First Commission: Descent into the Sewers (1)
“…You wouldn’t happen to be from the Cross, hiding your identity, would you?”
Cross?
What the hell is that?
I’d half-worried that word of me smashing up that pharma company had already spread, but thankfully, that wasn’t it.
“…”
What kind of answer was he fishing for?
I quickly composed myself and fixed the man with a piercing stare—rude enough to make anyone squirm.
Combined with this body’s mysterious, sharp aura and my purple eyes, it must’ve hit him like a ton of bricks.
I wasn’t about to blurt out something stupid. We were strangers, and I had no clue what his angle was. Information disadvantage. No point showing weakness—instead, seize control.
Our weird staring contest dragged on, and as expected, he cracked first.
“…Hmph. As I thought… you really are a high-rank mage. Sigh…”
I smirked inwardly. Done yet?
My turn to ask.
“…The Cross, huh. So they actually exist?”
A carefully worded question to fish for info on the group without giving away my hand.
Especially since he thought I was some high-rank mage. Time to play into that ego.
“Of course. Surprising you didn’t know. Were you in secluded training or something?”
“…Let’s say that. But I’m not uninterested in the Cross.”
Act cool for now!
He might think it was overkill, but this world crawled with lunatics. Especially a presumed mage like him—if he found out I was a total scrub, he might come after me.
But surprisingly, he reacted positively.
“Hmph… Understood. Take this, then. If you’re interested, get in touch. The Cross is always open.”
Cross Business Card
Simple rectangular cardstock with a single embossed golden cross.
“It’s the Cross’s card.”
I snatched it midair. Smooth texture, nothing else notable.
“Hope we get to meet face-to-face next time. Farewell.”
“…”
With a parting nod, he turned.
And—
Flash!
“…Hm.”
In an instant, he vanished, leaving only a flickering afterimage.
Way higher level than I’d guessed. Even accounting for my own novice status, I couldn’t even sense what spell he’d used.
Dodged a bullet there. Would’ve been toast if he’d turned hostile.
Still, the cryptic exchange hadn’t gone badly. At least I hadn’t left a sour impression.
Plus, weird card acquired… We’d cross paths again someday.
Wonder what this thing even was. Slick to the touch, but no contact info. Probably had a special activation method.
Anyway… business first.
Figure out the card later. Time to hunt that sewer monster.
“PC… bang? Not sure about that, but there’s something similar.”
Walter’s face turned deadly serious at my question.
“It’s called the Rhodes Library—a digital library open to residents. Costs money, of course.”
“Oh, thanks.”
No exact PC bang, but close enough. Good.
“Daddy, can’t I go with sis just this once? Pleeease…”
Sofia’s whining played like BGM as I rummaged in my pocket.
20,000 credits left. No way a quick session cost more.
Unless something went wrong, use the scraps for the library, knock out the request, then live it up on the 10 million payout.
All or nothing.
“Fine. It’s inside the village, so permitted. But don’t follow her to work and cause trouble!”
As I finished calculating, Walter spoke up.
“Need help, just say. Oh, and Sofia wants to tag along—what do you think?”
“Sure, why not? Works for me.”
Sofia barreled into me.
Poof!
“Eung…”
Like a pillow, she burrowed into my torso.
“Haha… good girl…?”
I went to pet her puppy-like head, but she opened her eye.
Her uncovered white left eye locked onto mine.
“…Thanks, sis…”
Sofia’s voice carried a lonely edge.
Maybe she didn’t just want a friend. In this bleak city, even playmates were rare.
“…Yeah. Let’s go together. Can you show the way?”
“Yes!”
“Everyone, stay safe!”
“I wanna see real flowers. Not plastic ones without scent—bright, fragrant ones.”
“What kind? Oh, that place?”
“I… yes! That’s it!”
Chatting with Sofia, we reached the isekai PC bang.
Franchise-style—one per village, apparently.
[This area is under 24-hour surveillance.]
A humanoid drone at the entrance spat the warning.
Single red eye like an emergency light, list blade retracted, arms packed with weapons. Intimidating as hell.
“…”
Fierce.
Sofia shrank behind me, intimidated.
Unmanned store, but not fully—robots for oversight.
“Phew… okay.”
We slipped past under its watch.
