Setting the Trap
"How did it go?"
[...]
"Are you alright?"
[...]
"Why aren't you answering?"
[...]
"I have to go to work!"
[...]
No matter how many times I called out, CC remained silent.
It was only after a long while, when my prosthetic arm finally began to cool down, that a response finally came through.
I'm sorry. I was focusing all my processing power on tracking the hack, so I couldn't respond.
"Phew."
I leaned back against the bed, letting out a heavy sigh of relief.
"So, did you find them?"
Unfortunately... but I did manage to figure out a few things. It wasn't a random hack. It looks like they targeted us with pinpoint precision.
"...Are we compromised?"
The recent fight with the Player had been streamed to quite a few viewers.
Though unlikely, someone among them might have noticed something off in my or CC's actions—some subtle discrepancy we hadn't even realized we were showing.
I don't think so. They showed several patterns they absolutely wouldn't have used if they knew I was an AI. It doesn't seem like a trick, so I doubt they know about my existence.
"Then why the sudden hack?"
I'm not sure either. But I do know what they were after.
"Their objective?"
Yes. Your physical location in the real world.
My location.
In other words, where my actual, physical body was currently resting.
By default, Intra-Maetan was an anonymous space.
While the corporation had unrestricted access to its employees' personal data, and such information was exchanged during Maetan Point transactions or property transfers, you couldn't learn anything about a random passerby unless they chose to introduce themselves.
If someone used a preset or custom avatar, they could look like an entirely different person from their real-world self.
"I'm using a goblin avatar, so they can't deduce my identity from my appearance... So why target me?"
That, I really don't know. Did you make an enemy somewhere, Mister?
It wasn't out of the question.
I exercised my right to remain silent.
"Could it be Maetan's administrators?"
No. If it were the administrators, the source of the hack would be the system itself. But this hacker breached the system first and used those administrative privileges to gain access. That means they're a regular user.
At least it didn't seem like Maetan had caught on to anything.
CC continued.
Also, the methodology is very similar to the hacking patterns used by the military. I suspect they're an operator... specifically, a Wizard...
While Maetan categorized people's processing power by computation grades, the military of the past had no such ranks. Anyone with exceptional processing capability was simply called an operator.
Instead of rifles, they plugged electrodes directly into their brains, acting as auxiliary CPUs for friendly high-tech equipment or hacking enemy machines by hijacking Machine Species drones.
Wizard was military slang specifically reserved for those who could directly hack the Machine Species.
"Using that specific pattern... means the opponent is military-affiliated?"
Highly likely.
If they were military, things got complicated.
Every single person who had served in the military and survived to this day was a force to be reckoned with.
They were survivors of that insane battlefield.
The weak had all perished long ago.
"Did you pinpoint their location?"
Almost, but I barely missed them because of the thermal limits of your prosthetic arm...
I could sense her dejection through her text.
"Nothing we can do about that. We'll just have to be careful and prepare for the next attack."
So, I have a proposal.
"A proposal?"
"Mister... hurry up... I can't wait any longer..."
A body a full torso wider than an adult male, coarse-looking yet soft fur, just the right amount of muscle to provide maximum satisfaction when hugged, and the cozy comfort of pre-hibernation fat. The Mungchi F_Sun Bear_Hibernation v_Request avatar—a collaboration between Maetan's design team, who had spent their entire lives crafting avatars, and the Garden, who prided themselves on being more knowledgeable about human desires than anyone else—was currently clinging to the scrawny arm of my goblin avatar.
"Squeak... squeak... squeak... (My, my... what is the world coming to... )"
"Squeak, squeak-squeak!, squeak! (I never would have guessed our youngest had such tastes... )"
The Longsword Goblin Senior and Handaxe Goblin Senior clicked their tongues and executed rolls.
To anyone else, it would have sounded like mere goblin squeaks, but as a fellow goblin, I understood their meaning perfectly.
No, if this keeps up, I'm going to ruin our harmonious team atmosphere...!
"Squeak, squeak, squeak-squeak. (I'm working right now. I'll play with you later.)"
