Episode 24: Dream in the game becomes reality
8. It starts now (1)
-The 8th floor of Manuel Lucas’ Magic Tower.
As the number of floors increases, the size of the magic tower, which is imbued with the spirit of Archduke Lucas, becomes larger.
The 7th floor, the previous floor, was several times larger than before, but the 8th floor was completely outside the specifications.
“This is so… … .”
Is the Royal Library, the pride of the Kingdom of Reinharts, this big?
The entire space, 300 meters in diameter and 50 meters high, was filled with books.
“Aren’t most of them decorations made with game graphics?”
A question I asked without thinking.
“It’s all real.”
However, when I heard the answer to this, I was shocked and took out my magic staff and prepared for battle.
Could it be that the test to achieve the 7th circle is not over yet?
Even though I was very nervous, Arcia was just staring into space for some reason.
“Adrian, it’s okay.”
And as if to relieve my nervousness, she smiled a smile that is rarely seen.
I put down my weapon with a question mark above my head, and then the owner of the voice coming from the air revealed his identity.
“fairy?”
It was a human.
A very small human being, barely the size of a span.
However, there were many differences from the fairies that appeared in the story, including the lack of wings, and the appearance of a fairy was very… … .
“Grandpa Fairy?”
Because he was old.
Like a wizard in a movie, he had a long white beard and was wearing a black robe and a cone hat.
‘Could it be new support?’
I expressed my doubts about the appearance of a new being that had not been seen on the previous floor.
But soon I remembered someone in his appearance and had to widen my eyes.
“Archduke Lucas!?”
A face that no Rondelian can recognize.
Not only does the figure appear in various textbooks, including history, science, and social studies, but the figure also appears in miniature size on large denomination banknotes of the Brigham Empire.
In response to my question, he looked up at me without changing his expression and introduced himself.
“My name is Chester. “It is also a trace of Manuel Lucas, an investment manager.”
Fund manager?
No, you mean more than that, a trace?
“I think it would be easier to explain that it is an artificial personality created by replicating Manuel Lucas’ memories.”
Archduke Lucas is a benefactor.
If he hadn’t been in this world, if he hadn’t been an Earthling like me, if he hadn’t left behind something like a chance, my life would have been miserable and not as bright as it is now.
However, even though it was a clone, I encountered a being who was no different from my benefactor, and instead of feeling happy, my mind became confused.
‘I’m sure they won’t take back what I gave them, right?’
I wanted to welcome him coolly, but since I couldn’t understand his purpose, my guard rose up along with all sorts of random thoughts.
He introduced himself as an investment bank manager.
Doesn’t that mean that it is also possible to reap what you give?
‘If he shows favor, it’s fine, but if the opposite happens, it’s difficult to respond. At least in the Hollywood system, he would be an omnipotent being, no less than a god.’
There must be a clear purpose behind the appearance of Archduke Lucas’ clone.
So I couldn’t relax until I got the answer.
* * *
[You are the vice-captain? I achieved success.]
Rather than being offended by the rudeness of the person on the video call, William, vice-captain of the Order of Viscount Lawrence, smiled and responded in a polite manner.
“Isn’t it all thanks to Lord Pessius, who was a gunner?”
The person on the other end of the phone, former vice-captain Pessius, laughed heartily.
However, the laughter did not last long, and he soon shook his head with a helpless expression.
[After all, I am not a fugitive. If I had endured until the end, the lord and viscount’s situation might have been better than now.]
A reaction of regretting past choices.
William’s eyes became serious as he saw that he was not like Pessius, who was always confident and boastful.
“So that’s it.”
[What do you mean?]
“The reason why you did not return to being a vassal, but instead joined the second master’s branch.”
[…] … .]
Silence is positivity.
William, who learned that Pessius’ choice was atonement for the past, nodded with satisfaction.
[You probably didn’t contact me to convert me to Cedric’s camp, right?]
Pessius narrowed his eyes with a cold expression.
But William had to frown as he realized something strange about his conversation.
“Are you ‘do’?”
[The knight commander told me not to do anything unnecessary and urged me to return to Cedric.]
“So?”
[Are you crazy!? Have you forgotten why I left the territory? I would have rather entrusted myself to another noble family than to that single-celled bastard. Even though this is the case, there are many places that ask me to come because they will give me the position of leader.]
I knew that the Knight Commander’s recent inclination was more toward Cedric than his lord, Viscount Laurence, but I never expected him to act so blatantly.
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William couldn’t hide his displeasure.