Suits with shades puffing smokes hit us like a fog machine.
Smoking in here? Classic fusionpunk grit.
Inside mimicked a real PC bang, but booths sealed like photo kiosks.
“Sis… I’ll head back now.”
Sofia huddled, unused to adult dives.
“Yeah. Get home safe.”
Not a kid’s spot, true.
I claimed an empty booth.
Whirr—
Thank you for using Rhodes Library today.
Power button summoned a hologram. Library-like system, but viewable only onsite—anti-theft.
“Ugh… oh, screwed up…?”
Credits wouldn’t slot. Two slots—wrong hole.
Whirr— Accepted.
Logged in.
“…”
Rental model. Pay per record, time-limited. Costs varied wildly.
Magic and monsters meant plenty of supernatural tomes.
[Summoning Magic Records] [On the Four Elements] [Intro to Heart Realm Studies]
Worth a read later.
“Hm…”
First, scour general records for [Sewer] info.
[Overview]
A place carrying the city's filth and discarded existences.
[Details]
Saturated with foul qi, frequent aberration sightings, self-sustaining ecosystem. Essential to bring someone with at least Class III combat power. Watch for these entities…
Minutes later, info secured, I grinned.
“Perfect.”
My ‘plan’ was spot on.
All precautions noted. Just dive in and kill the beast.
As I rose—
“…!”
Scrolling records, one odd title snagged my eye.
[Recent Unstable Spatial Fluctuations and Dimensional Gates]
“…”
Spatial fluctuations and dimensional gates…? Déjà vu.
Upload date synced eerily with my arrival.
Unprecedented Earth-to-here drop. And ‘dimensional gate’—loaded term.
Mouse moved on autopilot. Rented it.
Document loaded.
[Overview]
Dimensional gates, or Ascension Gates, are the only path to the star-sea beyond this world.
[Details]
Recent anomalous spatial fluctuations closely tied to unstable gate openings…
Dimensional gate.
Tied straight to my isekai drop.
Skimmed: Spatial rift at the [Highest Throne]. Must-use portal to breach the sky for space.
Bookmarked it—too long for now.
Library intel done, now at 17th District sewer entrance.
Rot stench already wafting.
Loitering by the electrified fence, a weary guard from the nearby booth approached. Dark circles galore.
“What brings you?”
“Here on guild request.”
“Ah… that one? One sec.”
He tapped his terminal.
“Yep, got it. Handover confirmed. Gear in the locker. Tagged—return later.”
I nodded.
“Opening the gate.”
Creeeak—
Fence groaned open. Massive tunnel gaped like a fiend’s maw, packed with abyssal dark.
Putrid stink from its throat. I stepped in.
Click—
Clipped on the issued clip light.
Fire.
Added a floating fireball. Darkness fled.
Good enough.
Tried the gas mask—blocked vision, not smell. Ditched it.
Thud. Thud.
Boots echoed.
Soon, roaring wastewater grew louder. Stench intensified.
“Ugh. Brutal.”
Sewer proper: black river analogue.
Roooar—
Rapids hauling filth and forgotten horrors. Dank, filthy—like mythic Acheron.
I followed the waterside path deeper.
Caution now. From here: native critters, aberrations called ‘kai’.
Clip light + Fire lit me up like a beacon. Great visibility, but aggro magnet. Stay sharp.
…
…
Descending to tentacle zone, first anomaly hit.
Endless sewage flow beside me.
Amid ripples, alien shapes flickered. Like a shark finning the surface in a movie.
Something underwater stalking me.
Spotted it, halted, faced the freak.
Ignore and regret later. Handle now.
Slosh. Slosh.
Mystery thing cleaved the current.
Then—
Splash.
“…!”
Something breached: a human arm.
Warped, but unmistakably human.
It stabbed the path, zombie-crawled out.
Splash, splash…
Scraaaape—
Full reveal: slime-dripping, shambling corpse. Tattered, corroded yellow hazmat suit.
Twisted by toxic sludge, the aberration groaned.
“Found… you… crazy… bitch…”
“…!”
That guy…
Nerves jangled.
Distorted, but unforgettable voice.
First person I saw here…
Hazmat staffer. Why the hell are you here?
“Now I know… you’re…”
Staggering before me, hazmat rasped on.