I take a deep breath to inhale the fresh air while stretching my body to feel the sunlight that came to my body as the wind cooled me.
After a little stretch, I looked back at the gate to see the reason behind the gate stopping the hallway through.
I began to notice there was a lot of dirt covering part of the gate that prevented it from moving sideward. The only conclusion is that if I decide to dig out the dirt that blocks the gate, the gate will be open again.
But that does not matter as from now on I am a free man to do whatever I want. And this bunker is already beyond busted and broken so I have to find another home where I can live in peace.
Seeing as there is nothing left in the bunker, I begin my adventure in the desolate city by doing a light jog.
...and if possible seeks food as fast as possible since my body is still weak and I am hungry as fuck. So I began my journey in search of food.
It did not take long for me to arrive from the bunker all the way in the city, but as I traveled on the broken roadway I began to notice the difference between before and now.
The city that I usually knew was dark with clouds hanging above the city all the time, making it difficult to travel along the road from the darkness.
For 10 years, this city has never seen light since WCS appeared. Destroying the ecosystem and all that live in it.
While others think it was a doom city with no development, the United Nations used this spot to hide a base from both the public and the legion considering they had a sign of intelligent.
But now it was full of light with no sign of clouds hovering above the city. And was full of plants that grew all over the place from the inside building to the latest building. There was even a huge tree that was bigger than the building itself, if this was my original world It would have been a record for the biggest tree humans have ever seen.
It was like nature had finally taken over the planet after humanity was gone from the planet. It was nothing new considering before many cities were left abandoned so it was rather a common sigh to see abandoned city all across the world so I was not surprise.
But no matter how many times I walked through the road it was so nerve-racking, Not like walking through the jungle there was at least a sound of animals or birds making a sound.
Dead cities are considered graveyards with no sound other than me walking through grass and seeing the empty life that is supposed contained inside the building.
Or the city could be packed with legions, bandits maybe a couple of maso users who seek nothing but destruction upon the human race or for their own self-gain.
But this time was different. There was no Legion, No Human, No nothing...
All of them are gone, only a few huge deer and birds that I am currently seeing in the distance as my main target of food and the warmth of the sun shining on my body were the only things making a life around the part of this Ruined city.
I now truly understand that humanity's thousand years of history have finally ended.
And now we humans are no longer the dominant species of this planet.
It was rather calming thinking that I didn't have to lift a single weapon anymore.
I don't have to beg for food anymore.
And I don't have to think about what kind of danger I have to fave tomorrow.
It did leave me with a bad taste because I was one of the reasons why humanity was extinct, but humanity was already given a death sentence the moment the pandemic came. And I doubt people trust me that I know the future when I have a blank background. The moment I came to this world.
But seeing that the building is full of plants, instead of humans means that Project Gestalt has indeed failed just like what the logs said.
If it was to succeed, this building would have humans crawling all over the place.
But who knows? Maybe humanity survives and currently crawling all over the planet like a cockroach.
So my next plan is to find other living beings who manage to survive. If possible a androids since they are the only living beings that can survive other than humans.
If... nobody manages to survive, I plan to craft my androids to make sure I do not die from loneliness.
Well, I only know the theory and schematic so hopefully, this works out for me. I am already experimenting With making android so the only thing I Just need is material and lots of time which won't be easy.
But I got all the time I needed at this end of the world.
for the next 30 minutes, I begin roaming the abandoned city.
/
As I continued walking on rough terrain and felt the sweat pour down on my face for the first time I realized something strange since exploring the city...
I was lost
For some reason, I have a hard time navigating around the part city.
It's weird, I know this city in the back of my head since I live, work and even scavenge any resources left in the city
So the possibility of me getting lost is low. And besides hundred years should not be enough time to change the layout of the city blocks right? And I doubt the United nation or the United States have the time or resources to build a new block or road considering extinction was looming over us.
...Meh. Maybe a bunch of disasters struck the city that changed the entire landscape itself. Should have expected it since we practically ignore global warming and the consequence of repeatedly using dangerous weapons on our planet like nuclear bombs and so on.
Maybe even a tsunami, tornado, or even an earthquake can also cause a change of landscape.
Honestly, I don't really care since I just need to explore the city from scratch which works for me.
As I continue walking aimlessly, unexpectedly I manage to encounter another... being so soon.
But the only problem was it was not friendly at all, as It had a round head with red eyes around twice the size of me while carrying huge hammers in its arms.
