Clearing the Game at the End of the World

Chapter 160: Lead and Silver Coins (14)

***

That night, Professor and his companions were wrapped in blankets, sitting around a small heater, discussing the stories they had heard during the day.

"The lady?"

"She went to bed early. According to the AI, even having a conversation for this long is strenuous for her due to her weak constitution. She's also been mentally exhausted by the recent events happening around here."

Slurp-

"True. Even I feel dizzy just from today's revelations, can't imagine how insane it would drive someone to spill such information while watching acquaintances die in real-time."

Ezel grumbled while drinking the warm water the drone had provided.

Looking anew at the Investigation Bureau agent with us, it felt like the series of events we had experienced weren't isolated but interconnected.

The most crucial exosuit operators among Dome's forces. Even if the President had promised to support us with exosuits, was it really possible to directly recruit from the Investigation Bureau's garage like this? Normally, it would go something like [Although we said we'd support you with exosuits, we never said we'd give you personnel. Instead of giving you suits you can't use, we'd provide equivalent or better equipment].'

The President had clearly said, Contact was lost at the entrance of Area 39.' In other words, he was informed of everything up to this point, where we currently are. Regions swarmed and assimilated by mutants. If the intent was really to support us just with information about the mutants, it would have been far more rational to provide us with 10-20 regular troops armed with heavy weapons, rather than exosuits limited by continuous combat.

".It's unlikely he didn't know. The President always seems to be a step or two ahead of me in thinking."

I was convinced. The President had other information he hadn't shared with me, and based on that information, he provided exosuits that were more suitable for a spearhead breakthrough rather than a wide-area extermination.

Creak. Click.

[I heard it's not too big. Including a shock-absorbent case for the parts, it weighs around 40kg.]

Click, creak.

[My informants have all been affected, so I don't know exactly what's happening. But at least I managed to save this one thing.]

Crunch, crackle. Crack!

The box. A box'

The atmosphere grew silent at some point.

"Hey, Professor. Something bothering you?"

".A bit."

The box that the fanatic in the video was holding. The box the President mentioned, weighing about 40kg.

"Ezel. What do you think justice is?"

".Out of the blue? Why, after nearly dying a few times, you want to throw yourself into Dome?"

"No, just curious."

Just that, the images of the two boxes strangely overlapped, and the President's smiling face came to mind.

****

"In the end, the center of this trouble is those fanatic bastards," he said.

"That's right. If we assume that the mutation device or whatever it is has been continuously operating, it explains why the Type 2 mutants have increased enough to swarm around like the Horde."

"What about the Muglers?"

"The same. Even though there seem to be many of them, in reality, they are all splinters from a single Type 3 mutant. It's a creature with a wide range of activity, so it makes sense that its aggressiveness would increase if its territory is overrun with other mutants. We've seen it, the Muglers fighting with the Horde."

"Damn, what did those crazy bastards do to create such a thing Are they really technophobes? They say we should return to primitivism, but if you look closely, it seems like they're actually more advanced than average? The skin mask is quite an innovative technology, isn't it? Isn't this a contradiction? They also use guns, right?"

What Ian cursed and brought up was a copy of a message he had checked on a connector that was here. Happy Blind of Sector 32' was also boldly listed in a corner of the huge pile of orders that had accumulated in just a few days.

"That is"

Click-

"Exactly, they are old generation' technophobes. Necessity is the mother of invention, right? As the conflict between ideology and convenience continued, they developed their own way of survival in the process. The skin mask is a masterpiece that came out of that process. As for guns, it was confirmed that ordinary people among the fanatics don't use them, only those called Shepherds' who are permitted for external activities use them."

As the voice came from behind, I slightly stepped aside, and a wheelchair entered among the four of us. Dana, who seemed to have just woken up with slightly disheveled hair, was pushing the wheelchair.

"Were we too loud?"

"It's just hard to sleep for a long time. My heart rate becomes irregular periodically, and every time that happens, I can't help but think, If I just lie here, maybe I'll die.' So I can't keep lying down."

Her complaint, uttered as if it were a bother, made me newly aware that she had been living with a terminal condition for the past few years.

".You've had a hard time, miss."

