Chapter 160

As soon as I received the contact from Samra, I immediately checked Kwak Han-mook’s bedroom, but it was empty.

It seemed he hadn’t even returned home.

While preparing to enter the Trial, I fell into deep thought.

Once a Trial meteorite hatches. its BT level can be measured.

Based on the value of the emitted wavelength, the Era Administration Office dispatches a suitable candidate.

The goal is to stabilize and lower the BT level through periodic clears.

However, there were some trials that could not be cleared.

If stabilization fails, the Trial explodes, transforming the surrounding area into an environment identical to that of the Trial.

In Korea’s case, a relatively high number of meteorites had fallen compared to the land area, but fortunately, there had never been a case that led to an explosion.

That was all thanks to the Era Administration Office and Pasung.

However, there have been several explosion cases overseas.

Due to the nature of meteorites falling in high-population density areas, massive damage was inevitable, and quarantine measures to prevent infection always followed.

Quarantine zones were created using special items, but most of those areas ended up being abandoned.

This was because the possibility of the virus leaking out could not be ignored.

’How is Sa Gong-yeon able to influence the Trial meteorites?’

Contextually, it was clearly Sa Gong-yeon’s doing.

But I couldn’t understand how he could manipulate the Earth’s meteorites at will.

Even if the Black Block had exerted power from behind the scenes, the result was the same.

If an entity from outside Earth could explode meteorites at will, the difficulty of defending my territory would skyrocket to an insane degree.

I don’t think the defensive battle would be that absurd...

There had to be some rule.

I felt that I might gain more clues once I entered the Trial.

In my heart, I wanted to ask Dominic, who was currently above my head, but Sa Gong-yeon’s message weighed on me.

In exchange for the information, I would like to request the Lamb to clear the Trial.

Sa Gong-yeon had explicitly stated the price for providing information

It made me wonder if it was alright to keep picking up bits of information from Dominic without giving anything in return.

After all, it wasn’t that long ago that I almost plucked out Kwak Han-mook’s eyeballs after listening to his advice.

"Roasted Chestnut?"

He called me as if asking what was wrong, so I answered promptly while changing out of my uniform.

"It’s nothing, Mr. Dominic."

I briefly explained that I would be entering a new Trial, when the ringtone of the phone on the kitchen table sounded.

I left the dressing room and checked the phone; it was an unknown number.

Yet, for some reason, I felt I knew who was calling.

I stared at the screen for a while before finally answering.

"This is Han Goyo."

-...

The other party was silent.

To make a call and then say nothing.

That was very like him. I quietly called his name.

"CEO Cha..."

A voice, lower and more sunken than usual, came through the receiver.

- Han Goyo. Don’t enter.

How did he know?

I wondered if Pasung had been contacted because it was an emergency.

"Because there’s a risk of an explosion, I have to enter.."

- It’s Sa Gong-yeon’s doing.

As I was momentarily speechless, CEO Cha continued slowly.

- Let it explode or not, I don’t care. South Korea won’t collapse just because one of those things goes off.

"..."

That wasn’t something you’d say to a trainee belonging to the Era Administration Office.

I slowly closed and opened my eyes.

For a brief moment, I felt a flicker of happiness at hearing his voice after so long.

"What the..."

CEO Cha hung up.

The total call time was less than a minute. He was the same as ever, hanging up as soon as he said what he wanted.

I looked down at the phone with an absurd expression and sighed.

’Did Sa Gong-yeon contact CEO Cha as well?’

I knew he was interested in CEO Cha.

He had even attempted an interview call to him inside a Trial before.

However, I couldn’t understand why he had snitched about the Trial I was about to enter.

Speculating on Sa Gong-yeon’s objective, I headed toward the Era Administration Office.

As for CEO Cha... I figured I should contact him again after closing City of Flame...

***

The Era Administration Office was brightly lit, as if it were broad daylight, with every light in the building turned on.

Everyone had rushed to work in the early hours due to the emergency.

As I entered, the restless atmosphere was palpable.

I made my way through the bustling crowd toward the Special Mission Team’s office.

When I opened the door, Kwak Han-mook, Mo Hae-in, and Samra were already there.

Kwak Han-mook suddenly bolted upright from his chair.

Then, he spoke in a solemn voice.

"Captain Mo, Samra, clap."

Clap, clap, clap, clap.

Mo Hae-in and Samra followed suit, applauding Kwak Han-mook.

While I stood there blankly, wondering what was happening, Kwak Han-mook gave me a salute and spoke.

"Welcome, Sugar Champion!"

He had heard the news that I cleared Hop Drop Pop.

I hadn’t expected such an extravagant reaction.

I thought, at most, he would just mention in passing later if I had cleared it well.

