I slowly opened my eyes, got up from the bed where I was lying, and half-asleep I looked around. The air was fresh and had a clean smell, the temperature was pleasant enough to keep sleeping for a longer time.
"Ah… again in this place?" At that moment I realized that I was once again in the medical center.
I tried to get out of bed, but I could feel an intense pain all over my body. I looked at my arms and legs and saw that they were bandaged. I moved my neck to one side and also felt a small throbbing sensation.
—Tch!
With my fingers I touched my head and felt that it also had bandages.
—Ahhh, am I really that badly injured?
—Yes.
I looked to the side. I had heard that voice before. When I turned around, I found Famtom walking straight toward me, and beside him there was a girl wearing a white outfit, with a hat of the same color but with a deep red cross.
—Famtom, what are you doing here!? And who is she?
—She is Nurse Charlotte. She has been taking care of you these past days.
I looked at the nurse a little confused. "Days…? How much time has passed since I fought that mutant? Don't tell me I fell unconscious again!"
—Hey, tell me how long I was unconscious. —I said it startled, because I had just woken up and it couldn't be possible that I had fallen unconscious again.
Famtom, who had remained silent, looked at Charlotte standing beside him.
—Well, when they brought you here your injuries weren't very serious, but when you fought the mutant, they have a very powerful venom when you make contact with their skin, and it can cause intense fatigue. That's why you fell unconscious for three days.
The pink-haired girl answered cheerfully, but suddenly the screams of someone could be heard.
"Help… it hurts a lot!"
—If you excuse me, I have to leave.
—Yes, no problem.
We watched Charlotte hurriedly leave the place. The air had become a bit tense, and I could feel Famtom's sharp gaze fixed on me.
From the bed, I avoided his stare. Something in his expression told me that if I met his eyes, I would be dead.
—I have to admit that your way of fighting is unique, but that's no reason for you to have ignored my orders. My duty as personnel was to protect you until you adapted to the bunker, but after only a few hours you appeared in the hospital again.
—Yes… I'm sorry…
I looked down like a cat being scolded by its owner. Famtom sighed and began to speak.
—But well, now I know how you can earn money easily.
I looked at him confused, not knowing what he meant.
—Huh? Why do you say that?
—One of my duties is to give you a job so you can adapt to the bunker, but thanks to your fight with the mutant, I saw that you would be good if you became a knight.
—Knight? I've never heard that term before. —I tilted my head to the side.
—Yes. In the bunker there are many military defenses, but one of the most important is the Knights' Association, which is a group of people who can use magic or are experts in combat.
I looked at him with a blank expression. Once again, he was starting to say things I didn't understand.
—Military defenses? What is that?
Famtom looked at me without any emotion.
—That's right, I forgot that you don't remember anything. My mistake. To put it simply, they are powerful people who help defend the bunker.
I was confused. "You say there are strong people in the bunker, but why didn't they help us fight that mutant… the only people I saw were the guys in green and someone using a sword."
—If they're so strong, why didn't they help in the fight against the mutant?
—I really don't have much information about what's going on with the Knights' Association, because that's handled by the third-rank commander. But according to the reports, most knights were on missions abroad, or some simply weren't interested.
Listening carefully, I opened my mouth in surprise, then closed it, put on a smile, and looked at him with determination.
—I won't fall defeated again. I'll become a knight, and next time I'll destroy those monsters with a single blow.
—Alright, but before becoming a knight, you need to take a test.
—A test? And what is it about? —I asked with curiosity.
—Think of it as an exam where it will be evaluated whether you are fit or not to be a knight. The test consists only of facing a Boss three times and defeating it.
—Seriously, that's all?
—Yes.
I couldn't believe that defeating a boss three times was all I had to do, but if that's the case, it'll be a piece of cake.
—Well then, I'll face that Boss and I'll win no matter what.
I smiled confidently and jumped out of bed… or at least I tried to. A sharp pain ran through my body, forcing me to grit my teeth.
"Ah… it hurts, it hurts."
—I think it would be better for you to rest, even if you haven't fully recovered yet.
I looked at Famtom a bit annoyed.
—What are you talking about!? I want to fight right now!
He looked a little confused by my reaction. After that, Famtom took out a black rectangular device with a screen and looked at something on it.
