Chapter 97: Lower Realm Disappearance Case 2
“Malraaaang…”
Floating downward through the realms with electromagnetic force had its perks.
The first advantage was being able to take in the grandeur and mystique of Ark at a glance.
Residential Zone, Hunter Zone, Labor Tier, Entertainment Tier, Bustling Tier.
Each zone and realm was larger than the satellite city of Zain, like an enormous anthill or skyscraper.
Countless buildings, clustered together or floating in the air, formed this last grand ark of humanity.
‘Well, for an ark, it’s quite huge…’
Originally, Ark was humanity’s final refuge and the base of the last resistance.
But over time, it managed to fend off Calamities and Gates, drawing people together.
Now, it had grown into a colossal city the size of the Australian continent.
Its sheer size was awe-inspiring, but Ark was now shifting toward defeating Calamities and expanding outward.
It was said that many ordinary residents of Ark had never even seen a monster or Calamity in their lifetime.
In a way, it signified a remarkably stable and peaceful era.
“Marlang, is it fascinating?”
“Malraang!!!”
【He says it’s fascinating.】
I knew that already.
Marlang’s eyes sparkled like stars, brimming with excitement and anticipation.
Turning his head rapidly in all directions, he looked like a newborn seeing the world for the first time.
Well, Immortal Girls and small children weren’t so different after all.
Immortal Girls, usually isolated outside Ark with Sohi, were somewhat aged despite their youthful appearance and mental state.
However, they lacked worldly experiences and exposure to diverse sights.
Descending further down, each realm showcased distinct architectural styles.
The colors of the walls and metals changed.
The quality of the buildings, pipes, and wires began to transform, gradually revealing the familiar appearance of Magrid’s lower realms that Alice knew.
At that moment, my vision and internal perception slowed dramatically.
Theresa accelerated the time inside my mind.
【Human, someone has targeted us.】
‘What?’
【Detected: Guided Magic, Precision Shooting Systems, Anti-Aircraft Tracking Systems, Ark Enforcement Systems.】
【Total: 56 systems identified.】
【17 tracking magic arrays, 39 physical threat systems. No curses or debuff spells detected.】
I immediately stopped my free-floating motion.
Closing my eyes, I felt countless gazes fixated on me from all directions.
These weren’t just human stares; they carried faint killing intent like an electrical jolt.
Sensing physical pressure from a gaze might seem unusual, but it was easy for me with my heightened senses after merging with Gaia.
Most likely, the stares I felt corresponded to the guided magic and anti-aircraft tracking systems Theresa had mentioned.
‘Last time I was in Magrid’s lower realms, there weren’t any anti-air systems or obstacles.’
Could news of the kidnapped academy students have already reached this area?
【Human, what should we do?】
Instead of answering Theresa, Alice released the acceleration.
Then, stabilizing herself midair, she launched her body like a cannonball.
-Bang!
“Ma-Malraang~!?”
The abrupt change in direction and speed made Marlang cling tightly to Alice in fright.
Even before merging with Gaia, Alice could float quickly with her electromagnetic force.
After the merge, her stats and abilities had multiplied, and she could fully sense and manipulate mana.
It was no surprise that the lower realms’ anti-aircraft systems lost track of her momentarily.
“They’re coming!”
“…!”
“Unidentified entity intrusion!”
“Prepare for combat!”
Alice sensed the panicked movements of those who had been observing her.
The sudden supersonic dive toward the anti-aircraft batteries startled them.
Before the anti-aircraft systems and artillery magic could activate, Alice pierced through them and reached the lower realms.
Those guarding the area were left in shock and fear.
‘Hah, faster than I thought?’
I figured my physical abilities had improved overall, but it was far beyond what I had anticipated.
Originally, as an android, I was already confident in my speed and raw strength, but at this level, the opponent might think I had teleported.
“Wh-Who are you?”
“Who do you think?”
Alice grinned fiercely and drew her Mantis Blades.
Thanks to Theresa’s reassembly, they didn’t hurt anymore, and the menacing, razor-sharp blades emerging seamlessly from my flesh must have looked quite intimidating.
“Everyone, arm yourselves!”
“We’ve detected an intruder on the lower levels!”