I immediately returned the salute to Kwak Han-mook.

For some reason, he burst into laughter. Laughing heartily, Kwak Han-mook said to me,

"The trainees who came out after clearing Hop Drop Pop were busy talking about you, Goyo."

Kwak Han-mook clenched his fist and mimicked a jab.

"They said you beat everyone up."

Banana and his friends must have spread the rumors in the meantime. I spoke, adding a bit of exaggeration to the objective truth.

"It was just inevitable during the process of the strategy."

"Let’s hear more about how the little chestnut ’inevitably’ acted like a jerk."

"Captain Kwak Han-mook."

Samra called his name. It meant there was no more time for idle chatter.

Kwak Han-mook replied, "Yes, sir," and sat back down.

Then, Mo Hae-in, who had been quiet, said something that sounded like it could be either a joke or a serious request.

"Tell me the details later."

Was she really curious?

Deciding that I would tell her if she asked again later, I listened to Samra’s briefing.

"The Trial grade for <City of Flame> is four stars, and this is the first entry for the entire Special Mission Team."

Originally, there was a civilian suitable candidate in charge of this Trial.

They were a freelancer contracted with the Era Administration Office, but they had suddenly gone missing recently.

It was a very suspicious situation.

It added this to my suspicions toward Sa Gong-yeon as I listened to Samra’s briefing.

<City of Flame> was an extraction-loop style game.

The player acts as a stringer, an unaffiliated freelance journalist, in a giant city.

At the start of the game, you choose one of three themes and find provocative news stories according to that theme to sell to media outlets.

The goal was to start from radio and gradually advance to large-scale media organizations.

In the process, the player uncovers the truth about the entity that rules the city.

The format involves entering various districts of the city to secure news stories and then returning to the base; I had liked it because each district had a different characteristic.

The fact that there was a player profession and hidden truths made it feel somewhat similar to Call of the Void at a glance, but the game’s structure and background were completely different.

However, to me now, this slight similarity felt ominous.

Of all things, it had to be similar to Call of the Void. Moreover, the fact that it was a Trial Sa Gong-yeon wanted me to clear made it even more unsettling.

’And the ending was a bit strange, too.’

The true ending of City of Flame had a peculiar feeling.

It was essentially an ending geared toward a sequel, and I remembered asking the developer about that part.

What did the developer say back then?

He definitely told me...

"Of course. There will be a sequel for you, Mr. Chestnut. But it will take a little time... Shall we play other games in the meantime?"

However, City of Flame 2 never came out, even by the day of the final broadcast.

To say the developer simply lied felt wrong, as the phrase for me lingered in my mind.

It was a Trial with many concerning aspects.

"Lieutenant Colonel Je Hyun-oh is scheduled to join on site."

He was currently inside another Trial but was expected to emerge soon; it was explained that if he were slightly delayed, he would enter later.

I briefly shared the information I knew with Samra and the captains, and we discussed which theme the Special Mission Team would choose for the strategy.

The team reacted with slight surprise to the theme I recommended.

This was because it was the theme that the suitable candidate who originally managed City of Flame had warned the Era Administration Office to absolutely avoid.

However, after hearing my explanation, everyone was convinced, and it was decided to proceed with the strategy according to my opinion.

The location of the City of Flame meteorite was the new headquarters of a large broadcasting station in Sangam-dong, Mapo gu, Seoul.

Since it was concealed deep underground, unknown even to the employees, the station director personally guided us.

In preparation for any emergency, all people in the broadcasting station and the surrounding area had been evacuated.

While the broadcasting station, which should always be bustling, was eerily desolate, the Special Mission Team and I descended underground with the director.

After the meteorite fell, the area where the City of Flame meteorite was located had been disguised as a special soundproof room during building repairs.

In front of the soundproof room’s door, there was a ’No Entry Except Authorized Personnel’ sign, and it was locked with double and triple security.

While the director unlocked it with trembling hands, Samra called me through the earpiece.

- Mr. Han Goyo.

Before I could answer, Samra continued.

- I will tidy things up while you clear <City of Flame>.

What exactly was he going to tidy up?

It seemed Samra was genuinely angry because of Geumcheon But for me, I wasn’t particularly worried about Geum-cheon.

Since he likes golden skies, he must be my follower.

...Not for such a strange reason.

It was because of a grounded confidence that they wouldn’t be a huge threat to me.

Since Geum-cheon was based overseas and not in South Korea, it was difficult to respond immediately.

However, once the international organization currently being pushed forward was fully established, we would be able to deal with them in earnest.

Furthermore, Samra was in the process of creating an even stronger security system due to this incident.

Since I had my own subordinates, I was thinking about it with some leisure, but Samra didn’t seem to be.

