SWNOVELXO Chapter 21 - Barrier Agency 2
Chapter 21: Barrier Agency 2
Alice decided to hide the fact that she could fly for the time being.
Does she really need to hide it?
Well, not necessarily.
She wasn’t planning to play some “hidden power” game like a protagonist from a light novel.
However, flying through the sky using metallic tendrils to form a magnetic field still consumed her stamina and energy in the end.
While walking or running might not require significant effort for a human, Alice could see the exact consumption value displayed as a specific figure in the corner of her vision.
Right now, Oriana was carrying her and flying, but if her battery were to run out while she was alone, who knows what might happen.
Though she still retained the remnants of magic deployment abilities and combat experience from her days as the Demon King, Alice wasn’t entirely weak even without her magical powers.
But the moment her battery was depleted, Alice would be left completely defenseless.
What about the Emergency System and Theresa’s auxiliary personality?
【The Emergency System is unavailable.】
The Emergency System wasn’t called the Emergency System for no reason.
When Alice fully discharged herself performing a penta-casting spell in the Scrap Forest, it had to scrape together every last bit of residual electricity and absorb energy from a Scrap Orc just to barely get her functioning again.
According to Theresa, the Emergency System would need at least two months to reactivate.
She didn’t know exactly how it operated, but the cooldown period was absurdly long.
For that reason, Alice decided to conserve as much energy as possible until she found a reliable power supply.
Some might suggest that she could just return to the Magrid Step when her energy ran out, but she’d already extracted a lot from there.
Even medieval lords didn’t drain their serfs’ labor every single day.
While the electricity might have a mint flavor, energy was still energy.
Alice wasn’t in a position to be picky, so she had filled her internal battery to the brim by draining the Mana Generator completely.
This meant she could afford a few days’ reprieve before returning.
More importantly, that area was a hotbed of crime and shadowy factions.
Alice’s first nighttime excursion had been a spur-of-the-moment decision born out of boredom.
But if her luck had been bad, she could have clashed with one of the massive criminal syndicates that dominated the lower tiers.
‘The Hush Gang might have been just a small group occupying a few blocks, but if I were to attract the attention of a crime boss or another Overseer, it wouldn’t end so easily.’
“Alice, are you uncomfortable?”
“No, I’m fine.”
Still, being carried in a beautiful woman’s arms while flying wasn’t half bad.
Alice wasn’t sure if she still had the emotion of lust, but liking beautiful people was a universal feeling shared by all genders and ages.
Saving her battery, snug in a warm embrace, and gazing at the vast forest of distorted, colorful pipes that made up the massive cityscape—it was enough to put her in a good mood.
“Huh? The restaurant we ate at yesterday is closed today?”
“Yeah, looks like it. Could it be because they didn’t pay their electricity subscription fee?”
“What? Restaurants close down in a single day if they can’t pay their electricity bill?”
“Originally, there would have been a first warning, and as long as the electricity fee was paid within the period, it would have been fine. But seeing that it was closed immediately, they must have already received multiple warnings.”
Damn it, could this be… because of me?
Alice remembered thoroughly draining electricity from the outlet at the Aldeliel restaurant yesterday.
She hadn’t charged that much… but she never thought it would lead to a business suspension.
“The corporation’s energy management is obsessive to the point of being pathological. They even caused a fuss over me, a First-Class Overseer, yesterday. For a regular restaurant, well…”
Although the Aldeliel restaurant had previously received warnings from the corporation, it seemed the final blow was indeed because of her.
Artificial meat cutlet… it was delicious…
“But the suspension will be lifted once they pay the subscription fee. You liked that place, Alice?”
“Ah, well… it was tasty.”
Especially the electricity—it was delicious.
If she had to describe the taste, it was like fried electricity.
Alice silently added the owner of the Aldeliel restaurant to the list of people she owed, with interest.
‘Boss, I don’t know your name, but I’ll pay you back… someday.’
She didn’t know when that would be, but she resolved to do so as soon as possible.