“Don’t let them pass under any circumstances.”
The sound of weapons being readied echoed all around, revealing their numbers to be significant.
For a criminal syndicate in the lower levels to have such an elaborate anti-air system, it had to be quite the powerful faction.
Good.
This should make for a decent warm-up.
Alice smiled as she steadily drew upon the energy within her, while Marlang, who was nestled in my arms, pulled out something resembling a large carbine rifle from somewhere.
“Huh? This signal… Could it be a Overseer?!”
“Hm?”
I turned my gaze toward the source of the voice and saw someone dressed in an Executor’s uniform.
It wasn’t something they had stolen or anything.
It was a legitimate Executor responsible for managing the lower levels.
Only then did Alice glance around and realize the symbols of the Executors were embedded everywhere.
I had assumed this was a stronghold for criminals or the mafia with an anti-air network or bombardment system, but it seemed to be an Executor unit managing the lower sector.
“Um, excuse me?”
“Oh, right. I’m Alice, a Class-3 Overseer.”
“Class… Class-3 Overseer…!”
The Executor’s jaw dropped.
After briefly operating the smartwatch on their wrist, they confirmed that Alice’s appearance and code matched the information registered in Ark’s central system as a Class-3 Overseer, and immediately saluted.
“Everyone, attention! It’s Class-3 Overseer Alice!”
“Wh-What?!”
“Such a young girl…?”
“Who’s the one next to her…?”
“Shut up and stand at attention!”
The group, who had been in a panic, quickly straightened up and assumed a disciplined stance. Alice couldn’t help but feel her shoulders rise slightly.
Ah, this was the taste of power.
It was a dizzying yet sweet sensation I hadn’t felt in quite a while.
“Welcome to the Magrid Lower Sector Floodgate Zone!”
The one who appeared to be the representative of the group bowed deeply.
“My apologies! We activated the anti-air system as soon as we detected the movement of an unidentified entity, unaware that it was a Overseer!”
His head seemed to lower further with the weight of his guilt over targeting the anti-air system at me.
“No, no. At ease, everyone. I’m still a rookie Overseer, honestly just following orders to come here. Treat me casually.”
“We can’t, ma’am!”
“Seriously, you can relax around me. You don’t need to bow to a kid like me…”
“We can’t, ma’am!”
“Well, if you insist.”
“Yes, ma’am!”
Honestly, I could somewhat understand why Rilstia occasionally enjoyed throwing her weight around.
It was entertaining, wasn’t it?
It satisfied the primal human desire to stand above others.
“Hehehe, Marlang…”
I set Marlang, who had been burying its face into my chest, down and surveyed the area.
Compared to the sleek and disciplined Executors of the Barrier Agency, they were a bit rough and lacked order. However, true to their purpose of managing the lower sectors, intricate anti-air magic formulas shimmered throughout the area.
I casually waved my hand to signal they could relax and assume an at-ease stance.
The Executors, previously stiff, let out small sighs of relief and loosened their tense shoulders.
“Now that I think about it, I don’t remember there being anything like this before…”
When I originally descended to Magrid’s lower realms, there were no anti-aircraft networks or barriers at the water gates.
As long as one could float like in other realms, it was easy and free to come and go, and that’s how I found out the electricity in the lower realms tasted like mint chocolate.
“Ah, actually about three months ago, an unidentified intruder caused a small mafia organization to collapse in the lower realms.”
“Really? Is the fall of one mafia organization such a big deal?”
“That event itself isn’t significant, but traversing the realms without official flight authorization in Ark is a serious crime.”
“Hmm?”
“If someone can float through the air, they are likely an awakened individual with considerable power. According to the Barrier Agency AI, at the time, no affiliated Overseers or Executors were heading to the lower realms, so it was suggested they could be a dangerous unregistered awakened individual or a serious criminal.”
Alice suddenly recalled the events from three months ago.
Come to think of it, there were plenty of people and drones flying around Ark, but they were always either Overseers, Executors, or drones.
There were probably Hunters who could fly, but strangely, they all insisted on walking in the Hunter Zone.
“Oh, so that was illegal?”
“Of course, Overseers have immunity, and walking the skies of Ark to carry out important duties is naturally permitted!”
