II. Charon Heavy Industries

I went to meet Michael, and Jean Valin informed me that the Archon was beneath the Black Coffin, touring its power source. I had never known the Black Coffin possessed such a place, having assumed all its energy was derived from solar power.

Legan granted me special clearance, and I took a secret elevator to meet the Archon. The energy core resembled a massive ironworks; thick, intertwined pipes spanned nearly two hundred meters, connecting to a glowing blue sphere with a radius of about thirty meters. Michael was accompanying Lady Typhon, listening to her explanation.

The Arbiter soldiers spotted me, and Michael turned around happily, laughing, "Ah, my friend, the longer you spend with us vampires, the more you adopt the habits of a night owl."

I asked, "What is this sphere..."

Michael recited what he had just learned, saying, "It is called the Jukos-Von Reactor. Its principles are similar to Yune’s, though the scale is a thousand times larger. It utilizes other energy sources to manipulate controlled nuclear fusion, generating limited energy within a set time, but if time is infinite, the energy is also infinite."

Typhon said, "Missouri originally hid this place, but after he died, Michael gained authorization. We have already had Faja take over the facility."

We stood on a high steel gantry about thirty-five meters up. Below, I saw Yune arrive and feed an Ember Crystal into the pipes.

Another gaunt man in glasses—likely also a vampire—said, "Ember Crystals are extremely hard. They can only be deformed and shaped through the super-high temperatures within this reactor."

Typhon pointed at the gaunt man and said, "He is Dr. Rogaine, Missouri’s chief scientist. For years, he was also imprisoned here by Missouri, forced to work for him."

I sighed, "Missouri certainly had plenty of hidden cards up his sleeve."

Michael remarked, "He forgot that he should have been serving the Black Coffin, not using it as leverage. Now, I believe we should release this knowledge, allowing more people to enjoy the rights and share the responsibilities."

He added, "I have decided to improve the Black Coffin’s education system, establishing research institutes, universities, high schools, middle schools, and primary schools. We will recruit gifted talent from across Black Coffin Town and invite experts and scholars who have been unable to find their place to work here."

I said, "I think Faja alone is enough."

Michael laughed, "If limited to Black Coffin Town, naturally that would be more than enough. But don't forget, our goal is the entire Bay Area. The next step will be San Francisco, or even California. We need weapons, we need food, we need industry, but most importantly, we need a constant stream of talent."

Typhon said, "These are times of hardship, but the more such times occur, the more heroes emerge, like a brilliant cluster of stars."

I thought to myself, "But the rise of humanity isn't necessarily a good thing for you. Wouldn't you just have to hide behind the iron curtain again?"

Michael might have been oblivious, but Lady Typhon could not have failed to consider this. Her motives were deep, yet she said nothing of it in my presence.

I asked, "Archon, you brought me here to..."

Michael exclaimed, "My dear Fishbone, you only ever need to call me Michael. Now, by researching Missouri’s data, Faja has made another major discovery. We might soon have one more town to our name."

I said, "What? We haven't even finished managing this one. Do you know how many criminal syndicates are in the streets?"

Michael replied, "Those can never be fully eradicated in any era. Sometimes, dispersing dense populations makes them easier for us to govern. Faja, show Longinus!"

A large screen appeared on the wall displaying a map of the Bay Area. I saw a red dot about fifty kilometers to our southwest.

I anticipated what this meant and hurriedly handed over a business card. Michael took it, frowned, and asked, "Fishbone Longinus and Mask the Nameless Player Detective Agency?"

I quickly said, "Yes, I retired to go into this line of work."

Typhon covered her mouth to hide a smile. I sensed a mocking intent and quickly added, "My partner says that in the future, we will surely have a bustling business with boundless prospects."

Michael shouted, "Oh my, are you expecting me to pay you?"

I said, "If it involves exploration, our rate is two million credits for every ten kilometers round-trip. The price is absolutely fair." I paused, then added, "But for the elders and nobles, I can offer a twenty percent discount."

Michael was speechless, and Typhon laughed, "You know? If you hadn't retired, you would be a Lieutenant General by now. Among the Rangers, you would be reporting directly to Legan. That is what you call truly boundless prospects."

I said, "But the pay is low."

Typhon shook her head, "Unreasonable. For someone at that position, can wealth even be measured in money?"

I said, "Sorry, my lady, I’m not well-read; I only recognize money."

Michael shouted, "Fine, fine, fine! I’ll pay. Right now, I lack everything except money." He had inherited all of Missouri’s assets, but he was already above the monetary system; a single word from him could make anyone rich overnight.

Faja said, "Mr. Fishbone, long time no see."

I called out, "Did you miss me, little angel?"

Typhon and Michael stared at me in surprise. I felt I shouldn't let them see how close I was with Faja, so I quickly put on a serious expression.

Faja cleared her throat, and the red dot on the map expanded into a massive black building. It looked like a heavy-duty automotive assembly plant, two hundred meters long and wide, and fifty meters high. It seemed to be constructed from Ember Crystals.

