“...Mr. Glass, how will we try to find information about the ruins when the people of this town… actively avoid us?”

  “...”

  “Mr. Glass?”

  “...Hans, just follow me silently, could you?”

  As I was assigned the mission to command a small group of amateurs with only four veterans of the crew, I questioned myself about whether I had the capacity to lead such a group.

  I had several questions about why Lafitte gave me this order.

  But, I suppose this was my punishment for insubordination.

  —Pat

  Before my thoughts could narrow, a hand touched my shoulder, making me shiver and push it away.

  “Oh? Are you alright, lass?”

  As I turned around, I saw a dark violet-haired man who only had one eye and had scars on his other.

  He was one of the veterans of Campeche who wielded a set of kukri knives for combat and one of those who refused to bend their knee to The Middle.

  “Oh, Kincho…”

  “That's right, are you alright? You seem to have a lot in mind.”

  “It's nothing.”

  “Hmm, I understand that you might feel overwhelmed, especially given the fact that we have twelve other rookies in tow. But don't worry, we'll take care of this.”

  He gave me a thumbs-up, and so did the rest of the veterans.

  It seemed pretty positive and something I appreciate.

  But it also exposed my lack of capability to bear leadership.

  “...Alright.”

  “Wait, are you mad?”

  “No, I just have a lot in mind. Anyway, let's all find a place to stay. Judging how the sun is about to set, the rules placed in the middle of the town suggest it might get dangerous soon.”

  “Oh, indeed.”

  I wasn't displeased in the slightest.

  If there was anything that I was frustrated with,

  It would be none other than ‘myself’.

  …

  “This place… looks suitable.”

  As I entered a large building similar to an apartment, people turned towards us. Some grew weary expressions, some with hints of suspicion.

  But at the end of the day, we were ‘customers’ of the fine establishment.

  I went towards the reception desk and was greeted by a young woman who looked like she was doing her first internship.

  “Do you have any lodging for 17 people?”

  “Well… There are some available rooms, but…”

  “What?”

  “Um, as you can see, here.”

  The receptionist then proceeded to hand me three maps, which made me ponder for a while until I realized what she was worried about.

  “So each room is separated by three floors?”

  “Um, yes. The rooms can house five or six individuals at most, and the majority of them were already taken as others have reserved a couple of spots.”

  “...I see.”

  It seems we were a bit late to the party, hah.

  Left with no choice, I signed the papers about the designation of the room.

  However, I forgot one simple thing.

  “Um, what sort of currency do you guys use?”

  “Well… we take any sort of currency as long as the value is still within the scope we consider.”

  “How about… this?”

  I took out several sheets of paper made with various ingredients that can't be copied instantly.

  “Oh, ‘Ahn’. We had several visitors also use those currencies, and based on ‘The City's’ current value exchange rate… three days of stay… The total cost is around… at about 127,350 Ahn.”

  “...That costly?”

  “Well… if you would also like to add the limited VIP package. It would total about 298,000 Ahn. Which includes various meal packages, coupons—”

  “Enough, we'll just take the lodging.”

  “Eh? Are you sure–e–e!? There are also other promotional products here and there!”

  As she kept promoting her deals, I became irritated.

  Is this receptionist serious?

  Even from The City, we never had a stubborn-like manner from the Nest.

  If one did so, how would the higher-ups of the district react to such an attitude?

  To demean their ‘consumers’ is against the rules of the entertainment industry of The City.

  Thankfully, someone with a well-mannered experience came to intervene.

  “Sorry for the interruption. But, Ms. Lilia, can you kindly go back to the staff room? I'll handle this.”

  “Eek!? Senior attendant!”

  “What are you gawking at? Please do not waste any necessary time.”

  “Ah, yes!”

  As the receptionist scurried away, I was greeted by a gentleman who had slit eyes.

  “Sorry about that, dear guest. I apologize for her behavior, as you see. This is her first time.”

  “...I could see that.”

  “Thank you for your understanding. In any case, please do enjoy your stay.”

  He then handed me the keys to the designated room and bowed politely in a 90° arc, which surprised the crew behind me.

  “The way you handle it, Mr. Glass. Are you from a Nest? I doubt someone from the backstreet knows those etiquettes—”

  As I held Hans’ dawdling mouth shut, I gazed at them and replied.

  “It's normal during contracts to observe other people. All of you must know how to react; first impressions matter in dealings with people on various occasions.”

  I gave a serious lecture as I handed the keys for the other rooms to Kincho and another veteran of the Campeche.

  I then assigned two of them to manage the rest of the rookies per room, as I will stay with three of them and manage it all by myself.

