Chapter 220

After Nishizaki Yuki left, Efnir went to see Yukina again.

Kanade Kotone was also there, but it seemed that Nishizaki Yuki hadn't taken her with her when she went to the Underground Research Institute —and Kanade Kotone was feeling frustrated because of this. With nothing to do, she stayed there after changing Yukina's dressing.

Seeing this, Efnir did not linger in Yukina' room. Instead, she spoke with the guards, asked for a computer, and returned to her own room to review the collected documents.

The papers filled with dense text and data models were too obscure for a layperson. Each one took Efnir a lot of time to study, and she still couldn't always understand them. So Efnir focused her main efforts on the conclusions, related arguments, and research.

Time slipped away little by little as Efnir focused on it, until the sky outside the window was gradually tinged with orange-red.

"Phew... This data isn't complete... Did we miss something during the investigation?" Efnir rubbed her dry, sore eyes, pressed her fingertips against her brow, sighed softly, and looked out the window. "At this point... we haven't found anything of concern, but there are quite a few suspicious points."

I didn't go to see Yukina today, and I don't know how Yukina is doing.

Thump--

The knocking broke the silence in the room, pulling Efnir's wandering thoughts back to reality.

"Major General Efnir, are you there?"

The soldier's voice came from outside the door.

Efnir closed her laptop, removed it from her lap, and placed it aside.

"What is it? Please come in and tell me."

"Excuse me..." The soldier pushed open the door but did not enter. Instead, Yukina appeared in front of Efnir, carrying a lunchbox.

The door closed gently.

Yukina smiled, sat down next to Efnir, placed her lunchbox on her lap, and looked at the large stack of documents in Efnir's hand. "Naoko hasn't eaten yet, has she?"

"Not yet..."

"Just then, Kanade brought the food, so I came over."

Where is she?

"Dr. Nishiki seems to have returned, so Kanade went to see her."

"You're back..." Efnir murmured, a sigh of relief in her heart. "Looks like you're safe and sound."

So maybe I'll go back to headquarters tonight or tomorrow.

129. Central Province

After dinner, Efnir sat on the edge of the bed, continuing to review reports on her laptop, Yukina sat quietly beside Efnir.

"This is the data we obtained this time. Of course, this is still very incomplete. It seems that those people deliberately destroyed the data before they left. We only found a part of the original case, and some data is still being recovered. Whether we can piece together a complete research report depends on luck."

As Efnir explained the documents on the laptop to Yukina, she then briefly recounted what Nishizaki Yuki had told her that morning.

"Huh? So we're going back to headquarters?" Yukina, somewhat surprised, lifting her head from Efnir's shoulder.

"Perhaps..." Seeing Yukina's surprise, Efnir shook her head. "If Yuki and the others don't find anything in the Underground Research Institute, they might turn back for now."

"Is it because we need the equipment from headquarters' lab?"

"Hmm. There's another consideration as well," Efnir paused, "What we've discovered this time is too shocking. Even Kusei Maki probably wouldn't be able to make a judgment easily. Therefore, Yuki needs to take those materials and communicate directly with the Central Province through headquarters. Anilas and I will also participate as important attendees."

Since this involves "Shard" of Ruins, no one can handle this matter solely based on their own judgment. While maintaining the status quo, it is necessary to consult the Human Federation as soon as possible.

At the same time, there is also an investigation into the reasons and responsibilities of the ICS Research Institute for concealing this series of events. If we can obtain full authorization and appointment from the Human Federation, the subsequent matters will be much simpler.

"I see..."

Yukina nodded thoughtfully, lowered her eyelashes, and gently leaned on Efnir's shoulder.

"Naoko, what kind of place is the Central Province...?"

The Central Province is called a "province," but it is not the same as the "province" of the Old Era. It is not an administrative division but a symbolic name.

--These are all fragmented understandings that Yukina gleaned from books and the internet.

Perhaps there are a few photos, some bloggers sharing their experiences filled with longing and awe, and some imaginative dreamers talking eloquently about it, but its true form is always so blurry—in this era, civilian global network interconnection technology has become history with the arrival of the White Hole Erosion, and the only long-distance communication means must rely on the Boundary Stele System. Obviously, the Boundary Stele System's communication technology is only used for military purposes and cannot be popularized in the civilian field. Therefore, the interconnection between cities can be said to be very poor.

That's why Efnir was surprised to have fans in both Suzuda City and Central Province; this is generally unimaginable.

"Central Province ... I don't know either," Efnir said, feigning thought, then smiled frankly. "Would you like to go and take a look if you have the chance?"

There are various accounts of the Central Province, but most of them are based on people's idealized visions of the place.

But one thing is certain: the Central Province is very large, much larger than Xijing City by dozens of times, and its level of development is almost indistinguishable from that of human society in the Old Era. Even Suzuda City, as a large city, seems as small as a firefly compared to the Central Province.

