The Absurd Painting Behind the Monolith (Fourth Update) / The Invisible Third Monolith (First Update)

The thoughtful boy gently tapped on the glass window, combining the information he currently possessed with his plans in his mind.

Soon, the convoy safely passed the outpost along the edge of the megalith and arrived at Midgar Street, where the Tendou Civil Security Company was located.

"You've finally arrived! I thought I'd have to wait until lunchtime..."

After waiting at the intersection for a long time, Enju Aihara stopped the car, pulled Rentaro Satomi was dressed in a school uniform, into the back seat, and expressed some dissatisfaction with Kevin's lateness.

The young boy tactfully took out two boxes of candy and handed them to Rentaro Satomi through Enju Aihara.

Immediately, the rabbit spirit, having benefited, beamed with joy and happily ate the candy, forgetting all about complaining.

Rentaro Satomi smiled apologetically, and at the same time conveyed the instructions from his boss, Tendou Kisara.

"Sister Jill has already gone ahead to the cursed area of the megalith to prepare for the rescue..."

"We'll take care of Miss Mei's defense together. Mugihito is going for dialysis today, so she can't come..."

Kevin nodded slightly, then remembered that Tendou Kisara had had his kidneys removed after being attacked by Gastrea several months ago, and refused to have an artificial organ replaced, using the pain to remind himself that he was living for revenge.

Because of her lack of kidney function, she needs to undergo frequent hemodialysis to survive, and she cannot fight for extended periods.

In short, this girl has a perseverance and determination that Kevin has to admire, and if she sets a goal, the young boy wouldn't mind giving her a hand.

As the convoy passed by, the houses became increasingly dilapidated and the land increasingly desolate, many of them remnants of buildings left behind by the Gastrea after they landed.

Due to concerns about soil and water pollution and the resurgence of Gastrea, this place has been abandoned by most people. Only a few wanderers who cannot survive in normal society would probably choose to settle here.

Judging from the Japanese graffiti on the broken walls on both sides that read "Die Cursed Children," along with some unreadable insults and certain eyes watching from the shadows, Kevin realized that he had been too optimistic.

Due to the lack of jurisdiction, this area has become a refuge for certain marginalized groups, among whom there are probably quite a few criminals.

Fortunately, although ME Company was in dire straits, it wasn't so bad that these scoundrels would bother with it, so things went relatively smoothly.

Finally, after passing through a large part of the destroyed commercial district, the convoy arrived at the outpost at the front of the second megalithic monument.

"Recent marine life has been unusual. We are conducting a routine inspection of the megalith and passage is currently prohibited..."

The long-faced, sinister-looking man at the head of the group didn't even glance at the pass; he simply waved them away, his expression somewhat impatient.

When he returned to his unit, he made no attempt to hide his sneer and mockery towards his subordinates.

"These days, ordinary civilians are struggling to survive, and someone actually wants to send things to the bastards left behind by those Gastrea?"

The clear, distinct sound caused Raiden Mei and the others, who had just gotten out of the car to negotiate, to slightly change their expressions.

Chapter 473, Section 500: The Absurd Painting Behind the Megalith (Fourth Update)

Faced with this obvious predicament, Raiden Mei had no choice but to call her father for help. The sound on the other end was a bit noisy. After receiving the message, Raiden Ryoma spent a quarter of an hour smoothing things over.

"Pah! Rich people are just despicable!"

The guard snorted and pulled open the gate, spitting inwardly at the convoy that was entering, his heart filled with resentment.

Those little beasts, they're only fit to pick up trash, they have no use for these things.

With all that money, why not use it to support those on the front lines? Without us, how could you sleep so soundly?

Upon entering the area where the Cursed Children lived, Kevin and the others stared blankly at their surroundings.

Because this doesn't resemble a normal residential area at all; it's more like a garbage dump.

Looking around, the coastal areas that were first attacked by Gastrea are now just scattered patches of broken bricks and tiles, with makeshift shacks built from cardboard, wood, bricks, and scrap metal.

Groups of ragged children, some standing far away on rubble and bricks, others hiding in shacks and Ruins, stared warily at the convoy with wide red eyes.

Their expressions were cold, even tinged with hostility.