"What are you saying? I don't understand a word. Hmph... you're taking too long..."
Unfortunately, my goblin voice didn't register to Mungchi. NPC avatars were restricted from speaking human language during working hours.
As Mungchi whined and shook her body, my goblin avatar—which was smaller than one of Mungchi's hind legs—swung back and forth with a whooshing sound.
"Squeak, squeak, squeak...! (A hardcore furry... to think our youngest had such masochistic tendencies!)"
"Squeak, squeak. (Bear with it, Handaxe. You don't try to understand another man's tastes; you just turn a blind eye... !)"
CC had utterly ignored my command not to bother me while I was working.
I was beginning to seriously doubt whether partnering with an AI had been the right choice.
Several days had passed since the hack by the unidentified individual.
CC had refrained from logging in as the Sun Bear, keeping her heat generation in check and remaining on standby to counter any incoming hacks at a moment's notice.
But over the next few days, the hacker remained silent, and CC's patience finally wore thin.
Unable to endure the boredom, CC had slipped into her Sun Bear avatar and burst out.
And now, she had been clinging to my arm like this for a while, begging me to go play.
The clock struck 20:00—quitting time.
> ID: DR03415 Yoon Juhyuk
> STATUS: Off-Duty
"Finally! Mister, let's go, quick!"
"I may be off the clock, but I can't play with you. I have plans today."
"Hmph... !"
Now that working hours were over, my goblin avatar was capable of human speech.
Normally, most people would shed their goblin skins at this point and switch to their personal avatars, but I preferred to stick with the goblin avatar even during daily life in Intra-Maetan due to its low computational load.
Unlike personal avatars, which required the user to handle all the processing themselves, NPC avatars like the goblin were processed on Intra-Maetan's servers.
Swoooooosh...!
The sound of something falling from the sky echoed above.
I looked up to see a mass of crimson flames hurtling toward us at high speed.
"Hyeoooong-niiiiiim!"
Thud!
A muscular red goblin made a landing that felt more like a crash right in front of me.
"Did I keep you waiting, Hyeong-nim? I'm here!"
"No, I just clocked out myself."
Click, clack.
A sound that had absolutely no business being heard in a grassy, dirt-filled Goblin's Forest echoed.
The sharp click of high heels, as if walking down a corridor.
"Kang Yeolchan! I told you to act like an A-class! What if someone sees you?!"
Yoo Hyeyeon emerged from the woods.
"Hello, Mr. Yoon Juhyuk. I look forward to working with you today... Gasp?!"
Yoo Hyeyeon flinched and took a step back the moment she spotted Mungchi clinging to me.
"... So... what the security chief told me that day was actually true... ?!"
As Yoo Hyeyeon stared at the Sun Bear clinging to me—specifically at the fishnet stockings wrapping its legs (which restored themselves upon every relog no matter how many times they were torn or stripped off)—the warmth rapidly drained from her eyes.
Feeling the weight of that gaze, CC flinched and spoke up.
"Ah... Mister, you said you were busy today, right? I'll be going then. S-See you later."
Leaving behind an awkward farewell, CC vanished.
Yoo Hyeyeon asked.
"Who was that just now... ?"
"Uh... just a younger friend I know. She showed up at my workplace unannounced and was pestering me to go play, which was putting me in a bit of a spot."
"A younger friend..."
"As expected of Hyeong-nim...! You're incredibly popular... !"
Kang Yeolchan breathed in admiration.
Yoo Hyeyeon seemed to ponder for a moment before quickly slipping back into her professional persona.
"I see. In that case, we should probably get this over with quickly. Shall we head out?"
"Lead the way."
The reason Kang Yeolchan had sought me out today was because of a favor I had asked.
'I want to fill up my training points for the Player License.'
Out of the ten total training points required, five could be earned simply by working as a goblin in Maetan.
However, the remaining five points required experience accessing the Internet under the guidance of a certified Player.
When I explained the situation to Kang Yeolchan, he had readily agreed to act as my instructor.
