Ex-level Player With the Greatest Civilization of All Time - Chapter 9

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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 9

“That’s not it.”
Naia’s expression shifted to her usual businesslike demeanor as she regarded my stern look.

‘That was an AI-style joke, Seonwoo. I’m rather embarrassed to see you take it so seriously.’

“No, I’m sorry.”
Why do I feel like I’m the one in the wrong?
Is this AI-style gaslighting?
Regardless, the fact that she’s making jokes now—unusual for her—suggests she’s pleased about something.

‘I shall use this gratefully for the city’s development.’

“Use as much as you need.”

‘Understood. I will convert all of it to energy and use it generously to restore the city to its former greatness.’

I waited near the Core Center for the energy conversion to complete, then asked her a question.
“Give me a power reserves report.”

‘The conversion is still underway, but it appears we’ll be able to maintain approximately 121 days of power in total.’

There was slightly more leeway than I’d anticipated.
Likely because I’d purchased lower-grade Mana Stones this time due to the quantity and bulk constraints, which seemed to have provided a marginal improvement in power efficiency.
“So are there any new functions I can use now?”

‘Two additional functions have become available.’
-Power Saving Mode Deactivation
-Core Center Interior Facility Activation

“I can deactivate Power Saving Mode? Isn’t it impossible to sustain the entire city with the current power supply?”

‘If Power Saving Mode is deactivated, standard power consumption will triple. The expected benefit is an increase in efficiency for industrial processes and key facilities. However, to address your concurrent question—full city-wide operation is naturally impossible. Power Saving Mode deactivation and complete city operation are distinctly separate matters.’

I’d assumed Power Saving Mode meant only the systems immediately around the Core Center were operating at bare minimum, but it seemed that wasn’t quite right.
To be precise, the sequence was different.
Due to insufficient energy, the city’s functions had to be restricted, and eventually it entered Power Saving Mode—that’s what she was saying.
So deactivating Power Saving Mode wouldn’t mean disaster struck with power suddenly draining into the entire city.

‘Shall I deactivate Power Saving Mode?’

“Hmm…”
I paused to think it over carefully.
Whether deactivating Power Saving Mode at this stage was the right call.
And I soon reached a decision.
“Let’s keep things as they are for now.”
I chose to keep Power Saving Mode active for the time being.
After all, even if I deactivated Power Saving Mode, if the only benefit was improved industrial efficiency, it didn’t seem like it would be immediately helpful.
That settled one question.
I followed up with another question about the Core Center.
“If I activate the Core Center’s interior facilities, will I be able to access it?”

‘That’s correct. Shall I activate the Core Center?’

“Does it consume a lot of power?”

‘I understand your concern, and your worry is valid. Activating the Core Center will consume approximately double the current power consumption rate.’

I hesitated for a moment.
Part of me wanted to explore the Core Center’s interior.
The Core Center wasn’t merely a power source supplying electricity to the city.
Its sheer scale suggested something far more substantial.
“Naia, could you temporarily activate the Core Center for just three hours?”

“A simple task. Command acknowledged.”

Naia’s eyes glowed red.
Moments later, lights began flickering to life throughout the Core Center.
Against the gray cityscape, the Core Center’s lights pulsed with a faint luminescence.
I made my way toward the entrance.
As I approached the glass automatic door, its sensor activated with a soft chime.

-Mana Pattern Recognition Confirmed. Welcome, Successor.

Whoosh.
The door slid open, and I stepped inside.
I’d half-expected dust to have accumulated everywhere, but the interior was immaculate.
It felt almost like walking through a museum.
“Surprisingly clean.”

“That’s to be expected, given that advanced purification modules are currently active.”

Naia’s holographic screen materialized before me.
I jumped, though I tried not to show it.
“So you can manifest like this within the facility?”

“Yes, that is correct.”

I decided this was actually convenient.
When I inevitably returned to this place in the future, having Naia’s assistance would prove invaluable.
“Could you give me a tour?”