Faja said, "Charon Heavy Industries headquarters. I traced records from a century ago; most of the building materials used for the Black Coffin were transported from here."

I asked, "Are there many Solar Infected inside?"

Faja denied this: "Unknown, but it is highly likely that there is a Jukos-Von Reactor similar to the one in the Black Coffin."

I immediately understood: "Of course, otherwise they wouldn't have been able to forge Ember Crystals and build the Black Coffin in the last century."

Faja continued, "It is unlikely there are demons within the Charon Heavy Industries headquarters, but people may have settled there, and the presence of Solar Infected cannot be ruled out."

I said, "Even if there are, they surely haven't awakened yet, which makes things easy. The full moon is approaching in a few days."

Faja also added, "Inside the heavy industry headquarters, there may be transport vehicles similar to Juno, with a structure like Juno’s, achieving perpetual motion through controlled nuclear fusion and solar power."

Michael said, "The purpose of your mission is to clear out any potential threats there and confirm the existence of the Jukos-Von Reactor."

I remembered the old, weak, women, and children we abandoned at the cannery last time. I asked, "What if there are already inhabitants?"

Michael said, "You must convince them to join our Black Coffin faction. If not, bring them back to the Black Coffin under guard. Don't worry, I won't do what Missouri did."

This was the trait I admired most in Michael; his compassion for humanity was almost saintly, which made one worry that humanity might take advantage of him.

I asked again, "Am I working alone?"

Michael said, "You can choose anyone you trust among the Rangers, or you can choose to take Juno, but if something goes wrong, their pension..."

I laughed, "Don't worry, the people I pick will never die."

Before leaving, I suddenly remembered Helsing’s commission and asked, "Faja, do you know if the Charon Corporation had any pharmaceutical research facilities nearby?"

Faja searched for a moment, marked another spot on the map, and said, "About ten kilometers in a straight line from Charon Heavy Industries is the Charon Pharmaceutical headquarters. It is not an Ember-constructed building; it is highly likely that demons are hiding there."

I said, "Understood. Thank you."

Typhon said, "We didn't send you to that pharmaceutical company, so please don't get distracted by side issues."

I replied, "That’s a separate case. Don't worry, the side quest won't affect the main quest."

Michael asked, "What does that mean?"

I couldn't really explain; perhaps the previous Saint Longinus was just an incurable gamer.

Michael said, "This expedition is particularly important, even more so than the discovery of Yune. If we can possess two infinite energy engines and start the heavy plant there, the Black Coffin's industrial power will advance by several levels." He took out a few Faja earpieces and gave them to me, saying, "Perhaps the network there is connected to this one, so you can use these communication devices. Once something happens, be sure to contact us, and we will immediately organize support."

I could sense Faja’s brainwaves directly and didn't need these trinkets, but I accepted them anyway.

Faja said, "Goodbye, Mr. Fishbone."

I bade them farewell and returned to the Black Coffin via the secret elevator.

The mission date was two days away. Before then, I had a pile of errands to run.

I first found Lamia and told her about the operation. She insisted on coming, and I had a hard time persuading her to give up the idea.

Afterward, I found Wasteclock and Solace. They readily agreed to go; after all, I was their old superior. Solace even considered going freelance with me, as she was naturally shy, disliked the crowded military camp, and feared her Netherfire might leak and cause chaos. Wasteclock didn't say it aloud, but he seemed to have the same intention.

I was tempted, but I said, "That won't do. Legan is my friend; how could I keep poaching his men? Stay in the camp for now, get promoted, and get rich. I’ll think of something, but this has to be done slowly."

Leaving the haunted house—pardon, the mansion—I headed to Room 44 on the 13th floor. The location of the detective agency was truly terrible. I decided that once I finished this first deal, I would move to a better floor.

Mask was eating instant noodles in the dark alone. I was used to danger and the bizarre, but I still found the scene somewhat eerie.

I laughed, "Good news! Thanks to my incredible connections, I’ve landed a multi-million credit deal."

Mask looked at the commission on the desk with a depressed expression. I leaned in to take a look; it was all trivial stuff like investigating affairs and rumors. I said, "How are you doing your market promotion?"

Mask said, "A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step. You need to be patient. Besides, with your reputation in the Black Coffin, I have a feeling we’ll be hot soon."

I smelled something burning and rushed to the kitchen. By the time I put out the fire, Mask’s decrepit stove and the entire room were ruined.

Mask sank into a state of self-seclusion.

I said, "Just do your best to finish these small cases for now. Since we just started, reputation and popularity are what matter."

Mask said, "Oh, right, a woman named Betty wants to see you. She left a card saying she'll meet you at the cafe on the 30th floor tomorrow morning. Don't be late."

I roared, "What? That woman?"

Mask said, "If you had an affair, just give me some hush money."

I cursed, "Screw you."