Chapter 460
Chapter 460
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 460
Chapter Title: Information War (1)
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The data center hummed and whirred as its packed electronic equipment spewed out deafening noise and scorching heat.
These were special devices, modified with magitech engineering to function like magical artifacts even on Earth.
'Damn, what the hell...!'
But despite running these precious, hard-to-obtain machines near their limits, there was no sign of improvement.
Hesperon, lying in a capsule tangled with dozens of wires while encased in a Titan Suit, grimaced.
'How the hell can it keep up with this processing speed?'
The entity leading this electronic warfare right now, 「Machine Eye: Kallikas」, wasn't just some ordinary AI.
It wasn't an exaggeration to say it was on an entirely different level from when it had been a mere implanted intelligence in an artificial eye.
An electronic spirit that had unified with him through the 「Chains of the Oath」, growing alongside him and evolving in real time.
This partner had never once let him down so far.
And with the energy core from a Titan spaceship on top of that, it was even more formidable.
But right now...
⚙ SYSTEM NOTIFICATION ⚙ Firewall breach failed. Incoming counterattack from the opponent. Defense successful. Cumulative loss rate exceeds 10%. Entering emergency repairs. Stealth bypass data intercepted by opponent's trap. Mission failed. Unlike usual, there wasn't a single positive message.
The silver lining was that they weren't being overwhelmingly pushed back, but in this situation, that wasn't much comfort.
As time dragged on, the advantage was tilting toward the side that had already fortified its defenses.
'Can't back out now. Have to break through somehow.'
Forcing a signal cutoff at this point would only let the opponent trace the remnants and pinpoint his location soon enough.
He had to avoid exposing his exact position at all costs.
Just one airstrike like the one in Southeast Asia last time would reduce this data center to dust in seconds.
He mobilized every network he'd quietly infiltrated so far, counterattacking aggressively.
But the opponent was doing the exact same thing.
No—in a brute-force slugfest like this, his side was at an even greater disadvantage.
'Ugh, the scale they're deploying is on another level. How long have they been preparing for this...?'
Only one organization came to mind that could pull off something this massive.
'Reverse Heaven Society.'
And as if to nail that thought down...
-Hello~?
A voice file arrived amid the furious data exchange and auto-played.
A familiar voice, laced with an eerie cadence that hit hard even in that single word.
He didn't need to rack his brain to know who it was.
'So you're still alive. Starting to move again, huh.'
The Doctor—one of Reverse Heaven Society's top executives that Heinz 2nd had taken out in Romania.
He was reaching out from beyond the digital realm.
-Well, well, this is impressive! I never dreamed you'd push this far. Truly admirable!
Clapping sounds mixed into the flippant voice, making it seem like genuine delight—which only pissed him off more.
'We're dying over here, and you're still so relaxed.'
Hesperon scowled, brows furrowing.
While 「Machine Eye: Kallikas」's performance had improved, one minor side effect was that the more he pushed it—now that they were one—the greater the feedback burden.
Ignoring his throbbing headache, he let out a small sigh.
'If you're feeling cocky, that's fine by me.'
He didn't bother replying.
Even a tiny leak could tighten the noose around his neck.
That said, he could glean key info from the enemy's chatter, so he just listened silently.
-Hmm? Oh ho! Could this be... Kallikas origin? You've visited a fine world! I love their tech too. Shame so few returners make it back from there!
A chill raced down his spine at those words.
They weren't face-to-face.
Just hacking back and forth over the network in a tug-of-war.
'And from that alone, it figured out our tech base?'
Unlike him, who was just borrowing the Machine Eye's power, this guy's insight was on another plane.
As expected of a top executive.
-Man, so much to chat about, but no time! Guess we'll talk details in person? Uwahahaha!
And those weren't empty words.
The moment the voice ended, the attack pattern shifted completely.
'Wait, this is...!'
⚙ SYSTEM NOTIFICATION ⚙ Canceling attack attempt. Redirecting all resources to defense. Defense failed. Lost occupancy of partial networks. Loss rate exceeds 30%. Detected lethal stealth attack via bypass to vulnerability. Prioritizing low-importance data to minimize damage. Warning messages incomparable to before flashed nonstop.
The opponent's processing speed hadn't spiked, nor was there any special maneuver.
Only one thing had changed.
'...Every move is getting countered. It already read all our patterns?'
Electronic warfare was about probing infinite electrical signals for the enemy's weak spots.
With every action countered perfectly, it was no wonder they couldn't compete.
"Habis! Status report!"
⚙ SYSTEM NOTIFICATION ⚙ Network occupancy plummeting rapidly. Loss rate exceeds 40%. Randomizing patterns to buy time, but at current rate, all paths will be severed in 5 minutes 51 seconds. "...Countermeasures? We can't just sit here taking it, right?"
⚙ SYSTEM NOTIFICATION ⚙ Analyzing vulnerabilities learned from current attacks and applying real-time update patches. Can deploy anti-programs against similar methods based on root cause analysis. That was some relief, at least.
If they survived this, the same trick wouldn't work again.
But that also meant no immediate solutions.
⚙ SYSTEM NOTIFICATION ⚙ Affirmative. Recommend retreat before paths are fully severed. That meant abandoning this base.
No, even that he could stomach if it came to it—the equipment hurt to lose, but doable.
But this fight wasn't just about that, was it?
'The Doctor jumped in while we were digging into that scheme in the Pantheon. Means Reverse Heaven Society's paying close attention to it.'
Retreating now would kill any chance of uncovering the truth.
All the leads in hand would vanish, and the tails we'd stepped on would burrow deeper into the shadows.
⚙ SYSTEM NOTIFICATION ⚙ 4 minutes remaining. He couldn't let that happen.
