Chapter 35
Chapter 35
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 35
Chapter Title: Hacker Who Even Hacks Servers (1)
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When deciding on our third summon, we had no choice but to weigh a bunch of different conditions.
Assuming we were picking a hacker as a support and inviting an electronic warfare expert.
What if we ended up pulling someone like Ulron, for instance?
What if we summoned a robot loaded with a super AI created by a once-in-a-generation genius scientist from one of those American-made superhero gacha games—a robot that could potentially dominate the world?
-For a blue and pristine Earth, all humans must vanish. You're my master, so I'll kill everyone except you.
...Something like that could happen.
And that's still the lesser evil.
There's no guarantee that summons would be as friendly to me as Elaine or Kiharu.
-Heh, hehehe... I'm just a being from a game, everything I've been through was made up by someone, living through all that pain until now... ugh, heh heh heh...! This world would be better off gone...!
What if we summoned a total mental case who decides the world needs to end faster than any tower-induced apocalypse?
On top of those worries, as we searched for the talent our party actually needed, we inevitably arrived at one particular candidate.
"Someone with decent combat ability, who can accept being pulled from a game into reality to some degree, who can handle the darkness of this world and has the mental fortitude to face its depths."
After mulling it over like that, we reached one clear conclusion.
"A humanoid android."
We decided to summon an android from a near-future game setting, specialized in electronic warfare.
"Countering hacking should be a piece of cake for her. We can ask President Luigi for any equipment we need."
Having dabbled in the underworld back in our old world, I figured we'd have solid backup for protecting our info anyway.
"It's not human, but it's made to be as close to human as possible, so dealing with organic matter shouldn't be an issue."
"What about fuel or battery compatibility, Partner?"
"That's a concern."
If there was one minor issue, it was that it was an android—close to human, but not quite.
"But it's not some tech from two thousand years in the future; it's near-future, not even a full century ahead. And it doesn't need any exotic particles or anything."
"If it's powered by plain electricity..."
"If it's compatible, we could just charge it with electricity. And since it's a summon at its core, it might run on mana instead of power. ...If it needs future tech parts, we'll just have them developed. Keeping leaks to a minimum."
And no one knew what impact the 'near-future virtual world tech' she possessed would have on reality.
"She might be a bit confused or shocked after summoning, but I'll handle explaining things to her."
There were a few potential issues, but we could probably persuade her once she was here.
"There's one thing that's bothering me, though..."
Just one tiny problem.
"It's not domestic?"
"Yeah. It's from a Chinese mobile game."
Not a Korean game.
"Mobile games have developers from all over the place. Lots of foreign games get published in Korea."
Unlike Elaine and Kiharu, whose origins were Korean game companies, 'she' came from a game made in China.
"China, you say."
"Does it have to be China-nyang?"
For some reason, Kiharu looked pretty sour about it.
"Wouldn't it be better to keep variables domestic and solve everything within Korea-nyang?"
"Because I'm Korean?"
"It's not just that, but for protecting game companies and servers, limiting it to places in Korea makes sense, right?"
"Fair point. You don't put all your eggs in one basket, but you don't scatter them everywhere either. Better to keep them in the same space if possible."
Different game companies, sure—but stick to Korean ones.
Protect the Korean game companies and their server rooms. Done.
No need to guard spots all over China, Japan, or America.
"That's exactly what I'm planning to fix."
"Fix?"
"By pulling the servers here."
I pulled out a photo and showed it to the two of them.
"Just in case the game companies—willingly or not—shut down service, I'm gonna hack their servers, copy them, and back you all up."
The photo showed a massive server room.
Much bigger than this officetel I was crashing in now, but our buddy Luigi could hook us up with something like that.
In exchange for conquering an S-Rank tower.
"A server room...?"
"I get the idea, but if we're hacking and ripping servers anyway... um..."
Unlike Elaine, Kiharu tilted her head with a bitter look.
"Games don't have borders and all, but wouldn't it be better to limit variables to Korea? Or America, maybe. For the summon target."
"Korean and American hackers are too risky—they might try to end the world."
"Ah."
"This is the safest option from a crisis management standpoint."
"A Chinese game character being the safest. The people in my world would faint if they heard."
Kiharu still looked bitter, but there was no helping it.
Real-world folks and fictional ones were bound to differ.
"Who knows? Being from a Chinese game might make her even better at hacking."
That's why people say they're wizards at electronic warfare.
