Ex-level Player With the Greatest Civilization of All Time - Chapter 73

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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Episode 73

The moment I confirmed Ar’s risen Experience Points.
The keyword that brushed across my mind was ‘Special Training’.
Ar had been training with Sermin every single day.
And upon verification, Sermin’s Experience Points had risen as well.
That’s when I summoned Pluto.
Pluto emerged from hiding, and I immediately checked his status too.
“Hmm….”
If my hypothesis were true, Pluto should have remained unchanged….
But the problem was, Pluto’s Experience Points had also risen.
And by a greater amount than Sermin’s and Ar’s.
‘Then what on earth could it be….’
I wondered if I’d made a wrong diagnosis, when something I’d forgotten suddenly came back to me.
Pluto had returned from a secret mission.
We’d been discussing that very thing until the incident with Tia’s transfer happened.
“Neia, would you call Krail for me?”

『Understood.』

Though she was probably still disheartened from what had just occurred.
I summoned her anyway.
And checked her status.
“Same pattern.”
I’d genuinely thought it might be Special Training, but.
Then I remembered—Krail had also been engaged in tactical operations just moments ago.
About an hour ago, and I’d let that slip….
Though it was an indirect action performed through Balur.
The act of ‘Reconnaissance’ itself had been carried out, so it wasn’t strange that Experience Points had accumulated in small increments.
“Is there no way to verify this right now…?”
Unfortunately, I had no immediate way to determine whether Experience Points accumulated through means other than direct combat against monsters, or if there was some other reason altogether.
‘But where’s this difference in Experience Points coming from?’
Both Pluto and Krail had accumulated far more than Ar or Sermin.
The gap was nearly twofold.
The hypothesis that came to mind was what sort of training each had been conducting.
Reconnaissance, in particular, was Krail’s core strength as a unit.
So perhaps the reason Reconnaissance conducted through Balur had yielded such substantial Experience Points was because of how effectively it utilized that characteristic.
And if I assumed that was the case, Pluto’s gains made sense too.
Since he’d been on that secret mission after all.
“Operations that well reflect their characteristics….”
I didn’t know what training Ar and Sermin were undergoing, but perhaps that’s where the gap had emerged.
I decided to set aside time and verify this theory.
“Combat Learning really does require a lot of research.”
And if this hypothesis proved correct, I might have just discovered a hint for pushing efficiency to its absolute limit.

* * *

After sorting through the situation, I returned to my quarters.
“You’ve returned.”
“Yeah, Duldul.”
A delicious aroma was drifting from the Commander Room.
It was already evening.
I washed my hands lightly and headed to the dining table.
And checked the menu.
Tonight’s dinner was Duldul’s home-style rice bowl.
Braised beef ribs.
Rolled omelet.
Soybean paste stew and three-color vegetable seasoning as well.
“I wasn’t sure what you’d want to eat, so I prepared plenty of options.”
It sounded like the name of some convenience store meal set.
Duldul usually checked what I wanted to eat and had it ready beforehand.
But today, she’d been away from the Commander Room during that time.
“Anyway, I’ll enjoy it.”
If there’s one thing a person living alone misses, it’s the home-cooked meals from childhood.
Yet here I was, blessed with this civilization’s conveniences,
enjoying such comforts even far from my parents’ care.
The braised beef especially was exquisite.
I’d emptied my first bowl of rice and was reaching for a second when Neia appeared.
“Did Tia guide you well?”

“Yes. I accounted for all contingencies—the possibility of sudden actions from Ar and Sermin—and gave her thorough instructions.”

“Good. Thanks for looking out for her, Neia.”
I spooned another mouthful of rice and ate.
I felt Neia’s gaze on me.
She always watched me eat.
At first, it was rather unnerving.
By her account, she was monitoring the Successor’s health or some such thing.
But thinking about it now, that didn’t seem quite right.
That was the expression of someone who wanted to taste it herself.
Of course, for Neia—a being of hologram—that was impossible.
Still, realizing it was probably similar to why people enjoyed watching others eat on video, I’d grown comfortable with it.
“Right, speaking of which, Neia—”

“Yes?”

“How’s that humanoid body you mentioned coming along?”
Neia’s humanoid form.
When we’d raised the City’s operational capacity to the final five percent, we’d included the humanoid manufacturing facility in those upgrades.
I’d heard it directly and confirmed it through reports, so it was certain.
Of course, constructing a humanoid with combat prowess comparable to Ar or Sermin would be impossible.
But having her own body would surely mean something to Neia as well.

