"Been in ARC City too long, almost forgot what other cities look like."
Several hours later, a civilian airship slowly descended onto the tarmac of South Asia's largest city airport. Following the flight attendant's guidance, Ren and Kiana successfully reached their target city.
Upon entering the city, towering skyscrapers immediately met their eyes. Both sides of the bustling streets were lined with lively commercial shops. The asphalt roads teemed with people coming and going; as far as the eye could see, it was packed with crowds.
However, despite both being bustling cities, after getting used to ARC City's holographic projections and maglev trains, this place felt significantly behind.
The hawkers' cries along the roads were chaotic and noisy, the blare of various promotional loudspeakers grating on the ears. Although the towering buildings were majestic, closer inspection revealed many signs of age and decay.
Perhaps it wasn't so much that this place was backward, but that ARC City had developed too quickly. In comparison, this felt more like the normal state of a major metropolis.
"After all, Honkai disasters in Shenzhou have been recorded since ancient times. In the process of fighting 'demon beasts,' countless capable individuals emerged. Guided by the Immortal Phoenix, these individuals established numerous powerful sects."
"Although these sects gradually faded into obscurity with the passage of time, their foundations were transferred into scientific research industries."
"Under these circumstances, Shenzhou's technological level is at least ten years ahead of other countries. And ARC City, chosen by World Serpent as an experimental zone, is a prime example."
Ren explained as they walked, glancing at the roadsides. He noticed that besides the modern high-rises, there were also numerous buildings with sharp, pointed domes.
"This is a country with a very strong religious influence, so symbols related to local church beliefs are everywhere. If you're interested, we could go take a look," he suggested, looking at Kiana.
Although curiosity flickered in Kiana's eyes, she ultimately shook her head. "Let's skip it. Business first. Himeko said there are still many refugees waiting for rescue; let's investigate properly first."
"As you wish."
However, the intel mentioned that the area surrounding this city had suffered severe Honkai disasters. Yet, looking at the city's current prosperity, it didn't seem like a place with a large number of refugees.
Could the intel be wrong?
Kiana took out her phone to check. The marked location was indeed this area, but the organization they needed to investigate, the [South Asia Disaster Relief Association], didn't seem to appear on the map.
"Logically, an organization capable of receiving long-term material aid from Schicksal shouldn't be small. After all, it's responsible for Honkai relief work for the entire country; its own footprint must be considerable."
Kiana opened her phone's map app but found no relevant information either. Even searching related news only yielded a few brief lines of praise.
"By the way, Ren, don't you have a phone?"
Ren did, of course, but he rarely used it in daily life. Besides, his phone was currently in Li Sushang's possession – could he really admit that?
He shook his head, changing the subject. "Perhaps the organization's base is located in the suburbs. Since they regularly receive supplies from Schicksal, the suburbs would certainly be more convenient."
Having decided, the two headed towards the outskirts. Their initial plan was to grab a local taxi, but the moment drivers heard they wanted to go outside the city, they all shook their heads and drove off.
"What's going on? They seem to be avoiding going outside the city?"
"Perhaps... we guessed right."
Something unusual was definitely going on. Even ARC City couldn't completely cut off ties with its suburbs. No city, however self-sufficient, could sustain such a large population entirely on its own. Furthermore, Ren saw more than just refusal in the drivers' eyes; it looked more like fear.
"Let's go. I want to see what this organization is all about."
Following the road onward, they soon reached the city limits. Surprisingly, the outskirts of such a modern city were fenced off with rings of corrugated iron barriers. Atop watchtowers constructed from welded rebar, patrol guards armed with old-fashioned rifles stood watch vigilantly.
The moment they approached, several gun barrels aimed their way.
"#¥#@"
A man in a tattered military uniform spoke in the local dialect, sounding like some obscure language. Although neither of them understood, judging by his attitude, it definitely wasn't anything friendly.
Frowning slightly, Ren's expression shifted. The man's abdomen suddenly caved inwards, as if struck by a heavy blow. He doubled over in pain, kneeling on the ground.
Just as Ren was about to directly control the man to interrogate him, Kiana gently squeezed his fingers. "Don't use Honkai Energy."
Retracting his power, Ren closed his eyes. Leveraging the powerful learning network of his hive consciousness, he quickly grasped the obscure language based on the few sentences the man had spoken.
Opening his eyes again, he asked directly, "We're planning to go outside the city. What's the situation out there now?"
Seeing Ren, who clearly looked like an outsider, speak fluent local dialect, the guards exchanged glances. Finally, the youngest one answered him, "Those outside the city are sinners punished by the main god. Contact with them is forbidden."
Divine punishment?
If I'm not mistaken, that should mean Honkai. But this kind of city segregation disappeared after Schicksal rose to power in the Middle Ages. Why would it reappear in modern society?
"What if we want to go out?"
"No one is allowed in or out, understand?"
Just as the young guard finished speaking, the sound of a car horn came from outside the wall. A guard on the watchtower glanced over, then waved his arm. The supposedly impenetrable wall actually opened its gate.
Pulling Kiana aside, they watched as a military truck, fully loaded with cargo, drove into the city from outside. The truck bed was covered securely with camouflage tarpaulin, but Ren still caught sight of a few familiar words through a gap.
[Honkai Energy Inhibitor]
Beside the text was the Schicksal organization symbol.
"Tsk, figures there's a problem."
Without lingering, the two left the checkpoint area.
"The city is running stably, clearly hasn't suffered Honkai corruption. If there's no Honkai, why are inhibitors being transported into the city from outside? Himeko said this area suffered large-scale Honkai disasters before. It's impossible that all the victims have already been rescued."
"Then the answer is simple. Let's go check outside the city." Not wasting time with the checkpoint, Kiana grabbed Ren's hand, found a secluded corner, and teleported them directly outside the city walls.
However, the moment they arrived, thick, choking smoke assaulted their nostrils. The air hung heavy with a nauseating stench.
In the distance, amidst piles of garbage, a black mass was burning. Many naked children rummaged continuously through the trash.
Ren frowned deeply, because he noticed the burning black substance... was a corpse.
And looking around, there were countless such burning pyres.
Glancing back at the towering skyscrapers within the city walls, a sense of grotesque absurdity washed over him.