[537] That Problem (1)
Miro and her party, having fallen into the Abyss, wandered a ruined world stained by the red of dusk.
The apocalypse looked nothing like they'd imagined, which only showed how far into the future the information had jumped.
They'd arrived in a contaminated zone; everything was coated in a disgusting mucus.
"Most of the city's like this. What the hell is this?"
When Miro stomped on the mucus, slimy strands rose up from all around and tried to cover her.
Rian swung his sword and sliced them away; the slime that hit the ground seeped back into the mass of mucus.
Marsha spat out the cigar stem she'd been chewing and barked, "Ugh, seriously! Don't step on that! How many times is this now?"
"But it's fun. Squish, squish."
Fermi peered over the ruined city and said, "The sun's going down. We should find somewhere to rest for now."
Marsha blew out a plume of smoke and moved closer. "The surface still seems dangerous. Those flying things worry me."
"How about that cave?"
Rian pointed to a subway entrance built into the sidewalk. "That'll do. We can't go into most buildings anyway."
Krrr.
A terrestrial creature appeared from around the corner of a block.
They had only been here a few hours, and they'd expected the mucus to have driven surface animals away, so seeing one was unusual.
"Is that a monster?"
It had a huge, lion-like face; its mouth was split to the cheek and its teeth were jagged like hammered nails.
One of the few remaining walking animals in the apocalypse: an Electric Liger.
Ignoring the mucus that coated everything, it strode straight toward Miro's party.
Slime splattered as usual, but bluish electricity crackled across the creature and burned away the mucus in an instant.
"It adapted to the environment. Electric-type monster," Fermi observed.
"I'll take it," Rian said, gripping his greatsword's hilt and stepping forward, but Fermi raised a hand to stop him.
"No. Every magic has matchups. Since I can use every kind of magic, I'm the one for this."
As Fermi swallowed a chip, the Electric Liger charged, emitting electricity.
'Lightning Thunder.'
A powerful bolt struck three times with explosive force; the Electric Liger howled and collapsed.
"Of course, a true mage can break any matchup," Marsha scoffed, wagging a finger. "Come on. You just don't want to waste money, right?"
"That's part of it, sure."
Miro's mouth twitched. 'Clever one.'
The apocalypse was a world made of code.
Fermi had been testing whether the electric property was part of the monster's data or part of the world's rules.
'If it were the monster's data, electricity might be ineffective. But Fermi's lightning hit properly. Even in this virtual world, an avatar and the Laws are distinct, just like in reality.'
Fermi tapped her chin thoughtfully. 'At least for us, death here means death in reality. Finding Shirone quickly is the key.'
Marsha asked, "By the way, how many of those casino chips can you swallow?"
"As many as your stomach can hold. But overuse will give you headaches or vomiting. Why—are you trading?"
"If it's needed for the plan. I'll think about it."
Fermi studied Marsha closely. 'She said she's an unregulated eater.'
It had once been a method of extracting magic, but after experiencing catharsis, her current ability had likely changed.
"Hey, what's your ability? Feels like I'm the only one getting grilled here."
"You're a broker. Introducing goods is your job. I can't reveal mine yet—you know why, right?"
Fermi dodged and pointed with her finger. "That tattoo is nice. Any meaning?"
On the back of Marsha's left hand, where she held the cigar stem, a small tattoo was inked: a dagger shaped like a cross, the hilt drawn like smoke.
"I got it after leaving Galliant Island. I've got a few more. For example…here."
Marsha slipped a hand into the hem of her skirt and pushed it deep beneath her navel.
"Want to see? Want a look?"
Fermi shook her head at Marsha's suggestive look. "I'll pass. Not my kind of hobby."
Curiosity beyond that could be a matter of life and death.
"Let's get inside. The sun's going down."
With Rian in the lead, they descended the subway stairs. An overturned train lay in a tunnel that seemed to stretch forever.
Miro cast Shining to light the way and said, "Luckily there's no mucus in here. Still—don't stray too far from the entrance."
Kiyaaaaa!
As she spoke, a horrific scream rolled in from deeper within the tunnel.
"Please! Help! Please!"
"Eat! Eat! We eat!"
Incomprehensible cries echoed through the tunnel and Miro's party immediately assumed fighting stances.
"Hey, you."
A man's face peered out as a ventilation grate rattled free beside the tracks.
"Don't go that way. The subterraneans will eat you. If you want to live, come this way."
'Even if he says that…'
No one was entirely trustworthy.
Kiyaaaaa!
Another scream. Miro made a decision.
"Let's follow him. Whatever we fight, it's better if we can at least talk to them."
Now that she thought about it—
The man spoke their language.
They dropped down under the grate into a narrow tunnel. After walking a few dozen meters, the man opened a steel door set into the wall and said, "Come in. This is my home."
The room, converted from an engine room, was filled with devices of unclear purpose—digital music players, monitors, and the like.
"Dear, what is it?"
"I've got guests. Make some tea."
The man introduced himself as he glanced at Miro. "Long time no see, human. You're Abyss Walkers, right?"
"Abyss Walkers?"
He corrected himself and shook his head. "I mean the people who came in through the Under Coder. Humans who arrived intact, without data loss."
