Monster - Chapter 1

Chapter 1: Prologue

Tower World, Local Era 00:00, January 1, 2024. Leviathan, Black Goat Walled City, Center City Slums.

In a deserted, pitch-black alley, countless points of blue light, varying in shade, suddenly materialized out of the void. The points rapidly converged into a cluster, soon taking the form of a young woman and a crow with sleek, glossy feathers.

The woman formed from the light appeared to be in her early twenties. Her long, dark-blue hair, nearly black, draped over her shoulders. She had a flawless face, and her dark eyes, a shade lighter than most, seemed veiled in the color of rain—deep but not somber. Even when she wasn’t smiling, her red lips curved up slightly. Below the left corner of her mouth was a tiny black mole. The woman’s skin was fair, her figure slender and well-proportioned, the kind that clearly belonged to someone who exercised regularly.

The young woman wore a long, grayish-white trench coat, sharp black trousers, and black ankle boots. The moment she materialized, she curiously raised her head to survey her surroundings.

She was in a narrow alley between two buildings. There were no streetlights, and as it was late at night, the only illumination came from the few windows still aglow. At the same time, the woman caught the foul stench of garbage.

Once her eyes adjusted to the darkness, she saw a corner ahead piled high with trash in black plastic bags. Light snow drifted down from above, landing on the potholed ground of the alley. Washed by the alley’s sewage, the white snow turned black the instant it touched down.

The woman’s expression remained neutral, showing no sign of discomfort with the less-than-ideal “Log In” environment. Her gaze swept the area, and she quickly found a spot where the ground was relatively flat and free of trash. She strode over, turned, and stood with her back to a mottled, moss-covered wall. Scrawled on the wall in black handwriting was a small advertisement: Xing Xiong Bone-setting, 2nd Floor, Unit A3 →

Below this crooked, hand-written ad with its directional arrow was a more professional-looking one:

Dachang
TV Repair
Antenna Installation
Tel: 233397

The woman stood straight, her back to the wall of advertisements. Her stylish clothes and exquisite features stood in stark contrast to the filth and squalor around her, yet she seemed perfectly accustomed to such an environment.

Once the woman was still, the crow that had appeared with her landed on her shoulder.

The woman took a small, dark-gold case resembling a business card holder from her pocket. She pressed its surface lightly, then held the open case up to face herself and the crow on her shoulder. A pale blue line of light scanned over them. In the dark street, a blue halo flashed momentarily. A thin, transparent layer of pale blue light swept across the woman’s face, giving it a faint luster, like the most perfect porcelain. A holographic screen, visible only to them, materialized before their eyes, displaying their avatars.

Next to the woman’s avatar, it read: Code Name: Lou (Sentinel)

Next to the crow’s avatar, it read: Code Name: Miu (Guide)

Beside their avatars was a three-dimensional map, also composed of blue light points of varying shades. They formed spheres of different sizes, most of them unnamed. One conspicuous sphere floated at the forefront of the map, marked with two constantly flashing gold dots. Above this sphere, its name was displayed: Leviathan.

This sphere named Leviathan was different from the others. It radiated blackness from its center, spiraling outward in rings like a dark, twisted vortex. Within this vortex, countless viscous, dark-green liquids seemed to be mixed in.

The woman confirmed that the gold dots representing her and the crow were flashing at a normal frequency, then snapped the dark-gold case shut. She returned it to her coat pocket and rolled up her left sleeve.

On the arm beneath her coat, starting from her wrist and winding upward, was a circle of dark-gold “circuitry.” The system wasn’t complex; one could clearly see it was made of dots and simple straight lines. Against the woman’s fair skin, its color was more vibrant than that of the dark-gold case.

The circuit diagram extended from her wrist upward, with a total of five connection points.

“Sentinel Lou, Guide Miu, confirming Log In to Leviathan. Mission duration: two full local years.” The woman’s voice carried a regional accent, the ends of her words trailing off softly, which made her speech sound gentle.

“Confirming mission objectives:
1. Investigate the source of the monster virus infection in the world of Leviathan.
2. If the source of the virus can be eradicated, carry out eradication. If it cannot be eradicated, completely destroy Leviathan.
3. Locate the remains of the previous Sentinels and Guides.”

“Pledge: During the mission, I will strictly abide by the human rules and order of Leviathan.”

“Request: Living expenses and an identity for Leviathan.”

“End transmission.”

As the woman finished speaking, the circuitry extending up her wrist activated. A faint golden current flickered across the circuit diagram, starting from the point over her pulse. The woman, code-named Lou, immediately pulled her sleeve down and started walking out of the alley.

