HACKED 40

“Those things, you did them all, didn’t you?”

“By ‘those things,’ you mean?”

“Calling out that monster, was that your doing too? Answer me!”

“Is this also a command?”

The man asked without a single change in his expression. That businesslike smile, which, rather than putting one at ease, only provoked a strange sense of unpleasantness. A surge of inexplicable resentment flared up.

“Yeah, it’s a command. You son of a bitch.”

Despite being on the receiving end of my verbal abuse, the man remained composed.

“Since it is a command, I shall answer without falsehood. Placing constraints on that thing’s actions was my skill, but I was not involved in the act of summoning it here myself.”

“What skill?”

“You should be more familiar with my skills than anyone else.”

“No, I don’t know. I don’t know, so explain it.”

Instead of answering, the man manipulated the watch on his left wrist. A bright blue hologram window rose into the air above his watch. It featured the same UI and the same font as what I usually saw on my terminal.

Active Skill ‘State Secret (國家機密)’

: In the constitutions of modern liberal democratic states, it is a principle to disclose the actions of the state and information from state organs to the citizens based on the people’s right to know; however, the exception to this principle is a state secret.

Manipulates the perception of a target within a specific range. Can conceal the ‘actual reality’ perceived by the target or forcibly inject a ‘falsified reality.’

Active Skill ‘Black Operation (黑色作戰)’

: We work in the shadows and aim for the light.

If the target is attacking, forcibly changes the target of that attack. The target to be changed can be an ally, an enemy, a third party, or even a corpse, an inanimate object, or a terrain feature. The target and the subject do not realize that they have become the target of this skill. This skill can only be used once per target in the same battle.

“I used these two. It would be difficult to hold it back permanently, but it should buy enough time for a brief conversation.”

Does that watch have the same functions as the terminal I possess? But he is just an Incarnation, not a Compiler or anything else. Then, perhaps, did he hack my terminal and link it so he could spy on me at any time?

Either way, it is not welcome. More than just unwelcome, it was deeply unpleasant. To think that my actions on the terminal might have been broadcast live to this bastard in real time.

“Why did you do it.”

“Pardon?”

“I’m asking why you’re doing this. Are you under a status ailment too? Do you want to kill me, or are you driven mad because you hate me?”

“No. Why would I do that? It would be a clear act of insubordination. I have never wanted to kill you, nor have I ever hated you.”

Saying so, he manipulated the watch to show one more skill.

Passive Skill ‘Iron Rice Bowl’

: It does not matter if the regime changes or if policies change. Because the object of our loyalty is the ‘system’ itself.

The favorability toward the Compiler of the Pantheon to which one belongs does not drop below 0 under any circumstances, and it does not rise above 50 under any circumstances.

“My favorability toward you has never once dropped into negative numbers. I am showing this to you because I thought reporting with objective figures would lead to quicker understanding than using emotional and vague expressions.”

“Then why on earth!”

“I disliked those fellows becoming a burden to you and becoming risk factors.”

“A burden?”

The corners of his mouth curled up as he showed a smile.

“I understand. Why you suddenly fell into this strange world, why you have to go through this hardship while narrowly escaping death… everything must be bewildering for you.”

It felt like I’d been hit in the back of the head.

That’s… it’s strange. Setting aside pollution levels, favorability, and status ailments, can a mere game character… say lines like that? Isn’t that in the realm of metafiction? Just how does he know all those things?

“Do you know what the suffering you are currently experiencing is caused by? It is that.”

<Nameless Star> pointed behind me with a concise motion. I turned my gaze toward the point his finger was aimed at and reflexively winced.

“……”

In a posture of having half-swept back his blood-soaked hair and then stopping, San Gun stood tall in his place. His yellow eyes, emitting a chilling radiance even in the shadows, were fixed upon me.

Our eyes met. An inexplicable chill ran through me. San Gun did not seem like the person I had been exchanging trivial jokes and pranks with until just a few hours ago.

