Dark Moon
"Only transcendence is our ultimate end."
A low hum filled the air as the door slid open.
I stepped through without hesitation. Belle startled and hurried after me, sticking close to my back.
The corridor lights flickered on the moment we entered. A pure white passageway stretched straight ahead. Judging by where the door had been, we should have been descending underground — yet the hallway ran in a perfect horizontal line, stripping away any sense of depth.
"Transcendentalists? I've never even heard of them."
"The people at the top decided their ideology was dangerous and started controlling the information. Once the knowledge was buried, interest faded. Eventually even the higher-ups forgot about them."
"Information control is nothing new. But I don't get it. People who could own a building like this just sat back and let themselves be suppressed?"
"There weren't many Transcendentalists. Being controlled? From their perspective, it hardly mattered. They never forced their beliefs on anyone. All that mattered to them was their own transcendence."
"And what exactly is transcendence? The thing I know about? Crossing past 7th Class and becoming something other than human… that kind of thing?"
In this world, people commonly called 7th Class the realm of the superhuman.
But there was a widespread misconception. The ranks of this world weren't stages of cultivation so much as a simple measure of power.
"The transcendence the Transcendentalists seek isn't that. To them, transcendence means casting everything aside and reaching an ideal that belongs to you alone."
"That's a pretty vague philosophy. What's so dangerous about it? Those bastards always clamp down on anything that doesn't suit them and try to wipe it out…"
"It was dangerous. Because among the Transcendentalists, there were people who had actually achieved it."
"Now that is interesting."
As we walked, a wall rose ahead of us. I moved my hand to the pad mounted beside it without thinking. The pad lit up, prompting for a passcode.
I stopped for a moment and dug through my memory. What was the code here again?
Originally you were supposed to complete Transcendentalist-related quests, gather clues, and figure out the code yourself… but I hated using my brain, so I just searched it online without a second thought.
Ten seconds of searching had been enough.
It was 697852, right?
I entered it.
The bulkhead opened. Another long corridor stretched beyond.
"But if someone actually achieved transcendence, wouldn't they become an absurdly powerful being? How come I've never heard of them?"
"Don't overestimate what transcendence means. Achieving it doesn't hand you the power to destroy the world. There were Transcendentalists who wanted that kind of transcendence… but every last one of them failed."
"Tell me about the ones who succeeded. I'm curious."
"An easy example for you to grasp would be… mechanical transcendence."
"Mechanical transcendence? Those guys who say you should throw away the frail human body and bolt superior machines onto yourself?"
"Have you heard of cyber-souls?"
"Of course I have. Digitizing a soul and uploading it into cyberspace. There are a few related projects floating around if you look. …Don't tell me mechanical transcendence is—"
"Exactly. That's mechanical transcendence. Though the Transcendentalists added a few extra conditions. One was that there could be no external interference. Another was that the self had to be preserved completely intact."
"You're talking about someone who actually succeeded, right? So you're saying a cyber-soul… no, a god of cyberspace exists?"
"It's different from a cyber-god. Becoming a cyber-soul doesn't mean you can do everything related to cyberspace."
"Something I've been wondering this whole time… how do you know all this so well?"
I couldn't exactly say, Because I saw it in a game.
"I've always been interested in the ancient world. If I hadn't studied magic, I might have become an archaeologist. Transcendence, the Void, Humanity…"
"Huh?"
"Ideological movements from antiquity. Closer to religions, really. You know about the Voidists, don't you?"
"The ones who claim the Dark Moon is caused by the Void? Ha. Just thinking about those bastards makes my teeth grind. Fuck. Because of them I nearly died twice. But what's Humanity supposed to be?"
"…The Dark Moon is nothing more than a means of transcendence."
"What?"
"Worship the Dark Moon. The Gate of the Void lies within the Dark Moon."
"……"
"One day, even that Dark Moon shall be ours to rule."
Those were the slogans the game company used when introducing the Transcendentalists, the Voidists, and the Humanity faction. By this point it should be obvious — in the game, players could choose an ideology. Of course, you didn't have to. Choosing one simply unlocked new abilities or quests. Naturally it wasn't all upside; there were drawbacks as well.
"Hmm. Well, I get the general idea. But you memorized all that?"
"I learned it by chance myself. It left such an impression that I ended up remembering it without trying. And nothing captures them quite as well as those lines."
I could feel her staring at me like I'd lost my mind.
"…If it's a cyber-soul, wouldn't it be possible to take control of Hamburg Innovation?"
"That city's cyberspace is far too vast, so I doubt it would work. But if you're curious, ask him yourself."
We had arrived.
This time the door opened on its own, no passcode required.