Boom—

The sound of fireworks exploding came from above. Lou looked up through the narrow slice of sky and saw the brilliant bursts. Her ears picked up the distant cheers of the locals celebrating the New Year.

“The civilization in this Tower World is highly modernized, and it looks like its order hasn’t collapsed yet. I don’t know why the star chart shows it as completely distorted, or what those dark-green liquids are. It seems the virus here is highly contagious,” the crow Miu, perched on Lou’s shoulder, said in a voice only she could hear.

“This doesn’t look very civilized,” Lou said, gesturing with her foot toward the large pile of uncollected, foul-smelling garbage at the corner as she walked out of the alley.

“That’s because we’re in the Black Goat Walled City. This is Leviathan’s slum, a lawless zone,” Miu replied immediately.

As they walked, she put her hand in her pocket and found a Citizen ID for this world, a bank card, and a few banknotes already lying there quietly.

Lou first counted the banknotes. It was the 300 units of local currency provided at the start of every mission, in case she couldn’t find a place to withdraw money from the bank card.

Of course, if she went to a Tower World without bank cards, she would receive gold, gems, or anything else that could serve as high-value currency.

After stowing the money, Lou looked down at the other two cards.

The bank card was black, its surface adorned with many flamboyant silver patterns. In the top right corner were the words: Leviathan Central Bank.

Lou’s pupils, normally a lighter shade, turned a deep, pitch-black. She fixed her gaze on the bank card in her hand for three seconds, and information about it immediately surfaced in her mind:

Leviathan Central Bank Black Gold Card. No credit limit. Valid for two years.

Putting the bank card away, Lou continued to examine the Citizen ID. It had her photo and name, with a ginkgo leaf printed on the back.

Its related information also quickly appeared in Lou’s mind:

Leviathan Citizen ID. Registered items include: Name, Gender, Date of Birth, Residential Address, Citizen ID Number, and Personal Photograph.

The Citizen ID Number is a unique, lifelong identification code for each citizen, issued by the two Houses.

According to Article 28, Chapter 1 of the Leviathan Civil Code, the Citizen ID is sacred and inviolable. Anyone who strips another of their symbol of identity to commit an illegal act, regardless of the severity of the crime, shall be sentenced to death.

“So strict?” Blinking, Lou’s eyes returned to their normal color. She curiously tried to bend the Citizen ID in her hand and found that its material was unusual, though it didn’t seem to possess any special power. Of course, even if it did, she wouldn’t be able to detect it in her current state.

“The Citizen ID is the most common form of identification in this world. It represents your willingness to give up some freedom to abide by the order here. Without this card, you’ll be seen as an Outsider, an enemy, by the people here,” Miu said. From what it knew, its new partner, Sentinel Lou, only ever went to Tower Worlds with harsh, chaotic conditions and collapsing order to undertake perilous, life-threatening missions. Lou was probably unaccustomed to a civilized society that still seemed to be in order.

“What other identities are there?” Lou asked, sensing a particular meaning in Miu’s words.

“Didn’t you read the files the Mentor gave you before you came?”

“She never gave me any files.”

“She definitely did.” When a mission in a Tower World was required, it was impossible for the Mentor not to provide the operatives with basic information about their destination, especially since this particular mission had already resulted in the failure of many ordinary Sentinels, forcing them to send Lou to clean up.

“No, She didn’t.”

“She absolutely gave them to you!”

“She absolutely did not give them to me!”

Miu felt a sense of helplessness. This was its first time partnering with Lou on a mission, and after less than five minutes together, it already understood why other Guides found it so difficult to get along with this so-called once-in-a-millennium Dark Sentinel.

Even though Lou’s combat record was unrivaled in the entire Main World, she was indeed a once-in-a-millennium oddball. For instance, every time she entered a Tower World, she would invariably choose to Log In at a slum or a place inhabited by the lowest class of that world—a place filled with despair, filth, and chaos—and then choose to live in such an unbearable location.

It was rumored that she had even earned an unflattering nickname that didn’t match her appearance or abilities: the Savage.

“All legal citizens of this world have a Citizen ID, marked with a ginkgo leaf. There are also Rulers and Legislators. Besides their Citizen ID, they have a brooch to distinguish their status. The Ruler’s brooch is shaped like a sword and shield, while the Legislator’s is a set of scales. However, there aren’t many Rulers or Legislators…”

“Oh.”

Lou’s lukewarm reaction irritated Miu, but thinking about the two years it would have to spend with this Sentinel, and how finishing the mission faster meant returning sooner, it silently endured and continued.