“Command acknowledged. Calculating optimal route for three-hour exploration window. Calculation complete. Marking the path now.”

A blue luminescent trail suddenly appeared on the floor where nothing had been visible before.

“I recommend following this route.”

I followed the path Naia had marked.
First, an elevator descended to the second basement level.
“So this is the power generation facility?”
I spotted the collection robots that I’d seen carrying away Mana Stones before.
Watching them operate, it became clear: Mana Stones were placed in cages that moved along conveyor belts and automatically converted into energy through some kind of system.
“Shall we move on?”
At least I’d discovered how to supply power when Naia entered her suspended state—a fortunate discovery.
The first basement level appeared to be a security center.
Screens displayed both the interior of the Core Center and the surrounding city.
The first floor housed a cafeteria and storage areas.
The second floor consisted of multiple rooms.

“The following rooms are accessible with your current authorization level.”

After Naia spoke, three rooms were highlighted.
The nearest first room was crammed with what appeared to be records.
Unfortunately, the language was incomprehensible to me.
The only things I could make out were the photographs.
“The clothing styles look similar.”
It resembled modern Earth society.
The other rooms were no different from this one.
A room containing the city’s architectural blueprints.
A room documenting manufacturing methods, and so on.
Finally, the third floor.
There was only one room there.
Whoosh.
The automatic door slid open, and stepping inside revealed a spacious interior.
Starting from the living area through the bedroom, bathroom, and kitchen.
Even a cursory inspection made it far nicer than my studio apartment.
“Where is this?”
I opened a door tucked in the corner and stepped through—and a smile crossed my face.
“A command center.”
A city map spread across the central table, flanked by command buttons for charges and retreats.
I settled into the plush chair of the command center, sinking my back into its cushions as I considered the space.
“Not half bad.”
I was tempted enough to conduct my actual life here.
After a moment of letting the soft comfort soothe my mind and body, I called for Naia.
“Naia.”

『You called?』

“I’d like to manufacture additional drones.”
It was something I’d intended to do first once the energy was charged.
But somehow the Core Center tour had pushed it back.

『Command acknowledged. Activating adjacent factory K-09B5. Standing by for manufacturing.』

“I want two Hunter Drones and one Aegis unit manufactured in addition.”
The Shiz Runner had been my first thought, actually.
If I pooled even my soul, there was room to manufacture a Shiz Runner.
But for now, I was satisfied with reinforcing the Hunter Drone contingent and manufacturing an Aegis unit.
Creating them might be one thing, but activating them would require absolutely staggering amounts of power—and the reality of that was plain before my eyes.
At present, I couldn’t possibly manage it.

『Order confirmed. Manufacturing commencing. Estimated duration: approximately 64 hours.』

“Got it. I’ll keep that in mind.”
I decided to indulge in a little more of the command center’s comfort.

* * *

The attack on Eclipse’s Mir Guild.
The incident seized complete control of the media.
The media, which recently had struggled to generate major stories beyond Naia’s news.
Yet this drew enormous attention nonetheless.
And in a sense, it was inevitable.
Eclipse—a notorious international criminal organization.
Moreover, Korea bore the perception of being an Eclipse-free zone, leaving the public entirely unprepared for such a threat.
It was potent subject matter.

[But why did they attack?]
[They must have had some grudge.]
[Apparently they were after something specific.]

In fact, there was one more reason the public’s interest ran so deep.
It lay in the fact that not only had Mir Guild held off Eclipse—they had completely annihilated them.

[Eclipse turned out to be nothing special]
[If they wiped them out even with their core forces still locked in the tower…]
[Breaking into an empty house only to get robbed instead?]
[They don’t seem that strong. Couldn’t we just coordinate internationally and wipe them out completely?]

A global crime organization that attempted a burglary only to get beaten down themselves—it was the stuff of headlines.
As a result, it stirred up quite the international incident, though perhaps not quite as explosive as it had been domestically.

