Chương 61: Chapter 16 Beyond the Gate: The Crimson-Eyed Witch(Part 2)

The sound of her boots echoed across the mountainous wasteland. The footing wasn't particularly difficult to traverse, but occasionally the surface became strangely slippery. Dr. Takatsuki was holding up surprisingly well considering his appearance and age, yet the rapid pace since the Sixth Gate was beginning to show. Even after short breaks, fatigue was visible on his face. I assigned one of the gunners to assist him while the rest of us maintained security. In contrast, she seemed inexhaustible.

She had traveled the same distance as the rest of us. Yet she showed no signs of fatigue whatsoever.

"Appear and greet us. Vanish and say farewell. Oh my, where are you hiding?" She wandered forward as though dancing. Sometimes she literally spun in place. Sometimes she puffed calmly on her pipe. Every movement looked carefree. Every monster that appeared died instantly. Some were crushed flat. Some were torn apart. Others exploded before they could even react.

"The monsters are still weak, but cleaning them up is enjoyable. Speaking of which, Captain—you use water magic, don't you? Why don't you show me?"

"Compared to what you've demonstrated, it'll be pretty unimpressive."

"That's perfectly fine. Everyone starts somewhere." Refusing wasn't really an option after she said that. Besides, we were technically here as her escorts. Whether she actually needed protection was another matter entirely. Still, if someone of her ability was willing to offer guidance, I would be foolish not to learn.

"Then I'll demonstrate the next time an Observer-type appears." Not long afterward, we located the Eighth Gate. Then the Ninth. Then deeper still. Throughout the journey, she eliminated every monster before the rest of us could even react. Unauthorized content usage: if you discover this narrative on Amazon, report the violation. I couldn't deny that it made things easier. At the same time, every floor reinforced the same question. Why exactly were we here as her bodyguards?

"I'm having fun, but I'd like something with a little more bite." She casually crushed another unfamiliar monster as though crumpling a piece of paper. At this point, if I were ordered to evaluate her threat level, I would honestly conclude that embracing a monster offered better survival odds than opposing her. If someone did attack her, she'd probably eliminate the monster first and then continue smiling as though nothing had happened. Everything about her remained consistent. Not hostility.

That wasn't the right word. Enthusiasm. Enjoyment. Those described her far better. She spoke with us normally enough. But right now, monsters clearly held her attention far more than people did. Thankfully, she was on our side. And not one of the nightmares produced by the Gate. After passing the Tenth Gate, Dr. Takatsuki finally spoke up.

"... I'm getting tired. Chloe, how about a break?"

"Of course. Sorry. I got carried away and completely ignored you."

"No need to apologize. I prepared medicine specifically so I could keep up. Still, I never expected the terrain beyond the Sixth Gate to be this exhausting." He sat down and removed his shoes. Massaging his feet, he laughed.

"Though I must admit, medicines created through a class are incredible. Normally I'd be exhausted before even reaching the Fifth Floor. Yet by combining ordinary Earth ingredients, I can move like this."

"No helping it," she replied.

"This place is basically where they dumped everything they didn't need."

"The medicines too?"

"The weapons, maybe not. But the medicines probably exist because someone asked for them. They only care about creating things. If they made the top three versions, then they likely spent the rest of their time modifying and experimenting with them."

"Even though they already had a completed product?"

"Completed products are finished. If you're making magical medicine, then naturally you'd want to weaken it. Expand its effects. Narrow them. Sharpen them. The weak medicines on upper floors are just rewound versions of something more complete. They can't help themselves. If there's a highest point, then they also need a lowest point." Dr. Takatsuki rubbed his chin thoughtfully.

"I can't say I completely understand... though perhaps I do. The act of creating itself is what matters."

"That's the impression I got from talking with them." I listened quietly. The implications were disturbing. If upper-floor items represented unfinished or weakened versions of completed creations, then deeper floors would contain increasingly refined products. Closer and closer to whatever Soths considered perfection. Class information became clearer once someone acquired a class. Monsters, equipment, and medicines did not. Those had to be discovered firsthand.

"First. May I ask something?"

"If I know the answer, certainly."

"If monsters become stronger the deeper we go, then couldn't we simply remain on the upper floors and continuously cull weaker monsters? Wouldn't that prevent another outbreak?" I was thinking about the Akihabara Gate incident. The one hidden from public knowledge. If the weaker monsters were eliminated regularly, perhaps large-scale incursions could be prevented. She tilted her head.

"Maybe this time. Maybe not. We don't even know exactly how outbreaks work. But tell me, Captain. What is a completed product?"

"... What?"

"For example, what would be the completed form of an Artillery-type?" She smiled.

"More arms? Faster firing? Larger caliber weapons? Or perhaps no limbs at all. Maybe it abandons its entire body and becomes nothing but a cannon." A chill ran down my spine.

"They'll create every possibility. Gladly. Because that's the point." I suddenly realized how complacent I'd become. Perhaps seeing her overwhelming power had made me optimistic. People naturally assume that everything has an ending. A conclusion. My parents died in a tsunami. That tragedy ended. Disaster relief operations ended. Every event eventually reaches its conclusion. But according to her, Soths never stopped. They created endlessly. Weapons. Medicine. Rings. Even immortality.

If creation itself was their purpose, then there was no final destination. No point of satisfaction. Only more experimentation. More possibilities. More results. And if stronger creations continued appearing... What happened when new monsters pushed older ones upward? What if today's Observer-types were eventually replaced? What if something far worse occupied their place? Not years from now. Decades from now. Generations from now. The future suddenly felt much darker.

"You should become stronger," she said casually.

"Unless you'd like the planet turned into a death world."

"... Is negotiation impossible?"

"Oh, there's always a seat at the table." She smiled.

"This time, negotiations worked." Then her expression softened.

"But next time? I don't know."

"Why?"

"Because we don't have anything left to bargain with." My throat suddenly felt dry. The saliva in my mouth turned thick and unpleasant. She spoke as though discussing the weather. Yet the future she described was terrifying. The beautiful girl sitting before us had once been trapped inside a Gate alone. What had she seen? What choices had she made? What had convinced her to negotiate with beings like that? I didn't know. But I did know one thing. I was a soldier. My duty was to protect this country.

No matter how difficult that task became.

"First," I said after a moment.

"Would you mind extending the break a little longer? I'd like you to evaluate my magic." She exhaled a thin stream of smoke. Since she'd asked to see it earlier, I doubted she would refuse. Unless, of course, one of the stronger monsters she'd been hoping for appeared first.

"What kind of magic?"

"Water." I pointed toward a boulder roughly five meters tall.

"That rock will be my target."