed products that cost more than most people's yearly salaries. The streets were alive with traffic, pedestrians, tourists, and the occasional celebrity-looking figure being chased by paparazzi.
If Niero had expected the city to resemble the glamorous advertisements plastered across its skyscrapers, he quickly learned otherwise. Los Angeles was far messier and more chaotic than the polished image presented by Hollywood. Beautiful streets could suddenly give way to cramped alleyways, rundown buildings, or blocks filled with traffic. Yet somehow, that contrast made the city feel more authentic.
Niero pressed his face against the car window, taking in everything with a mixture of curiosity and disbelief.
"So this is Los Angeles," he muttered.
Their first stop was the Wall of Fame.
Calling it a wall was generous.
It was a gigantic monolithic structure rising between two towers, its surface covered in constantly shifting holographic projections of legendary entertainers and cultural icons.
Audrey Hepburn.
Marilyn Monroe.
Meryl Streep.
Donnie Yen.
Ryan Gosling.
Idris Elba.
Donald Trump.
Dozens more appeared and disappeared in rotating displays with their signature recorded lines and poses.
Niero slowly looked up at it.
"I wonder...where are Michael Jackson and David Bowie?"
Takeshi looked around.
"Probably on another rotation. Need to type their name on its keypad or via scan its QR code on your smartphone..."
"Figures. This black wall is probably filled with shit ton of famous figures, even before the infamous Y2K Black December disaster."
"You really like oldies like Michael Jackson and David Bowie? Made you look like you're older than me."
"So what, dipshit. My mom and aunt introduce me through casettes and music CDs. I listen to them, and I like them."
Takeshi laughed.
They ate their doughnuts while walking around the monument.
Later then, they return back to Agent Takeshi's car just to chill while finishing the last of their doughnuts.
Takeshi casually listened to his BDAAA comms as the local police network transmitted reports about drug trafficking, organized crime, paparazzi harassment, illegal street racing, and several other incidents.
Niero glanced at him.
"You gonna respond to any of that?"
Takeshi shook his head.
"Could. Not my jurisdiction; I mostly handle anomaly-related threats. I let the BDPD take their bit on action."
"So you just listen to the police talking about criminals?"
"Pretty much."
"That's weird."
"That's government bureaucracy, kid."
Their next stop was the TCL Chinese Theatre.
And apparently, Takeshi had decided that this was the perfect opportunity to embarrass Niero.
"Come on."
"No."
"Yes."
"No."
"Pictures."
"I don't want pictures."
"You survived a maritime apocalypse and somehow you're scared of a camera?"
"I'm not scared of the camera."
"Then smile."
Niero was dragged into several photographs.
One with someone dressed as Spider-Woman, doing their signature web-slinging poses.
Another with Cookie Monster, with uncomfortable hugs and the attempted act of Niero's head getting eaten.
And finally, a woman covered entirely in gold paint and wearing an elaborate golden costume who stood perfectly still like a living statue.
Niero stared blankly at the camera.
Takeshi, meanwhile, looked absolutely delighted.
"Smile!"
"I am smiling."
"You look like you're being held hostage."
"Because I am."
The camera flashed.
Click.
Takeshi immediately checked the photograph.
"Perfect."
Niero sighed.
"You are the weirdest uncle I've ever had."
"I'm not an uncle. I'm just having fun being in LA."
"Sure."
Niero eventually sent the photographs to his family.
Within seconds, his phone began receiving responses.
His sisters were apparently more interested in the fact that he was standing in Los Angeles than the fact that he looked like he had been dragged around by an over-enthusiastic government agent.
Sophie was jealous.
Daisy was even more jealous.
Mom simply seemed relieved that he looked healthy.
Aunt even asked if he can get some souvenir for them, specifically movie-related.
Niero smiled faintly.
At least they knew he was okay.
But as the two continued walking, Niero's expression slowly changed.
He looked up.
The skyscrapers glittered above them.
Massive holographic advertisements floated between buildings.
Luxury towers disappeared into the clouds.
Yet the streets beneath them told a very different story.
Homeless people slept beneath elevated walkways.
Graffiti covered walls and abandoned structures.
Police drones buzzed overhead.
