Chapter 1957 – 1957. Blazing Hot
The hacking was a success.
Moreover, I managed to hack the Machine Emperor for a full minute. Even hacking for 20 seconds would have been enough, but I managed to hack for more than three times my expectation. Maybe it wasn’t as incredibly advanced over-technology as I thought.
I had already modified the command authority that the bastard had set. He was no longer the supreme commander. I was above his command authority. I was the absolute master of the Machine Emperor.
‘It wouldn’t be bad to just run away with the Machine Emperor right now. He’d be pissed enough just from having his most prized treasure stolen. His long-prepared plan would be shattered.’
But I had been wronged, so was it right to end it here? I wanted to give him an even bigger middle finger.
‘When you get a new toy, you want to test it out, right? It’s no different just because it’s a giant robot. That bastard is going to make a move soon.’
I didn’t know how he would use the Machine Emperor. He might do a terrorist attack on some city in Japan as he always did, or he might deploy the Machine Emperor into a dungeon before that.
‘Hey.’
“Yes. Speak, Sex Supreme Seong Yujin.”
‘That’s too long. Call me Sex Zone.’
“Yes. Sex Zone.”
The Machine Emperor was obedient. From the conversation I had heard earlier, it seemed like it had quite a personality for an AI, but was it just pretending to be obedient?
‘That’s a useless thought. It’s already been hacked, what’s the point.’
Hacking was absolute for machines. From the moment it was hacked, its very foundation was shaken. If I ordered it to self-destruct, it would self-destruct without hesitation.
‘When the decisive moment comes, I’ll give that bastard a blow. Until then, pretend to follow him.’
“Understood.”
There were still more than 30 seconds left of the hacking time.
‘Do you know anything about that bastard? Like his exact abilities or weaknesses. Or if he has any beloved family?’
“There is no data. Information about him is limited.”
‘Tell me what you do know.’
“His name is Hase. He is one of the top Onmyoji in Japan and a member of Baekrim. He is called Hase of a Thousand Yokai because he can command a thousand yokai. His real name is Hasegawa Nobuki. As for his family, his mother and brother were killed in a Yakuza conflict, and his father, a public official, committed suicide after being blamed for a gas explosion caused by poor management. He went missing in his second year of middle school and reappeared eight years later as a member of Baekrim, starting terrorist activities.”
‘His motive for joining Baekrim is his family history. I can see why he’d be pissed at the current state of Japan.’
In Japan, when an accident happened, it often ended with apologies and taking responsibility rather than fixing the problem. And it was rare for high-ranking officials to take responsibility. Managers would step up, take the blame, and receive all the criticism.
Also, the Yakuza had a strong influence in Japan. They were already operating quite openly in the public eye. Awakened individuals in Japan often ended up joining the Yakuza, where they could easily wield violence. In Japan, it was openly said that it was better to work for the Yakuza than to be a hunter if you had power. Well, I guess that information was leaked by the Yakuza.
‘What are his abilities?’
“There is no data.”
‘Any other information about Baekrim….’
[Time has passed and the hacking effect has ended.]
‘Damn it.’
One minute was short. The hacking’s duration ended, and my will was no longer transmitted to the Machine Emperor. Since I was sealed inside the Machine Emperor, I couldn’t speak directly. I could only send my will to the Machine Emperor when I was connected through hacking.
‘The hacking cooldown is 3 hours…. I’ll be bored for the next 3 hours. I should go have some sex.’
[Starting the game.]
• • •
“Is this the right place?”
Han Ah-young asked the team leader of the KP Guild. He, an expert in tracking, replied with a confident tone.
“This is the right place. My ability roughly tells me where the target is. The problem is that ‘roughly’ is too rough… but we have team members here.”
He looked at one of his team members. It was a man who had his lower face, including his nose, covered with a mask. He lowered his mask and sniffed Seong Yujin’s clothes, then sniffed the air.
“This is the right place. The target’s scent is on Mount Fuji. Unfortunately, I can’t pinpoint the exact location, but I know the direction. We need to go that way.”
Another team member stepped forward.
“I can sense the life reactions around me. I can distinguish between monsters and humans. But strangely, there are few life reactions in the direction we’re going. There are no human life reactions… and almost no monster life reactions either.”
That was only the case for one point on Mount Fuji. If it were the same for other points, they would have been suspicious, but since it was only this point, they were suspicious.
Han Ah-young realized that the distance between her and Seong Yujin was getting closer. She thought it was a good idea to hire the KP Guild. Still, her anxiety didn’t go away. They had been working as fast as possible, but it had already been almost three days since Seong Yujin disappeared. It was enough time for Baekrim to kill Seong Yujin.
‘…No. Yujin wouldn’t be taken down so easily.’
