Chapter 87
My heart pounded at the arrogant remark.
My mouth almost opened automatically to greet him, but I barely managed to hold it back.
After discovering that the world of the Archive was reality, I had imagined meeting my favorite character.
’Hello, I am Trainee Han Goyo of the Trial Response Agency. I’ve heard a lot about you, CEO Cha. It’s a pleasure to meet you today.’
’By any chance, an autograph... probably not, right? Yes. My apologies.’
I had imagined something ordinary like that.
I never could have imagined a first meeting like this.
However, the moment I saw the person I had only seen in dot graphics in the flesh, it was truly overwhelming.
Half-dazed, I observed my favorite character, alive and moving.
Receiving my gaze, CEO Cha looked back at me in silence for a moment.
Then, he lightly jumped down from the car.
The man standing there was tall.
I knew he was tall, but seeing him in person, he seemed even taller.
He was only slightly shorter than Kwak Han-mook, so I figured he must be around 190cm.
His build was lean, and since he was wearing athletic gear, he gave off the vibe of a combat sports athlete.
If he were with Captain Kwak, they’d look like an athletes gathering.
As I was busily looking around, a metallic clink snapped me back to attention.
CEO Cha had pulled a gun resembling a large cannon from his inventory and was resting it on his shoulder.
In the center of the gun was a transparent chamber where blue electric currents swirled.
Startled, I tapped Samra’s shoulder.
"Samra!"
The item CEO Cha had produced was an EMP Shockwave Gun.
I had used it in the Archive game; it instantaneously releases a powerful electromagnetic pulse, melting the internal circuits of machinery through overcurrent.
It was a weapon that would be fatal to an android like Samra.
I was about to say we should run away quickly, but before I could utter a word, Samra answered first.
"There is no need to worry, Mr. Han Goyo."
He didn’t even flinch, even as the muzzle was pointed directly at him.
"Such primitive means cannot damage me."
Since the most cutting-edge thing I knew was the EMP Shockwave, and he had just called it primitive, I was speechless.
Samra’s holographic eyes and hair began to sparkle brilliantly.
The holographic colors, which usually emitted a subtle glow, now flashed openly, brightening the entire area.
CEO Cha, aiming squarely at Samra, pulled the trigger.
Kieeeeeeing!
Along with a high-frequency sound that tore through the air, the blue current swirling in the chamber compressed into a single point.
Facing a situation where he might instantly become a heap of scrap metal, Samra spoke in an emotionless voice.
"Forming an electromagnetic field anti-phase wave for the next 15 minutes and 37 seconds."
Soon, a blue flash so intense it was blinding fired from the muzzle.
It was a massive electromagnetic pulse that turned the atmosphere into plasma as it erupted.
Simultaneously, a transparent wave spread out from Samra.
The space at the boundary where the wave passed distorted momentarily, shimmering like a heat haze.
An invisible sphere collided with the EMP in mid-air.
There was no explosion sound. However, a phenomenon more bizarre than a physical explosion occurred.
Along the boundary of the collision, space twisted and flashed, as if oil had been dropped onto water.
The powerful electromagnetic energy, capable of paralyzing an entire city, melted away and vanished like a lie the moment it touched the transparent sphere Samra had created.
As I watched with my mouth agape, Samra explained the current situation to me.
"It is destructive interference, where opposing waveforms overlap and cancel each other out."
Excuse me?
When I didn’t understand immediately, he provided a very simple analogy.
"It is the same principle as noise-canceling. I created a waveform opposite to the noise."
I felt like I understood a little.
But as I listened to the following explanation, I once again had no idea what he was talking about.
"To block an instantaneously fired EMP with an anti-phase wave, one must analyze the frequency, waveform, and output speed in real-time. I performed billions of calculations per second to perfectly analyze the EMP’s waveform and output an anti-phase wave with a 100% synchronization rate."
I felt like Samra was bragging a bit, but maybe that was just my overactive imagination... or maybe not...
Regardless, it was certain that Samra had done something incredible.
Having done nothing but watch while being carried on his back, I praised Samra.
"That’s truly amazing. I didn’t know you could do something like this. And your explanation is great, too."
You’re like a premium paid AI.
Not the free version, but the paid Al you have to subscribe to for hundreds of thousands of won a month.
I wondered if calling an android a "paid Al" was an insult, so I kept the thought to myself.
Before long, Samra’s anti-phase wave completely consumed the EMP and dominated a 1km radius.
Then, a strange sight unfolded.