—I have to leave. If you need anything, look for me in my office.
—Seriously, you're leaving so fast!?
—Yes. Well, see you.
Famtom turned around and began walking toward the exit of the infirmary. I, sitting on the bed, said goodbye to him, and he raised his hand to wave back.
A week and a half had passed since I arrived at the hospital. I was sitting on my bed. At this point I had half recovered; I no longer had bandages on my arms or legs, only on my head. But the good thing was that my whole body no longer hurt when I moved.
With my eyes I looked around the place.
"Ah… how boring it is to be here, there's nothing interesting to do!"
I suddenly raised my head and accidentally spoke without thinking.
—Ahhh… how boring!
After that, I opened my eyes and looked around again, and I could see how the people lying in their beds looked at me with annoyed expressions.
Charlotte, who was attending to a patient, approached me visibly annoyed.
—Can't you stay quiet for a while? This is the eighth time you've said that today.
The nurse crossed her arms and stared at me. I turned my head to the side to avoid looking at her, because it was a little scary to see her angry.
"She's really angry this time."
She kept staring at me, waiting for a response.
—Well, I'd shut up if there were something interesting to do here… because there's nothing!
—If you're so bored, then read a book already!
Charlotte, already fed up with the conversation, raised her voice a little. I tilted my head to the side, not understanding what she had said.
—A book? What's that?
She looked to the side, put her hand on her head, and sighed as if tired of me.
—It's true you lost your memory. It's something that has many pages, and inside it there are interesting things. It can be romance, fantasy, mystery, or something else.
Charlotte sighed and walked toward a dark wooden cabinet. She opened a drawer and took out a rectangular object with a black cover and completely white pages. She handed it to me without saying anything.
I took it with some doubt.
—Mmm… is this a book?
—Yes. It's a book of legends from around the world.
I looked at the pink-haired girl suspiciously, but I opened the book and saw a lot of letters. I tried to read it, but… how the hell do you read!?
I still didn't understand something. I had lost my memories, but I had the ability to read what this thing said. I began to read attentively. The nurse, who had stepped away, looked at me with satisfaction.
She turned around to attend to the patient she had left earlier.
—Ahhh, how boring this thing is!
Charlotte turned around angrily and came toward me again, frowning.
—Seriously, boring?
—Yes, it's just a bunch of letters, and it's tiring to read.
—Then deal with it!
She crossed her arms and turned her head to the side, making a pout.
—Eh? You can't leave me with nothing to do!
—Yes, I can.
I frowned at her answer and crossed my arms angrily. Charlotte, still angry, walked away. After a while, when I said I was bored, she completely ignored me… it seemed she was already fed up with me.
Several hours passed. I was staring at the ceiling calmly, doing nothing.
"I don't know what to do anymore. Charlotte is completely ignoring me, and the others look at me like I'm some kind of freak… if only I could escape from this place… oh, why didn't I think of that before?"
Thinking that, I put on a mischievous smile and quickly lay down on my bed.
"I'll pretend to be asleep, and thanks to that Charlotte will think I'm sleeping peacefully, and when she's not looking, I'll escape from this place… haha, I really am a genius!"
I settled into the sheets and realized that this bed was way too uncomfortable to sleep on, but it didn't matter. I just had to wait a bit and I'd be outside.
It didn't take long for the nurse to notice that I was resting, and she sighed in relief.
—Finally, he fell asleep.
After saying that, the nurse relaxed her shoulders and began attending to a patient.
"Alright, time to start the plan!"
I silently got out of bed like a worm, but I hadn't taken something into account… the nosy ones, some of the patients.
—Nurse, a dark-haired boy is escaping!
—…
Charlotte looked toward where I was and saw me standing there. She gave a slightly bitter smile.
—This isn't what it looks like.
I said it scared, because Charlotte's gaze was different from the other times she had scolded me. Her eyes were closed, as if she were very calm, but what was frightening was her eerie smile.
—I see, I see… and why do you think this is a misunderstanding?
She slowly began to approach me, and I stepped backward.
I looked around to see what excuse I could find and saw a half-full bottle of water.
—I was just going to get some water! —I said nervously.