  I've picked the second-floor room, knowing it would be better to have it in case of an emergency.

  Not too high, not too low.

  Safe to say, it would be a stressful duty.

  But what can I do?

  This was the obligation given to me; I have nothing else to do but fulfill my task.

  Seriously, what was I doing?

  I must write this down later on one of the tablets given to us.

  As we made our way inside, we took our separate routes and went towards our designated room.

  …

  [Date, XXX,

  What should I write down, I wonder?

  There have been a lot of things to document upon but let's first start with what happened.

  We arrived at the northern part of The City, and through some unofficial arrangements and ‘business’ meetings, we've officially gotten permission to go to the exit of one of the districts within the north.

  It was a process that had a lot of intangible documents aligned.

  It was as if our crew was a ‘stock’ traded by The Middle to be invested in this expedition to who knows where…

  All we were given was a bunch of resources and a ‘compass’ with one direction.

  We were briefly instructed on what it does as Lafitte was handed one down, and later, he gave it to Trey, who had far better navigational skills than he did.

  As we arrived at the outskirts, we were humbly greeted by the severe danger its surroundings presented.

  Hounds of bloodthirsty sentient wolves that gobbled our numbers down as they possess teeth covered in feral liquid capable of melting steel and even an alloy made from a singularity of X Corp.

  I highly doubted their teeth weren't a fallen singularity as well.

  What's even worse is the fact that they were a species capable of ‘rationality’, not even the mermaids of the whales were capable of.

  As we ran from those ‘things’, there were even more disturbing elements that greeted us on our way.

  Metallic bugs that attach themselves and detonate.

  Human-like beings that split their bodies apart, revealing a flesh-bloody monster with rows of sharp fangs.

  Dangling wires from abandoned posts that had the skeletal anatomy of a sparrow capable of creating light that burns one's skin.

  Only after we left the place did hostile entities soon disappear from our eyes.

  If you come across this story on Amazon, it's taken without permission from the author. Report it.

  We were then greeted by an infinite field of sand covered in snow coming from the endless hail that covers the sky with dark, looming clouds.

  As time passes by, we eventually discover a strange town that has an odd presence surrounding it.

  After we arrived, we were suddenly greeted by an elderly man named Allen, who introduced us to the rules of the town.

  Although Lafitte gave a harsh impression, the old man wasn't amused in the slightest.

  I bet he even thought of the Captain's action as silly.

  As Lafitte gathered us and instructed our mission to gather information regarding the ruins.

  I was briefly given a part of the responsibility to cater to some of our members.

  It wasn't something I was fond of, but I had no other choice but to take it.

  After all, it was now my ‘duty’.

  Then, as we ended the day in this foreign land and town.

  I told my companions to never let their guard down as we put shifts on night watch.

  We ended the day while being compliant with the ‘rules of this town.’

  Overall, that's how I'll end this log. ]

  …

  [Date, XXX,

  The Second Day.

  I suppose by the time I was writing this, I was still alive despite spending a night outside The City.

  To be honest, it wasn't as atrocious as what I had seen compared to the numerous rumours that were passed down from The City.

  The people here behaved normally, the old skepticism as we first arrived soon disappeared as we spent the night here.

  It was as if our existence was erased from their recognition.

  For me, it was strange that I couldn't believe that people outside The City existed.

  Perhaps we were ‘lied’ to by the city?

  To which I cannot answer.

  I searched for one of my belongings as I took an MRE Ration from a wallet with a large capacity.

  It had a lot of products stored in it despite its minuscule size, which made me think it had the characteristic of P Corp's ever-expansive Singularity.

  How did The Middle provide us with these huge amounts of resources?

  Ah, thinking about it will just make things far more complex.

  After indulging in the ration, I immediately left the lodging and hunted for some clues regarding the ruins.

  I searched far and wide within the corners of the town, meeting Lafitte and Trey along the way, until I arrived at a secluded bar.

  Far from the plaza of this mysterious town, it was hidden in an alleyway that had few customers.

  I sat down, and initially, I was quiet. Looking for an opportunity to hear from rumours here and there.

  But, unfortunately, it was a place where rumours did not propagate.

  And so, I tried my best to excuse myself without ordering anything.

  Until I was stopped by a strange woman.

  She was a polite and seemingly kind fellow who was dressed in business attire, with a coat and a fedora, who wielded a suitcase.

  Her face was seemingly hazy, to which I was skeptical.

  However, she introduced herself as a ‘fixer’ who had gone through the ruins, which piqued my interest.

  We discussed several times, especially what the ruins are all about.

