Story Reader / Main Story / 29 Source Beacon / Story
The vibrant Red Tide fades, leaving behind Cradle's dissipating shadow.
Dammit... Are you some indestructible sewer creature?
...Your strength is beyond my expectations.
I also dread that one on the outskirts... the more powerful Construct within human civilization.
It turns out, my adversaries aren't just you...
Is this the power of "inherited" civilization?
It's about inheritance and pioneering, concepts that are beyond the grasp of a single-celled organism like you, created from the Punishing Virus.
...
Perhaps you're right.
Civilization needs deeper roots to truly thrive.
I will leave and return to the Hetero Zone.
Take this... it's both a gift and a sign of my respect for you, humans.
Why?
Human society is cold and unforgiving, missing the wild freedom and acceptance. I will record human civilization and... breed a better world.
Even though "he" has misled me, this story... isn't finished yet.
"He" is an intriguing consciousness, and perhaps "he" hopes for a different ending.
But... I'm open to more conversations like this with you. Farewell...
Before the words could fall, the red girl had already turned into a phantom, vanishing into the depths of the dilapidated building.
...She got away.
As the "Will" of the Red Tide, she can disappear and reappear at will as long as she's in the Hetero Zone.
The density of the Punishing Virus has decreased...
Need another shot of serum?
Taking out the spare serum, Teddy frowns as she jabs it into the port on the protective suit.
Just watching that looks painful...
...Are you sure you can handle it?
Never mind, you're the Gray Raven Commandant, you'll be fine.
Despite her reassurance, Teddy checks the readings on her protective suit again, only stowing the spare serum once she is sure there are no errors.
What's next? We must be close to the center of Reactor 1, right?
Since Cradle has retreated and we have our protective suits, the density of the Punishing Virus is manageable. Now that we're here, we might as well explore the area.
The city, once bustling with life, is now overrun with weeds. The robot that used to guard the library stands silently, rust forming on its body from the wind and rain.
In the future... if humanity completely disappears from Earth, could it end up like this?
I feel the same way.
You really think so...?
...Yeah, we'll always come back.
This is our homeland; our civilization won't end here.
The Punishing Virus sweeps across Earth, devouring everything that humanity had spent thousands of years building.
In places like the city around Reactor 1, the virus has completely taken over, possibly even giving rise to alien civilizations. However, more significantly, humans have established new strongholds bit by bit.
Exiled in the depths of space, our compatriots refuse to settle down comfortably; they are drawn back to the lands they love like moths to a flame.
Perhaps some people have forgotten their purpose, and perhaps more have considered Earth a part of history.
But there will always be those who remember that Earth is our eternal homeland, the cradle of human civilization.
May you all return home safe and sound.
Deep within the Hetero Zone
The terminal is disrupted by an overly high concentration of the Punishing Virus, with the virtual image flickering in and out, sometimes clear, sometimes blurry.
So it failed after all?
Looks like... you saw this coming too.
I said it before, neither of us had any good intentions.
It's just about using each other.
I thought the timing was right, but it seems... it's still not enough.
Maybe I should explore other ways to strengthen our foundation.
Hmph.
I still need to read more... stories.
Maybe I'll seek other help or take a different path.
We... will meet again.
The wind gradually subsided. The girl in a green cloak sits amidst the Red Tide, slowly turning a new page.
