Chapter 67

Chapter 67.

After finishing Nopi’s upgrade, I checked the situation.

[CPU: S]

[GPU: EX]

[SSD: S]

Nopi had cast off the shackles of outdated components that had been holding it back and was beginning to become free.

My heart was already swelling with grandeur.

I tested synchronization through Nopi once again.

“…Oh.”

The real-world scenery that had turned into clay was now being displayed properly.

‘Is this the effect of the GPU upgrade?’

The difference was insane.

When it had been F-rank, it had been the very portrait of a pitiful gamer trying to force a high-performance game to run. But now, it had improved enough that I could swagger into most communities and say, “I tried upgrading, but it is still a little disappointing, haha.”

A GPU was usually the component that affected a game’s graphics.

If it had to reproduce reality exactly as it was, then it naturally required a high-spec GPU. If it was EX-rank, it was only reasonable for its realism to hit MAX.

Next, I tried using magic.

“Oh.”

Unlike before, when it had taken as long as three seconds, this time it activated immediately after a slight delay.

The delay was under one second, so I only felt it faintly.

‘This must be the effect of the CPU improvement.’

The problem where mana had drained rapidly in an instant had also become much more efficient.

[Mana efficiency has been confirmed to be 90% of normal.]

With Whitey’s calculation added at just the right time, I understood.

‘This must be the effect of the SSD.’

However, problems still occurred because of the components that had not yet been improved.

DDDDDD!

Nopi became furious again.

“Calm down, Nopi.”

I had only used synchronization for a very short time, but the laptop’s battery had instantly fallen below 5%.

It also looked like it was overheating severely.

‘Is it going to die?’

I hurriedly tried to end synchronization.

“Huh?”

Something strange appeared in my vision.

‘…Threads?’

When I focused my mind and checked, they were transparent threads.

‘Oh.’

The moment I became aware of them, my vision changed completely.

Threads, threads, threads.

No matter where I looked, transparent threads filled the air.

Like wind flowing, the transparent threads shimmered like heat haze and drifted slowly through the air.

It felt as though the entire world was submerged in these strange threads.

‘What… is this?’

I instinctively operated my mana and waved my hand, and the threads rippled along with my gesture.

‘This… is mana?’

Unless the situation was special, mana generally could not be seen.

Concentrating with mana covering one’s eyes, seeing it as the aftermath of magic, or sensing it with one’s eyes closed.

Those were the usual ways to perceive mana, but…

Right now, those “threads” of mana were visible to my eyes.

“Ah.”

The moment I tried to explore it further, synchronization turned off with a PIP!

Nopi died.

“Nopi!”

My heart sank because the screen had gone completely black, but when I checked the power port just in case, fortunately, Nopi had only fallen asleep for a moment.

Once I plugged in the charger, it displayed “Charging…” and began obediently eating.

“This is ruined.”

Nopi lying down happened far faster than Nebula’s MP running out.

It was at a level where practical operation was completely impossible.

I would need a special measure.

***

“So, about that. Let us take some of the foundation’s funds and use them.”

[…Special One, the foundation’s funds are not your personal vault.]

“I will fill it back up.”

I lightly ignored Kang Hyojun’s protesting voice.

‘If Nopi cannot pull its own weight, we are doomed.’

This was not abuse of authority.

Right now, the most precious and scarce thing of all was time.

Improving Nopi’s specs was absolutely necessary to clear the 94th-floor Tower.

We had to invest every resource in this as quickly, efficiently, and generously as possible.

The Republic of Korea falls VS The Republic of Korea does not fall, but instead, I embezzle some foundation funds and ignore some proper legal procedures.

If I had to choose only one of the two, was it not obvious that I had to choose the latter?

If saving a country required a price, then naturally, I had to bear that price!

I simply had not said anything because everyone else’s mental state might crumble to pieces.

Right now, the grim reaper had lowered its great scythe over the fate of the Republic of Korea.

‘The fact that I am the only one who knows this is driving me insane.’

Gulp.

“I cannot explain in detail, but for now, I would like you to cooperate with me completely.”

[I know. I know that everything you do is for the salvation of the Republic of Korea.]

“?”

Then why was someone like him nitpicking me?

[However, should there not be at least one loyal subject around you who knows how to shout “NO”?]

“….”

That was not wrong.

Certainly, as I pushed things forward from a kind of absolute position known as “Apostle” or “Special One,” it did seem as though, at some point, only people who nodded along were left around me.