‘There was a time when I lived as the Demon King, and now look at me…’
From being the Demon King to becoming a robot that steals electricity from restaurants and gets them shut down, Alice shivered at her own wickedness.
Not that she probably had a real heart to tremble with anymore.
“We’ve arrived.”
After about 20 minutes of sightseeing while being carried in Oriana’s arms, Oriana landed in front of a large building.
“Wow! An adventurer’s guild!”
“It’s the Barrier Agency. Well, what it does is almost the same as a guild in games or comics…”
The Barrier Agency!
Though officially a government institution and administrative office, the Barrier Agency was practically akin to the adventurer guilds frequently seen in fantasy novels.
Overseer dispatch missions, Hunters taking on requests, party formations, a waiting area for Executors, and the countless requesters and performers coming and going each day!
Even in a world that resembled a near-future post-apocalyptic society where magic-engineering, AI, and drones managed continent-sized cities, an invisible sense of romance still lingered.
“Attention, everyone!”
The moment Oriana entered the Barrier Agency’s entrance, people in identical uniforms standing guard like sentries straightened their postures.
“Don’t be tense. They’re Executors affiliated with Ark and the Barrier Agency. Think of them as people who double as soldiers and police officers.”
“Salute to the Overseer!”
-Snap!
The Executors saluted as if performing a military review, parting to create a path like Moses dividing the Red Sea.
“At ease.”
“At ease!”
Oriana walked naturally through the parted crowd, and Alice hurried to follow with quick steps.
Wow. Look at their discipline.
They only lowered their salutes once Oriana passed by.
Memories from her Demon King days seemed to faintly resurface.
“Did I have subordinates or vassals like this back then?”
“Oriana, you’re a really important person, huh?”
“I don’t really feel it myself…”
For someone who claimed it didn’t feel real, she seemed quite accustomed to waving at the Executors.
It was just as they crossed the entrance to a building that resembled a grand courthouse.
-Wheeeng!!!
“What’s that?”
As soon as they stepped inside, an ear-piercing alarm blared, and the building was bathed in a red glow.
[Unidentified entity detected! Unidentified entity detected!]
-Clack!
Indistinct holographic shapes blinked around them, and the Executors behind Alice suddenly produced long muskets from somewhere.
They weren’t actual muskets.
Blades automatically assembled at the ends like pieces of a Lego set, and just beneath the blades was a gun barrel.
It seemed to be the standard weapon for Executors.
The issue was that those blade-guns—or should they be called gun-blades?—were now being pointed straight at Alice.
What was going on?
They were targeting her with perfect coordination.
While she hesitated about whether to respond, Oriana shook her head slightly, signaling that it was fine.
Then, the hologram morphed into the shape of a woman and appeared in mid-air.
[Unidentified entity detected within Ark. Attention, all Executors. The unidentified entity is designated as a contaminant. Executors are to cleanse the contaminant…]
“AI, Executors. That’s enough.”
With just a word from Oriana, the AI, which had been on the verge of ordering an attack on Alice, stopped in its tracks.
[…First-Class Overseer authentication confirmed. Disarming all Executors.]
At the hologram’s command, the Executors, who had been aiming their gun-blades at Alice, calmly stowed their weapons and returned to their upright positions as if nothing had happened.
It was more like watching machines than people.
“What is this? Oriana, am I not supposed to be here?”
“Sorry, Alice. Your authentication information hasn’t been registered with the Barrier Agency yet, so the AI got a bit agitated.”
Hearing the term “AI,” Alice realized that the hologram was an artificial intelligence managing the Barrier Agency.
Seeing a fully autonomous AI, which she had only read about in books, was a novel experience.
“Is it something like Theresa, the auxiliary personality in my body?”
Soon, the hologram bowed slightly to greet Oriana, and the flashing red warning lights stopped.
[Welcome, First-Class Overseer Oriana. Your identity is verified and guaranteed by the Barrier Agency. However, the identity of the unidentified entity accompanying you is not guaranteed. Please provide identification for this entity.]
“I’ll vouch for her. Her name is Alice. She’s a Returnee.”
[Returnee… Returnee… confirmed.]
