Chapter 656
“The weapon systems, defense systems, durability, and hardware of Divine Judgement are perfect. The problem is the software, the operating system.”
Jin Geumho answered honestly.
He had used Dragon Bone for the framework and Moby Dick’s heart as the power source. In addition, he had completed the satellite using the essences of countless monsters.
Thus, the satellite with the specifications he had desired was completed.
A monster estimated to possess SS-rank destructive power.
In theory, it could even kill an S-rank monster.
The problem was that the software capable of efficiently controlling such a powerful monster was still unfinished.
Numerous researchers were pouring their blood and sweat into solving the issue, but by Jin Geumho’s standards, it was still inadequate.
“Of course, even if we launch it now, there won’t be any problems as long as the Control Tower operates it properly. But I want something beyond that.”
“If you mean beyond that, then you must be talking about Trios Oxe again?”
“Exactly! I want an AI that possesses a certain degree of independent will, like Trios Oxe, and can perfectly control the satellite.”
“I think I said this before, but I’ll make it clear one more time. That way you’ll stop clinging to this issue. Give up on the idea of controlling it with AI. Perfectly controlling an AI is impossible. Divine Judgement, once it escapes control, will bring about a great disaster.”
“You’re still negative about it, I see.”
“I used to think the same way. That I could control everything. But after the last incident, I realized just how great a mistake that was.”
“Hmm.”
Jin Geumho let out a low sound at Kim Hyunsoo’s more negative attitude than expected.
The Western District was the place where mechanical engineering had developed more than anywhere else in Neo Seoul.
At the pinnacle of it stood Kim Hyunsoo.
The person who had fused with machinery and created a new humanity from a state of knowing nothing was Kim Hyunsoo himself.
So hearing such words from him was troublesome.
“What if I put in double and triple layers of control measures?”
“Heh! Do you think Trios Ox didn’t do that?”
“Hmm.”
“No defense system remains unbroken forever. Given enough time, they all fail eventually. In the end, the only thing in this world you can truly trust is yourself. It would be better to increase the number of personnel controlling the satellite from the Control Tower and monitor them thoroughly.”
“So in the end, instead of giving it independent will, you’re saying humans should control it.”
“That’s what I think.”
“Is that so?”
Jin Geumho stroked his chin with his finger.
He had thought Kim Hyunsoo’s opinion might have changed after so much time had passed, but he was still negative.
If he could not obtain Kim Hyunsoo’s cooperation, then he would have to abandon the idea of creating and installing an AI.
At that moment, Kim Hyunsoo made an unexpected proposal.
“If you want, I can take a look at the satellite called Divine Judgement.”
“You?”
“A machine doesn’t perform at its best simply because you cram in the best parts you can find. You need optimization work to properly balance everything. Only then can it achieve peak performance.”
Kim Hyunsoo’s eyes were shining more intensely than ever.
Seeing the longing in his gaze, Jin Geumho nodded.
“Then come to City Hall tomorrow. I’ll show you the results we’ve achieved so far.”
“Thank you. For trusting me...”
“Though the paths we walk are different, aren’t we heading toward the same destination? In that regard, I have never doubted you even once.”
“Mm.”
“This conversation has gone on too long. I should be going now.”
“I won’t see you out.”
“Very well.”
Jin Geumho left Kim Hyunsoo’s residence with Seo Taeran.
Once outside, Jin Geumho looked up at the sky and muttered,
“It’s difficult.”
“But Divine Judgement itself is nearly complete, isn’t it?”
“The problem is that human greed has no end. Hoo!”
At Jin Geumho’s sigh, Seo Taeran briefly wore a sympathetic expression.
In just a few months, many wrinkles had appeared on Jin Geumho’s face.
It was as though time, which had once stopped, had begun flowing again.
Seo Taeran’s heart felt uneasy whenever he saw how much Jin Geumho had aged.
Jin Geumho spoke.
“Since we’re already out, let’s stop by the Underground City.”
“Shall we? I’ll escort you.”
Seo Taeran brightened.
Whenever Jin Geumho met Remura in the Underground City, he regained his vitality.
The Underground City, where not a single ray of sunlight entered, had now become the place where Jin Geumho felt most at ease.
Although he liked the Primordial Forest, he liked the Underground City even more.
Seo Taeran headed toward the Underground City with Jin Geumho.
* * *
“Hoo!”
Zeon stepped out of the portal.
“Mr. Zeon!”
The portal administrator noticed Zeon and greeted him.
Zeon smiled and responded.
“You’re working hard.”
“It’s nothing.”
“Have there been any problems with the portal?”
“We inspect it every day, and it’s perfect.”
“If any problem arises, please let me know immediately.”
“Don’t worry, Mr. Zeon! We inspect it thoroughly every day and every hour. If even the slightest abnormality appears, I’ll come find you right away.”
“Just keep doing that. Well then...”
After greeting the administrator, Zeon walked across the plaza.
The plaza was packed with people intending to use the portal.
Some were heading to the Magic Crystal Mine, some to the Steel Fortress, and others to the Primordial Forest.
Their destinations were different, but there was one thing they all shared.
Hope.
The hope that tomorrow would be better than today.
It was an expression that had once been difficult to find.
Zeon liked seeing such hopeful faces.
Whenever he saw the smiles on their faces, it felt as though all his fatigue disappeared.
Zeon went straight home.
After opening the door and entering, he sat on the sofa and drank the tea the High Elves had given him.
The happiness provided by that brief moment was beyond words.
Sip!
As he drank his tea, Zeon looked at City Hall visible beyond the window.
