TRPM 170

chapter 170

The next day.

As I went to school, I recalled what Yeon Mirae had reported to me last night.

[The one who killed the researchers was a doppelgänger. It is assumed that the doppelgänger trapped in the lab broke out of the storage room. Oh, and similar incidents occurred in other countries as well.]

The police, the association, the Iron-Blood Guild, and the Night Eagle Guild were all convinced that Oracle was behind this incident.

I had no intention of denying that thought either.

However…

[The vehicle? Ah… it was indeed a Core Earth vehicle. But it is believed that Oracle hijacked the Core Earth vehicle.]

Could it really all be Oracle?

I pondered this internally as I kept walking.

‘For now, there’s no doubt that Oracle is behind this incident.’

If that’s the case, I could guess the reason behind the previous incident… specifically, why they released the doppelgänger when the erosion-type dungeon appeared.

Especially why they released a doppelgänger in an advanced country where even a doppelgänger alone would have difficulty handling the situation.

At first, I thought they released the doppelgänger simply to divert attention from the capsules, which were the real objective, but the damage seemed minimal for such a strategy.

The reason was…

‘So their goal was to destroy the association’s research facilities from the start.’

Even the capsules were merely bait to draw attention.

It was probably easy to predict that if the doppelgängers were subdued, they would be transported back to the lab either alive or with their limbs severed.

The association would also prioritize the capsules over the doppelgängers, so security around the doppelgänger corpses would be relatively lax.

‘And now I know the purpose behind destroying the research facilities as well.’

There are two main reasons for committing terrorism against research facilities:

One is to steal the research data.
The other is to halt the research entirely.

Since the doppelgängers rampaged and destroyed the lab, it wasn’t the former.

In other words, Oracle intended to stop the association’s research.

“Low-frequency generator.”

They probably tried to prevent its development.

[Less than a month after an erosion-type dungeon was discovered, low-frequency generators capable of preventing the dungeon’s occurrence were installed worldwide.]

Oracle’s leader is a precognitive who can see the future.

She would have known that low-frequency generators were being developed to prevent erosion-type dungeons.

Oracle manipulated the situation so humanity wouldn’t be able to adequately counter the dungeons.

“I really got hit hard this time.”

Before I regressed, it took about a month from when an erosion-type dungeon appeared until low-frequency generators were distributed.

Even so, infrastructure was destroyed every time a dungeon appeared, causing severe damage.

Now, with associations worldwide under attack, how long would it take to produce low-frequency generators?

At least longer than a month.

‘Not only were the materials destroyed by the doppelgängers’ rampage, but most of the researchers conducting the study also died…’

I sighed internally as I walked.

…At least I know the principle behind the low-frequency generator.

It periodically emits low-frequency waves with a specific frequency and waveform to push back the influence of the Black Mist.

While its range can be extended with other energies like mana, the basic low-frequency generator can be created as long as the frequency and waveform are known.

The problem is, I had no idea what the exact frequency and waveform were.

The association’s labs would have gathered some data through repeated experiments, though.

“Ha… If I had known I’d regress, I would have memorized that information too.”

If I had remembered just that, low-frequency generators could have been distributed worldwide in not a month, but a week.

“G-Geonwoo!”

As I sighed and walked to school, Idu-min called from behind.

I turned to him…

“What’s wrong? Why do you look so upset?”
“……”

Idu-min said that to me.

I touched my face with my hand.

I guess thinking about unpleasant things had unconsciously made my expression sour.

“Oh, are you worried about what happened yesterday? That’s not really our problem. The adults will handle it.”
“…Yeah.”

It was already out of my hands.

It had never really been under my control anyway… and whatever I did here wouldn’t change anything.

‘Since I regressed, have I ever felt this powerless?’

I muttered something back to Idu-min as I entered the school.

[User Han Geonwoo, a trade offer is being proposed.]

Suddenly, the Awakened System proposed a trade to me.

It wasn’t the first time the Awakened System had proposed a trade.

In the past, I had registered the skills I remembered into its database in exchange for materials like World Tree branches and Eternal Iron for dolls I was creating as an artist.

‘…So what kind of trade are you trying to make this time?’

Then came the system’s unexpected words.