Yoo Hyeyeon tagging along was unexpected, though.
Additionally, accessing the Internet while on out-of-office duty apparently did not count toward the training points.
"Mr. Yoon Juhyuk, you used the headquarters' connection room last time, correct?"
I recalled that solitary room, heavily stained with blood.
"Yes, it was a very cozy place."
Yoo Hyeyeon let out a soft chuckle.
"That place was built specifically for out-of-office workers. It's designed to allow rapid containment in the off chance someone gets contaminated by an AI. But for us Players, as long as we're connected to Intra-Maetan, we can access the Internet anytime, anywhere."
Out of nowhere, Yoo Hyeyeon extended her hand.
"?"
Unsure of what she meant, I simply stared, prompting her to smile warmly and grasp my hand.
A soft sensation.
And then, a firm, slightly sweaty... massive fist belonging to Kang Yeolchan grabbed my other hand.
A tiny goblin sandwiched between a beautiful office lady on one side and a massive red goblin on the other.
It was a rather embarrassing sight, but I didn't have the luxury of choice.
"Out-of-office workers can only use the Monolith Gate with explicit permission, but we Players can use it whenever we want. However, to escort a regular user, at least two Players of A-class or higher are required."
Yoo Hyeyeon summoned a console and teleported us in front of the Monolith Gate.
The guards stationed at the gate bowed their heads to us.
Hand-in-hand with the two of them, I stepped into the gate.
"The server we're heading to is a ski resort. It's currently the off-season, so there aren't many people around, which is why I chose it. Today, we'll just take a light stroll around the area."
Beyond the gate lay a resort primarily dedicated to golf and skiing.
While there were a few tourists, it was practically deserted compared to the bustling crowds of Seoul Station.
"Your training objective is to collect at least 2 gigabytes of animal data from here and return. It's nothing difficult, so think of it as a sightseeing trip and enjoy yourself."
"Understood."
"Haha, though our Yeolchan will probably be doing most of the heavy lifting."
"Hyeong-nim! Let's go!"
The moment the words left his mouth, Kang Yeolchan leaped into the sky and vanished toward the mountainside.
Is it really okay for him to be that conspicuous?
"He may look reckless, but he's an A-class for a reason. He has an excellent instinct for knowing exactly how far he can push things without provoking the AI."
*Boom! Boom!*
A straight line of dust plumed along the mountainside, indicating he was tearing through the forest.
"Is even that okay?"
"It's... fine. The AIs monitoring the Internet react sensitively to 'impossible anomalies,' but a bit of dust kicking up on a mountain is a common enough occurrence..."
*Rumble!*
A massive boulder came crashing down from the mountainside.
"Kang Yeolchaaaan!"
Screaming her unbridled son's name, Yoo Hyeyeon cast aside her guild leader persona, transformed back into a frantic mother, and took flight.
"Hyeong-nim! Over here! Scan this!"
Kang Yeolchan had somehow caught a squirrel from somewhere.
• Classification: Natural Monument of South Korea
• Description: Features elastic skin folds between its limbs, allowing it to glide through the air.
"Is animal data actually valuable?"
"It's low priority, but they must use it for something. I saw them use a bunch of cat data to open a cat cafe in Intra-Maetan!"
With Kang Yeolchan around, the data collection looked like it would be over in the blink of an eye.
Using physical capabilities that far exceeded the reaction speed of wild animals, he captured them in an instant.
"I'll go grab some more!"
*Crash.*
It was just a light hop to build momentum, but it was powerful enough to leave a crater in the ground.
I glanced over at Yoo Hyeyeon, who was currently watching ants carry away a bug at the base of a tree.
Keeping a wary eye on her, I whispered quietly.
"How is it? Did you do it?"
Perfectly.
A pink text message from CC floated before my eyes.
I've scattered data containing the location coordinates of my quantum processor around the area. They should find it soon enough, don't you think?
"Good."
In truth, my real purpose for connecting to the Internet today lay elsewhere.
On the day we lost the hacker, CC had made a proposal.
We need to find their processor's physical unit.