City Hall still stood firm, but it no longer felt overwhelmingly imposing as it once had.
Looking at it reminded him of what had happened in the dungeon.
The memories of the World Tree that had surged into him like a tidal wave had made it feel as though his head would split apart.
Just recalling it made his head ache again.
The severe headache made Zeon sigh.
“Hoo!”
The information the World Tree had conveyed was far too vast for a mere human to bear.
Because of it, he had learned many truths he had never known before, but the burden on his mind had still not settled.
Zeon slumped on the sofa and closed his eyes.
He opened them around noon the next day.
A full night’s sleep had eased the headache somewhat.
But it was not completely gone.
“I should go see Remura.”
Zeon immediately headed for the Underground City.
The passage leading into the Underground City had become even wider.
City Hall had expanded it while he had been away.
Thanks to that, it was now wide enough for two vehicles to pass side by side.
In fact, vehicles were traveling in both directions.
Zeon also hitched a ride into the Underground City.
“It’s changed again.”
Buildings he had never seen before had been constructed while he was away.
The speed of development was unbelievable.
Most of the newly built buildings were accommodations for patients who had come seeking treatment.
Briel and the healers did not possess infinite mana, so the number of people they could treat in a day was limited.
Because of that, patients had to register and wait their turn.
At first, they had been told to wait near Zeon’s building outside the city.
But as more and more people came, accommodations had inevitably been built inside the city as well.
“Patient number twenty-three, please come.”
A young child ran into one of the lodgings and called out a number.
The child worked at the hospital.
At the child’s call, a middle-aged man came out of his room with a delighted expression.
His upper body was completely wrapped in bandages.
He had suffered severe injuries while hunting monsters.
Fortunately, a potion had saved his life, but the wounds had not fully healed, and after enduring the pain for a long time, he had come here.
The child led the man to where Remura and the healers were.
As more outsiders entered, the Underground City was developing as well.
As Zeon looked around, he suddenly spotted a familiar face.
“Mayor!”
“Zeon?”
Jin Geumho, who had been strolling through the Underground City with Seo Taeran, turned at the sound of Zeon’s voice.
As Zeon approached them, he asked,
“What brings you here at this hour?”
“I should be asking you that. I heard you went outside.”
“Something came up, but it was resolved well.”
“That’s good.”
“You’re not going to ask what happened?”
“I’m sure you handled it properly. I don’t particularly worry about your affairs. That just means I trust you that much.”
“Thank you.”
“My head’s been hurting a bit, so I came to get Remura’s help.”
“Sounds like you have something troubling on your mind.”
“A little.”
Jin Geumho smiled at Zeon’s honest answer.
“We’ve become quite close, haven’t we?”
“Have we?”
“If we can chat casually like this, doesn’t that mean we’ve become close?”
“I suppose it does.”
“Does your concern happen to be related to Neo Seoul?”
“Yes.”
“Then how about telling me about it? In return, I’ll tell you one of my concerns.”
“You mean we tell each other our worries and try to solve them together?”
“Exactly. Ordinary people call that an honest conversation. I think it’s about time we had one.”
Jin Geumho stared directly into Zeon’s face.
Zeon met his gaze without avoiding it.
His eyes carried a faint golden glow.
Eyes that possessed the mysterious skill Heavenly Eye and could see through the flow of the world.
A thought suddenly crossed Zeon’s mind.
How many secrets did Jin Geumho know?
Among them were surely secrets he could never tell others.
Zeon himself possessed many such secrets.
Secrets so immense that ordinary people could never bear them.
The Primordial Forest and World Tree Village were among them.
At least the Primordial Forest had been revealed to the public, and everyone now knew of its existence.
But World Tree Village was still hidden behind a thick veil.
A place opened to the elves, but not yet shown to humanity.
Looking into Jin Geumho’s eyes, Zeon felt that perhaps it was finally time to show it to him as well.
Zeon said,
“An honest conversation sounds good. Then shall we go somewhere quiet?”
“Somewhere quiet? Other than here?”
“There’s a place that’s perfect for a conversation. Let’s go there.”
“Is that so? Let me receive treatment from Remura first, then.”
“The headache can be treated afterward. In fact, going there might cure it faster.”
“Then what am I hesitating for? Let’s go immediately.”
“Yes.”
Zeon led Jin Geumho and Seo Taeran toward the portal.
The moment the three of them appeared, a brief commotion broke out around it.
After all, they were some of the most influential figures in Neo Seoul.
“It’s the Mayor and the Sand Mage.”
“Where are they going? The Magic Crystal Mine? Or the Primordial Forest?”
“They could be heading to the Steel Fortress.”
People speculated endlessly.
Other than the user and the administrator, no one could know where a portal traveler was going.
Conversely, the administrator could see every destination.
That was why Briel and the others had to pass through the Primordial Forest first whenever they traveled to World Tree Village.
It was the only way to avoid revealing the village to Neo Seoul’s portal administrators.
But Zeon was different.
As the true owner of the portal, no record remained regardless of where he traveled.
Because of that, there was no need for him to make the troublesome detour through the Primordial Forest.
“Let’s go.”
“Mm.”
Without even asking the destination, Jin Geumho and Seo Taeran entered the portal with Zeon.
Flash!
A dizzying sensation of weightlessness was followed by a brilliant light that stimulated their eyes.
Then a gigantic tree unlike anything they had ever seen welcomed them.
“My goodness!”
“Welcome to World Tree Village, you two.”
Zeon introduced World Tree Village to them.
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