Devouring World Dragon

Chapter 306 Intermission Science Management Office Part 3
"Why bother with such things? What's coming will come eventually, just face it calmly."

F, however, seemed quite at ease with A's concerns, still wearing a smile.

A did not refute, but remained silent, and finally nodded.

"Right."

The long corridor seemed endless, with doors on either side, each labeled with a name, and behind each door lay a forbidden object.

F followed behind A, glancing thoughtfully at the doors and the signs on them, such as "Parallel World Leap," "Three Thousand Methods to Become a God," "God of World Destruction," and "Divine Elephant Suppressing Prison Force."

"However, among so many forbidden technologies and forbidden objects, is there still no way to defeat that monster?"

F asked.

"Have."

Unexpectedly, A gave a surprising answer.

Opening his eyes, the handsome man stopped in his tracks, looked at a door beside him, and said.

"There are actually many ways to defeat monsters, and even many ways to kill them. For example, before you came, we reviewed a forbidden technology for escaping prison, a completely fantastical creation."

"This Class C technology can theoretically create countless worlds, and anything one can think of can be realized, possessing abilities almost comparable to those of a creator. In the past, prototypes used this technology in wars to create a multiverse, an infinite number of universes, including a world where monsters die, and indeed, monsters were once wiped out."

"But soon, in just tens of thousands of years, the monster awoke from its slumber once more. This time it was even more powerful than before. The majestic monster was enraged and swallowed the prototypes along with the world they had created. The prototypes were only able to survive by sheer luck."

"Such wars have happened countless times; monsters cannot be measured by common sense. Just like what's behind this door..."

A pointed to the door next to him.

On the door, it reads: "[Abstract Concept - Hero]".

"In the realm of concepts, the 'hero' is not a powerful or taboo thing. In evaluation, it is rated E, which is similar to time travel, a civilian technology that could be widely used in the past."

"When we established the Federation, we used this abstract concept extensively to create the Federation. As a result, young people are a group full of heroic spirit, and each of them has the potential to become a hero."

"But this not-so-powerful abstract concept has protected the prototype time and time again. It has performed better than a whole host of advanced skills that the prototype possesses, and has powerfully supported the shaky prototypes."

"Monsters are surprisingly vulnerable to heroes. For some reason we don't know, the concept of a hero is extremely effective against monsters... as if the hero is the monster's only weakness."

"But even heroes can only struggle to hold on, sometimes saving the original form from the monster's jaws, but more often than not, they end in failure, at best buying a little time."

As he spoke, A gazed at the door inscribed with the word "Hero," as if reminiscing.

For the elderly who retain memories of the past, this word also inspires respect, because it has saved them from despair time and time again.

With a fearless heart, they accomplish incredible miracles, and are therefore revered and called "heroes" by ordinary people.

But heroes are fleeting.

Unlike eternal monsters, heroes can do incredible things for a time, but they will eventually die.

"It's possible to defeat a monster once, it's possible to kill a monster once, but it's impossible to truly stop a monster..."

Through repeated wars, the prototypes eventually confirmed this fact.

Countless methods were tried, but they still fell into despair.

F also gazed at the door, remaining silent for a moment.

Although he was born after the war, when the prototypes had found a way to completely defeat the monster, he did not experience that era of war.

And at this moment, behind that door lies the embodiment of the concept of heroism. I knew of the reverence for heroes, but I had never felt so close to them.

"That's really amazing."

Looking at the door, F praised it.

"That's really amazing..."

A nodded.

As he spoke, he pointed ahead.

"Keep going, there are still many incredible things ahead. You are a member of the elders, and all the technology, things, and information preserved by the Institute of Scientific Management should be open to you."

……

After walking for an unknown amount of time, we passed one amazing door after another, each one revealing a wondrous secret.

A would introduce and explain what was behind each door.

[The Universe in Your Mind]

This is a man whose brain has been replaced by a universe, which, although seemingly microscopic, is actually a real universe.

In this universe within the mind, a man's thoughts and ideas become reality, and he can even reverse the boundaries between reality and his fantasies, replacing the real world with his fantasies.

It was considered a Class D forbidden item, and its timeline flow was permanently halted.

Reality Penetration Device

The information was deliberately covered with a lot of censored black text, with only a few words revealing that it was something related to the "fourth wall".

Both received the same rating: D.

【The Great, Boundless, Infinite, and Eternal Tower】

The tower has no end, and each floor is a different world, with all sorts of strange and wonderful phenomena.

It's rated D, but there seems to be a possibility that it will be upgraded to E?
And there was something else that even surprised F...

New Human Federation

Experimental subjects at the Science Management Institute, and preventative measures in the event of a crisis...

The words above were clearly written on that door.

Yes, this New Human Federation is merely an experiment of the Science Management Institute.

Behind this door is a holographic image of the Federation, or rather, an object that controls the Federation. Through this holographic image, one can achieve control over the entire real Federation.

This explains why, within the Federation, there has always been an undercurrent of resistance, primarily among young people, against the Science Management Institute, while the older generation remains indifferent.

From the very beginning, the entire Federation was under the absolute control of the Science Administration.

The rating on this door is C.

Although he was a veteran in reserve, F was astonished as he witnessed the true depth of scientific management for the first time.

However, after looking through so many doors, F realized that he had not seen any Class B or even Class A items.

"Grade B and Grade A items."

Seeing F's question, A turned around and suddenly smiled for no apparent reason.

