Cosdarica's Journey at the End of the World
If you can hear this voice…
Then, good morning, good afternoon, good evening and good night.
If it's the middle of the night, is your late-night snack delicious?
I don't even know why I'm writing these words.
Along this endless journey, I've encountered countless living people. I probably should recorded their stories too.
But today, for some reason, I felt the urge to document this person named Cosdarica.
I don't know why. Maybe I'm just sleepy, tired, or perhaps my brain isn't functioning.
Normally, I wouldn't waste time writing things like this. Isn't it enough to just store memories in the brain? Then maybe I need to see a neurologist.
But I can't help it—I just really want to write something.
Let's put that aside for now.
Cosdarica is a girl.
I first met her at a pub in a safe zone. Because of a curse I received thousands of years ago, I remain immortal and young—in other words, my height is still just 158 cm.
But who say that go to a pub means one should have to drink?
Unlike the outside, there weren't many troublemakers there. The atmosphere was calm, and no one would tried to touch me. It was a good place to go and adjust my terminal.
That day, the one who served me at the counter wasn't the owner, but a small girl with black hair and green eyes. Strictly speaking, the inside of her hair had a dark green tint.
Since I'm a little bit bad at recognizing faces, I've honed my skill to identify people by voice.
The time she saw me, she immediately tried to stop me from entering the pub.
Being judged because of my 158 cm height felt like a mockery. Fortunately, the owner stepped in.
Me:
The usual please.
I ordered tap water. Everything here is served for free, but I wasn't interested in them. Water was about the only thing that could give me a sense of sweetness.
I opened my terminal and began recording data.
There weren't many customers, so after serving the others, she sat down next to me.
Cosdarica:
So, you're that… person who's been alive since the Submodern Era?
Submodern Era is the era I was born in, thousands of years ago.
Going into detail would take too long, so I won't elaborate here.
Me:
You don't have to call me 'person'. Just…
Cosdarica:
Miss.[Data Corruption]? That feels wrong. How about 'Mentor' instead?
Me:
It's been a long time since anyone called me that, but not bad.
Cosdarica:
Hooray!Anyone who's had data input into their brain should know the honorable name of mentor!
Me:
That's unfair. How come you know my name, but I don't know yours?
Cosdarica:
Ah! I forgot to introduce myself! Oh no, oh no, oh no!!
Cosdarica:
I'm Cosdarica! A would-be adventurer who doesn't want to work in my dad's pub but explore the whole world! Now ten years old! Healthy! And my birthday is November 25th! Pleased to meet you!
Me:
Nice to meet you.
Cosdarica:
Mentor, is it really not okay to go outside now? My dad says it's dangerous… but I'm so bored staying home!
I looked at the owner.
His eyes held both affection and a hint of resignation.
Me:
But the threats still haven't been fully eliminated. There are still radioactive zones from the A.D. era, self-replicating infected entities, and buildings overrun with plants that could collapse without warning. It's dangerous. Your father is right.
Cosdarica:
I'll be fine! I already know all that—it's in my brain data! I even know how to evacuate properly!
Me:
Brain data input technology, huh.
Cosdarica:
Yes! There's even an old saying ,'It is better to travel ten thousand miles than to read ten thousand books.' As long as the data's accurate, that's what it means!
Me:
Looks like they didn't alter that proverb.
Cosdarica:
Huh? Oh, well, anyway! I just want to walk that 'ten thousand miles'! I think walking with my own feet is way more effective than just watching videos!
She came closer, and I quickly moved to the next seat.
Seeing that, she didn't follow but instead put her hands together like she was praying.
Cosdarica:
Mentor, could you tell me some precautions for going outside? I promise I'll remember them all!
Me:
Really?
The owner's eyes flickered with a hint of surrender.Seeing him give up on persuading his daughter, I immediately got straight to the point.
Me:
I'll explain in detail—but are you ready for that?
Cosdarica:
Of course! I want to explore this entire world!
Me:
Sure, but there's one condition.
Cosdarica:
What is it, mentor?
Me:
You must promise to report to me every ten years that you're safe. This is my terminal's contact information.
Cosdarica:
Absolutely! But why ten years, not five or three?
Me:
Because I'm too lazy to check my email.
Cosdarica:
I see! Please tell me quickly, mentor! Please introduce everything in detail!
When I left, it was already 2 AM; the cold wind cleared some of my sleepiness.
I looked around, seeing no CCTV or anyone watching me, then quickly pulled out the dull knife I carry and stabbed it into my artery.
Maybe I can pick up a whetstone next time.
Though I've already gotten used to it.
That's all.
The second time I met Cosdarica was in a quarantine zone. By the way, the current world has no countries, just three artificially divided areas that can change at any moment.
The first is called the 'Safe Zone'— an area where basically anyone can live.Here, radiation levels are within a range acceptable for everyone, and the frequency of infected beings outbreaks is relatively low.
In this context, 'relatively' means that the residents of the zone are capable of driving out the infected on their own.
The second is the 'Quarantined Zone'. Only certain people can withstand the radiation levels here, and there's always the risk of being suddenly attacked by the infected.
And the third is the 'Extinction Zone'. The 'Extinction Zone' is the largest area in the world.
Such places either have radiation levels far beyond what a normal human can tolerate, or are zones where the density of infected is extremely high—and in the worst cases, they combine both.
No one is advised to enter the extinction zone.
Because once you step inside, you set foot on a one-way path from which there is no return to this world. Most likely, you will end up descending into Tilan (Hell).
When time passed and I returned to that safe zone, it had already become a desolate, abandoned land.
The terminal didn't alert; it must have self-died without being attacked by the infected.
What a pity about the pub. I never saw the owner again.
Ideally, maybe he evacuated somewhere else—but this is the 'reality' where we are.
