WebNovels

Chapter 24 - Chapter 24. The city that forgot how to age

A few moments later, at the edge of the sprawling wheat fields, Cole, Celes, Charlotte, and Cyrus, now fully dressed, stood in awe, staring at the city while clamping their hands over their noses.

"I told you so," Calista said.

"Wow... this city looks a lot like the one I was in, but... here, Draugr and humans are really living together, huh?" Cole replied, totally stunned.

"Yeah, human noses aren't as sensitive as ours, so they don't smell that strong Draugr stink," Celes added.

"This is really hard to believe. Draugr are basically the living dead, right? How can they live side-by-side with humans? It's just so strange," Cyrus said.

"Honestly, this is the first city I've seen in a long time, but... are all cities in the world like this? Based on your reactions, it seems like they're not," Charlotte asked.

"This city might not be as big or as high-tech as New Leviathan was, but it feels so alive... and peaceful," Celes said.

"Come on, let's find a place to eat, but nothing too expensive. My money's limited," Calista replied.

"Okay, but where are we going? Do you actually know the way?" Cole asked.

"Hmm... not really, but we'll just walk until we find one," Calista answered.

"Same as always... act first, think later," Charlotte scoffed.

"Yep, that's her alright. It's been a habit since we were kids, just because she's the oldest," Celes added.

"You two, shut up and stop bringing up my age," Calista shot back.

"Hey... I'm the youngest out of all of us," Cyrus said.

"Right now we're all the same, 18-year-old teenagers, so just be quiet and stop talking about age," Calista said, annoyed.

The Secret of Immortality

Cole looked at the people around him, the buildings, and the cars. He saw people using bicycles and horse-drawn carriages. Then he thought,

"Hmm... weird," Cole mumbled.

"What is?" Calista asked.

"Have you guys noticed... there are no old people here. There are lots of kids and lots of people our age... but no one older than us... right? Or am I seeing things wrong? With the Draugr, I might believe they don't age, but what about the humans? Back in my city, there were middle-aged people and old grandmas and grandpas," Cole asked.

"Huh," Calista, Celes, Charlotte, and Cyrus immediately looked around. What Cole said was true. In that city, as far as the eye could see, there wasn't a single old person. Everyone seemed to be their age or younger, as if time had completely stopped and the city wasn't affected by it.

"Hmm... he's right, now that I think about it. The human-Draugr couple I saw earlier were also our age... only the wife was pregnant," Calista mumbled.

"Yeah, that's true. When I was in the Draugr capital, there were older people, but that's because the Draugr took the form of their old selves or what they looked like when they became Draugr," Celes added.

"The bottom line is, there were old guys in New Leviathan... humans are supposed to get old," Cyrus added.

"Hmm... why is it like this?" Charlotte asked.

"We'll just have to find out. Come on, let's go. We were going to find food, remember," Cole suggested.

"Okay," the others replied.

They started walking along the sidewalk, looking around. Since they were all wearing hoodies with the hoods up, their faces weren't visible. They eventually made it back to the shopping district where Calista had bought the clothes earlier. They wandered around looking for a secluded restaurant that didn't have many Draugr in it, as their body odor would ruin everyone's appetite.

After circling the block, they finally found a ramen restaurant and cafe located down a narrow alley that looked quiet. "Cklung," Cole opened the door, and a bell chimed.

"Welcome," a male human barista standing behind the counter greeted them. Cole looked around. The restaurant and cafe were truly deserted; there were no other patrons besides him and his friends. A television showing a local station was mounted on the far wall. They were quickly led to an empty table by a waiter and immediately ordered five bowls of ramen and black coffee. The waiter left after taking their order.

Cole and the others watched the barista and the waiter. They both looked about 18 years old, yet they also seemed much more mature for their age due to their calm demeanor, working quickly and appearing disciplined in their jobs. Cole then stood up and walked toward the counter.

"Excuse me, can I ask you a question?" Cole asked.

"Sure," the barista answered kindly.

"I'm visiting from out of town, and I'm curious why there are no old people in this city?" Cole asked directly.

"Ah, that's right. Lots of people from out of town are confused by the conditions here and always ask us about it. Here, we live alongside the Draugr. The Draugr here don't prey on humans because they hunt livestock, just like us humans do. There are no old people here because the humans here are just like the Draugr: they don't grow and get old," the barista explained.

"Oh... why is that?" Cole asked.

"About 30 years ago, a man started a company to create replacement bodies, or clones, that function just like normal human bodies. The mark is like this," the barista replied, showing the inside of his arm, which had a QR code and a production number.

"Huh... really?" Cole asked, shocked.

"That's right. Our original bodies are safe in a storage bank underground, sleeping inside a cooling capsule," the barista answered.

"Hmm, I see. So there's a bank in this city specifically for storing human bodies," Cole replied.

"That's right. That bank is also the company that created this clone technology and built our city. In other words, that company is the heart of this city. The name of the company is Homonculus.corp," the barista said.

"Hmmm... Homonculus.corp," Cole muttered.

The barista glanced at the large television on the wall and smiled. Then he looked back at Cole.

"Coincidentally, the owner and founder of Homonculus.corp is giving a speech on TV right now to officially open their new building. Take a look," the barista said, pointing to the television.

Cole turned to look at the television. His eyes immediately widened, and his mouth fell open. On the screen, a young man in a sharp suit, with short, neat blonde hair, handsome and looking wealthy, was speaking at a podium. Behind him was a ribbon and a tall, new building. Next to him stood a woman and a man who looked like city officials. But what shocked Cole was the face of the young man giving the speech in the center. He immediately turned to look at Calista, Celes, Charlotte, and Cyrus, who were sitting at their table.

"Hey... look at the TV, quick," Cole said.

Calista, Celes, Charlotte, and Cyrus instantly looked at the TV, their faces just as stunned as Cole's.

"Huh... Calvin?" Charlotte asked.

"H-hey... is that... is that really Calvin?" Celes asked.

"No mistake, that's Calvin. His haircut is still the same as it used to be," Calista replied.

"Wow... big brother Calvin... cool... and looks rich," Cyrus said.

Charlotte immediately stood up and walked next to Cole. She then loudly asked the barista while standing beside Cole,

"Where is that?" Charlotte asked loudly, pointing at the television.

"In the business sector. It's the new Homonculus.corp building that was just finished and is being officially opened," the barista replied.

"We have to go there, Cole, now," Charlotte urged.

"Ugh... calm down. We can't just go there and walk right up to him, can we? Be patient, Char," Cole said.

"Ugh... yeah, I guess so... fine," Charlotte said.

"He's amazing, though, isn't he? Mr. Calvin is so handsome and smart and not even married. I'd love to be his partner," the waitress blurted out while watching the TV.

"Grrrr," Charlotte shot the waitress a look that could cut glass. The waitress immediately looked down and slowly backed away without daring to say another word. Cole noticed what was happening and quickly distracted Charlotte before she could go on a rampage.

"We need to plan first. What's the best way to talk to Calvin (He turned to look at the TV and saw Calvin on the screen). Seeing him now... he might not even want to come with us," Cole said.

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