BIOLOGICAL SUPERCOMPUTER SYSTEM-Chapter 1249: Rescue trip (5)

Erik entered the ruin with careful steps and not a low dose of anxiety. He clung to the buildings, using the narrow passages between them as cover. The crumbling walls formed corridors that provided cover from any watching eyes.

Broken pieces of concrete and metal formed winding paths that Erik used for cover. The old ruins had become smoother over time, and now moss and small plants grew all over their surfaces.

Of course, that was a distant past. At best now there were the rest of those who failed to find a safe place and got trapped by the thaids that remained inside the city to search for prey. However, even that was highly unlikely, since no sane person would set foot on Mur.

The system began analyzing their surroundings, scanning the architecture, and cross-referencing each structural element against its extensive historical databases.

The process took only seconds as it processed the layout of streets, the composition of buildings, and the distinctive architectural features of this ancient city.

[Fascinating,] the biological computer said. [We have been in such places before, but not like this,] the system said.

<What do you mean?>

[Well, it resembles the crossroad city in Frant, Sentinel's Crossgate. ]

It was the city that Erik and the others attacked while reaching Frant's shores when the country was still under Hin's partial control.

[The building style is very similar.]

<You say? They look different to me.>

[That's because you don't know what to look at,] the system said. [These structures predate the thaids. They are primarily made from steel and concrete. See those metal frames exposed where the concrete has fallen away? They used steel reinforcement to create buildings taller than those before them could make.]

Of course, Erik saw some ruins during his journey to Etrium. Such things were present everywhere on both continents, and that was because humanity basically lost control of everything outside cities.

It started to change only recently, at least in Frant, thanks to the Chimaeric demons and the new technologies that were constantly streaming through the world. The brain crystal technology was an example of such things.

<It's not different from what they do today,> Erik said.

[That's true,] the system said. [But there are many differences between modern buildings. We use similar but different building styles. Today's buildings incorporate adaptive materials—substances that can change their properties based on environmental conditions. The concrete we use contains nanoscale sensors and self-repairing compounds. When micro-fractures form, the material automatically fills them in. Of course, if they are completely destroyed, then there is nothing we can do about it but to rebuild, but even in that case our steel, for example, isn't just reinforcement—it's a smart alloy that can adjust its structure to better distribute stress loads.]

The system paused.

[The biggest difference is in the foundations. Modern buildings use geo-anchoring systems—deep pylons that can actively shift to compensate for ground movement. These ancient structures were completely static. One good earthquake and they'd crumble. That's partly why so few survived. When thaids arrived, they created disasters on par with natural ones. I didn't actually expect to see a city so well conserved on Mur, though.]

<Interesting,> Erik said. <I never thought about that, and for a good reason. I don't care.>

Despite his claimed disinterest, Erik examined a nearby building with a collapsed wall section. His reasoning was practical—if thaids found him, he could use the buildings to eliminate them efficiently with minimal mana by collapsing them. In this city, his telekinetic abilities would prove especially valuable, based on the situation, of course.

<I guess this kind of stuff it's not so useless. Maybe I should look into it more.>

Behind the collapsed wall of the building, there were some rusted metal bones within the gray concrete.

Thick vines wound through the gaps as nature gradually tore the structure apart.

"How old are these ruins?"

[Based on the architectural style and building materials, approximately six hundred years. This was likely a major metropolitan area—a 'city center' or 'downtown district.']

Erik moved deeper into the ruins, stepping over fallen chunks of concrete and avoiding areas where the ancient pavement had buckled and split because of the massive tree roots wide as streets that had burst through the ground, lifting and cracking the pavement.

"What were these buildings used for?" It was a question made out of pure curiosity.

[Many purposes. The shorter structures were likely residential. The taller ones were centers of commerce and business. Those glass-fronted buildings? Offices.]

