Chapter 169 – The Third Force (4)
“Hehe, haha! It’s real. It really exists!”
“…”
The moment Richard’s body, which was falling freely, passed through the gate, it suddenly decelerated, and someone caught him.
Instinctively hanging onto the hard exoskeleton, he looked up to see the glowing eyes behind a mask and laughed crazily.
“I can’t believe a being I’ve only seen in data is in front of me! Black wings!”
Kang Do-yeon, who caught him in midair with her wings spread wide, wasn’t particularly fond of the struggling man in her arms, but she couldn’t just drop him from thousands of meters in the air.
“Puhuh.”
Instead, as soon as she landed, she threw him onto the ground. Richard scrambled to his feet, wide-eyed at the sight of the legion’s nest illuminated by the demonic realm’s moonlight.
‘This is where you will operate.’
“This is definitely the demonic realm… How is this possible? I hadn’t received any reports of your presence here?”
He seemed shocked by the completely different scene than he had imagined, where he would vaguely be fighting against the rebel alliance.
“What’s the purpose here? This place is currently entangled with two forces, and other forces, including the alliance, are likely to keep coming. It’s not a very advantageous position for you.”
‘You could say the goal is to drive out the demons of the demonic realm. Of course, if necessary. We can also use Earthlings.’
“I see, I understand.”
Richard smirked as if he had realized something.
“You’re not alien monsters. Your origins might be this…”
‘There’s no need for pointless speculation, is there? The affairs of this world are far more complicated than you know.’
However, Shin Woo forcibly shut his mouth. After all, if he had no knowledge of units and players, it was merely a meaningless conjecture.
*
“It’s just applying mechanical commands. The problem is the communication system; I’m not sure if living beings can do that. Unless there’s a telepath with abilities like some on Earth.”
‘That’s not a problem.’
I showed Richard a fragment of the collective consciousness as he began working in earnest. His expression changed constantly as his body trembled.
Before long, he fell to his knees on the ground, his pale face drenched in cold sweat.
“They were a far more formidable and advanced race than I thought. They are undoubtedly worthy of consuming a part of the universe.”
‘I’ll give you power, so try to create something. A new system.’
“Designing a new subordinate collective consciousness under the collective consciousness framework. It might be possible now.”
He seemed somewhat excited and immediately began his work. First, he connected his brain with a massive auxiliary brain using nerve bundles shaped like tentacles.
What I provided him as a member of the legion was that massive auxiliary brain. He began crafting a program utilizing the collective consciousness with the computational power of that massive brain.
“As I mentioned, it’s like moving a robot using some kind of command. But it’s incomparable. This collective consciousness, this brain can surpass limits.”
“You crazy bastard.”
Kang Do-yeon shook her head as she watched Richard, whose eyes were glazed over, continue to babble excitedly.
But it worked. Our new submind, Richard, began moving the mass-produced legionnaires that were nothing but empty shells.
It wasn’t as natural as Eve’s movements, but at least the behavior of moving as a group was flawless.
‘What’s the maximum number you can operate?’
“Since it moves by inputting determined commands, there is technically no limit to the numbers. If there’s any constraint, it would be the time it takes to input commands for each group. If we were to control in real-time without any delay, roughly about 10,000 units.”
‘Is there a way to increase that limit?’
10,000? It wasn’t small, but to me, who was accustomed to armies in the hundreds of millions, it felt too insufficient. I wanted a bit more. For sure.
“Simple. That’s the limit for my brain, so we just need to increase the number of commanding entities like me.”
And Richard quickly figured out the answer. It wasn’t difficult, but it required some thought. After all, finding a madman willing to become a monster like Richard wasn’t an easy task.
“That’s not a huge problem. If you could do it ‘without delay,’ what about in a ‘delayed’ state, how many can you move?”
At that moment, Kang Do-yeon scoffed and made an important point. Like she said, there would be a constraint when changing commands—a delay. If they didn’t care about that delay…
“For example, if an indiscriminate attack command requires a delay of 10 seconds to retract or alter, then the operable troops would increase to 100,000.”
“…It’s about tearing apart those demons. No delicate handling or mercy is needed.”
‘Okay. Let’s set the standard at 100,000 then.’
I agreed with Kang Do-yeon’s words that quantity was more important than details right now.