I was worried that he might end up saying he’ll put all of humanity into capsules.

’I hope my body isn’t inside a capsule when I close the game and come out.’

With a small amount of worry, I spoke to Samra.

"I’ll contact you via the hologram badge."

I felt I should check in as well, partly to report to Samra periodically.

To see if the android was locking people in capsules.

At my words, Samra was silent for a moment before replying late.

- ....I will be waiting.

I terminated the communication and entered the special soundproof room.

The meteorite embedded in the center of the room caught my eye.

It was a meteorite with a deep black color, like the body of a camera.

White light flashed occasionally through the cracks, and every time it did, it was as if a camera flash was going off.

Mo Hae-in, who had been observing the meteorite for a moment, offered an opinion.

"Lieutenant Colonel Je says he’ll arrive within an hour, but since it’s not certain, I think it’s better to enter first and assess the situation."

Both Kwak Han-mook and I agreed with her.

Mo Hae-in, acting as the representative, placed her hand on the meteorite and reported briefly.

"Special Mission Team, entering."

With the world melting away in fluorescent colors, I entered City of Flame.

***

’I am sitting on a single-person sofa.’

Sitting alone on a sofa made of red fabric, I gaze at a small TV screen.

As I press the remote, the movie begins.

A bouncy clarinet sampling announced a cheerful introduction.

Amidst music with a swing rhythm and a decadent bassline, an exaggerated voice shouted a welcome greeting.

"Welcome! The media city of pleasure, Hyper-Eden!"

The crisp drum hi-hats characteristic of swing broke into fine pieces, heightening the music.

Flashing neon signs, champagne bursting with white foam, a casino roulette spinning with a loud noise, and glimpses of someone fighting behind a fast-food restaurant intersected rapidly.

During the build-up section of the music, a heavy bass slowly rose.

"Hyper-Eden is a place filled with the most stimulating and thrilling moments!"

With a thumping drop, explosive electro bass and a brass section poured out.

The screen opened wide, revealing the massive panorama of Hyper-Eden.

The dazzling night view of the city lasted only a moment, followed by a shootout occurring in the middle of the city.

Amidst a torrent of curses and screams, reporters followed to cover the gunfight.

Gunshots tore through the ears and the blood of casualties pooled on the ground, but those pressing the camera shutters didn’t care.

The flashes of the gunfight and the camera flashes popped up in sync with the exciting brass melody.

Even the bloodstains reflected brilliantly under the lights.

The screen transitioned, and with the kick of the swing beat, billboards covering the entire exterior wall of a skyscraper appeared.

The images on the billboards began to change in real-time.

The frantically pouring advertisements quickly disappeared.

In their place, provocative breaking news headlines and real-time footage of the shootout were broadcast.

The masses laughed and cheered under the colorful lights, grew red with rage, and wailed in tears.

Everyone was captivated by the lights of the billboards as if possessed, completely dominated by the information pouring out from them.

It was a chilling sight, but the consistently cheerful music made it seem like a natural occurrence.

The screen transitions again.

No, it’s no longer a screen.

’I’ realize that I have somehow entered the TV screen, into Hyper-Eden.

I have entered the space that I was consuming as a spectacle just a moment ago.

Startled, ’I’ look around and found a recorder in my hand.

While staring blankly at the unfamiliar recorder, a voice mixed with ridicule is heard.

"Here in Hyper-Eden, you begin as miserable trash."

The cyberpunk-style city panorama that had dominated the field of vision is gone.

Tam standing in a back alley filled with trash and vomit, where rats scurry about.

My gaze is forcibly turned.

’I see a building located in the center of Hyper-Eden.’

A tower that stands tall and solitary even among the high buildings.

"Report! Gain the public’s attention! And climb upward! That is the way to survive in Hyper-Eden."

All the instruments that had been playing cheerfully stopped instantly.

The jazz brass and electronic bass that had been hitting the ears disappear like a lie, and a terribly heavy silence descends.

The person who had been talking noisily until now asks in a calm, sunken voice.

"It is time to choose, Journalist. How will you survive?"

And then, options appear before me.

I barely regained my free will, but I looked at the options with bewildered eyes.

Originally, City of Flame has three options.

However, one more had been added to the options appearing before me.

[Sports]

[Crime]

[Mystery]

[Adult]

’Adult?’

It was when I pressed it to read the description of the unfamiliar option.

With a beep, a warning window popped up.

[Adult verification is required!]

I couldn’t even read the description.

Just as I was wondering if this was also a child judgment.

At the perfect timing, the Pudding Slime appeared.

"Mr. Dominic!"

The slime appearing by cutting through the space was...

The most adult being among all the entities I knew.