Chapter 87

My heart pounded at the arrogant remark.

Before I knew it, my mouth almost opened to greet him, but I barely held myself back.

Ever since I learned that the world of Archive was real, I’d imagined meeting my favorite character.

Hello, I’m Han Goyo, a trainee at the Trial Response Agency. I’ve heard a lot about you, CEO Cha. It’s a pleasure to finally meet you. Could I perhaps get your autograph…? Ah, I figured not. Yes. Sorry.

I’d imagined something ordinary like that.

I never imagined our first meeting would be like this.

But the moment I met someone I’d only ever seen in pixel graphics in person was overwhelming.

Half-dazed, I watched my favorite character, alive and moving before me.

“……”

Receiving my gaze, CEO Cha silently looked back at me for a moment.

Then he lightly jumped down from the vehicle.

Standing upright, the man was tall.

I knew he was tall, but seeing him in person made him seem even taller.

He looked only a little shorter than Captain Kwak Hanmuk, so he had to be around 190 centimeters.

He had a lean build, and with the tracksuit he was wearing, he looked a bit like a mixed martial arts fighter.

‘If he stood next to Captain Kwak, they’d look like a gathering of athletes.’

While I was busily looking him over, the metallic click of a weapon snapped me back to reality.

CEO Cha had pulled a large cannon-like firearm from his inventory and rested it on his shoulder.

At the center of the gun was a transparent chamber where blue electrical currents swirled.

Startled, I slapped Samra’s shoulder.

“Samra!”

The item CEO Cha had taken out was an EMP Shockwave Cannon.

I’d used it in Archive before.

It released an immense electromagnetic pulse in an instant, overloading and melting the internal circuitry of machines.

It was a deadly weapon against an android like Samra.

I was about to say we needed to run immediately, but before I could speak, Samra answered first.

“There is no need for concern, Han Goyo-ssi.”

Even with the muzzle pointed directly at him, he didn’t move an inch.

“A primitive method like that cannot damage me.”

The most advanced thing I knew was an EMP Shockwave Cannon, so hearing him call it primitive left me speechless.

Samra’s holographic eyes and hair shimmered brilliantly.

Even when standing still, his holographic colors emitted a gentle glow, but now they blazed openly, illuminating the surroundings.

Taking careful aim at Samra, CEO Cha pulled the trigger.

Kiiiiiiing!

With a piercing high-frequency whine, the blue current swirling inside the chamber compressed into a single point.

Facing a situation where he could become nothing more than a heap of scrap metal at any moment, Samra spoke in an emotionless voice.

“From this moment, I will generate an inverse-phase electromagnetic field for fifteen minutes and thirty-seven seconds.”

The next instant, a blinding blue flash erupted from the muzzle.

A massive electromagnetic pulse burst forth, ionizing the atmosphere into plasma.

At the same time, a transparent wave spread outward from Samra.

The space along its advancing boundary warped for an instant, rippling like a heat haze.

An invisible sphere collided with the EMP in midair.

There was no explosion.

Instead, something even stranger occurred.

The space where they met twisted and shimmered, like oil spreading across the surface of water.

The enormous electromagnetic energy—powerful enough to paralyze an entire city—melted away the moment it touched Samra’s transparent sphere and vanished as though it had never existed.

As I stared with my mouth hanging open, Samra explained what had just happened.

“It is destructive interference. Opposing waveforms cancel one another.”

“Huh?”

When I failed to understand immediately, he offered a much simpler comparison.

“It operates on the same principle as noise cancellation. I generated a waveform opposite to the noise.”

That made a little more sense.

But after hearing the rest of the explanation, I was completely lost again.

“To counter an instantaneous EMP with inverse-phase waves, the frequency, waveform, and output velocity must all be analyzed in real time. I performed several billion calculations per second to perfectly analyze the EMP waveform and generated an inverse-phase wave with a synchronization rate of one hundred percent.”

It somehow felt like Samra was showing off a little.

Though maybe that was just my imagination… or maybe it wasn’t.

