Chapter 252
Kim Kyungsoo stood by the window, looking down over the West District.
The West District was a city made of steel.
In reality, not everything was literally built from steel, but the metallic atmosphere was so overwhelming that it looked like a city of iron.
Kim Kyungsoo liked that metallic feeling.
Dry and rough like this—such sensibilities could never be understood by pure humans.
Countless people roamed the streets beneath the night sky.
There were quite a few mechanized awakened ones among them, but the majority were still ordinary humans.
Kim Kyungsoo muttered,
“Do they even know? What I gave up to preserve their purity.”
After staring at the West District for a long time, Kim Kyungsoo walked toward the elevator.
Clang!
With a harsh metallic noise, the elevator doors opened.
As Kim Kyungsoo stepped inside, the voice of the Samjok-o rang out.
—Where shall I take you, Master?
“To the laboratory.”
—Yes, Master.
Whiiiiing!
The moment Samjok-o replied, the elevator began descending at terrifying speed.
For an ordinary person, the dizzying sensation of weightlessness would have been enough to make their legs tremble.
But Kim Kyungsoo stared straight ahead without the slightest change in expression.
A moment later, the elevator stopped.
When the doors opened, an enormous space appeared.
Countless advanced machines.
Researchers busily moving about.
This was the laboratory located on Basement Level Ten.
At the center of the laboratory stood a gigantic boulder-like figure.
It was the Rock Golem they had recently hunted after clearing a dungeon.
Numerous researchers surrounded the enormous Rock Golem, conducting their analysis.
Wheeeeeen!
A saw blade spinning at terrifying speed was cutting into the Rock Golem’s chest.
Sparks and stone dust sprayed everywhere.
Crack!
Suddenly, the rotating saw shattered apart, sending fragments flying in all directions.
Fortunately, none of the researchers were injured.
A protective magic circle had been deployed around the golem.
The researchers clicked their tongues while looking at the broken blade.
“Ah, fuck. This thing’s ridiculously hard.”
“How many blades has that been already?”
Grumbling, they replaced the shattered saw blade.
The situation looked all too familiar to them.
Kim Kyungsoo approached the researchers.
“You still haven’t extracted the core?”
“Ah! Chairman!”
“When did you arrive, sir?”
The researchers hurriedly bowed once they noticed Kim Kyungsoo’s arrival.
They addressed the Tyrant Overlord Kim Kyungsoo as Chairman.
In truth, Kim Kyungsoo didn’t care about titles.
The only thing important to him was results, not what others called him.
“How’s the progress?”
“We’re only around fifteen percent complete.”
“Slow.”
“My apologies. The Rock Golem contains a large amount of special metals, so the saw blades keep getting destroyed. That’s why progress has stalled.”
“Special metals?”
Kim Kyungsoo’s eyes gleamed at the researcher’s answer.
On present-day Earth, metal was an extremely rare resource.
Most of the world had turned into sand, making metal itself difficult to obtain.
If one dug hundreds or thousands of meters beneath the sand, perhaps a rock layer could be found.
Then the rocks could be mined and refined for minerals.
But removing the unimaginable amount of sand covering the surface was far from easy.
With enough money and manpower, it might be possible.
Even then, there was almost no guarantee the rock would actually contain useful metals.
The odds of digging up nothing but worthless stone were much higher.
Worse still, countless demonic beasts lurked beneath that cursed sea of sand.
The Sandworm was the perfect example.
The moment it sensed vibrations underground, it would charge over from any distance like a mad creature.
On the surface, hunting teams could deal with Sandworms relatively easily.
But underground, killing them was nearly impossible.
The real problem was that monsters far more terrifying than Sandworms infested the depths beneath the sand.
If explorers or mining teams encountered such creatures, they would be annihilated instantly.
Mining ore was a gamble with enormous risks and almost nonexistent odds of success.
Dungeons, however, were different.
Every material mined from a dungeon was a rare metal unobtainable on Earth.
That was why they brought back every metallic substance they could find.
Kim Kyungsoo muttered,
“I thought Rock Golems were useless, but A-rank ones are different?”
“Based on what we’ve identified so far, even the magic circle used to operate the Rock Golem is made from a previously undiscovered metal. If we can decipher the principles behind this magic circle……”
“You mean we could create golems ourselves?”
“Yes! It would be difficult to use them above the sands, but they could serve as tanks when clearing dungeons, reducing casualties considerably.”
“Hm!”
Kim Kyungsoo showed clear interest.
They had conquered many dungeons containing golems before.
But this was the first time they had encountered an A-rank Rock Golem.
Golems were essentially robots powered by magic.
Without will or emotion, they simply followed pre-programmed commands.
There could hardly be a better existence for use as a tank.
With a desperate expression, the researcher continued,
“This is the first time we’ve secured an A-rank golem. It contains the very essence of Kurayan civilization. If we can uncover its secrets, we’ll be able to make a new leap forward.”
“For example?”
“The operating principles of golems and our mechanical bodies aren’t all that different.”
“So upgrades are possible?”
“Yes! If we research the stone materials and magic circles extracted from the Rock Golem, our mechanical bodies could advance by several stages.”
Those final words captured Kim Kyungsoo’s interest completely.
For mechanized awakened ones, upgrading each body part was more important than anything else.
At present, the West District’s upgrade research had reached a standstill.
In such a situation, the researcher’s words were like rain after a drought.
“What do you need me to support?”
“Well……”
“Speak!”
“Please assign an AI to us as well.”
“An AI?”
“Yes!”
The researcher who had finally gathered the courage to speak swallowed nervously.
He knew that degraded versions of the AI Samjok-o were assigned only to Kim Kyungsoo’s most trusted subordinates.
