The bike glided silently into a massive, subterranean parking complex that seemed to stretch for miles. As they descended, Haruto saw hundreds of high-tech transports parked in pristine rows. Daisy brought the bike to a smooth stop, and they stepped off.
Haruto looked up, his eyes tracing the sheer scale of the structure. "Is this whole building yours?"
Daisy walked toward a private lift, her boots echoing against the polished concrete. "Hardly. I have the 312th floor. That's my flat."
"A Commander... living in a flat?" Haruto asked, bewildered.
"It's not a 'home' in the traditional sense," Daisy replied, scanning her retinal print into the elevator panel. "It's a secret base. My actual residence has too much security and constant noise. This is the only place where I get peace."
The elevator doors hissed shut. Haruto braced himself for a long ride, but before he could even register the motion, they stopped.
The doors opened directly into a space that felt strangely familiar. It wasn't a military bunker or a sci-fi cockpit; it was a high-class, modern 21st-century apartment.
It had a sleek kitchen, a comfortable bedroom, and a balcony overlooking the glowing cityscape.
A small, metallic sphere hovered out from the kitchen, scanning Haruto with a soft blue light.
"Hello, Master. Who is this?"
Daisy sighed. "Retro, I told you. This is the boy I rescued."
The sphere shifted, its surface rippling to reveal a small, humanoid projection.
"Ohh Hello. I am Retro. What is your name?"
"I'm Haruto," he replied, watching the projection.
"Haruto. Nice to meet you," Retro chirped.
Daisy walked to the counter, pouring herself a drink. "Haruto, meet my weapon spirit. Retro is a Nano-Tech Weapon Spirit. That railgun I used to finish the boss? That was his real form. This is just his rest state."
Haruto stared at the floating orb, his heart skipping a beat. A weapon spirit? I have one too, but it's completely different. Mine calls me 'Papa' and is a queen.
Retro suddenly pulsed, hovering closer to Haruto.
"Your aura... it's incredibly powerful. You have a very strange energy signature."
Haruto stiffened, hoping his secret wasn't being laid bare.
Daisy walked back into the living room, having shed her tactical armor for casual shorts and a loose top. She looked like a completely different person—relaxed and approachable.
Haruto couldn't hide his surprise. "You... you dress like this in your base?"
"I'm comfortable like this," Daisy said, sitting on the sofa. She shot a stern look at the sphere.
"Retro, please, stop scanning him. He's just a temporary guest. He's only here for forty days, not a permanent resident."
Retro dimmed his light, drifting back toward the kitchen.
"Understood, Master. But he is still quite interesting."
"You can't keep wearing that rugged gear here," Daisy said, looking him over. "It stands out too much. Let's get you something proper."
She reached into her pocket and pulled out a sleek, rectangular device. Haruto flinched, instinctively recoiling. Daisy noticed his reaction and tilted her head, realizing he had likely never seen one before.
"It's called a mobile," she explained, her voice softening. "It's a brilliant creation. It's incredibly helpful—you can talk to people miles away or handle important tasks."
Haruto quickly adjusted his expression, pretending to be as clueless as a civilian should be. "Oh... I see. A 'mobile,' huh?"
Daisy spent a few moments tapping away at the screen, her brow furrowed in concentration. She glanced up at him. "What did you do before all this? Just a student?"
"Yeah," Haruto replied quickly. "Just a student."
"Fair enough," she muttered, continuing her work. "By the way, what do you think of the city so far?"
Haruto looked out at the sprawling neon landscape. "It's mind-blowing. It's on a completely different level than anything I've ever seen."
"Nice," Daisy said with a satisfied nod. "I'm glad you think so. Now, tell me—"
She was cut off by a sharp beep. The balcony window slid open automatically, and a sleek delivery drone drifted inside, carrying a large metallic box. Haruto stared at it, wide-eyed. "What is that?"
"I ordered some supplies for you," Daisy said, pointing toward the drone. "You need clothes that fit the sector—both for going out and for casual wear at home."
Haruto approached the drone, curious. Daisy gestured toward the box. "Go ahead, you can open it."
The drone hovered for a moment before turning and flying back out into the night sky. Daisy crossed her arms and looked at him. "Why don't you go get freshened up and change? After that, we need to have a real talk."
