Chapter 425: Detroit Extermination War (4)
Chapter 425: Detroit Extermination War (4)
No matter how much I looked around, there was nothing suspicious about this place—which looked like a cross between a laboratory and an indoor pool—except for the numbers carved into The Wall.
Naturally, my attention was drawn to the massive amount of liquid collected here.
At first, I wondered if this liquid was the source of the contamination, but there was only one hole where it could possibly go, and even that was completely sealed by a sturdy-looking barrier.
Far from the liquid draining out, transparent fluid was irregularly trickling in from round pipes connected to the ceiling and walls.
An incomprehensible liquid in an incomprehensible place.
However, it was certain that some secret was hidden here. We reported the location to Command and sent a sample of the liquid along with the report.
Leaving the contemplation of phenomena we couldn't understand to the experts, we moved on.
About an hour later.
“…Here again?”
We found a place exactly like the first one.
A square room made of white tiles.
Aside from the pipes on the ceiling and walls, it was a place where only a square pool of water existed.
I couldn't tell if the number of pipes or their positions were identical, but it was the kind of place that could make one hallucinate that they had returned to the exact same room.
However, there was an element that proved this room was distinctly different from the previous one.
“This one’s a 7.”
The number carved into The Wall was 7, not 12.
The drain being blocked was the same, but the number on The Wall was different.
Considering the enemies had swarmed us desperately to block our path here as well, this place had to be important.
“Anyone have a guess?”
The frustration of fighting through enemies only to arrive at another incomprehensible location made me throw out a question that was half-muttered to myself.
I hoped someone would answer, but the only response was the expected silence.
…I suppose there’s nothing to do but wait for the Management Bureau’s analysis.
Questions kept cropping up, but the place didn't seem important enough to get hung up on.
Just as I was about to lead my subordinates away.
“The last one was 12, right?”
Montague spoke vacantly while staring at the perfectly still water.
“Yeah.”
I answered just as vacantly.
“And this one is 7.”
“Right.”
“Then that means there are at least twelve of these places.”
…Probably?
“Does that bring something to mind?”
Since the conversation was so sudden, I directed the question back at Montague.
“No, it didn't really mean anything.”
“….”
I felt a sudden urge to smack him on the back of the head.
That desire surged within me, but at the same time, I thought, ‘Well, it’s not such a ridiculous thought that it warrants a beating,’ so I was about to ignore it.
“Captain. A message from Command.”
Svetlana, her face as expressionless as ever, raised her voice.
“What is it? Did the front line collapse? Do they want us to provide backup?”
“No, they say the analysis results for this location are out.”
Hm? That was faster than expected.
“What did they say?”
Normally, as the commander, I should have been the one to receive the report and relay it to the unit, but because I had lazily dumped the communication duties onto Svetlana, it became a relayed question like this.
Svetlana opened her mouth without showing any sign of dissatisfaction.
“First, regarding the room itself, they conducted a detailed inspection by drilling through the walls and sending sensors through the pipes, but they found nothing suspicious.”
Is that so?
As if to test it myself, I tapped my finger against The Wall.
In response to the tap, there was no echo suggesting a hollow space behind it—only the dull thud of hitting solid ground.
“However, separately from that, the Defense Force has discovered and secured similar rooms. Those rooms were marked with the numbers 60, 65, 66, and 72. Apparently, in the room marked 72, water was pouring from the pipes like a waterfall.”
Hmm? I thought twelve of these weird rooms were plenty, but seventy-two?
And water pouring from the pipes…
“What’s the difference?”
I said, looking back at the pipes here.
Unlike the pipes in Room 12, which had a bit of water coming out, the pipes in Room 7 were completely dry. And then there was Room 72, where it poured like a waterfall.
“They say there are no conjectures regarding that yet. They will contact us again as soon as new information comes in.”
In the end, aside from the fact that an absurd number of these suspicious rooms were built under Detroit, this information was completely devoid of substance.
I thought it would solve the mystery, but it only piled on more questions.
“Fine. Let’s move on. I have a feeling the next pool we find will be marked 2 or 3 anyway.”
I let out a sigh and prepared to lead my subordinates out, but then—
“Also, regarding the liquid, they say no suspicious properties were observed. It’s different from contaminated water, and there’s no monster tissue inside. However, they noted that the protein and fat content was unusually high. Other than that, they say it’s just ordinary water.”
“…Huh? What?”
Ordinary water?
“…Are you kidding me?”
This suspicious liquid they’ve gathered in such quantities is just water?
“There’s no reaction to magic, espers, or even Danger Sense?”
“Such detailed information wasn't relayed, so I cannot say for certain. However, there was an additional instruction not to touch it, as there may be hidden properties not yet identified.”
Svetlana answered my irritated questions faithfully.
Seeing her speak so much for once, it was clear she was summarizing what she had heard to the best of her ability.
That meant the Management Bureau truly hadn't found anything suspicious about that water.
Then why were those Doctor bastards guarding this and piling it up?
To the point of concentrating their forces in these meaningless locations even while their base was being overrun by the Defense Force?
Is this really just water?
When my thoughts reached that point, I decided to use something I had been saving.
I had kept it put away because I didn't know what might happen…
With that thought, I pulled the thermos containing Liquid X from my coat and scooped some of the presumed water into the cap.