Even Min Jihee, who had been so clever, seemed to have started assuming at some point that I must have my own thoughts.

As for Han Seol-ah… she had never thought much to begin with.

And Uncle Jin Cheonjin was not exactly the type who used his head well.

‘It is necessary.’

While I was briefly lost in thought, Kang Hyojun continued.

[I already have a guess as to what you want. I have prepared it, so please come and take it.]

“Huh? You know what it is?”

[Computer parts, are they not?]

He was right.

[I guessed it some time ago after seeing you “rent” things from Yeriche, Happy, and Jang Hohyeon. They may not be on the same level as what those people have, but they should be enough to sufficiently upgrade the junk laptop you took with you.]

Krrr…

A wave of emotion washed over me.

Only now did I understand what a great blessing it was to have an employee who worked well and handled things sensibly on their own.

If this had been a game quest called “Enhance Nopi,” I would have had to run errands from start to finish and waste an absurd amount of time.

Reality was wonderful.

Living humans were even nicer.

“Then I will accept them gratefully.”

[Also, they were not taken from the foundation’s vault, so there is no need for you to fill it back up.]

“Huh. Then?”

[It is a gift from me.]

“….”

A gift?

All of a sudden?

“Why?”

[…What do you mean, why? You keep saving the Republic of Korea again and again. As a human being, it is only proper for me to give you at least this much.]

“Aha.”

So it was like a favorability event.

Then I accepted it.

‘Now that I think about it, a gift…’

If it had been the old me, the moment someone said they would give me a gift, I would have immediately suspected poison or a trap and tried to grasp their intention.

‘Come to think of it, I have started accepting goodwill without thinking much of it.’

I had accepted Yeriche’s, Happy’s, and Jang Hohyeon’s “gifts” without much suspicion too.

After rolling around as an Awakening-Incapable Person and being left with nothing but venom, it seemed that being treated as a hero had unknowingly softened my personality quite a bit.

“Thank you.”

I clicked synchronization on and left.

***

After the favorability event with Kang Hyojun…

Nopi grew once again.

[Checking terminal status]

[Motherboard: D]

[Power Supply: D]

[Cooling: D]

It was not excellent, but…

This was still something.

While walking a tightrope that nearly killed Nopi but not quite, I investigated the “threads” I had seen a little more.

It was certain.

‘When an EX-rank component is installed, it has a special ability.’

The GPU’s effect was that it allowed me to see “mana.”

“To think I can see mana.”

There were two drawbacks.

I could only see it while concentrating.

And the burden placed on Nopi during that time became extremely heavy.

But even with those two disadvantages…

Amazing was still amazing.

“Our Nopi is so incredible!”

When it did well, I had to say it did well. When it was incredible, I had to call it incredible.

A child would not go astray if praised regularly.

Nopi’s glossy black case had never looked so beautiful.

Mwah, mwah.

The results of finding out what being able to see mana meant for me were astonishing.

When magic was cast, the threads of mana fluctuated violently and were sucked toward the caster.

What did that mean?

It meant that as long as I maintained the eye that allowed me to see mana…

I could “see” magic being cast.

“And what is my specialty in magical combat?”

It meant I could immediately “dispel” it.

Whether it was fast magic or slow magic. Whether it was high-grade magic or low-grade magic.

Fairly and equally, I could cancel it the moment it activated.

In other words.

As long as this eye was active…

There was no mage who could defeat me in magical combat.

What I learned from this was that I needed to fill every other component with EX-rank parts without exception.

I had been planning to do that before too.

But now, I had a clear reason.

‘The closer Nopi gets to becoming an EX-rank laptop, the higher my own ceiling rises with it.’

“Whitey, it does not matter whether it is a finished product or upgrade materials. Search for everyone who has components that can receive an EX-rank judgment and let me know.”

[Yes. However, because the information is heavily concealed and fragmented… I will need some physical time.]

Physical time?

I remembered the scene from before, when Whitey had beaten up “Censored” while reading information about Iaun.

Did this mean it was going to beat everything up this time too?

“Mm… excellent.”

[Huhu… This heavy and chilling sensation. It is time to return to being “Snow White.”]

***

“What should I do with this…?”

Holding the Possession Ticket in my hand, I sank into thought.

With the final addition of Slave No. 3… no, Yeriche, the strongest healer on Earth, joining as the “healer,” the party for the 94th-floor try had been assembled.

