Chapter 100
“This isn't the time for jokes.”
Zephyros dismissed my words with a serious look and focused on communications again.
Well, of course he wouldn't believe me.
I wouldn't believe it either.
“It's a new ability I obtained recently.”
Only then did he turn his gaze back to me.
“... So the new ability you got after causing all that chaos in North Korea... is something like hacking?”
“Something like that.”
“Hey! No matter how versatile Awakening is, there's no such thing as a hacking ability!”
That's true.
I mean, I needed to find out what this Greed thing was planning to do.
“I told you, it works.”
He wasn't going to say it was too difficult after I gave it a try, was he?
Well, since I was saying it so confidently...
Zephyros stared into my eyes for a long moment, then nodded.
“You're not the type to spout nonsense about something like this... Let's go check it out. Even an extra pair of hands would help. If you can do something, all the better.”
He believed me, but didn't seem to think I had an ability powerful enough to resolve the situation all at once.
Didn't matter.
These days, people's attention was on me more than ever...
But that had never been the kind of life Kim Segyun had lived.
When had anyone ever expected anything of me?
Better to get a good result when expectations were low...
than an ordinary one under excessive expectations.
“So... where do we need to go?”
“Somewhere with the largest data center possible.”
The internet itself was globally connected, so it didn't make much difference where we connected from. But for Greed to spread across as wide an area as quickly as possible, a data center with greater capacity would be advantageous.
“All right. I'll have them find one.”
As he said that, we boarded a helicopter that had already been prepared at the scene and headed toward Seoul.
One way or another, most of the large-scale backbone networks were in Seoul.
I couldn't help wondering if this was really what I should be doing right after getting nuked in North Korea.
But I couldn't just stand by when I could solve the problem.
I'd think about it after I solved it.
**
The President's office at the presidential residence in Taereung, Nowon-gu.
At the NSC, which had been convened frequently of late, the President's furious shout rang out.
“Are you telling me our country's cybersecurity is only this good? The entire national communications network has been paralyzed!”
“... We apologize.”
At President Kang Min-guk's angry outburst, the Minister of Science and ICT bowed his head low.
The Minister of National Defense bowed his head as well.
After all, the Ministry of National Defense played a significant role in cybersecurity, too.
“Sigh... How long will it take to get this under control?”
“We should assume it could take up to two days.”
“Two days?”
Clutching his throbbing head, President Kang Min-guk let out a deep sigh and took a painkiller from his pocket with a sip of water.
“Minister of Economy and Finance, what kind of impact do you expect this to have on the economy?”
“In the short term, more than 10 trillion won... In the long term, we expect the impact to exceed 100 trillion won.”
“A decline in our international standing, a stock-market crash, the risk of war, and so on.”
“That's right.”
“What was behind North Korea's actions?”
At President Kang Min-guk's question, the Minister of National Defense glanced at the Minister of Awakened Management seated across from him, then looked back toward the President and spoke.
“It seems to be retaliation for the incident in North Hamgyeong Province. The North Korean leadership's grip on power has weakened considerably since then, so I suspect this is retaliation meant to tighten control internally.”
The Director of the National Security Office lent his support to the Minister of National Defense's statement, as if in agreement.
“That's right. This may actually be fortunate.”
“... Fortunate? This?”
The Director of the National Security Office explained to the bewildered President Kang Min-guk.
“Think about it. This was an incident serious enough for a nuclear explosion to occur on their own territory. If North Korea still had the capacity to provoke us militarily, they would've already done so. In other words...”
“They can't properly control the military or the Hunters.”
“Yes. We believe Hunter Kim Segyun was responsible for the deaths of five North Korean Hunters, so half the strength of their personal guard may well have vanished.”
“... So, put simply, they don't have the strength to throw a proper punch, and they're retaliating by other means?”
“That's right. The problem is that, to be frank, we lack the capacity to respond adequately.”
When he glanced toward the Ministry of Science and ICT, the minister made a startled sound, hurriedly grabbed the microphone, and spoke.
“Over the past twenty years, the Republic of Korea has certainly developed. That's an undeniable fact, but... our progress in cybersecurity... and science in general, for that matter, has been painfully meager compared to our economic growth.”
“......”
President Kang Min-guk was at a loss for words.
South Korea's economy ran on the Awakened, and its industries had grown with a focus on them.
It was hard to deny that other fields had been somewhat neglected.
“If they'd been openly honing their blade for a long time... then this kind of situation was practically inevitable.”
“Fine. Let's say this is the result of getting hit. What are we going to do from here on?”
“If North Korea keeps acting this way... we can't guarantee this won't happen again. They've spent a long time preparing this...”