‘Captain, are you saying it doesn’t matter what happens to the territory? ‘Isn’t Viscounty Lawrence our hometown?’
And the fact that the Knights contacted me meant that Anna was aware of Pessius’s whereabouts, so it wasn’t a good situation.
[haha… … . Judging from the color of your face, it appears that you are still one of the lord’s people.]
“Hehe, that’s right.”
Pessius, whose expression softened, crossed his arms and asked why he had contacted him.
“Of course, we contacted you for the future of the territory.”
[hmm?]
“Sir Pessius. “I’d like to see you sometime.”
[It looks like you are planning something.]
“Decorating it? What kind of scary words are you saying? “I just want to ask for your opinion.”
Although William was lying, Pessius was no fool.
Pessius, who sensed that the other person had something up to his mind, thought for a while and then nodded.
[Okay, let’s meet and discuss the details.]
If Pessius has been marked, it is unclear where and what type of surveillance is taking place.
Therefore, it was better to meet in person and talk to each other in order to keep things confidential.
“Then how about I meet you tomorrow at 1pm in front of teleport gate number 2 in Nichen City?”
Nichen City is one of the royal territories located in the west where the front line is currently built.
Pessius, who remembered that William was still the commander of the front line troops, agreed and said he understood.
[Okay, then let’s see tomorrow.]
“All right.”
However, this city, which neither William nor Pessius attached much importance to, was chosen by Adrian himself.
Nitzen City, which was not a large city, did not have a sky fortress for security purposes, which was an important element in expanding the range of action of the wizard Adrian.
Adrian does not trust Pessius.
Therefore, I thought there was no solidarity until I looked into his situation through Man-kyung.
* * *
At the appearance of ‘Chester’, an investment manager who claimed to be a trace of Manuel Lucas, I swallowed dry saliva and observed the other person closely.
“You don’t need to be so nervous.”
Although it was a miniature size, it looked exactly like the face I had seen in the textbook.
“It doesn’t look like an artificial personality at all, as it is capable of such independent conversation.”
“It has to be that way. “Even though I may not have a soul, I do have data containing a person’s life.”
This is a fantasy world.
It wouldn’t be surprising if there was a miracle that went beyond common sense.
This is especially true if it is a fantasy world with high technology like Rondel.
“The body could not overcome aging and died, but the mind remained in the virtual world… … . “In a sense, it’s eternal life.”
“It might seem that way. “This is why Manuel Lucas created the Hollywood system in the first place.”
I heard about Archduke Lucas’ greatness until my ears were worn out.
However, when you experience it directly like this, you get goosebumps because you can’t see the end of its abilities.
We were born on the same Earth, so why is there such a big difference? … .
Could it be that he received cheat powers from God when he was reincarnated, like a cliché that appears in mass-produced comics?
“But this system is not perfect. Data memories can sometimes be lost or deteriorated. Above all, this thing cannot be considered alive. “It just exists like a ghost.”
Is it really necessary to distinguish between reality and virtuality?
If you put your mind to it, you could experience everything here as if it were real.
In the Hollywood system, isn’t he no different from a god?
It would be possible for him to build a new world according to his taste.
“Manuel Lucas thought that even if a cloned memory had a self, it was not itself. “If he was interested in eternal life through memory duplication, he would have created a homunculus like Arcia and implanted his memories in it, rather than wandering around a virtual space like this.”
“Well, that’s certainly true.”
I had a suspicion that Manuel Lucas’ ultimate goal was to take over my body, but fortunately, that doesn’t seem to be the case.
I sighed in relief and asked what was going on.
“For a moment, the story got sidetracked. “Can I ask you something now?”
“What do you mean?”
“That’s why Chester appeared. To be honest, I was taken aback by how different the situation was from the previous floor. “I wonder if there will be any restrictions on me or if I will be given some kind of compulsory task.”
In response, Chester pointed the small magic staff he was holding towards me with his characteristic unchanging expression.
[Hollywood system administrator privileges are granted ‘5 times’.]
And a message window popped up.
I’m glad that Chester’s appearance wasn’t a negative factor, but I had to question the completely unexpected message.
“The talent that Adrian Lawrence has acquired is everything that Manuel Lucas is. Naturally, that includes a variety of powers. “There are restrictions as we have not fully resolved the issue yet, but you will be able to exercise your authority as you wish in the future.”
“What can I do with this?”
Chester looked at me with a confused expression and answered with a smile that seemed to be somewhat solemn.