All the surrounding lights and electronic billboards left a momentary bluish afterimage before going pitch black.
At the same time, a silence fell as if the world had been cut with a knife.
It was because all electronic devices had stopped, and the minute background noises vanished all at once.
I felt a stillness and a pressure that made my ears feel muffled, as if I had entered deep water.
My heartbeat and breathing sounded abnormally loud, and I felt slightly dizzy.
Even though I hadn’t said anything, Samra immediately grasped my condition.
"Because the human nervous system operates on minute electrical signals, one feels a biological sense of crisis within an electromagnetic anti-phase field. We will move immediately."
*Where are you going, Samra?"
CEO Cha tossed the EMP gun behind him.
Then, tapping a white scabbard with his hand, he spoke.
"Since you’ve come all this way to meet me, shouldn’t you at least let me introduce myself?"
Following CEO Cha’s gesture, my gaze instinctively shifted to his sword.
The Great Sun Tathagata!
The white sword, meaning the Great Sun, had an item description that was just as cool.
I recalled the item description I had seen in the game.
[Great Sun Tathagata: The sun of the mortal world sets in darkness, but the light of the Great Sun Tathagata knows neither day nor night.]
Though he had failed to turn the android into scrap, CEO Cha was an opponent who should never be underestimated.
If Je Hyun-oh was the strongest in wide-area combat against multiple foes, CEO Cha was the most peerless in combat against a single target.
A "nuker" style of combat, pouring out explosive damage in an instant, was CEO Cha’s characteristic.
The Great Sun Tathagata served as a particularly reliable foundation for his burst damage.
The white sword, which seemed born solely for CEO Cha...
"Mr. Han Goyo."
"Yes?"
"We are moving."
Didn’t Samra say he was moving earlier? I didn’t know why he was saying it again.
As I wondered, I belatedly read the expressions of Won Tae-bum and CEO Cha.
Won Tae-bum had been keeping a close eye on the exchange between Samra and CEO Cha, never letting his guard down.
But now, he was looking at me with an even more bewildered expression than when he first saw me on Samra’s back.
For someone whose emotional expression was so muted to look at me like that...
Did I observe CEO Cha too intensely?
CEO Cha’s gaze also had a similarly bewildered feel.
If there was a slight difference... CEO Cha seemed to be in a slightly better mood.
Since I was judging based on the mood-reading skills I had honed while observing Je Hyun-oh’s goggles and gas mask, it was likely accurate.
Shrng.
CEO Cha unsheathed the Great Sun Tathagata.
A dazzling white blade revealed itself.
In the darkness where all other light had vanished, the sword shining pure white on its own was utterly mesmerizing.
"It seems Han Goyo has a lot he wants to say to me."
At CEO Cha’s words as he lowered his sword, I hurriedly made an excuse to Samra.
"No, Samra. I was just looking because it was fascinating for a moment."
However, the android, who knew all my biological information, didn’t even respond.
Instead, he called out to Won Tae-bum.
"Lieutenant Won Tae-bum. I leave Mr. Han Goyo to you."
Samra handed me over to Won Tae-bum. I found myself carried on a new back.
No matter how long I had been asleep before waking up, it was quite embarrassing for a grown adult man to keep being carried on someone’s back.
Thanks to Samra’s diligent carrying, I felt like my body had recovered quite a bit.
"I can walk."
But Samra immediately informed me of the reality.
"Impossible. Currently, Mr. Han Goyo is in a state of paraplegia. It is estimated that it will take at least one day or more for a full recovery."
No wonder I couldn’t put any strength into my legs.
Hearing Samra’s words, I understood my condition. Dominic, above my head, also gently advised me.
"Roasted Chestnut. It is also important to know how to be served by your subordinates."
There was no one here lower than me, but I nodded as if I understood.
CEO Cha let out a crooked smile.
"The Agency is still cycling through people as usual."
Samra’s face became expressionless.
Even as he stopped mimicking a human, CEO Cha didn’t show the slightest agitation.
He slowly turned his head and fixed his gaze on me.
"Han Goyo. Come to Pasung."
Really?
I barely managed to stop myself from answering.
CEO Cha was famous for his surprising personality, as well as his distrust of humans.
The number of people he trusted was extremely small.
That was why I knew that all the mercenaries of Pasung were scouted by the two directors who were CEO Cha’s closest aides.
I was likely the first suitable candidate to be offered a scout by the CEO himself since the founding of Pasung.
It seemed I really was incredibly useful to CEO Cha.
Can’t I just hear why he’s doing this once?
