EP.12 Humans Are Animals That Use Tools
Riiiiiiiing--
Today's alarm clock sound approached me as pain beyond mere noise. Is this what it would be like if a cicada made of steel cried violently? It felt like my eardrums were being shredded by a thin, sharp blade. Unable to bear it, I reflexively jumped out of bed and turned off the wall-mounted alarm clock.
The process of headaches becoming a daily routine wasn't very pleasant. I gritted my teeth while clutching my ringing head.
"Ugh. That damn alarm clock."
The alarm clocks of the Military State can be set earlier, but cannot be delayed. No matter how late you set it, it blares loudly on its own at 8:00 AM. The noise is almost an attack.
It's not for nothing that there's a joke: if you want to find a corpse, look for a house where the alarm clock hasn't been turned off. That noise is impossible to endure unless you're dead.
To sleep in comfortably, I'd have to smash it, but then I wouldn't be guaranteed to wake up tomorrow. In the Military State, where the daily routine meshes as precisely as gears, being late is close to a crime.
"Vicious bastards. Would it kill them to wake us up a bit more gently?"
After stretching to my fullest, I stood in front of the sink and looked in the mirror. Inside the cracked mirror was my face, split along the fault lines. The corners of my mouth were subtly twisted, making my expression unreadable.
The clothes I wore were a single standard-issue shirt. It was the clothing provided by the Military State before I wore the restraints. The shirt I'd been wearing for a few days was already full of wrinkles.
"I should probably do the laundry soon. And find some spare clothes. I can't be a one-shirt gentleman with just a single shirt."
Since this was a place where people lived, there must be some wearable clothes left somewhere. I finished washing my face and headed outside, intending to find even some worn-out garments.
"Woof."
And then I closed the door again. Pulling the handle tight to secure it, I blocked the door with my foot pressed firmly against it, and fell into thought.
Why is that furball waiting in front of my door? Don't tell me it's thinking of dragging me out for a walk first thing in the morning?
"Woof woof."
No. Absolutely not. There's so much to do here. As it is, I'm the only one around to feed it, so I'm already stuck cooking for it every day. If I have to walk this terrible glutton every day on top of that, I won't have any personal time.
So what if I just take it for a walk? The opponent is the King of Dogs. That means it takes walks like a king, too.
"Woof woof woof."
I could hear the sound of front paws scratching furiously at the door. Since the laborers' quarters didn't have locks, the door rattled and my body shook every time its paws hit the door.
Azi wasn't trying to break the door down right now, just scratching at it. The problem was that even with just that much movement, I felt an impact like being hit by a battering ram. At this rate, I'd run out of strength before the door was breached.
When a siege defense occurs, there are often cases where even an outnumbered force attempts to open the gates and charge out. It's not because they're stupid, but to do something before they collapse helplessly from exhaustion.
Likewise, with the heart of a commander facing imminent defeat, I put my hand on the doorknob.
"It's a showdown, you damn beast."
I'm terrified. How could I not be afraid of fighting a monster that could separate my flesh, blood, and bones with a single gesture?
But dogs are inherently beasts loyal to humans. Azi, the King of Dogs, harbors boundless goodwill toward humans and rarely attacks. It might give a slight bite as a sign of rebellion, but it wouldn't tear me to shreds.
Until now, I've treated it like my master in an attempt to build affinity, but from now on, that won't be the case.
Humans will no longer be defeated.
We will not yield to the demands of beasts.
We will fight back. Even if it costs us our lives.
Having made a firm resolution, I flung the door open, and Azi, who was sitting in front of the door, looked up at me.
Towards Azi, who had set up camp in front of the door like a debt collector come to haul me away, I shouted with the most tragic determination I could muster.
"What are you after, coming here, you terrible beast!"
"Woof?"
If it shamelessly demands a walk first thing in the morning, I'll slap a leash on it and throw it out, and if it begs for food like a pig, I'll make a special sauce full of spices and feed it to you as dog food.
The fact that I lack the ability to win a fight isn't important. What's important is my mindset. The stubborn pride that I cannot sit idly and accept defeat!
It's a showdown, you mutt!
"Woof."
Even as I made that resolution, Azi slinked over to my feet. Then it plopped down again and let out a massive yawn.
Huh. It's not... demanding a walk? It's not whining for food?
Just in case, I waited for about a minute, but Azi just stayed still, occasionally tapping me with its tail.
"It just came. Phew. Thank goodness."
