Chapter 4: Chapter 4

And what I heard next was shocking news.

As if it were all futile, Ariel set down her cutlery. One corner of her mouth curled up in a bitter, sardonic smile.

"Funny, isn’t it?"

Ariel explained that ever since I had disappeared, not a single resource had dropped from the monsters.

But contrary to that explanation, I had clearly seen Power Stones and High-Efficiency Batteries drop at the first-stage location just yesterday.

"But yesterday, they definitely..."

"That’s why it’s even funnier."

When I tried to question Ariel about the contradiction in her explanation, she cut me off and continued bitterly.

If what Ariel said was true, then it made perfect sense that there were barely any resources left in the base.

So that was why she had returned clutching even those few Power Stones and Batteries so dearly.

"Can you imagine it? The feeling of slowly dying day by day, with no hope that things will ever get better?"

I could not say anything to that.

It was an ending I could easily imagine—and I was feeling its aftermath keenly throughout my entire body even now.

The resources they had once used as a matter of course had only continued to be consumed without any new supply. The psychological pressure that came with that must have been immense.

And in that desperate situation, Ariel had remained alone until the very end.

What must she have thought as she watched her companions cut off their own battery supply to conserve energy?

She could not have taken it lightly.

They must have stopped their meaningless war of attrition somewhere along the way.

Everyone had slowly rotted away in this underground city.

Watching the resource warehouse grow emptier and emptier.

"...Then I suppose it’s my turn to ask a question."

After telling me about everything that had happened with that bitter smile and seeing me remain silently shut-mouthed, Ariel said it was her turn to ask something.

Given the circumstances, the question she was about to ask was obvious and simple.

"Just where have you been all this time?"

But I could not give a clear answer to that obvious, simple question.

This world was actually a mobile game I used to play. I logged in out of curiosity because it was shutting down, then there was a flash of light, and when I opened my eyes, I was here.

...There was no way I could say that to someone with a real personality who was living every day in this place.

At best, she would think I was insane. And even if she accepted it exactly as I said it, that would bring its own problems.

"Well..."

I had opened my mouth because I needed to say something, but I could not think of an excuse to follow it up with.

Meanwhile, even as my words trailed off, Ariel began staring intently at my face.

Staring at me like that would not get her a satisfying answer.

It was impossible for an ordinary person—not even a Replica—to have survived on the surface for all that time. But it also made no sense to say I had been hiding somewhere in this base.

Neither explanation made any sense.

No matter how I looked at it, this was a situation that could not be explained.

In the end, I decided to muddle through this too.

"I don’t really know either."

"What?"

Ariel’s eyebrow twitched at my absurd explanation.

After vanishing as though I had abandoned them for years, I came back and said I did not really know?

"When I came to, I was in my room."

It was the worst possible explanation, and the worst possible excuse.

Still, this was the world of Under City, where so many unreal things happened.

After all, even the player—the Leader—suddenly being discovered on the surface of a ruined world fell into that category.

"Are you saying you somehow skipped through time?"

"Maybe."

No matter what Ariel asked, I gave vague answers, as though I was merely making guesses myself.

"Ha... haha..."

Then Ariel suddenly burst into laughter and bowed her head deeply, her long hair spilling down around her.

"If that’s the case, I can’t even resent you as much as I want."

After hearing my fabricated story, she murmured as if sobbing that she could not even resent me freely now.

It was a complete mess of an explanation, one that made no sense, but perhaps she had accepted it because this was a world where all kinds of things happened.

The guilt creeping up inside me felt as though it were stabbing my heart over and over, but I forced myself to rationalize it as a harmless white lie.

"I’m sorry. It was hard, wasn’t it?"

"Yes. So hard... so very hard."

I stroked Ariel’s head as she bent over and sobbed as though she might burst into tears at any moment, leaving her with an apology.

There was not a single lie in how sorry I was.

A small sound of crying mingled with the silence of the underground city.

That morning, quiet yet tumultuous, passed by feeling just a little longer than usual.

Several hours later, in the Leader’s room.

As though she had cried her fill in her private room, Ariel looked much brighter now, even if she was not quite back to her old self.

The reason she had come all the way to the Leader’s room was simple.

"It’ll be hard on your own... but I’m counting on you."

"Yes. There won’t be a problem."

Ariel readily accepted the mission, her first in a long time.

She did not look as innocent and affectionate as she had in the game, but Ariel smiled as if she could at least see hope now.

