16. Demon the White Dragon Slayer (4)
16. Demon the White Dragon Slayer (4) – Radical Negotiation
In fact, even if it was an Android, it would be impossible to directly hack a facility of this scale unless it was a special model specialized in hacking. However, Sunja’s hacking was relentless despite that fact.
Unlike typical hacking that leaves no traces of intrusion, this is a violent hacking that destroys the security network without any thought for the aftermath. The security system of the workshop began to scream as Sunja continued her hacking attacks.
– External network connection is disconnected.
– External firewall breached. Internal firewall failed to operate.
– Automatic risk diagnosis······Risk of interference with the facility’s central system. Attempt to isolate the system······Isolation failure.
– System emergency shutdown······Shutdown failed.
The security system desperately tried to prevent Sunja’s hacking, but failed completely. The central system that controlled the entire Direct Thought Workshop was being trampled by a single android.
At that moment, a loud thud and vibrations echoed from the entrance to the control room. The attackers had already reached the door of the control room.
“Tch.”
Sunja clicked her tongue lightly. There was not enough time.
Although the control room was built to be sturdy enough to prevent outside intrusion, it would only be able to last a few minutes against a fully equipped martial artist.
– Forced deletion of the central system kernel.
The situation was that the system itself was erased during the hacking process, which was a last-ditch effort by the security system to prevent control from being taken away and exploited, even if it lost its attack and defense functions.
‘no······!’
Sunja quickly overloaded the system to buy time and stop the deletion.
– Deletion progress 2%······5%······12%······12%······12%······Delete stopped. System kernel complete deletion failed.
– System kernel recovery succeeded. Operation check······Operation failed.
“eww······.”
Sunja gritted her teeth.
Somehow, the system was prevented from being deleted, but the recovery failed and the system itself was damaged. To make matters worse, a loud noise and the sound of the breaching equipment cutting through the entrance to the control room began to be heard.
If things continue this way, the attackers will be able to break down the entrance before they can even take control of the system. Sunja took out a small internal energy battery pack the size of a finger joint from her pocket.
‘I’ll have to hyperclock to make it on time.’
Hyperclock, a technology exclusively for androids, is one of the few technologies in the Qigong engineering that is exclusive to humans or near-humans. It is a technology that uses Qi to stabilize the calculation module and instantly increase calculation ability, and is a type of doping drug exclusive to androids.
It was almost like self-harm for the android because of the semi-permanent side effects of damaging the artificial brain, but it was better than being caught in vain before she could prepare her final move. Without a moment’s hesitation, Sunja inserted the internal energy battery pack into the back of her neck.
“flaw······.”
The amount of calculations increases absurdly rapidly, but the circuits of the calculation module are protected by the energy so they do not completely burn out. Sweat beads formed on Sunja’s forehead as she groaned from the heat leaking out from inside her head.
‘Just a little more.’
– Check error code. Enter debugging mode.
– Start syncing the rewritten code. Check operation······Operation success.
The system was able to identify the broken code throughout the system and patch the broken parts in place so that they would not interfere with the existing system. It only took a few dozen seconds for the security system’s last-ditch effort to be resolved.
– Access to the facility’s central system was successful. Root authority [SUNJA] was granted successfully.
‘Okay.’
It was the moment when Sunja had just taken control of the central system of the workshop. The entrance to the control room burst open with a loud bang.
“That’s it.”
A chilling sensation was felt on the nape of Sunja’s neck along with a dreary voice. Vior, who had approached her so quickly that she could not even perceive it, warned her while aiming the tip of his fingernail at Sunja’s Adam’s apple.
“I won’t tell you twice. Get your hands off me. Right now.”
“Haa······I understand.”
Although he was an android who had not learned martial arts and was no different from a normal person, an android connected to the system could turn into a troublesome enemy at any time. Following Bior’s order from experience, Sunja obediently disconnected from the system and raised both hands.
‘what?’
Vior’s eyes narrowed as he saw Sunja, who was breathing heavily and sweating profusely with a flushed face. It seemed like she was scheming something, but he had no idea what she was scheming.
‘I guess it doesn’t matter since I’ve disconnected from the system.’
“Because of that, my beloved subordinates have become guests who will never return home without even being able to fight properly. If you’ve been involved in the affairs of the martial arts world to this extent, you should know that even ordinary people wouldn’t be protected, right? It would be best to give up the idea of dying gracefully.”
