Chapter 23: Eisenburg (3)

Leaving the medical wing, Mili walked unsteadily.

The lingering effects of anesthesia made her body feel like cotton, soft and unsteady, each step wobbly and precarious.

Seraphina, on the other hand, was in high spirits.

One hand steadied Mili, while the other toyed with the portable monitoring device, her fingers swiping across the screen, her heterochromatic eyes glinting with unabashed delight.

“Look, your heart rate’s stabilized.” She held the screen before Mili, showing steady green waveforms.

“It means you feel safe now!”

“—My decision was right.”

Mili: “…”

It’s just the anesthesia lingering; her heart couldn’t race even if she wanted it to!

She grumbled inwardly but didn’t dare voice it, letting Seraphina guide her through an underground passage to a circular walkway at the edge of the industrial zone.

After a long, curving path, they reached a massive elevator.

“This is the main link between the underground facilities and the surface industrial zone.” Seraphina pressed a button, and the metal doors slid open.

“Civilians can’t use it without strict approval.”

“We’re… not going up?”

“Most of Eisenburg’s living facilities are underground to better withstand gray mist corrosion and external attacks.”

The elevator was spacious, able to hold over twenty people.

Polished metal panels on the walls reflected their figures.

Mili saw her dazed, groggy self in the mirror—like a drunk being propped up.

As the elevator descended, the pressure change made her ears uncomfortable, and she instinctively rubbed them.

Seraphina noticed, gently touching her ear: “First time in a deep elevator can feel odd.”

“Mm…” Mili hummed softly, opening her mouth to ease the pressure, feeling a bit better.

“It’ll be fine once we reach the surface.”

Wait.

Surface?

Weren’t they going down?

The underground surface?

“Where… are we now?” She pressed behind her ear, unable to resist asking.

“About fifty meters underground. The central tower goes down around a hundred meters, roughly thirty stories.” Seraphina glanced at the changing floor display.

Mili blinked, trying to process this.

So, Eisenburg’s industrial zone, fortress, and command center were all built above an underground city?

How was this even constructed?

She’d thought Seraphina had just built a large fortress on the wasteland, never imagining an entire world hidden beneath…

A ding sounded, and the elevator doors opened.

The sight before Mili left her utterly stunned.

If the industrial zone was Eisenburg’s muscle, this was its beating heart.

Wide streets were lined with tall buildings, varied in style—some towering and grand, others classic and elegant, harmoniously unified.

Each was meticulously aligned in a grid-like pattern.

The outer ring featured residential buildings, shops, schools, even small parks…

Stores, restaurants, and cafes circled the central tower, their signs gleaming in the sunset, the air faintly carrying the aroma of food.

Though made of steel and concrete, careful design and decoration gave the district a unique post-apocalyptic aesthetic, far from oppressive.

The streets bustled with people.

Vehicles moved to and fro.

The central tower seemed to rise from deeper underground, its top connecting to the surface.

Above, a massive transparent dome, through special materials and light refraction, revealed a crimson sky outside.

Red sunset light filtered through, bathing the district in vibrant hues.

This wasn’t some wasteland settlement.

It was an underground modern city!

Mili was astonished.

She’d assumed that under Seraphina’s iron rule, ordinary people lived in misery…

But this scene suggested otherwise—

At least on the surface, people here seemed to live decently.

“What do you think?” Seraphina noticed her expression shift.

“Different from what you imagined?”

Mili nodded, though doubts lingered.

She wondered what darkness might lurk beneath this apparent harmony.

What unnerved her more was Seraphina’s reliance on the monitoring device, even on the way into the city…

She’d pull it out periodically, checking the data compulsively, like an obsession.

As they strolled the streets, Seraphina occasionally pointed out buildings or facilities.

A mall, library, entertainment center…

Not many, but well-equipped.

This was indeed a mini-version of a developed city, not a mere wasteland shelter.

“Hungry?” Seraphina asked suddenly.

Mili shook her head.

Her appetite hadn’t recovered post-anesthesia.

“Then let’s keep walking.” Seraphina said, “You should learn more about this place.”

“That’s the central district.” She pointed to a cluster of slightly shorter skyscrapers:

“The lower floors are shopping areas, the upper ones offices.”

Mili followed timidly yet curiously, cautiously observing her surroundings.

The pedestrians wore simple but clean clothes, their faces healthy and vibrant.

They were worlds apart from the gaunt, ragged refugees she’d seen in the wasteland…

More surprising was that whenever Seraphina appeared, unless too busy, everyone stopped to bow respectfully.

“It’s Her Majesty!”

“The Queen is on patrol!”

The crowd’s fervor bordered on worship, their eyes gazing at Seraphina like she was a deity…

Her striking appearance stood out, her silver hair shimmering in the fading sunlight.

Some elderly people even knelt, their expressions as devout as pilgrims…

Seraphina took these greetings in stride, nodding lightly to acknowledge their respect.

Every movement exuded innate authority and confidence, her presence that of a born ruler…

“Thank you for your hard work, Your Majesty!”

“Thanks to Your Majesty’s protection!”

“Long live Your Majesty!”

Cheers echoed through the streets.