Chapter 127

Chapter 127

Long ago, humans wished to reach God.

And so they built a high tower.

A tower named Babel.

In the end, the tower collapsed under God’s wrath, and humanity was divided.

It was a legend from the age of myth, one that almost no one remembered anymore.

Neo Seoul was the Tower of Babel of the present age.

The vast city standing alone in the desert held within it the very same longing of the humans of old, who had once wished to reach God.

Inside Neo Seoul, cutting-edge buildings from the flourishing era before the Great Cataclysm stood as if they would pierce the heavens.

Every district had developed evenly, but among them, the most dazzling and refined was the West District.

Neo Seoul boasted an ultra-advanced civilization, but even within it, the West District stood at the forefront of cutting-edge technology.

There were more mechanized Awakened here than anywhere else, and that characteristic had led to the development of machines.

Here, magic was merely a supplementary means, not the main force.

The West District researched and advanced machines for the sake of mechanized Awakened.

Thanks to that, it boasted a speed of development far superior to the other districts.

The traits of the West District were fully reflected in Kim Hyun-soo’s residence as well.

In the metallic interior space, countless pipes and wires were exposed.

Kim Hyun-soo sat upon a large chair, likewise made of metal.

Kim Hyun-soo’s outward appearance was no different from that of other people. However, a significant portion of his body consisted of mechanical prosthetics.

They had simply been made to resemble the human body to a remarkable degree through superior technology.
Because of that, it was impossible to tell with the naked eye which parts were mechanical and which parts were his real body.

With his expressionless face and cold eyes, he looked as if he were wearing a metal mask.

Kim Hyun-soo was staring into empty space.

His eyes glowed red.

His eyes, too, were mechanical prosthetic eyes.

After staring into the air for a long while, Kim Hyun-soo opened his mouth.

“Three-Legged Crow!”

At that instant, someone’s voice was transmitted directly into his brain.

―Yes, Master.

“Report the situation.”

―So far, there have been seventy-two victims, all of whom had their mechanical bodies stolen and were discarded.

It is presumed that the stolen mechanical bodies were dismantled into small parts and flowed into the black market.

“Seventy-two?”

―One more has just been added. The total is now seventy-three.

“Are the culprits Scavengers after all?”

―That is correct.

“This is absurd. Seventy-three people were taken down by Scavengers in just a few days? It seems we must have looked like easy prey.”

―The items flowing in from the White Bear Caravan have the worst possible compatibility against mechanized Awakened. If this is left alone, it is calculated that the damage will increase further.

“What countermeasures are there?”

―The best method is to mobilize the Machine Legion and directly eliminate the White Bear Caravan.

“That won’t do! If we move the Machine Legion, we will give Jin Geum-ho a pretext to intervene directly in the West District.”

Kim Hyun-soo’s expression twisted.

Kim Hyun-soo feared nothing, but he did fear Jin Geum-ho, the mayor of Neo Seoul.

He knew exactly how extraordinary and terrifying Jin Geum-ho was.

Giving Jin Geum-ho a pretext to interfere would be nothing less than a disaster for both the West District and Kim Hyun-soo himself.

That was why he had no choice but to act as cautiously as possible.

“Another method?”

―Calculating.

The mechanical voice fell silent for a moment.

Kim Hyun-soo waited quietly for its answer.

The Three-Legged Crow was not human.

It was a supercomputer created through a combination of coincidence and science.

During the early days of his awakening, Kim Hyun-soo had accidentally entered a dungeon.

The master of the dungeon was an Ancient Golem classified as Grade S.

At the time, Kim Hyun-soo had still been a novice and was no match for such an opponent.

For some reason, however, the Ancient Golem had been on the verge of collapse. Thanks to that, Kim Hyun-soo had barely managed to defeat it and obtain its spoils.

One of those spoils was the brain that contained the ego of the Ancient Golem.

The Ancient Golem’s brain had been initialized.

Kim Hyun-soo took the Ancient Golem’s brain and studied it.

Then, for some reason, the computer used in the research and the Ancient Golem’s brain fused together.

The Ancient Golem’s brain, now fused with the computer, was reborn as a supercomputer, and Kim Hyun-soo named it the Three-Legged Crow.

The computer that became the main body of the Three-Legged Crow existed inside a bunker one hundred meters underground.

The mechanized Awakened who awakened in the West District were fitted with communication modules connected to the Three-Legged Crow.

Thanks to that, even while sitting here, Kim Hyun-soo could grasp the movements of the mechanized Awakened as clearly as if they were lines in the palm of his hand.

Ordinary Awakened merely had communication modules installed, but Kim Hyun-soo’s trusted subordinates were equipped with auxiliary AIs.

The auxiliary AI was an inferior version of the Three-Legged Crow, and its ego was linked to it.

The auxiliary AI efficiently controlled the movement and energy of mechanized Awakened, making them dramatically stronger.

Because of that, every mechanized Awakened wanted to become Kim Hyun-soo’s trusted subordinate and receive an auxiliary AI. However, such an opportunity was not given to just anyone.

The number of auxiliary AIs was limited, and because of that, they were permitted only to an extremely small minority.

While Kim Hyun-soo was lost in thought, the voice of the Three-Legged Crow rang out.

―According to the current analysis of forces, an alliance with Dongdaemun is calculated to be the most efficient course.

“Dongdaemun? That group of fanatics?”

―Yes.

“Of all places?”

Kim Hyun-soo frowned.

Even to Kim Hyun-soo, the ruler of the West District, Dongdaemun, which was united around Johan, was an uncomfortable group.

It was not their military force that frightened him, but their cohesion and fanatical faith in their god.

