Chapter 319: Only Dream About It... For Now
To visit the previous two buildings, their group passed through public pathways. They were always able to walk through spacious halls that seemed to be made to cater to various races of different sizes.
However, the path that Roamer led them through right now felt narrow, dark, and honestly, not for people to pass through.
Rather than a path, it felt more like an alley, a shortcut leading to a different section of the city. The kind of place that wasn’t meant to be seen, let alone walked through.
"Ugh...! So... tight...!"
Ria, who had large "assets" had a difficult time squeezing through the gap. Her chest was basically squeezed flat, like pancakes, making her look both funny and pitiful at the same time.
Eve, who was coming right after her, couldn’t help but glare at her two puffy bags squeezed so tight. Then, she looked down on her own, spacious and free of struggle.
Although she was having an easy time, she couldn’t help but feel a bit of vengefulness.
It wasn’t fair, in a way she couldn’t quite articulate.
"I wonder when will mine grow even just half as big..."
She whispered to herself so faint that even Axel’s sharp senses barely registered it as a sigh.
After they squeezed through that alley, they arrived at a wider path, allowing them to walk side by side without problem. Roamer, who was leading the way, kept quiet, though. Almost as if he was desperately trying to keep things mysterious for everyone around.
Axel looked at the clock, and there were only 20 minutes left before his laptop finished building. Which also meant they only had 20 minutes left to look around.
’Is Roamer intentionally taking us through these winding paths to waste our time?’ He thought with a frown. ’If that’s true, then I wonder what it truly is he’s hiding under that façade of pride.’
However, before his suspicion could even grow further, they finally came to a stop.
[We’re here.] Roamer said through his little speakers. [On top of this building is the military viewing platform. From there, we should be able to see all the defensive equipment and implements of our planet. Our dimension. Our pride and glory.]
"Military...?" Axel gasped, surprised. "Not the public one, but the Military protected one?"
[Yes!]
Without further ado, Roamer began leading the way, entering the building through a wall.
Yes, it wasn’t a door, but rather, a wall that broke down tile by tile, revealing a secret passage leading to the heart of the building!
It was a cool and mystic sight that tickled the little boy buried deep in Axel’s heart! He had to actively stop himself from saying something about it and embarrassing himself.
After entering, they walked straight without getting stopped. Then, the group entered a standard elevator. But one where the buttons were actually at the bottom, at Roamer’s height, rather than based on human standard.
After he tapped a few buttons, almost as if playing around, the display screen on top changed. Instead of showing which floor they currently were on, it was now showing: "To Rooftop Viewing Platform."
The next moment, everyone felt the pulling feeling when an elevator was going up. Axel was already used to it, but Eve and Ria weren’t too used to it just yet.
Their experience of elevators was only a few times while making the base back in AZF (AxevariaZareenFrontline) Dimension. Thus, they hadn’t really gotten accustomed to it yet.
Soon, they began slowing down, before coming to a complete stop. The familiar ping echoed as the door opened, revealing a room that’s completely dark.
Though not for long.
As soon as Roamer stepped inside, the lights all turned on, revealing a bright, fully-equipped, viewing platform. Even the dark "walls" turned out to be some sort of screens, which mimicked windows, showing the scenery right outside.
[This is our viewing platform. Most of our top brasses and big sponsors from different races usually stay here to watch whenever we’re having a defensive battle.] He clarified. [In here, you should be able to see all the defensive implements.]
Axel paced toward the center, looking around curiously.
Eve and Ria, a few steps behind him, were similarly looking around in awe.
The view on the "windows" quickly changed. Previously, it showed the vicinity of the neighborhood they were exploring. But now, it was heading higher. Much higher than a building, higher than clouds. And still rising.
In just a few seconds, the view was already of outer space.
Axel leaned close to the curved windows, staring downward. There, he saw the planet’s surface.
"So that’s it...!" He gasped. "Your race... uses the planet itself as one giant weapon to protect yourselves!"
What was before his eyes weren’t vast oceans or treacherous land. Rather, it almost looked like the entire planet was made of metal. A giant ball covered in steel plates.
Though that’s just how it appears. Those "steel plates" were actually cities. Same as the one where Axel and the rest had been exploring just now. Countless cities, packed edge to edge, covering every inch of the surface.
And that’s not all either.
On select locations across the planet, large black spaces, deep and terrifying, could be seen. From what Axel could see alone, there were over a thousand already. Each one spanned a few kilometers on each side, their depth unfathomable.
And hidden within its depths was a cold glint of a gigantic laser weapon.
One that’s ready to pulverize enemies through Beyond Visual Range (BVR) attacks. Just sitting there, patient, waiting for something to shoot at.
"So this is why you’re so confident." Axel finally understood.
After all, if an enemy fleet appeared, that alone would straight up spell their doom.
These gigantic weapons would fire concentrated beams that could travel at least a few light minutes—millions of kilometers—before losing its killing power.
And, at the same time, it wasn’t something he could dare copy.
Terraforming an entire planet into a weapon wasn’t something he could dare to do at the moment. His measly Hundred Quintillion worth of funds wouldn’t be able to handle the cost of doing such a stunt. Not even close.
He’d need to add a few more zeroes before that conversation became worth having.
Too bad, but this defense competition was his loss.
There was no shame in admitting it. Sometimes the gap was just too wide.
At least... for now.
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