Chapter 38: Warning
[It really has been a long time since we gathered like this.]
An unnamed dumpling shop in Sector 13-5.
Inside a spacious refrigerator, holographic figures were talking among themselves.
[Seriously. Has it been about two years?]
[Longer than that. This is the first time since that monster incident.]
[Have you all been doing well?]
Among the holograms, the owner of the Underground Great Hall, Madam Isabel, looked around as she spoke.
Then a male hologram who looked like a Dark Elf stepped forward.
[Lately there hasn’t been a single decent job, so it’s been hell. If you’ve got any good work lined up, share some info, Isabel.]
[Yeah. I heard you pulled off a big score somewhere recently. Give us some details.]
As Isabel replied only with a smile instead of words, another hologram asked with suspicion.
[But there’s an empty seat, isn’t there?]
[Ms. River was unable to participate today. She said she had some circumstances.]
[What kind of circumstances would make her skip the full Fixer meeting? No matter how you look at it, that’s pretty arrogant—even for River.]
A woman with a snake-like face hissed as she complained.
At that, Boss Kim, the Dwarf who was looking down at the holograms on the table, spoke.
“That must mean it’s something important.”
[Hmph. Like the rest of us are here because we’ve got nothing important to do.]
[Anyway, let’s cut the chatter and get to the point. Everyone here is busy.]
[Right. Why was this meeting suddenly called?]
[That is.]
Isabel dropped the words and deliberately let a pause hang.
[Because someone among us has shown signs of trying to break the ‘rule’.]
[…….]
At Madam’s words, every hologram reacted in their own way.
The Dwarf’s blunt eyes watched them all.
The rule that Fixers operating in Joseon tacitly upheld.
That rule was…….
‘Do not attack other Fixers.’
The only law observed in an underworld that otherwise seemed lawless.
The biggest reason it could be upheld was because they themselves were Fixers.
[Are you certain?]
[If you’re saying this much, you must have evidence, right?]
[No. There is no evidence.]
[What? Then how can you sound so confident…….]
[Perhaps.]
A hologram that had been silent until now suddenly opened his mouth.
[Is this related to the Fixer who isn’t present here?]
It was a Fixer whose entire face was covered by a smooth, egg-like mask.
At his words, Isabel nodded.
[That’s correct. Mr. Alfred Han.]
[Who are you talking about? River?]
[If you’re talking about someone who’s not here, who else would it be but River, you idiot.]
[Why River, of all people?]
[Recently, Ms. River was attacked by unidentified individuals. Fortunately, a Ghostcatcher was accompanying her at the time, so she was able to escape unharmed.]
Isabel casually swept her hand through the air.
[These are the ones who attacked Ms. River.]
CCTV footage showing some road in Seoul appeared.
Then, close-ups of several faces crossing the road while carrying weapons followed.
[According to the identity check, all of them belong to the ‘Dragon Star Group’.]
[Dragon Star Group?]
[That’s a gang active in Singapore.]
[Why would those bastards come all the way to Seoul…….]
[So you’re saying the Dragon Star Group attacked River at the behest of someone among us?]
[Do you have any physical evidence, not just suspicion? This is a pretty flimsy basis.]
An Orc female Fixer asked with her arms crossed.
[That’s right. This is flimsy logic without any physical proof.]
[Then why…….]
[Today, this is simply to inform you all.]
With those words, Isabel made an expression she rarely showed.
A cold expression devoid of any smile.
[Do not break the one and only rule.]
Madam looked over the holograms with that face for a moment, then formed a smile once more as she spoke.
[That concludes today’s meeting.]
[…….]
[Fine.]
[Just in case, everyone be careful out there.]
[Let’s have a drink together next time.]
A brief exchange of casual remarks among familiar Fixers followed, and before long, all the holograms disconnected.
“…….”
As the once-crowded tabletop fell silent, Boss Kim’s face hardened like stone.
At that moment.
“How was it?”
Isabel, who had just been a hologram, appeared from behind the refrigerator.
“Boss Kim.”
The place she addressed was not the table where Boss Kim stood.
Isabel was looking toward a massive installed cyberdeck in the corner of the refrigerator.