And in this 'reality', his bones must have long since been worn down by the wind, reduced to ash.
…
I've gotten used to it.
Today as well, I continued to wander aimlessly along this endless journey.
Seasons changed. It's truly uncomfortable without firearms.
And then, by the riverside where discarded televisions were piled up, I reunited with the grown-up Cosdarica.
She was sorting through her belongings atop the mound of the discarded televisions. Hearing footsteps, she looked up alertly and then immediately waved at me with a smile.
Cosdarica:
Mentor! We meet again! I was just worried about how to report my safety to you!
However, when I saw her this time, I didn't immediately recognize her.
Me:
……
Me:
Who are you?
Cosdarica:
It's me, Cosdarica, Mentor! Hello!
Oh… it's thirteen days, ten hours, and nine minutes short of the ten-year mark.
Me:
Ah. You seem well, as always.
Cosdarica:
Mentor! That's not true! I've really grown up! I was ten years old before, but now I'm almost twenty! And I've gotten taller too!
Cosdarica:
But you haven't changed at all, mentor!
Don't tease me about my height!! This tiny body is exactly my charm point!!!
Me:
You really have the nerve to say you'll be twenty soon.
Cosdarica:
Eheheheh, compared to you, mentor, I'm still just a child! But since I started my journey and got to meet you again, I'm sure I made the right decision!
Cosdarica:
Right now, there's no one around, here or anywhere, but thanks to your teachings from ten years ago, the knowledge I crammed into my head, and some luck, I've managed to survive by finding hidden treasures! Truly, thank you so much!
She showed me her overstuffed backpack.
Cosdarica:
See! Chocolate energy bars with a 100-year shelf life! One a day is super economical, and there's enough to last a lifetime. Want a bite?
She offered me one of the chocolate energy bars. I frowned at its pitiful packaging.
Things with long shelf lives usually taste awful.
So this is what human meals have been simplified to…?
Me:
No thanks. It's not impossible someone would lace chocolate with poison.
I'm sure I was of sound mind when I said that. Not a funny joke, yet I found myself laughed.
Cosdarica:
Who would poison chocolate?! That would be such a waste of time! And besides, this isn't even chocolate—it's an energy bar!
She was right about that. I was just too bored—so bored I'd pulled the trigger at someone for the first time in my life.
Me:
You really do understand.
Seriously, I'm that bored.
Cosdarica:
Go ahead, go ahead! Food only tastes good when it's shared!
That said, I'm the sort of being who can live without eating anything right now, so I took it reluctantly and plopped it on top of the nearby TV.
Cosdarica:
Um, Mentor! I'm really glad I went outside! But now… there's something I really want to talk with you! I'm a little troubled about something… Can I have a little of your time?
Me:
Start from the beginning.
I sat down on the not-so-comfortable TV.
Cosdarica:
Yay! So after you left, I decided to go on the journey! I re-memorized the survival manual and started training every day!
Me:
Uh-huh.
Cosdarica:
And then! I made the bold choice——I left home!
She kicked at the scrap metal of an abandoned TV by the riverbank.
Cosdarica:
Then I came here! Where was it… ah, here!Right here!
Me:
What's up?
Cosdarica:
I even tried connecting my terminal to the TV here and two of them worked! Actually, I got the signal!
Me:
That's impressive.
Cosdarica:
Through the flickering screen, I could just barely make out old news broadcasts.
News? Is that really worth watching?
Sleep mode was banned that time, and thanks to those news pop-ups, so many of my Master 37 and Beyond 12 APs were ruined.
Well, now I can all-perfect(+) any rhythm game with ease, regardless of difficulty.
Cosdarica:
And then, images of an old city appeared! I was so shocked!! There were that many people back then!? And everywhere you looked, there were these pitch-black, bulky machines—long ones, round ones—all constantly recording people!
Cosdarica:
God! What were those?! Cameras? But that's basically surveillance! Creepy!!
Me:
Like you said, those were surveillance cameras. CCTVs.
Cosdarica:
Surveillance cameras? CCTVs?Ah I see, that's what they're called… I thought they were just cameras… wha—wait, really?
Cosdarica:
So cities back then really were like that!
Me:
Yeah.
Cosdarica:
I think people back then must've had a hard time living! Like… constantly being watched? Even the things you wanted to do in secret were all visible… right?
Me:
They just weren't aware of it. Also, people started disappearing more frequently.
Me:
That's life.
Cosdarica:
Haha, so true! I almost forgot that my mentor is a relic from that era!
She laughed.
That realistic joke seemed to really hit her funny bone.
Utter satisfaction.
Cosdarica:
After that, I just kept moving forward! I don't know how much time passed, but more and more buildings started to appear along the road… though most of them had collapsed. Just like you said before, Mentor!
Me:
Heh.
Cosdarica:
Among them, there was a strange group of buildings with a large open space. Something had been placed there…
Cosdarica:
According to the data I was fed, it seems they were basketball hoops, soccer goals, and volleyball courts! All open-air!
She had most likely arrived at the athletic field of a model school from the Common Era.
If we are going to speak of the Submodern Era and the Common Era, it is necessary to explain the current chronology.
Anno Domini, along with its calendar, came to an end with the dropping of the atomic bomb. After that, people adopted a new chronology—Anno Nucleus(A.N.). By giving it the name 'nucleus', they swore never to repeat the mistakes (the ruin) of Anno Domini.
However, this vow too collapsed in the Submodern Era.
The Submodern Era lasted from A.N. 500 to A.N. 1015. In A.N. 500, the elites who had been cryopreserved from the Common Era awakened and partially restored the former science and technology. For that reason this period is called the 'submodern'.
The end of that era came at 5:48:46 PM on July 27, A.N. 1015.
From that instant I became, for the first and the last time, a being who truly possessed immortality.
