Above the town of Verne, clouds drifted slowly across the sky, their movements deceptively calm and ordinary. Yet the serenity of the heavens was broken by the surreal appearance of a massive black pipeline. It stretched upward, imposing and unnatural, transforming the sky into something alien, like a painting that had been torn and stitched together with nightmare threads.
> [Modeling…]
[Based on system scan…]
[The sky above Verne Town: No danger detected]
[Pipeline: No danger detected]
The pipe stirred. Its dark mouth slowly opened, yawning like a living creature.
One by one, the prison guards tilted their carts, dumping the collected corpses into the opening. The bodies slid into the pipe soundlessly. To Lucas, watching through the curved Assassin's League telescope, it was grotesque yet oddly systematic—like feeding fuel into a machine.
Soon, all the carts were emptied.
Lucas' eyes narrowed. Inside the pipe, the bodies didn't fall—they began to rise. Slowly, impossibly, the corpses floated upward as though gravity had reversed inside that black cylinder.
When the last body vanished into the darkness, the lead prison guard muttered something unintelligible to his companions. Then, without a glance behind, they pulled their empty carts away.
The wall behind them shimmered, re-forming as though the portal had never been there. The branches hanging over the top swayed gently in the cool night wind.
The pipe vanished. The sky above returned to its pristine state.
For anyone else, it might have seemed like an illusion. But Lucas knew better.
> "The pipeline to heaven…" he whispered, lowering the telescope.
"Is the sky itself… virtual?"
He sat back on his narrow bed, knife in hand, listening until the last sound of footsteps faded away.
"In other words," he murmured, "the entire town is nothing more than a sealed, enormous chamber."
His gaze lifted toward the glittering canopy of stars. He ran his fingers unconsciously along the back of his knife, mind racing.
> "What lies above?"
A sudden chime startled him.
Ding!
> [System prompt: Player Lucas has triggered a hidden side mission within the world of 'Verne Town' – The Secret of the Hungry Lighthouse.]
[Worldview Exploration Progress: 26%]
[Task Tip: Complete this hidden mission to gain +40% exploration progress.]
[Purpose of Verne Town: To give those who have made mistakes a chance to regain happiness… This purpose has never changed.]
"The Lighthouse of Hunger…" Lucas repeated, the name twisting uneasily on his tongue.
---
At seven o'clock sharp, the town stirred to life.
"Today is another new day! Every Verne citizen contributes to the prosperity of the town!"
The morning broadcast blared through hidden speakers, cheery yet mechanical. Curtains drew open, doors creaked, and the townsfolk emerged to begin their daily rituals. Breakfasts were eaten, morning exercises performed in neat little rows, and houses meticulously tidied.
Lucas, blending into the rhythm, walked toward the familiar gathering point where daily work assignments were announced.
The overseer's voice rang out:
"Andrew, food factory."
"Jason, food worker."
Andrew froze, his expression complicated. He had hoped—prayed—that he wouldn't be sent back to that cursed place. Yet here he was again, tethered to the factory of livers.
A friend clapped him on the shoulder. "Why do you still look so hopeful? The food factory is dangerous."
Andrew shook his head, eyes strangely bright. "You don't understand," he whispered. His mind was already echoing with the thought of Lucas' painless knife.
---
After Lucas and Andrew donned their protective clothing, the team leader approached, pulling Andrew aside.
"Today your work remains unchanged. Andrew, you'll continue collecting raw materials."
Andrew's face brightened. "I memorized every one of Lucas' methods yesterday. I'll do just as well today!"
His confidence radiated—though Lucas, watching silently, knew it was misplaced.
When Andrew marched away with determined steps, the leader turned to Lucas, his demeanor shifting from stern to warm.
"Lucas," the man said, clapping his hands together with excitement. "I reviewed yesterday's surveillance from the farm. Your performance was the best I have ever seen!"
His eyes gleamed with almost fanatical admiration.
> "Because you worked with such joy, the quality of the harvested livers rose to an entirely new level."
He leaned closer, lowering his voice as though sharing a precious secret.
"So I have decided: you will not remain in such a simple role. From today, you are promoted to an important position."
The leader paused, watching Lucas carefully.
"Of course, higher positions come with better benefits. Consider this a token of my appreciation."
Without waiting for a response, he beckoned Lucas to follow.
---
They walked past the end of the ordinary assembly line, deeper into the food factory. At the far corner, the leader pressed his thumb against a fingerprint lock.
"Verification passed," chimed the machine.
The heavy door clicked open, revealing a smaller but heavily fortified factory space.
Inside, villagers and prison guards worked side by side with eerie coordination. None looked up when the leader entered with Lucas. They simply continued their tasks, hands moving with cold precision.
> [Modeling…]
[Lily: Intermediate Danger]
[Daniel: Low Danger]
[Food Factory Workers: Advanced Danger]
Lucas' eyes flickered. Even ordinary villagers here radiated a subtle threat. This was not like the outer factory.
"Do prison guards and villagers truly work together here?" he muttered under his breath.
The leader heard him and smiled proudly.
"This is the pillar industry of our factory—the reason Verne Town thrives in prosperity and stability."
Lucas' gaze swept the room.
Food came in from every direction—fresh vegetables, meats, organ parts. All of it was untainted, clean, disturbingly pristine. It was clearly a different process from the packaged rations sent outside.
His eyes settled on a woman named Lily. In her gloved hands lay a slab of rich, red meat, the muscle fibers glistening under the artificial lights.
> [Human Tenderloin: No danger]
She placed the meat delicately on a plate marked "Special," as though preparing a fine meal rather than handling human flesh.
Lucas forced himself to look away.
The leader continued proudly, guiding him to the farthest room of the building. The security was tighter here, multiple locks stacked upon each other. Finally, the leader pressed his thumb against another scanner.
"Verification complete. Welcome."
The door slid open with a hiss.
Lucas' breath caught.
At the center of the chamber stood another pipe—identical to the colossal one he had seen from afar the previous night. It pierced the ceiling, disappearing into the unknown.
> [Modeling…]
[Pipeline: No danger detected]
"Number 53!" called a worker, holding up a tray.
On it lay a perfectly prepared liver.
The supervisor confirmed it, then placed the organ onto a platform at the base of the pipe. The tray lifted smoothly upward until the walls swallowed it whole.
The liver was gone.
Lucas tilted his head back. The pipe stretched through the ceiling, endless, vanishing into some unreachable realm.
> "So there's another pipe here too…" he whispered.
The leader patted him on the shoulder.
"Our factory does more than provide packaged meals. We supply the most delicious, healthy, and safe catering to Verne Town."
His eyes gleamed with fervor.
"And now, Lucas, you will be responsible for food selection here. I trust your vision more than anyone else's."
-------------------
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