Chapter 21: Part 3: Eisenburg

On the way out of the medical area, Mili walked somewhat light-headed.

The aftereffects of the anesthesia hadn’t completely worn off yet, and her body felt like a wad of cotton—soft and fluffy, each step she took on the ground made her feel unsteady and about to fall.

Seraphina, on the other hand, was in an excellent mood.

She supported Mili with one hand, while the other played with the portable monitoring device, her fingertips swiping across the screen. The heterochromatic eyes shimmered with unhidden delight.

“Look, your heart rate has stabilized,” she said, bringing the screen close to Mili’s eyes. The smooth green waveform on it rose and fell rhythmically. “That means you’re feeling safe now!”

“—My decision was the right one.”

Mili: “…”

It’s just that the anesthesia hasn’t worn off yet; even if her heart wanted to race, it couldn’t!

The girl cursed silently but didn’t dare to say it out loud. She just let Seraphina support her as they headed straight through an underground passage into the circular corridor walkway at the edge of the industrial district.

After passing a long curved path, the two finally arrived in front of a huge elevator.

“This is the main artery connecting the underground facilities with the surface industrial zone.” She pressed the button; the metal doors slid open slowly. “Ordinary citizens aren’t allowed to use this; entry and exit require strict approval.”

“Aren’t we… going upstairs?”

“Most of Eisenberg’s living facilities are built underground. This way, they are better protected from the gray fog’s erosion and enemy attacks.”

The elevator was spacious, large enough to hold more than twenty people.

Polished metal panels were embedded in the walls, reflecting the two figures inside.

Mili looked at her own drowsy reflection—she looked exactly like a drunk being carried.

As the elevator slowly descended, the change in air pressure made her eardrums uncomfortable. She instinctively rubbed her ears.

Seraphina noticed the little movement and gently stroked Mili’s ear: “It’s normal to feel a bit uneasy the first time you take an elevator this deep.”

“Mm…” Mili murmured softly, then tried opening her mouth a bit, feeling some relief.

“When we reach the surface, it’ll be fine.”

Wait—surface?

Weren’t they going down?

The underground surface?

“Where… are we now?” She pressed the back of her ear and couldn’t help but ask.

“Around fifty meters underground. The central tower is about a hundred meters deep, roughly the height of thirty floors,” Seraphina said, watching the floor indicator change continuously.

Mili blinked and tried to comprehend this information.

So that means Eisenberg’s industrial district, fortress, and even command center are all built surrounding the top of the underground city?

How on earth was this constructed?

She had originally thought Seraphina only built a large fortress on the wasteland but never expected that there was an entire world hidden beneath their feet…

Ding dong, the elevator doors opened.

The scene before Mili completely stunned her.

If the industrial zone they had just passed was the muscles of Eisenberg, then what now appeared was the heart of this fortress city.

Wide streets flanked by tall buildings stood on both sides. They varied in style—some towering and majestic, some simple and elegant—diverse yet harmoniously unified.

Every building was exceptionally neat, almost strictly laid out in a grid pattern.

The outer ring was filled with residential buildings, shops, schools, and even small parks…

Shops, restaurants, and cafes surrounded the central tower, their signs glittering under the setting sun. The air faintly carried the aroma of food.

Although most building materials were steel and concrete, the careful design and decoration made the entire district feel far from oppressive; instead, it possessed a unique post-apocalyptic aesthetic.

The streets were bustling with people.

Vehicles shuttled back and forth.

The central round tower seemed to rise from deeper underground, with its top floor connected to the surface.

Above their heads was a huge transparent dome. Through special materials and light refraction, they could see the sky stained red outside.

The red glow from the dome poured down, bathing the entire district in vivid light.

This was no wasteland settlement.

It was clearly a modern underground city!

All of this surprised Mili.

She had always believed that under a ruthless ruler like Seraphina, ordinary people would be living in hardship and suffering…

But the scene before her said otherwise—

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

“How is it?” The woman noticed the change in her expression. “Isn’t it different from what you imagined?”

Mili nodded slightly but remained full of doubts.

She wondered if beneath this surface harmony there was some darkness she couldn’t see.

What made her even more uneasy was that even on the way into the city, she could clearly feel Seraphina’s dependence on the monitoring device…

The other woman kept pulling out the device to check the data on it, like an obsessive-compulsive who couldn’t control herself.

The two walked slowly along the street. Seraphina pointed out buildings or facilities and introduced them from time to time.

Shopping malls, libraries, entertainment centers…

Though not many in number, they were well-rounded.

This place really resembled a miniature developed city rather than a shelter in a post-apocalyptic world.

“Are you hungry?” Seraphina suddenly asked.

Mili shook her head.

Her appetite hadn’t fully recovered after the anesthesia.

“Then let’s keep walking,” the woman said. “I want you to know more about this place.”

“That’s the downtown area over there.” Seraphina pointed at a few skyscrapers that stood out like cranes among chickens, a bit smaller than typical skyscrapers:

“The whole area is a commercial center.”

“The lower floors are shopping districts, the upper floors are all office buildings.”

Mili followed timidly but curiously, carefully observing everything around her.

The pedestrians on the street dressed relatively plainly but all looked clean and tidy, their faces glowing with health.

This was a completely different world from the pale, thin, ragged refugees she had seen before on the wasteland.

Even more surprising was that whenever Seraphina appeared on the streets, unless someone was very busy, every person who saw her would stop and respectfully salute her.

“Long live the Queen!”

“The Queen is on patrol!”

The surrounding people were filled with almost fanatical worship. Their gazes at Seraphina were like those given to a deity…

Adding to this was her striking appearance among the crowd, her silver hair gleaming brilliantly in the sunset. Some elderly even knelt down, their expressions devout as if on a pilgrimage…

Seraphina was used to these greetings, only nodding lightly in response to the people’s respect.

Every movement of the woman exuded an innate dignity and confidence. Her gestures and posture carried the aura of a monarch, as if born to stand above everyone…

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

“Thank you for the Queen’s protection!”

“May the Queen be in good health!”

The cheers echoed through the streets again and again.