BCST 26

chapter 26

The 58th District, where the rattling taxi brought me, was overall more rundown than the 56th District.

Buildings looked long past due for repairs.

Shops displayed rusted signs, and abandoned vehicles lined the streets, coated in layers of dust.

Even the people living there somehow seemed a little faded, like dust themselves.

That was my first impression of the 58th District.

[Neuroteka 58 has been reached.]

Rattle.

Still, it was a place where people lived. As I reached the central area of the 58th District, where public facilities were concentrated, office workers and other residents moved about normally.

“On the surface… everything seems fine.”

The BD Archive was originally a facility much like a library in the real world.

The enormous structure, built of sleek metal and reinforced glass, displayed archive usage rules and announcements on holographic monitors throughout.

I stood briefly at the entrance, observing the people going in and out.

Nothing seemed particularly unusual.

If Kin had already been active, he wouldn’t have handled things like mere rumors.

If he was indeed actively operating, people might not have known he was part of U.M.O., but the presence of artifacts would surely have stirred quite a commotion in this area.

Whenever artifacts appear, all sorts of opportunists swarm around.

So it made sense to assume that U.M.O. hadn’t fully begun activities yet.

But if that wasn’t the case…

Another possibility was that someone dangerous enough to erase U.M.O.’s traces might already exist here.

Depending on the type, their method of operation differs, but U.M.O. sometimes prioritizes their safety.

However, I was currently hiding my aura.

Sure, someone could sense my level, but does that make me strong enough to force U.M.O. into hiding?

Not at all. So it was more reasonable to assume U.M.O. was inactive.

Alright, let’s see…

That’s all I could observe from the outside.

The BD Archive was still fully open.

So I had no choice but to enter and see the truth of the rumor myself.

I decided and headed into the 58th District BD Archive, Neuroteka 58.

1st Floor – Public Zone
(BD Rental/Return Desk, Individual Experience Rooms, Information Search Area)

2nd Floor – Research Zone
(Capsule Rooms, BD Storage, Analysis Rooms, Security Monitoring Room)

3rd Floor – Restricted Area
(Accessible only to researchers and authorized personnel)

This information was on the sign at the entrance desk.

Judging by these divisions, the BD I was looking for was most likely on the 3rd floor.

“I want to go to the 3rd floor.”

When I spoke to the counter, the employee who had been staring at the computer glanced at me with a hint of annoyance and spoke.

“Do you have an access card or researcher ID?”

The tone had a faint chill, but the words were polite.

Does working here for a long time make people like this?

“Will this do?”

I pulled something from my pocket and handed it to the employee.

“…Yes. One moment.”

It was a researcher ID.

Mia had given it to me, saying I might need it.

Sometimes, items belonging to researchers who haven’t officially died yet are carefully kept in archives.

Most are eventually destroyed, but Mia apparently saves some that might still be useful.

Fortunately, this was a paper format, and the photo was easy to swap, so Sean had flawlessly converted it into my ID.

Since the procedures here weren’t too strict, the counter employee glanced at the form and handed me the access badge.

“…Just carry it with you. Please return it when you leave.”

“Will do.”

I put the badge in my pocket and continued walking.

[Under maintenance. We apologize for the inconvenience.]

As luck would have it, the elevator was under inspection and out of service.

The floor indicator panel was also off.

No matter—I could reach the 3rd floor easily via the stairs.

But then a thought stopped my steps.

“Wait a minute… if I were in a martial arts world?”

After training, entering the inn for the first time, encountering Zhuyeqing and Huiguorou for the first time—this BD gave me the same feeling.

BDs are a common element in fusion-punk genres.

Even if I couldn’t use one as a living body, my pure curiosity remained, being someone who loved COC more than anyone when it came to BD culture.

Given the situation, U.M.O. hadn’t fully activated yet.

This was a perfect opportunity to satisfy a little curiosity.

Thud.

The 1st floor was the Public Zone, right?

Indeed, just inside the entrance, people wearing goggles enjoyed BDs in various ways.

