novelraw Chapter 131
Chapter 131
Chapter 131: MacGuffin (1)
The moment I entered the passageway, a cool breeze brushed past me.
It felt as cold as the summit of Hallasan.
Both walls were made of transparent glass.
Beyond them, racks filled with server equipment stretched endlessly out of sight.
The space beyond the wall was a gigantic system room.
Countless electronic sounds overlapped and echoed in the air.
“A bit excessive for a school press system, isn't it?”
Jin Cheonglim, walking ahead, threw out a comment with a laugh.
It certainly was.
If I knew nothing, I would have harbored the same doubt: why is the school press server so huge?
“Because it processes quite a lot.”
Jin Cheonglim continued without slowing his pace.
“We earn the funds for club operations directly. By actively utilizing this system.”
“Utilizing it?”
“We rent out servers. Besides the newspaper, we also produce separate magazines. There are many video channels we operate too. Ranging from shorts to long-form content.”
I know about this too.
Like the fact that channels such as ‘Worldwide Hero Strength Ranking’ are actually created and operated by Zero Times.
However, an overwhelmingly massive server room like this isn't needed just for those things.
I simply pointed that out.
“That’s true. The real thing is inside.”
Jin Cheonglim nodded and continued moving forward.
While heading inside, we passed through security doors continuously.
Persistent verification processes followed to the point where I wondered if proving I was myself had always been this hard.
WHIRR-
When the last door opened, a circular room with a faint blue glow revealed itself.
It was a neatly organized structure without complex decorations.
In the center of the floor, capsules capable of accommodating a full body were arranged in a circle like flower petals.
Mechanical sounds could be heard at a regular tempo like breathing.
Someone was already lying in one of the capsules.
A green light was on the sensor.
It seemed to indicate that they were connected.
“You can go into any empty one. Then you’ll know immediately what ‘MacGuffin’ is.”
Jin Cheonglim pointed the direction with his chin.
I stayed still, pretending to hesitate, then lay down on the capsule mixing in a suspicious attitude.
“Is it something like a connection device?”
I asked like someone who knew nothing.
In fact, I already knew, but showing it would be strange.
This room is a secret place only accessible to official journalists of Zero Times.
Knowing beforehand doesn't make sense.
“Right. It’s a device to enter MacGuffin.”
Shortly after lying in the capsule, the glass plate acting as a lid closed.
Soon, a small screen appeared before my eyes.
Various buttons were displayed.
“Leave the settings as they are. Just press the button in the center. Be careful as you might feel a bit dizzy at first.”
I saw Jin Cheonglim lying down in another device next to me.
“Then, see you inside.”
His voice was heard the moment I pressed the button.
WHIIIIR-
The capsule activated, and the interior vibrated quietly.
Fine tremors were transmitted, tickling my ears.
‘…….’
Suddenly, all sound cut off.
My vision also blacked out simultaneously.
Before I could feel the strangeness, my eyes snapped open.
“Ugh…….”
Before I knew it, I was lying on the ground.
It was just as Jin Cheonglim said.
I was dizzy.
Shaking my head, I gradually regained my balance.
Pressing my temples, I checked my senses.
The subtle breeze brushing my cheek, the warmth of the sun hanging in the sky, and even the strange scent of flowers wafting from somewhere.
[KEEHEEHIT! KEEHIT! It’s coming out! Coming ooooouuuut!]
And next to me, without fail, was the Tactical Manual Mimic, sticking out its tongue and going crazy refreshingly.
‘Following me even to virtual reality?’
To think I have to see this tiresome face here too; my head shook automatically.
Turning my gaze away from the Mimic, the surrounding scenery came into view at a glance.
‘MacGuffin.’
Both scent and touch were vivid.
Everything visible was…… fluffy.
‘Feels like I’ve entered Animal Crossing.’
The first thing visible was the clouds floating in the sky.
Clouds were floating in the form of text and images.
[Jongno Sudden Gate]
[Crime Rate Increase]
[Zero Boys]
Hot topics had risen as cloud-shaped keywords.