“Ugh…….”
Boss Kim, who had been connected to the cyberdeck, pulled a cable out from the back of his neck.
“You’re still as impressive as ever.”
Isabel said as she touched the skin of another Dwarf standing in front of the table.
“It’s really a perfect replica.”
“What are you talking about. I threw it together in a hurry, so it’s a total mess.”
When Boss Kim approached the doll that looked just like him and manipulated something, its body slumped limply as if a machine had powered down.
“So, how was it? The results of looking into the Fixers’ backgrounds.”
“Hm……. As expected, it wasn’t easy.”
“It never is. They’re all formidable individuals.”
“But still.”
The Dwarf tapped the desk lightly.
“There was just one thing. I found a very minor trace.”
“A trace, you say?”
“There was evidence that someone communicated with the upper brass.”
Boss Kim continued, his face grim.
“With the Royal Guard.”
The elite unit directly under the Joseon imperial family, the Royal Guard.
At that word, Isabel’s expression grew serious.
“Communication with the Royal Guard…….”
If so, this was far more dangerous than a simple power struggle.
“Is there any way to find out who it was?”
“The trace wasn’t strong enough to identify them. And they’re not idiots who’d leave something that obvious behind.”
Isabel fell into thought, then spoke carefully.
“Perhaps it has finally begun in earnest.”
“…….”
“A war upon which the fate of this land depends.”
“Put it up, Ar.”
Diesel asked as he drew the blinds over the windows of the workshop he had set up in his home.
Ar manipulated the hologram projector, spilling strings of text into the air in a rush.
〈There’s too much.〉
“How much is ‘too much’?”
〈In the Electrosphere, the keyword ‘seed’ comes up about 5.7 billion times.〉
“Cut out all the useless stuff. Remove all duplicates, and remove anything without real content.”
At his master’s words, the spirit slashed away countless holograms.
〈Even then, there are still about 3 billion.〉
“Hm…….”
Diesel said as he examined the keywords floating in the air.
“Exclude everything related to cooking and agriculture.”
〈Then…… 2.1 billion.〉
“Stocks, sports too.”
〈1.3 billion left.〉
“And if we cut out fictional creative works as well?”
After filtering and filtering like that, I finally managed to reduce it to around ten million.
“Still too many.”
〈If you could specify exactly what you’re looking for, Master, it would be much easier.〉
Ar glanced at Diesel, then licked its forepaw.
“That’s the problem. I don’t know.”
The keyword ‘seed’ that the Witch of the Electrosphere had muttered.
Trying to imagine what it might be led nowhere, endlessly.
“Hm……. Then extract only things related to the surreal.”
〈Surreal, you say?〉
“Magic, miracles, shamanism—anything like that.”
〈Understood. Searching…….〉
After rummaging through the Electrosphere for a moment, Ar spoke.
〈Surprisingly, Master.〉
“What.”
〈Those kinds of keywords don’t exist at all.〉
“Not even one?”
〈Yes. Not a single one. Should I recheck among the things we already excluded? They show up quite a lot in creative works like games or novels.〉
“No.”
Diesel sat down in the dedicated chair he had prepared for Electrosphere access and activated the cooling system.
“I’ll have to look myself.”
〈You’re planning to dive into the deep layers of the Electrosphere again? I could handle that alone.〉
“It’s fine.”
〈I’m worried your brain might overheat again like last time.〉
Ar lightly flew over and settled onto Diesel’s lap.
〈Master tends to act far too recklessly in the Electrosphere. It’s an extremely dangerous place.〉
“Are you worried about me, Ar?”
At Diesel’s words, Ar snapped its head away and replied.
〈Well……. If Master dies, there’ll be no one left to give Ar treats.〉
Diesel gently stroked Ar’s ash-gray fur.
Ar promptly bit Diesel’s hand—chomp—and then curled up while letting out a low purr.
〈Connect to me.〉
“Alright.”
By now, Diesel could connect to the Electrosphere on his own, but linking through Ar allowed him to do far more.
〈Connecting.〉
Exploring the Electrosphere with the assistance of a spirit was like having a reliable local guide.
