"Why should you care about this kind of thing? What will come will eventually come, just face it calmly."
As for a's worries, f acted more at ease and still had a smile on his face.
A did not refute, just remained silent, and finally nodded.
"Right."
The long corridor has no end, and there are doors on the left and right. There are signs on each door, and behind the doors are taboo objects.
f followed a, looking at the doors from time to time, looking at the words on the doors such as [Parallel World Jump], [Three Thousand Ways to Become a God], [God of World Destruction], [Immortal Elephant Prison Suppressing Power]...
...and so on, thinking thoughtfully.
"However, among so many forbidden techniques and forbidden things, is there no way to defeat that monster?"
f asked.
"have."
Unexpectedly, a gave a surprising answer.
Opening his eyes, the man with a handsome face stopped, looked at a door next to him, and said.
"There are actually many ways to defeat monsters, and even ways to kill monsters. For example, before you came, we reviewed a forbidden jailbreak technology, a complete fantasy creation."
"This C-level technology can theoretically create thousands of worlds. Everything you think can be realized, and it has abilities that are almost comparable to those of the creator. In the past, prototypes have used this technology in wars, creating
It created a multiverse, endless universes, including a world where monsters died, and indeed monsters were wiped out at one point.”
"But soon, within tens of thousands of years, the monster woke up from its long sleep again. And this time it was more powerful than before. The majestic monster was so angry that it swallowed the prototypes together with the created world again. The prototypes
In the end, we were lucky enough to survive.”
"Such wars have happened countless times. Monsters cannot be measured by common sense. Just like the thing behind this door..."
a points to the door next to him.
On the door, it says [Abstract Concept - Hero].
"Among conceptual things, [Hero] is not a very powerful taboo thing. In the evaluation, its rating is e. It is a civilian technology that can be widely used in the past, just like time travel."
"When we established the Federation, we used this abstract concept extensively to create the Federation. Therefore, young people are a group full of heroic qualities, and each of them has the potential to become a hero."
"But this abstract concept, which is not powerful, has protected the prototype time and time again. It performs better than a lot of advanced skills mastered by the prototype, and strongly supports the crumbling prototypes."
"The monster is unexpectedly vulnerable to the hero. For some reason we don't know, the concept of the hero has great restraint on the monster... It's as if the hero is the monster's only weakness."
"But even heroes have to struggle at most. Sometimes they save prototypes from monsters, but more often they end in failure. At most they just buy some time."
As he spoke, a stared at the door with [Hero] written on it, as if reminiscing.
For the old people who have memories of the past, this word brings them respect, because it has saved them from despair time and time again.
With his fearless heart, he accomplished incredible miracles, so he was revered and respected as a "hero" by mortals.
But heroes are perishable.
Unlike eternal monsters, heroes can do incredible things for a time, but they will eventually die.
"It is possible to defeat the monster once, it is also possible to kill the monster once, but it is impossible to actually stop the monster..."
In battle after battle, the prototypes finally confirmed this.
I tried countless methods, but still fell into despair.
f also stared at the door and was silent for a moment.
Although he was born after the war, when the prototypes had found a way to completely defeat the monsters, he did not experience that era of war.
At this moment, behind that door is the embodiment of the concept of hero. Although I know the admiration for [hero], I have never been so close.
"It's really amazing."
Looking at the door, f praised.
"It's really amazing..."
a nodded.
As he spoke, he pointed forward.
"Keep walking, there are many incredible things ahead. You are a member of the elders, and all technologies, things, and information preserved by scientific management should be open to you."
…
After walking for an unknown amount of time, I passed through surprising doors one after another, and there was something wonderful behind each door.
A will introduce and explain the things behind each door.
【The universe in the mind】
This is a man whose brain has been replaced by a universe. Although it seems microscopic, it is actually a real universe.
In this universe in his mind, everything a man thinks will become reality, and he can even flip the boundary between reality and his fantasy, replacing the real world with his fantasy.
It is considered a D-level taboo, and its timeline flow has been permanently stagnated.
【Reality Penetrator】
There are many black words deliberately marked on its information section, and only a few words reveal it. It seems that this is something related to the "fourth wall"?
The rating is the same as D.
【Infinitely Infinite Tower of Eternity】
There is no end to the tower, each floor has a different world, and there are all kinds of strange phenomena on each floor of the tower.
The evaluation is D-level, but there seems to be an intention to lift the ban to E-level?
And among them, there was even something that surprised f...
【New Human Federation】
Experimental objects of the Institute of Scientific Management, precautionary measures in the face of crisis...
On that door, the words above were written very clearly.
Yes, this New Human Federation is just an experimental object of the Scientific Management Institute.
Behind this door is a holographic image of the Federation, or an item that controls the Federation. Through this holographic image, the entire real Federation can be controlled.
This is why within the federation, there have always been young people, mainly young people, trying to oppose the undercurrent of the Scientific Management Institute, but the old people are indifferent.
Because from the beginning, the entire federation has been absolutely controlled by scientific management.
And on this door, the evaluation is C grade.
Although he is a veteran reserve, this is the first time he has truly seen the essence of scientific management and he can’t help but be speechless.
However, after looking at these many doors, f realized that he did not see B-level or even A-level objects.
"B-grade stuff and A-grade stuff."
Faced with F's doubts, A turned around and suddenly smiled inexplicably.