"--It's really hard to describe without seeing it with your own eyes." That's how Masaki Hina described the Central Province.

The photos she showed always featured a bustling street as a backdrop, or were filled with all sorts of unimaginably magnificent buildings and panoramic views. Pedestrians thronged the streets, skyscrapers stood like a forest of pines, and light rail connected the buildings. The entire urban area was like a three-dimensional and magnificent steel and concrete fortress, with every inch of the ground covered and no Trace of green plants growing.

For people living in other cities, that view is unimaginable; even standing on the top of a tall building, you can't see the end of the city.

"Huh? Can our agents leave the city too?" Yukina asked. "What will happen to Xijing City if we leave?"

You're stupid.

Efnir pinched Yukina's cheek; it was soft and smooth, very comfortable, completely different from the hot, wet, sticky feeling of Yukina.

"It's not like I'm not coming back."

Since the Central Province can send people over, Xijing City can naturally send people over as well.

The reason Efnir never left Xijing City was because Xijing City needed her at the time, and even more so because Yukina needed her, not because she couldn't leave.

Of course, all of this can only be achieved after the threat from the Apostle is eliminated.

"Oh."

As Yukina let Efnir pinch her soft cheeks, just as she was about to say something, a message suddenly came through the communicator.

Efnir picked up the phone and heard her adjutant's voice on the other end.

Two minutes later.

In fact, the adjutant came specifically to inform Efnir of the general arrangements for Kusei Maki, and specifically relayed the situation on Nishizaki Yuki's side—the progress was going smoothly, at least they had not encountered much resistance in completing the general exploration and investigation of the Underground Research Institute, and had obtained a large number of samples.

The only regret was that the central tower was inaccessible—just as Efnir had seen, all the entrances to the tower were sealed off, and the only one, which seemed to have been carved open by some immense force, was now filled with vines. It was no easy task to ensure that the interior was not damaged while clearing away those extremely resilient and dangerous plants, so the investigation did not extend into the tower.

In conclusion, Nishizaki Yuki has successfully obtained a large amount of research data and collected many samples, which she plans to take back for further study.

So the second thing the adjutant did after locking down his post was to notify Efnir to prepare to depart for headquarters— the Xijing City.

"Shall we leave tonight...?"

"That's right, Major General, the sooner the better," the adjutant replied.

Efnir stared at the laptop screen for a moment, then glanced at Yukina and asked, "Has everything been decided with Nishizaki Yuki? What about Canary, Furan, and Fifina and Jasmine?"

"They'll be with us," the adjutant's words on the other end of the communicator reassured Efnir somewhat.

To be honest, Efnir didn't really want to be separated from Yukina.

However, it seems that Kusei Maki did not intend to leave the wounded in the Garrison District. Since they needed to recuperate and could not be of any help, it would be better to send them back to recover properly before returning, rather than leave them here and causing unnecessary anxiety. This may also be due to the consideration of having Efnir and the others stay in the empty headquarters area. In short, this time, those who returned to headquarters included not only researchers and Efnir, Anilas and other agents who had been exposed to radiation, but also some soldiers and wounded agents.

"What about Suzuda City? Are Lapith and the others alright?"

"Yes, the commander has already had initial communication with Suzuda City. Colonel Lapith and her squad will stay to help us defend the Garrison District."

That way, Efnir can finally put her mind at ease.

She had witnessed Lapith's strength firsthand. Even when Qinglan and Flying Swallow, who had already transformed into Angel, attacked at the same time, Lapith's astonishing combat abilities were enough to hold them off.

The only question is, are there only two Angel?

Lapith is indeed very powerful, many times more powerful than most agents, but she is definitely not enough to fight against three Angel at the same time—moreover, the threat from the Apostle Organization is not just Angel; Apostle and Erosion Entity are also trump cards held by the Apostle Organization.

"I hope everything goes well," Efnir sighed softly.

"The operation will be handled by Lieutenant Colonel Shinomiyami Nami; she will come to pick you up in fifteen minutes."

After saying that, Efnir asked a few more simple questions and then hung up the call.

130. Points of Doubt

Night fell.

At the western outpost of the Maesakagawa Garrison District, the lights and roar of engines broke the darkness and silence of the night. After receiving a communication from her adjutant, Efnir made some simple preparations in her temporary ward and, with the help of a nurse, gathered with Yukina in an open area.

When they arrived, soldiers in camouflage uniforms were waiting for them in perfect unison.

Researchers in white uniforms boarded the armored vehicles in an orderly fashion, most carrying briefcases and folders. Soldiers unloaded boxes of samples onto the vehicles. These were precious samples that needed to be taken back to the Xijing City for further research. Most of them came from experimental projects within the ICS Research Institute and its underground secret research institute. Due to the power outage that had lasted for over a month, many of the items stored in the institute's incubators had undergone significant mutations or decay. Therefore, they had no choice but to collect all the samples they could find, attempting to deduce the full picture of the research through calculations and feasible experiments.