  She told me it was a large upside-down underground city that had several layers of pipes connecting throughout the entire lair.

  As well as the city was shaped like an hourglass, as everything gathered towards the central point.

  Vividly describing the interior as an abandoned urban complex filled with steel and mechanical wires. She said that it was like a civilization that fell and was relocated to a land far from its nest.

  She and her team once explored the outer layers searching for any ‘relics’ or unpatented singularities.

  To which I was surprised she even talked about it.

  I asked why she was telling me all these sorts of things without a price.

  However, she remained silent and dodged the question by adding a cautionary warning.

  She states that once we enter, we'll be greeted by a guide who will be the one to judge all of us.

  And then, we'll be asked to follow an endless corridor to which she simply begs me to never turn left.

  With that said, she took her briefcase as she left the bar.

  If I knew that would be the last time I'd see her, I would've tried to get more answers.

  Needless to say, the day was over as I went towards my reserved lodging, only to find out the four imbeciles, including Hans, whom I was tending to.

  Did nothing but indulge in luxury, depleting our supply…

  Of course, I didn't let that incident just go by.]

  …

  [Date, XX,

  The Third Day,

  Perhaps it's just me, or do I feel uneasy as I wake up?

  I stretched like I used to, even during the days we were sailing in U Corp's backstreets.

  However, just now, I woke up to a murky feeling that I had a sense that I was being ‘watched’ during the night.

  Although I was in charge of taking watch of the first hours of the night.

  When I wasn't on duty, I felt something was peering through me, observing my being, and not just physically, but also mentally, which became utterly repulsive.

  I talked with the recruits, asking if the same feeling occurred within them.

  To which, they all nodded nervously.

  As I asked them about it, one of them stood up and told me that after the clock turned midnight.

  He heard strange sounds emanating from outside as sticky, liquid-like fluids flew from the window of this room.

  It was as if the ‘thing’ outside was aware of us from the beginning.

  However, the recruit ignored it as an oddity.

  This puts us in a tight situation, as I met with Lafitte and Trey in a meeting.

  Several discussions had been led, and Lafitte was able to collect information regarding the layout of the ‘ruins’. Trey and her team were barely able to scurry to the exact location, although there had been a concerning incident.

  Meanwhile… I had nothing valuable other than the information I took from a mysterious ‘fixer’ I met in a secluded place.

  Trey and Lafitte remained quiet. I became wary that they might have thought that, after all of the time allotted, it was the only thing I could give.

  However, it seemed they were convinced.

  After a day spent pondering and discussing, I went to my bed as I reviewed all the information regarding our corresponding circumstances.

  It hasn't been that long yet, but I felt this expedition was far more lengthy than it was supposed to be.

  I sometimes wonder if I could even return to The City safely.

  Or… if I should just stay here, far from the hurdles with the syndicates.

  But even then, there wouldn't be any difference.

  I have nothing else to say, I guess it would be unnecessary to pull out unrelated words, so I'll be ending it here.]

  …

  —Tick

  —Tock

  —Tick

  The sounds of the clock rang in my ears.

  I couldn't sleep…

  No, I just felt uneasy sleeping.

  It hasn't been a week, yet the feeling of dread came crawling up my spine.

  “...”

  I looked at the ceiling, trying to let my thoughts dwindle.

  But…

  “Ah, damn it… This won't do.”

  “Are you okay, Mr. Glass?”

  “...? Where did you come from?”

  Surprised, I glanced towards the side and saw Hans' figure standing nearby, drinking something.

  “What's that?”

  “Mmhm… oh, you mean this?”

  Hans pointed towards the item in his hand.

  However, due to low levels of light, my eyes cannot figure it out.

  “Well… I was searching through the rations given to us and took this out with another set of supplies.”

  “Huh?”

  —Sip!

  After emptying his drink in one gulp, I realized what it was.

  “A milk tea with a boba?”

  “Yep, I don't know how much The Middle really put into us. But, to even have these branded foods that I thought only Nest citizens could afford… Puah! Such a gracious present.”

  “...Hah, you damn runt. If Lafitte ever found you dwindling our supplies again, just for your satisfaction. I'll probably be reprimanded.”

  “Hihi, why the need to sulk that much? We are on the outskirts, remember? If we don't use these supplies, it would be even more of a waste if we died before utilizing even a piece of it.”

  Wow, look at this brat.

  As much as I wanted to reprimand him.

  I also can't help but admire his boldness.

  If the captain were here, what sort of punishment would he impose?

  A shot in the arm?

  Chopping one of his tendons?

  Or death, instantly?

