Chapter 96. A Fake City
Charles initially thought that they would have to use tremendous efforts to scale the walls. However, after a brief search, he found several doors at the base of the walls.
It appeared that these towering walls were not meant to keep humans out.
Charles slightly waved his hand, signaling his crew to follow him as they ventured into the island that was structured like a fortress.
The moment Charles and his crew emerged from the tunnels that burrowed through the walls, they were taken aback by the sight before them.
If he hadn't just been at sea a few minutes ago, he would have thought that he had returned to the surface world.
On the other side of the wall, an array of modern buildings were neatly arranged in rows. Apart from towering skyscrapers, there were also fast food joints, cellphone shops, fashion boutiques and other usual shops that could be seen in a city.
It was an entire city beyond the walls—an entire modern city devoid of any humans.
Time seemed to not flow in this city as there were no signs of wear and tear on the buildings. The streets and buildings were sparkling clean. There was not even a speck of dust that could be seen on the ground.
This was definitely impossible under normal circumstances. The abandoned ship parked at the shore was covered in a thick layer of dust after just two months. God knew how long this city had been constructed, but there was no way that it would be this immaculate.
"Bro, Don't you find this architectural style familiar?" Richard asked as he pressed his face against the transparent glass of a supermarket.
"The Foundation." Charles thought.
Charles was reminded of the ruins on the island that housed 1002. Judging from the structure of this place, if the ruins were intact, it would probably resemble this.
The Foundation was from the surface. There was a high possibility that the exit would be in this city.
A city like this had even managed to catch Charles by surprise, let alone the crew of Narwhale. Ever since the moment they stepped into this place, their mouths had been wide agape.
Everyone was dumbstruck as they stared at the eerie buildings shrouded in darkness. Their grip on their weapons alternated between firm and lax.
Charles grasped the handle of a supermarket door and pushed the door open.
The interior was eerily similar to Walmart, but it had a stark contrast to a bustling superstore—the absence of shoppers.
"Mr. Charles, is this the computer you mentioned that can play animations?" Lily asked curiously as she hopped onto the cash register.
Charles remained silent. Instead, he swiftly approached the register behind the counter to inspect it. Soon, he found something weird about the register. Despite its appearance looking like that of a typical cash register in a supermarket, it was not connected to any data cable.
Woong!
With a buzzing sound, a rapidly spinning chainsaw emerged from Charles' prosthetic limb. He brought the chainsaw down and sliced the cash register into two.
Upon dissecting the machine, Charles found that it lacked the usual computer components. This thing was just an empty shell.
"Thoughts?" Charles asked in his mind as he scanned the other cash registers at the different counters. If his intuition was right, they should all be mere props, just like that one he had sliced apart.
"You’re asking me? Then, who should I ask? Who could be so bored to actually build a fake supermarket out of boredom?" Richard manipulated his prosthetic limb to reach out for the coin slot and gave a strong tug.
Various bills and coins that none of them had seen erupted from the machine that Richard had forced open.
Charles picked one up in his right hand and examined it carefully. Although its appearance resembled a particular currency he was familiar with, the texture of the paper bill he was holding was oddly coarse. Just like how the cash register was a fake imitation, so too was this currency.
A sudden thought struck Charles' mind, and he dashed deeper into the supermarket. He rapidly inspected the various goods placed on the shelves. Indeed, they were as per his expectations.
From a kitchen utensil down to a piece of clothing, each item was a mere semblance of the real thing, but none of them were functional. Moreover, any place that should have displayed text or markings was a distorted blur.
"Why does it feel like I've stepped into a life-sized supermarket mock-up made by some affluent individual? Could it be the deity from the sea? Quite the hobby for a deity, no?" Richard mused to himself.
Hearing Richard's thoughts, Charles shook his head. "I don't think so. Remember those footprints on the ship? There are living creatures here. They may have made these things."
"But why did they create a fake supermarket? To show off their capabilities?" Richard questioned.
Charles placed the mock can of food he had been examining and looked out of the glass doors toward the streets.
"I fear it's not just a fake supermarket..." Charles muttered to himself.
Eventually, under Charles' lead, the group entered the towering skyscrapers.
Observing the contemporary interior designs, Charles felt a wave of nostalgia, as if he had been transported back to the present day. The building even boasted elevators.
But upon closer inspection, the illusion was shattered. Using his prosthetic limb, Charles sliced open the elevator doors only to find a solid block behind them, devoid of any mechanical workings or shaft.
Charles led the group to ascend the stairs to the second floor.
"Everyone, search the rooms for clues. If you find anything with text or pictures, bring it to me immediately. We’ll regroup in thirty minutes. Fire a warning shot if you run into any danger."
Charles was paired with Laesto. They entered a room that resembled an office and started rummaging through the cabinets and shelves.
Five minutes later, Charles exited the room with a look of disappointment and entered the adjacent room. Looking into the corridor, he observed his crew members moving in and out of various rooms. He deduced they were also coming up empty-handed in their search for clues.
After scouring another room with no success, Charles was growing impatient. He was ready to order a retreat when a sudden wave of pain gripped him as he stood up. He clutched his head as his face twisted in agony. The chanting sounds were ringing in his ears again and at a louder volume than before.
Holding his head, he stumbled into the adjacent room in search of Laesto.
He barely took two steps when he saw a humanoid creature covered in fleshy growths walking directly toward him.
The creature, on its gore-streaked legs, approached Charles and offered support with its malformed limbs.
Charles glanced at the fleshy robe on the monster and groaned in pain. "Doctor, something's amiss. My hallucinations are back. Do you have any meds to help me suppress it?"
The creature's grotesque lips moved as though uttering words. It then retrieved a squirming mass of pale flesh from beneath its crimson cloak.
Charles accepted the flesh from the creature. He placed the fleshy blob into his mouth and bit down. Instantly, an overpowering metallic taste of blood exploded in his mouth.
Charles had to fight down the wave of nausea that threatened to overcome him and strengthened his resolve to swallow every mouthful.
Just then, a silhouette appeared at the doorway, and a familiar face entered the room—it was Laesto!
Laesto's tin flask slipped from his grasp with a clink as Laesto's face was painted with horror.
"Good gracious!! Charles, what are you eat—wait, what is THAT thing beside you?"
Charles lifted his gaze in shock to lock eyes with the creature's peculiar cross-shaped pupils.
Without a moment's hesitation, a chainsaw blade emerged from Charles' prosthetic limb and spun with deadly intent.
Just as he was ready to bring down the chainsaw on the monster, he was struck by dizziness. The sensation sapped away his strength and willpower in a split second.
As Charles collapsed onto the cold floor, he caught a glimpse of an elongated foot bearing six toes and covered in scales. It matched the very footprints they had seen on the ship. Darkness then consumed his world.
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