"Didn't ME Company say they had set up a special fund to donate supplies to these children every month? Where are the supplies?!"

After Raiden Mei got out of the car, her teeth chattering, she was furious and dragged the secretary-like consul out of the car.

"Young Miss, we've done everything we could..."

The secretary, wearing gold-rimmed glasses, also had a bitter expression. Helpless, she could only take out a stack of documents from her briefcase and list them out one by one for the enraged Raiden Mei to see.

"First of all, the donation website led by ME Company is constantly attacked by unknown hackers, and has crashed several times..."

"Furthermore, our donation information cannot be found, which clearly indicates that our access has been restricted..."

"Information asymmetry, coupled with public misunderstanding and rejection of the [Cursed Children], has resulted in us receiving almost no donated supplies..."

"Therefore, the supplies that ME Company delivers each time are basically funded by the head of the family from the company's profits. The situation is really tight, so we can't guarantee that supplies can be delivered every month."

"If it were just these things, it wouldn't be so bad. The problem is that the guards, citing the need to prevent the spread of infection, are preventing our convoy from entering behind the second megalithic wall..."

"These supplies can only be distributed through their own hands. We originally thought they would keep some for themselves, at least enough to feed these children..."

"I didn't expect their appetite to be so big..."

Seeing that every item of supplies had a handover date, Raiden Mei slowly loosened her secretary's tie, her expression grim.

"Young Miss, let me give you a piece of advice: this is an order from above, and there's nothing we can do about it..."

"Recently, several of ME Company's deals have run into problems. Even if you don't think about yourself, you should at least think about the head of the family..."

"So, let's put our things down and leave as soon as possible."

The middle-aged man, who had worked at ME Company for half his life, sighed and offered earnest advice.

Even a nobody like him could see ME Company's pessimistic predictions and the plight of the Cursed Children, so you can imagine what Raiden Ryoma's current situation is like.

"Boom!"

Just as Raiden Mei was in a state of mental turmoil, the black wall formed by the giant stone monument opened two outlets for dumping garbage.

With a loud bang, rotten fruit, moldy bread, tattered cardboard boxes, discarded clothes... poured out of the garbage chute.

"Little rascals, dinner's ready!"

A long-faced, sinister-looking man lay prone in front of the giant stone monument, whistling and sneering mockingly.

Unexpectedly, the children hiding in the corner received the signal and swarmed over, rummaging through the garbage mountain for food, clothes, and other usable items.

Kevin saw one of the girls, a girl with a ponytail and a few freckles, pull a tattered rabbit doll out from under the bricks, her red eyes filled with delighted joy.

She gently brushed off the dust, carefully stuffing the cotton back into the fleece cover, and held this unique treasure tightly in her arms.

At this moment, everyone saw many ME Company logos on the packaging boxes and plastic bags in the garbage heap, and a sense of shame and humiliation overwhelmed them.

What should have been in the children's hands was all confiscated; the discarded leftovers became the foundation for their survival.

The relief supplies that arrived went unclaimed; yet, on the filthy garbage heaps, the weak survivors rummaged through everything they could find.

Everything before my eyes was like an absurd painting, every stroke of the brush revealing a biting satire.

"Stop talking! Set up the relief point and distribute supplies!"

Raiden Mei bit her lower lip tightly, her hands gripping the car door until her knuckles turned white. Finally, she took a deep breath and shouted sharply.

Everyone gritted their teeth and silently began moving the supplies, unpacking them one by one and placing them on the table with the supports set up.

However, Raiden Mei and her companions were met with utter silence; the Cursed Children remained wary and hostile towards these outsiders.

Perhaps, in the world of these children, they can no longer see the kindness that humans show to them.

Raiden Mei felt somewhat disheartened. She couldn't understand why people were so prejudiced, so cruel, and so vicious.

Finally, two ragged, white-haired children, heads down, nervously walked to the rescue point. After tentatively taking the supplies from an employee, they carried the items and quickly ran out of sight.

It's edible! It's usable! You can take it!

This simple and direct signal spread, instantly causing a stir among the Cursed Children.

Raiden Mei finally snapped out of her daze and hurriedly had some Canned Food torn open, cooked some self-heating boxed meals, placed them on the table, and called out to the children through a megaphone to come and collect them.