—Ohh, really? And tell me, why do you need to be standing if your bottle is on your nightstand?
She said it in a calm tone, but I froze. I thought my plan would work, but it didn't.
—I think we'll have to punish you. Guards!
Out of nowhere, some burly men appeared and grabbed me by both arms, took me to my bed, and forced me to lie down. I tried to free myself, but it was impossible because they were very strong, and because of that they began to tie me to the bed.
—Hey! Let me go, this isn't allowed!
—Ohh, what a shame. Famtom told me that if this happened, I should do whatever was necessary so you wouldn't get up. It's a shame.
She looked at me with a smile and placed her finger on her lips as if remembering what Famtom had told her.
—Yes, but I—
The guards held me down, and before I could protest, they put a gag on me. I squirmed, but the pressure of the restraints made any attempt to escape useless. Charlotte, seeing this, sighed in relief.
—Finally, peace.
All the patients in the medical center put on relieved expressions. Now the room had become calm and silent. People could sleep comfortably without problems or read peacefully. You could hear the hum of the air conditioning and smell the clean scent of the place.
A week had passed since I arrived at the hospital. The infirmary, which used to be crowded, was now emptier. There were only a few people recovering. I was sitting on my bed, waiting for the pink-haired nurse to finish checking my vital signs.
"These past days… I wasn't tied to the bed, it was only for two days, but even so, she only untied me to eat, and the two guards were always watching me. It was very uncomfortable…"
I thought that and felt a small breeze of air running across my body.
—I'm done examining you. It seems the mutant's venom has completely disappeared.
—Really!?
I opened my mouth in excitement. Finally I could leave this unpleasant place, because during the days I was tied to the bed, I only stared at the wall doing nothing.
—Yes. So I give you permission to leave the medical center without any problem.
Charlotte smiled while holding a clipboard with a sheet to write down the results. I quickly stood up and looked at the nurse.
—Well, see you, Charlotte!
—See you later. I'll be here waiting if you get injured.
I made a displeased face at that.
"I'm never coming back to this place again!" I thought.
—Yeah, sure. See you later.
I calmly walked toward the exit door, which before had been impossible because of the guards there, but this time they let me leave without any problem.
When I crossed the infirmary door, a fresh breeze hit my face. I felt immense relief. The bunker looked spotless, as if every corner were constantly polished, but none of that mattered. I was free.
I closed my eyes, let out a sigh, and then smiled with satisfaction.
—Ahh~ finally freedom. Well, now let's go to Famtom so he can help me take the knight exam…
I opened my eyes.
"Wait a second, how am I going to go to Famtom if he didn't tell me where he'd be!?"
After thinking for a while about what I was going to do, I hit my fist into my palm.
—Alright, I know what I'll do. Let's go look for Famtom.
I raised my gaze with enthusiasm and began exploring the bunker to see if I could find Famtom.
Elsewhere in the bunker, a blond-haired, blue-eyed boy was looking at a screen in front of him.
—It's been a long time, hasn't it, Boss? —said someone appearing on the screen.
—Yes… it's been many years since we held that meeting.
—I agree. It's been about four and a half years since we held the research meeting to find out the origin of the apocalypse.
On the screen, a brown-haired boy with eyes of the same color could be seen. He was smiling with a bit of melancholy, because too many years had passed, and only now might they find useful information to put an end to the apocalypse.
—Well, I'm curious about what you've found now, Luga.
Luga smiled, and an image of a place inside a castle appeared on the screen.
—It's simple, sir. We found a secret room that contains ancient documents in poor condition, and we believe they may contain some information about the apocalypse.
The boy leaned back in his chair and clasped his fingers to better analyze the situation.
"A secret room, huh? I didn't think that old man liked that kind of thing, but I wonder where that place was."
—I understand, but I'm curious. Where is that room located? I've been to that place many times and never noticed anything strange.
—It's located in the library. Basically, it's a classic mystery book trick where a book acts as a lever and opens a secret room.
—Well, that was to be expected, since they were barely going to finish reading all the books there, right?
The blue-eyed boy, who was analyzing the situation, wasn't too concerned about the secret room itself, but about the consequences of opening it.
—Yes, sir.
—But well, that's not what worries me right now. The information—tell me, has there been any change since you opened the room?