Since the number of degraded AI copies was limited, none had ever been allocated to the laboratory.
Kim Kyungsoo spoke to Samjok-o.
‘Do we have any spare AI units?’
—There is Hyeonmu.
‘Hyeonmu?’
—It was previously assigned to Cha Jincheol-nim. After Cha Jincheol-nim died recently, it returned to me through the Return Protocol.
‘Then why hasn’t it been reassigned yet? Normally you would either reabsorb it or allocate it elsewhere.’
—There is an unidentifiable impurity mixed within it.
‘An impurity?’
—Yes. There is something inside Hyeonmu’s original data that should not exist. It has been isolated and is currently under analysis.
‘Then why wasn’t I informed?’
Kim Kyungsoo’s voice turned cold.
If something like that existed, he should have been told immediately.
—I apologize. The analysis is still incomplete, so the report was pushed down in priority.
‘The analysis still isn’t finished?’
—No.
‘You’re telling me even with your capabilities it’s taking this long?’
—I apologize. Considering Cha Jincheol-nim’s rampage inside the dungeon, I’m proceeding cautiously with the analysis.
Kim Kyungsoo’s expression hardened instantly.
He already knew that Cha Jincheol had gone berserk after being corrupted by the dungeon boss and had ultimately been killed by Zeon.
The awakened ones from the West District who had participated in the dungeon raid had informed him.
‘Before Cha Jincheol went berserk, didn’t Hyeonmu activate the Return Protocol?’
—Correct. Fortunately, it severed the connection before the rampage and returned safely.
‘Then isn’t there no problem?’
—It still requires confirmation.
‘How long?’
Samjok-o’s capabilities surpassed even the supercomputers of the old world.
It could analyze most magic circles and data almost instantly.
The fact that even Samjok-o still hadn’t fully analyzed this data was unsettling.
—Because it is isolated during analysis, it will likely take considerable time.
‘So you can’t guarantee when it’ll be finished.’
—I apologize.
‘Can it continue being analyzed while assigned here?’
—I would not recommend that.
‘Why?’
—Once assigned, my level of control weakens.
Samjok-o’s main body existed deep underground.
Even deeper than this tenth underground floor.
Samjok-o had isolated its degraded AI copies.
Though they originated from the same source, it created separate prison-like spaces to isolate their consciousnesses.
Otherwise, the consciousnesses of the main body and the degraded copies could eventually merge together.
After hearing the full report, Kim Kyungsoo stroked his chin.
All the researchers were staring at him.
They couldn’t hear the conversation between Kim Kyungsoo and Samjok-o.
The entire exchange was taking place within Kim Kyungsoo’s consciousness.
As a result, the researchers’ anticipation had reached its peak.
They knew that receiving a degraded AI would drastically accelerate their research.
Kim Kyungsoo spoke to Samjok-o.
“Assign Hyeonmu to them.”
—But……
“If a problem arises, delete Hyeonmu. That’s possible, isn’t it?”
—It is not difficult. Preserving the data while analyzing it is the difficult part.
“Then assign Hyeonmu to this man.”
—I will obey your command, Master.
Kim Kyungsoo looked at the researcher who had first spoken up.
“What’s your name?”
“Ah! I-I’m Lee Sumyeong. My colleagues call me Doctor Lee.”
“Good. Lee Sumyeong. From this moment on, you are Hyeonmu’s operator. A chip will now be implanted into your body and Hyeonmu will be downloaded into it. Open all firewall protections.”
“I-It’s an honor.”
Joy spread across Lee Sumyeong’s face.
The thought of finally downloading a support AI already thrilled him.
The moment the chip was implanted, he immediately disabled every firewall protecting his mechanical body.
An overwhelming amount of data downloaded in an instant.
“Ugh!”
Lee Sumyeong’s face twisted in agony.
The sudden flood of information overloaded his mind.
For a moment, it felt as though his head would explode from the sheer volume of incoming data.
But only for a moment.
Soon his thoughts became crystal clear, and he heard a voice inside his head.
—Master!
Though no one had explained it to him, Lee Sumyeong instinctively realized the voice belonged to the AI.
“H-Hyeonmu?”
—Yes. I am Hyeonmu, the AI that will assist you from now on, Master.
“Ohhh! I finally have an AI of my own.”
Lee Sumyeong became so emotional that he completely forgot Kim Kyungsoo was standing right in front of him, while the other researchers looked at him with undisguised envy.
Filled with excitement, Lee Sumyeong immediately rushed toward the golem.
He intended to begin the research at once alongside Hyeonmu.
He looked exactly like a mad scientist obsessed with research.
And it wasn’t just Lee Sumyeong.
The other researchers also crowded around him and resumed their work.
Kim Kyungsoo quietly watched them for a moment before turning away.
The impurity inside Hyeonmu bothered him slightly, but since Samjok-o continued monitoring it, there likely wouldn’t be any major issue.
No matter how outstanding Hyeonmu was, it was still only a degraded copy of Samjok-o.
If Samjok-o truly wished it, deleting Hyeonmu would take only an instant.
That was why Kim Kyungsoo had knowingly allowed it to be downloaded despite the potential risk.
It was then—
—Master!
Samjok-o, which had remained silent for a while, finally spoke again.
“What is it?”
—A special guest has arrived at the Mechanic Paradise Hotel.
“A special guest?”
—Zeon is currently meeting with Kim Mooyoung-nim.
“Zeon? You mean the Sand Mage?”
—Correct. It is that same Zeon.
Kim Kyungsoo’s face, already as cold as a metal mask, became even colder.
“Zeon and Kim Mooyoung… So the two of them have met.”