[The lack of corresponding data in the Barrier Agency database is understood.]
[Trusting First-Class Overseer Oriana’s guarantee. Please wait momentarily.]
As the hologram muttered mechanically, Oriana leaned in to whisper to Alice.
“Whenever an unidentified awakened individual enters the Barrier Agency, the management AI is programmed to react immediately.”
“Was there a terrorist incident or something?”
“Quite a few times.”
Oriana spoke calmly.
Indeed, in a densely populated residential area like this, a bombing attack could easily result in casualties numbering in the thousands, even at the minimum.
“Unidentified awakened individuals are often major criminals, and when Humanoid Calamities infiltrate, the casualties are enormous.”
The Humanoid Calamities Oriana mentioned referred to beings hostile to humans, such as vampires or werewolves, commonly found in books.
They were uniformly powerful, terrifying entities, possessing intelligence greater than humans or destructive strength, and were responsible for countless disasters.
These beings were still considered Ark’s greatest enemies to this day.
“AI likely didn’t even recognize you as human and detected strong mana from you, so it must have immediately identified you as a hostile entity.”
“So, if I hadn’t come with you, I wouldn’t have been able to enter?”
“That won’t happen after today. That’s part of why we’re here.”
[-Beep, administrative approval confirmed. Welcome, First-Class Overseer Oriana and Returnee Alice. The Barrier Agency guarantees your identities.]
Once the mechanical-sounding hologram disappeared, Oriana grabbed Alice’s wrist and slowly led her inside the building.
Around them, there were people with slightly tense expressions, but upon seeing Oriana’s face, they seemed reassured and stepped back.
“Don’t be afraid, Alice. They’re all Executors or Hunters.”
“Why would I be afraid?”
“Good, just keep it that way. This way.”
As Oriana led her through the building, Alice received various reactions from the people around her.
There were stares of surprise, curiosity, competitiveness, and other emotions directed her way.
Some looked shocked to see Alice holding Oriana’s hand so casually as they entered.
Others, who had been tense while standing by with weapons, relaxed upon seeing Alice.
Despite the gazes, Alice didn’t feel particularly uncomfortable.
There were some who openly showed hostility, but the fact that the unknown girl brought in personally by First-Class Overseer Oriana sparked interest in itself.
“Here we are.”
The place Oriana brought her to had a sign that read [Measurement Room].
For some reason, Alice didn’t even realize she could read the characters but found herself reading them effortlessly, as if she’d always known.
‘Was that English? Imperial Common? Hangul…? Ah, damn, I don’t even remember.’
Having lived through three different lives, the linguistic systems in her memory were a bit confused, but as long as she could read and speak, it didn’t matter.
Alice followed Oriana into the Measurement Room.
The interior was spotless.
The excessively white walls and ceiling surrounded the room, and there were no desks or chairs, making it feel like something out of a room of spirit and time.
“Alright, Alice, just stand over there.”
“What about you, Oriana?”
“I’ll be observing.”
“Like a parent at a school visit?”
“Since I’m now in a position to cheer you on, hoping you’ll become the next successor, calling it observation isn’t entirely wrong.”
Oriana remained in what looked like a transparent observation chamber, while Alice stood in a starkly white area resembling a psychiatric ward.
“They said they’re measuring my rank, right? What exactly are they measuring?”
At Alice’s question, Oriana shrugged from inside the observation chamber.
[When an awakened individual first arrives at the Barrier Agency, they are required to undergo a comprehensive test that includes a personality test, basic intelligence evaluation, ability assessment, advanced language proficiency, combat skills, and physical capabilities.]
Hearing Oriana’s voice through a microphone, Alice furrowed her brow.
Wasn’t this like being told to visit multiple hospital departments for a full medical checkup?
It immediately felt like a process that would be tedious and bothersome.
[However, for a Returnee, all that is pointless. It’s just a waste of time.]
Saying that, Oriana manipulated some equipment inside the observation chamber.
Suddenly, the hologram Alice had seen earlier at the entrance appeared beside her.