Erik tried to imagine it—these empty streets once filled with people, the broken windows gleaming intact in the sun, vehicles moving along roads now split and overgrown. It seemed impossible that so many humans had lived here, stacked in these towers that now served only as perches for flying predators.

Modern cities like New Alexandria were certainly populous, but looking back at ancient history made one question everything.

The human population back then was vastly larger, with dozens or even hundreds of cities surpassing New Alexandria's size.

While New Alexandria housed millions, that was mainly because it concentrated most of Frant's population in one place.

The cause of this situation was small, but it was fundamental.

What he found more weird, though, was that the roads were not meant for pedestrians but for cars and vehicles.

In every city he went to, the main means of transportation was flying cars, and land cars were used only outside, and that was because of flying thaids, and only in some situations.

In the past, though, they were all like this, meaning that traffic had to be a nightmare and that each city had to spend a lot of money on maintenance.

Then a massive structure caught his attention. It was perhaps fifteen stories tall, maybe more, but Erik couldn't say it with precision. It had a broad face that was still mostly intact, despite the centuries.

Vines draped its walls like curtains, and the windows were full of dirt and debris that clung to it like mold, but the building's strong lines remained visible.

"That looks promising," Erik said. "It is large enough to house many clones; it has solid walls for protection..."

Yet, being the building intact, at least from his side, he started being hopeful.

[The structural integrity seems sound,] the system said. [There are also multiple entry points for escape routes and elevated positions for surveillance. If the others were looking for shelter, a building like that would be ideal.]

"What was it originally?"

[Based on the architecture, likely a hotel. The floor plan would have included hundreds of individual rooms, common areas, and storage spaces.]

Erik studied the building more. Despite its age, most walls remained standing. Many windows still held fragments of glass, and the main entrance was partially protected by an overhanging concrete awning. Most importantly, it offered clear lines of sight in all directions while providing cover.

<The Chimaeric Demons would have recognized its value,> Erik said. <And Mira would have appreciated having multiple escape routes.>

[True. The building's height would also allow Emily to snipe. There would have been fewer obstacles to block her sight.]

They observed the hotel for several minutes, checking for potential entry points and hazards. Sections of the upper floors had collapsed, creating diagonal slopes of rubble that could serve as alternative routes up and down. The vegetation covering the walls could aid in climbing if needed.

[However,] the system said, [We should consider that this building would be attractive to both survivors and thaids. In the latter case, it would be a good place to build a nest, especially for some thaid's species.]

<Agreed. Should we go check it?> Erik moved closer, staying under the cover of the massive trees.

[We should.]

The biological computer continued sharing historical details as they approached.

They paused at the edge of what must have once been a grand plaza before the hotel. Broken fountains and decorative planters now hosted small forests of their own, their careful designs lost under centuries of uncontrolled growth. The hotel's main entrance gaped like a dark mouth.

[We should start from the ground floor and then secure each level before moving up. The building's size means we could miss important signs if we rush.]

Erik nodded, studying the various approaches to the entrance. The plaza offered too little cover—they would need to circle around, use the smaller structures and vegetation to hide until they could reach the hotel's base.

Erik thought about flying there, but that would mean being exposed to flying thaids or other kinds of monsters that would be looking at the sky. Instead, on the ground, he could still shapeshift into something small and hide between the vegetation.

Even if not tall, some of the bushes were still enough to hide things of the size of a human and smaller creatures.

"Let's go around to the side entrance," Erik said, hoping that if there were creatures inside, they would have entered from the large main entrance.

[Good thinking. And Erik?] The system's tone grew serious.

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[Remember what I said about expectations. Even if we find signs they passed through here...]

"I know. They might be long gone. But we have to check."

The old hotel stood tall in front of them. Erik stared at its worn walls, hoping to find some clues about where his friends might be. He knew he might find good news or bad news inside—or maybe nothing at all. But he wouldn't know unless he looked.

Taking a deep breath, Erik headed toward the side of the building. There was a service entrance there that would be safer to use than the main door.