Chapter 99: Lower Realm Disappearance Case 4
Lower Realm.
On the surface, it might seem like a place where those discarded by Ark’s fiercely competitive society—criminals, vagrants with nowhere to go—have been pushed, but as an Overseer, I had access to Ark’s diverse array of information.
Once I gained access rights as a 3rd-class Overseer, Theresa could dive into the ocean of information without restriction, and through her efforts, I learned the true purpose of the lower realm.
‘Sacrificial Platform.’
Ark is enormous.
Nearly the size of Australia, this megapolis serves as a vessel for all kinds of humanity, but originally, Ark wasn’t designed to be humanity’s final refuge.
The “Central” area, where administrators and Ark’s privileged class reside, was the original pure Ark, while the various levels, residential zones, and lower realm, including Kowloon, were later expansions developed through technological and magical advancements.
Some people.
Some elites.
Some awakened or next-generation humans were meant to survive and resist the calamities.
However, Ark succeeded in overcoming the calamities, and following that, an influx of “unauthorized individuals” began to flood into Ark.
Non-humans.
Monsters.
Illegal immigrants to Ark.
Criminals.
Originally, Ark sought to kill all these unauthorized individuals, but as the calamities ravaged the world and many refugees poured in, Ark gained some leeway after gradually overcoming the calamities and Gates.
Yet, the lower realm were a different story compared to other residential zones and levels.
To put it bluntly, the lower realm are Ark’s sewer.
Criminals, vagrants, homeless people, and the underclass gather here?
It’s full of gangsters, mafia, and yakuza fighting and killing each other every day?
That’s mild.
The Magrid Step, which I briefly visited before, is one of the better parts of the so-called lower realm.
The real deal lies further below, in the depths of Ark, known as the Abyss.
To sum it up in one word, it’s Ark’s shame and taboo.
It’s a place where failed experiments and waste from Mega Corp are sealed.
A dumping ground for all kinds of trash, where criminals, traitors, rebels, and political prisoners have their limbs severed and are confined.
Ark’s taboo, a repository for remnants of Mega Corp’s failures.
And above all, it’s a place where monsters and humans mix to create their own unique ecosystem.
Calamities don’t target Ark’s central areas directly.
Many monsters or calamities are satisfied as long as they have enough to eat.
Gluttonous [Filth Maw].
[Magnetic Slime Colony] that dissolves organic and inorganic matter alike.
The number of plagues and diseases in this area that you’d never see in the upper levels is immeasurable, and the artificial sun’s light barely reaches here, leaving the place perpetually dark and damp.
【There are three-digit zones for each level here. It is estimated that each zone houses at least 100,000 people.】
‘Estimated?’
【There are no Ark Resident IDs here, so accurate population surveys are impossible.】
“Sigh…”
Now I had to face this Abyss, Ark’s sewer, head-on.
The difficulty was high from the moment I became a 3rd-class Overseer.
No, it’s natural for an Overseer to handle such tasks.
Since the Administrator had pampered me and even promoted me straight to 3rd-class, I had to earn my keep, didn’t I?
But the real problem was…
“True Ancestor Virus… are you certain?”
【All information about the Abyss in the lower realm is uncertain.】
“Well… This place doesn’t have administrative agencies like the Barrier Agency, after all…”
I glanced at the time and saw it was already night.
With little to no artificial sunlight present, the area remained shrouded in darkness, though the distant red neon lights and incandescent glow reminiscent of a red-light district flickered painfully in the gloom, making it difficult to distinguish day from night.
Marlang was giggling inside, playing with her dolls, seemingly enjoying herself, but staring at the smog-like darkness outside made me sigh involuntarily.
“11, 21, 31. Step forward.”
[Yes.]
[Aye.]
[Understood, Alice.]
The moment I muttered, three dolls appeared before me.
The dolls had completely bonded to me the moment Earnest Rail’s control over them was severed and were now easily connected to Theresa’s electronic neural network.
At close range, I could transmit my will to them through something akin to telepathic communication.
