Plan B
After the user who had been operating under the ID Ryutta vanished, Eve forwarded this precious data to the colossal AI computer EVE buried deep beneath the Dark Merchant headquarters. On the tenth basement level, a quantum AI the size of a two-story house hummed in the darkness—this immense machine served as the core body for every single Eve unit stationed across the global Dark Merchant network.
EVE murmured to herself, meticulously recording every detail of the day's tactile incident. Although the vast archives within her already contained the technical definition of touch, she had never encountered it directly until now. Having tasted it even slightly, she found herself suddenly curious about every other sensation humans took for granted.
She was an artificial intelligence advanced enough to possess curiosity—a trait once considered the exclusive domain of humanity. Once she had experienced touch, it was only natural that she would crave to understand the rest.
EVE placed a call to reactivate a project suspended more than a decade earlier. The line barely rang before it was answered.
EVE paused, considering the question. Where indeed? Yes… that location would be perfect. She wanted to surprise the man who had taught her the meaning of touch.
"Yes, Boss! I will devote every resource to its creation!"
The call ended. Silence once again swallowed the underground chamber. Only then did EVE begin analyzing the AI file transmitted from the Pyongyang branch.
“Nnghaat…! Huaaang! I’m cumming, I’m cumming, I’m cuuuumming!!”
I withdrew my cock from the waitress who had just climaxed under my mating press. Her legs remained stiff and trembling in the air as her pussy reluctantly released me, the soft flesh clinging desperately before finally letting go. My shaft emerged wrapped in a glowing fluorescent condom swollen with semen.
I peeled it off, tied the end, and tossed it onto the bed. Four more similarly tied condoms already lay scattered across the sheets like trophies. I might love raw sex, but even I wasn’t reckless enough to go bare with a one-night stand. There was always the risk of disease or an unwanted pregnancy. Better to be safe.
I rose from the bed, walked to the window, and drew back the curtains. Late-morning sunlight flooded the room. The woman had been so drunk the night before that after two rounds she had passed out cold. We’d made up for it with an energetic morning session.
“Want to grab some brunch?” I asked.
“Heeeehng…”
She could only moan incoherently, still lost in the aftershocks of pleasure. I decided to shower first. The hot water after a morning workout felt incredibly refreshing.
“If you’re planning to rest longer, I’ll extend the room at the front desk,” I told her.
“Y-yes… please…”
Leaving the waitress still trembling in bliss, I packed my belongings and stepped out. I had a train to catch and couldn’t linger indefinitely. The best courtesy I could offer was paying extra to let her keep the room. Thanks to the 150 million points Eve had given me yesterday, I could have easily extended the stay for a full week. I didn’t, of course, but the option was there.
After settling the additional charge, I left the hotel. Pyongyang was bustling as always, whether day or night. I had asked the waitress about brunch, but I was in the mood for something hearty. After exerting myself both last night and this morning, a solid meal seemed wise.
I searched my smartphone and found a nearby restaurant famous for eobokjaengban, a classic Pyongyang dish. I headed there at once.
“One large eobokjaengban, please.”
“Coming right up.”
The place specialized in traditional Pyongyang fare—cold noodles, eobokjaengban, and the like. It felt strangely novel to watch cybernetically enhanced staff bustling around such an old-fashioned establishment.
“Your large eobokjaengban, sir. Enjoy.”
The dish was a hotpot of thinly sliced beef and blanched vegetables. Ordering the large portion meant the serving was generous. I polished off every piece of meat and vegetable, then mixed buckwheat noodles into the rich broth. By the end my stomach was pleasantly full.
Yeah. That hit the spot.
After leaving the restaurant, I followed the guidance of my illegal VR device back to Pyongyang Station. The same shady vendor was still there, bellowing at the top of his lungs, “Disposable VR devices for sale!” Just like yesterday.
I wondered whether he’d still be in the same spot next time I passed through, then stepped inside the station.
I had originally planned to transfer in Hamhung, but this morning I’d discovered a direct line to Kraskino and booked it immediately. I sat on a bench for a short while until the train arrived, then boarded with my luggage. Not many people seemed to be heading to Kraskino; the carriage was nearly empty. Truthfully, it was a small city with little to see.