—Relax, Boss. I took all the necessary precautions. I knew from the beginning it wouldn't be easy to find this information, because "everything in this world has a price, right?"
The boy smiled, and he thought that his decision to send Luga, the second-rank commander, had been the most efficient, because he was capable of seeing situations before anyone else and being very efficient.
—Well, I won't have to worry if it's under your care. But I already know why you needed me right now—you wanted to ask me to make a machine so the documents wouldn't be damaged, right?
—Correct. Just by telling you a few things, you were able to reach that deduction so quickly. You really are a genius.
—Of course. I'm the founder of the entire bunker, and I'm number one in all defenses in the world.
—You're right, sir…
The atmosphere became a bit silent. No one spoke, but then Luga said something.
—How has that boy been?
—Are you talking about him? He already woke up, but it seems there's nothing interesting.
—I see. Well, if that's the case, I'll take my leave.
The Boss ended the call and leaned back in his chair, staring at the ceiling while thinking about the last words that had been said.
I was exploring the bunker, looking around at everything with curiosity. I saw places where people could create their own weapons, others where people were fighting, but the bad thing was that I never managed to find Famtom.
I returned to the lobby, disappointed in myself. While I was in that state, I glanced to the side and saw a person crouched near some stairs that led to the armory shop.
"What is that guy doing?"
I approached out of curiosity. When I was close enough, I could see that he was wearing a black outfit with some gold decorations, and he seemed to be repairing some lamps.
"Isn't that the outfit Famtom wears…? Yes! It's the same one. Well, there are some differences, but they're few."
—Hello!
I greeted the guy, but he didn't respond at all. Because of that, I could hear a breeze of wind in the air. I frowned, because it was the first time someone had ignored me like that.
—Hellooo!
—…
"Tch, he completely ignored me again."
This time I made an annoyed face. I was already fed up with him not listening to me—it was the second time in a row—so next time I'd raise my voice a bit.
—Hey, don't ignore me!
—Ah! What's your problem!?
The guy looked at me annoyed and put his finger in his ear while standing up.
—Finally, you responded.
I turned my face to the side angrily. He looked at me as if I were some kind of weirdo.
—Tch, I'm busy fixing some things, that's why I didn't hear you.
The guy looked to the side without any trace of remorse for having ignored me, as if he didn't care at all. Just thinking about it, the most likely thing he was thinking was, "Tch, who would want to talk to this guy?"
—Yeah, but I told you twice!
The guy clicked his tongue and looked away annoyed.
—Which part of "don't shout" do you not understand? It's really annoying.
I looked at him even more annoyed. It wasn't my fault that he completely ignored me. The guy yawned afterward, as if he were tired.
—Ahh~ let me introduce myself properly. My name is Lalo Salamanca. Nice to meet you.
He extended his hand to greet me, but I rejected it by crossing my arms. After that, he lowered his hand.
—So tell me, what do you want?
—Well… I'm looking for Famtom, but I don't know where his office is.
Lalo, who looked sleepy, probably from lack of sleep, opened his eyes wide when he heard the word "Famtom."
"What!? Why is someone like him looking for someone high-ranking? Is he new here? No, that can't be it, because he said he's looking for him… but there are also some people who haven't been here long and don't know where the commanders' rooms are."
I placed my hand on my chin. The guy in front of me looked at me strangely.
—Are you okay?
—Ah! Yeah, it's just that I was a bit surprised that someone is looking for Famtom. So tell me, how do you know him?
—Mmm… let's see. He showed me the bunker, that's all.
—Huh?
"What!? He showed you the bunker? Aren't there specialized people for that!? Isn't that the first thing that happens?"
My face, which had been surprised before, changed to one that didn't understand anything.
—Hey, are you really okay? You don't feel sick or anything?
—No, but anyway, back to the topic. Yes, I know Famtom… you could say we're 'friends.'
—Really!?
The dark-haired boy in front of me opened his eyes wide.
"I think it would be better not to think too much about what's going on here, because it feels like if I investigate more, I'll end up dead."
—Tell me, tell me, where is Famtom!?
—Alright, first let me put my things away.
He crouched down again, picked up all his tools, put them in a brown bag, and then stood up.
