Opportunity in the Game Becomes Reality Chapter 271
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Opportunity in the Game Becomes Reality Chapter 271
59. New Rules (1)
The reason for gathering the national leaders of Rondel and Earth in one place is to break the Rondel VS Earth dynamic and create a venue of opportunity where nations can form individual cooperative relationships regardless of planet.
However, my main objective is to create an international organization that integrates the two worlds.
If an international organization encompassing both worlds is created, it will be possible to form an investigative body to respond to international criminal acts including terrorism, giving us a means to prevent unnecessary armed conflict.
In addition, it will allow nations of the two worlds to understand each other's differences and provide a forum for discussion and exchange, which I hope will somewhat calm the current chaos.
Rondel and Earth have now become an inseparable community of shared destiny.
Going forward, efforts to understand each other were absolutely necessary.
Therefore, for the two worlds' rapid adaptation, I intend to serve as a somewhat coercive guide.
"We need to create broadcast programs that introduce the culture, society, and daily life of both worlds so they can become familiar with each other."
"A drama where a Rondel noble meets an ordinary Earth girl and various events unfold would be nice too. That way, we could naturally introduce each other's cultures."
"Haha, is it because Arcia has watched a lot of dramas? Good idea."
"And it would be great if we could integrate the online platforms of both worlds entirely."
"True, since I have all the foundations in place."
I nodded, showing interest in the ideas Arcia was putting forward.
Arcia was now even pointing out things I was missing.
"If the online environments of the two worlds are integrated or made accessible to each other, it would feel like a revolution to Earth."
"You mean Virtual Reality?"
"That's right."
If the online systems of the two worlds are integrated, the one who will benefit the most will be none other than me.
Because on top of dominating Rondel's online, I had long since developed an artificial intelligence to operate on Earth's online.
The artificial intelligence Bug was raising on Earth had now taken on a fairly convincing form.
'Once again, I'm reminded of how amazing Grand Duke Lucas was.'
The Hollywood System based on Virtual Reality is one example, and the reason Rondel could hold superiority over Earth including Vanguard and Heaven-Piercing Fortress was also due to the things he developed.
Strictly speaking, Bug, who is capable of responding to Earth's online environment, is also an artificial personality derived from within the Hollywood System, so it can be said to be Grand Duke Lucas's creation.
The current me has the capability to create things similar to what Grand Duke Lucas made or even enhance them further, but back when I was a 9th-circle, displaying that kind of creativity and development ability was deemed impossible.
Even now that he has become a god race, his genius leaves me nothing but admiration.
"For now, let's send official notices to each nation, and we'll go to the underworld and come back."
"Yes."
Thinking of Grand Duke Lucas, I recalled the fact that I had promised to meet his reincarnation, Lord Exceed, at a later date.
So, taking the opportunity, I headed to the underworld to have a conversation with him.
In the past, I could enter the underworld with Kang Min-hee's help, but for me and Arcia, who have become god race, there was no problem at all.
* * *
The annihilation of IS and Al-Qaeda.
The two terrorist groups, which had not been easily shaken even by the alliance of numerous nations, were erased from history in the form of total extermination by just two people.
Of course, there are still remnants of IS scattered here and there, but with their head destroyed, it would be correct to say there is no longer a stage for them to step onto.
Moreover, the battle of Grand Duke Lawrence and his consort, who annihilated both groups, spread worldwide through NewTube, evoking enormous shock along with both awe and fear.
"Wh-what should we do about this?"
"Damn it."
"How can that be human?"
In particular, the video instilled a sense of crisis bordering on mental collapse in one group namely, the American military contractors who had been secretly supplying weapons to IS and Al-Qaeda through middlemen.
At first, when the Governor-General's office of Chase Kingdom stationed in Egypt was effortlessly blown away, they thought their plan to instill the fear of terrorism in Rondel would succeed.
However, when Adrian who was not even part of the Chase Kingdom military involved, but had made his face known on Earth stepped forward, the situation was resolved with almost comical ease.
At first they hoped the video was fabricated, but IS and Al-Qaeda were in a state of utter annihilation, and according to the testimony of surviving witnesses (civilians), it was not difficult to confirm that the video posted on NewTube was no lie.
With a single sword strike, he cut down a mountain, filled an entire city with a rain of fire and lightning, and caused no harm whatsoever to civilians.
It was the worst possible news the kind that made one wish everything had been fabricated.
'What makes Rondel terrifying is not the products of science and technology like the Vanguard and Heaven-Piercing Fortress, but the small number of powerful humans.'
They knew that such talk had been conveyed from the President of South Korea's lips to the ears of the President of America, but no one had expected it to be at this level.
"We've come to realize that the Heaven-Piercing Fortress and the Vanguard are far more human-level weapons."
"If we use nuclear bombs, can we take them down?"
"No, I don't think it'll be easy."
"Hoo, I think so too."
"What are we to do? With our plan having ended in failure, if an investigation comes knocking one day, I don't think we'll be able to just cut our losses and be done with it."
Looking only at the Heaven-Piercing Fortress, which resembles a UFO, and the Vanguard equipment reminiscent of an Iron Man suit, one might easily mistake Rondel for an SF setting, but watching this video made it clear it was unmistakably a fantasy world.
A fantasy world where beings from creation myths actually exist.
"If only we hadn't thought there might be someone behind the two organizations...."
And so they steadied their pounding hearts and pondered how to respond going forward.
The same method could no longer be used.
It was time to think about preserving their lives rather than the company's assets.
But then.
-Kwaaaang!
"Freeze! Move and we shoot!"
"Kneel on the floor with both hands raised!"
