Ice clinked softly against the side of the glass.
Flickering purple and blue neon shimmered across the surface of the half-melted cubes.
This was a den for information brokers and mercenaries—a social club in the Upper District that operated under the guise of a strip joint.
Even though the night view of Neo Babel outside was brilliant, the interior was dim, save for the countless optical fibers embedded in the walls that pulsed like a faint heartbeat. Wiring cables hung from the ceiling, crawling across the room like spiderwebs, while a low, thrumming bass made the floorboards tremble.
We were in the VIP room at the back. It was a private chamber designed for clandestine meetings—a completely shielded structure that only allowed designated communications to pass through. It was a favorite of information brokers, known in the underworld as the "Soundproof Box."
I’d used the place a few times; its security systems were reasonably reliable.
Kaya sat in the chair opposite me, crossing her legs as she stared up at the ceiling. She swirled the pale green liquid remaining at the bottom of her glass with a fingertip, idly watching it catch the light.
"Nice place. We didn't have anywhere like this back in the day, did we?"
"...I suppose not," I replied, tilting my own glass.
The water inside was clear and flavorless, lacking any hint of bitterness. At that moment, the holo-terminal on the table flickered to life. A transmission was coming through from the Doctor.
"You found the nest?" I asked.
The Doctor’s image flickered above the terminal, his face set in its usual cynical smirk.
『Yeah. Though there was a section where the signal cut out. Likely a high-security zone.』
The Doctor snapped his fingers, and the hologram expanded into a 3D map that hovered over the table. It was a complete layout of Neo Babel: the Upper District, the Underground District, and the Lower District that spiraled around the tower. A single point began to blink within the blue-framed rendering.
"...That's pretty deep down."
『Yeah. It’s the lowest layer of the Underground District—a region commonly known as the "Black Box." Rumor has it that once you go in, you don't come back out.』
The map zoomed in on the Underground District, revealing a dense cluster of maze-like passages. The lines of the tunnels were as intricate as circuit board wiring, branching out into a thousand offshoots. The red blinking light sat submerged deep within that labyrinth.
『It’s incredibly complex. You’ll hit a dead end if you don't follow the exact route, but...』
The Doctor adjusted the display, and a faint streak of light appeared on the map.
『This is the target's movement route. There are two spots where the signal drops—likely security gates. If you can break through those, you've got a direct 'guided tour' all the way to the bottom.』
I traced the path with my eyes. The red gate markers pulsed like warning lights.
"...Kaya. Anything look familiar?"
I turned to her. Having been the property of the Order, I thought she might know something.
"Not a clue," she said with a shrug. "That area has had a bad reputation for as long as I can remember, though."
"...I see."
"I'll head toward the first drop-off point for now," I said. "I'll be in touch if anything changes."
『Understood. ...Watch your back, Repairman,』 the Doctor’s voice echoed, low and muffled. 『My custom satellite link won't reach the lowest layer. I’d rather not have to come looking for your corpse.』
"I know."
With a light shrug, the Doctor’s image vanished. The holographic light faded, leaving the room illuminated only by the neon blue. The city’s night view played across the wall screens—darkness was closing in, but where we were going, it was always night. It didn't matter.
I threw on my jacket and pressed my hand against the panel next to the door.
"Let's go."
"Right behind you, partner."
The light exchange felt like a ghost of the old days.
The moment the lock disengaged, the cacophony of the club flooded the room. The smell of thick alcohol and electronic cigarette smoke, the roar of laughter, and the low hum of underworld deals being struck.
With all of that at our backs, we stepped out into the night.
Deep beneath the Underground District, the dull sound of rushing water echoed in my ears.
We were in a Large Drainage Channel. The ceiling was high, the walls reinforced with thick concrete. While there were dark stains and patches of grime—a slurry of oil and mud—there were no signs of structural failure. The place was designed to last a century, serving as one of the massive pillars supporting the Upper District. It was built to stay standing.
I looked down at the small holo-route floating above my palm, reconfirming our path with Kaya. A faint blue line cut through the dim waterway.
"...Almost there. The first security gate is just past the next junction."
I spoke in a whisper, and Kaya gave a small nod from beneath the shadow of her hood. Both of us were draped in oversized, heavy robes. To a casual observer, we looked like any other pair of ragged scavengers from the Lower District.