Moreover, the river below was unusual too.
Some photos and text were flowing within the waterfalls and river water.
A pump placed right next to the riverbank was gurgling, scooping up those photos and text.
And next to it was the cutest thing.
‘Hedgehog.’
Hedgehogs about the size of a four-year-old child were visible everywhere.
Hedgehogs holding shovels were digging the ground near the river.
Big and small buildings on the opposite side of the river, flower beds clustered together, all looked like a fairytale scene that would appear in Animal Crossing.
And the surroundings were all teeming with hedgehogs.
They were hedgehogs that looked like they were drawn.
Some guy was pulling a handcart loaded with envelopes, while another guy was riding a bicycle throwing letters here and there.
A guy repairing the exterior wall of a building holding a welder was also visible.
Every time sparks flew, broken pixels fell off.
In the engine room of a tram crossing the virtual city, a hedgehog with a pipe in its mouth was driving.
A guy in police uniform passing by with another hedgehog bound also caught my eye.
This place is MacGuffin.
A world of data, text, and hedgehogs.
Most outside information is organized and shared here in MacGuffin.
This was the secret to how Zero Times could possess information power comparable to an official intelligence group.
I slowly looked around.
‘I knew, but.’
As expected, seeing it in person felt different.
It was then that I thought unfolding vividly before my eyes was fundamentally different from seeing it through a screen.
A hedgehog approached me.
It was a guy wearing a blue jacket, hat, and sunglasses.
The words ‘Public Order Maintenance’ were written on the jacket.
“Squeak-”
The guy stopped in front of me and extended a hand.
Clenching and unclenching its hand as if demanding something.
“Squeak squeak-”
When I didn't react particularly, the guy squeaked more as if urging me.
A guy I couldn't communicate with was demanding something.
Normally, it would be a baffling situation.
‘What would be good?’
I know. What this guy wants.
“Squeeeak!”
Taking out a terminal from inside its vest, the guy threatened me.
Then, crossing its arms, it tapped the ground with its foot.
I approached the guy and whispered.
“The weakness of Zero Academy Instructor Hojin's Yaksha Style: Vicious Fang is…….”
Then, the guy's movement stopped abruptly.
“Squeak-”
The guy with a blank expression let out a low cry.
While my words continued, green data code flowed like a waterfall in its eyes behind the sunglasses.
‘Hedgehogs calculate the value of information.’
Even after I finished speaking, the guy stood still for a while.
“Squeak!”
Smiling broadly, it gave a thumbs up.
Meaning it acknowledges it as good information.
The hedgehog shrugged its shoulders, operated the terminal, printed a small card, and handed it over.
“Squeak!”
[Pass]
It seems I was recognized.
“Oh, passed.”
A familiar voice was heard.
It was Jin Cheonglim's voice.
“It’s a MacGuffin-style test. Here, information is currency. Usually, people hesitate and get caught. And for the examiner to be satisfied with information like that, impressive.”
Jin Cheonglim continued speaking as if interested.
“It’s good to stay on the hedgehog's good side. They play a key role in this world. Like civil servants. For reference, there was a kid who hit a hedgehog asking why it kept picking fights before. It was the worst.”
Jin Cheonglim told an interesting story.
If there was one strange thing, it was that a doll that looked like it was molded from clay with a big head was speaking those words.
“Senior Jin Cheonglim?”
I asked back while examining his body here and there.
I could see Jin Cheonglim.
But it wasn't the appearance I knew.
Leaving everything else aside, he was 2 heads tall.
An SD character silhouette where the head size takes up half of the body.
‘Wait, me too?’
I hadn't been conscious of it, but now that I look, my head size was also impressive.
My body had also changed to a so-called different art style.
It was a visual that naturally reminded one of ‘Animal Crossing’ and ‘Maple Story’.
“What is all this?”
When I asked, Jin Cheonglim, who had become 2 heads tall, shrugged his shoulders.
It was an appearance that was cute yet strangely annoying.
“Everything becomes SD character style. Instead, you can change your appearance to some extent if you want.”