〈Medium is Ar.〉
Diesel and Ar slowly closed their eyes at the same time.
Then the two of them began their exploration into the depths of the Electrosphere.
Seoul Sector 19-8B.
A place more commonly known as ‘Daerim Chinatown’.
Diesel walked through streets flashing with noisy neon signs.
After China abruptly cut itself off from the world in the past, this place had become a haven for countless Chinese people who were unable to return to their homeland.
‘The Central Plains were cut off after ghosts appeared……. Has it already been over ninety years?’
Back then, China’s solution to the nightmare of ghosts that were driving the world toward destruction was none other than ‘isolation’.
By mobilizing all the Magic and shamanism they possessed, they erected an overwhelmingly powerful Ten-Thousand-Li Great Wall—one that could never be undone.
As a result, the nation known as China vanished from the Earth.
Leaving behind countless orphans across the world, known as refugees.
Some of them had been outside the barrier and thus not isolated, migrating to places like Hong Kong, Taiwan, or Singapore, but most adapted to life in foreign lands.
“一个人来的吗？”
「Did you come alone?」
As a waitress in a qipao approached Diesel’s table and spoke, the installed automatic translation program interpreted her words.
“One mala xiangguo, please.”
“Ah, yes. One mala xiangguo, and…….”
The waitress naturally murmured in Korean and continued.
“Will that be all?”
When Diesel nodded instead of answering, she left behind a bright smile and hurried off.
‘It’s packed.’
A rough bar that looked as if it had been made simply by pouring concrete, without any real interior design.
Even though it was a weekday evening, the place was bursting at the seams.
Diesel didn’t usually enjoy coming to places like this, but today, he had a specific reason for being here.
〈How is it, Ar.〉
〈It’s faint, but there’s a trace.〉
As a result of tracking the keyword ‘seed’ deep within the Electrosphere.
He had discovered that some kind of deal was about to take place tonight in this ordinary-looking bar.
〈How much time do we have left?〉
〈You’ll have time to eat your mala xiangguo. At least a bite or two.〉
〈Hm…….〉
〈What is it?〉
〈I don’t really like mala.〉
〈Then why did you order it?〉
〈It was the only dish on the menu I recognized.〉
〈…….〉
A short while later.
As Diesel looked at the plate giving off the distinctive scent of spices and reaffirmed his own tastes.
Ar discovered something in the Electrosphere and sent an alert to its master.
〈Something was detected behind the shop.〉
Diesel immediately left the money for the food on the table and stood up.
Stepping out into the street, the urban air—more acrid than mala—stung his nose.
Following Ar’s guidance into a pitch-black alley between buildings, he spotted two faint silhouettes in the distance.
‘That must be them.’
Diesel tried to hide himself and observe the situation from there, but because of the noise coming from the main road, he couldn’t hear a single word.
‘I’ll need to get closer…….’
Preparing for any possible situation, he approached deeper into the alley while holding sharp electrical magic in his hand.
Soon, the targets’ conversation began to reach his ears.
“You must not kill them.”
A woman wearing a peculiar vinyl jacket spoke in a gentle voice.
The reply, coming from someone in a black hanbok, was chillingly cold.
“I can’t promise that.”
Along with those words, sharp enough to form ice.
Suddenly, the darkness before Diesel’s eyes began to writhe.
‘…….’
A pitch-black shadow that fed on fear.
The more he watched, the stronger the dark presence grew, stretching a brutish hand toward Diesel.
‘An Eoduksini.’
If so, the opponent was a shaman who used shamanistic miracles.
Having identified the thing’s nature, Diesel chose the simplest and fastest way to deal with the monster charging for his throat.
The electrical mana he had gathered in his hand scattered, and a new power converged.
Pure radiant mana, emitting brilliant, multicolored light.
“…….”
As the entire alley lit up like midday.
Diesel withdrew the sharp mana he had prepared in follow-up, having discovered a familiar face under the light.
“You…….”
The woman who smiled at him was—
“Fancy meeting you here, Elder.”
None other than his Older Brother’s great-granddaughter, the Fixer River.