Opportunity in the Game Becomes Reality, Episode 99
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Opportunity in the Game Becomes Reality, Episode 99
26. An Anomaly (1)
The Hollywood system was fully developed over fifty years ago, and as far as I know, it has never experienced any significant errors to this day.
At most, there have been hardware issues or program problems, but the Hollywood system boasts a stability high enough to be called impeccable.
Thanks to that, it has been widely used across society from government agencies to finance and the military and it would not be an exaggeration to say that today, everything in this world is interconnected with the Hollywood system.
Because of this, Chester, the Opportunity Manager, used his system administrator privileges for the Hollywood system to handle tasks as if he were a magic lamp, capable of nearly anything.
Didn't he access financial institutions worldwide to launder the tens of trillions of Lute left behind by Grand Duke Lucas, and connect to government offices to create Arcia's family registry?
And yet, a problem has occurred in that near-perfect system...
This was not a trivial matter to just brush off as "it must be nothing."
"Let's return to the Lord's estate quickly."
"Yes, understood."
At my instruction, the driver restarted the hovercar that had briefly stopped and accelerated.
'If I had to guess, the administrator privileges for the Hollywood system are also likely one of the rewards from the Opportunity quests.'
In other words, even if not immediately, it's a system that could one day become mine.
So I think I need to look into this more closely.
"Is she alright?"
"Yes, she just fainted momentarily from shock. There's nothing wrong with her body."
"That's a relief."
Above all, if situations like this keep repeating, who knows what might happen to Arcia.
The Hollywood system, or whatever else that is my biggest concern.
After all, she is like family to me.
* * *
A moment later.
Upon arriving at the Lord's estate, I walked with long strides, a grim expression on my face.
The servants saw me and moved out of the way on their own, and I was able to step into my room quickly.
Then, barely kicking off my shoes and without even changing clothes, I put on the Virtual Reality goggles.
A moment later, stepping into the virtual world, I operated the console and launched the game.
[Would you like to connect to Chronicle Online?]
"Yes."
Then, along with a floating sensation similar to using a teleport, the desolate sight of holographic windows cluttering my vision was replaced by a typical fantasy world where nature and old-fashioned civilization blended together.
It was the very wellspring of Opportunity that I had poured the most effort and time into Chronicle Online.
[Character Window]
Name: Minki
Class: Mage
Level: 236
The moment I connected to the game, the character window and a long list of stats appeared, but since I hadn't logged in simply to level up this time, I immediately moved to the Mage Tower of Manuel Lucas, the core of the Opportunity system.
[You are on the 8th floor of Manuel Lucas's Mage Tower.]
"Chester! Chester!"
The space evoked a massive library surrounded by books on every side.
I approached the desk at the center and looked for Chester, the Opportunity Manager.
Then, like a fairy, Grandpa Ho-ho appeared in a flash of light particles, no bigger than the size of a palm.
With a pointed hat, robes, and a wooden staff the typical image of a Mage he was Chester, an artificial intelligence embodying the likeness of Grand Duke Lucas in his lifetime.
[You've logged in earlier than usual today.]
Even when I was busy with work, I connected to the game whenever I had a spare moment, so there were hardly any days I rested from the game.
Though I couldn't devote myself entirely to the game, which made my leveling speed slow, I still steadily climbed up, and now I only have 14 levels left until completing the 8th-stage Opportunity quest.
Since I connected to the game every day, I met Chester quite often as well.
Thanks to that, even though he's a being within Virtual Reality without a physical form, we became close like an acquaintance I'd known for a long time.
"Arcia just fainted!"
I said that with an angered tone, frustrated by his utterly composed demeanor.
At that, Chester stroked his long white beard that reached down to his belly, wearing a troubled expression.
"An error occurred in Hollywood, and all systems went down. What exactly happened here?"
I pulled up external articles using the community board.
Naturally, since an anomaly had occurred in a system that serves as the backbone of society, it was no exaggeration to say the world was in chaos.
He skimmed through the article and let out a small sigh.