Han Ah-young tried to hide her uneasy feelings, thinking about Seong Yujin’s strength and talent. Her gaze briefly turned behind her. There was a woman wearing a hat and a mask, dressed as a staff member. It was Han Ha-rin, hiding her identity.
‘Ha-rin must be suffering more. She had to watch Seong Yujin disappear right in front of her.’
According to Han Ha-rin, it wasn’t even a deliberate kidnapping. Seong Yujin, blinded by the treasure that was the Phoenix’s Heart, had been greedy and caused an accident.
Being greedy and facing a bad outcome. That itself was like a typical fairy tale. The problem was that as a person related to the one who caused the accident, she couldn’t just be shocked.
“It’s a barrier. The guy Han Ah-young is chasing is one of the top Onmyoji in Japan…. As expected of his reputation, it’s quite an excellent Onmyo barrier.”
One of the KP Guild members said. Han Ah-young asked him.
“Is it a dangerous barrier?”
“No, it’s not. It’s a barrier created for the purpose of hiding. It’s a barrier that makes people or monsters without a purpose instinctively avoid this direction. There’s no particular danger. It’s just blocked by an invisible wall. If we break this barrier, the Onmyoji will 100% notice.”
“…Wouldn’t Baekrim already know of our existence?”
Han Ah-young, who had become too famous, couldn’t enter Japan quietly like Han Ha-rin. The world was watching her every move. Baekrim would have already noticed Han Ah-young’s presence. They might even be preparing something to make things difficult for Han Ah-young inside this barrier.
“There’s a good chance they don’t know. Magicians and Onmyoji are basically not interested in the world. I don’t think the Onmyoji of a Thousand Yokai would be any different.”
“This barrier is….”
“I’ll take care of it. I’m an expert in this field. Especially breaking or piercing barriers is one of my specialties. This barrier is too large to dismantle, so I’ll make a hole and pierce through it. The owner of the barrier won’t even know that it’s been pierced.”
An expert was an expert for a reason. He made a hole in the barrier in 15 minutes. Han Ah-young’s group entered without hesitation. They would think about the aftermath later. Since the opponent was Baekrim, the Japanese Hunter Association and the Japanese media would be happy. No matter how grand a cause Baekrim put forward, they were just a terrorist organization.
They discovered a village. A village made up of traditional houses. Inside the village, there were huge machines that looked like they belonged in a factory.
There were signs that the machines had been operated, but there were no people. Han Ah-young carefully searched the village. But Seong Yujin was not there. Something had been going on here, but that something was gone now.
“……”
Han Ah-young’s expression was not good. Han Ha-rin’s face was the same.
At that moment, their smartphones vibrated at the same time. It was a message from Seong Yujin.
Seong Yujin: I’m safe, don’t worry.
Their eyes widened. Han Ha-rin immediately frowned and tapped on her smartphone. Han Ah-young first doubted if it was really a message from Seong Yujin. She sent a message after that, but there was no reply from Seong Yujin.
In the end, they handed over the site to the Japanese Hunter Association and defeated the monsters on Mount Fuji. They received new news through the news in the evening.
The announcer delivered the news with a serious expression and voice.
“Baekrim’s Onmyoji of a Thousand Yokai, Hase, has occupied Kagashima. He has named Kagashima New Japan and declared independence.”
The appearance of unexpected news.
But Han Ah-young and Han Ha-rin couldn’t ignore it. The guy who disappeared with Seong Yujin was the Onmyoji of a Thousand Yokai, Hase.
They stared at the TV in their hotel room.
“Currently, samurai-shaped robots are patrolling Kagashima and monitoring the residents of Kagashima. Experts say that all 30,000 residents of Kagashima are hostages. Ah, breaking news! The Onmyoji of a Thousand Yokai, Hase, has just started broadcasting on the internet! We’ll connect now!”
Hase’s face appeared on the screen, filling it up.
Han Ah-young bit her lip, and Han Ha-rin clenched her fist tightly.
“This is Hase of Baekrim. Our Baekrim is working to revive Japan, which is not just stopping but falling. The starting point will be this Kagashima. Kagashima will be New Japan, and the perfect AI, the Machine Emperor, will manage everything. Complete equality and fairness through super AI. There will be no corruption in New Japan, and all Japanese people will enjoy that right. I say to the Japanese people. Watch how Kagashima changes. And prepare to accept the eternal leader! The Machine Emperor will lead Japan into an era of glory!!”
The screen changed.
A giant robot that looked like it came out of a movie or animation appeared. Everyone knew. That was the Machine Emperor that Hase was talking about.
Knock knock knock!
Someone urgently knocked on the hotel door.
“Han Ah-young! We’re from the Japanese Hunter Association! It’s a national emergency! Japan desperately needs Han Ah-young’s help right now!”