[Is Mir Guild Korea’s strongest guild?]
[In terms of objective military strength, they’re probably around fifth in Korea.]
[Holy shit! Fifth? Is Korea filled with nothing but monsters?]
[From what I can tell, I think Eclipse just wasn’t putting in full effort. There was probably carelessness involved too.]

Domestic communities translated these comments and consumed them as content.
Meanwhile, there were those who refused to be swept along by the tide, offering a more critical perspective instead.

[But isn’t Gu Byeonghun just a fifty-something floor player?]
└ You’re dismissing the fifty floors? There aren’t even a hundred people in Korea at that level.
└└ How is that dismissive? They’re just stating facts. Please don’t muddy the waters.

[People overseas are talking too. They’re saying Eclipse probably just sent incompetents.]
└ I don’t think that’s it. They say there was Odu Sa as well.
└ Odu Sa? Then he’s executive-level.
└ The Americans aren’t making a fuss for nothing either. It’s all because of Odu Sa…

[Rumor has it there was an accomplice involved.]
└ Who was the accomplice?
└└ How would I know?

“Still haven’t identified them?”
Kang Sehyeon, the representative of Mir Guild.
He had been stuck inside the Tower due to a trial, but hearing the news, he made a hasty return.
Of course, by the time he arrived, everything was already over.
Kang Sehyeon received a full briefing from Gu Byeonghun and was quite shaken by it all.
A single mysterious drone.
The fact that it had turned the tide of battle and saved the guild was hardly believable.
Yet he did believe it now.
He had confirmed it himself by reviewing the CCTV footage from that time.
So naturally, he was actively searching for information about this mysterious figure—
“I apologize. We are investigating, but…”
Gu Byeonghun lowered his head with a heavy sigh.
The people who had been on the first floor of the guild yesterday.
Sadly, most of them had perished in the chaos.
Except for those who had been near the reception hall.
That’s why Gu Byeonghun had first gathered information about everyone who’d been in the reception area at the time.
After analyzing the data, he was searching for the man who had left the reception hall last, but unfortunately, identifying him proved difficult.
“It appears they used a cognitive obstruction.”
Only after Eclipse had been completely wiped out and their bodies collected did they discover that an executive’s Ring had gone missing.
The circumstances suggested he’d likely retrieved and used it himself.
“Hiding oneself? Why on earth?”
It was only natural that Mir Guild was now zealously searching for the accomplice—to offer their gratitude, naturally.
This incident had raised Mir Guild’s standing both domestically and internationally considerably.
Many saw it as mere luck, but the fact remained that the guild was now riding a wave of positive public opinion.
Of course, there was a thought in the back of his mind about quietly approaching them with an attractive offer to recruit them into Mir Guild if possible.
But somehow, things weren’t unfolding as he’d hoped.
“Director, there’s something you should see.”
A secretary hurried in urgently.
What he showed was an article.

『Breaking News) Truth Revealed Through Association Official’s Confession—Naia’s Nationality Likely Korean!』

“Naia is Korean?!”
A rather shocking article.
Regardless of where the source came from, it was a piece covered by fairly major news outlets.
Which meant the story had considerable credibility.
So naturally, it was information that deserved serious attention.
Yet Kang Sehyeon felt a twinge of irritation—here was this inopportune timing, showing him such an article.
Right now, that mysterious Awakened One seemed far more pressing than Naia….
“Wait.”
Kang Sehyeon’s eyes locked onto the headline in the tablet.
“Could it be… Naia?”
There were far too many overlaps.
An Awakened One still climbing the lower floors of the Tower, yet radiating an abnormally commanding presence.
And the fact that she never revealed herself.
Not to mention they specifically mentioned a Korean national.
If he was being honest, there were scarcely any major powerhouses in the country that he failed to account for.
Let alone one powerful enough to nearly single-handedly annihilate Eclipse….
There was no way he couldn’t identify her.
At last, he felt as though he’d grasped a thread of the puzzle.
“First, let’s verify where this article’s source came from.”

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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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