“It’s already under construction.”

“I see.”

“Yes.”

Neia replied to my words.

“I’m looking forward to the promise you made before.”

“Ah… that one?”
When she said “promise,” I blanked for a moment, but
then I remembered the conversation I’d had with Ar and Krail during that outing.
“We’ll go out for meat once it’s complete.”

“Yes.”

* * *

The next day.
I sat by the window frame with a bitter cup of coffee.
Since moving into the Commander Room,
I’d come to love this ritual—sitting here after breakfast, looking out over the City’s landscape.
When I first arrived at this place,
it had been a city shrouded in mist, not a single light breaking through.
I find it satisfying to watch the changes that reflect my efforts.
The robots, whom I can call residents.
There are drones on patrol.
Humanoids are visible too.
As I gazed upon the morning of the City, Duldul spoke to me.
“What would you like me to prepare for lunch today?”
“Ah, don’t bother with lunch.”
I had an appointment at that time.
It concerned the Resonance Stone.
Originally, I’d considered observing Ar and Sermin’s training related to the learning mode, but the Resonance Stone was the top priority to address right now.
For the moment, I merely offered some guidance on the direction their training should take.
Speaking of the Resonance Stone, something was nagging at me—then it came to me.
“Neia.”

《You called for me?》

“That secret quest you mentioned yesterday—what was it about?”

《……》

Neia fell silent for a moment before speaking.
What I heard next was shocking.
“You killed him? You did?”
The moment I heard those words, my mind went white.
Korea’s pride.
Neia had killed Kang Min-hyuk.
That meant, in effect, I was the one responsible for his death—there was no way to not be shocked.
At the same time, another concern crossed my mind.
‘Could it be… that?’
AI Rampage.
It’s a theme that appears with some frequency in science fiction films set in the near future.
It’s among the three warnings that a renowned scientist—one who left his mark on humanity—issued to mankind.
In any case, I found it difficult to simply laugh it off.
“Why did you do it?”
I asked carefully for the reason.
Neia calmly explained her reasoning.
“So that’s what happened.”
The incidents Neia listed contained information I was unaware of.
Most notably, that Kang Min-hyuk had been scheming to target Baek Jin-seong as a means to kill me.
In that case, he deserved to die.
Neia prioritizes me and the City above all else.
That’s what I’d learned from her before.
So if Kang Min-hyuk had brazenly acted on a plan that posed a threat to my safety, there was nothing strange about Neia taking strong action.
I’m relieved that Neia hasn’t rampaged at all and continues to act on rational reasoning.
A sigh escaped me.
Yet there was one particularly remarkable aspect to how she’d handled it.
It was her “acquisition of outside information through the internet.”
When I asked how she discovered that Kang Min-hyuk was formulating such a plan, Neia gave me this answer:
She’d hacked through the internet network to find out.
Moreover, the scope of information she could obtain through the internet was remarkably broad.
Except in cases where certain entities use independent networks, she essentially controls virtually all information.
She can hack and view any classified information, regardless of defensive firewalls.
It’s nothing new to say, but it’s extraordinary. A transcendent civilization!

《I apologize for executing the decision of my own accord.》

“No, of course you should have that kind of autonomy.”
If Baek Jin-seong is my right arm,
then Neia is my secretary and my left arm.
And honestly, had I been in her position, wouldn’t I have done the same?
If one intends to harm another, it’s only fitting that one stakes one’s own life as well.
But separate from whether Neia’s actions were justified, the truth was that something heavy had settled in my chest.
The feeling was different in nature, but it wouldn’t be wrong to call it the Curse of Knowledge.
When I didn’t know, I could have regarded Kang Min-hyuk’s death with detachment.
Now a strange sense of responsibility weighed on me.
Without realizing it, I’d come to stand at odds with someone who wielded enormous influence over Korea.
That absence was no trivial matter.
There was no avoiding the worry.
So I spoke to Neia.
“All right, I understand. But going forward, if any issues arise in the country due to Kang Min-hyuk’s absence, we’ll need to address them.”

“I understand your concern. Have no worries.”

“Yes, I trust you.”
I tossed back the coffee Duldul had rolled up for me and rose to my feet.
“Then I’ll be heading out. The City is in your hands.”

“Understood.”

Time to go hunt for a Resonance Stone.

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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