Fanatics who did not fear death were exhausting even for mechanized Awakened who had neither blood nor tears.

It was strange that the Three-Legged Crow, which could not possibly be unaware of that fact, would recommend Dongdaemun.

The Three-Legged Crow continued its explanation.

―Recently, Dongdaemun has suffered consecutive failures and has been driven into a corner. Although they have not sustained great damage, the authority of their leader, Johan, has been greatly diminished, and they need an opportunity to turn the situation around.

“A reversal? That may be true.”

―We place Dongdaemun at the front and merely support them.

“You mean we let them save face while we take the substance.”

―That is correct.

“I like that.”

Only then did a smile appear on Kim Hyun-soo’s face.

―Then I will proceed.

“Do so.”

―I will carry out Master’s command.

Kim Hyun-soo nodded and sank deep into his chair.

After looking out the window for a moment, he asked as if something had suddenly occurred to him.

“How many pure Koreans remain at present?”

―According to current data, three million seven hundred twenty-four thousand three hundred and nine.

“Is that all?”

―At this rate, the pure Korean bloodline will disappear completely within one hundred years.

“As long as I live, that will not happen. The master of this land is, in the end, the Korean people.”

Although most of his body had been replaced by machines, his soul and mind were those of a pure Korean.

---

Zeon looked at the metal fragment lying on the table.

It was the remains of the object that had caused the explosion in the Goblin Market.

Five people had died because of it, and twenty had been seriously injured.

The incident had turned the Goblin Market upside down.

Yu Se-hee had immediately summoned the merchants and Awakened of the Goblin Market and begun establishing countermeasures.

“One thing like this has turned the atmosphere into a complete mess.”

“What is that?”

At that moment, Briel’s voice came from behind him. She had been shut in her room.

Zeon spoke without turning around.

“Did you stay up all night again?”

“Yes!”

Briel answered while rubbing her eyes.

When she experimented with alchemy, staying up all night was a daily occurrence.

Thanks to that, day and night had now completely reversed for her.

Briel picked up the object lying on the table and examined it this way and that.

“This is made from the shell of a Thorn Trilobite.”

“You know the material?”

“Yes! It’s extremely rare, but if processed incorrectly, it explodes, so it isn’t used often.”

“Is that so?”

“The Thorn Trilobite is a monster that’s hard to find around here. Is this perhaps something released by the White Bear Caravan?”

“I think so.”

“There must have been plenty of safer materials, so why did they use something this dangerous?”

“It may have been deliberate.”

“Deliberate? Why?”

Briel looked puzzled.

THUMP! THUMP!

Someone knocked on the door from outside.

“Who is it? Levin?”

Briel carefully opened the door. Then she saw a completely unexpected person.

It was a beautiful woman with long, wavy blonde hair cascading down.

Above all, her blue eyes, like sapphires set into her face, were particularly striking.

The moment Briel saw her, her expression twisted. But the woman failed to notice Briel’s reaction and asked cautiously,

“Is this Lord Zeon’s home?”

“It is. Who are you?”

“Ah! My name is Mandy. I came to see Lord Zeon.”

“Mandy?”

“Yes! Is Lord Zeon inside?”

At that moment, Zeon, who had heard Mandy’s voice, came to the door.

“What brings you to my home?”

“So I found the right place.”

“Come in first.”

Zeon let Mandy into the house.

Briel frowned, apparently displeased that Mandy had been invited inside.

Mandy looked around the house and said,

“Your home is very spacious and nice. I never imagined there would be a place like this in the slums.”

“If you look carefully, there are quite a few usable places in the slums too.”

“I think I understand why you insist on not living in Neo Seoul, Lord Zeon. If I had a place like this, I think I would live here too.”

“If you like it, you could look for one.”

“I will leave that for another time. That is not why I came today.”

“So it seems.”

Zeon nodded.

Mandy would not have come all the way to the dangerous slums merely to chat.

Mandy looked straight at Zeon and said,

“I came to ask for your help.”

“Help?”

“Yes! Among the people I know, there is no one who knows the slums as well as you do, Lord Zeon.”

“It seems you have business in the slums.”

“I was tracking Scavengers, but I lost them here. I had no sense of how to continue the pursuit, so I came to find you.”

Although Mandy had lived her entire life in Neo Seoul, the slums were an unknown world to her.

Unlike the well-organized Neo Seoul, the slums were complex enough to resemble a maze, and countless dangers lurked within.

It was not that she feared danger, but she wanted to avoid troublesome matters if possible.

That was when Zeon came to mind.

Zeon asked her,

“You were tracking Scavengers?”

“Yes! While tracking them, I ended up here.”

“It must be quite serious because of the Scavengers.”

“It’s very serious. Their disturbances have caused many victims, so City Hall can’t stand by anymore. That’s why even people like me have been mobilized for Scavenger suppression.”

“I see.”

“I want to end this situation quickly. To do that, it would be better to wipe out their base entirely rather than catching Scavengers little by little.”

“Do the Scavengers have a base? I thought they plundered individually.”

“From what I confirmed, a network exists among them. I also obtained information that their base is somewhere in the desert. If that is the case, then I think there must be a place somewhere in Neo Seoul, or the slums, where they can gather.”

“That makes sense.”

Zeon nodded.

“Can you help me?”

“I will.”

“Really?”

“Yes.”

“Wow!”

Mandy let out an exclamation without meaning to.

That was because Zeon had agreed far more easily than she had expected.

But Zeon had not agreed without any thought.

The items Damian had released were harming the slums as well.

If he left things as they were, something far worse might happen.

Zeon put on the robe hanging on the wall and said,

“Let’s go.”

At that moment, Briel shouted urgently,

“I’m going too.”