LAPD Andies patrolled the sidewalks, many bearing stickers, graffiti, or signs of repeated vandalism.
A man dressed like a mutant frog was loudly arguing with another man wearing a cowboy hat and mechanical wings.
Nearby, a woman in an elaborate superhero costume was aggressively advertising herself to tourists.
Someone was selling suspiciously cheap "limited-edition" celebrity memorabilia from a folding table.
Niero stopped.
"...Is that shit?"
He stared at a filthy patch of pavement beside an old decommissioned telephone booth.
There were cigarette butts and discarded drug paraphernalia shoved into it like a pin cushion.
Takeshi glanced over.
"Yeah. Probably human shit."
Niero's face twisted.
"...Jesus."
Niero slowly looked back toward the gleaming towers.
Then toward the streets.
The contrast was almost absurd.
"This is Los Angeles?"
Takeshi nodded.
"Yep."
"It's..."
Niero searched for the right word.
"...messier than I thought."
Takeshi laughed.
"That's one way to put it politely."
Niero looked toward a luxury advertisement displaying a beautiful celebrity standing in front of an impossible penthouse.
Then back toward the messy and grimy place that seems to be related to Los Angeles.
"The movies and advertisements make it look completely different."
"Of course they do. You think it will play fair with tourism?"
Takeshi took another bite of his doughnut.
"You're looking at the tourist layer, and this is the real city."
Niero frowned.
"So this is the bad part?"
Takeshi nearly choked.
"This?"
He laughed.
"Kid, this is tame."
Niero slowly turned toward him.
"...Tame?"
"Yeah."
"There are places in Los Angeles where you'll see things that make this neighborhood look like a luxury resort."
Niero stared at him.
Niero looked around again.
The glamorous skyline remained beautiful.
But now he could see the cracks.
Los Angeles wasn't simply a city of celebrities, wealth, and towering architecture.
It was everything underneath those things, too.
Beautiful.
Filthy.
Exciting.
Dangerous.
Ridiculous.
And somehow all of it existed within the same few blocks.
Niero took another bite of his doughnut.
"...I like Mega Ark-City 01 better."
Takeshi laughed.
"Give it time. You've only seen the surface."
=
=====
=
The unofficial tour eventually carried them toward Los Angeles' enormous maritime district.
Niero's attention was immediately drawn toward the docks on his left.
The coastline was crowded with vessels of every imaginable size.
Small civilian ferries.
Cargo ships.
Patrol boats.
Massive industrial haulers.
Military transports.
Even strange specialized vessels whose purposes Niero couldn't immediately identify.
Behind the docks, an enormous network of cargo lines extended inland toward the eastern sectors of Los Angeles.
Magnetic conveyors carried sealed containers toward loading terminals, where the cargo would eventually be transferred onto armored freight trains and enormous armored hauler vehicles.
Niero looked through the car window.
"...I passed this place before."
Takeshi glanced over.
"Yep."
Niero stared at the harbor.
"That's where the Iron Convoys docked."
"All three of them."
Niero remained quiet for a moment.
That familiar sight brought back memories.
The crowded decks.
The candidates.
The endless ocean.
The Black Tide.
Amaryllis.
The Black Room.
His expression darkened.
Takeshi noticed.
"Don't dwell on it, kid."
Niero looked at him.
"Easy for you to say. You lost an arm and a leg. I nearly died by that sea bitch."
"...Fair."
The car passed underneath a gigantic magnetic cargo conveyor.
Niero looked upward.
Takeshi followed his gaze.
"Still can't believe Fold Space technology became commercially viable in cargo size."
"Cargo-sized FoldTech?"
"Haven't seen it up close?"
Niero shook his head.
Takeshi gestured toward the cargo infrastructure.
"Spatial folding. Instead of making a container physically larger, you fold a controlled pocket of space inside it by 'folding' space of objects and matter. So the outside dimensions stay roughly the same...but the internal potential volume is much larger."
Niero's eyes widened.
"How much?"
"Depends on the model. Standard FoldTech cargo containers can hold roughly four to five times the normal capacity."
Niero looked back at the passing containers.
"And the civilian versions?"
