HACKED 87

Screeeech.

The sound of something sticky peeling off the floor rang out. The corpse, which had been lying face down showing its back, was now positioned facing the ceiling.

“Crazy.”

Profanity escaped my mouth involuntarily. It was a scene that was a bit severely disastrous. If this were a scene from a work of fiction, even attaching a hundred R-rated tags wouldn’t be enough.

The corpse was horrific whether viewed from the front or the back. Overall, as the side that had been stuck to the floor peeled away, it became an even more disgusting sight. My brow furrowed automatically.

No, there was one peculiar thing about the front. On the chest area of the corpse, I could see something that was the only thing that hadn’t lost its original color. It looked like something similar to a necklace was hanging there.

“What is this?”

The pendant part was a bit large for it to be a regular necklace. The shape was unique as well. It looked like a machine part, or perhaps a fragment left over from something that had broken.

As for other details, it seemed I would have to look closer and more carefully to find out. Since the head was completely blown off anyway, I would just have to pull it upward and off… but.

No matter how much it was, I didn’t want to touch that with my bare hands. In times like this, what do you do? Pass it off to someone else.

“Go bring me that necklace-looking thing.”

Possessed by the spirit of a boss who treats power trips like daily meals, I gestured arrogantly with my chin.

The team leader at my previous company was exactly like this. After throwing a file folder because he couldn’t control his temper, he would order me to go pick it up. Every time, I brought the file back faithfully, like a pet dog fetching a ball.

Team Leader Park, the spiritual pillar of our A&R team who taught me the essence of social life. Every time I think of him, I pray for his long life with chronic illnesses. I sincerely hope he lives for a very, very long time while suffering from various metabolic syndromes.

“…….”

Nameless Star did not move. He was merely staring down at the corpse with a stiff expression.

It was unexpected. I thought that at a single word from me, he would have shredded the corpse without hesitation even if I asked him to.

Was even a guy like him reluctant to go rummaging through a corpse? No, there was no way. If he were the possessor of such delicate sensitivity, he wouldn’t have acted as the stooge for the ‘successor’.

“Aren’t you picking it up? It’s a Master’s order.”

I was confident. Why, what. A Compiler might not be able to pick up a single necklace hanging on a corpse by himself. Someone in the neighboring neighborhood catches bears and saves goddesses and protects the world at age 10, yet they get frustrated with a ‘crack’ sound because they can’t fetch water.

“…Is that an order given to me?”

“Then who else would it be? Should I ask Mr. Ja-myeong-go? To get corpse filth on those fine silk clothes?”

“Master, I don’t mind doing it…”

“No. Stay still.”

Ja-myeong-go, who had stepped forward about half a step, stepped back again upon hearing my words.

‘There is that reason too, but actually… I also want to screw this bastard over even with something trivial like this.’

Only then did Nameless Star slowly bend his waist and pick up the necklace.

But the moment the necklace was caught in his hand, a sound that shouldn’t be heard right now rang out.

Ding!

I didn’t even have time to check the terminal I had put in my pocket. My head turned reflexively.

A giant screen filled the front of the central command room. Because I had set it to power-saving mode, the illumination was much lower than before, but there was no problem recognizing the letters appearing on the screen.

[You have acquired an item.]

Fragment of the Key to the Door Leading to Reality (2) ― Can only be used when all fragments are collected, and upon use, immediately 7KeE7KecIOuPjOyVhOqwiCDqsbDslbw/

‘What? A fragment of the key to reality? Moreover, it has a ‘(2)’ attached to it? Why did this suddenly…’

Too many thoughts rushed into my head at once, making me dizzy. It felt like my brain was going to explode. I stood still like a broken machine, looking down at the floor.

How long had I been like that. I raised my head slowly. My eyes met Nameless Star’s.

“Nameless Star… It’s getting annoying to call you that. Hey, Agent. You have the first key fragment too, don’t you. The one that came out as loot after the first dimension merge ended.”

“…Yes.”

He answered after hesitating for a moment.

“You have something similar to the terminal I have. I don’t know if you hacked it remotely or made a duplicate, but anyway, the watch you’re wearing is in a state of being synchronized with my terminal on a system level.”

“…….”

