Chapter 59
Chapter 59
He Went to a Better Place
***
***
It took 25 hours for the training sword that had been pointing toward the edge of the sky to descend to the ground.
“Phew.”
The training that had begun at dawn yesterday only came to an end the following morning.
I had always fought on the premise that I would die. Immortality was the unique advantage that only I possessed. It was the most special and sharpest weapon in the world—choosing not to use it would have been foolish.
However, after obtaining an identity, I adjusted all my forms anew in order not to die. When I overturned the premise I had taken for granted, I realized many things. It became a new stimulus.
There was no need to even mention that the level I had long been stuck at had advanced, even if only slightly.
It felt as though its form would soon become fixed.
To the point where it could no longer be simply called an old-style martial art.
The fact that it had remained nameless until now was largely the result of my own will. The moment I gave it a name, I could not shake the impression that it would become tainted. Back then, I was nothing more than a greenhorn who did not even know how to crawl and stumbled about.
I did not even know what path the martial art the old monk had taught me was meant to pursue—how could I recklessly define it on my own?
All of it had happened because I lacked conviction, but now it was different. A firm blueprint, as if I could grasp it by simply stretching out my arm, came to mind.
One step forward.
What would lie beyond that?
It had been decades since training had felt enjoyable, so I shut myself in and devoted myself to it, neglecting food and drink.
But that ended today.
I had to purchase an android to use in earnest for research, and I also needed to replace the equipment damaged in the last battle.
Right on time, a guest arrived.
Sera, the all-purpose android who periodically visited and willingly took on the role of housekeeper.
With both hands gathered at her chest, she announced,
“Dobby young master is a genius.”
“Is your head okay?”
***
Sera, seated on the sofa, took out a smart device from her bosom. It was a flat device like a card, and several cameras were attached to its back.
It did not take long for me to realize that the device was anything but ordinary. The moment she set it down, a hologram rose up.
Curly brown hair.
And an innocent smile.
Though it was not even one-seventh of his actual size, it felt as if he were truly there.
A real mass hologram.
Yes, what Sera had brought was a projector modified to be portable.
“It’s called a probe. It’s a custom-made item specially ordered for Dobby young master.”
“Interesting.”
It was then that the guest who had arrived unnoticed waved his hand.
“Long time no see!”
“We just met in the game the other day.”
“That’s true, too.”
Since I participated in raids without fail, Dobby and I met at least once a week. There was no need to exchange greetings all over again.
“So this is your house?”
Having come out into the world, Dobby looked around as if everything fascinated him.
Of course, it only appeared that way—his actual senses were replaced by the lenses and sensors embedded in the probe.
“But is this right? It seems a bit smaller than my room.”
“Hey, don’t belittle my abode.”
“Oh, sorry. I didn’t mean it like that. I was just curious why you live in a place like this.”
It seemed that a young master raised in a greenhouse had difficulty understanding the life of an ordinary commoner.
“So what did you mean by saying Dobby’s a genius?”
“Are you familiar with the infinite tunnel test?”
“Roughly.”
The infinite tunnel test was one of the methods used to determine aptitude as a Diver.
Even if the brain was used as a computational device, one could not escape the framework of being human.
In other words, no one knew what kind of chemical reaction would occur when confronted with a digital world composed of 0s and 1s.
The infinite tunnel test referred to the entire process of applying stress to a subject in preparation for such a situation.
Perhaps it could be described as an indicator measuring how far one could navigate through the sea of information.
“Dobby young master’s score is 995 points. The highest possible score in theory.”
“That’s unexpected.”
Sera expressed admiration unlike her usual self, but I approached it conservatively. Talent and ability were similar words, yet different.
Moreover, full dive was not a field one could master alone. The presence of someone one could call a master was essential.
Even my close friend Thomas Russell, who had been brimming with talent, only reached his peak after passing through middle age and entering old age. There was no need to say how arduous that process had been.
Reading my thoughts, Dobby shrugged as if feeling slighted.
“You don’t look convinced.”
“You’ve got an overzealous helicopter mom attached to you.”
“Who are you calling a helicopter mom? Dobby young master simply lacked motivation. Once he made up his mind, first place was practically guaranteed.”
“Sera. So that’s how you saw me.”
“N-no, that’s not what I meant, young master.”
If what Sera said was true, Dobby growing into an outstanding Diver was practically a foregone conclusion.
Then how far had he come by now?
As a test, I voiced a few requests.
“There’s a four-way intersection in front of my house. I want to see the traffic data for the past month. Everything that moved. Don’t leave out cars, people, or even passing animals.”
“I’ll give it a try.”
In an instant, countless windows appeared and vanished around Dobby.
There were three methods by which a Diver processed information.
Collection, organization, and interpretation.
The order of importance also followed the sequence described above. Finding it somehow was first, arranging it according to specific conditions was second, and deciphering it was last.
If collection and organization were completed first, interpretation could be requested from someone else.
Of course, since all three elements were closely interconnected, there were hardly any who excelled in only one. To achieve greatness, one had to accumulate experience evenly in all areas.