Even if this and that water showed some strange reaction, I had initially hesitated to test it. Liquid X itself was so anomalous that any information gained might be meaningless, and I didn't know what kind of supernatural phenomenon might occur when one suspicious liquid met another. But if even the Management Bureau couldn't identify this water, I needed a breakthrough.
Steeling my resolve, I poured the Liquid X into the cap containing the water.
Since both were transparent liquids, I couldn't distinguish them at first.
But when I focused my eyes and stared intently, the difference between the two became apparent.
There was Liquid X, which possessed a transparency so perfect it made one doubt its existence in this world, yet showed a faint distortion as if to prove it was there.
And then there was the mysterious water, which showed a stronger distortion, proving it was closer to actual water.
They seemed to mix for a moment, but then I witnessed a strange sight.
…They layered?
The mysterious water did not turn into Liquid X.
Liquid X, which had the overwhelming property of converting any liquid it touched—no matter how filthy—into more Liquid X, failed to change this suspicious liquid. They simply remained separate.
…What is this?
What information can I glean from this?
What do I know about Liquid X?
Is this liquid not water?
No, even if it wasn't water, why didn't the overwhelming property that treats even cola or oil as liquid and turns them into Liquid X manifest here?
It was a phenomenon that was utterly incomprehensible by my common sense.
I immediately pulled my phone from my waist.
“Is something the matter?”
Montague asked with a serious tone, sensing something from my actions, but I raised a hand to my lips as if I didn't even have time to answer.
I dialed immediately.
To the person who likely knew more about Liquid X than I did.
I didn't know if they would pick up, but I judged this would be faster than going through the Management Bureau.
“Yes, hello.”
A strange woman’s voice answered, but I assumed it was the right person and raised my voice.
“Librarian. Has there ever been a case where Liquid X failed to convert a liquid?”
“What is Liquid X? I’m busy to death because of the Detroit situation right now, so if you’re going to ask weird questions, please hang up quickly.”
This damn bastard.
“You know, that suspicious liquid. The one that changes whatever it touches into itself.”
“Ahhh, you called it Liquid X? Hmm. Let’s see. If it exceeds a certain volume while not separated, or if the distinction between liquid and solid states is ambiguous, like a polymer…”
“Stop with the theoretical talk. You said you’re busy with the Detroit situation, right? Are you researching? Then take that Liquid X and shove it into the liquid we just sent as a sample.”
“Ah, you mean that water with the strangely high protein and fat content. Let’s see.”
I heard a clattering sound through the phone.
He seemed to be searching diligently, but the wait felt eternally long.
After about a minute had passed.
“Hmm. No change occurs.”
The Librarian, who had apparently finished the verification process while searching, picked up the phone again with the sound of splashing liquid.
“The reason?”
“Hmm…”
The Librarian hummed thoughtfully at my question.
A woman’s voice, different from my memory, echoed in my ear, but the fundamental tone beneath it was definitely the person I knew.
“I’ve checked with the material detectors attached to my body, and this liquid is definitely just water with an extremely high probability.”
The Librarian’s voice turned grave, as if he had caught onto a lead.
“But it’s not ordinary water.”
“Correct. If it were ordinary water, it would have turned into that liquid immediately. However, I have witnessed a similar phenomenon once before while experimenting with that liquid.”
There was a hint of foreboding in the Librarian’s voice.
As if a terrible thing would happen if his hypothesis were correct.
“…It happened when a spirit assigned to my lab accidentally drank some of that liquid. Even though the spirit clearly ingested the liquid, the spirit’s body did not turn into said liquid.”
…Just how the hell is the Librarian storing that dangerous stuff?
I’m not the most cautious person, but he’s gone and caused an even bigger disaster.
I felt like I should scold him, but now wasn't the time.
“Are you saying this water is a spirit?”
I said, shaking the thermos cap.
A splashing sound, similar to the one coming through the phone, echoed in my ears.
“No, it’s not a spirit. Their components are also extremely close to ordinary water, but there are clear differences that allow for distinction. The same goes for the bodies of deceased spirits. This means this water shows an anomaly in a realm unrelated to spirits.”
This guy has a hunch.
“Don't stall. Just say it. You have a guess as to what this liquid is, don't you?”
When I barked at him, his voice cut out for a moment.
Sounds came through the phone.
The sound of clicking gears.
The sound of splashing water.
And even the sound of a faint sigh.
It was likely proof that the Librarian was reluctant to voice the answer.
However, as if realizing the gravity of the situation, the Librarian spoke up before ten seconds had passed.
“Currently, the infected who die in Detroit turn into liquid.”
“…Right.”
A sense of dread clouded my mind.
I understood everything from that one sentence, but I didn't pull the phone from my ear, hoping to hear that my thought was wrong.
“Because that liquid is rapidly absorbed into the ground, no samples were collected. Since we had live samples, there was no need to obtain difficult-to-collect liquid samples.”
The dread wouldn't stop.
“Then let’s think of it this way. Those rooms are places where such liquid is collected. And if that liquid is treated as a living organism for some unknown reason, just like a spirit…”
Shit.
I swung my hand, scattering the liquid in the thermos cap onto the tiles.
Because the Librarian had not denied my thought.
“I will inform Command.”
With those words, the call ended.
I blankly put the phone back into my coat and stared at the massive pool of water before me.
If the Librarian’s assumption was correct.
This was a place where countless deaths had gathered.
A tomb of staggering proportions, sprawling beneath Detroit.