Then, holding the memories of Grand Duke Lucas, who came from the same Earth as I did, he began to explain in an easy-to-understand manner.
[Hollywood is a system that encompasses everything the internet network, as well as the hardware and programs needed to use it conveniently, if compared to Earth. The difference from Earth, however, is that it transmits signals using the mana present in the atmosphere, so no separate base stations or cables are required.]
Because it uses the mana in the atmosphere, no separate communication infrastructure is needed.
This is both the greatness and the terror of the Hollywood system.
[But in the end, to make such principles possible, a central administrative system is necessary.]
At this point, I could understand what he was trying to say.
"So, an anomaly occurred in that central system?"
[Yes.]
Every piece of hardware has a set lifespan.
So, from a common-sense standpoint, it's understandable that the Hollywood system would develop problems after such a long time.
But wouldn't Grand Duke Lucas have prepared for that?
That's why I couldn't just accept it and end the conversation.
After all, this wasn't the first time something like this happened.
"Is that all?"
Under my pressing gaze, he hesitated for a moment.
And seeing that hesitation, I instinctively knew this wasn't the end of the story.
A moment later, Chester gathered his thoughts and nodded.
[I shall judge that the information regarding this incident may be disclosed to Lord Adrian, the official successor of Grand Duke Manuel Lucas.]
Incident?
I furrowed my brow, and what followed was shocking.
[Today, at approximately 16:30 Rondel Standard Time, an intruder appeared at the facility where the Hollywood system's administrative terminal is hidden.]
With that, he brought up a holographic video.
In the video, a massive pillar stood like a tombstone in a seamless space, while spider-type golems moved about like robots, managing the facility.
It was a recording from surveillance equipment.
[Intruder detected!]
[Intruder detected!]
Then, a large hole was blasted through one metallic wall, and figures in black robes, like assassins, burst in.
In response, hidden doors opened across the flat floor, walls, and ceiling as spider-type golems poured out, and they judged the intruders with overwhelming might.
The intruders were professionals armed with Force Daggers, assassin-exclusive equipment, but they were no match for the spider-type golems.
But that only lasted a moment soon, Vanguards armed with Force Equipment entered, and when two among them wielded Aura Blades, the tide of battle shifted rapidly toward the intruders.
And just as defeat seemed certain
[BOOOOOM!]
The video ended with a massive explosion.
"This can't be..."
[Yes. Since we couldn't allow the system's core to fall into the intruders' hands, it was self-destructed. And the Hollywood System Unit 2 began operating in an even more concealed location.]
Now I finally understood the cause of the brief error.
At the same time, I should have felt a great sense of crisis... but.
The reason being that my Opportunity was hidden inside a game based on the Hollywood system.
"If the core had been taken by them, what would have happened to the Opportunity?"
[You need not worry about that. Just as Unit 2 followed Unit 1, sufficient preparations have been made for any contingency. Even if the enemy somehow seized the Hollywood system's administrative terminal, the master of this Tower of Opportunity is Lord Adrian, so there would be no problem.]
Hearing that put my mind at ease.
However, I couldn't help but be alarmed that there were those targeting the Hollywood system itself, not the Opportunity.
If nothing else, judging by the strength of the forces that just attacked, it was clear that there was intervention at the level of a nation or an organization of equivalent scale.
"Who do the intruders belong to?"
[They cannot be identified.]
"What?"
Wait even Chester, the hidden head of Blue Moon and practically a magic lamp, doesn't know something?
[They are meticulous. No terminals, no artifacts, no voice usage, equipment designs we've never seen, and no fingerprints. Furthermore, upon death, a poison implanted in their bodies completely dissolved the corpses, and their swordsmanship and combat styles were strictly restrained and concealed.]
"So there's no information anywhere that could identify them."
[Yes.]
I let out a small groan, then soon sighed.
"I'm sorry for pressing you like an interrogation."
[No, I understand completely.]
"Unit 2 is safe, right?"
[Yes, it's hidden in a place even harder to find than Unit 1. And if Unit 2 has a problem, Unit 3 is ready; if Unit 3 has a problem, Unit 4 is ready. Up to Unit 21 has been prepared, so you need not worry about that.]