"Not really? Before the war, I used to get angry and feel unjust, but now, I don't feel that way anymore since all the people I thought would live longer than me have all died before me. I've lived longer than the doctor said I would."

Dana had been suffering from a rare heart condition for a long time. Unknown cause, unknown treatment. When she showed her arm filled with marks from heart stimulants and injections, I didn't know what to say and ended up closing my mouth again.

Yet, she was smiling as if it was nothing. Just like now.

"Sheep, Shepherds, and the Eye. Happy Blind is divided into these three classes. Sheep, mainly those without a residence, nomads, and commonly known as the Doomed Generation' people who had children after the war. Most of them were attracted by Happy Blind's propaganda saying, Let's not pass our pain onto the next generation.' They are responsible for most of the production and work within the group, but it's a bit ambiguous to call them a working class. Shepherds are those in charge of external duties. There's one condition: they must not be born after the destruction.' Considering the war ended just about 5 years ago, it's more about preparing for the future than having actual members of that generation. They manage the Sheep and use terrible products of the old generation' to protect the group and spread the ideology of Happy Blind."

"Like laity and clergy. I guess? Like the laity doesn't have access to the holy relics?"

"Similar. The difference is, instead of holy relics, it's more like dealing with the devil's artifacts. The Eye' is the supreme leader of Happy Blind, there's only one. The founder of the religion and the one who created this blind faith, also known for developing the skin mask. No detailed personal information has been confirmed though."

Watching Dana easily spill information about Happy Blind after just joining the conversation, Ezel expressed his admiration.

".How do you know all this?"

"There's no perfect secret, and the forest of anonymity is a perfect place to shout, The king's ears are donkey's ears~!' Don't underestimate someone who's spent their whole life in the online world."

"That's really reliable."

"Don't mention it."

With Ian's compliment, Dana slightly lifted the blanket on her knees like a dress. I looked at the harmonious group and then at Ezel, lost in thought.

The fact that the President is hiding something has not yet been disclosed to the group. If that man really is hiding something and sent our group here, even Ezel, who happened to return from his mission at such a crucial moment, could have been joined to the group according to his arrangement.

[He was your selection, wasn't he?]

It could have been anticipated as well. The President knows too well that Ezel and I are close. Of course, this is all hypothetical. The President might have genuinely wanted to find the missing person and the missing exosuit, and we might just have been caught at a bad time.

[Given the circumstances, the likelihood is high, isn't it?]

That word likelihood' itself means it's not 100%. Regardless, we'll know once we go to Area 38 Dome. If the box containing the city-grade shield components, our objective, is there, then there's no problem. There's no reason to spread uncertain suspicions now.

[It's complicated.]

I sighed along with Hyde's lament.

Yes, it's complicated. It always has been, but people driven by a group's ideology, beyond good and evil, have always been complex.

So much has disappeared, yet the world has become so simple, but people are still just as complicated.

Suddenly, the words of those fanatics came to mind.

[The technology and by-products of the old generation. In the end, humanity will only be able to start anew once even those who remember it have completely disappeared.]

Although I couldn't agree, I slightly understood where that mad religion started.

****

The next morning.

The group standing at the entrance of the library was facing Dana. It was difficult for her to join the group immediately due to her weak body.

"You have to come back for me within a month at least. The radiation level is increasing, and the groundwater in the deepest parts around here is starting to get contaminated. Not only is there a drinking water problem, but the contamination of the groundwater means the shelter's lifespan is over since we need to split water to produce oxygen."

"Got it. If I survive the job, I'll come back for you."

"I don't have much information now, but I'll look into it, so check the message when you arrive at Area 38 Dome."

"Sure."

"I've marked the areas where Raptors' movements have been confirmed, so try to avoid them as much as possible, okay? You know, in this area, combat prioritizes removing the opponent's radiation protection rather than killing them. Even if there's a significant difference in combat power, the side that ambushes and snipes first wins. Around here, there are also those who modify crossbows to launch stones instead of bolts. A large hole made by a big stone lets in more radiation than a small hole made by a bullet. Avoid combat in unprepared areas."

"Alright."

"And also."

Just as Dana seemed to be trying to recall something, I grabbed the small package of supplies she had prepared and said,

"That's enough, really. We'll be here till dawn at this rate. I get why you're doing this, but don't feel burdened, it's been plenty of help."