"Pocket variants. Some can fit in a backpack, while some are as small as an earbud storage case. Since then, resource management alone changed completely. Food, resources, and medical supplies. Construction materials. Emergency equipment. Mining. Military logistics."
Takeshi shrugged.
"Anything that needs storage."
Niero watched another cargo container disappear into a magnetic loading system.
"Just like the one my sister got for me."
"Damn. If your sister gets you even for one of those small devices that fit in your pocket, they must love you so much that they would save a lot of money to buy one for you."
"Yeah. But I kinda felt bad about it."
After another few minutes, Niero suddenly frowned.
"Wait."
Takeshi glanced over.
"My backpack."
"What about it?"
"And my luggage."
Niero sat upright.
"I left everything on the ship."
Takeshi laughed.
"Relax. You were registered as a G.S.M. Academy candidate. Your belongings were probably secured along with the other candidates' property."
"Probably?"
"Kid, you're worrying about luggage after surviving a Witch?"
Niero slumped back into his seat.
"...my things were in that luggage."
"You'll get it back."
Takeshi checked the road ahead.
"Besides, we've got another hour or so. Plenty of time before the welcoming ceremony."
Niero nodded.
He settled into the seat again.
For a while, he watched the city pass by.
Then something occurred to him.
"Takeshi."
"Hm?"
"What about the casualties?"
Takeshi's expression immediately changed.
The relaxed smile disappeared.
He sighed.
"...That's confidential."
Niero waited.
Takeshi continued driving.
Then he sighed.
"There were three Iron Convoy ships. About 3,000 passengers and staff in rough total."
Niero's hands slowly tightened.
"Each ship carried roughly 800 candidates from Mega Ark-City 01. Mostly young people heading toward different academies. G.S.M.A included. Then around 200 staff and crew per ship."
Niero swallowed.
"And?"
Takeshi was silent for several seconds.
"2,000 were confirmed unharmed."
Niero nodded slowly.
"30 were injured, from minor to major injuries, whom most received medical treatment."
Niero's breathing remained steady.
"And the rest?"
Takeshi's voice became quieter.
"230 are missing."
Niero's expression fell.
"Unknown status. Some may have been separated during the attack. Some could be trapped somewhere. Some could have been lost overboard."
He paused.
"And..."
Niero already knew the next part wouldn't be pleasant.
"...Some may have been taken."
"By the Black Tide."
Silence.
"For what?"
Takeshi shook his head.
"God knows. Either as food, test subject for some horrible experiments, or worse, using the boys as unfortunate breeding stallions of some shit."
That last part made both Niero and Agent Takeshi shiver with horror and disgust. The surface level of morbid imagination of male prisoners gets milked 27/7; they feel something they would have done, especially when it comes to increasing the numbers of the Black Tide creatures.
Niero stared through the window.
"And the rest?"
Takeshi didn't answer immediately.
Finally—
"400 confirmed fatalities."
Niero's stomach sank.
Four hundred.
People he'd shared the ship with.
Candidates.
Crew.
Soldiers.
Staff.
People who had been laughing, eating, talking, arguing, making plans...
Now gone.
Niero looked down at his hands.
He remembered the dead staff and soldiers in his path.
Remembered the soldier who guided him to the safe zone but got pinned to the wall with harpoons right before his eyes.
The Witch's Black Room.
Amaryllis.
The moment her weapon pierced him.
The feeling of death.
The rebirth.
The rage.
The blood.
Then the rampage after they escaped.
He had thought the worst part was nearly dying.
Now he realized it wasn't.
The worst part was knowing that hundreds of people hadn't made it out.
Takeshi kept his eyes on the road.
"That's why I told you what I talked about."
Niero looked at him.
"About trust?"
"Yeah. And potential."
Takeshi's voice remained quiet.
"The world is getting worse. Not just the monsters. The things behind them. The things hiding inside the cities. The things nobody understands, not just the enemies of the Queendom like opposing factions, cults, raiders, and invaders."
He glanced briefly at Niero.
"And people like you...might be the difference between another casualty report and somebody making it home."
Niero didn't answer, remained quiet after hearing the casualty figures.
400 dead.
230 missing.
The numbers kept replaying inside his head.