And then Villain, the initiator of evil, spread an incurable virus across the world.
Simply, the virus infected and assimilated humans, causing their brains to atrophy, stripping their thoughts, and turning them into infected that indiscriminately attacked other living beings.
Since the infected do not deliberately destroy buildings, many structures from the Submodern Era remain well preserved.
As for the ones from Anno Domini?
You should ask the not-so-omnipotent atomic bombs.
Cosdarica:
But just like everywhere else, it was quiet and colorless. The sky was covered with thick clouds, and I felt that something was wrong, so I rushed into a nearby low building to take shelter.
Cosdarica:
Then, it started to rain—pretty hard!
Me:
You didn't bring an umbrella? How could you forget that? You can't just cut your wrist with a blunt knife like me to solve problems.
Cosdarica:
It hadn't been that long since I left home, so I didn't think it would rain that much… I thought an umbrella wouldn't help with that kind of downpour, so I left it behind.
Cosdarica:
I thought if it was just a light rain, I could wait it out somewhere. But then it started pouring like crazy…!
Me:
What a shame.
Cosdarica:
I've learned my lesson since then, so I always carry an umbrella! Back then, I was saved because there just happened to be a big umbrella bucket right there!
Me:
Umbrella bucket?
Cosdarica:
Yes! It seems like at the entrances of a large room, they put this big blue umbrella buckets… I think it was blue, anyway. It was dark, so I couldn't really see clearly.
Cosdarica:
At that time, I didn't have much food left either, so I went into that building.
Cosdarica:
Inside, there were broken desks piled up in a mess… but somehow, I felt like they were originally meant to be lined up neatly. I don't know why they ended up like that.
Cosdarica:
There was some kind of device on the wall playing what sounded like music. It was intermittent, so I couldn't tell what song it was, but it had a kind of sad feeling.
I can sympathize with that feeling.
Whether in A.D. or A.N. , no matter how foolish a school song might be, when it comes faintly and broken from an old, worn-down device, it stirs a kind of bittersweet feeling.
Still, it's odd that the old equipment still had power.
Well, nothing unusual.
Cosdarica:
Amid the scratchy sound of the motor, I could faintly hear words like, 'To serve the nation, to devote ourselves to humanity, that is our eternal ideal'… but there were also voices going 'ahh' and such…
Cosdarica:
Honestly, I didn't really understand what things like 'nation' or 'motherland' meant.
Me:
The 'motherland' means one's own country—in other words, the land that our ancestors carved out and protected in order to survive. The descendants who live on that land, out of respect and affection for it, try to continue protecting it.
Me:
In that way, a natural bond is formed between people and the land. Relationships rooted in the place they live—mutual support among neighbors—foster those bonds. That's what we call 'geographical relation'.
Me:
And when the stability of blood relations strengthens those geographical relations, the connection becomes even more solid. Well, not that I feel any particular sentiment about it myself.
Cosdarica:
I see, so that's what 'motherland' means! Thank you mentor, I think I kind of get it now. But… still, I can't really say it feels real to me.
Cosdarica:
Even in the Submodern Era, there should still have been plenty of open land, right? So why did people have to keep living on the same land? Wouldn't it be much freer—and more fun—to travel around and explore different places?
Me:
It's because of the strong connection to agricultural culture. To continue farming, instead of moving around repeatedly like nomads, people needed to put down roots in a fixed place and adapt to the environment to live. You could say they formed a bond with the land.
Me:
As I mentioned earlier, blood relationship is, in theory, the foundation for building a stable community, and based on it, bonds with the surrounding people—through mutual support—form what we call geographical relations.
Me:
That's why, for people in the past, the land was not just a place to live, but an indispensable presence that sustained both life and society. And those geographical relations eventually became the very foundation that allowed a contractual society to take shape.
Cosdarica:
I see…
Me:
The effects of radiation lingered in many places in the Submodern Era, and even now they haven't completely disappeared. On top of that, there were just too many people. Well, that was probably one of the reasons the real estate bubble overheated so much back then.
Me:
Though the radiation levels have calmed down a bit nowadays, but instead, the infected roam around. Since the days of the A.D., that land has been continuously contaminated.
Me:
Roughly speaking, that's how it is. And to be honest, because of this, even I sometimes find myself thinking…
Cosdarica:
What, what about?
Me:
Is kinship really that important? Aren't game accounts more valuable?
Cosdarica:
Hmm… well, usually when people spend a long time together, feelings naturally grow, don't they? And besides, for a parent, a child is someone who carries about half of their own blood, so it's natural they'd consider them important…
Cosdarica:
That's probably it, right?
Cosdarica:
And kids—when they're young, don't they kind of develop this dependence on the people who are kind to them? So maybe kinship ended up becoming important because they're connected to that sort of thing… or something like that?
Me:
…
At my silence, Cosdarica drew in a slightly uneasy breath and glanced away. After a moment of thought, she bit her lip and spoke again.
Cosdarica:
Um… I think it's probably something like that…
After a few more seconds of silence, Cosdarica raised her slumped shoulders a little and spoke up.
Cosdarica:
I don't really get it… Honestly, humans are just so complicated…
Me:
Better to get attached to single-player games.
Cosdarica:
Mentor, did you really not put any data into your brain?
Me:
I can memorize everything after seeing it once. No need to waste electricity.
Cosdarica:
That's amazing, mentor! And when I opened one of the drawers, there were things like written reflections inside. That means the concept of 'classes' still existed in that era!
Me:
So it really was a school.
Cosdarica:
What! You've already figured out it was a school!? That's incredible, mentor!
Me:
Common sense.
Cosdarica:
I read part of the essay. It was titled 'Destruction of School Property.'Specifically, it mentioned 'tearing the garbage bag in the toilet.'