The King of Dogs is still a dog. It needs to bond with humans. But the other humans here have slight flaws when it comes to bonding with a dog. The Regressor lacks the leeway, and the Vampire lacks a life. The only one the King of Dogs can properly bond with right now is me.
I relaxed my tension and stealthily reached my hand down. Azi, who had been yawning widely, saw my hand and rubbed its face against it.
"Yes. This is how a pet should be. You've finally realized your place!"
The veritable ruler of the earth is humanity. Because of this, the Beast Kings came to wear human skins and speak human languages. As the spokesmen of their species, the Beast Kings had to be able to communicate with the ruling species of the earth.
Like all other dogs, it's overly active and secretly stubborn, but the difference is that it can communicate anytime, anywhere. I stroked Azi's head and twisted my lips into a smile.
"Hehehe. Yes, good boy. Isn't it so much better when you're obedient? I don't even have to resort to force!"
If it listens well, there's no beast as good as a dog. Well, fine. I can tolerate it at this level.
"Since you're so docile, I'll be able to put you to good use. Follow me, Azi! I'll need to use your nose to search the management office."
"Woof!"
I headed to the management office, and Azi immediately rose and followed behind me.
If this were a normal prison, a tall tower would have been erected next to it.
That tower would have stood stiffly about two stories higher than the education building's roof, looking down at the swarming prisoners and laborers like ants. It would have meticulously monitored each prisoner, adorned with countless searchlights like the eyes of deep-sea fish. If any prisoners hid in the dark shadows to escape the searchlights' beams, it would have shouted like a child who lost a toy and found them somehow. What kind of punishment they would receive afterward goes without saying.
But this place is Tantalus. A place where only the most heinous prisoners that even the Military State couldn't control were locked up.
To manage the prisoners and survive here, the Military State would have to make a considerable investment. Deploying an army, or dispatching a general-level strongman.
Of course, that's impossible. Wasting that much military power on mere prison management is extremely inefficient.
Calculating that it was most economical to just abandon it rather than desperately pouring in manpower and resources to manage it, they simply dropped the prison into the abyss and washed their hands of it. Telling them to kill or save each other as they pleased.
Anyway. Because of that, instead of a tall, authoritative watchtower, Tantalus only had a square makeshift building that looked like a warehouse. It was a container building separated by a shabby fence.
It wasn't even in perfect condition right now. Frowning, I climbed over the collapsed fence.
"Ugh, the inside is a total mess."
One wall was completely collapsed. Seeing a shape that looked like a huge handprint, it seemed someone had slapped it with their palm and smashed the wall. The steel plates attached to the building had dozens of small holes, as if someone had shot arrows at a target, and around the edges of the holes, there were traces of melted steel. What did they shoot? Normal fire arrows couldn't do this.
The roof had caved in miserably. There was no need to look for a reason. A massive concrete block with steel framing, the kind you'd see at a construction site, had crushed the roof down. One of the four corners of the building was gone, leaving a bite-mark shape as if gnawed by something... But no creature with a mouth that large could exist, so it must be my imagination, right?
What on earth happened here? I walked carefully, fully tensed up, when suddenly the ground shook. I quickly lowered my body and checked below; there was a trace of someone having cleanly cut the concrete floor like a cake. This was probably the work of a Regressor.
Something, something must have happened, but I am only a mind reader. I cannot know what happened in the past. I can only guess that immense hatred and violence swept through.
Unable to bring myself to step further, I needlessly scratched my chin and looked back at Azi.
"Azi, do you perhaps remember what happened here?"
"Woof! Everyone fought!"
"Uh, so who? Why were they fighting? Can you explain in detail according to the five Ws and one H?"
"Woof?"
"Never mind. It's my fault for asking you."
Azi wouldn't have taken anyone's side. Being loyal to all humans also means being equally indifferent to all humans. Even if I build affinity like this, if it gets into a fight with someone else, it won't take my side.
Come to think of it, that's infuriating. I treated it so well, and it won't even take my side?
"Sigh. The effort I put in is in vain. No matter how much I feed it and walk it, a dog is still a dog..."
"I like walks!"
"I know. It's just that I don't like walks as much as you do."
"Woof?!"
Azi's eyes widened in shock. Was it that shocking to hear that I don't really like walks?
As if suddenly feeling anxious, Azi started jumping around and speaking the most fluently I'd ever heard it speak.
"Woof! Walks, good! Refreshing! Sometimes see cool things! Fun!"
"Yeah, yeah."
"Lots of good things about walks! Feel good! Spacious! Run around!"
So what. Is it trying to persuade me? Sigh, even if I've fallen to the status of a prisoner, would I be persuaded by a dog?