-This girl's chest parts look weird?
-Whoa there. She's originally 'busty.'
-Ignore the haters saying it's flat but they hack reality for fanservice bread-and-butter drawing. No badmouthing.
Hell, her bust parts drop straight down, yet illustrators all draw 'em massive thanks to their hacking skills—or so the rumors go.
"Sounds pretty discriminatory, but I'll let it slide since I held back from worse-nyang."
"Ahem. Anyway, someday—whether in this country or somewhere else—I wanna build a new base for us."
We couldn't stay in this officetel forever.
"Not 'soon,' exactly, but we'll have to leave here eventually."
Right now, we were hiding info as best we could, but if we had a secure spot no paparazzi or S-Rank hunters could breach, we could move there.
"Whether we go to America, or America then back to Korea, we need a base for you all. Game data manifesting real powers means I wanna secure it if possible."
"Doing it via hacking... no, hacking might actually be safer. No one knows your ability is 'summoning game characters' yet."
"Exactly. It might leak someday, but we're prepping ahead. If game companies find out, they could tweak performance or delete you on a whim."
Even if someone later figures out my power and tries to nerf or delete my summons by wrecking game servers, backups in a safe spot mean no hacking worries.
...If we can't rip the servers, just knowing that gives us leverage.
If we have to protect main servers no matter what, we plan around that.
"Elaine. What do you think?"
"If Master's decided to summon her for our sake, I wouldn't mind even if she's some tail-wagging flirt aiming at you."
"...Huh?"
"I've changed my mind a bit. Better to say Kiharu's talk shifted my perspective. We had a little chat."
Elaine flashed Kiharu a sweet smile, then gestured around the room.
"Better a house full of girls than adding more guys. Of course, Master living with a bunch of women might cause some awkward moments..."
"That's fine."
Minor inconveniences could be handled.
No one would complain about cohabiting with beauties who adjusted to him.
"Shall we summon her right away then?"
"Nah, can't do it immediately."
"Limited-time banner? Gotta wait for pickup?"
"It's the 10th anniversary multi-banner right now, so pickup's active. That's why we're discussing it."
Just grind dupes and weapons.
Specs were solid enough; I needed lore performance over in-game stats.
"Let's summon first. Pity system's there, so it won't take forever... Huh?"
The moment I launched the game for the third summon, a chill hit me from the launcher.
"Notices galore... What the."
"What's wrong, Master?"
"...Uh."
I was floored.
"...They're shutting down the servers?"
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇ [Meanwhile, Shanghai, China. Game company <ChaoChao Play>.]
"We gotta shut down the servers, right?"
A man in his late thirties—balding and haggard—slumped in his chair, staring at the ceiling and sighing heavily.
"Ten years. We dragged it out."
Mobile game for ten years.
The bold venture had hit its 10th anniversary.
Congrats rolled in.
Tributes too.
But no users.
Ten years ago, crowds hailed it as 'mobile gaming's revolution.' But a decade was an eternity in mobile.
They made new games.
Profits from hits funded more.
Split the company: rookies on old games, veterans on new cash cows.
Then hits happened.
Towers spewed monsters, swallowing the company—old-timers included—mid-development.
No one to complain to.
Towers breaking and flooding gates with dead was commonplace.
Best effort in tough times, but now it was time to pull the plug.
"...Three years of losses."
Failed game company's fate.
Server costs and salaries from his pocket—limits reached.
"Sorry, Liu Fei. Our avant-garde dream couldn't beat reality's wall."
The man, Chao Chao, squeezed his eyes shut.
"Ten years. Servers... shut down."
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇ "...No way that's happening."
Absolutely not.
"Tiny chest or not, she's exactly the talent we need right now."
Servers shutting down?
No more summons after that.
"How much money have I sunk into this game?"
Over three million won in billing history alone.
Not a launch user, so not insane spending, but even with no budget limits now, it was a game I'd survived on cup ramen for—pulling cards, buying skins out of pure attachment.
"...No. After days hunting the perfect hacker, this can't happen."
This wasn't summoning.
It was rescue.
"Elaine. Can you do me one favor?"
"A favor? Command me, Master."
Elaine straightened and bowed.
"Let's do some cosplay. Pretend you're our third summon ahead of time."
"You mean..."
"Yeah. Hunter era or not. China, Japan, wherever..."
Recognition existed, at least.
"Gamers have no borders."