“You called, Alice.”
“Come with me somewhere.”
“Yes.”
“Yes.”
“Understood.”
The dolls nodded without questioning my words.
The Silion residential zone where we were located was a place for Executors and Overseers from the upper realm.
Even though this lower stratum teemed with criminals living wrecked lives, no one dared touch this area.
Conversely, this meant the moment I stepped out, I became a target.
【Human, an unidentified communication channel has been detected.】
‘Intercept it.’
The channel was sloppily encrypted, but Theresa had no difficulty breaking it.
Soon, the unpleasant voices of some men were transcribed in a corner of my vision.
-Hey, hey, they’re out.
-A kid?
-Damn, look at that body.
-Looks like one of those weak girls.
-They’ll sell for a fortune.
Sure enough, as soon as we left the zone, some criminals—or traffickers—were lusting after me and the dolls.
Normally, leaving the Silion residential zone would be considered dangerous, but the humans in the lower realm lived such wrecked lives that they likely lost their sense of fear, blinded by greed at the thought of selling pretty-faced girls for profit.
-A face I haven’t seen before? A white-haired girl.
-Looks slightly older than the others.
-Still, she’ll sell for a high price.
Watching Silion all day paid off. We can even abduct ladies touring from Ark’s central region.
Judging by their words, it seemed they had seen me and the dolls arrive at the lower realm and enter the Silion residential zone.
Well, that’s perfect.
I needed guides anyway.
“Doll 11.”
“Yes.”
“Capture them all.”
“Capture or kill?”
“Capture.”
“As you command.”
Bang!
At that moment, mana compressors burst from Doll 11’s feet, and its heavy body dashed forward in an instant.
“What, what the hell?!”
Thud!
Crunch!
“Urgh!”
“Gah!?”
“A-Awakened, it’s an Awakened…!”
“Argh!”
Doll 11 was a masterpiece of battle doctrines and advanced magical and warfare technologies from Earnest Rail, embodied in a single doll.
It wasn’t called a masterpiece for nothing, and the doll could effortlessly take down the lower stratum’s petty criminals.
If the opponent had been a powerful Awakened, it might’ve been different, but there wasn’t a single competent one among those fools.
Dolls 21 and 31 seemed slightly bored, but there was no need to use a butcher’s blade to cut vegetables.
There was no point in dulling the edge of their weapons, even slightly, for such a waste.
“Mission complete.”
“Well done.”
As I patted Doll 11’s head, I could see the men being dragged over with at least two broken limbs.
“Ugh, urgh.”
“Guh…”
【As expected, there are no Awakened among them, Human.】
‘Well, I wasn’t asking to confirm that.’
“Hello. I just want to ask you something.”
“Grr, like hell I’ll talk! Tell those fat pigs running Ark I said to kill me!”
“Huh?”
Crack!
“Gah?!”
“B-Brother!!”
One of the men, who had boldly stepped forward, had his neck snapped cleanly by Doll 21.
“Oh, um. That wasn’t necessary…”
“Apologies. The standard protocol is to execute anyone who insults the final authority.”
“… Sigh. Really? Don’t do that from now on.”
I sighed.
I wanted to avoid unnecessary killing.
Of course, these scumbags were trying to traffic me and the dolls.
If we were truly the pampered young ladies oblivious to the ways of the central world, visiting the lower realm for amusement, we might now be shedding tears of sorrow and disgrace, having lost our purity to those wretched scoundrels’ mockery and insults.
Well, thinking about it, they do deserve to die, don’t they?
“Are you a local resident here?”
“Eek!? M-Me, you mean?”
“Yes, you. I’m here to investigate the blood pollution zone and need a local guide.”
“…..”
“Do you know what blood pollution is? Or at least any strange phenomena…”
“…..”
I gestured at another man to speak in place of the now-dead leader, and the quivering guy cowered, glancing nervously at me.
For now, he said nothing.
Well, it seemed like he didn’t want to talk.