“Right…”
Reflecting on it, considering Ark’s population, if the air routes weren’t controlled, the already congested realms would become a hellish mess.
“By the way, what mafia was wiped out? It wasn’t one of those honest, tax-paying mafias, was it?”
“No, it wasn’t. Like most gangs, their very existence was illegal, so it didn’t matter. From what I’ve heard, it was the Hush Gang.”
“…The Hush Gang?”
“Well, like most gangs, they survived through drugs and robberies.”
At that moment, memories from three months ago flashed through Alice’s mind.
If it was the Hush Gang, then surely…
“The state of those guys was quite pitiful. Even if they were trash who didn’t pay taxes, they got beaten terribly, robbed, and even tortured with electricity for hours. It seemed like the unregistered individual got into a fight with them or had targeted them from the start, dealing with them mercilessly.”
“………”
The Hush Gang.
Three months ago, Alice had beaten them senseless, playing the role of a righteous Electricity Fairy.
Wait.
So, the dangerous, unauthorized awakened individual flying through the skies was…
Eh, me?
“Well, setting aside the miserable end of the Hush Gang, the higher-ups sent us ahead to investigate the recent Academy student disappearance case while remaining wary of the unregistered awakened individual.”
Ah, I see.
There’s no way an Executor squad would deploy barriers and set up an anti-aircraft network at the lower realms’ entrance just because someone was flying around.
So, it’s not my fault after all!
【What an impressive attempt to shirk responsibility, Human.】
[Even so, I still love Alice, no matter how shameless she is!]
Shut up, all of you.
“Ahem, let’s move past such trivial matters. My orders only mentioned coming here, nothing specific.”
“Yes! I’ll guide you. By the way, about the one beside you…”
“Marlang!”
The Executor looked at Marlang with a slightly troubled expression.
Though I may appear young and barely of age, Marlang undeniably looked like a minor, so the reaction was understandable.
As an Overseer, I could bring him, but any sensible adult would hesitate to let a child descend into the dangers of the lower realms.
“It’s fine. Even if she looks like this, Marlang is old and strong.”
“Are you sure? As you know, once you pass through the water gate realm, you’ll have to proceed alone as an Overseer…”
“Stop right there.”
“Ah!”
I smiled slightly and spread mana, causing the Executor’s face to quickly stiffen.
When I first came here, I couldn’t even sense mana, but now I could naturally mix it with my presence and killing intent.
While my mana capacity hadn’t changed, my skill in handling it hadn’t diminished at all from my days as the Demon King.
Perhaps that was why the Executor looked pale, as if he wasn’t just facing a Class-3 Overseer but the killing intent of a Class-1 Overseer head-on.
Ahahaha, this is it.
“Yes, yes, I understand! That was a slip of the tongue! I will guide you to your temporary accommodations right away!”
“Alright, thanks.”
“Yes, ma’am!”
The Executor bowed deeply, showing me an almost excessive amount of respect.
Later, I learned that Overseers were not just above Executors in hierarchy but were their commanders and something even greater.
“Additionally, Administrator Rilstia has prepared a gift for you in your accommodations!”
“A gift?”
“I’m not entirely sure, but it seems you have been granted ownership of the dolls.”
“Oh?”
The 50 dolls, masterpieces of Earnest Rail and one of Ark’s taboos, had been retrieved by Oriana.
Honestly, I thought they would all be disposed of since they were taboo creations, but Oriana seemed to have pulled some strings.
It appeared that ownership of the dolls had been formally transferred to me.
If I weren’t a Overseer, it might have been a problem, but under Rilstia’s protection as the next Blue Pardak, the dolls and their ownership had all been conditionally entrusted to me, avoiding disposal.
As I followed the guidance, I suddenly felt a familiar presence.
‘…?’
I couldn’t quite pinpoint what the presence was.
It felt like mana I had encountered somewhere before.
It was as if someone’s presence, gaze, or something unknown briefly swept over my back.
I wondered if another anti-air cannon was targeting me, but it was clearly different.
A disturbing and sticky gaze…
‘Ah, no way.’
Surely, something like Gaia wouldn’t pop up again, right?
This is Ark, which is far safer compared to the outside world.
There’s absolutely no way.