Miro asked, "Is that so? Are you one too?"
"It was a long time ago. I don't know how much time has passed in the real world."
When his wife brought tea, the man offered them seats.
"Sit. My name's Malta. I'm a mage, like you. This is my wife, Curia."
"Hello. I'm Malta's wife."
Miro sat on the sofa and asked, "You're a mage? Why did you end up here?"
"This world's called Apocalypse. It's part of the Abyss. Maybe it's for the same reason you're here. I came in to find my wife."
Fermi noticed Curia's blank expression and realized, 'The information's damaged.'
"In the real world my wife's in a vegetative state. I was a fairly successful mage and I tried everything, but it was useless. So I came in myself, into this hell where my wife is."
"But she's—"
"I know she's fake. But what does that matter? You can't imagine how long I've stayed here. Then one day I thought: the real me is probably already dead. Everything became clear. This is where I belong."
"Is there no way out?"
Malta shook his head. "No. By any means, you can't escape the Abyss. Some lunatic once said otherwise, though."
"A lunatic?"
"His name was Gaold. He looked mad—matted hair, hollow eyes, skin and bones. The subterraneans wouldn't bother eating him."
Miro's eyes flashed. "You met him? Where is he now?"
"He's gone. I asked him how to return to reality. Know what that madman said?"
Malta spread his arms, incredulous. "He said, 'To leave hell, go to the edge of hell.' Ha! Who hasn't thought of that?"
A small smile touched Miro's lips. 'Still pushing forward, Gaold.'
Even if his avatar slept, the information that made him still stretched toward extremes in this ruined world.
"Actually, I did try," Malta said.
He unfolded a hand-drawn map the size of a sheet of paper from under the coffee table. "I went out to try his idea. But I couldn't last a week. Beyond the city it's desert after desert. That man's probably dead."
"No—my friend doesn't die. Not until I do."
Fermi pointed to a mark on the map. "Is this where we are?"
"That's right. I settled here and scouted everything. This world has lots of underground facilities. Buildings have hundreds of rooms. Some are full of mucus so you can't even enter. They call it mucus here."
"What are the tree and sun symbols?"
"Life trees and colonies."
Malta explained the people called the Children of the Sun. "This city has three life trees, so three colonies. Each is ruled by a different governor. They aren't particularly aggressive, but the problem is the subterraneans."
"The howls we heard in the cave?"
"Yeah. They look human-ish but move like they use schema. They can't photosynthesize, so they hunt. They use strange weapons—avoid them if you can."
Malta held up his hands, as if offering everything. "Take what you want. It's useless to me now."
"Ah, then thanks—"
As Rian reached for the map, Fermi cut him off. "No, I've memorized it. We'll rest here today and start scouting the colonies tomorrow."
Rian's hand slipped back. "Resting's not the issue. Use this as a forward base if you like. It's good to see people after so long. Except for that lunatic."
"Thanks. We'll owe you for a while," Miro said.
"Use the facilities as you like. Being mages, we've got plenty of water. I even learned how to recharge electricity. This world has conveniences. If you want to wash, use the bathroom."
Watching Malta's friendly smile, Marsha sucked on her cigar stem and stood. "I'll wash first. I got mucus on me—gross."
"Press the button and water comes out."
Marsha nodded and went into the bathroom, turned on the hot water, and undressed.
"Hah. I'm tired."
She let the shower fall over her and looked at her reflection in the full-length mirror.
The tattoos on her body numbered seven.
Left hand back, right palm, between her breasts, below the navel, inside the left thigh, above the hip bone, and one in a place she couldn't see.
They weren't actual ink but magical tattoos for activating her unregulated eater ability, the Dagger of Depravity.
'Shirone…'
The wounds inflicted by her foster father in childhood had been comforted by the catharsis a boy had given her.
-You can kill me if you want.
The trauma wasn't gone, but she'd developed the will to actively overcome past pain.
A value of life that couldn't be measured in material terms.
'If this can repay my debt…'
She deactivated the unregulated eater and the seven tattoos vanished.
After the shower she dried off and noticed a modern toilet she'd never seen before. She sat, chin on her hand.
"By the way, once this is over, how much'll I get paid? It's time to expand my business. Right?"
When she was done, Marsha looked around. "Where's the toilet paper…?"
Where toilet paper would normally be, there were green and red buttons.
"What's this?"
She pressed the green button. A strong jet of water shot up from beneath the bowl.
Startled, Marsha flinched and stood, peering at the source of the water.
"What the—? Is that a monster?"
To someone used to it it might be trivial, but for Marsha, who'd lived in an older era, it was an embarrassing innovation.
"I want to just—smash it!"
She would have loved to break it, but as a guest she couldn't damage the place.
Five minutes later.
"Ah, that's refreshing."
Marsha emerged, towel-drying her hair as if nothing had happened. Miro, who'd been planning with Fermi, turned her head.
"How was the water?"
"Clean. Oh, right, Miro."
A sly, cat-like smile creased Marsha's lips. "Not going to use the loo?"
That night at midnight, a massive sphere of light rose above the northwest colony of the city.