Chapter 643:

Chapter 643:

"I've been completely played until now."

When Urd saw Seong Jihan insert the server management device into his chest, she viscerally felt what it was like to have chills run down her spine.

Until now, no matter what unusual abilities he had shown, as long as he was an entity within the server, she thought he was in the palm of her hand.

'To think he went up to the Ark…'

She didn't know what kind of scheme he had plotted with Id, but seeing that he had handed over even the server management device, this was clearly an emergency situation.

No wonder.

She had felt subtle discomfort recently.

Was that when he was operating the server management device?

'…Considering I felt strange several times, this probably wasn't his first time going up to the Ark. Which means, the main body didn't notice his presence.'

Well.The Ark was so vast that it wouldn't have been easy to detect one little mouse infiltrating.

Plus, with light clocks floating all around the Ark and periodic patrols with the Infinite Sword, it was honestly amazing he hadn't been caught.

'I need to die right now.'

Now that the server management device was in Seong Jihan's hands, she needed to die now in order to wake up her main body that was performing "important work" in the Ark.

If her avatar, which should never die in the server, were to be destroyed, only then would the main body check to see what had happened.

'For that, I first need to get out of this Tower of Martial Gods.'

Poof!

Urd raised her hand and burst her own heart.

Her immense regenerative power tried to suppress the damage to her body and even recreate the burst heart, but she suppressed the regeneration, trying to die as quickly as possible.

At that moment,

Flash…!

Seong Jihan's hand glowed bright white,

And he pulled out the server management device from his chest.

"You…!"

Urd's eyes widened when she saw that, but Seong Jihan's fingers moved faster than she could die.

At this rate, the server would be rolled back and this incident would not be remembered.

'If that happens… he'll keep getting the upper hand.'

If today's memories disappeared, Seong Jihan would keep going back and forth between the Ark and server, interfering with the main body's great work.

There was even a small possibility that things could go wrong in the Ark.

She couldn't let that happen.

'…I won't just sit back and take it.'

Beep. Beep.

As Seong Jihan's hand moved urgently,

Urd created a light clock inside her own body.

And,

Whoosh…!

As Seong Jihan's body connected to the Ark and disappeared, not just her time, but the entire world froze.

Tick…

The light clock inside her body, made a single sound.

* * *

Inside the server access device,

Swoosh.

Seong Jihan, who had returned here again, slowly opened his eyes.

'I didn't plan on coming back this early.'

Next time, he was going to enter after gathering the maximum amount of white light on Earth.

But thanks to Urd suddenly rewinding time at the top floor of the Tower of Martial Gods and finding out what had happened in the past, he had no choice but to enter the Ark.

As long as Seong Jihan, the server administrator, entered the Ark, time in Server 4212 would stop.

Even if Urd's avatar committed suicide to alert the main body in the Ark, that attempt would fail since the world had stopped.

'Hmm… If I roll back right now it would be one day ago, which is when she was in the Tower.'

Since Dongbang Sak had tied up Urd's feet for 1 day, even if the server was rolled back, she would still be tied up inside the Tower.

'Immediately rolling back the server and returning is one option…'

It would certainly be safer to go back, prepare, and re-enter.

However,

'No. I should come up with some countermeasures against Urd here before going back.'

Rather than repeating this situation, Seong Jihan decided to devise a plan to tie up Urd's avatar firmly.

As he was organizing his thoughts,

[You have returned to the Ark.]

[Would you like to exit the server access device?]

A message popped up above the server access device he was sitting in.

'No. If I come out right away, I might run into the Infinite Sword by bad luck.'

Even a stone bridge should be tested before crossing.

For now, he had to proceed as safely as possible.

If he died here, it wouldn't just be him dying – Server 4212 would be finished.

Thinking this, Seong Jihan pressed "No" on the message.

As he was lost in thought about what to do next,

Zing…

In the spot where the previous message had appeared and disappeared,

A new screen popped up.

[Recommended VR Programs for Isolates]

VR as in virtual reality?

Seong Jihan paused his thoughts and stared at the screen, curious to see what would come up.

Then,

Zing…

[The Isolate's Buffet]

-Our humanity no longer needs to eat to survive.

-However, as you all know, Isolates are not yet true "humans".

-You still need to eat to grow, albeit barely.

-This buffet is prepared for useless beings like you.

-Our buffet has foods tailored for your low-grade organs.

-Please visit anytime.

-We humans have no problems without eating,

-But you need to eat to grow even a little, right?

The buffet description had a clear tone of mockery towards Isolates.

'Did that Id guy cause all that fuss just to enter this buffet?'

Seong Jihan recalled Id's emaciated appearance.

Though he didn't die thanks to being of the Light clan,

He looked severely malnourished.

But it seemed you could actually get nutrition if you activated this buffet VR.

'And seeing how it says you grow, eating at this buffet might increase your white light.'

He hadn't fully developed his light abilities yet.

Should he play this and eat some future food?

As Seong Jihan scrutinized the buffet description,

Zing…

The screen changed, revealing the buffet menu items one by one.

The foods shown weren't that drastically different from what current humans eat, but

'All the food is filled with light.'

All the foods were sparkling with bright white light, whether meat or vegetables.