Azi, having used its version of high-level vocabulary to passionately preach the merits of walks, looked up at me with sparkling eyes and said.
"You, dislike walks?"
"I like walks too."
"Woof!"
It's too early to rejoice. Looking at Azi spinning in circles, I briefly added.
"I just like lying down and sleeping much more."
"W-woof?!"
"It's late. Let's go."
Right. What's the use of asking you. I'll have to figure it out myself.
Having a conversation suited to its eye level, I stepped over the door that had been torn into three pieces and entered the management office.
What did they do to tear a steel door apart like paper?
As expected, should I just go back?
The inside of the building was dark because there were no lights. If the roof were intact and the walls hadn't collapsed, the interior without a single light would have been pitch black and nothing would be visible. Fortunately, light leaked in through holes not designed by an architect, making the interior just bright enough to distinguish objects.
Fitting for a management office, among the collapsed and broken debris, I could see things that were once mechanical devices. The reason for the past tense is that they were now so damaged they could barely be recognized. Scattered bolts and nuts. Split gears, gauges with their frames torn off. Golem arms and legs drearily ripped off, and so on.
The mechanical devices and Demonic Golems that once managed this place had been completely annihilated by some attack.
"They must have smashed everything while escaping. I understand the sentiment."
They owed a lot, so they made sure to put their benefactors in a position to owe them instead. A very proper attitude. I muttered meaningless words as I rummaged through the mountain of debris. With the intention of scavenging any items or equipment the Military State hadn't managed to recover.
But there was a lot of debris, and the interior was dark. In the daunting darkness where I didn't know where to start, I straightened my back and wiped my sweat. The building, which looked narrow from the outside, seemed annoyingly wide now that I was the one rummaging through it. On top of that, every piece of debris was so heavy that I had to groan every time I lifted one.
Even if there was treasure hiding in that darkness, I had no way to find it or the ability to obtain it.
"Tsk. Is this a letdown?"
Just as I made up my mind to go back, Azi suddenly jerked its head and burrowed into the debris.
Every time Azi dug at the ground with both hands, large debris flew into the air with strange sounds. I hid under the caved-in roof and waited for the commotion to end. Having casually tossed aside the reinforced concrete and the large antenna, Azi wagged its tail furiously and pointed at a small cabinet lying there.
Realizing what it was, I quietly stood up.
"That's the important goods storage box, right? You found it well."
"Did I, do good?"
"Yeah. Good boy, good. You're the best puppy."
"Woof!"
When I patted its head along with the praise, Azi hopped around the cabinet. I grabbed the handle on the side of the cabinet and pulled hard.
However, the cabinet with its dented side didn't open whether it was firmly locked or something was stuck, no matter how much force I applied. It seemed like something was caught and it was structurally broken. It's not that I lacked strength.
But who am I. I am a human with intelligence. If you talk about the characteristics of humans, it's tools.
"Class 1, Class 2, and Class 3. What class of lever is needed in this case?"
"Woof! Walk!"
"Class 1, you idiot."
"Woof? Me, not idiot!"
I inserted a steel beam into the dented gap and pressed down hard.
...It didn't open.
Ahem. But who am I. I am a human with intelligence. When my strength is lacking...
"Azi, will you help me?"
"Woof? Me, not idiot!"
"Yeah, yeah. I know, so come on, Woof Woof Punch!"
"Woof woof?"
"It means I want you to strike here with your front paw. Hard."
"Woof? Like this?"
As soon as I saw Azi lift its paw, I turned and ran. Behind me, Azi's arm swung in a blur.
Kwaaang.
With a loud roar, the cabinet rose about 3 meters into the air. The firmly locked door spun through the air and flew up to get embedded in the roof, and the steel beam I had used as a lever fell to the ground, bent into a V-shape. The cabinet, suspended in the air, plummeted to the ground upside down.
The Woof Woof Punch has definite performance.
"My, good boy. You really are the best puppy in the world."
"Best?"
"Yeah. The best."
"Woof! I, am the best!"
Leaving the triumphant Azi behind, I inspected the inside of the cabinet. Inside, I could see a few crystal balls that looked like spares, and a few paper documents. Is this it? It feels a bit lacking.
As I cast one more glance into the cabinet with lingering regrets, I saw a round object gleaming with a leaden color deep inside. It must have been hard to see because it was dark. I reached my hand deep in and pulled it out.
And without realizing it, I let out an exclamation.
"Oh my god. This was still here?"
This. I can use this.