Vior, who had lost quite a few of his men, glared at Sunja and growled. He couldn’t help but feel angry when he thought of his men who had died fighting and dying inside the spaceship without being able to put up a fight.
However, Sunja did not lose her composure despite the fierce and angry Vior and asked in a voice that clearly showed her exhaustion.
“······Where do you belong? I don’t think you’re from the Jegal family.”
Of course, it wasn’t a question I asked with any expectation of an answer. They were the ones who had attacked under the orders of Jegal Se-ga, and they weren’t even the local black market leaders, so they wouldn’t have handled things so sloppily.
If I had been able to use Gangho Net, I would have searched based on Vior’s poison weapon, but due to the jamming of the evil army room, the connection to Gangho Net was also cut off.
“under.”
Of course, he didn’t answer Soonja’s question and just laughed. Instead of wasting time with useless stories, he threatened her to quickly complete the mission.
“I’ll tell you one way to die gracefully. Right now, unlock the area where the Murim Gongjeok Dang Se-ryeong is located.”
Although he would like to kill his subordinates as painfully as possible in order to avenge them, he is a professional and his mission comes first. The tips of his nails dug into Sunja’s neck.
“Ha, you’re saying that Queen Unnie is a martial arts expert? Is that what the Zhuge Se family said?”
“I don’t understand why the story of Jegal Se is being brought up. We are a group of stalwarts who rose up to destroy the martial arts masters who were hiding their true identities and to restore justice to the martial arts world.”
How shameless. Sunja laughed in vain. Looking at her, Vior also smiled back.
“Anyway, if you don’t like the people there, you’ll still be using the Murim Public Treasure to hunt witches.”
“Well. If the last bloodline of the Sacheondang family that was destroyed by the human government isn’t a martial arts master, then what is it? Even if it wasn’t announced by luck, the blood flowing in my body doesn’t change.”
Vior paused for a moment and then added with a sly smile as if he knew what you were thinking.
“······And stop wasting time foolishly. I’m making this suggestion just so you don’t misunderstand, but I just want to get things done faster and more efficiently. Even if you don’t cooperate, if you just give us a little more time, we can quickly break into this closed-off facility of a private workshop.”
Bior looked down at Sunja with emotionless eyes and said. What he was saying was definitely not a bluff. He had already sent the remaining subordinates to break through the closed area, so he should be able to secure Tang Se-ryeong’s new soldiers within an hour or two.
But the part of his words that Sunja focused on was something else. That is, he knew the background of Seolyeong’s origins. Although there was no definitive evidence, it was likely an unofficial sect secretly operated by Sega.
And the fact that he wasn’t just an outsider meant that he had a direct channel with the Zhuge family that led this incident. Sunja was confident.
‘I rather like it.’
“······You don’t have any intention of going well?”
You can tell just by looking at his eyes that he has no intention of cooperating obediently. Vior clicked his tongue lightly.
‘This is becoming annoying.’
Of course, it just makes things a little more tedious. It just makes you sweat a little more and takes a little more time. Instead of continuing the pointless, hopeless struggle, Vior wanted to take her life without delay in order to get things done quickly.
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If it weren’t for the one word that came out of Sunja’s mouth before he left.
“Palace.”
“ok?”
“Parley. Negotiation. Let’s negotiate.”
Suddenly? Vior frowned as he looked at Sunja. He acted like he would never cooperate, but now he’s saying that his life is precious.
Well, it would be a welcome thing if things were easy to solve anyway. Vior lowered his hand.
But the offer Sunja made was not the kind he wanted.
“Can you hear me?”
Sunja immediately pointed upward. Vior’s brow furrowed a little more.
“What do you want to do now?”
“Can you hear this sound?”
Sound? He focused his hearing and kept his eyes on Sunja to prepare for useless chatter.
And then, a rumbling sound of something huge being twisted was heard. An ominous sound that reverberated throughout the workshop. Vior, who had a gut feeling that things were going strangely wrong, glared at Sunja with a serious expression.
“What did you just do?”
“It’s nothing. I forced the parallel reactor in the workshop to go into overdrive before you guys barged in.”
“······what?”
Did I hear wrong? Vior blinked momentarily.
“It goes without saying that our demands are: Please guarantee my sister and I’s safety until we can escape this place.”
“Are you threatening to blow yourself up right now? Want to negotiate?”