If I'd known sooner...
His fingers tightened around the can in his lap.
If I'd known what was happening...
Maybe I could've used the Stargod System.
Maybe I could've fought back.
But then he remembered Amaryllis.
The sheer difference in power.
Her massive body.
Her Rank-S Witch Aura.
The Black Room.
The moment she pierced him.
Even with his newly awakened powers, he'd barely survived.
And if not for Ragna-Kha...
He probably wouldn't be sitting here.
Takeshi noticed his expression.
Without taking his eyes off the road, he reached over with his cybernetic right arm and gave Niero's shoulder a gentle punch.
Thunk.
Niero looked at him.
"Ow."
"Stop beating yourself up."
Takeshi's robotic fingers flexed.
"You did more than enough. You killed a Witch. You destroyed the artifact generating that signal. And because that signal disappeared, ArkNet communications came back online. Rescue operations resumed. Coastal security got their calls. And the Sororitae were able to find you."
He glanced briefly toward Niero.
"You didn't just survive. You changed the near-inevitable outcome."
Niero looked away.
"Easy for you to say."
Takeshi grinned.
"Why?"
"Because you basically told the government that you were the big damn hero."
Takeshi burst out laughing.
"Hey! I had to! Someone needed to cover your ass."
Niero stared at him.
"So you stole my heroic achievement. That's stealing my thunder."
"Kid, I'm doing you a favor."
Takeshi's expression became more serious.
"If they knew exactly what happened in that Black Room...you wouldn't be sitting in this car. Even with a teen with a Centurion Armor, it would make the Queendom lift an eyebrow with questioning eyes."
Niero went quiet.
He knew Takeshi was right.
Then Vuldyr's voice entered his mind.
> ["He's right."]
Niero glanced toward the window.
> ["What happened to you was outside anything recorded in the Bloom Dominion Codex. Even with the ArkNet's secured databases restored, I found no matching precedent for the Witch's uncounted augmentation and mutation from an unknown artifact."]
Niero frowned.
> ["You encountered something entirely new, something beyond the scope of threat you're capable of fighting against.]
A pause.
> ["And you nearly died.]
Niero looked down.
> ["Do not punish yourself for failing to save everyone. Be grateful that you survived. Your knowledge was forged through experience. Your strength was forged through pain. The next threat can be different from the previous threat, and it can be more powerful than you. But you won't be the same as you were before. Each challenge you face, each battle you win, each difficulty you endure makes you stronger. You will meet the future not as who you were but as who you are because you have overcome all that had preceded you. Remember that, Kiddo."]
Niero slowly exhaled.
"...Yeah."
Takeshi glanced over.
"What?"
"Nothing. Just thinking."
Takeshi nodded.
"Ah."
A few moments passed.
Then Takeshi suddenly reached toward the back seat.
Niero watched him rummage around.
"What are you doing?"
"Something important."
"More important than keeping your eyes on the road?"
Takeshi pulled out two cans.
He tossed one onto Niero's lap.
Clunk.
Niero looked down.
A beer.
Then at Takeshi.
"...Seriously?"
Niero stared at the can.
"You're giving alcohol to a minor. I'm still sixteen."
Takeshi shrugged.
"You're the kid who fought hell and back against a Witch, survived getting impaled, unlocked some kind of alien superhero armor, and manifested a giant witch-killing sword, and went on a rampage through an army of mutant monsters."
He popped open his own can.
"And somehow I'm supposed to believe one beer is what's going to take you down?"
Niero stared at him.
"...That's terrible logic."
"Just drink."
Niero reluctantly opened the can.
Psssst.
He took a cautious sip.
His face immediately twisted.
"...Bitter."
Takeshi laughed.
"That's stout beer, worker's favorite, filled with vitamin B2. Drink a couple of times in the future, and ya get the hang of it..."
"Unless I develop crippling alcoholism early on."
Niero took another sip.
He frowned.
"My mom is going to kill me."
"She doesn't have to know."
Niero looked at him.
"You're literally a government agent encouraging me to commit a crime."
"It's a minor crime. It's only one beer."
"My mother specifically said no alcohol until I'm eighteen."
"Then don't tell her."
Niero sighed.