“This is a mixed world. Unlike other Tower Worlds that are divided by countries, races, or religions, this is one large world. Center City, where we are now, is like a national capital. The political system here is also a bit strange.” The crow’s blood-red eyes flashed with a thin layer of light, like some precision instrument transmitting data. “They employ a bicameral system combined with a rule of divine right. Their technological level is equivalent to the year 2010 in the Main World. This world has no countries or armies, but it has a paramount legal code, the full name of which is the Leviathan Civil Code. It sets out various codes of conduct for the citizens of this Tower World and naturally possesses a power that compels obedience.”

“Normally, aren’t members of parliament elected? How is it by divine right?” Lou finally showed some curiosity, though she didn’t stop walking toward the light ahead.

“The Upper House Federal Parliament and the Lower House National Parliament manage all major affairs of this Tower World. The parliaments are composed of 24 main council members and other subordinate councilors. Subordinate councilors are chosen through recommendation and election, but the official council members are selected by ‘the Tree.’ These chosen individuals naturally have the ability to handle incidents involving citizens. In other words, they are the Rulers of this Tower World. Their power is considerable, and they face few constraints. The Legislators are a special case—the ones with the scale brooches. They have the power to create laws.” As the crow relayed this information, its voice became robotic, as if reciting from a script.

“‘The Tree’?”

“‘The Tree’ is the supreme will of this Tower World, representing both divine and popular will. You could perhaps think of it as a monarch. It selects people of high moral character to become council members. The councilors are rotated every five years. For now, however, we don’t know what form ‘the Tree’ takes or where it exists. Only the upper-echelon members of the council can approach ‘the Tree.’”

“I suspect ‘the Tree’ is closely linked to the Leviathan Civil Code,” Miu said in a low voice. Its voice was like that of an elder, but its gender was indiscernible.

“Wow! It says here ice cream is only three bucks.” After leaving the alley where she had logged in, Lou spotted a small, still-open shop at a nearby fork in the road. The shop had no streetlight either, but a faint glow emanated from its open door, illuminating a rusty metal sign hanging outside. Lou could clearly see the words “Ice Cream 3 Yuan” written on it in red brushstrokes.

The last Tower World she had been to was a place of material scarcity, filled with evil gods and monsters. Forget ice cream; even getting a sip of soda was a challenge. So, upon suddenly seeing a sweet treat, Lou immediately took out her banknotes and walked over.

Miu was speechless. It shouldn’t have bothered explaining so much to this eccentric Sentinel.

Lou bought two ice cream bars. While eating her own, she held the one she bought for the crow in her other hand. The crow immediately flew onto her wrist and began pecking at the ice cream.

“Caw! Delicious!” Miu thought the desserts in this world were excellent.

“Every detective has her little assistant. You can be my detective’s little assistant.”

“You want to use the cover of a detective to investigate the monster infection? A very old-fashioned approach, but a good choice. This world has a code that regulates citizen behavior, so we must at least appear to obey Leviathan’s laws. However, I am your Guide, not your damn little partner,” Miu said, its words slightly muffled as it tried to swallow the ice cream.

Lou looked down at Miu standing on her wrist, its little head pecking nonstop at the ice cream. With a flick of her hand, the crow’s entire head, beak and all, was buried in the ice cream. A hole the shape of a crow’s head was instantly poked into the milky-white treat.

“Hahahaha!” Lou burst out laughing, her cheerful laughter echoing through the narrow streets of the Black Goat Walled City.

The ice cream and the cold air had turned her lips a vivid red. Against them, her fine white teeth seemed almost menacing. Her small canine teeth were revealed as she smiled, and two dimples appeared on her cheeks, making her seem all the more cheerful and approachable, even when she was playing a prank.

“You bastard!” Miu shrieked, taking flight and frantically shaking the creamy ice cream from its head and face.

“Sorry! I didn’t do it on purpose!” Lou shouted, still laughing.

“I know you did it on purpose!”

“I really didn’t do it on purpose,” Lou explained, her eyes crinkling as she took another bite of her ice cream.

“Hurry up and eat, it’s melting,” Lou said, holding Miu’s ice cream bar up to the crow.

Miu shot her a suspicious look, then cautiously approached. Just as its beak was about to touch the ice cream, Lou’s wrist trembled again, and the ice cream bar once more lunged toward the crow’s face.

But this time, Miu was faster. It dodged to the side, slapped the ice cream with its wing, and then flicked it upward, splattering it all over Lou like confetti.

“You got my clothes dirty!” Lou’s eyes widened in disbelief as she stared at her ice-cream-covered coat.

“Because you’re a bastard!” Miu cursed, then flew away.

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