For a moment, the atmosphere grew somber, and a hollow smile touched President Kang Min-guk's lips.
“I knew we couldn't be perfect in every respect... but I didn't realize things were this bad.”
“Um, Mr. President.”
President Kang Min-guk nodded to the Foreign Minister, who had raised his hand, granting him the floor. The minister spoke.
“What about asking the United States for support?”
“The United States...?”
“There are quite a few capable people in American political circles... and one of them is Kaiser, considered the strongest Hunter in the United States.”
“Kaiser? What does he have to do with this?”
“I've heard that he wants something from Hunter Kim Segyun...”
Kim Segyun again.
President Kang Min-guk let out a deep sigh.
“And?”
The Minister of National Defense stepped in and spoke in place of the Foreign Minister.
“Didn't we end up in this mess by giving in to Hunter Kim Segyun's near-unreasonable request? You could say he should be the one to resolve the problem...”
“Excuse me, Minister of National Defense! Does that make any sense at a time like this...?”
“Ah, the Ministry of Awakened Management is also largely responsible, isn't it? Minister Jeong, didn't you send him to the North after saying you'd take responsibility? Can't you take responsibility for this situation?”
“The man who nearly brought the North Korean dictatorship to collapse and took out five of their main Hunters... you want to talk about responsibility? Are you kidding me?”
“Did we send Hunter Kim Segyun to the North to do that?”
“If we're going to put it that way, the NIS's human intelligence network in the North betrayed us...”
After saying it, Minister Jeong seemed to realize he'd misspoken and shut his mouth.
NIS Director Ryu Hyeonsu was pro-Awakened, after all.
“That's enough, all of you.”
President Kang Min-guk intervened and stopped them, but Minister Jeong In-hyeon could already sense that the other side had gained the upper hand, and lowered his head.
“As the Foreign Minister suggested, we'll request defensive support from the United States. But we will not sell out Hunter Kim Segyun.”
“But the state has invested considerable resources in supporting Hunter Kim Segyun...”
“Let's leave it at that. Don't bring it up again.”
Having achieved their objective, the non-Awakened cabinet members, led by the Ministry of National Defense, backed down as well.
It was right then.
“Mr. President. The NIS Director is on the line.”
“Put him through.”
NIS Director Ryu Hyeonsu appeared on the video conference system.
─Mr. President, I'm on my way to Seoul with Hunter Kim Segyun.
“There's no need to hurry. The NSC is nearly finished anyway. Focus on responding to this incident.”
The NIS Director was originally one of the members scheduled to attend the NSC, but the incident had broken out at the worst possible moment, while he'd gone down to Jinhae to meet Kim Segyun.
As a result, the NIS's First Deputy Director was attending in his place.
─Mr. President, that's not it. Hunter Kim Segyun says he can... resolve this incident.
“... What do you mean?”
He acknowledged that Kim Segyun had a wide range of abilities.
From wide-area attacks to healing.
Even government agencies couldn't determine the full extent of his abilities, or where they came from.
But...
“Since when was Hunter Kim Segyun an expert in cybersecurity, too?”
─I don't know either.
“......”
“NIS Director! This is the NSC! How can you joke around with the President...?”
At the Director of the National Security Office's shout, Zephyros spoke with a rigid expression.
─Does this look like a joke to you?
“......”
─Anyway, whether or not the government believes me, I'm heading to N Corporation's data center in Bundang.
It was famous for being the largest data center in South Korea.
─I've sent a request for cooperation under the NIS's name. I'm telling you for your information.
“Are you saying the NIS will access a private company's data center without a warrant? The NIS doesn't have domestic operational authority...”
The NIS's authority had been considerably reduced under the previous administration.
But...
─This is a counterespionage operation.
Faced with that one sentence, everyone fell silent.
No matter how much authority it had lost, no government agency in South Korea had greater authority than the NIS in counterespionage matters.
─So... either cooperate, or sit back and do nothing. Make your choice. That's all.
At the NIS Director's abrupt disconnection, a few committee members looked sour, but Minister Jeong In-hyeon, who was close to him, and President Kang Min-guk wore faint smiles.
“... For now, let's do what we can on our end. Even if the Cyber Security Command can't stop it, do your best to defend against it. The NIS should do everything it can as well.”
“And... are we going to trust Hunter Kim Segyun?”
“He says he can do it, doesn't he? When has he ever said he could do something and then failed?”
President Kang Min-guk's voice was filled with strong conviction as he said this.
“Every government department is to actively support Hunter Kim Segyun.”
**
After arriving near the data center, I jumped straight out without waiting for the helicopter to land.
I glided down using the effect of Icarus's Wings, landing smoothly as a data center employee stared at me in shock.