"You're a terrible influence."
"Eh. I've been called worse."
The car continued north.
The city gradually changed around them.
The dense coastal districts gave way to increasingly industrial landscapes and sprawling transportation infrastructure.
The distant skyline became smaller behind them.
Ahead lay the northern territories.
Their destination:
Dungeontown.
Niero took another sip of the beer.
"...Still tastes terrible."
Takeshi laughed.
"Give it time."
=====
It was already around eight in the morning when the car crossed the massive bridge leading toward what remained of Thousand Oaks.
Niero had spent most of the drive asleep.
His head rested against the window, arms loosely crossed over his chest as the gentle vibration of the vehicle lulled him deeper into his nap.
Then—
THUNK.
Something metallic gently shook his shoulder.
"Wake up."
Niero groaned.
"Five more minutes..."
THUNK.
"Ow!"
His eyes snapped open.
Agent Takeshi's cybernetic arm hovered beside him, its metal fingers retracting after giving Niero another gentle shake.
"Wakey wakey, little baby," Takeshi said.
Niero rubbed his shoulder, then both of his eyes.
"You could've just called my name."
"I did. You're quite a deep sleeper."
"You could've called louder."
"I did. Still no response."
"...You could've used the horn."
"I was considering it, just to mess with ya."
Niero glared at him.
Takeshi simply smiled.
"Now look outside."
Niero reluctantly turned toward the window.
His sleepy expression immediately disappeared.
The landscape ahead had changed completely.
Beyond the bridge was an enormous crater stretching across the horizon. A colossal wall had been constructed around its perimeter, rising hundreds of meters above the surrounding terrain.
The structure wasn't merely a conventional city wall.
Energy shimmered across sections of its surface, forming a gigantic defensive field that flickered faintly against the morning sky. Massive anti-air turrets were positioned along elevated platforms, their barrels slowly tracking the surrounding airspace.
Behind the wall, something enormous protruded into the sky.
At first Niero couldn't make sense of it.
A black silhouette.
A towering geometric structure.
A monolith.
Only the upper portion was visible above the wall, disappearing into the morning haze.
Niero stared.
"...is that a tower?"
"Part of it," Takeshi replied.
As their car approached, Niero noticed the enormous traffic-control complex built into the wall.
Multiple lanes converged toward a series of fortified toll booths and inspection gates.
Cars.
Cargo trucks.
Military transports.
Armored personnel carriers.
Specialized expedition vehicles.
They were all moving through the gates.
Some vehicles carried the insignia of the Bloom Dominion military. Others displayed the markings of government agencies, research organizations, private corporations, and licensed adventurer groups.
Niero watched a heavily armored transport pass them.
Then another.
Then a convoy of enormous trucks.
"That's a lot of traffic for a place surrounded by a giant wall," Niero muttered.
"Dungeontown is a dense town," Takeshi said. "Less of a military base but more of a regulated facility."
Another convoy rolled past.
Several trucks were heavily reinforced, with sealed containers mounted on their backs.
Niero watched them disappear through the inspection gates.
"What's in those?"
"Resources, most likely. Maybe some valuable artifacts."
"From the Dungeons?"
"Where else?"
Takeshi pointed toward one of the passing trucks.
"Some of the materials recovered from the Dungeon Tower are worth more than their weight in gold."
Niero nodded.
"I know."
"Omnia Matter, for example."
That caught Niero's attention.
"Yeah. Blue crystalline programmable matter. Looks like blue sand made from tiny cube grains."
Takeshi glanced at him.
"You know what it is?"
Niero looked offended.
"Of course I know what Omnia Matter is. I don't live under a rock."
Takeshi chuckled.
"I know. I just wanted to see if you did."
Niero sighed.
"You're enjoying this way too much."
"Perhaps."
Takeshi leaned back into his seat.
"Omnia Matter is one of the reasons places like Dungeontown are so important."
Niero looked back toward the passing cargo trucks.
"Because it can be programmed into different materials?"
"Among other things. Scan the molecular structure of something, feed the data into the fabrication system, and Omnia Matter can reorganize itself into the desired substance. It can make equipment, construction materials, or even build buildings, and energy systems, depending on the grade and available energy."
