Ch.104104. Storm.

Just as repeated practice naturally improves skill, repeatedly observing the same object naturally sharpens one’s eye for detail.

Having seen and touched far more corpses than most doctors and morticians, I’ve now developed the ability to determine a body’s condition and cause of death just by looking at it.

Not that this is a particularly good experience or skill for an ordinary person to have.

Like noticing transparent wires with glass shards nearby when seeing a body with half-carved ankles.

In a world where dangers outweigh benefits, it was a somewhat useful ability. It helped me distinguish between “places I could enter” and “places I shouldn’t enter” in this unfamiliar world.

“This is strange…”

Between the door and the unidentifiable structure, the place where I stood was littered with corpses—the kind that had become rare since coming to the upper levels. And in numbers significant enough to make Alexander stop.

Of course, compared to the lower city where many people had lived, this was a modest number. The problem was that they were all concentrated in this specific location, suggesting something had happened here.

Yet, I couldn’t find any cause or trace on the bodies themselves.

No gunshot wounds, not even stab wounds. The floor itself was clean. This wasn’t the result of a violent incident.

“Was there some epidemic? But that doesn’t make sense either.”

Starvation? Disease? Various causes came to mind, but the bodies were too intact to support any of these possibilities.

Even if those were correct, they wouldn’t answer the fundamental question: “Why did they die specifically here?”

Looking up slightly, I could see a wide-open door not far ahead. There was no reason to stop here.

“Oh. This is…”

Among the many people and robots—a bizarre sight as if an invisible hand had gathered and bound them together—I discovered something unusual while searching for the cause.

A straight scar on the nape of someone wearing a choker familiar to me.

“I think they mentioned implanting chips through this kind of procedure.”

Thinking this might be the cause, I began examining other bodies to see if they shared this feature.

Neck and spine.

Heart and forehead.

Everyone who couldn’t proceed further from this point had similar scars in specific areas of their bodies.

—666.

Suddenly, I remembered the number engraved on the structure.

Right. It’s an ancient story, but there was a time when people were extremely wary of implanting microchips or artificial objects in human bodies. Satan, was it? Or the Beast?

A kind of religious conspiracy theory born from the aversion to inserting foreign objects into the human body and the anxiety of potentially being controlled by others through them.

Naturally, most people dismissed it as a joke, and even among religious people, those who believed it were considered heretics.

But religions and ideologies appear regardless of era. Even if they’re misguided.

In this already abnormal world, it wouldn’t be strange for fanatics to emerge who rejected machines imitating humans and humans imitating machines based on personal religious beliefs.

“…If not that, then they filtered people based on some criteria.”

The Robot had said that chips record a person’s memories, emotions, and life. Naturally, technology to read these chip records must have existed too.

The Robot mentioned that the structure was “analyzing” it. Similarly, if the structure could read the data in the chips and identify people who might pose a threat to what should be a peaceful paradise, preventing them from entering?

It’s a cruel judgment devoid of humanity, but it was rational.

Rational. A word that suited this era better than anything else.

Several other possibilities came to mind, but the basic framework remained unchanged. Besides the scars suggesting implanted chips, I couldn’t find any other commonalities.

“…”

When I stood up, deciding there was no point in further examination, my expression had hardened.

Whether it was done because of personal beliefs or rationality, I didn’t like it.

Whatever the reason, the fact remained that living people were left to die in this cold place.

“They probably just immobilized the bodies so people would regret as they died.”

I don’t like this. I frowned with genuine disgust.

Even if the people here had committed crimes that made them unworthy of entry, there was no need to kill them like this.

They could have been sent back to where they came from to live there.

Even if there was a reason they had to die, with technology capable of immobilizing living bodies, they could have caused a short in the chip for an instant death.

Whether unable to kill people directly or for whatever reason, whoever created this chose the most horrific way to bring people to their deaths.

I couldn’t even imagine what went through the minds of those helplessly waiting for death.

“At least… I seem to be fine.”

The fortunate thing was that there appeared to be no danger to me.

At least this body doesn’t have anything like a chip implanted in it.

The only thing that concerned me was the authority I gained through my eyes in the underground city.

It seemed that the detection was limited to physical devices like implanted chips or body modifications.

“Ah. Just thinking about that moment still makes me shudder.”

The sensation of a sharp object entering my eye and even deeper.

It was an incredibly brief moment but terribly painful. I wonder what it would have been like if it had lasted longer.

Shivering at the unwelcome memory, I began clearing a path for Alexander to pass through.

There was no benefit to staying in a place like this any longer.

Besides, I’d been so distracted by the corpses I hadn’t noticed that the sky, which had been clear until recently, was now covered with dark clouds.

Unsettled by the sky growing darker than usual, I hurriedly pulled Alexander into the building.

“Finally able to move properly now.”

“That’s good. Are you okay too?”

“Woof!”

Fortunately, the Robot that had been struggling recovered once we entered the building.

Perhaps it determined that robots accompanying me were also acceptable since I had passed the gatekeeper’s trial?

I sighed with relief seeing the Robot stand up immediately after passing through the door.