Not only couldn't he stand by and watch them succeed, but Heinrich—who'd just infiltrated the Pantheon—needed this intel to operate freely.
⚙ SYSTEM NOTIFICATION ⚙ 3 minutes remaining. Time slipped away mercilessly as he racked his brain for a way out.
But no miracle solution was going to appear out of nowhere.
What other plays were there against an enemy somewhere beyond the network, short of textbook tactics?
'If a blackout hit their base, maybe. Nah, they'd have backup generators. Or some explosion wiping it all out...'
All he could do was spit these futile curses.
Of course, saying it wouldn't make it happen...
'Wait. Curse?'
Suddenly, a spark ignited in his mind.
⚙ SYSTEM NOTIFICATION ⚙ 2 minutes remaining. A curse.
Wishing calamity or misfortune upon another.
'And I've got just the thing. A horrific curse born from a Demon King's fall.'
Hesperon took a deep breath and glanced at his right arm.
Truth be told, curses weren't something to toss around lightly.
Thanks to traits like 「Curse Predator」, he was safe, but they were tricky to handle—double-edged swords that could backfire if mishandled.
Above all, without a clear target, success rates plummeted.
If the target was nearby, maybe, but against some unknown foe somewhere? You'd need hair, belongings, or birth details as a medium.
'A way to lock onto a clear target.'
His Machine Eye clearly perceived the enemy beyond the digital veil.
Not face-to-face, but undeniably present over there.
'Normally impossible. But...'
Both his right eye's Machine Eye and right arm's curse were linked through the 「Chains of the Oath」.
Why wouldn't they synergize?
'The internet... and curses. Perfect combo right here.'
⚙ SYSTEM NOTIFICATION ⚙ 1 minute remaining. No time for hesitation.
He thrust his right arm out to the side.
Click-clank—
The Titan parts on his right arm disassembled and faded into the air.
Beneath revealed white bandages etched with dense black script.
And...
"Never thought I'd use this like this. Still, first live test."
Metal bands at his wrist, elbow, and shoulder gleamed coldly in the light.
A new seal crafted by pooling multiple avatars' power for perfect containment.
Clank!
At his gaze, the seams split like unlocked shackles, seals releasing in unison.
As the bandages unraveled like flags in wind, something black and massive slithered out from his right arm.
Shaaaa—
The room's sweltering heat plunged sharply.
As if 'heat' itself had been stolen—now downright chilly.
'Not accumulated long, but its innate power's so strong anyway.'
Accumulation and release.
The new seal's ability.
Near-perfect containment while worn, stacking suppressed curse toxicity endlessly.
The core feature: unleash it stronger than ever, proportional to restraint.
⚙ SYSTEM NOTIFICATION ⚙ 30 seconds remaining. "Alright then."
Hesperon gripped a cable strand with his right hand, black energy roiling, and drew a deep breath.
Infusing it with malice, he wished.
Right then.
Zap-crackle—!
A spark burst from his grasp, and a strand of curse seeped into the digital world.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇ Whirr—
"Oh ho? A reply at last?"
The Doctor, arms wired into machinery, widened his eyes in intrigue.
His arms—split open to expose internals—weren't human anymore.
He'd overhauled them completely during his body mods.
Outputting the received data to his eyes, he snorted derisively.
Not a normal file, after all.
"A virus? How pedestrian! Even cornered, this is disappointing!"
「Deus Ex Machina」
Tricks like this didn't faze the god of machines—himself.
He activated security protocols, purged the virus, and opened the message.
Virus aside, he was curious what this entertaining foe had to say.
"Hm? What’s this?"
The contents were nothing special.
...Or rather, literally nothing.
Just some nonsense chain letter ending like 'This letter started in England...' with a photo of a black youth smirking while drawing a card from a deck.
As the Doctor blinked in bafflement...
The variable had already kicked in.
Crackle—
A spark popped from his wired arm.
"Whoa? What the—!"
One side sent, the other received.
Connection established between them.
The virus-spam format was mere formality—a minimal ritual.
Thus, the curse activated.
Beep—! Beep-beep!
Ring-ring-ring!
Weee-oowee—!
Alarms blared chaotically.
Readings across the machines went haywire.
"Ugh, a curse? A curse via network?!"
Well-versed in both engineering and abilities, pinpointing the cause was easy—but countering now was far too late.
The curse's potency was no joke.
His workshop—worthy of compound spellcraft's inventor—was a fortress, yet it pierced every defense to strike him directly.
"...Pfft."
Crackle!
Boom—!
Sirens wailed amid sparks and explosions.
"...Kuh, kehahahaha—! Brilliant! Never imagined application like this! So fun. Utterly delightful!"
Even in the chaos, the Doctor just cackled.
The thrill of unforeseen knowledge outweighed any anger.
Thud!
After laughing awhile, he toppled forward in place.
As acrid smoke rose from his scorching body, he weakly touched his temple, pulling something out and grinning slyly.
"...Heh, ate a good one there. Good thing I didn't end it quick. Nearly missed this gem."
A charred magitech circuit, spewing smoke, crumbled to irreparable ash.
"Still..."
Whoosh—
Fires erupted across the workshop, devouring everything fiercely.
His consciousness faded to black.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇ Delivering a curse through the digital realm was no easy feat.
Hesperon poured everything into controlling it via 「Chains of the Oath」 and 「Machine Eye: Kallikas」.
Ensuring it didn't veer off and hit the true target clean.
As he focused utterly, forgetting all else, a sudden message jolted him back.
⚔ STATUS ⚔ Entity meets conditions and grows. Acquired Special Skill 「Deus Ex Machina」. "...Huh?"
Forgetting his focus, he stared at the text.
That name somehow sounded ridiculously cool.