Niero nodded.
"Pretty useful."
"Very. How else do you think these cities can be built within a few months and years instead of decades?"
The car continued toward the gates.
Takeshi looked toward the enormous crater.
"Dungeontown is one of many controlled locations scattered around the world. Most major Ark-Cities maintain some form of Dungeon facility."
Niero glanced at him.
"So this place is technically part of an Ark-City?"
"Not exactly. It's a 'yes-no' type of situation."
Takeshi pointed toward the distant horizon.
"It's a walled city inside a walled city."
Niero frowned.
"That sounds excessive."
"It is."
Takeshi gestured toward the defensive systems surrounding the crater.
"But necessary."
His expression became more serious.
"The Ark-Cities protect people from the outside world. Dungeontown protects the Ark-Cities from what's inside the Dungeon Tower."
Niero looked toward the enormous monolithic silhouette again.
"And if something gets out?"
"Then those walls become the first line of defense."
The humor disappeared from Takeshi's voice.
"The last thing anyone wants is a Dungeon Break happening inside an Ark-City."
Niero imagined the massive population of West Port-City—Los Angeles—living behind the supposedly impenetrable walls of the Ark-City.
Then he imagined something from that black tower getting loose.
"...Yeah."
"That's why Dungeontown is heavily controlled."
The car passed another checkpoint.
"People sometimes ask why we bother maintaining cities like this when the Ark-Cities already have their own resource facilities."
Takeshi pointed toward the crater.
"The answer is simple."
He paused.
"Resources."
Niero looked outside.
The endless procession of cargo vehicles suddenly made sense.
"Dungeons contain materials and resources we can't easily obtain anywhere else, even outside the walls. Minerals. Energy. Biological materials. Food, Artifacts. Technology. Omnia Matter. Things that can keep entire Ark-Cities running."
"So Dungeontown is basically a resource farm."
"Exactly."
Takeshi smiled faintly.
"A very dangerous resource farm."
Niero watched a military convoy disappear through the gates.
"And people willingly go in there?"
"Licensed adventurers. Military units. Researchers. Corporate expeditions. Marauders..."
"Marauders..."
Niero's expression became thoughtful.
Takeshi noticed.
"Are you still thinking about becoming one?"
"Maybe. Yeah."
Takeshi leaned back.
"Then remember this place."
Niero looked at him.
"If you really intend to become a Marauder and explore beyond the walls of the Ark-Cities someday, Dungeontown is probably where your journey starts."
Niero looked toward the massive wall.
The anti-air batteries.
The energy barriers.
The endless convoy of armored vehicles.
The enormous crater.
And finally—
The black monolith rising silently behind the wall.
His curiosity began replacing his sleepiness.
"So that's where Marauders go?"
"Among other places."
"To explore Dungeons?"
"To explore, fight, recover resources, investigate anomalies..."
Takeshi paused.
"And occasionally run for their lives. All in the name of profit, adventure, and fame."
Niero smirked.
"Sounds fun."
Takeshi laughed.
"I figured you'd say that."
Their car finally reached the less crowded checkpoint reserved for Bloom Dominion personnel.
The vehicle slowed.
Takeshi reached into his coat and pulled out his BDAAA agency card.
He placed it against the scanner.
BEEP.
A green indicator illuminated.
The checkpoint operator briefly looked toward their vehicle before giving them clearance.
The enormous gate began to open.
Niero squinted.
A brilliant white light flooded through the widening gap.
"Whoa—!"
He instinctively raised an arm to shield his eyes.
The car continued forward.
For a moment, Niero could see nothing but white.
Then the brightness gradually faded.
His eyes adjusted.
And Niero finally saw what lay beyond the wall.
Dungeontown USA-07.
Beyond the checkpoint, the colossal defensive wall opened into a gigantic artificial canyon.
And inside it—
A city.
Not a small settlement.
Not a military base.
An entire metropolis had been built inside the enormous crater left behind by the destruction of Thousand Oaks.
Layer upon layer of buildings climbed the crater walls. Apartment towers, warehouses, factories, restaurants, hospitals, academies, transportation terminals, and enormous industrial structures filled the bowl-shaped landscape.