"Actually, even I don't know what Class B and Class A are. Because every time I watch it, my memory is erased, so I don't remember what it is."
As he spoke, he paused and then said.
"So, I can't explain the next journey to you, because even I won't know what it is after."
"Oh, in this case, doesn't it mean that we are seeing these things for the first time?"
f suddenly became interested, touched his chin and said.
It was A who was explaining before, and then he let out an exclamation.
Although they were indeed incredible things, he was still slightly unhappy and wanted to know what it would be like to be surprised.
Regarding F's sudden excitement, A seemed to see something and shook his head.
"Well, let's go see those things that scare us."
With a chuckle, a and f continued to move forward in this long corridor filled with taboo objects.
…
The corridor is very long and seems to have no end.
But in some places, there will be some special signs on the floor to remind you which level of forbidden object area you have entered.
After walking for a long time, the two suddenly saw a long road with no doors on both sides, only a huge "b" on the floor.
Ahead is the B-level taboo area.
"Are you ready, f."
A's voice was slightly raised. It seemed that he was not that calm. He didn't know much about the [B-level area] within the Office of Science and Technology.
Because mere knowledge of it is considered a hazard, anyone who enters a Class B area will have their memories wiped out.
Even if I have been here before, this is still the "first time" for a.
"Of course, I already want to know what's in the B-level area."
f’s smile remains the same.
When they entered the B-level area, the first door they saw made the two of them couldn't help but widen their eyes.
"This is……"
On the door, it clearly says "The Fourth Wall".
[Are we illusory? Are we false? But these are no longer important. Now, we have come to the world of the Creator...]
[Even if we are birds in a cage, we live under the same physical constants as the bird owner; even if we are flowers in a dream, we share the same set of underlying logic with the dreamer.]
【We have seen you...】
[Class B object... Containment status: does not exist]
The fourth wall.
Elderly people are not unfamiliar with this concept.
Because the archetypes crossed the fourth wall and escaped from the story, thereby avoiding the fate of being eaten by monsters.
Did the archetypes ever dream of containing the fourth wall?
"Containment doesn't exist? What does that mean?"
f asked in question.
He originally thought that in the Department of Justice, everyone behind the doors must be contained, but that didn't seem to be the case.
a looked at that text, the text left by the prototypes, and thought for a while.
"Not all doors have things behind them. The prototypes have found various things, but there are some things that the prototypes have not been able to find. It's just that this kind of situation is rare in D and C levels, but...it seems that in B-level areas
There are many doors here and there may be nothing behind them.”
a lowered his head, as if he had guessed something.
a and f continue to walk forward.
In the B-level area, there are many things that are completely beyond the scope of understanding. There are even no names or introductions on the door. Only one door exists alone. It is as if the prototypes are preventing latecomers from knowing these things.
But there are some things that a and f can still understand.
For example, it is written on a door, [Dragon that Devours the World].
On the door, which is painted with an image of an Ouroboros, there is information about this forbidden object.
[The monster destined to devour everything will also devour itself, and everything is in it...]
Although the words were vague, the two people immediately realized that this was not the monster that made the prototype and the old people anxious?
"It turns out that monsters are only B-level in the eyes of the prototypes?"
f looked at that door for a moment, then walked to the next door.
There are also things like [Creator God], the prototype left a description as the creator, the source of each world system, who can create the world he wants at will.
No matter what kind of world it is, it can be created.
This includes creating a world with other creators; a world with something more powerful than the creator; or even a world in which the creator dies after creating the world.
God of creation.
For these creation gods who do whatever they want, the boundaries between life and death, existence, existence, strength and weakness seem to be blurred.
And below, there is a special row of small text notes [The monster has been devouring the world. It seems to have a strong connection with the act of creation itself? Was it also created by a certain creation god? Or...
】
There seemed to be something written on the back, but it was deliberately erased.
On some doors, a series of question marks were written.
For example, on a door, under a series of question marks, there is an introduction that even the prototypes are confused about.
[Naya...Nayako? Nyarlathotep? God of Thousand Faces? Creator? Cthulhu Spirit? Indescribable Object? Omniscient and Almighty?...I don’t know, strange thing, it seems to be everywhere
, there are countless incarnations, and we don’t even know what it is?]
[It seems to have left the story? But has it really left? Something strange. It's like peeping something in the shadows. This feeling makes us very uncomfortable...]
[You put your hand into a piece of water. The microorganisms in the water have never seen anything so huge. They can't even see the whole of one of your fingers. They regard the middle finger closest to them as a god, and the most mobile part.
The index finger is regarded as an evil devil, as well as the other thumbs and ring fingers. They believe in the middle finger and firmly believe that the middle finger will help them fight against the index finger...]
[Latercomers, we don’t know what this thing that is suspected to be the Cthulhu spirit is, and all speculations about it are just blind people trying to figure out the elephant. As mentioned above, maybe... maybe it and the monster are the same thing?]
In a series of confusions, only the last small example seemed to reveal something.
In this B-level area, such situations have become very common.
A large number of containment non-existences, as well as chaotic, erased introductions.
If in the previous area, the science and management office showed the power of having everything under control, then in the B-level area, what f could feel was a sense of powerlessness.
Even if it is as powerful as the prototype, it still has the powerlessness of not being able to do it and not knowing it.
Before they knew it, the two of them had reached the end of the B-level area.
In front of you, there is another long road with no doors and only an A-level sign on the ground.