Me:
Ugh… Gross.
Cosdarica:
This is what it said:'I didn't have any tissues, so I pulled on the garbage bag and ripped it.'
Cosdarica:
But apparently, ink had been spilled into that garbage bag by a janitor, and then the class teacher found out. She wasn't even allowed to put her pants back on and was scolded in front of the whole class…
Me:
Using something dirty to wipe is foolish, but even so, that kind of punishment is far too severe.
Cosdarica:
It seems the one who wrote the reflection was a girl.
Me:
Humans really are strange creations of nature.
Cosdarica:
Standing in front of the class without even wearing pants… That's way too embarrassing. And being made to write a reflection on top of that!Even if it was her fault, doing something like that in front of the whole class is cruel! Everyone was watching!
Cosdarica:
And then afterward, it seems someone even poured water on her!
Me:
That is precisely what human diversity is. However, if we dig any deeper into this, I'm not sure it would pass the censorship. And even if it did, it would most likely be harshly criticized.
Cosdarica:
What do you mean by 'pass the censorship'?
Me:
I don't want to talk about that.
Cosdarica:
Ugh… Well, I also found something called a report card! Based on logical inference, it seems that people who lacked data input technology still had to learn things manually.
Me:
Old-fashioned report cards.
Cosdarica:
You're really strong, mentor! People who can study well are all truly amazing!!
Me:
You're learning too. Humans are always learning.
Me:
It's just that they were mechanically cramming meaningless knowledge. The schools of the Submodern Era were the same—just stuffing in useless knowledge.
Cosdarica looked at me with a puzzled expression.
Me:
Individual cases quickly get buried in data.
Me:
Unfortunately.
Cosdarica:
In other words, there were lots of people among them who studied from morning till night, but their grades still didn't improve.
Cosdarica:
And then, if they kept studying like that, eventually they lost interest in anything outside of studying, their grades still didn't improve. That's just heartbreaking.
Me:
Exam-Oriented Education is incredibly harmful.
Cosdarica:
And in that case, even if their grades did improve, their minds would take a lot of damage! I think it's really not worth it at all!
Cosdarica:
Somehow… well, for example, there might even be a possibility of developing schizophrenia?
Me:
Schizophrenia… right. By the way, how do you know all of this?
Cosdarica:
I found something called 'diary'! It had daily entries and rough comments from its owner!
Me:
A diary?
Cosdarica:
Yes! It was kind of fun to read!
Me:
Isn't diary something normally keep at home?
Cosdarica:
I'm not sure… but maybe sometimes a family member would read it without permission? If that's the case, I feel bad for the one writing it!
Cosdarica:
Violating someone's privacy like that—it's just unbelievable! That's really awful!!
Me:
…
Cosdarica:
But leaving something at school even without locking it, no one will go and open it without permission, right? That might mean the people at this school actually have pretty high morals.
Cosdarica:
…But if that's true, then why did something like what happened earlier occur? Basically everyone should be polite… Was it just a few people, or was there some special reason…?
Cosdarica:
Hmm, now I'm kind of curious about that.
Me:
That school is probably a model school. In public settings, the behavior of not peeking into other people's belongings without permission closely aligns with the goal of behavioral norm education that a model school emphasizes.
The background behind the cultivation of such qualities may lie in the fact that, due to high entrance standards, the students are either children from families that have enriched their culture and knowledge through learning, or those who were strictly disciplined from an early age and have acquired basic self-control.
People with such backgrounds generally don't go around snooping into others' possessions.
Me:
Of course, there are exceptions—some people may be smart but, due to their environment, never learned proper manners. But that's just a minority… Matters concerning human relationships really are troublesome. That's exactly why I dislike MOBAs.
Cosdarica:
Then, her family…
Me:
I think her parents might've read her diary. That could be why she took it to school and wrote in it secretly.They may have tried to dig into her secrets using the excuse of 'just entering her room'.
Me:
Like robots obsessed with domination, possessiveness, and surveillance, they probably installed 360-degree all-direction surveillance cameras in her room to monitor her constantly.
Me:
But constant monitoring of people's behavior was already normal back in the Common Era. For example, in ancient China around 1420 A.D., there was already an organization called the Eastern Depot.
Cosdarica:
The Eastern Depot…? That sounds like a cool name!
Me:
Ridiculous, isn't it? Officially they claimed it was 'to preserve public order,' but in reality, it was an organization to monitor people.
Me:
They kept watch not only over the military and government offices, but also over gatherings of merchants, temples, and even schools. They would pose as shopkeepers, monks, or travelers, but in truth they were picking up on people's words.
Cosdarica:
Whaaat!? They were everywhere?!
Me:
Yeah,exactly.Just saying something like 'Taxes are too high' at a teahouse could turn into a huge problem. That one sentence could change—no, even end—your life.
Cosdarica:
E-End it!? Even just muttering something…?
Me:
Exactly. The scariest part was the 'informant.' You never knew who turned you in—it could be a neighbor, a friend, even family. It became common sense that 'you're not even safe in your own home.'
Cosdarica:
So… people lived in fear every day?
Me:
Otherwise, they'd die.
Me:
And now, looking at the A.N., it's all quite ironic. Hmph.
Cosdarica:
A feudalistic authoritarian household? Or just one with no boundaries?
Me:
The former, but it includes the latter as well.
Cosdarica:
Sigh… That's harsh… poor girl…
Cosdarica:
You have to study, and because the technology back then wasn't advanced enough, you can't even input data… that's the worst!
Cosdarica:
When I skimmed through the textbook, the content itself seemed pretty simple. But from what I heard, not only do they have to memorize several thick books, they also need to cram in heaps of incomprehensible material outside the textbooks as well.
Cosdarica:
That's just so… so sad! Poor things!! Really, so pitiful!!