The door of the secret space where the owners of America's most renowned military contractors had gathered was violently torn off, and SWAT (police special operations unit) pushed their way in.
At that, the military contractors' owners raised both hands with dumbfounded expressions and followed the orders.
It was because they could not understand what kind of situation this was.
But the moment they confirmed the figure who entered the room next, their faces crumpled.
The FBI director was looking down at them with cold eyes.
"We are arresting you for supplying weapons to IS and Al-Qaeda and inciting terrorism."
"Wh-what!?"
At the FBI director's following words, the military contractors' owners could understand the situation.
The President, who had been standing by until now, had cut them loose.
"Hah, do you think you'll get away with this unscathed?"
"And what will you do if we don't?"
"Hngh!"
"Your crimes are heavy. Moreover, considering the relationship with Rondel, punishing you through ordinary means would only provoke backlash."
The lobbying the military contractors pour into the US government is astronomical in scale.
That is why America does not block civilian gun purchases despite the countless citizens who lose their lives to gun accidents every year.
All for the profit of the military contractors.
To that extent, the relationship between the US government and the military contractors was inseparable.
"So I intend to ask Chairman Lawrence how your punishment should be carried out."
But the meaning of breaking such a relationship and cutting them loose from the US government is that, after running the numbers, they realized Rondel was more important.
In other words, it could also be interpreted that America had submitted to Adrian.
Thanks to this, those who had been secretly holding their meeting dropped their heads with dazed expressions.
"Take them all in."
However, they did not know.
The fact that their arrest was not the President's decision, but the result of coercion from those around the President.
Naturally, those who had applied the coercion were people who had previously received favors from Adrian and had lined up on his side.
And so, in a place Adrian did not know, the incident was resolved on its own even though he had not lifted a finger.
* * *
On Rondel's Mars live the demon race, and on Venus live the Heavenly Tribe.
However, the demon race and Heavenly Tribe of the Earth sphere all belong to the underworld, and this underworld is not located on a single planet, but is settled in a special space called Earth's shadow.
The underworld is the institution that manages the reincarnation of the lifeforms of the Earth sphere.
Originally, the kings of the Heavenly Tribe and the demon race divided the duties, but after they were annihilated in the recent incident, Lord Exceed who was reborn as a god race is managing it alone.
Thanks to that, it was expected that the underworld would disappear before long.
After all, the master of Earth is now the goddess Sepia, and the souls of Earth's people will also be managed by her.
Lord Exceed is, in effect, a temporary administrator managing the underworld until the systems of the two worlds are fully reorganized.
"You've come."
Lord Exceed, who clearly possesses much information I do not know.
I sought out the underworld to meet him, and seeing the man greeting me with a benevolent smile, I had to voice my doubts.
"Who are you?"
"Haha, it is I. Lord Exceed. Or, shall I just say Manuel Lucas?"
The pale-faced youth who had exuded an otherworldly aura had transformed into an ordinary white middle-aged man one might see anywhere.
At Lord Exceed's changed appearance, I had to tilt my head with a look of confusion, but soon realized that his features resembled Grandpa Ho-ho from my memories.
"Could this be your past-life appearance?"
"That's right. It's what Manuel Lucas looked like when he was young."
At that, I arbitrarily concluded that perhaps he simply missed the past.
But the questions did not end there.
Because behind him, there was a young woman who looked to be about twenty, carefully peeking at me from hiding.
"This is my wife, Mary. Come now, Mary, greet him."
"Ah, hello."
"Hello...."
A rather cute-looking woman who retained a girlish quality.
However, one must not be fooled by appearances.
For the aura she harbored was that of a Heavenly King.
As far as I know, all the Heavenly Kings and Demon Kings of Earth are dead except for the subordinates in my hands.
Yet here was a Heavenly King I had never seen, so I could not help but find it puzzling.
"She is my lover from a past life who had died. The very reason I had no choice but to assist the goddess Sepia."
Only then did I understand the situation and nod.
I belatedly realized that the reason Grand Duke Lucas had no choice but to cooperate with the goddess was because of his lover.
'Come to think of it, I have heard the name Mary.'
It was a name that appeared sporadically when combing through Grand Duke Lucas's personal records.
"Does she also possess memories of her past life?"
"She does."
"I suppose so. No matter how much one misses their lover, you cannot revive someone against their will."
How noble indeed.
Through his story, I was able to reduce, even if only slightly, the hostility I had harbored all this time.
"I had been misunderstanding you."
Of course, betraying and annihilating one's comrades for a goal is not to my taste, but I thought his wish was all too human.
At my words, he gave a hearty laugh like a man who had set something down.
Perhaps because his face had changed, the atmosphere was completely different.
It was like looking at a retired grandfather, one might say.
'But that is that, and this is this.'
Soon I changed the atmosphere.
Wiping the expression from my face, I demanded that he divulge all the information I needed to know.
"As it happens, I was planning to tell you if you visited this time."
"That works out well."
Soon his story began.
"How do you know about me, Adrian-nim?"
What he was speaking of would not be his form as Lord Exceed.
So I revealed my impression of Manuel Lucas.
"A genius of the century, a possessor of five stars that I could never hope to match. The equipment Manuel Lucas-nim developed greatly advanced Rondel."
But what followed my answer was a truth I could never have imagined.
"That cannot be called entirely my own ability. It is all talent gifted to me by the goddess Sepia."
"What?"
"From my crossing over to Rondel to my achieving the 9th-circle, it was all the goddess's plan."
I rubbed my temples.
It was only natural, for his statement was demolishing the information I had accumulated until now.
In addition, a certain hypothesis came to mind.
It was this.
"Creating arrangements by the name of Opportunity and delivering them to a single person. It was to make me play precisely that role."