“It’s a bit of an aggressive negotiation. Even if we can’t negotiate, it’s still the same as dying.”
He let out a hollow laugh. If he was scared enough to back down at the mere threat of self-destruction, he wasn’t worthy of being a professional. People who act like that aren’t the first or second time I’ve met them during missions.
“There’s nothing we can do. It’s unfortunate and scary, but if we can punish the Murim public enemy with our sacrifice, then what would we not sacrifice this one body of ours? Right?”
That wasn’t a bluff, it was sincere. Vior’s eyes sparkled with an emotion bordering on fanaticism.
The Akgunbang was a place that existed only for the sake of the Jegal family. Sacrificing oneself for the glory of the family was not a new idea to them.
Of course, if he really committed suicide, it would be a huge loss since he would lose all of the main force of the evil army just because of two people. However, he didn’t think that Soonja, who wasn’t even a martial artist, would have the guts to do that.
In the ruthless world of martial arts where people communicate with swords, how strong can the will of ordinary people be to threaten with something like self-destruction? He glared at Sunja, deliberately letting his momentum run wild in order to seize control of the atmosphere.
But Sunja continued to speak without the slightest hint of intimidation, even when facing the pressure of the mad Vior.
“There’s one thing you forgot.”
“huh?”
“We’re not the only ones here.”
Vior’s pupils shook violently as he realized belatedly what Sunja was saying.
“You crazy guy, you······.”
“The entire martial arts world already knows that Baekryongdae is staging a show of force in the Gigongseong world. Since there has been no official damage yet, they have pushed through it somehow, but even at this level, the burden on the Jegal family must be considerable. In that situation, if the true bone craftsman of the Gaegongbang is caught up in it and sacrificed, will Gigongbang and the martial arts world remain still?”
From the beginning, the neutral zone’s armed demonstration that shook the identity of the political party was suppressed by the reputation of the Jegal family. In this situation, if the craftsman of the Gi-gong-bang were to be sacrificed, even the Jegal family would not be able to handle it.
At Sunja’s words, Vior growled and spat out the words as if chewing them.
“······Hey, you said that we have no relation to the Jegal family.”
It was exactly as he said. Since it was originally a sect raised in the shadows to protect the glory of the Jegal family, if they declared themselves to be the ones who would punish the public enemy of the martial arts world and turn their reputation around, they could minimize the criticism of the Jegal family.
But Sunja merely tilted her head obliquely. The android’s characteristically inorganic eyes stared straight at Vior.
“What can a dead person say?”
“······You little punk.”
This isn’t a suicide threat, Sunja added in an extremely mechanical voice.
“It’s a hostage situation.”
Author’s Note
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Information) Qigong Hyperclocking Technology is one of the few technologies for androids in Qigong engineering. It is a technology that explosively overclocks the circuits of the artificial brain while using Qi to protect the circuits of the artificial brain, thus minimizing side effects. However, even if Qi is used, the circuits of the artificial brain cannot be completely protected, so some degree of damage is inevitable, and because of this, there is a high probability that the user, the android, will be left with a semi-permanent disability.
Information) Usually, when a dispute arises between space travelers, if they want to negotiate, they shout “Parley.” This custom was started a thousand years ago when mankind was just entering space by the first Green Forest King, and according to his memoir, he copied it from an old classic movie.
Information) Usually, the energy source of space facilities uses nuclear fusion energy, and the iron room of the air system uses solar energy, but in the case of the Murim Workshop, which uses the internal drive manufacturing technology, it additionally uses highly advanced nuclear fission energy for special reasons. Parallel reactors are a widely used technology.
Information) The neutral zone armed demonstration by Jegal Se-ga is already being broadcasted live in the martial arts world, and the martial arts alliance has also issued a statement of concern. Due to Jegal Se-ga’s preemptive plan, the fight between Mokjin and Baekryongdae is not being broadcast directly.
Information) Sunja’s suicide threat is somewhat of a bluff. Sunja doesn’t bet with Seolyeong’s life, even if she or Mokjin don’t know it.
Information) Those who sacrificed themselves for the Jegal family in unofficial sects such as the Akgunbang are generously compensated financially and institutionally by the Jegal family foundation for their bereaved families. Some of the most talented people even join Jegal family sects. Thanks to this, the loyalty of the unofficial sects to Jegal family is high.