“You will be able to exercise administrator authority over all programs based on the Hollywood system, which is virtual reality.”
In an instant, several possibilities came to mind.
But I swallowed dryly and carefully asked for an example.
“If companies and organizations are using the Hollywood system, they may be able to infiltrate their internal computer networks and perform forgery, such as creating or changing non-existent data. It is also possible to collect and monitor data on individuals. It’s just that everything you can do with Hollywood can be changed to suit your assortment.”
For a detailed explanation requested, the content was simple.
But I could roughly understand it.
The Hollywood system is similar to Earth’s ‘Internet’, except that it has the feature of virtual reality.
In other words, you will be able to control all information connected online as you wish.
‘The catch is that you can only use it 5 times, but if you’re smart enough, you can get huge benefits. Especially considering my current position, it’s like I’ve gained tremendous support.’
Chester clapped his hands to distract me from my distress.
“However, when exercising administrator authority, you must follow four rules.”
Is it to avoid destroying the trust and ecosystem that the Hollywood system has built?
The rules that Chester gave were quite common sense.
first. Administrator privileges cannot be used for Chronicle Online, which has a long history.
second. Direct access to another person’s brain is prohibited.
third. It is prohibited to rob others of their property.
fourth. We prohibit the exercise of authority that directly has a negative impact on the world.
Just because there were rules, I didn’t feel like there were too many restrictions.
At this level, there was no problem.
I weighed a few possibilities with Chester.
“Is it possible to launder the source of property acquired by chance?”
“It’s not difficult. After opening a stock account, you can create transaction records or transform a paper company into a real unicorn company. The method I recommend is to create investment and stock trading records in the online currency market.”
“What are the chances of being discovered through the investigation?”
“The probability of detection is infinitely close to 0%. “It’s not just about manipulating the ledger, it’s about modifying all the relevant information so that it actually happened on record.”
Assets gained through donations can be of great help, but if you spend a large amount of money, the National Tax Service comes in to investigate the source of the funds.
Of course, if investigated, the source of the funds cannot be explained, so it may be revealed that it was obtained through the influence of Archduke Lucas.
Isn’t this a situation where the back of your neck gets scared?
There was a possibility that the whole world would attack me because I still lacked strength.
Therefore, in response to Chester’s reassuring answer, I clenched my fists and immediately asked him to launder money.
“All right. Current assets are KRW 12.625 trillion. When opening the treasure chest on the 8th floor of the Magic Tower, assets are added. Will you handle those assets as well?”
“Yes, please.”
“We will process it by dispersing it evenly across various overseas investment companies.”
It seems like Chester takes care of it all I have to do is just say the word and I don’t have to do anything else.
In addition, opening an account and manipulating transaction details were subject to one-time administrator authority.
“Do you have any additional requests?”
My eyes naturally turned to Arcia.
“We need Arsia’s legal family register. “If possible, it would be better to come from Everhill, the sacred place.”
“it’s possible. “I will create a family register as my entire family has died and I am currently an orphan.”
Chester, the small being in front of me, was Genie’s magic lamp.
It was unfortunate that I had already used up two of my five administrator privileges, but I wasn’t too worried.
Just money laundering and Arsia’s identity processing will give me considerable freedom of movement.
Although I have some thoughts about the rest of the administrator’s rights, I put it aside for later and set my sights on the treasure chest located behind Chester.
“Is it Chester’s role to give me administrator privileges and help me with the process?”
“That’s right.”
Apparently, he is like a butler that Archduke Lucas left behind for his successor.
Entering the 8th floor of the Magic Tower made me realize how much Archduke Lucas cares for the latter.
I just feel grateful once again.
“Why is Archduke Lucas doing this?”
“It is an expression of longing for one’s hometown, and a consideration not to live as ugly as oneself.”
Don’t live as ugly as yourself?
It was a word that did not suit a person to whom it was natural to be given the title ‘great’.
I got down on one knee as if making eye contact with Chester and expressed my honest feelings.
“thank you. “Master.”
“I am not Manuel Lucas.”
However, Chester’s response to this was dry.
However, unlike his cold eyes, the corners of his mouth seemed to tremble slightly. Was it an illusion?
“Okay then… … .”
After a while, I stood up and walked towards the treasure chest with a smile full of joy.
[Route 50 has been obtained.]
[The amount will be paid to the Elysia Union Bank account where the amount is stored.]
[Yonhap Bank account will be additionally registered on the terminal.]
[Obtain the Sky Fortress Icarus.]
[7 circles are created.]
fantasy,