[The system requests that user Han Geonwoo spend their points.]
[In return, the system will provide user Han Geonwoo with information on the low-frequency generator (tentative name).]

…What?

“Is that for real?”
“Huh? Geonwoo, why…?”
“Dumin, just be quiet for a moment.”
“O-Okay…”

Sensing that my eyes were serious, Idu-min stepped back and shut his mouth.

…Perhaps the aura I gave off after hearing the system scared him, but I had no time to care about such details.

‘System, did you remember the low-frequency generator that the association’s researchers were making?’

I asked internally.

The system responded.

[Answering user Han Geonwoo: No.]
[Through user Han Geonwoo’s thoughts, information was obtained that low-frequency waves with specific frequencies and waveforms could push back the influence of the Black Mist.]
[Subsequently, using surplus ether in the system, experiments were conducted to find the most effective frequency and waveform to repel the Black Mist.]

…So it had experimented based on what I had just thought internally.

It was a little unsettling that the system could read my thoughts, but I wanted to praise it for now.

It had just solved the problem I was struggling with all at once.

[System requests points equivalent to the amount of ether used in the experiment from user Han Geonwoo.]
[In return, the system will provide data on the frequency and waveform discovered through the experiment.]

Yeah, I should give that much.

Considering the value of the information, giving all my points wouldn’t be a loss.

After all, I hardly ever used the points I accumulated.

“Fine, I’ll trade.”

Thus, I obtained the data needed to make a low-frequency generator through the system.

“You traded with the system…? Must have been a good deal. Your expression just improved from looking so bad.”
“Yeah, that’s right.”

Idu-min commented, and I answered while registering the low-frequency generator’s information into the system database.

I could personally make the generator or give the information to an association or company, but using the database would be the fastest.

‘Companies will try to make high-performance low-frequency generators to make money anyway.’

Although it cost me points, considering the value of the low-frequency generator, it was a bargain.

“…Say that again.”

On a base on Mars.

Oracle, who had been sitting with her legs crossed, uncrossed them and spoke to her subordinate.

‘Did I hear wrong? The low-frequency generator is finally going to be released to the world?’
‘…Information about frequencies and waveforms capable of pushing back the Black Mist has been uploaded to the Awakened System’s database.’
‘……’

Hearing this, Oracle called up the Awakened System to verify the information.

She realized that her subordinate had spoken the truth.

‘The Awakened System does not lie. The fact that this information is in the database…’
‘…means it’s verified information.’

Oracle slumped into her chair, muttering.

‘I invested so much for this… The development of the low-frequency generator should have been delayed by at least half a year to be profitable…’
‘…But refilling the storage shouldn’t take that long…’
‘What?’

Oracle glared at a subordinate.

‘N-nothing…’
‘……’

The subordinate retracted what he said, knowing he could be expelled from the base if he angered Oracle.

Terraforming on Mars was being led by an overwhelmingly advanced organization, but it would take decades to complete.

Until then, leaving a life-support base would almost certainly mean death.

‘……’

For reference, Oracle’s glare was just for show.

Her only value was her ability to see the future.

If others discovered that her visions were becoming unclear, she could be killed by her subordinates.

To conceal this, Oracle acted as a domineering leader.

‘To explain it for your foolishness: even for us, refilling the storage isn’t easy. Do you know how many resources we used…’

It would take at least a few months.

Oracle then gave further instructions.

‘Find out which Awakened uploaded the low-frequency generator information. Probably one surviving researcher, but it could also be one of the agents meant to hack the association’s system and retrieve the doppelgänger.’
‘Yes? But…’
‘Aren’t they our agents?’

It was true.

Although a Core Earth vehicle was used, the driver was an Oracle operative.

One of them uploaded the low-frequency generator information to the Awakened database…

‘They may have betrayed us out of fear as things got out of hand, or they might have wanted the points received for uploading the information. Either way, investigate thoroughly.’
‘Yes!’
‘Understood.’

Thus, a major internal audit began in Oracle’s organization.

The audit targeted operatives on Earth, not those at headquarters or the moon’s outposts.

‘…Phew.’

Thanks to this, the spy that Richard, president of the Global Awakened Association, planted in Oracle’s headquarters remained undetected.

Even Oracle probably didn’t expect a spy inside her headquarters.