Episode 288
“This way.”
A modern building in Shibuya Ward, Tokyo.
Hanbit and Lee Min-ho, who had arrived together, followed Yoshiko.
“It’s quite spacious. Are the collaborators you mentioned working here?”
Hanbit asked as he looked around the interior.
It was quite large for a company that dealt solely with Gears.
“The collaborators are fulfilling their roles in their respective positions. This headquarters is a space focused on operations and research and development. Since it is a device imbued with the power of God, we have increased our investment to better understand and advance it.”
Yoshiko answered, emphasizing its importance.
Although they had discussed it with Team Zero, no one truly grasped the power of God.
It was her choice to invest in research and development, even if it was very difficult.
As a result, they were able to repeatedly make meaningful progress in the development of devices that support the core chip.
Whirring—
The three boarded the elevator and headed to the basement. It was
a separate space dedicated to the specialized development of Gears.
“Welcome.”
Upon arriving in the basement, a man in a black shirt greeted them.
It was Yoshiko, who had gotten off the elevator first, who delivered the introduction.
“This is Ryuzo Amagi, an ally and the person in charge of the capsule section.”
“Nice to meet you. It’s good to finally meet you.”
Ryuzo
extended his hand for a handshake. Hanbit took his hand.
“Hello. I am the Black Dragon, Kang Hanbit.”
“I know you very well. I will escort you inside.”
Ryuzo replied with a smile and gestured toward the corridor.
The group followed him inside.
“This is a space for in-depth research on capsules and their internal structures. An ally and a specially selected research team are working here together.”
Ryuzo explained, looking at the rooms spread out along the corridor.
The designations marked A-1, A-2, etc., appeared to be security measures.
“I heard that capsules cannot be purchased; is there a selection criterion? Looking at Adventurer A and Li Wei, it didn’t seem like gear provided exclusively to players on the Goddess of Silence side.”
Hanbit brought up the question he had been harboring for some time.
The supply of capsules, which had been strictly limited since the days of the advance party.
It wasn't a gear obtainable simply by having a high rank, and the title "Experienced in Another World" held ambiguous significance. This
was because Liwei, a pure player, used capsules, while Adventurer A had failed to advance beyond Level 4 gear.
"There are no fixed selection criteria. It is simply a matter of using the quota assigned to each company at one's discretion."
"A quota?"
"Yes. We have separate capsule-exclusive chips provided by Team Zero. We have used two out of the five chips. As you know, they were provided to Chairman Kenji and Momo." "
…That is quite few."
Mirai Tech, the largest gear manufacturer in Japan.
Given its scale, the number of cores allocated was merely five.
"Capsules help characters achieve ideal movements. In particular, the higher the adaptability, the more that sensation is maximized."
"Adaptability… was it an indicator that allowed one to infer how suitable the body and mind were for RP?"
“Yes. Regular players are roughly in the 200s, while rankers within the top 20,000 are around 5,000. And according to Mr. Lee Min-ho, Mr. Hanbit is around 300,000. It was an exceptionally high figure.”
Enk Technology, where I had completed an experiential internship.
When I left the company, the Executive Director had told me about this adaptability level.
Hanbit’s adaptability was significantly higher than that of regular players, or even compared to the rankers.
“If it’s ideal movement, does that mean the occasional sense of disconnect I felt disappear?”
“That’s right. You will be able to move exactly as you think and as you wish. Of course, there will be limits to what you can achieve depending on the character’s stats and skills.”
Yoshiko added that it would be a significant difference even compared to Level 4 Gear.
'I’m looking forward to this.' The most annoying part of playing so far was the jarring sensation that interrupted my movements. Should I describe it as feeling like a speed bump
hitting the line in the middle of a smoothly flowing motion? If all those things vanished and he could unleash his physical abilities to 100 percent, it would be possible to recreate the movements of his prime. Of course, even if he brought up any other episode, it wouldn't compare to his current steep growth. “This is the inside.” Ryujo stood before the silver iron door. He took out the key card hanging around his neck and placed it against the reader on the right. Beep— [Approved.] Thump— The door began to open along with the message appearing on the reader. It was quite thick, a testament to the attention paid to security. “Please come in.”
The party followed Ryujo inside.
“A laboratory like this…”
Lee Min-ho’s eyes widened in surprise as he surveyed the interior.
A neat, square space filled with all kinds of equipment and materials.
Although he had visited this building many times, this was a sight he had never seen before.
“The nature of this is fundamentally different from researching Gears of Level 4 or lower. In particular, we have implemented strict security measures to prevent information from leaking to the companies supporting the Adult Faction.”
While the allies of the Goddess of Silence were sharing information, their stance on the Adult Faction was clear.
If the war taking place within the RP was a war among the players, the competition over the Gears was akin to a faction battle unfolding outside.
“This is the capsule intended for Lord Black Dragon.”
Ryujo, who had been walking further inside, stopped in front of a white capsule.
