Chapter 121

Before getting to the main point, let’s do some simple arithmetic.

Assuming it generally takes a ruthless 8-member team or a well-coordinated duo of hackers roughly 30 minutes to crack a labyrinth-level vault, and considering that there’s no participant foolish enough to attempt it alone given the intense competition.

Then… how long would it take for us to get to around entry number 170 if everyone forms suitable pairs, uses an average amount of time unlocking the vault, and the test proceeds steadily?

Hmm… at least 16 hours? Maybe even a full day?

Even if the staff is bringing meals, at this rate, we’d have to spend the night here. Is anyone unsatisfied with that?

And while it is advantageous to be given time to formulate strategies and run simulations, who would want to repeat that for hours? Even those who finish the test early and have a rough idea of the results would have no reason to stick around.

…That’s what I thought, at least until this chaotic melee broke out.

No, I didn’t expect the genre of this show to suddenly shift to a battle royale filled with excitement and no time to get bored.

“Group 12 and the rest, vault unlock failed. Next is… ‘Guh?! Uweeeeck…!!’ …Clean this mess up. And disinfect the floor.”

“Puhaha! Where are those guys from? I can tell they’re from a backwater village!”

“…It took about 5 minutes from connection to fainting, so they probably didn’t even come close to the vault system.”

Another team dramatically collapsed, whether due to a lack of skill to open the vault or underestimating the “gifts” prepared by the seniors. The remaining participants laughed loudly and clapped at the sight.

“Group 17! Don’t just stand there dumbly; if it’s your turn…! …You’re free to forfeit as much as you like. But until the test is over, you can’t leave, so wait in the corner.”

“You cowards! Don’t you even have any pride?!”

“Well, I didn’t bring anything today, so why?! You got a problem with that!”

Those who realized the task’s difficulty exceeded their abilities gracefully gave up.

That doesn’t mean they weren’t jeered at… but it’s certainly a better choice than having your head shoved in the dirt, being escorted away by the staff.

However, even this negative response to the former participants was nothing compared to the cheers(?!) received by the much-anticipated last group.

“Group 24, 28 minutes and 38 seconds. And even if they succeeded, access restrictions remain the same, so….”

“Ouch, my head… This was an unprofitable endeavor. By the way… Mr. Coordinator? Can I plant a few flowers in this hellish flowerbed? I just happen to need a place to clinically test some newly developed malware.”

“…I don’t mind.”

‘Of course you wouldn’t, since you don’t have to shove your own biological implant into that filthy bucket!’

I screamed inwardly.

However, even reckless permission is still permission.

As expected, upon hearing the completely uninterested response from Sir Léonard, the man who asked the question and his teammates excitedly began uploading poison into the opened vault.

“Hey, you crazy idiots, can’t you stop?!”

“Go crazy, go crazy! If you dump such highly aggressive code into the closed circuit, do you really think it won’t get mixed up and cause some kind of alteration?!”

“Uhhaha—!!”

The participants who hadn’t yet had their turn were in a frenzy.

In fact, that was just a mild expression. It was thrilling because nobody knew what would happen next, and the various curses directed towards the weirdos who decided to add some spicy flavor were too numerous to mention.

…Moreover, this was merely a summary of the reactions based solely on test results.

When factoring in the ways to access vault security and the individual efficiency improvement methods that popped up, it felt like a gathering of hackers more than anything else.

“Group 31!”

“……”

The man called by number silently approached the vault.

Before the supplementary device which would perform the complex calculations or connect via wire was taken out, what came first from his embrace was an inhaler, likely used by respiratory patients.

The vial near his lips emitted a hissing noise as it activated, splendidly injecting the suspicious liquid into the patient… or rather, into the addict.

“Phew…!”

His pupils dilated, and a sudden excitement gleamed in his once vacant eyes.

Even though the cyberware hadn’t been attacked yet, his grotesquely gaping jaw trembled, and his dry throat made his protruding tongue frequently lick his lips.