—It's this way.
Lalo began to walk, so Neon followed him toward the armory shop. When they entered, the place was more crowded than usual. The shop was filled with many armors and strange objects on the shelves.
We walked to the back of the shop, where there were stairs at the corners near the counter. We went up them and reached another floor. The place was completely white and had many delicate decorations.
The air here was colder than usual, and the smell was different too—it smelled like roses. I looked around and could see some other shops there.
—Woooow! I didn't think there was a place like this in the bunker!
—That's nothing impressive. They're just decorations. Anyway, let's keep walking. I don't want to take too long.
—Alright.
I made a displeased face and we started walking. While I silently observed the place, I could see some people lined up at a shop in the middle, exchanging shiny things for coins.
—What's that?
I stopped and pointed at the people in line. Lalo looked at me annoyed.
—Tch, I'm not the one in charge of explaining those things.
I frowned at that answer. What does it cost you to tell me what those people are doing there? And besides, why are you always in a bad mood?
We kept walking until we reached a shop at the end of the room. When we entered, we could see many different types of armor. This place also had stairs in the corners that led somewhere else.
When we went up them, we arrived at a smaller room, gray in color, with an elegant design. There was a lamp on the ceiling illuminating the place. In this room, there were three entrances—one in front and two on the sides.
The place was calm, without many people, and a soft melody could be heard in the background.
—Woooow… I didn't think the bunker was so incredible. Tell me, Lalo, how big is this bunker?
Lalo, who was looking at his tablet, answered without looking at me.
—The bunker is approximately one-third the size of the island we're on.
—I see.
Honestly, I didn't know how big that was. I looked around more carefully, then looked behind us and saw another room with statues on the sides. I approached one out of curiosity and began to read its description.
"Let's see. The first one is above the entrance, and his name is Noi~sy. What a strange name. Apparently, he's someone important."
I looked at Lalo, who was still checking something on his tablet.
—Who is Noisy?
—He's the founder of the bunker.
"The founder, huh."
I looked at the statue closely and roughly determined his age. He seemed to be around twenty years old, and on his head he wore a rather strange crown.
After that, I continued looking at the other statues.
"Let's see. The next one is Commander Famtom. I know him… wait, Commander!?"
—How is it that Famtom is a commander?
Lalo looked at me with a strange face, as if saying, "How did you not know? That's why you're here to see him, right?"
"Well, I didn't know that."
I looked at the next statue and saw that the other person was Lalo Salamanca himself. Then I went to the other side, where there were three different statues.
I looked at the first statue—it was a woman.
"She's the first woman I've seen here. What's her name… Cliffy… hahaha, what a peculiar name."
I tried to read the next statue, but Lalo stopped me.
—Are you going to stay looking at those things all day? It's getting late, so let's go.
He said it in a slightly annoyed tone.
—Yeeees, I'm coming.
We entered the room next to the statues. When we went inside, there were many strange objects displayed as if they were on exhibition. At the back of the room, there was a dark brown door.
Lalo slowly opened the door, and we could see Famtom sitting in a chair, doing something. He looked at us with curiosity, probably not expecting visitors.
—Hello, Famtom!
I greeted him with an energetic smile, but Lalo remained silent, looking at him seriously.
—Good morning. It seems you've already recovered from your injuries, right?
—Well, obviously. Can't you see I'm here?
—Yes, I see. And it seems you brought someone very interesting.
Famtom looked toward Lalo, who was silent.
—I'm just passing through, so I'll take my leave.
—Don't you want to have some tea before you go?
The two stared at each other for a moment. After a few seconds, Lalo looked away, a bit nervous.
—Tch, no thanks. I'm just passing through, and besides, I have a lot of work.
—Well, if that's the case, I won't stop you.
After that, Lalo hurriedly left the room, as if he didn't want to stay there for long.
—I think I know why you're here. You want to take the knight exam, don't you?
He stood up from his chair and went to a shelf where he had some cups and poured a black liquid.
—How did you know?
—Last time we agreed to meet to take the exam.
—That's true.
Famtom took a sip from his cup and then carefully placed it on his desk.
—Shall we go?
—Alright.
The two of us left his office and headed toward an elevator near the area with the statues, and we went up to the surface.