Me:
You said the same meaning three times.
Cosdarica:
Ugh… I'm sorry…
Me:
It's fine. Go on.
Cosdarica:
I tried summarizing the contents of that diary! It was full of respect, hatred, and love toward studying. There was a sense of humility toward lingua franca, and mixed feelings toward math…
Cosdarica:
Also, um… what exactly is 'English'? In the diary, there were lots of squiggly worm-like drawings… was that 'English'?
Me:
That's one of the means by which people communicate feelings and thoughts. In some regions, English was even called 'Athlenglish.'
Me:
In ancient times, the birthplaces of human civilization were far apart from one another, making interaction difficult. So, to find ways for people within the same civilization to communicate, they invented what we call 'language.' And later, in order to leave words in a visible form, 'writing' was created as well.
Cosdarica:
Wow! Then that means we're also using 'language' to communicate right now! I see, so this is what language is!
Me:
Yes.
Cosdarica:
Wait, what was that just now?
Me:
'Yes.' That was English… You don't even know something that basic? Didn't you learn the meaning of languages and writing at the same time when you input data?
Cosdarica:
That kind of abstract stuff is too hard to memorize!
I suddenly don't know how to respond to Cosdarica's words.
In the Submodern Era, all other languages were abolished for ideological reasons, and even the ordinary people who could once use them were erased as easily as hitting a delete key by various means. Even the traces of their existence vanished without a trace from this world.
What remained was the language we are now most familiar with— lingua franca, stripped of heretical thought and simplified to the utmost.
Its vocabulary was cut to the extreme in order to narrow the range of thought, while a fabricated history was drilled into people as though it were real. Freedom of thought was stolen, society was enmeshed in a web of surveillance, and the unification of ideology was enforced.
That is precisely why they had such confidence in placing the clause “Primacy takes precedence over all law” as the very first article of the world's regulations. After all, they were at once the most deeply wounded victims and the most widespread perpetrators of harm…
…But that's not all.
The so-called “Right of Primacy” is also a key that allows one to glimpse the real world. In other words, the rulers of old knew the truth of the world—and even so, they went on deceiving.
If that person hadn't spoken, I probably would have been deceiving people the same way.
Besides, I won the seat of Primacy by my own effort, so I naturally possess that right. That means my knowing these things is also the result of having followed proper procedure.
…I have the ability to penetrate the world's system. Whether I actually use it, though, is another story.
…When I think this far, I don't want to think anymore.
I suddenly don't know how to respond to Cosdarica's words.\n</span><span style='color:#FfFffF'>In the Submodern Era, all other languages were abolished for ideological reasons, and even the ordinary people\n</span><span style='color:#FfFffF'>who could once use them were erased as easily as hitting a delete key by various means. Even the traces of their\n</span><span style='color:#FfFffF'>existence vanished without a trace from this world.\n</span><span style='color:#FfFffF'>What remained was the language we are now most familiar with— lingua franca, stripped of heretical thought\n</span><span style='color:#FfFffF'>and simplified to the utmost.\n</span><span style='color:#FfFffF'>Its vocabulary was cut to the extreme in order to narrow the range of thought, while a fabricated history was\n</span><span style='color:#FfFffF'>drilled into people as though it were real. Freedom of thought was stolen, society was enmeshed in a web of\n</span><span style='color:#FfFffF'>surveillance, and the unification of ideology was enforced.\n</span><span style='color:#FfFffF'>That is precisely why they had such confidence in placing the clause 'Primacy takes precedence over all law' as\n</span><span style='color:#FfFffF'>the very first article of the world's regulations. After all, they were at once the most deeply wounded victims and\n</span><span style='color:#FfFffF'>the most widespread perpetrators of harm…\n</span><span style='color:#FfFffF'>…But that's not all.\n</span><span style='color:#FfFffF'>The so-called 'Right of Primacy' is also a key that allows one to glimpse the real world. In other words, the rulers\n</span><span style='color:#FfFffF'>of old knew the truth of the world—and even so, they went on deceiving.\n</span><span style='color:#FfFffF'>If that person hadn't spoken, I probably would have been deceiving people the same way.\n</span><span style='color:#FfFffF'>Besides, I won the seat of Primacy by my own effort, so I naturally possess that right. That means my knowing\n</span><span style='color:#FfFffF'>these things is also the result of having followed proper procedure.\n</span><span style='color:#FfFffF'>…I have the ability to penetrate the world's system. Whether I actually use it, though, is another story.\n</span><span style='color:#FfFffF'>…When I think this far, I don't want to think anymore.
Cosdarica:
A-Anyway! That diary just ends suddenly! On the last page, there was an unclear date and just the word 'Sunny'—and then, it said:'Adrenaline kind of reminds me of Bugles.'
Me:
That's a funny metaphor.
Cosdarica:
I know what adrenaline is!
Cosdarica raised her hand and said proudly.
Cosdarica:
But… um, what exactly are 'Bugles'?
Me:
Come on, weren't you raised in a pub when you were a kid?
Cosdarica:
That was almost ten years ago!
Bugles are a snack made mainly from degermed yellow cornmeal, with added coconut oil, sugar, salt, baking soda, and butylated hydroxytoluene as an antioxidant. In terms of nutrition, it's got calories, protein, fat, saturated fat, sodium, salt, carbohydrates, dietary fiber, sugars… well, the usual stuff.
Me:
Don't tell me you've really never eaten anything besides chocolate energy bars til now.
Cosdarica:
That's true… But I'm a proper adventurer now!And as for the taste of food… as my mentor, you should know that better than anyone, shouldn't you?
—I couldn't argue.
Taste is something I no longer have.
In the past or now, I have no right to speak about food.
Yes.
Even back when I still had taste—I never had the right to speak about food.