What’s to be denied? He had become a drug user with awakening effects.

From the looks of it, it certainly seemed he was at the level where dependence had set in.

During the game, I considered it a buff item with penalties and side effects, but here it was practically akin to self-destructive behavior.

‘It allows you to perform beyond your abilities.’

In some sense, it might not differ from the devices, implants, and supplementary tools everyone carries.

However, the unique nature of plunging headfirst into danger, coupled with the perception that it’s a self-destructive move selling one’s future, drew disdainful looks.

Most participants’ reactions upon witnessing this chaotic disruption were along the lines of, “Of course,” yet it might be that they looked down on the sight.

Clank!!

“……Group 31, 20 minutes and 40 seconds. …Impressive.”

“Tsk.”

Yet, despite the clucking noises coming from all around, nobody could overlook the effectiveness.

Almost 20 minutes on his own. Due to being under the influence of drugs, he seemed unable to respond to the viruses poured into his cyberware. The vault opened, and he collapsed, requiring transport, but it was still undeniably a remarkable record.

Well, there were also urban legends of those who insisted that they need to stabilize their internal compounds before any work, mindlessly swallowing metal balls with antennas attached.

Seemingly more interested in the gruel than the ritual, a crazy person attempted to extract only the malicious data without actually cracking the vault.

From those who could abstract the reading code and grasp it to arrange in a puzzle-like manner through calculation, there’s no end to the variety of approaches as numerous as there are people; this was something I got to witness quite well.

Moreover, as more individuals passed, each time these bizarre humans tossed the viruses they had been carrying like charms into the boiling pot, the proportion of people failing to hack or forfeiting increased exponentially, suggesting the conclusion could come even faster than anticipated.

“Cutie? Can you focus a bit? If it’s just a data vault that’s fine, but a thing as Pandora-like as that is rather unsettling since there’s hardly any related information!”

“Oh, for god’s sake, I’m a practical type. Unless I physically handle it, I won’t know anything!”

I pressed Marina’s face back down as she tried to cling to my shoulder.

After having had plenty of time to laze about, she suddenly started to bounce around like a loose wheel, perhaps because she saw the abilities of the other participants and lost confidence? I didn’t think she had that personality.

On the other hand, Kên seemed particularly well-prepared, scowling at the twins who surpassed his record and thinking they had a point.

“D-Do you both not need a separate computational assistant? I could help….”

“Um… I’ll accept your sentiment.”

“I’m begging you! Just create a guest ID or something and get me registered!”

Sadly, inside the bag he was carrying around diligently, there was nothing.

Why? Because what I initially thought was a bag was actually a computer with handles and wheels.

Click. Click…

It was too large to be classified as portable, yet it was immaculate as dust control, with a computer case spread out neatly on the ground, including a monitor, an old-school keyboard reeking of nostalgia, and a dozen RAM cards plugged in.

Most importantly, I wanted to give extra points for the cooling system being a brilliant fluorescent liquid-cooled setup.

…This guy knows a thing or two.

“……Alright.”

I pretended to lean in, agreeing with the two focusing on the screen, discussing whether a code library exists or whether a framework presuming a data vault environment is set up.

Fortunately, the individuals coming to the central stage attracted all the attention, creating a perfect opportunity to attend to business.

“Group 89! Hmm…? Ah, it’s you guys.”

“Oh…!”

Sir Léonard acknowledged them, while surrounding murmurs of awe rose.

The name I caught vaguely sounded like… Cypher Psycho? I wasn’t sure if it was a codename for a group of cipher geeks, but they seemed to be notable figures in the industry if the whispers and focused gazes on them were anything to go by.

Whether the friends who looked like they were wrapped in tin foil gathered near the vault or not, I quietly asked Zero to extend an antenna and focused my mind.

While it was true I tried to refrain from obvious actions, I believed that if there was even the slightest hint of uncertainty, I had to at least make an effort to peer behind the stage curtain.

It was time to dive into the deep ocean once more.