One can imagine the difficulties that Nishizaki Yuki and others faced.

Shinomiyami Nami and her special forces, along with their agent, Shadow (also known as Uzuki Saori), accompanied Efnir. They were among the first support troops to arrive at the Maesakagawa Garrison District. Originally, they were a flexible support force within the Orderkeepers Organization, and also an elite unit. After subsequent support and logistical replenishment were completed, there was no longer any need for them to be of use. Therefore, they would be withdrawing to the Xijing City and would not be participating in the missions within the Maesakagawa Garrison District for the time being.

Besides them, there were also three agents Herul, in the group. They were sent by Kusei Maki to carry out the escort mission.

Anilas and Maple were in the same car as Efnir, as were Yukina and the other injured agents.

They were all agents who had been temporarily withdrawn this time. They were grouped together in one vehicle to avoid unnecessary losses caused by a sudden attack from Efnir, Anilas, and others. Yukina and others would ensure their safety during the journey. Although Yukina and Canary were still recovering from their injuries, they were more than Beacon of dealing with an agent who had not entered Synchronization, so they were not worried about any accidents.

Soon, the order to depart was relayed to every driver via communication. The sound of engines filled the air, and the night was pierced by the bright headlights. Vehicles returning to Xijing City from the Maesakagawa Garrison District kicked up dust as they set off Maesakagawa Garrison District.

Meanwhile, at the temporary headquarters, Kusei Maki, dressed in a crisp military uniform, leaned back quietly in her chair, taking a nap with her eyes closed.

Unlike the usual way she was seen, she didn't show any arrogance on her face now. Although she was still dressed the same, her hair under the brim of her hat was neatly tied back, and the oppressive aura disappeared. Instead, it became gentler with the rise and fall of her breath.

She hasn't had a break for two days in a row.

Just then, there was a knock on the door.

"Please come in."

"Sir!"

There were several soldiers outside the door. The adjutant entered alone. At this moment, Kusei Maki was lying on a chair with her back to him. After he stood still, Kusei Maki slowly turned around, her sword-like eyebrows tightly furrowed, rubbing her brows.

"Any results yet?" Kusei Maki's voice was a little hoarse, but it was still filled with a sharp and murderous edge, like a military blade.

"Sir, I have interrogated them about the 'Shard,' but I haven't received the expected answer—based on our assessment, the Apostle seem to be quite unaware of the existence of the 'Shard' and the Underground Research Institute."

"That doesn't make sense," Kusei Maki scoffed coldly.

The adjutant hesitated for a moment, then said, "Dr. Nishiki will definitely surprise us."

"I hate waiting passively."

Kusei Maki sighed. "Never mind, is there anything else to report?"

"Yes, regarding the Trace of the Type Three Mutated Entity discovered by the Funeral Bird Squad and the soldiers on the east side of the Garrison District, we have found..."

Next are some things that are irrelevant at this stage—the so-called Type Three Mutated Entity, which is a special type of Mutated Entity that Efnir, Anilas, and others discovered in the underground tunnels. It is different from other Mutated Entity and has a higher degree of danger. Since Efnir and others discovered their existence in the tunnels, they have gradually appeared more and more on the surface and in the soldiers' field of vision.

Their presence was undoubtedly a deadly threat to the soldiers on missions in the Maesakagawa, so Kusei Maki assigned the task of hunting these Mutated Entity to the Funeral Bird Squad.

The cleaning work in the Maesakagawa Garrison District will take at least a week to complete, and such incidents will happen many more times during this period.

Only after that did the comprehensive reconstruction of the Maesakagawa Garrison District begin.

Restoring the Garrison District to its former appearance after reconstruction will likely be a considerable undertaking.

"But..." the adjutant hesitated, looking at the commander who appeared much younger than himself but always exuded a powerful, oppressive aura, "Something is suspicious; these Type Three Mutated Entity seem to be increasing in number— Nishizaki Yuki said something before leaving that really bothers me..."

"What did you say?"

"She said these Mutated Entity are like they're evolving..."

Kusei Maki frowned, seemingly lost in thought.

Seeing this, the adjutant added, "For a month after the fall of the Maesakagawa Garrison District, we failed to detect these Mutated Entity through our initial reconnaissance. However, after we entered the area, these Mutated Entity appeared. At first, there were only a few, then dozens, and now these terrifying creatures are everywhere in the Maesakagawa Garrison District. They are more difficult to deal with and more dangerous than the Dregs. And as time goes on, we are discovering more and more of the Type Three Mutated Entity —Dr. Nishizaki Yuki made this conjecture when they were at the Underground Research Institute."

"That's not entirely unreasonable."