episode_0089

Not much time had passed, but the nanoware, with its astonishing performance, seemed to have done its job well even outside my body, as Yuki and Kana’s complexions had significantly improved.

Although, as Martina had said, if they were to quickly perish, toxins might remain, so a detailed examination would be necessary, I could consider a major worry lifted.

However, Kana, whose condition was severe, still had no strength in her legs and found it difficult to walk, so I decided to carry her myself.

Passing by the crimson wallpaper created by the brutally torn bodies of Roden Global Enterprise soldiers, I stepped outside, and headed for the exit, listening to the soft sound of falling water.

As we proceeded towards escape, Seira, who was accompanying us, kept glancing at me with a dumbfounded expression.

“What is it? If you have something to say, say it.”

“…What on earth did you do? No matter how much antidote they received, they wouldn’t recover this quickly…”

It seemed she was curious about the method I used to revive Yuki and Kana so quickly.

Indeed, to someone who doesn’t know my secret, it would look like I just gave them a kiss, and suddenly the poison was detoxified and wounds healed, as if I’d sprinkled some magical water.

‘Is it roughly similar?’

Only Mason knew that the true nature of this ability was nanoware, and there was no point in increasing the number of people who knew.

“Well… it’s kind of like when you swing your sword and something goes *whoosh* and slices everything up.”

“…”

I’m not the only one with a strange ability, so if I glossed over it like this, she wouldn’t be able to say anything.

Besides, even if she pressed further, I could just say it’s a healing factor.

‘In the case of a healing factor, a special fluid generated in the spinal cord increases the rate of cell division, so indirect healing would be impossible even if introduced through oral wounds.’

‘Thanks for the explanation.’

Contrary to my concern, instead of looking at me with disbelieving, narrowed eyes or refuting me, Seira nodded as if she understood something, looking down at her sword.

Could she really have put some magic or something in that sword?

*Thump!* *Thump!* *Thump!* *Thump!*

Putting that aside, as I took heavy steps, pounding on the metallic floor, and arrived at the exit, Luna and Dr. Pointless were running towards us from the opposite side, with the Shape Shifter tucked under Luna’s arm like baggage.

“John! Are you okay?”

“Yeah, I’m fine. Though I’d like to stop by a hospital.”

When I pointed to the two who were leaning on me, their dark complexions having turned slightly pale, Luna looked at them with worried eyes, as if she had grown fond of them.

After all, she was a good woman, no matter what.

Luna took out an emergency nutrient injection she had and administered it, then clicked her tongue as she watched raindrops falling through the open entrance.

“It seems today is Tonyboni’s atmospheric cleansing period.”

“So, all this flowing water is toxic?”

Due to Eclipse Point’s characteristic of having the upper city act as a lid over the lower city, the lower city’s sky was effectively already under human control.

Not only air purification, but also meteorological phenomena like wind, rain, and snow, were entirely managed by the Eclipse Point Environmental Department located in the upper city.

Tonyboni was often neglected, and the air purification system was usually provided grudgingly, but even Tonyboni, the worst slum, could benefit from such periodic rainfall purification.

Even so, it would return to normal in a few days.

“This is troublesome…”

There’s no way someone already poisoned and groaning could get through there.

If we left them here, they would be shot dead by the Roden Global Enterprise soldiers who would soon arrive.

“Do we have to stay here until the rain stops?”

“That’s impossible. The special forces will keep barging in day and night, so everyone will die.”

“I agree.”

My small suggestion was immediately dismissed by Seira and Luna, but they couldn’t bring themselves to suggest abandoning Yuki and Kana, they just nervously stared at the vertical passage where water was gushing, like a cow staring blankly after a fleeing chicken [a proverb about being at a loss or helplessly watching].

At that moment, Dr. Pointless moved his mechanical joints with a *whirring* sound, and *tapped* *tapped* the hidden panel on the wall.

*Whizzz—* As the correct pattern was entered, a tiny, invisible crack in the wall opened up, and a space that looked like an elevator appeared inside.

“This is a lower elevator connected to the building next to the entrance. With this, we can escape without exposing those young ladies to that toxic rain.”

“If it exists, tell us quickly!”

“It was difficult to speak up, reading the atmosphere. I am, after all, quite introverted.”

What do you mean, introverted, you tin can bastard!

I bit back the words that had risen to my chin, and rushed into the elevator.

***

*Pouring rain—*

Violent raindrops poured down as if a hole had opened in the sky.

Amidst the downpour, where it was difficult to see even an inch ahead, military visors, controlling the streets and emitting an ominous red light, moved about.

“They’re spread out everywhere… This is troublesome…”

Luna frowned, and clicked her tongue at the movements that seemed to be narrowing the encirclement.