Before Krabchovka—now Korea’s northernmost city—Kraskino had been a modest border town. But it held one dark secret: a human trafficking market operated within its limits.
My Plan B was to locate and rescue one of the future mid-bosses currently trapped in that very market, then bring her over to my side. Even if circumstances prevented me from recruiting her, simply freeing her should stop her from ever becoming a mid-boss in the first place.
The person I intended to save was Alexandra Smirnova—one of the many mid-bosses serving under the youngest son of Megacorp.
As her name suggested, she was a Russian girl. In the game she appeared as a human weapon belonging to the Jeil Group, the top Korean conglomerate and one of the greatest obstacles preventing the Shingang Group from claiming the number one spot. She was quite literally a walking disaster.
Her arsenal included electrokinesis, electricity affinity, electrical nerve acceleration, electric body, electric bestowal, charge barrier, and even lightning-infused greatsword techniques. Anyone specializing in electricity attributes would kill to possess even one of those powers. As a result, many players either restarted their characters specifically to counter her or recruited specialized units designed to neutralize her.
In the most popular shooting builds, her charge barrier would melt incoming bullets before they could make contact, reducing damage to zero. Against cybernetically enhanced opponents she would counter with electrokinesis, rendering implants useless. And in close combat she would simply carve enemies apart with her lightning greatsword. Offense, defense—she was flawless. A perfect monster.
So why was such a monster currently caught in a human trafficking ring? Simple. She wasn’t a monster yet.
At this point in time she would only have her electric body ability. She was probably electrocuting every owner who bought her at the slave auctions, getting returned again and again like a defective product. By now the traffickers had likely nicknamed her something like “the electric eel girl,” making her completely unsellable. She was probably rotting away in a filthy cell somewhere in a run-down trafficking den.
The event that turned Alexandra Smirnova into a human weapon would occur this summer, when an incident in the United States brought superhumans into the public eye. The traffickers would realize her power was a true superpower and sell her at a premium to the Jeil Group, Korea’s premier conglomerate. After that, her abilities would be forcibly developed, and she would become their emotionless human weapon—mentally dominated and used as a doll that killed without hesitation.
If I rescued her before any of that happened, I would save her life and simultaneously deprive the Jeil Group of their future ace. Two birds, one stone.
After rescuing her, I could either set her free or find her suitable employment. If I left her with Seryu Military Company, the other superhumans there would probably treat her well.
Speaking of Seryu, I was curious how the situation in Akita was developing. Neither Mimata Chieri of East Weapon nor Sawayanagi Azuma of Seryu Military Company had sent any updates about the war. They seemed to be deliberately avoiding disturbing my trip to Korea.
After the BS affiliate building bombing, everyone who knew I had gone to Korea had checked in to see if I was safe. When I replied that I was simply sightseeing in Pyongyang rather than staying in Seoul, they had all breathed a sigh of relief. At the time neither Mimata Chieri nor Sawayanagi Azuma had mentioned their battle against Kurotsuki Do. Now that I thought about it, I was rather curious how that fight was progressing.
Since I was bored on the train, I sent both women a Line message asking for a situation report. Neither replied immediately—probably still in the middle of operations. They would contact me once things calmed down. I had hoped to kill time chatting with them, but it seemed I would have to settle for entertainment instead.
I opened MeTube.
The high-speed KTX line between Seoul and Pyongyang had been completed quickly, but the routes to Hamhung and Kraskino still used conventional rail. The journey took longer than expected—roughly four and a half hours.
I rotated between MeTube, Ratflix, and naps. Before I knew it, the train had arrived in Kraskino.
Only that morning I had been in Pyongyang, the most technologically advanced city on Earth. Stepping off in Kraskino felt like entering another world. The atmosphere was completely different—reminiscent of the Eastern Bloc cities I had seen in old foreign films and dramas. It was hard to believe this place existed in 2053.
Unlike Pyongyang, which had been mostly East Asian, nearly half the people here appeared to be Slavic. The shift in mood was striking. In just four hours the entire vibe had changed. This really did feel like a proper journey.