[Welcome, Alice. You are now participating in the Returnee Comprehensive Test.]
“Holy crap, you scared me!”
When the hologram suddenly popped up beside her with a beep, Alice flinched, her shoulders jerking.
At the same time, the ground beneath Alice lost its color.
“Oriana?”
[It’s fine. You’ll see soon enough.]
[Beginning now, constructing the world.]
-Zap!
With a brief electrical noise, Alice felt the pristine white mental ward she had been standing in begin to warp.
The white walls and ceiling disappeared, replaced by a forest with trees, dirt, and rocky ground.
The sky expanded upward, and the earth stretched downward.
Oriana and the AI hologram were no longer visible, making Alice feel as if she had been teleported to a completely different space.
[Can you hear me, Alice?]
“Oriana? What is this?”
[It’s the Returnee Comprehensive Combat Test. Some call it a virtual dungeon or a virtual gate.]
“A dungeon…”
[As a Returnee, you must know the dungeons that appear often in games, right? Larger on the inside than they look outside, filled with monsters and traps that pop out of nowhere. This is basically that kind of dungeon, extracted and transferred through spatial transplantation to evaluate awakened individuals.]
For a test meant to assess awakened individuals or Returnees, it seemed overly elaborate and grandiose.
‘I thought it’d be a few interviews and conversations, but this is pretty serious.’
“So, is this like a virtual space?”
[Not entirely. It’s not a perfect virtual space. You can get hurt or even die here, and all physical and magical phenomena occur just as they would in reality.]
“Isn’t it too dangerous if you can die during the evaluation?”
[That’s why the spatial transplantation process was implemented.]
[D-Rank Goblin Warrior is being summoned.]
As soon as the AI finished speaking, a goblin appeared in front of Alice.
[Alice, try attacking it.]
Without moving a single step, Alice extended her tendrils from her spine and skewered the goblin.
-Squelch!
‘Oh, the tactile sensation is vivid?’
The feeling was identical to reality.
[How is it? The tactile sensation is just like in real life, isn’t it?]
However, the moment the goblin was pierced by the tendrils, its form vanished without a trace.
This time, a bizarrely mutated enhanced goblin appeared.
The goblin did not attack Alice.
Instead, it lingered briefly in front of her, as if part of a demonstration, before its form distorted and transformed into something else.
Next, a humanoid monster with a boar-like head appeared.
Then, one unfamiliar creature after another continued to manifest.
It seemed the summoning and behavior commands for monsters could be freely controlled.
Even though death was possible, it appeared there was an emergency stop feature for critical situations.
[To put it simply, you can think of this as a personalized custom virtual reality. The environment, including summoning hostile entities, can be fully adjusted. If the test subject’s abilities seem insufficient, the monsters can be unsummoned immediately, halting the test.]
“Ah, I see.”
At that moment, Alice finally understood what the Returnee Test was all about.
In games, there’s often a single-player mode where you can summon monsters, buildings, and weapons at will.
The Barrier Agency had taken a dungeon capable of spatial adjustments and created a customizable virtual combat stage.
‘This is technology more magical than magic.’
It allowed full freedom to design every aspect of the dungeon.
The environment, enemies, tactile sensations, and even pain and weather could all be simulated.
If something seemed too dangerous, the test could be stopped immediately, and the Barrier Agency’s AI could detect risks imperceptible to human eyes.
“This is pretty impressive.”
[Normally, to get to this stage, you’d have to pass personality tests and intelligence exams and have six evaluators observing. But this is where First-Class Overseer authority is convenient. I used my discretion to skip the tedious parts. You’re okay with that, right?]
“Definitely.”
Alice smiled.
Although it would consume energy, this was far better than sitting through dull tests scribbling with a pen.
‘If necessary, I could try finding a power outlet in the Barrier Agency to recharge… no, that’s probably not a good idea…’
Such a thought would make any Energy Corporation employee froth at the mouth.
[Let’s begin, then. It’s better for both of us if you get a high rank, so give it your all.]
“Got it.”
-Clank!
At those words, numerous mechanical tendrils shot out from Alice’s spine.