  Ah, several choices lay out in my head.

  But thinking much of it would do me any good.

  As my insomniac nature hasn’t waned, I asked Hans a simple question.

  “Hans, tell me. Was it worth it to leave your ‘home’ for a place like this?”

  “Whoa… Mr. Glass, what’s with the sudden intrusion about my past? Could it be, are you finally interested!?”

  Hans glanced at me with anticipation.

  “Ha, you brat. I’m not interested. Just answer the question.”

  Hans.

  One of the few guys we rescued from the mermaids two months ago.

  Initially, I thought he'd join the middle as he might have some grudge against us for capturing their vessel.

  But surprisingly, he joined us instead.

  I became slightly intrigued as I communicated with this guy often, though I never had the time to get to learn why he joined.

  “Well… if you ask me, it was something worthwhile…”

  “Even if your life is on the line?”

  “I mean, Mr. Glass, have you ever felt the burden of being a mere ‘title’ to show off to your parents?”

  “...What?”

  “Rather than a person, have you ever been deemed as a prized ‘possession’ only to be a ticket to land on the humble cradle of a Nest?”

  “...No?”

  “Then you won’t be able to understand where I’m getting into.”

  “Still, isn’t it enough for me to inquire out of curiosity?”

  “Pfft— And here I thought you were not interested?”

  “...”

  He got me, Hans happily laughed as he dismissed my initial approach.

  This time, I wanted to listen to his story with full intent.

  Not as the squad leader, but a mere companion.

  “N. Corp—Lest, I say. My former district was one that diligently followed a strict curriculum for students. One where we have to take a test each year to prove our ‘Worth’ to the district.”

  Hans stared at his calloused hand.

  “For a citizen of the district's backstreet. Especially in the boonies, we rarely get the chance to prove ourselves, and if we ever pass. There are only a limited number of slots to which we can be selected. After which, we go through rigorous training until we can finally join the Nest.”

  “Isn't… that great?”

  “Maybe, but the selections aren't that easy, Mister.”

  “What gives?”

  “Each test is monitored strictly, without any usage of technology. Students are assigned their respective mentors. I, too, had one. My mentor was strict and disciplined. I heard she was a high-ranking inquisitor who had garnered merits upon taking down various syndicates and urban hazards.”

  “...Impressive. But, are there any other reasons to leave when you are in a situation many will call ‘fortunate’?”

  “...Fortunate? Really? When the only thing your parents are vying for is the commodity known as ‘me’, to earn the rights to live a lavish life in a nest?”

  “...”

  “I don't know if you can even gain sentiment towards me, Mister. However, when we first met. I lied about trying to get a job from U Corp. I… just wanted a reason to get away from them. It was a distant past by now, but I never once recalled addressing my ‘parents’ as such in front of them, not once, and neither do they refer to me as their ‘son’ even once too.”

  “How about your sibling?”

  “...If it were her, I suppose she would survive the household.”

  “Aren’t you just being selfish, leaving her behind?”

  “...I suppose, but she’s different from me. If someone could truly change the world, it would be that ‘prodigy’ they were raising, far from a dimwitted genius such as I.”

  —Grasp

  Hans squeezed his hand, which held the pendant of his family, a ghostly light flickering in his eyes.

  It glowed with a frantic intensity, as if the very world were about to tilt on its axis—a stark departure from his usual self.

  But he was wrong about one thing;

  I, too, knew the weight of that feeling.

  The emotions of distress that reside upon one's heart as if their very essence is treated only as an object.

  Those gazes that held high expectations for your use and nothing else.

  It was nauseating.

  “Anyways, Mister. Have you ever heard the saying, ‘If you don't keep up, you'll fall beneath the wheel’, It is something my mentor once told me.”

  “...Never heard of it, and it seems to be nonsensical in the slightest.”

  “Haha… Unfortunately, no. It's a mockery that my former instructor spoke about my talent. Like a polished stone burdened by a pressure it couldn't contain. She held a grudge against me for wasting her time. For the first time since that incident, when my memory became hazy. I yearned to be free, and that's how I ended up in U Corp's great lake.”

  “What a tragic end, huh. You also got captured by us.”

  “Tragic, eh? At least, right now. I felt like I became ‘free’ from all the expectations. I have a sense my responsibilities and burdens left my body as soon as I was reinstated to Captain's fleet. Besides, it is far better than being a mindless creature of a Whale.”

  “...I guess.”

  As we finished our discussion, Hans and I went back to doing our own respective duties.

  It seems it was his shift by now; however, I still couldn't sleep.

  I turned towards him, who was munching another ration.