And it only had one voice the moment its red eyes fell upon me was...
"K-kilL!" it said while raising its hammer in its hand to me.
/
"KILL!!!"
The roar echoed as it raised the hammer into the skies, swiftly aiming it toward me.
With a quick rush of adrenaline and shock upon what I was seeing, I managed to roll back avoiding the hammer that hit my last position, as a crater formed around it.
Panic I begin to observe it more closely. It is the height of my size and possesses two large, human-like limbs while equipped with huge Hammers on its arms.
As realization struck me and fear began to overtake me once I realized the one that attacked me.
...No
No No NO NO NO.NONONONO.
Why is the machine here?!
But my thoughts were quickly cut off as the machine began to roar again
"Di-Die!" the machine quickly raises the hammer in its arms and begins heading to me.
Knowing that it is not possible to defeat a machine with its metal durability or without any weapon or gun. I begin looking left and right for any escape route before noticing the alleyway and begin making a run for it like my left depends on it.
As the hammer slammed at the last spot I was I began entering the narrow alley, I heard a massive sound and a huge step so I looked behind to see the machine follow suit from behind and get closer every time it walked.
The harder I ran, the more I sensed the machine gaining on me. Even though it should have been slower than me because of how heavy it was.
No, it's not that the machine is fast, but I was not running faster than usual.
Fuck, because my body have not recovered yet I was still having a hard time running on my top performance.
And the heat of the sun is not helping either since it's draining my stamina.
With each step I took I felt my breath taking more and more. Both my lungs, and every bone feel hurt. But I know that I have to keep running if I wish to survive.
While I kept running I tried to look behind at the machine I accidentally fell down to the ground as my toes hit a nearby stone and my head fell to the ground
"Ugh.. That's hurt" I grab my forehead and groan in pain
"KILL!" When I heard it I let out of my daze and looked back at the machine as it slowly made its way here with its huge hammer in its arms intimated me.
I slowly stepped back in instinct, feeling scared thinking it was my end when I noticed something in my arms
I only looked over to see a gun to my surprise lying on the ground was A rifle
Or more specifically AK-47 to be more exact.
"KILL!!" The machine roar
Knowing that was the only saving grace I had, with a quick rush of adrenaline I picked up a familiar AK-47 and quickly aimed at the Small machine and bullets began hitting the Machine.
Numerous bullets hit the body part of the machine but it did not fall down yet so I kept shooting the gun until the guns finally ran out of ammo and the smoke from the barrels came out from overheating.
I was horrified to find the machine was still standing, I was about to search for some ammo around me when the said machine fell down to the dirt and exploded as metal pieces flew all over the place.
After confirming the machine was killed, I felt relief knowing I survived and dropped to the hard floor breathing the air repeatedly and coughing a few times from having a hard time breathing the air
After taking the time to rest for a moment, I think of what just happened for the last few minutes of why the hell my life has become like this.
Rested enough, I lift my body up and stand up, I wipe the dust on my body before finally glancing at the corpse where the machine just died a moment ago.
Machine...Aka the Machine. They are nothing other than machines constructed by the aliens in order to defeat the androids in the Nier Automata timeline.
But the machine should appear another thousand years after the fall of Project Gestalt, It does not make sense!!
The year I was before was only 2034, at the Nier Replicant timeline.
...wait time? Now that I think about it, what time is it today?
Not only the surrounding landscape was unrecognizable but there were even a few high buildings that I did not even know it was constructed. The road was unfamiliar, and even the surrounding nature already grown and exceeded our expectations.
Now that I think about it, I don't think just one hundred years would be enough to change the entire street and the landscape itself even if there was a bunch of disaster struck.
Maybe it would be normal if it was my world, but in nier universe the law of the world is different. Most buildings can stay intact for a long time with the involvement of maso.
Just what the hell happened?
As I slowly regain some of my bearings I try to get closer to the machine not until I notice I am stepping on some kind of foot.
I glance below me and get spooked out to see a body. Not just anybody you usually see around here.
A male body, not human but an android's.
it is pretty noticeable that it was an android with most of the wire coming out and the remaining part. But my gosh it was brutal the fact that the head remained while the rest of the lower body was turned into scrap pieces.
Judging from how it died seeing the leftover mark on the ground, it got smashed by some kind of a huge hammer and got crushed instantly. Must be the machine I killed before was the culprit.