Eating this would definitely grow one's white light.

As Seong Jihan was contemplating whether to play the VR,

Swish…

The screen moved on to the next item.

[The Isolate's Pleasure Fulfillment Center]

-Isolate.

-You are truly pitiful.

-Ascension to light…

-To never know the unparalleled pleasure in this world.

-I am truly curious.

-How do you live without knowing that?

-Raising one's level of existence,

-And becoming assimilated with the "System" is the very meaning of being born human.

-…Ah. Yes. It can't be helped.

-Not everyone can be great, so there must be those at the bottom, right?

-That is the meaning of existence for Isolates.

-Be satisfied with this low-grade entertainment.

'The buffet description was quite gentlemanly compared to this.'

The second VR that appeared, called "The Isolate's Pleasure Fulfillment Center",

Had a much stronger tone of looking down on Isolates compared to the buffet.

Seeing this, it seems they didn't treat them as proper humans at all.

'But I didn't particularly feel any pleasure from gaining more light attributes.'

Was it because he was not originally from the new humanity?

The mocking description portrayed becoming assimilated with the System as the ultimate pleasure as one's level of existence rises, but Seong Jihan, who possessed multiple light authorities, didn't feel anything special.

'Hmm… I guess it has to do with becoming assimilated with the System.'

The System, huh.

Come to think of it, Noah had said before, that the leaders modified the light body system to fuse all the new humans into the transcendent being.

Was that connection the System they were talking about here?

As Seong Jihan listened to the new humanity's explanation mocking the Isolates and tried to piece together the puzzle,

Zing…

The screen changed again.

It began playing what was possible in the "Pleasure Fulfillment Center".

'Hmm. The pleasure here seems focused on sexual desire.'

Women with more than half their bodies gleaming with light appeared, striking seductive poses.

It seems the old humanity's aesthetic sense, treated like monkeys, couldn't keep up with the new humanity's at all.

Seong Jihan smirked and moved to dismiss the "Pleasure Fulfillment Center" VR.

Then,

[1 Isolate is currently using this virtual reality. Would you like to join?]

Thinking Seong Jihan would participate,

A message popped up on the access device asking if he wanted to join multiplayer.

Wait.

There was only one Isolate who survived in this Ark.

'That Id guy… I thought he was going to eat.'

Ah, right.

He probably went to the buffet first, then played this.

Thinking this, Seong Jihan said,

"Let him do it alone."

He dismissed the Pleasure Fulfillment Center VR and continued browsing the other VR options on the server access device.

Several other VRs appeared that fulfilled desires besides hunger and sex, but

'There's no VR that directly deals with the new humanity.'

He had hoped to get some information about the new humanity, but no VRs related to them were installed on the server access device.

'At least I was able to see how lowly the new humanity views Isolates through the VR descriptions.'

They all commonly said that Isolates pursue such base desires because they couldn't be part of the "System".

Being connected to the System must be very important for the new humanity.

Seong Jihan skimmed through the remaining VR descriptions.

Then,

'It's not going any further.'

He reached the very last VR installed on the server management device.

The [BattleNet] entry.

* * *

"BattleNet…"

Seong Jihan's eyes sank deeply.

Battle Net.

Wasn't this the main system of Server 4212?

Yet it's here as a VR option on the access device.

'I should definitely check the description for this one.'

He had skimmed through the descriptions of the VRs so far since they just mocked Isolates, but this one needed to be looked at carefully.

Seong Jihan thought this and looked at the Battle Net VR description, but,

[BattleNet]

-Isolate.

-BattleNet is your hope.

-If you want to be incorporated into humanity, do not squander this last chance for 'rehabilitation'.

The Battle Net description was actually much simpler compared to the other VRs.

And while the others were full of mockery, the BattleNet description seemed to be saying this was your only way to survive.

'Still, the explanation is lacking. Should I try running it…'

Seong Jihan had dismissed all the VRs so far,

But he was interested in BattleNet and tried to access it.

However,

[BattleNet is the main system of the server access device.]

[Please connect to the server to play BattleNet.]

"Hmm. This defeats the purpose…"

The other VRs were so busy mocking Isolates, but the most important one didn't give any information.

Seong Jihan tried various ways to learn more about BattleNet, but BattleNet, being tied to the server, couldn't give him satisfactory answers.

'This won't do. I'll have to wake up that Id guy and ask him properly.'

He should have rested enough by now.

Before exiting the server access device, Seong Jihan decided to use observation to check the situation outside.

Swish…

The area where light manifested changed from both hands to his right eye.

'Let's observe the situation outside.'

Zing…

As Seong Jihan thought this, an eye of light appeared in front of him.

Whoosh!

It went outside the access device.

Then, the shared vision.

'Hmm… It's peaceful outside.'

The Infinite Sword.

Did it return to its original position?

Still, it could be patrolling the surroundings, so Seong Jihan remained alert and continued scouting with the eye of light.

As he was surveying the Ark,

[Overseer- Authority of the Observer detected…]

Zing…

The server access device he was sitting in resonated with the light in his right eye and began to flash.

[With Overseer authority, you can replace the main system of Server 4212.]

[Would you like to replace the main system?]

A message popped up from the system.