Haruto opened the box and found no unnecessary clutter. Inside, there were only simple, clean shirts, trousers, and a stylish jacket, along with a few local currency credits. Well, this is actually pretty decent, he thought, feeling a sense of relief. He muttered a quick "thank you" toward the living room, and Daisy gestured toward the washroom.
As he walked inside, Haruto couldn't help but marvel at the surroundings. Even with all the wonder of magic, this high-tech city felt more advanced and imposing in its own right.
Standing under the shower, he took a deep breath. Now that I have my full power back, maybe I can finally tap into my emotional resonance.
He opened his HUD, and his eyes widened. It looked completely different—far more advanced than before. Alongside his standard Magic and HP bars, there was now a dedicated Weapon Sector, a refined Magic tab, and a Skill tree. He checked his skills: only [Flash] and [Emotional Patch] were active, with no magic displayed for them—which was perfect, just as he needed it to be to avoid suspicion.
He quickly pulled up his map to check his coordinates. The display was bizarre; he was currently in a location labeled [LAYER X]. He had never seen a map interface like this before, and the data points were pulsing in a way that defied the logic of the sectors he knew.
What is this place? he wondered, his mind racing.
He was about to test the limits of his powers when a sharp knock echoed at the door.
"Don't waste the water! Hurry up and come out," Daisy called out.
Haruto quickly finished up and put on the casual shirt and trousers. They were incredibly comfortable, feeling light against his skin. When he stepped back into the living room, Daisy was waiting for him, her posture signaling that she meant business.
She pointed to a chair opposite her. "Sit down, Haruto. It's time we had that talk."
Haruto sat down, his heart hammering against his ribs. Daisy leaned forward, her eyes narrowing. "Show me your level, Haruto. I want to see the system's reading."
Haruto hesitated for a fraction of a second, then triggered his HUD. He had already calibrated it to broadcast the 'safe' version of his stats. A faint blue glow emanated from his wrist, displaying a holographic tag: [LEVEL 6].
Daisy squinted at it, then let out a low "Hm." She didn't look entirely convinced, but she nodded. "Fine. It's better than Level 2, but still barely enough to survive in the lower sectors."
She stood up abruptly. "Put on the jacket I gave you. We're leaving."
"Now?" Haruto asked, confused.
"Retro, you're coming with us," Daisy commanded.
The metallic sphere chirped, "Acknowledged, Master!" Daisy walked into her room and emerged a moment later in her full, pristine military uniform. As she passed Retro, the spirit transformed into a stream of liquid nanotech, merging seamlessly with the plating on her uniform, turning her armor into a terrifying, high-tech combat rig. Haruto watched, wide-eyed—he had never seen a Weapon Spirit integrate so perfectly.
Daisy tapped her bracelet. With a mechanical whir, the balcony window slid open wide. An armored, matte-black vehicle descended from the sky, hovering silently before the balcony.
"Get in," she ordered. Haruto scrambled into the passenger seat. The car shot away from the building, tearing through the city limits at a speed that blurred the neon lights into streaks of color.
"Where are we going?" Haruto shouted over the engine's hum.
"We're running a test," she replied coldly. She pressed a series of buttons on the dashboard. The air in front of the car suddenly twisted and fractured like broken glass—a teleportation rift.
They were sucked into the tear. In the blink of an eye, the neon city vanished. The car slammed onto solid ground in a desolate, eerie wasteland. The silence here was suffocating. Haruto looked around and his blood went cold—they were back in the same spot where Daisy had found him in Layer 5.
Daisy brought the car to a halt and stepped out. "Retro."
The nanotech vanished from her armor and coalesced into her palm, instantly shifting into the massive, glowing railgun Haruto had seen before. She didn't aim at the horizon; she leveled the barrel straight at Haruto's chest.
"I know you're hiding something," Daisy said, her voice dropping to a dangerous whisper. "My sensors aren't picking up a 'Level 6' reading anymore. They're picking up a void."
Haruto stood frozen, his hands raised. "Daisy, wait—"
"I don't care who you are or what you are," she interrupted, her finger tightening on the trigger as the railgun began to hum with a lethal, building charge.
"But something is hunting you, and it's followed us here. If you want to survive, RUN!"