At this rate, another battle might break out.

“I’ll just draw their attention, so you guys get out of here and go to the hospital. Surely they wouldn’t dare cause a disturbance there.”

“That won’t do.”

I, who had stood up abruptly, ready to run into the rain even before anyone could dissuade me, stopped at Dr. Pointless’s mechanical voice.

“Don’t underestimate Megacorp’s influence. Of course, the private hospital wing run by Trauma Team is no small corporation either, but if there’s an agreement between corporations, we can’t be at ease.”

“Damn it, what do you want me to do then?”

To my annoyed reply, Dr. Pointless extended his index finger and pointed upwards, as if it had been pre-arranged.

Looking up there, one would see a blocked ceiling.

But I knew that what the android was pointing at was beyond that.

“We must go up to the upper city.”

“Wait, you can’t even set foot in the upper city without an entry permit. They cross-reference every single entry with the database to prevent forgery, and it takes a long time.”

“However, to escape the search, ascending to the upper city, where various interests are entangled and movement is difficult, is the most convenient way.”

Luna said it was impossible, but Dr. Pointless didn’t back down.

Since he was a being who had gone beyond being a mere AI, perhaps he had judged that escaping to the lower city or outside the city wouldn’t solve the problem.

I thought of Kathleen’s upper city entry permit that might be in my wallet, then shook my head.

It was a personal permit, so I couldn’t take everyone with it.

As my worries deepened and the red light of the encirclement tightened, Martina’s voice in my head stirred me.

‘Then we need to find another way…’

‘I have confirmed a total of seven routes, excluding the official entry methods for the upper city.’

“I have a way.”

Everyone’s eyes turned to me.

***

“Move it quickly there! If you drag your feet like that, when will you go home?!”

“Damn it, do you think I don’t want to go home? The sealed cubes are slippery because they’re spraying rain from above!”

The upper city’s waste disposal facility.

More precisely, it’s a waste transport facility, which collects all the trash from the upper city, located hundreds of meters above ground, stores it in sealed cubes, and sends it down to the lower city.

Hundreds of tons of waste are produced daily, so if it’s not emptied promptly, the framework would be strained. Therefore, it’s an extremely important task for maintaining Eclipse Point, but ultimately, the employees are just cleaners hired by Megacorp, who only receive wages.

The cleaners, wearing industrial powered armor, loaded several rain-soaked, slippery cubes onto trucks, and since their schedule unfortunately coincided with the rainfall purification period, they grumbled curses as they moved the trash.

“At least they pay well… Tsk, is it all loaded?”

“Yes!”

A middle-aged man who seemed to be the foreman, and a somewhat tired-looking man who seemed to be the assistant foreman.

The employees beneath them each took off their industrial powered armor, started the giant truck, and carefully drove it towards the waste-only transport elevator.

If they sent it down to the lower city like this, unloaded the waste at the designated location, and sent the truck back up, their work would be done.

Despite their stiff and aching bodies, a faint smile appeared on each of their faces at the thought of soon going home.

“Alright, going down.”

“Descending—!”

*Whirrrrrrrrr—* Along with the sound of mechanical devices activating, the truck, loaded with immense mass, slowly began to descend from the sky to the ground.

“Phew. It’s not even real rain, but my body feels so stiff.”

“Didn’t the supervisor tell you not to smoke in the driver’s seat, Foreman-nim?”

“Damn it. Is that kind of nerd closer, or am I?”

“Of course, you are, Foreman-nim.”

“It’s fine as long as we don’t get caught. Don’t get caught.”

The foreman lit a cheap cigarette, took a deep drag, and exhaled acrid smoke, looking down at the night view of the lower city, which twinkled with the lights of neon signs and LEDs as night fell.

Visible through the exceedingly cold steel framework, the beautiful night view of the city slowly drew nearer.

“Hey, how about we go for a drink tonight?”

“When were you complaining that your wife was yelling at you to come home quickly, and now you want to go drinking again?”

“I even found a good place; aren’t you going?”

“I don’t have any money. After taxes, there’s nothing left, so how can I go to a place like that?”

“Ha, this time. I told you not to worry.”

*Clank!* With the opening mechanism of the elevator that had arrived on the ground, the truck’s cargo bed automatically opened.

“Anyway, let’s go relieve some stress.”

“Ah, yes. Yes.”

They could enjoy themselves once they got off and unloaded the waste cubes.

With such anticipation, the foreman twitched his mustache, and grabbed the car door handle.

And with a *click*, the door opened by itself, causing the foreman’s body to lose balance and lean forward.

“Huh?”

“Let’s borrow your car for a moment.”

*Thwack!* With the punch that flew in, the foreman’s vision turned black.