Its structure was quite different from the one Momo had used.
“It is designed to provide maximum assistance during gameplay. It was engineered to allow for over-output tailored to Lord Black Dragon’s adaptability level, but the incident that occurred today has become a variable.”
“…Are you referring to the sphere inside the chip?”
“Yes. It is highly likely that the current inability to connect is due to damage to that core part. We are trying to find a solution, but it is difficult to find any clues.”
Ryujo gazed at the capsule with a complex expression.
An unexpected change caused by contact with Momo.
He could tell the situation just by looking at the inquiries arriving even now.
“Has Team Zero not responded at all?”
“We conveyed our situation as well, but there is no reply yet. I suspect he is probably flustered, too.”
Yoshiko checked her smartphone and shook her head.
It must mean that a massive part of it was twisted.
“What do you think, Hyung?”
“Hmm…”
When asked while looking at Lee Min-ho, he crossed his arms and fell into thought.
After pondering a little longer, he looked up and said,
“What if adaptability represented the rigidity of the soul?”
“Rigidity?”
Hanbit looked skeptical at the unfamiliar expression.
But Ryujo was different.
“I had a similar thought, too. The expression ‘rigidity’ is interesting.”
Turning his gaze, he began examining the device recording the gear's status.
"I heard about what the Black Dragon went through through the CEO. It was quite shocking to us, who were searching for a way to enter the Sea of Souls."
Beep—
Ryujo quickly checked the status while operating the device.
Then, turning his gaze, he continued speaking.
"The Sea of Souls is a space where virtually every player's life exists visually. Normally, our prediction was that simply entering it would cause a massive backlash. However, the Black Dragon returned without any issues."
"So you are saying that is related to the Adaptability stat? If it is Rigidity, does that mean the soul withstands the shock?"
"Yes. However, there is also a possibility that it plays a different role."
"A different role?"
"I mean bringing Momo back. Influencing another's soul in the Sea of Souls is truly the realm of the gods. It may differ in the same way Sirius kills players, but I believe it holds great significance."
Ryujo looked at Hanbit with eyes filled with clear anticipation.
This side also felt like the perspective of a pure researcher.
“I guess I’ll have to go in to find out.”
Hanbit’s conclusion was simple.
If there were no clues or anything to be obtained, the only solution was to go in and see for myself.
“…You’re going to connect now? What if you get caught up in that again?”
Lee Min-ho tried to dissuade him in a surprised voice.
It was a concern regarding the situation where they still couldn’t connect, and the strange space known as the Sea of Souls.
“Because what happened earlier might have been a phenomenon created by Momo’s special circumstances. I haven’t actually used the Gear yet, have I?”
“What if I go into the Sea of Souls again and can’t come back? Have you considered that possibility?”
“Even considering that, this time…”
“Wait a moment.”
Just as they were arguing, Yoshiko suddenly raised her hand to stop the conversation.
Examining her smartphone screen with an expressionless face, she looked at Hanbit and said,
“We received a message from Team Zero. They say they want to ask for help from the Black Dragon.”
“Help?”
“Yes. The RP side isn't quite grasping the situation either, but they say it is possible to intervene with individual players' gear. They conveyed that since it is difficult to take a phone call right now, they would appreciate it if you could log in immediately.”
A request arriving from the operations team, and from a developer on the Goddess of Silence side at that, was quite unexpected.
If Team Zero, who had previously stated they couldn't actively intervene, is making such a request, the situation must be bad in many ways.
“Can I use the capsule now?”
“Yes. It is difficult to predict what impact the damaged chip will have, but I will handle it to the best of my ability.”
Ryujo hardened his resolve with a serious expression.
He was a person who truly deserved the title of “Helper” in many ways.
“Thank you. Then, I’ll leave it to you.”
“Yes. Please wait a moment.”
Nodding, Ryujo moved busily to activate the capsule.
As if he had checked it in advance, he finished the preparations in no time.
“You may lie down comfortably.”
Following the instructions, Hanbit slowly lay down in the capsule.
He had a strong impression that it would be a bit hard, but a unique cushion enveloped his entire body like a comfortable cradle.
“Lord Black Dragon, please be careful.”
“Please, take care of yourself.”
Yoshiko and Lee Min-ho expressed their concern over the unknown situation.
Hanbit nodded and looked at Ryujo by his bedside.
“It is ready.”
“Yes. Then I will activate it immediately.”
A beeping
sound like a warning rang out as the translucent door slowly closed.
Click—
when it was completely locked, the view immediately went black.
Whoosh—
Feeling the distinctive sensation of connecting, Hanbit relaxed his body.
A tense silence where no sound could be heard.
Swoosh—
After a brief moment, light appeared in his pitch-black vision.
And the moment the familiar Nio Guild Headquarters came into view.
Ding—
[A rift in the records has occurred.]
[Entering the turbulent rift of the past.]