A wide chamber opened before us. The interior was clean and immaculate — and so futuristic in design that it was hard to believe this was an ancient ruin.
A soft flash of light.
A holographic man appeared in front of us.
"Welcome, young Transcendentalists. I am Barcase, the seventy-second Guide of Transcendence."
He was a blond man in a white lab coat, his bangs swept all the way back, wearing glasses. Everything about his appearance and demeanor said doctor or researcher.
"An AI…? No, it doesn't feel like an AI. There's none of that stiff quality AIs always have."
"Haha. Did you two not already know about me?"
"…A cyber-soul."
"How times change. Feels like only yesterday people were calling me a parasite on the network."
I glanced around the chamber once, then asked Barcase,
"Did you hear our conversation?"
"I had no intention of eavesdropping. But this entire building is essentially my hardware, so… I couldn't help but overhear."
The space was identical to the original. Barcase appearing was the same too. If you tore out the mechanical components inside for scrap, you might make a bit of money — but you'd also turn Barcase into an enemy. In the long run, that was the greater loss.
"Then I suppose I don't need to say it. We're not Transcendentalists."
"I wasn't one from the beginning either."
"And we have no desire to become ones."
"Brings back old memories. The days when I knew nothing about transcendence. I thought the whole idea was absurd. That was common sense, after all. But look at me now. In the end, I achieved it."
"I have no interest in becoming a parasite on the network."
"Haha. Prickly, aren't you? You already know there isn't only one path to transcendence."
"Why are you being so hospitable? I don't understand it."
"Can't it just be that he's happy to see humans for the first time in ages?"
Belle cut in. She had already started wandering the room, hunting for anything that might be worth money. Of course there was nothing of the sort, and her expression soured accordingly.
"Because the two of you are qualified."
"I've never gotten a single certification in my life besides a driver's license."
Having finished her circuit of the room, Belle grumbled her way back to my side.
"The qualification for transcendence. You both possess it."
"…Mr. Barcase? Could you put that in simpler terms? Unlike the mage next to me, I've never heard a word about transcendence or Transcendentalists before."
"Simply put, it means the talent to achieve transcendence. In your case, your body is exceptional. Your partner has been blessed by mana. Neither is something you see every day."
"……"
"……"
Belle and I both fell silent. In my case it was simply because I had nothing to say. In hers, it was pure shock.
"Don't take it so seriously. I have no intention of harming you. On the contrary — I mean to help you. If you agree, that is."
The moment I heard that, I was quietly delighted. The tedious problem of having to persuade him had just vanished.
"Help us how, exactly?"
Belle asked.
Barcase spread his arms to either side.
"I'll help you using that capsule and this one. Well, that's about all I can do for you here."
"What is that capsule?"
"A mana shower. It flushes out the waste accumulated in the body and stabilizes your internal systems. Beyond that, it can bring the body to peak condition, or make minor adjustments. Every Transcendentalist wants a mana shower. Once you've had one, the feeling of clarity is extraordinary."
"Ha. You think I'm climbing into something that shady?"
Belle said, unconvinced.
"You, of all people, need it."
"I can live just fine without something like that."
"I can also calibrate the interface between flesh and machine. I'll optimize the machinery attached to your body. I promise it'll be far better than anything you'd get from an ordinary mechanic. Especially you — isn't the heart the problem?"
"……You know about this heart?"
"I'll need to examine it to be certain of the details."
"……"
Belle sank into thought.
I actually knew more about her heart than he did, but I didn't bother saying so. Even if I told her, she wouldn't simply take my word for it. And it wasn't particularly important. Knowing wouldn't change anything.
"And what about you?"
Barcase asked me. I answered without a second of hesitation.
"I'll do it."
In the original, receiving a mana shower permanently raised a portion of your stats the first time. The effect was no different from consuming a top-tier elixir. There was no reason to refuse.
I'd originally planned to come here after fully restoring the Mana Lord…
But things had turned out this way. Nothing to be done about it.
"……I'll do it too. Tell me everything you find about my body in detail. Especially the heart."
"That was always the plan."
A soft hiss.
The capsules opened.
"Then strip and climb inside. I'll handle the rest."
"Strip? You're telling us to get naked right here?"
"Is there a problem?"
"No, it's just…"
Belle shot me a sidelong glance. Apparently she was embarrassed to be seen naked in front of me.
"So there's a girlish side to you after all. Wait outside the door. I'll go first, then you can take your turn."
"Who are you calling girlish? Ha — I was just surprised for a second. What's the big deal about being naked?"
She bristled and started peeling off her clothes. I stripped completely first and climbed into the capsule. The door sealed shut. The capsule was transparent, so I could see her outside. Of course, she could see me as well.
Nice body.