Endless Debt

Chapter 1243 - 60: Internal Security Department

In the void, flights of stairs twisted together like a mass of tangled roots. They coiled and overlapped, forming a gigantic spherical knot, as if a colossal, chaotic tree were growing in the emptiness.They extended in different directions and angles—some spiraling upward, some stretching downward into a mist-like Abyss. The stairways varied in shape and design: some smooth and straight, some winding and serpentine, some thick and solid, some thin and pliant.

At this moment, Bologue was standing on one of the root-like extensions of that massive knot. This particular root branched again into several flights, and at the end of each stairway there was a safety door.

After briefly appreciating the scene, which could only be described as eerie, Bologue sat down directly on the steps, lazily stretched out his legs, assuming a posture of taking a break.

Bologue had no idea where he was. There had never been such a sight in the Cultivation Room. A hazy dim light emanated from the surrounding void. Looking down along the root, into the depths of that huge knot, he could clearly see that this blurred glow was being released from those clustered masses.

Exactly the same light Bologue had just seen in the office level.

With prior experience in mind, Bologue refrained from rashly investigating this light. If it resisted him again and, in passing, dragged out a group of monsters disguised as Field Staff, Bologue had no desire to keep running for his life.

Bologue let out a long sigh. It was rare for him, in the course of his work, to encounter such an unfavorable opening.

He checked the Ethereal Line coiled around his waist. This rope that existed between the real and the unreal was quite interesting. In high-intensity combat it seemed to completely phase out and vanish, only reappearing when the surrounding Ether flows settled down.

Seeing that the Ethereal Line was still firmly wrapped around him and continued to stretch off into the distance until it disappeared into one of the safety doors, Bologue couldn’t help but feel a bit relieved. Amid a pile of trouble, this was one of the few good pieces of news.

"First, I need to find a pattern."

Bologue muttered to himself; this seemed to help ease the loneliness of moving alone.

He stood up and looked toward another nearby root. On the narrow stairway, Bologue stepped back a few paces to leave himself room, then took a short running start and leaped with all his strength.

The instant he left the stairs, Bologue felt the gravity that had been binding him vanish. Maintaining his direction of acceleration, he flew toward the other root as if in flight. But just as he was about to draw close, Bologue clearly sensed a pull coming from the root—a feeling like being recaptured by gravity—and he landed steadily on another set of steps.

Bologue turned around to look back in the direction he had come from. After a moment’s thought, he realized that this chaotic Ruins District did in fact have rules that could be probed.

For example, the gravity here was determined by the "ground."

"What a mess."

Now, looking again at the huge knot and the roots extending from it, Bologue tried to construct a force-analysis diagram in his mind, but the result was nothing but a tangled jumble.

"By the way, why is that light here as well?"

Standing on the edge of the stairs, Bologue looked toward the hazy light below. He took a notebook from his coat and glanced over the Order Bureau’s files, unexpectedly discovering that they did in fact have relevant entries.

In the Order Bureau’s official records, during the first few explorations of the Ruins District, they had also found this light in different areas. But back then, its intensity was only comparable to a searchlight; eye-catching, but not enough to draw the Order Bureau’s attention.

Bologue was certain that the light recorded in the files and the one he now saw were the same. It was just that, after several years, this light had turned into a tiny burning sun.

Drawing a deep breath, Bologue turned and walked toward the end of the stairs, where a safety door was waiting for him.

"Next is understanding the pattern."

Bologue kept muttering as he cautiously pulled open the safety door, carefully poked his head through, and slowly stepped in with his whole body.

What met his eyes was a bizarre factory. Countless pipes and cables intertwined, forming a massive network, like an enormous spiderweb.

Bologue activated Ethereal Concealment and hid himself in the shadows. The Rhombus Shield floated in front of him, piecing together an iron wall. In this environment of pure steel, the thing was very well-suited for hiding his silhouette.

"Thirteenth Experimental Zone."