“That’s why even though you secretly took the ‘Fragment of the Key to the Door Leading to Reality (1)’ last time, an acquisition notification popped up for me. It says it’s in the inventory, but of course, no matter how much I search for the actual object, it’s not there. Because you have it. The fact that you picked up ‘Key Fragment (2)’ this time was also processed as an acquisition judgment just like back then, which is why the notification came.”

“…….”

“Everything I’ve said so far, is it right?”

“It is right.”

“Why did you hide it?”

‘Fragment of the Key to the Door Leading to Reality’. Unless it is a play on words or a lie, this ‘reality’ must refer to the world I lived in, the world outside the game.

What if I can really return to reality by collecting all the fragments? This is, without question, a key item. It is the only lifeline that the current me must find even if I have to stake everything.

That is why I have been secretly wandering around searching for the actual ‘Fragment of the Key to the Door Leading to Reality (1)’ until now. I did all sorts of things while keeping it a secret from everyone, fearing that I would suffer a terrible fate if the other Incarnations, especially San Gun, found out I was looking for it. While weighing all possibilities, I even had suspicions that I might be seeing textual hallucinations because I wanted to return so badly.

But you’ve been hiding that all this time? You must know what this means to me, yet with that calm and composed face without a single hint of wavering…

A murderous intent beyond anger rose toward the man in front of me. My vision turned bright red.

“Answer me. I’m asking why you hid it, you son of a bitch.”

“…….”

“You said you would obey any order. Do you think that kind of crap aligns with my will? Do you think I would trust you even after doing something like this?”

“…….”

“Fuck, I want to grind you up right now, so say something!”

He bit his lower lip firmly as if frustrated. Then, he put his other hand, which wasn’t holding the necklace, under his own shirt collar and irritably loosened his tie.

“I do not know well what this item is either. However, I became concerned after checking the item’s name. In case you really end up returning to ‘reality’ when you collect all the fragments of this key, impulsively…”

Finally, an answer came from him. Unlike usual, it was an unrefined way of speaking. But his answer, far from calming my anger, incited it further.

“As if that’s a valid excuse!”

I raised my hand without warning. I intended to land a blow on that damn bastard or at least grab him by the collar.

But at that moment, heavy footsteps quickly approached from behind.

“Myeong-ah.”

The arm I had thrust into the air was caught from behind. A dull pain spread through the thick bandages. Belatedly, I realized that the arm I had raised was the place that had been injured earlier by being scratched by the gumiho’s claws.

“I was looking for you…”

The voice, which was low to begin with, was now completely settled down. It sounded like a secret whisper, and also like the sound of a beast growling threateningly in its throat. I only turned my head to look upward.

I saw San Gun’s profile. In contrast to his expression which looked languid to the point of appearing indifferent, only the yellow-green eyes beneath his downcast eyelashes were glistening with an eerie light.

‘Speak of the tiger and he shall appear…’

The timing is incredible. Did he perhaps hear the conversation about returning to reality or whatever? He didn’t hear it, did he?

“So you were here? Together with that treacherous scoundrel.”

“…….”

“I thought you suddenly disappeared, and here you are, huh? Getting injured somewhere again. Is there even any space left to get injured on this arm that’s like a mangy chick’s foot?”

He grabbed my wrist with his index finger and thumb and shook it like a joke. The throbbing worsened. But looking at those eerie eyes, the words to let me go simply wouldn’t come out.

Come to think of it, San Gun is also not a partner to be fully trusted. Is the Agent the only one hiding something from me? San Gun is the same. I asked while half-gritting my teeth.

“That corpse, is it true that San Gun-nim killed it?”

He replied without even looking toward the corpse.

“Are you that curious?”

“I’m asking because I’m curious, aren’t I.”

Because my nerves were on edge to the maximum, kind words didn’t come out even as a formality. San Gun smirked.

“Then I shouldn’t tell you. So you can go crazy thinking only about me.”

The moment I was about to flare up at the playful answer that didn’t suit the situation, Ja-myeong-go, whose complexion had turned pale, shouted.

“The drum sound!”

Ja-myeong-go had one hand placed by his ear. A sound from a very far place that no one else here could hear was heard only by him.

“The drum sound rang out. An intruder has commenced an attack at the entrance of the Library District.”

The air became taut in an instant.