...At least it was instant death and not slow pain from how the expression was still a surprise.
Kind of scary that it is also realistic like a real human expression.
...I makes me wonder if that would what would have been my fate if I had not killed the machine before.
Luckly While the Android's body got destroyed the stuff he brought was still in peace. The androids must have dropped the stuff since I notice the bags was a bit far from where he died.
He must have done that so he could run faster from the machine, too bad he got ambushed the moment he got out of the alleyway.
The wind blows my way and my hair flies in the wind's direction, for now, I should find food and water first before gathering information. Since my stomach has been rumbling every time.
I pick up the leftover head of the androids for research purposes and put it in the bag before finally beginning to continue my journey of seeking food.
I need to seek an answer, and these bags is going to answer I seek.
/
A few hours later after hunting one of the huge deer using the gun I posses, I strip the deer's blood and cook the nearby water for some fresh water not before draining it's water for any purity.
The water is pretty clean, but I know that it's not safe to drink and the water tastes bad without proper tools but honestly I am pretty thirsty. So any kind of water just feels great on my throat.
After I was done I sat on the nearby rock and looked upon the fire, thinking.
The moment I continued exploring I encountered more of the same type of machine roaming down the street, and the more I explored the city the more machines I encounter
The number alone was over a hundred of them, luckily I managed to avoid them for the rest of the trip using bush and building as a cover until finally, I found a shelter that I thought was safe from any machine and could allow me to rest and think of my next move.
And besides survival has always been my specialty since I have been living in this world, not only to avoid Legion or human surveillance but scavenge food or even craft a weapon using the local resources.
So it was supposed to be an easy task for me to either travel with a huge amount of inventory or fight a horde of legions without a sweat.
But just walking while carrying the deer already drains my stamina rapidly, even more, when dear was heavy to carry.
I can't even use a single of my maso since my body is still unstable.
I can't help but accept that I have become weaker than In my original prime... was this the after-effect of using Project Twilight? I can't even lift a stone on the ground without feeling my arms sore.
What a joke I have become.
As I gaze upon the man-made fire it begins to remind me of the past when I first came here.
Before I managed to join Project Gestalt as a Member of the United Nations. I was left alone standing in the empty city with no warning, no system like in the novel, no assistance no nothing.
They just dump me here, for the entertainment of some dump god that I still hate to this very day. I know this because the treatment I received upon arriving in the city was very harsh, even to those who don't have a background.
Seek help? You get punched. Sick? WHO CARE. Need food? BEG FOR IT.
That's the world I live in, and I learned it the hard way through scar and blood.
And you want to sleep? Good luck with that as that was not even an option seeing that these Legion never sleep at all Not even mentioning Bandit, Plunder, and so much more waiting to steal all of your stuff.
It happens so many times that I have Insomnia, and I was forced to use pills.
But I truly want to sleep, in the past I had to find a room where the door could be locked or find a hiding spot for me where no prying eye could see me, sleeping in the wild is not an option as it is a lot more dangerous than the city since Legion and animal never sleep.
I honestly hate humanity, everybody who looked at me was thinking I was a pest. Something to scare off because I have no background, and think like I was a poor refugee even though I was born here in the United States.
...Except for the two hair androids. Devola and Popola.
Since the day after I was saved by Devola and Popola, I have been earning a good sleep, and food, while also learning under them as maintenance, much of the history, and so much more. Even curing my insomnia.
Speaking about Devola and Popola, I wonder if they survive. I kind of miss them now.
In... the end... I was like before... All alone gazing upon the fire while fighting against the world itself just to defy fate.
...Anyways after taking some rest I want to take the chance to secure food and water if I plan to survive, I plan to head back to the bunker to bring some of the important stuff to a new base which is in the city that is close to the river.
The one I bring will be the Battery, Computer, and a bunch more data. To gather information that is contained inside the android's memory since it's the only clue I have.
...I don't care if this world is some entertainment of some dump god or a challenge given to me for me to enter heaven or hell.
I will seek an answer one way or another from whoever has sent me to this hell planet.
And I will survive.
/
ANDD CUT
...I am sorry that I did upload last week, it's still difficult to upload every week when I am busy as heck in real life.
I have to earn a check to live, and can't spend the entire day making fanfic.
Well anyway don't forget to wait for the next chapter every Wednesday for both Webnovel and Fanfic.
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Thanks for waiting and byeee