On the way to meet Beta, I followed behind Iota, who hopped forward with childlike energy despite being a century-old chimera.

"So you've been asleep all this time?" I asked.

"That's right!" he replied proudly, puffing out his chest.

…Proud? Of sleeping for a hundred years?

Still, I kept listening. Talking with Iota had given me more information than I expected, and I didn't want to miss anything.

Apparently, he had survived all this time by remaining in a dormant state—standing in place, unmoving, as if frozen in time.

Then one day, a surge of magical energy entered his body, and he simply… woke up.

Some sort of magical hibernation.

But even so…

He should've needed something—water, nutrients, something—to survive.

"Beta taught me all that too!" Iota said, waving his arms happily. "He told me what to do, and I did it! Then I just… slept!"

A 100-year nap on command.

Like it was nothing.

I frowned slightly.

'Is that even possible?'

Even with advanced magic, putting a living creature into stasis like that…

If such a method existed, wouldn't humanity already be using it to chase immortality?

When I asked Iota how the ritual actually worked, he just tilted his head and gave the most Iota-like answer imaginable:

"I don't know! I just followed Beta's instructions!"

Of course.

He knew nothing.

But Beta…

Beta clearly did.

A chimera who could wield mysterious powers unknown even to modern sorcery.

And then another question formed in my mind—one that didn't sit well.

These chimeras had the knowledge to hibernate for a hundred years.

And Iota himself was strong—far stronger than he seemed.

If that was the case…

Why didn't they try to escape?

Why didn't they band together, gather their strength, and break free from this underground prison?

Why sleep?

Why wait?

'Were they… expecting something? Or someone?'

"Here! This is where Beta is!" Iota suddenly shouted.

His bright voice snapped me out of my thoughts, pulling me back to the present.

I lifted my gaze.

And finally faced the place where Beta waited.

The direction Iota pointed toward with his huge hand revealed an entirely new space—

a wide-open area, far larger than any corridor we'd passed so far.

In the center stood an old fountain, cracked and worn, but still elegant in design.

Judging by its layout, this place must've once been a garden…

or a resting plaza of some kind.

A forgotten sanctuary buried beneath the world.

Just as we stepped in—

Ding.

A faint bell-like chime echoed through the air.

I instinctively turned toward the sound.

From between the pillars, a creature emerged—its snow-white fur shimmering softly, almost glowing.

It looked like a fox at first… until my eyes reached the top of its head.

Majestic, branching deer antlers.

Definitely not a normal fox.

"Beta!" Iota called out, his voice booming with relief.

"It's been a while, Iota."

The response was calm, gentle—clearly feminine.

Her voice alone carried a strange magical weight, like a melody woven from mana.

"Eve has appeared again!"

"Iota," Beta sighed lightly, "this person is not Lady Eve."

"Not… Eve? But I felt Eve's energy!"

So, Iota had mistaken me for someone else—someone named Eve.

Beta, unlike him, had seen straight through it instantly.

Was this bad?

I shifted slightly, ready to draw my weapon if things went sideways.

"Hello," Beta said, smiling warmly as she stopped before us.

Thankfully, there was no hint of hostility in her posture or tone.

"I am AE-02. Please call me Beta."

Unlike Iota's broken, childlike speech, Beta's was smooth, refined—almost aristocratic.

Realizing she was sane and reasonable, I lowered my guard a little and introduced myself.

"My name is Louis Vermore."

"Ah—are you a nobleman?"

Her eyes widened, genuinely surprised.

She even recognized noble etiquette… and reacted to it.

Iota had said she "knew everything," and it seemed he wasn't exaggerating.

"Beta! This man said he has something he wants to ask you!" Iota added hurriedly.

"A question?" Beta tilted her head slightly. "Please, ask me anything."

I didn't waste time.

"I'm looking for a woman with pink hair. Her name is Lisa. I believe she's somewhere in this place. Do you know anything about her?"

Beta's answer came immediately.

"Yes," she said softly, "I do."

...She really knows?

"Do you see that door over there? If you go through it and follow the path, you should be able to reach her."

Beta pointed toward a small, rust-covered door on the far wall.

I followed her finger and stared at it for a moment. It didn't look special—just an unassuming door in an abandoned facility—but the weight of her words made it feel much heavier.

"But," Beta added quietly, "there might be… friends who haven't gone to sleep like us."

"…They're still alive?" I asked.

"Of course." She nodded with a faint smile. "We are chimeras. We're not quite the same as ordinary living beings."

She wasn't wrong.

In this world, there were creatures capable of living a century without aging, monsters who survived decades without a single meal.

If any chimeras had inherited abilities from such creatures, it wasn't impossible for them to still be breathing after a hundred years.

But Beta's tone turned grim.

"You must be careful. Those who remained awake… they're not like us anymore."

Unlike Iota and the others, who chose hibernation, the ones in that area had remained conscious.

Awake.

Starving.

Enduring a hundred years in darkness.

If they were still alive…

They wouldn't just be hostile.

They would be vicious—utterly feral from hunger and pain.

I had come prepared.

I had countermeasures specifically designed for dealing with chimeras.

But even so…

'I didn't think this many of them would still be alive.'

Thankfully, these ones—Beta, Iota, and the others—were friendly.

With their help, everything so far had gone smoother than expected.

But then Beta shook her head, already knowing what I was about to ask.

"We can't enter that area," she said softly. "There's a magical barrier. Only outsiders can pass through."

…So that was why they stopped here.

A shame.

With them, dealing with whatever was ahead would have been much easier.

But I didn't have the luxury of complaining.

I exhaled slowly, steadying my heartbeat, then turned toward the old door.

"I see… Then I'll handle it alone," I said.

Beta's eyes followed me, full of worry, but she didn't try to stop me.

I placed my hand on the cold metal handle.

Then—

Without looking back, I pushed the door open and stepped inside.

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