Me:
So that's where the diary ends?
Cosdarica:
Hmm… Not quite. On the last page, there's a line that says, 'A thunderous roar shattered the stillness of the earth before the alarm could even sound.'
Cosdarica:
…
Cosdarica:
Yep! That was it. That's where everything ends.
She finished speaking and nodded confidently.
Me:
Really?
Cosdarica:
Yep, that's the end! But don't you think it felt way too abrupt? I really wanted to know what came next in her diary, but everything just stopped!
Me:
That was the end of Anno Domini—the very first moment the nuclear war began.
Cosdarica:
Wait, that legendary war started so suddenly!? But I thought wars needed preparation, negotiations, and all that?
Me:
To us commoners, war was always sudden. Suddenly, war was declared. Suddenly, bombs were dropped. Suddenly, lives were taken.
Cosdarica:
…Suddenly, huh.
Me:
…That's right. Even if no one wants it, even if no one is prepared, it still comes one day—like the rain.
Cosdarica:
I have something want to ask.
Cosdarica:
Does war really have any meaning?
Cosdarica:
Win or lose, people die, land is ruined, everything is lost… But is there ever a real reason for taking lives? Is there truly something worth sacrificing so much for?
Me:
…For some, yes. For others, no.
Me:
Meaning is something people attach after the fact. It's mostly subjective—but when lives are involved, it becomes simply 'reality.'
Cosdarica:
Reality…
Me:
There are those who say war 'had meaning ,' and those who fall silent, saying it 'meant nothing.' Neither are lies. But neither are truths.
Cosdarica:
Reality… So, in the end, there's no such thing as a clear answer.
Me:
Right. Sometimes, it's more important to keep moving forward than to search for the right answer.
Cosdarica:
Yeah… I guess that's true! If you just stay still, you'll never see anything new…
Cosdarica:
By the way, there was nothing left in that area. I took the diary and the umbrella and kept moving.
But the hallway in front was blocked by collapsed rubble—the path forward was completely sealed.So I had no choice but to go upstairs. I didn't know which way I should go, but there weren't any other options.
Cosdarica:
The sound of the rain outside was getting quieter. As I turned a corner, a blinding light suddenly pierced into my eyes. It was so bright, I had to squint. The right hallway looked like it had been cut away—probably collapsed down to the lower floor.
Cosdarica:
The sunset was spreading out in front of me.
Cosdarica:
The sky was red, with a little gold mixed in, and sunlight was reflecting off the collapsed ruins. In that light, dust that hadn't moved for ages slowly rose into the air, catching the light like blood. Near and far, everything was black—only warped, broken silhouettes of buildings.
I looked up at the sky. It was a clear blue with no pale gray veil.It might feel unnatural, but perhaps this was the scenery of the world after modern society had collapsed.
For thousands of years, I had never realized it.
Cosdarica:
Just then, from a nearby room that hadn't yet collapsed, the sound of electricity started up again, crackling and echoing raggedly through the ruins. I could feel something from it…
Cosdarica suddenly smiled to herself.
Cosdarica:
It felt like I was witnessing the end of the world. It was painful… but also a little moving.
Cosdarica:
Of course, I know I won't live to see that moment. That's only because you, my mentor, are here.
It felt like something heavy had just been placed on my shoulders.
Me:
Did you record that scene?
Cosdarica:
No, not really. I had my terminal with me, but the battery died before I reached the first safe zone. My backup phone's battery drained super fast too, and there wasn't anywhere to charge anything…
Cosdarica:
The only thing that really worked was a solar-powered camera. It was able to take pictures for a while, but at one point the ruins started collapsing, and I had to abandon it to survive.
Cosdarica:
After that, I tried to get some machine to record my life again, tried to trade for one with supplies… but no one had them anymore. The production lines were shut down—they weren't being made anymore.
Me:
So that's why you were so anxious as you couldn't reach me.
Cosdarica:
Hah, I did listen to your advice, mentor!That's why I tried to write something in the diary afterwards. I felt like someone from thousands of years ago had passed a baton to me, and it had finally arrived.
Cosdarica:
But when I actually tried writing, it ended up sounding like something an elementary school kid would say—something like 'let's talk about this picture' … So I gave up.
Cosdarica:
It wasn't any good as a record, but physically speaking, it did help in one particular place.
Me:
I'm getting a bad feeling about this.
Cosdarica:
In one of the safe zones, a sudden, severe cold wave hit. People there started burning everything they could for warmth. And it was right around then that I happened to arrive in the middle of my journey.
Cosdarica:
A diary is just an object, after all. Everyone threw it into the fire for heat. I wasn't particularly attached to it, but some of the locals seemed to have a bit of emotional connection to it… They wiped away half-frozen tears as they fed the pages to the flames. Survival comes first, after all.
Cosdarica:
Besides, what's there to record now? As long as it's in our heads, isn't that enough?—That's something you said, mentor!
Me:
So you're using me as your guiding principle?
Cosdarica:
Of course—Mentor is a survival pro!
Me:
So what happened to the people in that safe zone?
Cosdarica:
They burned everything—books, clothes, pants, machines… anything that could burn or keep a fire going.