"Actually, even I don't know what Grade B and Grade A are. Because every time I see them, my memory is erased, so I don't remember what they are."

He paused for a moment, then continued.

"So, I can't explain what happens next to you, because even I don't know what comes after that."

"Oh, in that case, doesn't it mean that this is the first time we've ever seen these things?" F suddenly became interested and stroked his chin.

A had been explaining the whole thing, and then he exclaimed in surprise.

Although they were all truly incredible things, he still felt a subtle unease and wanted to know how surprised A would be.

A seemed to sense something from F's sudden excitement and shook his head.

"Alright then, let's go see what scared us."

With a light laugh, A and F continued their journey through the long corridor filled with forbidden objects.

……

The corridor was very long, seemingly without end.

However, in some places, there will be special markings on the floor to indicate which level of prohibited area you have entered.

After walking for a long time, the two suddenly came to a long road with no doors on either side, only a huge "B" on the floor.

The area ahead is a Class B forbidden zone.

"Are you ready, F?"

A's voice rose slightly, indicating that he wasn't entirely calm either, and the Science and Technology Management Institute didn't know much about the [Level B Area].

Because it is believed that simply knowing about something is a danger, people who enter the B-level area have their memories forcibly erased.

Even though A had been here before, this was still her "first time".

"Of course, I'm really curious to know what's in the B-level area."

F's smile remained unchanged.

Upon entering the B-level area, the first door they saw made them widen their eyes in surprise.

"This is……"

On the door, the words "The Fourth Wall" were clearly written.

Are we illusions? Are we false? But none of that matters anymore. Now, we have arrived in the world of the Creator…

Even if we are caged birds, we live under the same physical constants as our owners; even if we are flowers in a dream, we share the same underlying logic as the dreamer.

We've already seen you...

[Class B item... Containment status: Not found]

The fourth wall.

The elderly are no strangers to this concept.

Because the prototypes crossed the fourth wall, escaped the story, and thus avoided being eaten by monsters.

Did the prototypes ever fantasize about containing the fourth wall?

"Containment does not exist? What does that mean?"

F asked doubtfully.

He had assumed that all those behind doors in the Science and Technology Management Center must be under detention, but it seemed that this was not the case.

A looked at that text, the text left by the prototypes, and thought for a moment.

"Not all doors have anything behind them. The prototypes found all sorts of things, but there were also things that even the prototypes couldn't find. This is rare in D and C tiers, but... it seems that in the B tier, there might be nothing behind many doors."

A lowered his head, as if he had guessed something.

A and F continued walking forward.

In the B-level area, many things are completely beyond comprehension; some doors even lack names and descriptions, existing in solitude. It's as if the prototypes are preventing later visitors from knowing these things.

However, there are some things that A and F can still understand.

For example, a door might have the inscription: "Dragon that devours the world."

On the door, which is decorated with an image of an ouroboros, there is information about this taboo object.

[A monster destined to devour everything will also devour itself; everything is contained within it...]

[Class B item... Containment status: Found everywhere]

Although the description was somewhat vague, the two immediately realized that this was the very monster that had caused anxiety for the original incarnation and the elderly.
"So, in the eyes of the original beings, monsters are only B-rank?"

F looked at that door for a moment, then walked to the next door.

There are also beings such as the "Creator God," whose prototypes are described as creators, the source of every world system, who can create the world they want at will.

Any kind of world can be created.

This includes creating worlds with other creators; worlds where things more powerful than the creators exist; and even worlds where the creator dies after creating the world.

The God of Creation.

For these creator gods who act as they please, the boundaries between life and death, existence and non-existence, strength and weakness seem to be very blurred.

Below that, there's a line of small print: "[The monster has been devouring the world; it seems strongly connected to the act of creation itself? Was it also created by a creator god? Or perhaps...]"

Something seemed to have been written afterward, but it was deliberately erased.

On some doors, a series of question marks were written.

For example, on a door, beneath a series of question marks, is an explanation that even the prototypes themselves found perplexing.

[Nyarlathotep... Nyarlathotep? The God of a Thousand Faces? The Creator? A Cthulhu Deity? An indescribable being? An omniscient and omnipotent being? ...I don't know, a strange thing, it seems to be everywhere, with countless incarnations, we don't even know what it is?]

It seems to have left the story? But has it really left? Something strange. It's like it's lurking in the shadows, and that feeling makes us very uncomfortable...

You put your hand into a patch of water. The microorganisms in the water have never seen anything so enormous; they can't even see the entirety of one of your fingers. They worship the middle finger, the one closest to them, as a god, and see the most mobile index finger as an evil demon, as well as the thumb and ring finger. They worship the middle finger and firmly believe that it will help them fight against the index finger…

[Those who came after us, we don't know what this thing, suspected to be a Cthulhu god, is; all our speculations are just the blind men and the elephant. As mentioned above, perhaps... it and the monster are actually the same thing?]

Amidst a series of perplexing questions, only the final small example seemed to reveal something.

In this Class B area, such situations have become quite common.

The description includes numerous instances of non-containment, as well as chaos and the idea of ​​being erased.

If the Science and Technology Management Institute demonstrated its strength and complete control in the previous areas, then in the B-level area, F felt powerless.

Even something as powerful as the original is powerless to do what it cannot or does not know.

Before they knew it, the two had reached the end of the B-level area.

Before them lay another long road, with no doors, only Class A markings on the ground.

"F, do you still want to go forward?"

A's expression was solemn.

(End of this chapter)