The time required to mass-produce 100,000 legionnaires was roughly five days with the current nest size. Time was available.
“If you allow me, I’ll go kill them myself.”
‘I’ll permit guerrilla operations.’
In the meantime, Kang Do-yeon requested me to move separately. Knowing the deep resentment emanating from her, I couldn’t refuse that request.
It was a profound grudge against the demons, who were the enemies of our siblings and family. Ever since my sister had gained strength, she had wished to repay that grudge.
“What kind of reaction would there be knowing they survived after being subjected to execution authority?”
“…Many would know how to overcome execution authority.”
Oh Yu-na’s words made my sister chuckle.
“At least those goblins probably wouldn’t.”
Soon after, Kang Do-yeon, Oh Yu-na, and a few flying higher beings left the nest and soared into the sky.
I wasn’t worried. It was my sister who had waged guerrilla warfare against enemies trying to establish control over the planet when we still hadn’t ventured into space.
I judged she would do better than me, so I entrusted everything to her.
“That’s right. Kang Do-yeon is an excellent commander. So how about focusing on our work now?”
It was Eve’s voice that pulled me back from my half-focused state while observing the demonic realm. I opened my eyes on the sofa where I had been leaning and found Eve, her red eyes shining beside me.
“Our work? There’s nothing much to do here now.”
“Why is there no work? The one coming is yours to deal with.”
Eve pointed incredulously at the door. It was then I sensed the presence approaching this place.
Soon, there was a knock. Without thinking much, I went to open the door.
“Branch Manager…?!”
“I apologize for coming during your break.”
I couldn’t help but be shocked. The person who had arrived was Ji Chang-hyun, who should have been in Korea.
“I have something discreet to discuss.”
“…Rest assured; there’s nothing here.”
I flinched at his action of scanning the room, which was meant to check if there were any listening devices.
“To put it directly, the alliance might make you fight against beings other than the monsters.”
“What do you mean by that?”
“Simply put, it means that opposing forces to the alliance have also formed coalitions. Like the demons of the demonic realm.”
What he brought up with a serious expression was something we already knew. In the end, there were those who had joined hands using players and users as a bridge to endure Eve’s attacks.
“But I heard they would still need to deal with Zeko. Aren’t they fighting against those monsters?”
“I can’t be sure. I’m well aware of the pros and cons of the human race. I came to tell you this: if the alliance orders you to harm people instead of protecting them, you don’t necessarily have to comply.”
What Ji Chang-hyun was saying was no different from his own beliefs. I nodded and made Eve, who was looking at him with a crooked posture, bob her head.
“Then good luck to both of you for making a difficult decision.”
“…You’re pleased, aren’t you? The emergence of cosmic monsters attacking indiscriminately around us.”
However, the moment Ji Chang-hyun greeted us and turned to leave the room, Eve opened her mouth and grasped his ankle.
“Do you think that perhaps even this cosmic dispute could be reconciled by using their emergence? Just like how the nations of Earth united with the emergence of the demonic realm?”
With a scoff, Eve continued. I was momentarily overwhelmed, contemplating whether to silence this girl.
“I wish I could believe that, but I see it as unlikely. The alliance and the rebels will ultimately fight among themselves.”
“Why?”
“Because those monsters are weak.”
Ji Chang-hyun’s response froze Eve’s once confident demeanor.
“At least, the way they’ve shown themselves currently is insufficient. One day they will be exterminated. The alliance isn’t keeping its eye on other areas for nothing while the frontier is under attack. It would be meaningless otherwise.”
He then left the room. I placed my hand on Eve’s stiff shoulder. That narrow shoulder was trembling feebly.
“…I’ve lost my way. Even though I’ve been steadily increasing my forces since venturing into space, it’s still not enough. Those others might think I’ve stagnated, but from the moment I escaped the labyrinth, I have only ever looked toward one goal and have come this far.”
Before I could stop her, Eve, grinding her teeth, mumbled as she suppressed her rage.
“I will have all of this world, and I will consume it.”
“Right. You know well.”
I smiled bitterly. There were definitely times when she hesitated, but ultimately Eve had always come out victorious.
“It’s all because of that giant battleship, Jakov. First, I need to take that thing down.”
Fueled with zeal, Eve plopped down in her seat, signaling that she would focus elsewhere.