This was precisely why I said diving was difficult.
“I’m done.”
“Already?”
“I bypassed the CCTV managed by the Public Enforcement Corps through a website that provides real-time traffic information, selected only vehicles with weak security to collect black box data, and filled in the missing parts with satellite images.”
“Satellite?”
At the unexpected word, I faltered, and Dobby replied as if it were obvious.
“Huh? Didn’t I mention it? Maximum Noise operates a few satellites. I borrowed one of them.”
Come to think of it, before becoming a game company, they had made a name for themselves as a telecommunications provider.
I felt as though I understood what kind of monster capitalism had produced. A company that raked in money on a pan-human scale clearly played in a different league.
It was then that the information I had requested flowed in through the device.
What caught my attention was an alley not far from my house.
Even when the car models changed and the number of occupants varied, that spot never once became vacant. As if someone were deliberately staking it out.
‘Hmm, so there were indeed personnel assigned to monitor me.’
They were undoubtedly agents sent by Jin Geon.
For a moment, I considered stepping out and acknowledging them, but soon I saw them withdraw like a receding tide.
It could not be because suspicion had been cleared.
Most likely, a major incident had occurred. Big enough that they had to pull even the personnel on standby.
“So? At this level, I think I can call myself a Diver, don’t you?”
At Dobby’s voice, clearly seeking praise, I came back to my senses and answered evenly.
“Not bad.”
To be honest, I was astonished. It was unusual to have grown this much in just about a month.
His processing speed was unrivaled as well.
It felt uncomfortable to dismiss it simply as talent.
“Could I help with what you do?”
“What I do?”
“Yeah. You said there’s a Diver you know who helps fix things, right? I think I could take that spot.”
“Sorry, but I don’t take on jobs difficult enough to require a Diver.”
“Really? I heard you were the one who blew up Eastern Gate.”
It was not information Dobby, who had spent his entire life inside Anima, could have known.
Letting out a sigh, I turned to Sera.
“Miss Siri.”
“That is precisely why debts must be repaid on time. You released unnecessary information to cover living expenses, did you not?”
As someone who had once scraped together every last cent Sera had and borrowed it, I had no excuse even if I had ten mouths.
Anyway—
“I don’t mind you helping me, but I’m worried you might treat it like a game.”
Now that his hidden aptitude had come to light, he must have felt as though he was walking a smooth, paved road. And behind him stood Maximum Noise like a solid wall of support.
“Reality isn’t that fun or beautiful.”
At some point, Dobby formed a chair out of hologram light and sat on it.
“If I only wanted to see pleasant things, I’d stay holed up in Lost Saga, staring at the Five Great Sceneries.”
Dobby erased the smile from his lips and added,
“I can’t live as a young master forever, can I? So call me. At least let me repay you for saving me.”
***
Though I had gained a reliable reinforcement, I needed to think carefully about how to use him. Dobby seemed to have steeled himself in his own way, but there was still an order to things.
After organizing my thoughts, I entered the gun shop located on the outskirts of District 34, Military Room.
Inside, as always, Oliver was smoking as if he were chewing on the cigarette.
“Mr. Trigger Happy.”
“Window shopping again?”
“No, today’s different.”
Separate from the compensation I had received from Producer Raju Sable, Damian Mac, chairman of the megacorp B&B, had opened his wallet as well. I had quite a bit of money on hand.
“Give me an IVOD. Not the 300—the 500.”
What I called for was not the standard line, but the flagship line.
A tragic piece that had shed the label of MUG—1, yet failed to reach MUG—2.
It had maintained its form even after clashing with Resonance, so its quality was practically proven.
After that, I swept up all the items I had been unable to purchase for so long.
“By any chance, the Black……”
I reflexively almost mentioned Blacksmith, the integrated blade management storage system I had favored back on Earth, but shook my head.
It would have been ideal to purchase it in preparation for emergencies, but I wanted to avoid catching Jin Geon’s attention and getting entangled in something troublesome.
“No, more than that, I’d like to take a look at some firearms.”
“What about Clock?”
“It went to a better place.”
“Hmm, may it rest in peace.”
Instead of incense, Oliver exhaled a stream of cigarette smoke and pressed his palms together.
“There are plenty I could recommend, but first we should check the bullets. So, what’s your budget?”
“Up to 500 million.”
“Oh, that’s a big number.”
It was an amount that seemed to test his qualifications as a gun dealer. Moreover, I was not a collector but a fixer. It was only natural to focus purely on function rather than appearance.
On top of that, it needed a spoonful of something special.
This was a world where a single piece of equipment could decide victory or defeat.
“I’ve got just the thing in mind. It’ll probably suit your taste.”
Oliver went into the warehouse and returned, placing a sealed case in front of me.
“It was released two years ago, but it doesn’t fall short even compared to what’s coming out these days. The concept was excellent, but they judged it unprofitable due to production costs, so it was discontinued. The price happens to be close to what you mentioned.”
The moment the lid opened and the contents were revealed—
I lowered my head and had my gaze stolen. Oliver continued explaining, but his words did not reach my ears.
“I’ll take this.”