Bologue noticed a huge marking painted high overhead, and beside it was another familiar emblem.

A serpent coiled around a fruit.

This was a Sublimation Furnace Core... or rather, a former Sublimation Furnace Core.

He had not expected the safety passage to dump him here. Just as Bologue was still taken aback, several figures slid silently into his field of view, their steps utterly soundless.

They were figures clad in heavy Protective Clothing, carrying a long table. Bologue edged a little closer and once again heard those slightly distorted voices.

"Faster. According to the Decision Room’s orders, the project needs to speed up."

"I know... I know."

The voice was utterly devoid of emotion, hollow like a machine.

Bologue lowered his breathing. He was sure that what was hidden beneath those Protective Clothing suits had to be those monsters.

At some unknown point, such monsters had filled the Ruins District. They imitated the staff, trying to replay everything within the Ruins District back into its former state.

As for the long table they were lugging in that nearly idiotic fashion, Bologue suspected that, in their eyes, it was some kind of equipment component they were carrying to an unknown project.

"Have you heard?" one of them said. "There was an intruder in the Logistics Department today."

"An intruder?" another asked. "Did they catch him?"

"Not yet. The Field Staff went to pursue the intruder, but after a brief clash, he managed to escape."

"So that means there’s an intruder hiding in the Cultivation Room right now?"

Cultivation Room?

Bologue was surprised. They still regarded the Ruins District as part of the Cultivation Room... Strictly speaking, that wasn’t wrong. One portion of the Cultivation Room had fallen into chaos; another portion still maintained order.

"Yes, yes... It’s been a long time since the Cultivation Room has been this lively."

They continued their conversation.

"Ever since we successfully repelled the King’s Secret Sword’s incursion years ago, I thought no one would ever set their sights on the Cultivation Room again."

"That was truly a great defensive battle," it went on. "We blocked the King’s Secret Sword—they didn’t even manage to breach the Cultivation Room and fell outside."

In the shadows, Bologue froze.

The Order Bureau’s official records clearly stated that Overlord Xilin had invaded the Cultivation Room and unleashed his terrifying Power of Command indiscriminately. He not only killed a large number of staff, but also destroyed part of the Cultivation Room’s structure, giving birth to this twisted Ruins District.

But now, in the cognition of these monsters, the secret war had taken a completely different path.

Overlord Xilin had been intercepted before he ever set foot in the Cultivation Room, and to this day, this towering, sky-piercing construct had never been breached by any hand.

"How long do you think this intruder can keep running?" the monster—or rather, the Ruins District’s "staff"—continued to ask.

The other staff member stopped. It raised its other hand and glanced at a nonexistent watch. "I’d guess he’ll be caught within another hour."

The staff member understood what its colleague meant and let out a raspy laugh. "Right. According to regulations, if an internal crisis event occurs and the staff can’t resolve it within two hours..."

The other colleague finished the sentence.

"The Internal Security Department will deploy, to ensure the safety of the Cultivation Room."

It paused, then added again, "Those ’guards’ are far more ruthless than the Field Staff."

"Can’t be helped. That incursion by the King’s Secret Sword provoked such fury," the staff member said. "Since the Cultivation Room was established, no external enemy has ever dared set their sights on this place... The mere idea that someone might be able to break into the Cultivation Room is an insult to us."

"Not to mention that after that incursion, the King’s Secret Sword didn’t give up and launched several small-scale intrusions into the Cultivation Room... Speaking of which, where do you think they squeezed in from? Like a pack of vile rats."

Even after they had gone far and disappeared from sight, Bologue remained motionless in the shadows.

His gaze was slightly vacant. He was neither puzzled by the near-rational conversation between the two monsters, nor shocked by that utterly different, erroneous version of history.

What truly plunged Bologue into confusion was the thing they had mentioned inadvertently—that existence which was utterly unfamiliar to Bologue yet, to them, was something all too familiar.

The Internal Security Department.

Bologue could be certain that the Order Bureau had no such department.