In reality, we were wearing coating equipment—gear layered with simple impact-resistant and electrical-resistant materials. It wouldn't do much against a high-caliber bullet, but it would deflect a stun baton or stray shrapnel. It was "better than nothing" protection.
The journey this far had been surprisingly uneventful. I’d had to blow back the hand of a pickpocket once and slam a tweaking junkie into a wall when he tried to rush us, but those were minor scuffles that didn't even require me to draw my gun. It had been peaceful, in a sense.
Then, the destination came into view.
The waterway was abruptly cut off by an industrial structure: a massive vehicle gate. Judging by the logistics entry path, it was wide and tall enough for a heavy truck to pass through with ease. Simple armored guardhouses sat on either side of the gate. Two guards were slumped lazily in their chairs.
We ducked behind a cluster of pipes a short distance away to observe. Just then, a large truck approached, its engine let out a low, heavy rumble. A device beside the gate glowed blue, and a mechanical voice announced flatly:
《ID Authentication... OK.》 《Dangerous Goods Scan... No issues detected.》
That was it. The truck passed through.
A second truck followed. One of the guards leaned out of his booth, shouting to the driver in a casual tone.
"Busy night. Where's this lot headed?"
"Orders from the top," the driver replied. "Medical district, apparently. No idea what’s in the back, though."
Laughter followed. The air was thick with complacency.
...This place is more of a sieve than I expected.
Kaya gave my sleeve a light tug from within her robe. "Brute force looks like an option."
"No need to make a scene if we don't have to. We'll go in quiet."
I closed the holo-route and focused. Perhaps because of the distance, the "Speech Bubbles" of the men near the gate appeared thin and hazy.
<One more hour 'til shift change... I'm getting a drink the second I'm home.> <God, I'm hungry... when's the next rig coming through?> <Just let me get through and go home. I'm not in the mood for extra inspections.>
It was almost disappointing how little they were thinking. Tension and suspicion were effectively zero.
...Alright, this is doable.
"Kaya, I'm going to cause a little 'accident.' Keep it quiet."
"An accident?"
"A mechanical one."
We didn't rush them. Instead, we crept toward a discarded terminal near the gate. The guards were still preoccupied with their chat with the truck driver ten meters away. They wouldn't hear a small disturbance over the engine.
The power infrastructure for the inspection gate was mounted high up. I pulled a suppressed handgun from beneath my robe and took aim.
Pthun.
With a sharp hiss of escaping air, a hole punched through the device. The machine convulsed, spitting out a shower of sparks. Seconds later, the gate’s alarm began to blare a high-pitched warning.
《Warning: Sub-sensor system error.》 《System Restarting...》
"Huh? What now?"
The guards scrambled to look at the control monitor in the guardhouse.
"Are you kidding me? Again?"
"The damn thing just broke last week!"
Neither of them doubted for a second that it was anything other than a mechanical glitch. Their guard remained at zero.
Taking advantage of the chaos, I reached out, touched the gate, and activated my "Repair" skill. I dialed back the ratio, fixing it just enough to erase the bullet hole without fully resolving the system error.
—Goun.
With a heavy groan, the massive gate shuddered and began to slide open just a fraction.
"Hey!" one of the guards shouted to the driver. "The scan cleared you before it hit the fan! Just get through while you can!"
"I'll log it manually later!"
The truck driver looked confused for a split second, but he didn't question it. He slammed the truck into gear and hit the gas.
Kaya and I slipped into the truck's shadow.
We stayed low beside the cargo bed, moving in perfect sync with the vehicle. I kept my weight forward, killing the sound of my footsteps and ensuring my robe didn't flutter. Every nerve was focused on one thing: staying invisible.
The truck rolled forward. We passed under the gate as if we were part of the machine itself.
The guards' thoughts drifted behind us as we cleared the perimeter.
<What the hell? It’s back to normal? Tsk. Just a glitch. The paperwork is gonna be a nightmare.> <Just my luck. I’m leaving the hardware check for the next guys.>
They didn't even have the presence of mind to look our way.
Once we were completely clear of the gate, the truck began to pick up speed. Kaya and I veered off, leaping into the shadow of the nearby pipes and putting distance between us and the road. The sound of rushing water returned to fill the silence.
"...That was smooth," Kaya whispered with a smirk.
I gave a short nod and let out a breath. "Now the real work begins."
I redeployed the holo-route. The blue line stretched out, leading further into the deepening gloom.
Ahead of us lay the "Black Box." The gateway to the lowest layer—the point of no return.