Their leader had just died suddenly. Although these guys were trash criminals, from their expressions and eyes, I could see that long-held resentment, inferiority, jealousy, and rebellion toward those of a higher social status were deeply ingrained.
Well, as people from the lower realm, I suppose it’s understandable.
Most of them were likely driven down here from above, so it’s common for them to be furious and call those from the upper realm pigs.
But that’s not my concern.
While resolving the entrenched grudges and injustices between the upper and lower realms would be nice, that’s not why I’m here this time.
“You don’t want to talk? I have plenty of others to ask besides you.”
-Click!
“Eek!?”
“Ahhh!”
What’s this?
Suddenly, the three dolls pulled anti-barrier stakes out of their wrists at the same time as my words.
The Mana Sparks crackling ominously on them looked quite threatening.
“I-I’ll talk! I’ll tell you everything I know!”
Before I could stop the dolls in my surprise, the trafficker dropped to his knees before me.
【An impressive display of intimidation, human.】
‘I wasn’t intimidating anyone…’
【Human, the person’s mind has already concluded that after you, it will be the others, and if you kill them all, you’ll just find someone else to prove the utility of power anew.】
‘No, I didn’t even give any special orders to the dolls in the first place.’
It’s probably due to the deep involvement of high-ranking executives like Earnest Rail in the original manufacturing stages of the dolls.
Mega Corp executives are infamously obsessed with their safety, so the dolls’ combat programs or minds must have been programmed to prioritize the well-being and vanity of their supreme commanders.
Well, to be honest, thanks to the dolls, things went smoothly.
It’s unfortunate that one person died, though.
Actually, since it was a minor trafficker who died, there’s no need to feel regret.
“We…we are a gang that roams the sluice gate area, collecting tolls from travelers…”
“Tolls from travelers?”
“Yes, the pigs—uh, I mean, people who come from the upper realm to tour the lower realm… We kidnap or blackmail such individuals…”
Are these people insane?
Those who travel from the upper realm to the lower realm are usually either wealthy or members of high-ranking noble families with Hunters or Executors as escorts, aren’t they?
“N-Not always… There are also package tour groups from Guryong…”
“Huh.”
It seems there’s even a cultural practice or atmosphere of openly mocking and scorning the lower realm, turned into organized travel packages.
It’s truly distasteful.
Enjoying mocking others, or nurturing hatred and anger through that mockery, is…
【Human, the Ark’s Central and Overseers prioritize the order that is the Ark itself. Monitoring such inhumane cultures and atmospheres falls into a different jurisdiction.】
‘I know.’
【Human, I report that this is not the most important matter right now.】
‘……’
Theresa was right.
As a mere 3rd-class Overseer, I lacked the power to do anything significant right now.
If I wanted to accomplish something, I needed to gain power first.
Until then, my actions would be nothing more than empty echoes.
“I came here after receiving a report about the blood contamination zone. If you’re a resident of this place, you must have seen or heard something, right?”
“Well… I’m not exactly sure. Viruses and endemic diseases are so common in the lower realm that…”
“You don’t know?”
Clink!
“Eek!”
At that moment, Doll 31’s skewer touched the throat of the man who was speaking.
Really, this one.
I told them not to do that.
You can’t just go around threatening people like that.
【Human, while you say not to, you didn’t verbally command us not to.】
‘Honestly, it’s kind of convenient…’
“T-that! Our big boss would know for sure!”
“Big boss?”
Well, these guys were probably part of some gang.
If they were openly trafficking humans, they had to be backed by an organization.
“Who’s your big boss?”
“D-Dusty of the Hush Gang!”
“Hush Gang?”
Oh, I think I’ve heard of that somewhere…
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“Why is there no report from the gate district brats…?”
Bang!
“Oh, now I remember that face!”
“Which bastard is…?”
It was a familiar face I’d met three months ago.
Dusty of the Hush Gang.
The one who gave me mint-flavored electricity.
Well, the boss of the gang.
He seemed just as surprised to see me as I was to see him, his face frozen in disbelief.
“………….”
“Hi? How have you been?”
“Son of a b—…”