"But the math doesn't add up. In the end, I couldn't even provide proper information about the Artist Union you mentioned."

As Dana tried to object, she lowered her head and mumbled,

"The task you've asked of me, and even assistance for a patient who can't move freely. The demands are too much compared to the information I've provided. It's an unfair trade, with your side losing out heavily."

"Ah, there you were saying, You won't be able to refuse it.'"

"That was-"

"You seem to be under some serious misconception, but I've never been involved in a losing deal. It's been that way so far, and it will continue to be so."

"But this time-"

"This time is no different. You still don't understand? This is an extension of a long-standing transaction, idiot."

As I saw a question arise in her eyes while sitting in the wheelchair, I bent my knees to meet her gaze and said,

"We have been indebted to you for a long time, Speedwagon. In return for the information you've provided for free over the years, I intend to save your life, so please accept it. To think a professional informant has been offering dedicated support for as long as 5 years. Oh, I dread to think how much the fee would be. Please, let's call it even with this one time. Cut me some slack."

"Uh, ah, um."

". I'm going. It's cold outside, so go in quickly."

Feeling a bit embarrassed after saying it, I turned around without waiting for her response. I put on my skin mask and checked my bubble shield as I crossed the fire shutter, only for the waiting group to snicker and annoyingly tap me on the shoulder.

"Khkhkhk. Kid, you learn fast. Descend the mountain; there's nothing left to teach you."

"What's that."

Responding gruffly to Ian's gleefully snickering face, Ezel tapped me and said,

"The two of you were so affectionate, we almost set up lunch waiting here. It looked like you had no intention of leaving."

"It's not like that, man."

"Keeheehee. Happiness is good. Seeing you like that makes me feel good too. Don't worry about us. We have plenty of money, so we can just build another shelter near the current one and live separately. I have no plans to intrude on your honeymoon."

"Yikes, really!"

To Ian's snickering, Ezel's teasing, and even Vex's genuinely congratulatory words, I felt embarrassed, but what was more disconcerting was the thought, Does it actually bother me?' which inadvertently led to the thought, Not really?'

"Let's just drop it, I haven't even thought about that yet!"

.

.

.

.

Whirrrr- Clunk. Clatter!

Perhaps because of the confusion, I ended up making a fatal slip of the tongue.

"Not yet?"

"Really?"

"So, how far have you thought about it?"

Like predators pouncing on a single moment of weakness,

[I know~ I know~. Hey, Vessel. I saw something interesting in your dream last night.]

.It's nonsense. Forget it. Forget I said anything!'

[I know you can't do that. On a small hill, a wooden house~ with wildflowers sprawling in the garden~]

#$&*()_!*(&*(#*)_#*!!!'

Click- Thud!

Whoosh-!

"Hahaha! Hey, Professor! You gotta stick with us!"

"If you run off alone and get caught by a mutant, the princess locked in the concrete castle will be sad!"

"Shut up, all of you! Now that we're back outside, shouldn't we be reducing the noise!"

Crackle-

It was only when the location of the distress signal appeared that the group stopped teasing.

"Tap, tap-tap- tap, tap, tap-tap- tap-"

Not long after, the teasing resumed, starting with Ezel sending a message like [Beautiful Love] in Morse code through the communicator.

Despite moving slowly and heightening their senses for caution, just as they had on their way here, for some reason, the group wasn't as tense as before and proceeded with snickers.

****

"They're gone."

Dana sighed quietly as she watched the dust settle on the external camera. It felt like a storm had passed through the quiet life she had been leading.

Creak-

"Master, there has been a communication regarding the other rewa- eek! -wards you mentioned earlier. Would you like to check it?"

".I can't just sit around doing nothing. I'll be right there."

Dana stared at the worn notebook on her lap for a while, then carefully drew a triangle under the circle she had just drawn, smiling satisfactorily.

"Well, I've learned that it shouldn't be too easy."

=======

Dana Elisha Hyacinth's Bucket List.

1. Live a life worth living for at least one more day.

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3. Spend all night talking and playing with friends.

4. .

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.

=======

Items so worn and faded from being read and touched over the years that they were nearly illegible.

As someone who learned everything from the internet, she was determined to strictly adhere to those teachings.

****