Of course, I couldn’t trust CEO Cha, so it’s not like I’d sign a contract with Pasung; I’d just listen for a bit...
"CEO Cha. I will not permit any further remarks."
A mist sparkling in holographic colors flowed from Samra.
Within the dreamlike mist, Samra tore off both sleeves of his uniform.
Smooth skin was revealed, and the skin armor that had been mimicking a human form split along geometric lines.
Mechanical parts writhed like living creatures and recombined, transforming into silver barrels, with his left arm transformed into a railgun and his right arm into a plasma cannon, Samra continued to explain to me.
"I have chosen simple weaponry to handle nanobots and anti-phase waves simultaneously."
In short, he was saying he could transform into something cooler, but since he had a lot to do right now, he transformed into an early-model version.
He said he only had combat functions for defensive purposes.
It seemed his concept of "defense" was slightly different from a human’s.
Perhaps reading my expression, Samra added a further explanation.
"Due to the premise of not harming humanity, a significant portion of my functions have been restricted. While it may be difficult to completely defend against CEO Cha, I expect to secure sufficient time."
Samra spoke while staring directly at CEO Cha.
*Lieutenant Colonel Je Hyun-oh is returning. I will defend until then."
Zzzzzing.
Holographic energy began to gather in the plasma cannon.
Samra commanded.
"Lieutenant Won Tae-bum. Move immediately."
Kwang!
The moment his words fell, the pure white light and the holographic light collided.
Samra had blocked CEO Cha, who was rushing to seize me.
An exchange of blows at a speed difficult for the eye to follow ensued instantly.
The white sword split the energy shells fired by Samra, who had bent his arms in a form impossible for a human.
As fragmented energy debris splashed in all directions, CEO Cha dove toward Samra.
The barrel of the railgun on Samra’s left arm rotated, firing high-speed magnetic bullets in rapid succession.
Waves that tore through the air were shot toward CEO Cha’s chest.
However, CEO Cha lightly twisted his body in mid-air, deflected the bullets with the blade, and immediately swung the white sword.
The swarm of nanobots surrounding Samra quickly changed shape.
The holographic mist formed a shield of connected hexagons in front of Samra.
Kwang!
The shield and the white blade clashed, and sparks poured down like a waterfall.
The dim surroundings were instantly illuminated.
I wanted to watch the exchange between CEO Cha and Samra a bit longer, but as Won Tae-bum began to run, the distance naturally grew.
Glancing back, I belatedly realized why I had felt vibrations in the underground passage earlier.
A large section of the side of the Agency building had been ripped away.
I had asked Samra why he was fighting a city battle in Seoul, but he had already predicted this future.
"Trainee Han."
At the blunt voice, I looked at the back of Won Tae-bum’s head.
"Do you intend to stay at the Agency?"
If I said no here, he might just throw me on the ground, so I answered ambiguously.
"For now... I would like to."
*Do you know how to handle a firearm?"
"I know the basics."
I didn’t feel the need to mention that I had fired one for the first time in Deadzone.
"Excuse me."
Won Tae-bum turned me around from his back and lifted me up with one arm.
His strength was as impressive as his muscular build.
Having easily adjusted his hold, he handed me a pistol and equipped an item from his inventory onto his empty hand.
The silver gauntlet, which looked like something a medieval knight would wear, was Won Tae-bum’s weapon item, ’Paladin’s Vow’.
Equipped with the gauntlet, Won Tae bum stared ahead.
The night street covered by Samras anti-phase wave was eerily quiet.
However, I could instinctively feel what Won Tae-bum was wary of.
Beneath the falling moonlight, two people, a man and a woman slid out from the shadows.
The man wearing glasses and the woman with her hair tied high in a ponytail were dressed in office wear, making them look at first glance like office workers who had been working overtime.
If not for the Trial items they held in their hands...
The man, holding a sword with teeth, smiled kindly and spoke with a sales-like tone.
"Lieutenant Won. It’s been a while. You’re as dashing as ever."
The woman, holding a gun with flowers blooming from it, widened her eyes as if she weren’t holding a weapon at all.
"Lieutenant. You’re working overtime way too late. Why don’t you just clock out?"
"Move."
"Haha, we’d like to move too. But what can we do? We’re in a position where we have to do what our superiors tell us."
"Just let us talk to Goyo-nim for a moment."
The woman said with a beaming smile.
"We’ll give him right back once he signs the contract."
They were the two directors of Pasung and CEO Cha’s closest aides: Seo Moon-chan and Mok Sae-hwa.