Grand Duke Manuel Lucas's thorough preparations put my mind at ease.
"But if something similar happens again, could you cut the connection to Hollywood first, so that Arcia isn't forcibly shut down by the self-destruct?"
[Yes, that was a lack of caution on my part. I will take measures as you've said.]
Though I don't know the enemy's identity, the reason they're targeting the Hollywood system is clear.
If one could manipulate the Hollywood system at will, it would bring benefits rivaling the acquisition of an Opportunity.
It wouldn't be strange for an organization or nation to think targeting the Hollywood system itself was more profitable than chasing an uncertain Opportunity.
This time, they lost the Hollywood system's administrator terminal right before their eyes to the self-destruct, so next time they'll surely infiltrate with even more thorough preparation.
"You said it's in a safe place so I needn't worry, but just because it was found once doesn't mean it won't be found twice or thrice so I think we need to put effort into tracking down the culprits."
[I agree. That's the way to go.]
Any nation holding two or more Aura Masters could do this.
And as vast as this world is, it wouldn't be strange for there to be several organizations like Blue Moon or the Prius Republic Revolutionary Army that have grown their power without revealing themselves to the world.
Nothing is harder than dealing with an unidentified enemy, so we need to narrow down suspects as much as possible.
"I'll have to cut back on sleep and increase the time I invest in the game."
[For the sake of caution, it would be wise to reach the 8th Circle quickly.]
Level 14 remains until the next stage, but at the current pace, that's four to five months from now.
If I push a little harder, I can cut those four to five months down to three or four.
[I will continue sharing information regarding this incident with you.]
"Understood."
Since I'd come in a rush and hadn't even taken off my uncomfortable hunting clothes, I decided to log out for now.
* * *
An anomaly had occurred in the Hollywood system, which had never once erred.
This created a small crack in the flawless system.
That crack was something neither Chester, the Administrator of Opportunities, nor the organization that attacked the Hollywood system had anticipated.
But the crack was an extremely tiny and minuscule piece of data.
Within Hollywood, where vast data approaching infinity moved, this was such a trivial issue that it was hard even to detect, so the small "bug" of a crack was thoroughly neglected outside the awareness of the management system.
* * *
One month had passed since the Prius incident.
During that time, no particular incidents or accidents occurred, so I was able to devote myself madly to the game, and thanks to that, my level rose by one each week, reaching 240.
Just exactly 10 levels remained until the next stage.
The next stage was beginning to come into view.
"I will do my utmost for the Lord."
"If it's Miss Ibril, you'll do well."
With the war between the two great nations over and things entering a stable phase, the Saintess contest, which had been paused, resumed.
Only one task remained now.
Ahead of the final contest, Ibril clenched a small fist at me a game addict by now and cheered me on.
The final contest is practical experience.
Here, I can't help directly, so I have no choice but to trust Ibril and Eric, the political and administrative talent from the Gifted Institute who will assist her.
From here on, whether it's internal politics or coaxing and using others, she has to handle things with her own strength.
However, since all Saintess candidates will perform practical duties as high-ranking priests, they may have one Adjutant but it's said that this Adjutant cannot hold a Title or be registered as a public official.
Truly, that condition suited Eric Jones perfectly.
'In other words, since I can't interfere, that means I have spare time.'
I just need to keep an eye on Ibril's situation now and then while focusing on the game.
After cheering Ibril on like that, I returned to the Lord's estate and logged into Chronicle Online to throw myself into hunting... but...
"What the? Isn't this hunting ground supposed to be inaccessible to anyone but me?"
While I was hunting in the exclusive hunting ground I'd rented for a hefty sum, someone came running toward me from afar.
-Rattattat!
Their running speed was so fast that they seemed to be an agility-type Rogue or Assassin.
I was just about to send a complaint note to the Guild Master of the guild that had rented out the hunting ground.
But all of a sudden, he launched an attack at me with a speed too fast to even track with my eyes.
"W-What? You crazy bastard?"
"Ttukbaegi!"