The aroma of food, coupled with the example set by others, helped the children overcome their fear and gradually gather at the aid station, stretching out their dirty little hands, waiting for their share of supplies.

Because there were too many people in need of relief, not only all the transportation staff, but also Bronya and others began to distribute supplies.

Raiden Mei turned around and looked at the empty car seats, only then noticing that two people seemed to be missing from the group.

It wasn't until Kevin and Kiana, covered in dust and with their clothes torn, returned after taking a long detour, that the Young Lady of ME Company finally realized what was going on.

"Don't worry Mei! I'll tell Mom and Dad what's going on here! St. Freya Academy will definitely have plenty of spots left!"

Kiana clenched her fists, making a solemn vow.

"Bronya will also tell Mother Cocolia about this; she has been adopting orphans..."

The Three-No Girl generously handed her HOMU doll to one of the children, receiving a smile in return, and then made a promise to Raiden Mei.

Kevin glanced back at the distant monolithic wall, a slight smile playing on his lips.

But that smile was cold... so cold...

P. S.: Yesterday's recommendation: 422.

Monthly pass 59 (bonus chapter)

Donations totaled 58,044 (11 more chapters added)

Blade 10

The two bonus chapters for the 30th have been completed, bringing the total to 34-2=32 chapters remaining.

Okay, I'm owing more and more. The 31st is the last day for the reward. I'll try my best to write more in February, aiming for four updates a day...

Font Girl, she really is...

Chapter 474, Section 501: The Invisible Third Giant Stone Tablet (First Update)

"From today onwards, I will be your teacher, my name Rentaro Satomi..."

"My interests include observing insects, collecting plants, and I also like microorganisms... Do you have any questions for me?"

On a simple blackboard, Rentaro Satomi solemnly wrote his name, then turned slightly nervously to the group of Cursed Children below, who were drinking milk, munching on cookies, and looking around curiously.

Enju Aihara, Bronya, Seele, and others were also among them, acting as mediators to comfort the children.

"I... I... I..."

"I heard that you and Xiaozhu are living together with marriage in mind. Is that true?"

The little girl with two black braids excitedly stood up and asked.

"It's true!"

Rentaro Satomi could answer, Enju Aihara, who was lurking among the children, preemptively answered, wanting to solidify their relationship.

"That's amazing..."

The children were all amazed and looked at the girl with her hands on her hips with envious expressions.

"No, let me explain!"

Seeing that the atmosphere in the classroom had gone astray, the inexperienced Rentaro Satomi hurriedly tried to steer the conversation back on track, but to no avail.

The commotion only gradually subsided when Kevin, acting as the discipline monitor, casually tapped Enju Aihara on the head as the children wandered around.

This Rentaro Satomi the opportunity to teach some basic information about the country, geography, and history.

Once the classes were running smoothly, most of the children gathered in the open space to play and learn at the same time, while renovation work was in full swing nearby.

New freight trucks arrived one after another, and with the full support of Raiden Ryoma, those wicked scoundrels guarding the area had to give up for the time being.

Led by Raiden Mei, dozens of ME Company employees cleared nearby dangerous buildings and rebuilt some prefabricated houses.

Subsequently, a medical team was also stationed there, and during the break between classes, they conducted some routine physical examinations on the children.

The doctor leading the group was a woman exuding a melancholy aura. She wore a dirty white coat, had listless eyes and messy hair, and seemed to be afraid of the sunlight outside.

This female doctor named Sumire Muroto is a shut-in and a mad scientist. She originally had some connection with Raiden Ryoma.

However, ever since this female doctor's lover was killed by Gastrea, he has become somewhat mentally unstable. Later, in order to seek revenge, he replaced Raiden Ryoma and took over the modification of the 787th Mechanized Special Forces.

Rentaro Satomi, who was attacked by Gastrea and suffered extensive limb infection, was one of her test subjects.

Later, Raiden Ryoma's relationship with this old friend reached a freezing point, and the two rarely interacted.

The proud and arrogant President of ME Company never imagined he would have to ask Sumire Muroto for help. However, even with his connections, Raiden Ryoma was unable to access public medical resources.