He stretched out his short arm and pointed to a place.
Where his stubby hand pointed, wooden houses stood.
Houses with icons symbolizing clothes, hair, body type, and plastic surgery drawn on the signboards.
Anyone could see it was a customizing center.
Though still stuck as an SD character.
“If you want, you can change too. Just go there and register.”
“I’ll consider it later.”
I refused flatly.
For now, this stubby appearance was enough.
And if I'm going to customize, spending time and effort is the rule.
It's right to set aside a day for it.
“Really? It would be fun if you try. Anyway, shall I introduce it properly?”
SD Jin Cheonglim said with his palms pressed together.
“This place is MacGuffin. A virtual world created solely for information.”
He smiled satisfactorily and scanned the surroundings.
“I feel good every time I come here.”
It was understandable.
Because the cute and charming appearance was perfect for so-called healing.
However, the information drifting around here was quite heavy.
At the edge of my vision, a soaring skyscraper was visible.
It was a building with a huge electronic display board.
Sentences were popping up frantically on the display board of the building with [Only Fact] written on top.
[Villain violent crimes increased by 130%, criminal organizations are growing.]
[Zero Boys Seonjun's secret meeting, who is she? Citrus member Mahu!]
[Today, weekend in Jung-gu, Seoul, Supercomputer predicts possibility of Unidentified Gate appearance.]
‘Zero Boys scandal.’
Zero Boys performed directly at the last banquet in Jeju Island.
Even then, talk about Zero Boys Seonjun's scandal came out.
I heard the identity of the woman hasn't been revealed anywhere yet.
‘What the.’
It was openly displayed there.
“Ah, don't talk about that anywhere else.”
Jin Cheonglim followed my gaze to the Only Fact display board and waved his hand urgently.
“The content up there is only known to us. Senior Seonjun has his honor too. If you speak wrongly, you might get sued.”
“Is it okay for private information to float around like that?”
“It’s a space where Super AI directly processes and operates information. From a human standard, some parts might be a bit inhumane…….”
Jin Cheonglim cleared his throat and trailed off.
“Anyway, you’ll be able to handle various tasks here. Obtaining data, verifying the authenticity of newly secured information, and other tasks are possible too.”
The other tasks Jin Cheonglim mentioned would probably include things balancing on the edge of the law.
Anyway, what's important is the fact that I have also entered here now.
And that I can utilize it.
Above all, there is information I need to check immediately.
A realm absolutely unreachable from the outside.
There are things that can only be known in the most innermost place of this world called MacGuffin.
‘First, receive guidance from Senior Jin Cheonglim, and if I wait, an opportunity will come.’
A plan was drawn quietly.
I waited for Jin Cheonglim's words.
“Then shall I properly guide you on how this world works?”
He walked ahead and continued his explanation.
“First, this is a virtual world built together with the AI ‘MacGuffin’ created directly by the first Bureau Chief of Zero Times.”
He waddled with his hands clasped behind his back.
So that's what it feels like when an SD character clasps hands behind their back.
As expected, it was weird.
“The first Bureau Chief wanted to create a space gathering all information in the world. At the same time, wanted to create a space where one can pursue information enjoyably, or something like that?”
While walking and talking, a hedgehog carrying a sack on its shoulder passed by us.
“Squeak- Squeak!”
“Squeeeak!”
Next to us, two other hedgehogs were conversing diligently in front of a construction site.
Looking at them debating with something like blueprints spread out, their actions were no different from humans.
“From some point, MacGuffin started expanding the world by itself. As you can see, hedgehogs are doing their roles properly. You know the huge server room you saw outside? All of that is used here…….”
Jin Cheonglim's words cut off abruptly.
RUMBLE-
A dull noise rose fiercely from afar.
Instantly, the hedgehogs stopped their movements all at once and glared in the same direction.
‘What is it?’
Turning my gaze following the hedgehogs.
From far away, raising a dust cloud, something was running towards this side.
‘……Frilled Lizard?’
Running was a mysterious SD lizard.