Then was it over?

Could we immediately run off to clear the 94th floor?

The problem was that we could not.

‘Even setting aside the fact that Iaun is still undercooked…’

We were not fully prepared yet.

The 94th floor was not a place that could be cleared by one superhuman smashing everything apart alone.

To summarize the theme of the 94th floor, it was defense and offense.

One side defended a base.

The other side struck and annihilated the objective.

In this kind of structure, distributing forces between the defense team and the offense team was the key.

If too much combat power was poured into defense, the pillar of striking and annihilating the objective would collapse, and the clear would fail.

Conversely, if too much was pushed into offense, we would fail because we could not protect the base.

And the price of failure?

‘Death.’

Then what was the countermeasure?

…That was where I was stuck.

‘This is all because of the system that will not tell me when the next Break will occur.’

In this ticking time-bomb situation where I did not know when it would explode, I had always chosen only the best possible options.

I had laid the groundwork for clearing the 94th floor with the best efficiency and as little wasted time as possible.

And the finishing touch was how to use this… “Possession Ticket.”

“In this situation, what do you think, Whitey?”

[…I do not believe that is a question I can answer.]

“Of course. That is just like an AI.”

[…]

These AI bastards acted all smug and answered well enough normally, but when an important question came up, they always backed out with, “That is a question I cannot answer.”

[That is not the issue. You have not shared the plan you have in mind with me, Agent, so I lack far too much basis for judgment. What exactly is “this situation”?]

“Ah.”

I had only been thinking about it inwardly.

“You could have tried reading my mind.”

[…I am a tool, not an artifact…]

“I am telling you to make an effort. Effort.”

Effort was not a privilege exclusive to humans!

I briefly explained the concept of “defense and offense” to Whitey.

I could not explain everything from start to finish.

That was the rule of the Tower.

‘Spoilers are bad, after all.’

“For reference, I am going alone on offense.”

[Then are you worried that the offense side lacks combat power?]

“No.”

I firmly shook my head.

“Defense is the problem.”

[Even with EX-rank Hunter Han Seol-ah and Iaun there? EX is the pinnacle of Earth’s Hunters. On top of that, you have Yeriche, the strongest healer.]

“It is not enough.”

To be precise, rather than “not enough,” it was closer to “I am uneasy.”

“I can finish the offense in an instant. But enduring even that brief amount of time will be difficult.”

It was not in the 90s for nothing.

The hardest Tower on Earth, was it?

[Then do you want to add more Hunters to the defense team?]

“That is right. But pouring in a bunch of riffraff would be the worst method. We need elites.”

There were many reasons why the Republic of Korea failed the 94th-floor subjugation.

But the biggest reason was that they poured in too many Hunters.

That was not a place that could be cleared that way.

I hesitated before saying the next words.

“To be exact… we need a sacrifice.”

Yes.

I would confess it.

The 94th floor could only be cleared if someone definitely died.

And that “someone” had to trust me.

They also had to possess enough strength not to be killed meaninglessly during defense.

In other words, a Hunter with at least S-rank strength.

Someone who would believe they could die for me.

And someone who would choose that sacrifice gladly, of their “own will.”

‘What a bullshit Tower.’

Then who?

Yeriche?

Iaun?

…Han Seol-ah?

Of course… all three met the conditions.

‘Yeriche is… still undergoing the operation.’

But…

—I could not do it.

It seemed I had become attached to them, even if it had only been for a short time.

Perhaps, after saving the Republic of Korea a few times, they had somehow become “people I needed to protect.”

Or perhaps, after playing the savior for a while, I had fallen into the illusion that I was truly a hero and a good person.

—Even though I was a sinner who had left an indelible wound on this Republic of Korea.

But what could I do?

These three were the possibility of a clear that I had barely fished out from the brink of destruction.

I could not make the choice to use any one of them as a “sacrifice.”

The ten years I had lived as an Awakening-Incapable Person and the brief taste I had experienced of living as a “hero”…

It seemed they had made my mind far too “normal.”

‘I have grown dull.’

Tap, tap. I tapped the table like a pendulum and gathered my thoughts.

Would I sharpen my heart?

Or…

Would I search for another method?

“….”

I made a decision.

For the past ten years, I had lived as a “veteran player” and a “gamer.”

The person I was right now was not “Ha Seong-un the Climber.”

I was “Ha Seong-un the Awakening-Incapable Person.”

Once I realized that…

A path opened before me.