Story Reader / Collab / Untold Naraka / Story
Celica.
Yes? What is it?
Do you still remember that... "School of Sapienism"?
... I don't know what you're talking about. If you're talking about things during the beginning of the Post-Pandemic Age, that's too far in the past for me.
...I do recall them disappearing during the early Post-Pandemic Age.
A school of more than a million people suddenly declared to the public, "Humanity is dead. We shall sail on this Ark, known as Earth, to the very end." right before they disappeared.
...Seems like they were just talking out their—
Well, saying "humanity is dead" isn't that confounded.
...That doesn't sound like you.
...No, I just find their sudden disappearance peculiar.
I proposed this question to Nikola as well.
They may have been an established organization during the Golden Age, but "Sapienism" was condemned as a doomsday cult for claiming that, "humanity's value is in memetics, not genetics."
As a result, the World Government's intelligence agency rounded up the believers on the grounds of suspicious behavior toward the end of the Golden Age.
What happened? I never saw a report about that, which means...
Correct, their operation didn't yield any meaningful results.
Special forces raided 300 safe houses and rallies around the world, but not a single person was caught.
Of course, when Nikola reported it afterward, he said they had already disappeared. Their declaration wasn't live. It was pre-recorded.
And they really did... just completely disappear from the world stage.
So... you've never found any trace of them after that?
No, they were gone without a trace—never to resurface.
Shortly after, the Punishing Virus began to spread.
The World Government had to quickly adapt to combating the Punishing Virus, so no one cared about the school.
—Perhaps, even today...
...You mean...
If it's really the "School of Sapienism" down there... After all these years, perhaps this will solve a small mystery.
What if they run into unforeseen danger in the facility?
The Task Force is perfectly capable of evacuating if necessary.
As for any issues after that... That depends on the school's motive for fleeing underground.
All clear!
Lucia raises her blade and defeats the last standing mechanoid before sending the "all-clear."
We're all clear here, too!
Having resolved the immediate threat, the Gray Ravens and you regroup after splitting up to clear the area.
There were a lot fewer mechanoids here compared to the group that just left.
...If they were heading for where we came in, they should have been back by now.
So, they must've gone somewhere else...
The mechanoids are hostile to us, but they don't contain a high level of Punishing Virus. They aren't corrupted, just like the mechanoids we saw before.
Is there any identifiable information? Model? Manufacturer? Serial number?
...No.
The only identifiable marking is the symbol hidden by their joints...
...? Isn't this...
Ever since we came in here, this symbol has been on the cloth draped on the buildings and scattered throughout the facility.
So, all we can say is that this underground city has to correlate to the mechanoids.
...But this is plainly obvious at this point.
...Each question only results in more questions.
Watch out! A large number of signals incoming!
Take cover, everyone!
Lee and Liv climb up the wall hurriedly. Lee breaks a dusty window with his elbow, and the two enter the building before throwing down a rope.
After making sure that you have climbed in with the rope, Lucia brings up the rear.
I'm in... What's wrong?
Have a look yourself.
What emerges from the darkness in front of everyone is a room that can only be described as "empty."
There are nothing but walls on all sides besides the window they have entered from. There are no doors, let alone sockets, lights, or any other fixtures.
Looks like this isn't actually a town. it was just made to look like one.
It doesn't serve any real function. It's all just a facade.
(The signal has reached the bottom level.)
(Let's take cover.)
(Roger. Let's see what it is this time.)
Lucia and Lee poke their heads out of the window and look along both directions of the street—
(Over there, coming from the end of the street.)
Dozens of mechanoids line up in two rows, emerging from the end of the road with a flurry of footsteps.
Future. Is. The. Void! We. Don't need. A tyrant!
No leader! No tyranny!
The Void! Is TRUTH! Centralization! Is FALSE!
WAR! WAR! ONLY WE PREVAIL!
The mechanoids proceed onward, chanting and repeating.
(Something's off. These mechanoids... seem different.)
(...What do you mean?)
(Look... The mechanoids we saw earlier were red.)
(But these... are blue.)
(Are they a different faction?)
(It's unclear. But for now... we should just let them pass.)
(Right. Better not stir up trouble.)
(Are you okay, Liv?)
(I'm fine. Compared to the fighting in the Post-Pandemic Age... this is nothing.)
(Is that so... Don't overexert yourself.)
(I... I won't!)
You all kneel by the windowsill, looking outside intermittently until the dozens of mechanoids disappear from sight.
(They're gone.)
You divide into two groups and rappel down.
The mechanoids seemed to be heading toward where the other mechanoids had previously gathered...
What... are they up to?
Let's go check it out. I think we're close to getting our answer.
I am the Alpha and the Omega. I am the arbiter. I am everything.
I am the cunning fox. I am the dreadful lion.
I buried Father. I built his kingdom. I released blood and the beasts sealed in Heaven. I crowned the champion.
As before, I look forward to victory. I look forward to extinction. I look forward to the coronation.
I rebuilt this city. I released the beasts. I gave the orders. I started the fight.
I stand at the periphery watching everything unfold.
I see their assembly. I see their march. I see conflict. I see war.
I see murder. I see death. I see existence. I see rebirths.
I see everything.
I see the end of it all. I welcome it.
I crown the champion.
An endless cycle of rebirth and death... We will unearth Father. We will announce the end.
Father will rise. Father will prevail. Father will be victorious.
And then, the "Sapiens" will live. On the surface. For eternity.
