The five-hundred-meter-high wall had clearly been built to keep anyone from entering. What a massive undertaking. Getting in would take some effort—but to him, it was no great obstacle.
He went in just like that.
Once inside, Jiu Ming had thought he would find some kind of strange scene, but it was merely a city that looked abandoned. No... there were other anomalies as well. The place was filled with strange things, and an odd kind of fluctuation radiated from here into the outside world. It was simply denser here.
Like a scented candy ball giving off its fragrance into the air—the volume covered by that scent was far greater than the candy ball itself. Of course, if the candy ball was eaten, no excess scent would continue leaking out.
Then there were things that did not exist outside: certain plants, special substances, and the like.
"Still, it's completely useless..." After searching for a while without finding much, Jiu Ming shook his head. Those plants might prove useful if given to Eirin Yagokoro, but if they were given to Jiu Ming, he would have to wonder whether he could even keep them alive as potted plants.
Moreover, the environment within was like a dead zone, its palette dominated by grayish white, with no sunlight to be seen.
After leaving, Jiu Ming saw that the sky had already begun to pale like a fish's belly, on the verge of dawn. What was more, ghostlike things drifted along the power lines throughout the city. For instance, when Jiu Ming stepped onto the street, he noticed several "ghosts" gliding along the wires. As they passed him, they stopped, and the "ghosts," wholly attached to the wires, extended themselves a little outward.
As though craning their heads to peer at him.
"Could they really