I had been really worried about what would happen if this continued, but thankfully it’s fine now.

“Is this Paradise?”

“I’m not sure. It’s quite dark for something like that.”

After confirming that both were okay, I looked around with a relaxed mind.

A strangely vast space tinged with gray stretched before us.

An unfinished three-story building.

Small structures left incomplete and scattered materials caught my eye, but strangely, even their scattered appearance felt like a painting.

“Wow.”

Following the path, we came upon a massive plaza.

Magnificent brick buildings under a transparent glass dome and a clock tower soaring as if to touch the sky looked down upon me.

At the center of the circular plaza stood an ornate fountain, with long benches and street lamps placed at regular intervals, giving it an antique feel.

Beautiful. Even though everything was merely built and nothing was actually functioning or being used, I couldn’t help but stare blankly at the scenery before my eyes.

—Had I really arrived in Paradise?

Various thoughts crossed my mind as I faced these antique buildings for the first time since awakening in this world. That’s how majestic and beautiful they were.

However, much was lacking to call this place Paradise. It was beautiful and splendid, but offered nothing helpful for survival.

“Let’s see what’s at the end first. We can explore the rest slowly later.”

“Whine…”

“Don’t give me that pitiful look. You can play a little later, okay?”

Still, thinking this place must be closely related to Paradise given the gatekeeper that seemed to symbolize it and selected people, I decided to examine the first floor first.

The Puppy, who had been wagging its tail vigorously wanting to run and play after seeing the open plaza, drooped its ears at my words. But wanting to finish our task before dark if possible, I immediately set off.

…I wonder why this Puppy, which is ultimately just a robot, loves walks so much. Though I must admit, its energetic appearance is nice to see.

“…A railway?”

I walked along the path for quite some time after leaving the plaza.

From the sky, now completely covered with dark clouds, came an ominous rumbling sound.

At the end of my steady progress through the darkness that had settled heavily with swirling dust, I encountered massive railway tracks.

At the edge of the top level, following the cliff edge, was a building at the end of the only extended tracks.

The building, which maintained its brilliance even in the dark world, shining gloriously, was the very ideal I had longed for.

“Ms. Mori.”

“I know.”

Without anyone needing to say anything, we both instinctively knew that the facility before us was Paradise, and we stood there for a long time.

“Let’s get Alexander first, and find a safe place to spend the night. The weather doesn’t look good.”

“…Yes, that’s right.”

If I had my way, I’d run there immediately.

But the Robot was right. Though visible, the distance was considerable.

Moreover, the tracks had no safety measures whatsoever, and if I turned the steering wheel wrong in the darkness, we could fall right off.

“I wish the clear weather had lasted just one more day.”

With unavoidable disappointment, I rubbed my face and sighed deeply as I began to retrace my steps.

To find Alexander, which I had parked near the entrance.

However.

—BOOM!

The moment I returned to the passage to find Alexander, the ground shook as a tremendous sound erupted from the ominous clouds.

An enormous roar converged from all directions, threatening to rupture my eardrums.

The wind at the highest point nearest the sky lashed out as if furious that its domain had been invaded, threatening to tear everything apart.

“Kyaah!”

I instinctively let out a shrill scream and fell flat on the ground.

An earthquake? At this height? This isn’t even real ground. Could there be a major problem with the Ark?

This had never happened before. My eyes, filled with terror, lost focus and darted around.

—Surely it’s not collapsing?

I remembered again that I was floating at least several hundred meters above ground.

Come to think of it, just because it was called an Ark didn’t guarantee it would be safe forever.

I had simply assumed it would remain intact until I died.

Something collapsed and shattered. Glass fragments scattered through the air, and powder showered down from the cracked ceiling. Materials beside me toppled over, creating another thunderous noise.

Please stop, I prayed inwardly, but as if mocking me, the vibrations didn’t cease. Just when they seemed to subside, even more intense tremors followed.

“Ms. Mori! Over here…!”

Even in this situation, the Robot had found a spot with fewer things that might collapse and was telling me to come over, but my legs had given out from the intense fear and sense of death I hadn’t felt in a long time. I knew I shouldn’t stay here, but my body wouldn’t move.

“Huk… heok…”

My hands, which had been against the cold concrete floor, slipped from the vibrations and could no longer support me.

All I could do was curl up in place, hoping this disaster would pass safely.

It was the best action I could take, but simultaneously the worst.

“Grab this!”

When the vibrations that seemed eternal finally paused, I reached out toward the Robot with the will to live.

The Robot’s hand, which had approached to save me when I couldn’t move, was right in front of me.

But just as our hands were about to touch.

The ground shook again. Even more violently than before. Everything was shattering from the vibrations.

The half-built building. The ropes binding materials. The decorations hanging from the ceiling. My hope.

Thud, thud. As I lost balance and fell sideways, what I heard was a sound of rupture that should never be heard.

A shadow as vast as the dark clouds covering the sky with thunder loomed over me—

“AAAAAAHHHHH!!!!”

—and terrible pain engulfed me.