We were making eye contact for a time that felt both very short and very long. It was San Gun who turned his head away first.

“Shut up.”

He barked with a terrifying low bass mixed with the growl of a beast, glaring straight ahead. It was as if he didn’t even care about things like the blood continuing to flow from his severed leg.

I, more than anyone else, know that San Gun, the <Mountain Hero>, is not normal. I have a history of nearly dying because of his madness-filled status ailment, so there is no way I wouldn’t know.

But… that all the hardships I’ve experienced so far were because of San Gun?

That’s impossible. He is just a single game character; how could that be possible? He’s the one who was trapped in the central command room for a horribly long time—whether for decades or centuries—until I let him out.

“Never believe him. Not just that thing, but all the other Incarnations. Ah, I suppose that side isn’t even an Incarnation anymore.”

‘Not even an Incarnation….’

The Gumiho had said it. That San Gun didn’t even deserve to be called an Incarnation. Back then, I just half-ignored it. The situation was so urgent, after all.

But now, <Nameless Star> has said something similar again. Just how am I supposed to take this?

“I am the only one you can trust.”

“What is that supposed to mean now.”

“These primitive relics of a bygone era cannot provide you with any help. For example, that terminal that the helper fairy over there is desperately clutching… even if you handed that to those fellows, they would at most just play games with it. Without knowing what functions are in that small machine or what can be done with it. But I am different.”

“……”

“Information gathering and reprocessing, strategy establishment, resource management, building communication networks and defense systems, forming public opinion. I can do anything. If you say you want to escape from this world, I can help with that as well. I am different from those uncivilized things who don’t even know exactly what ‘logging out’ means.”

The man’s words were likely not lies. He had more than enough ability to hold the information of this Pantheon in his palm and manipulate it. The skill description window he showed as if this were nothing was clear evidence.

One step, the man moved forward. I stepped back without realizing it. The smile hanging on the man’s mouth grew even deeper.

“Will you keep me by your side?”

He held out his hand. He was naturally leaning his upper body forward slightly, perhaps to show courtesy to me or to meet my eye level. It was the epitome of a civil servant requesting a handshake from a superior.

“The casting time of the skill will soon end. The enemy will move again. Before that creature runs wild again and wounds you, give me the opportunity to serve you.”

“Myeong.”

From behind, San Gun called me.

“Don’t go to that bastard.”

I didn’t budge. I neither took <Nameless Star>’s hand nor rejected his proposal. I simply stayed still.

“Yeo Myeong, Myeong. Master… don’t go!”

The breathing of San Gun, who hadn’t even grimaced when his leg was cut off, grew sharply ragged. He swallowed a trembling breath and muttered like a monologue.

“I only look at you… what more do I have to offer?”

Those words, which sounded so weak compared to the usual San Gun, flowing out so small and powerless that they couldn’t be heard unless one leaned in… somehow stung a corner of my heart.

My current situation is not very good. It’s not just “not very good,” it’s the absolute worst. My allies total barely enough to count on one hand, and even those allies are either a bit crazy, have something suspicious about them that prevents full trust, or are severely injured and unable to exert 100% of their power.

Then what should I do? Try to look good to everyone, diligently cater to them to build favorability, and win them over to my side one by one….

My foot.

‘Do you think I’d do that?’

I’m only taking those who listen to me and those I like. I have no need for someone who, despite being a mere Incarnation, tries to stand on top of their master’s head. As for the rest, they can die for all I care.

“Ah, that’s not how you persuade someone.”

I broke the long silence and let out a smirk. For the first time, a crack appeared on the man’s face, which had been maintaining its well-crafted mask of a smile.

“After exposing that you were gloomily spying on me by hacking my terminal… did you really expect me to take your side?”

The place is full of lunatics. There are so many crazy kids. Let’s all just die.

“Get lost. I don’t trust you.”