\n</span><span style='color:#FfFffF'>
<span style='color:#FfFffF'>Now I understood why the safe zone I had marked earlier had suddenly vanished, leaving not even bones\n</span><span style='color:#FfFffF'>behind.\n</span><span style='color:#FfFffF'>To withstand the cold, they had burned everything—even bones—in their struggle to survive.\n</span><span style='color:#FfFffF'>That safe zone had already carried a fatal flaw at that point.\n</span><span style='color:#FfFffF'>There had been many precious relics and books from the ancient world preserved there. If I recall correctly, \n</span><span style='color:#FfFffF'>most of them concerned prayers to the gods. \n</span><span style='color:#FfFffF'>Yet the gods never saved the people, and those writings had been nothing more than charms.\n</span><span style='color:#FfFffF'>What truly helps is confronting practical problems with a materialist perspective.\n</span><span style='color:#FfFffF'>Perhaps it seems strange for someone like me—whose body and soul have been separated—to think this way.\n</span><span style='color:#FfFffF'>But if one considers the soul as a kind of body as well, it isn't so strange after all.\n</span><span style='color:#FfFffF'>Looking back on those texts, even if the records they contained strayed from the truth, they still held literary\n</span><span style='color:#FfFffF'>value, and meaning as evidence of the lives and existence of those who came before.\n</span><span style='color:#FfFffF'>But once the fire of survival died out, all of it vanished forever from history.\n</span><span style='color:#FfFffF'>The history of that era will never return.</span>
Cosdarica:
Oh, by the way, I rode in a car for the first time! Someone gave me a lift!
Me:
I can't believe there's still 'drivers' in this day and age.
Cosdarica:
It was hitchhiking! I was walking through the ruins of the wasteland when I spotted a truck, rumbling and honking as it stood there. No one was in the driver's seat, so I thought ,'Huh?' and looked behind—and there was the driver, stuck between some ruins and unable to move!
Me:
That's dangerous.
Cosdarica:
Exactly! It just so happened that I passed by, just so happened that I heard his cries for help, and just so happened that I dug him out!
Cosdarica:
He said he'd give me a ride to a safe zone as thanks.Of course I said yes right away! After all, just like before, something might come crashing down again!
Cosdarica:
I sat in the truck bed, knees hugged close, tilting my head a bit, watching the sunset reflect off the truck's steel plates as it flowed past, accompanied by the rattling sounds.
Me:
Another sunset, huh.
Cosdarica:
Ahaha, doesn't it feel just like a 'journey at the end of the world'?
Me:
When did you come up with that name…?
Cosdarica:
After you left, mentor! Doesn't it feel like a journey through the end of the world at the end of days? And besides, it might be the first and last journey in my life, so I thought the name really fits!
Cosdarica lowered her voice.
Cosdarica:
O-Of course, there might be a far more wonderful name out there… and if that should be the case, then I humbly, wholeheartedly beg for your guidance, mentor！
Me:
Not a bad name. I just don't like sunset.
Cosdarica:
But the sunset was really beautiful. Along the way during the truck ride, there was a place with huge wind turbines lined up for miles. All those big propellers spinning together… it was so overwhelming.
Cosdarica:
But I didn't have a camera, so I couldn't record it, couldn't even draw it… such a shame!
Me:
I can imagine.
It reminded me of the feelings I had when I once played a healing game called Flowery.
Cosdarica:
And finally, just at dusk—really just finally—we arrived at a safe zone!
Cosdarica:
It was huge, and I ended up staying there for a whole month. Everyone was so kind to me… probably because it's rare for someone new to just be traveling like this!
Cosdarica:
If I get the chance, I definitely want to go back again someday!
I could more or less tell which safe zone it was. Ammunition had run out as the number of infected surged, and in the end, not a single person survived—that extinction zone. I had already taken care of everything that had remained there with my own hands.
I've gotten used to it. However talking like this…
Is not something I'm used to.
Cosdarica:
Ah, mentor! From that broken overpass, there were those long vehicles hanging like synthetic sausages… What were those called? I feel like cities used to have a lot of them.
Me:
Metro… no, wait. Hanging from an overpass? Then it must have been a lightrail.
Cosdarica:
Yes! That's it! The overpass jutted out from the ground! It was like it burst out from beneath a once-thriving city!
Cosdarica:
But it was hard to see clearly… The ground was covered in broken glass, and since it was daytime, the sunlight reflecting off of it during the day made it so bright my eyes hurt.
Me:
…Was there a glass pedestrian bridge there?
Cosdarica:
Yes, exactly! In the middle of a forest of shattered glass, crumbled concrete, and steel beams that looked like they could collapse at any moment, suddenly—there it was. A clear, transparent glass walkway!
Cosdarica:
It looked beautiful, but up close you could see it was cracked, and compared to the overpass, it felt pretty poorly built.
Cosdarica:
Because, you know, there were still sausages hanging from the overpass! When you see that, you can't help but be curious about them… What were they used for back then, mentor?
Me:
You'll understand by the time your final journey ends.
Cosdarica:
Please tell me, mentor!—just a small hint!
Me:
No spoilers. By the way, beyond the shattered glass walkway, was the area completely ruined?
Cosdarica:
Hmm… so-so? Visually, it looked advanced! But that's where the story ends!
Cosdarica:
Thanks to the location you pointed out, I got to see all sorts of things! Next, I want to explore the places I couldn't reach on my first journey!
Me:
…Even where the radiation levels still exceed safety limits?
A sharp pain ran through my left eye.
Cosdarica:
Radiation? No worries, I'm sure I can handle it! Don't worry about me, mentor!
Me:
Do as you please.
I jumped down from the TV and stood behind her.
Me:
Sorry, I have something to do, so I'll go first.
Cosdarica:
Got it, mentor! May your journey be safe!
Without answering her words, I tossed back the unopened chocolate energy bar.
Me:
I don't need this. This is what you need.
Me:
And one last thing. Your terminal's battery was dead, so how did you know the location I showed you? Did you memorize it?
Cosdarica:
Perfectly——not! I caught a glimpse of it when we were at the pub, and remembered part of it. Later, I got more info from a safe zone and managed to get a map!
Cosdarica:
Honestly, there aren't many places I haven't been to yet, but this time I'm planning to explore much more deeply!
With full confidence, she gave a thumbs-up.