The operation coordinates were Stage 3-5, where Ariel in her current state could comfortably sweep through alone without overexerting herself.

Normally, a fixed quantity of three types of resources would drop for every cleared stage, but...

"As you know, we have more than enough Available Data. Even if you leave the data behind, focus on bringing back Power Stones and High-Efficiency Batteries."

Available Data was overflowing, so for now, I decided to secure the electricity and energy the city needed.

"Be careful not to get hurt during the operation."

"Yes."

At my final instruction to be careful not to get hurt, Ariel gave a short nod.

Even after hearing all the operation coordinates and instructions, Ariel did not leave the room. She only stared at me.

"What is it?"

"Oh, no! It’s just... it reminded me of the old days."

When I asked the Ariel who would not leave, confused, she startled and answered with a small jerk of her body.

"Hm? Ah... yeah, I guess so."

For a moment, I wondered what she meant, then recalled the game’s story and briefly agreed.

Just as everyone has a beginning, there had once been a time in the game when there were only the player and Ariel.

It had only been the opening ten minutes or so, but it seemed that, for Ariel, it had remained a memory all the same.

"...Then I’ll be right back."

"Don’t get hurt because you’re rushing, okay?"

Watching Ariel brimming with motivation made me worry, so I emphasized again what I had just said: she was not to get hurt.

Yet, as though I truly did not need to worry, Ariel gave me a soft smile and left the room.

This was what properly beginning an operation meant now, I supposed.

In the game, I only had to click the subjugation button once for hundreds of resources to arrive in a second. But now, the crucial question was how long it would take in real time.

It’s quiet.

As soon as Ariel left, the Leader’s room became silent in an instant.

In that loneliness-inducing stillness, I ran a hand across the desk, imagining Ariel sitting here all this time.

Ariel...

I repeated her name inwardly, my expression hardening slightly.

The amount of Power Stones and High-Efficiency Batteries Ariel brought back this time would determine my future course of action.

I could not expect a stable supply just by repeatedly farming the same place.

This was reality now, not a game.

The coordinates corresponding to what had originally been called a stage might simply be something like a gathering place for monsters.

Regular monsters might gather there periodically, but I had to abandon any expectation that I could keep running the same place endlessly and obtain resources consistently, like in a game.

The gap between the game and reality made my head spin.

Anyway, all I could do now was wait.

Had I waited like that for about an hour?

Screeech—

The sound of the manual elevator rang out, shattering the silence of the underground city.

I could hear the gears meshing all the way from here.

Ah, she must be back.

Of course, there was only one person who could be returning here.

I sprang from my seat in delight and hurried out of the Leader’s room to greet Ariel.

As I walked quickly toward the path leading to the Surface Elevator, Ariel’s silhouette came running from the opposite end of the corridor, growing rapidly clearer beneath the dim lights.

"Leader, Leader! Look at this! I got so many Power Stones!"

As though she had wanted to show me as quickly as possible, Ariel came trotting toward me with a face blooming with smiles.

The sack containing only Power Stones was packed full of them, glowing in mysterious colors.

I did not know how many facilities an amount like this could restore, but even a rough count put it at over a hundred.

Even if I gathered every Power Stone in storage, there would probably be fewer than that.

It felt like the first time I had seen her look that happy, yesterday or today.

"Here, I brought lots of High-Efficiency Batteries too."

As though she was not finished yet, Ariel opened the mouth of the other sack as well.

This one appeared to contain only High-Efficiency Batteries, and it too was packed so tightly it looked ready to tear.

With this much, we could pick at least one Replica in power-saving mode and wake them up.

"Didn’t you push yourself a little too hard?"

"I got so excited that I didn’t realize..."

When I cautiously asked because the amount was so extraordinary, Ariel scratched her cheek as though she had been caught doing something wrong.

Perhaps she had been so happy that what had once been a meaningless war of attrition had become something worthwhile that she admitted she might have overdone it.

"Well, as long as you weren’t hurt, it’s fine."

"Leader...! With this much, can we wake up at least one person...?"

As I placed a hand on Ariel’s head and stroked it as though praising her, she asked if we could manage at least one more person.

"Yeah. Let’s go wake someone else up."

Seeing the joy and yearning in her eyes, I readily accepted Ariel’s suggestion.

Not many people could bring themselves to easily refuse while looking at such a desperate expression.

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