  Which only pissed me off slightly.

  However, I looked at him differently now.

  In another perspective, far from that cowardly, naive brat I used to know.

  From a ‘nobody’ who flails and is far more cowardly than a cat to a young man who shares his own slice of a terrible past.

  Anyways, I went to try and dive deep into my thoughts until suddenly.

  A loud spark erupted outside.

  —Run!

  —Damn it, shall we leave them out?

  —Tch, I knew something was unsettling about this place!

  As I heard screams of various people, one voice stood out from someone I knew.

  ‘...? What's happening?’

  I stood up and walked towards the windows.

  As I was about to pull the curtains, a hand caught my wrist.

  “...? Hans—”

  “Mr. Glass, please… stop moving and stay quiet.”

  Hans whispered as I saw his eyes trembling.

  A deep, unsettling purpose took root in his eyes.

  Something had seized his gaze, locking him in a state of pure terror.

  Slowly, I turned toward the curtains I was about to draw.

  There it stood—a shadow of impossible, depthless mass.

  It seemed aware of us, watching, yet it remained anchored, unable to reach into our room.

  Maybe something else was keeping it busy.

  But both Hans and I exchanged glances and nodded.

  We slowly stepped away from the window as I hurriedly reached out for my rifle and instructed Hans to carefully wake the other recruits and explain the scenario.

  I packed our belongings carefully as I kept pace with the ‘thing’ hanging from the window.

  —Grumble…

  A low, yet fluid snoring of a beast mumbles in my ears.

  It was enough information for me to never turn around again.

  As I led the recruits, we carefully turned the knob out of our room's door as I cautiously checked the hallways for safety.

  “There is nobody here…”

  I whispered.

  To which I took the lead and came out of the room as I decided to meet with the others.

  I was about to use a transponder, but heard no reception from the other end.

  So I concluded on visiting the other's lodging first.

  —Knock

  —Knock

  I knocked on the door of the first crew on the third floor of the establishment.

  I waited several seconds for their input.

  However, no response was given back.

  I knocked once more violently and even spoke out.

  But it seems like they were wary.

  Perhaps, due to the nature of the ‘outskirts’.

  It was hard to prove that ‘I’ was one of them.

  Nonetheless, I kept pushing through.

  Until I inevitably made a choice.

  —Bam!

  I took a step back and, using my leg, I blasted the door wide open.

  “...Ugh!?”

  “Ah… Ah… Mr. Glass, what are those…?”

  Tar-thick secretions covered the surfaces of the room, mingling with a heavy splatter of blood and an unidentifiable substance that choked the air.

  Appendages and decapitated remains were strewn about in total disarray.

  The most disturbing realization, however, was the anonymity deriving from this event;

  The carnage was so absolute that their identity had been erased.

  Judging from their clothing, they are undoubtedly from Campeche.

  But the structure of their body was bulging, as if an ambiguous contaminant reconstructed their biological foundation.

  “Shit… We have to get to the others quickly.”

  I hastily closed the door and ran with the recruits towards the bottom floor as I saw the only room familiar to us.

  The only available room that was presented and…

  There it was, an open door.

  A blood-drenched door that has a puddle right in front of it.

  I saw a familiar silhouette of a purple-haired man.

  “Kincho!!!”

  “...Glass, run… away…”

  —Splat!

  In an instant, a flicker occurred, slamming itself onto Kincho, desecrating him, turning him into a red smithereen.

  “...Ah!?”

  “Mr. Kincho…”

  I, Hans, and the others watched in horror as an entity walked down from the door.

  It had bulging arms, eyes, and faces made from black tar attached to a corpse.

  It walked carefully to where the remains of what was Kincho's body and reattached it to its lower extremities.

  “What is that…?”

  —Bam!

  Before anyone could even follow Hans’ words.

  A gunshot rang out from Glass's hands.

  “...”

  He stood quietly observing what he shot.

  The entity was blown apart, but its body soon flowed in a vortex, regenerating its torn parts back into its original form.

  “...Damn it, everyone, head towards the exit!”

  Panic induced everyone as Glass gave his word to the recruits.

  All of them, except for Glass, bolted out to the entrance of the building as he was locked in a fight against the bizarre abomination in front of him.

  He stood his ground,

  Not an ounce of fear.

  But he wasn't numb,

  He held a familiar scent he had always secluded in his heart.

  One that always manages to blind his thoughts.

  Now, it was trying to burst out.

  “Come at me, I'll blast through that strange phenomenon you impose!”

  Glass’s eyes dimmed to show a glimpse of unfiltered hatred.