Some lounged in chairs, some sprawled on tables, and some lay in the middle of the corridor.

Weee-.
Weee-.
Weee-.

A strange mechanical sound came from a man lying on the floor…

“Hmm.”

The case next to him read “Natural Wildlife Documentary BD.”

I immediately felt guilty for the inappropriate thought I had about him.

Turns out he just liked watching animals.

“Ehehe… ehehehe…”

Still, my [Sense] gave an uneasy signal, so I carefully avoided the man and continued exploring the 1st floor.

I discovered that this floor allowed simple BD rentals and experiences, covering genres similar to a library.

Since this was a BD Archive, some things piqued curiosity more than usual.

For instance, “Sports Star Prime Experience BD,” or “Combat Simulation,” “Meditation Experience,” “Space Exploration,” “Concert & Music Appreciation,” and “Artist Experience.”

There was a genre classification system, and detailed searches could be done via archive codes.

Seeing an item that provided only information in a game now functioning in reality made me appreciate the system’s scale and organization.

“2nd floor is the Research Zone?”

Unlike the first floor, there were no BD goggles here.

Most of the area was filled with Full Dive BD Capsules.

Right. The kind you often see in fantasy games.

These capsules occupied most of the 2nd floor experience rooms.

“…Impressive.”

If the technology here mirrored that of a futuristic city outside, these capsules symbolized a convergence of that advanced technology.

Thud.

Looking closer, I saw people lying inside the orange, opaque capsule glass with their eyes closed.

Unlike the audiovisual goggle BD from the 1st floor, these people were enjoying full dive BDs, engaging all five senses.

Even if I opened the capsule and throttled them, they wouldn’t perceive their own bodies dying in reality—they were entirely immersed in the BD.

“Hey! What do you want? Can’t you see all the seats are taken?”

A guard shouted as I lingered, mesmerized by the capsules.

Apparently, my staring looked suspicious.

“I thought I saw someone I knew. Sorry about that.”

“…Mind your manners!”

Standard guards carried shotguns.

This seemed normal enough here.

I nodded and moved on.

The space, like the 1st floor, was wide, but mostly filled with capsules—nothing else noteworthy.

Other than experience rooms, there were specialized BD storage, analysis rooms, and a security monitoring room—none of which I needed for now.

After quickly noting their locations, I headed for the stairs at the corridor’s end.

Time to go to the 3rd floor.

Thud.

As I set foot on the stairs, a weak, exasperated sound reached me.

Not mine.

Even on a weekday, public institutions had people constantly moving about.

This sound came from someone on the floor below, on the stairs.

My gaze naturally dropped.

Through the lower floor’s railing, I met eyes with a woman staring directly at me, trying to go up to the 3rd floor.

“….”

For some reason, her gaze felt sticky.

She stood in the middle of the stairs, staring.

What’s going on?

Neither [Sense] nor discreet [Magic Detection] reacted.

Ah, that look…

It was like idle old Europeans staring at young people wandering around during the day.

No malice, but just being watched felt unpleasant.

I couldn’t just go down and attack her, so I lightly stepped on the stairs, averting my gaze.

This level of rudeness was trivial in this world.

Entering a back alley, I would face far worse sticky stares.

Thud.

Finally, I reached the 3rd floor.

Unlike the lively lower floors, the 3rd floor corridor was calm and quiet.

Sunlight poured through the large glass windows, making the floor shine. Dust floated gently, glowing in the light.

It felt like stepping into a completely separate space.

Thud.

I slowly crossed the empty corridor, approaching the security gate in the center of the 3rd floor.

Like the entrance, a staff member sat at the counter, conducting checks.

I put my hand in my pocket and walked slowly.

In my pocket was the access badge from the 1st floor.

I remembered—I just had to carry it to pass through.

As I stepped forward to pass the gate, the counter staff suddenly spoke.

“Hey.”

Somehow, the voice sounded familiar.

The staff member, who had been bowing their head, now stared at me.

I was internally shocked.

No wonder—their face was exactly the same as the employee I saw on the 1st floor.