“It's urgent. Show me inside, quickly.”
“Y-yes, just a moment.”
We rode the elevator up a few floors.
“This is our data center. We're currently scrambling to get things under control, but...”
“Yes, I'll take it from here. Everyone, please clear out.”
After everyone had left, I released Greed.
Greed's form, resembling a human brain—an enormously large one—emerged from my inventory and unfurled as if stretching.
“I don't know what you plan to do... but go ahead.”
─ M y . s t r a n d s . g a i n . c o n t r o l . o v e r . i n o r g a n i c . m a t t e r.
As it spoke, Greed drove its tendrils into the many computers and network cables inside the data center.
─ T h i s . i s . m a t t e r . a s . w e l l.
The incredibly thin strands known as fiber-optic cables, stretching for hundreds of millions of kilometers, were connected to Greed's tendrils in an instant, too.
Those fiber-optic cables, which had just been ordinary wires...
began writhing like living creatures.
“So what are you going to do now?”
─ I . w i l l . f i n d . t h e . s o u r c e . o f . t h i s . p h e n o m e n o n.
Did that mean it was going to find the North Korean hackers?
“... And then?”
─ I . w i l l . m a k e . t h e m . f i x . i t.
“......?”
What the hell was that supposed to mean?
─ A f t e r . t h e y . f i x . i t . I . w i l l . k i l l . t h e m.
... Kill them? Was that figurative?
─ I . w i l l . s t o p . t h e i r . l i f e . a c t i v i t i e s.
Maybe it thought I hadn't understood, because it said it directly.
What was it talking about?
“On Korean soil... you're going to kill North Korean hackers?”
─ Y e s.
“How?”
Greed remained silent for a while...
Then, after about ten minutes, it spoke.
─ T h e y . a r e . a l r e a d y . d e a d.
I stared at it in confusion, unable to understand what it meant.
Then Zephyros's voice rang in my ear.
─Hey! They say all the hacking attacks from North Korea have stopped. Was that you?
“... Looks like it?”
Half bewildered...
half afraid...
I looked at the brain-shaped Greed in front of me.
What the hell is this thing?
**
Reconnaissance General Bureau, Unit 121.
Along with Research Institute 110, which specialized in developing cyberwarfare technology, it was known for handling North Korea's cyber operations.
Although the hackers here weren't Hunters, they received treatment nearly on par with them.
They were North Korea's top earners, bringing in more foreign currency than Hunters through hacking, ransomware, and other means.
“Those South Joseon bastards are absolutely pathetic.”
“You only just figured out those brats were useless?”
“They can run around all they want about Kim Segyun or whatever, but we're the best in cyberspace.”
Unit 121 had learned all its techniques from Chinese hackers, who competed for the title of world's best in cyberwarfare, and had even surpassed them by now.
North Korea's leadership believed the country could survive only through war or by threatening other countries.
That was why they'd staked everything on building up three major forces: nuclear, Hunter, and cyber.
“Everyone, don't get too carried away. You're not going to run wild like this just for today and then stop, are you?”
“That's right. We can keep coming back as many times as we want.”
The hackers of Unit 121 chuckled as they hammered away at their keyboards for quite some time.
But then.
Flash! The monitor flickered.
“Huh?”
“Is something wrong?”
“No. The computer just...”
“Is it a power problem?”
“It seems so.”
“Tell them to get the generator running, quick.”
Even Pyongyang struggled to get a proper power supply, but Unit 121 was an exception.
Unit 121 could run the oil generators they'd gone to great lengths to obtain without limit.
And with oil now cheaper, it wasn't difficult to procure it while evading international sanctions, so they'd never been short on power.
This time, when a message appeared saying the internet connection was unstable, the hacker said uneasily,
“It might be an internet problem, too.”
“Just wait a little and it'll improve.”
At that moment.
The insulation on the LAN cable connected behind the computer burst.
Whoosh! Something shot out and pierced him squarely between the brows.
It was only a single cable.
“Guh!”
Agony surged through his head so intensely that he couldn't even scream...
and drool streamed from his mouth.
The other hackers were likewise pierced between the brows by the strands that burst from the cables.
Soon, an absolute, irresistible command was delivered to their minds.
─ R e s t o r e . e v e r y t h i n g . t o . n o r m a l.
It was an order beyond comparison with that of the dictator they obeyed...
An absolute command, as if issued by a god.
As if bewitched, they obeyed it without hesitation.
And when all the commands had been carried out...
─ R e s t . n o w.
Their brains turned to mush, and their activity ceased.
On that day.
North Korea's supreme cyberwarfare force, Unit 121, lost every single one of its hackers in less than ten minutes.