Magnetic trains moved along elevated rails.
Cargo haulers crawled along multilane roads.
Advertising holograms floated between skyscrapers.
Aircraft and drones moved through designated air corridors.
And everywhere Niero looked, there were signs of one thing:
Dungeons.
A massive holographic billboard advertised expedition insurance.
Another displayed rankings for famous adventuring teams.
A storefront advertised:
LOOTCUBES—GUARANTEED AUTHENTIC!
Further ahead, an enormous armored convoy was unloading strange crystalline minerals from a secured transport vehicle.
Niero's mouth slowly fell open.
"...Holy shit."
Takeshi glanced at him.
"First time?"
"I've never seen anything like this. Not even Mega Ark-City 01."
"Take in the sight, kid. This is where the magic happens."
Niero pointed toward the city.
"People actually live here? Millions of people live here, around a dimensional portal to Hell?"
Takeshi shrugged.
"Pretty much."
Then Niero finally saw it.
The structure is rising from the very center of Dungeontown.
The Dungeon Tower.
It dwarfed practically everything surrounding it.
A gigantic black monolith rose from the heart of the crater, its surface seemingly swallowing sunlight rather than reflecting it. It possessed almost no visible windows or conventional architectural features.
It looked less like a building...
...and more like something that had simply appeared.
Niero slowly leaned closer to the window.
"What the hell is that?"
Takeshi followed his gaze.
"The Dungeon Tower."
Niero's eyes widened.
"That's the Tower?"
"Yep."
The vehicle continued down the bridge.
As they approached the checkpoint, Niero could see the city's enormous scale more clearly.
There were signs everywhere.
DUNGEON EXPLORATION AUTHORITY
EXPEDITION LICENSE REQUIRED
REPORT UNAUTHORIZED BREACHSPACE ACTIVITY
HOLLOW CONTAMINATION SCREENING — MANDATORY
DUNGEON BREAK EMERGENCY PROCEDURE
For the first time, Niero realized just how completely humanity had adapted to the existence of the Hollow.
Dungeons weren't merely disasters anymore.
They were an industry.
People explored them.
Governments regulated them.
Corporations exploited them.
Scientists studied them.
Adventurers made careers from them.
And ordinary people simply went about their lives beneath the shadow of an impossible black tower.
Niero leaned back in his seat.
"So this used to be Thousand Oaks, right?"
"Yep."
"What happened?"
Takeshi's expression became slightly more serious.
"Old Hollow breach, one of the early days of the apocalypse back in the Y2K Black December."
Niero looked at him.
"This was the one that got nuked, wasn't it?"
"Yeah. That's the official story."
"...And the Tower?"
Takeshi glanced toward it.
"Appeared afterward."
Niero frowned.
"Appeared?"
"Nobody knows where it came from."
That immediately caught Niero's attention.
"No one built it?"
"No."
"Aliens?"
"Maybe."
"The Hollow?"
"Maybe."
"Ancient civilization?"
"Maybe."
Niero stared at the monolith.
"That barely answered the mystery."
Takeshi chuckled.
"Exactly, some even theorized that these Dungeontowers were made by the Radiant Empress to control the frequency of dungeon manifestation."
The checkpoint grew closer.
Massive security gates opened one after another as the vehicle's credentials were scanned.
Above them, automated turrets tracked every passing vehicle.
Niero looked down at the city again.
Somewhere beneath that enormous black tower were hundreds—perhaps thousands—of dimensional gateways leading into worlds that shouldn't exist.
He suddenly felt a strange mixture of excitement and unease.
He had spent the last several days fighting monsters at sea.
He had nearly died.
He had awakened something inside himself that he still couldn't explain.
And now...
He was heading toward a city whose entire civilization revolved around exploring places like the one he'd just survived.
Niero slowly smiled.
"...So this is where I'm going to school."
Takeshi smirked.
"Yep."
Niero looked at the Dungeon Tower.
Then at the enormous city surrounding it.
"...My life is getting progressively weirder yet exciting."
"Kid."
Takeshi returned his attention to the road.
"You haven't even gotten inside the Academy yet."
=
=====
=
<<<[ Ch 35, Part 01 - END ]>>>