Me:
You make your own luck, huh? Might as well bite an apple and toss it into the sea. The sea's more forgiving than land.
Cosdarica:
Of course! Beaches are perfect for beach volleyball! And watermelon smashing! There are plenty of reed thickets over there too, and lots of crabs. Most of the twisted skyscrapers have collapsed, but there's still more…
Cosdarica:
Anyway, the seaside is wonderful!
Me:
See you next time.
I turned my back to her, waved goodbye, and activated the terminal I had modified myself.
For its modifications, I had made use of technology derived from the artificial personalities from a weapon called AVE. Machines too have lifespans, and AVE had reached its end long ago.
Cosdarica:
See you again, mentor!
To make future actions more convenient and less troublesome, I had modified the terminal using parts salvaged from AVE. At the same time, I solved the terminal's battery problem.
The terminal projected a world map and locked onto the nearest safe zone.
Even former fanatics must now act as cleaners, swiftly eradicating pathogens—they can't afford to be caught off guard by the infected. They can fight back, but it's a hassle.
Games like Word Online isn't even worth playing.
That's why I was adjusting the terminal at the pub.
Safe zones are nothing more than graveyards designated by humanity itself.
Humans can choose to settle down and make their own graveyards, or they can wander through the end-times world like Cosdarica. But machines have no choice. They're just left behind, flickering until they finally die.
Graveyards of machines. Graveyards of humans. Graveyards of civilization. And zones of high radiation.
Perhaps it's time to make peace with the sunset.
…Perhaps.
I stand atop a skyscraper.
To make future actions more convenient and less troublesome, I had modified the terminal using parts salvaged\n</span><span style='color:#FfFffF'>from AVE. At the same time, I solved the terminal's battery problem.\n</span><span style='color:#FfFffF'>The terminal projected a world map and locked onto the nearest safe zone.\n</span><span style='color:#FfFffF'>Even former fanatics must now act as cleaners, swiftly eradicating pathogens—they can't afford to be caught off\n</span><span style='color:#FfFffF'>guard by the infected. They can fight back, but it's a hassle.\n</span><span style='color:#FfFffF'>Games like Word Online isn't even worth playing.\n</span><span style='color:#FfFffF'>That's why I was adjusting the terminal at the pub.\n</span><span style='color:#FfFffF'>Safe zones are nothing more than graveyards designated by humanity itself.\n</span><span style='color:#FfFffF'>Humans can choose to settle down and make their own graveyards, or they can wander through the end-times\n</span><span style='color:#FfFffF'>world like Cosdarica. But machines have no choice. They're just left behind, flickering until they finally die.\n</span><span style='color:#FfFffF'>Graveyards of machines. Graveyards of humans. Graveyards of civilization. And zones of high radiation.\n</span><span style='color:#FfFffF'>Perhaps it's time to make peace with the sunset.\n</span><span style='color:#FfFffF'>…Perhaps.\n</span><span style='color:#FfFffF'>I stand atop a skyscraper.
Ten years, twenty years, fifty years… seventy years passed, but that green never returned.
I stepped into a zone where radiation still hadn't dropped to safe levels.
I had once read the secret agreement about this area.
An all-out carpet bombing of the entire city with a total of four hundred nuclear warheads.
As a result, even I needed to prepare a blunt blade fixed to my aorta, ready to cut it open at any moment, just to enter this extinction zone.
Still,compared with other regions of the same period, this one could almost be called merciful.
Ten years, twenty years, fifty years… seventy years passed, but that green never returned.\n</span><span style='color:#FfFffF'>I stepped into a zone where radiation still hadn't dropped to safe levels.\n</span><span style='color:#FfFffF'>I had once read the secret agreement about this area.\n</span><span style='color:#FfFffF'>An all-out carpet bombing of the entire city with a total of four hundred nuclear warheads.\n</span><span style='color:#FfFffF'>As a result, even I needed to prepare a blunt blade fixed to my aorta, ready to cut it open at any moment,\n</span><span style='color:#FfFffF'>just to enter this extinction zone.\n</span><span style='color:#FfFffF'>Still,compared with other regions of the same period, this one could almost be called merciful.
\n</span><span style='color:#FfFffF'>
That was the last time I saw her.
All that remained was a skeleton. The clothes and flesh had rotted away, and only the chocolate energy bar wrappers scattered nearby—never finished—revealed her identity.
Can this even be called food?
I gently kicked dirt over her bones.
Now you are tied to this land, Cosdarica.
Requiescat in pace… Rest in peace.
Cosdarica's journey ended here, unfinished.
…No, perhaps it cannot be called an end. Her bones are still there.
But—without soul or spirit, with only her physical remains left—can she still be called human?
—Yes, it still can.
True death is not when the body ceases to breathe, nor when one vanishes from memory.It is when all traces of one's existence vanish from this world—that is when one truly dies.
But research suggests that once humanity has gone extinct—within a mere million years, every trace of humankind upon this Earth will have vanished entirely.
After that, nothing remained but the endless cycle of scorching heat, bitter cold, scorching heat, and bitter cold.
The atoms that fill the universe do not bury us. But the place where it all began remains desolate.
In the end, we're just wandering in circles, returning again and again to where we started.
…Even though I've already gotten used to it.
The sky is too blue.
…
Maybe you're wondering this: Those childish sentences I mentioned earlier—those meaningless, conversation-like lines—who were they written for? After all, for the bystander, the cycle of heat and cold, the passing of splendor, none of it truly matters.
Isn't that so, watcher? Yes — you, the one who are reading these words now.
How interesting. Your view sometimes doesn't change, but at other times I can distinctly feel the passage of time.
…I see. Well then, that'll do for now.
In case I don't see you again, then—
Good morning, good afternoon, good evening and good night.
And, do enjoy your late-night snack.