Either way, it was obvious he’d done something incredible.

I’d been nothing more than a spectator on his back this whole time, so I praised him.

“That’s amazing. I had no idea you could do something like that. Your explanations are really easy to understand too.”

You’re like a premium AI.

Not the free version—the kind you have to pay hundreds of thousands of won a month to subscribe to.

I wondered if calling an android a premium AI counted as an insult, so I kept that thought to myself.

Not long afterward, Samra’s inverse-phase field completely swallowed the EMP and dominated everything within a one-kilometer radius.

Then an astonishing sight unfolded.

Every surrounding light and electronic display left behind a bluish afterimage before going dark.

At the same time, a silence as sharp as a blade settled over the area.

Every electronic device had stopped, and all the faint background noises disappeared at once.

It felt as though I’d sunk deep underwater.

An oppressive silence made my ears ring.

My heartbeat and breathing sounded unnaturally loud, and I felt slightly dizzy.

I hadn’t said a word, yet Samra immediately assessed my condition.

“Because the human nervous system operates through minute electrical signals, humans experience an instinctive sense of danger while inside an inverse-phase electromagnetic field. I will relocate us immediately.”

“Where are you going, Samra?”

CEO Cha casually tossed the EMP cannon behind him.

Then he tapped the white scabbard at his waist with a finger.

“You came all the way here to see me. At least let us say hello.”

My gaze was drawn to his sword.

‘Daeil Yeorae!’

The white sword whose name meant Great Sun Tathāgata had an unforgettable item description.

I recalled what it had said in the game.

He might have failed to turn the android into scrap metal, but CEO Cha was still an opponent no one could afford to underestimate.

If Lieutenant Colonel Je was the unrivaled master of large-scale battles against multiple enemies, then CEO Cha was the absolute pinnacle of one-on-one combat.

His fighting style specialized in explosive burst damage delivered in an instant.

And Daeil Yeorae was the perfect foundation for that overwhelming power.

The white sword seemed as though it had been forged for CEO Cha alone…

“Han Goyo-ssi.”

“…Yes?”

“We’re moving.”

Hadn’t Samra already said that a moment ago?

I wondered why he was repeating himself.

Only then did I notice the looks on Won Taebeom’s and CEO Cha’s faces.

Won Taebeom had been carefully watching the exchange between Samra and CEO Cha without letting his guard down.

But now he was staring at me with an even more baffled expression than when he’d first seen me riding on Samra’s back.

He wasn’t someone who showed much emotion.

For him to look at me like that…

‘Did I spend too much time staring at CEO Cha?’

CEO Cha’s expression looked similar.

Though there was one difference…

He seemed to be in a slightly better mood.

I’d honed my ability to read expressions by observing Lieutenant Colonel Je’s goggles and gas mask, so I was fairly confident in my judgment.

Shrrng.

CEO Cha drew Daeil Yeorae.

The dazzling white blade emerged.

Surrounded by darkness after every other light had vanished, the sword alone shone brilliantly.

It was breathtaking.

“Looks like Han Goyo has a lot he wants to say to me.”

Hearing that, I hurriedly tried to explain myself to Samra.

“No, Samra. I was just fascinated for a moment.”

But the android who knew every one of my biological signals didn’t even respond.

Instead, he addressed Won Taebeom.

“Lieutenant Won Taebeom. I’m entrusting Han Goyo-ssi to you.”

Samra handed me over.

Now I found myself riding on someone else’s back.

Even if I’d only just awakened after sleeping for so long, it was still incredibly embarrassing for a grown man to keep getting carried around on other people’s backs.

Thanks to Samra carrying me this whole time, I felt much better now.

“I can walk.”

But Samra immediately brought me back to reality.

“That is impossible. Han Goyo-ssi is currently experiencing paralysis of the lower body. Full recovery is expected to require at least one more day.”

So that’s why I couldn’t put any strength into my legs.

Everything suddenly made sense.

Dominic, perched atop my head, gently admonished me as well.

“Roasted Chestnut. It is also important to know how to accept the service of your subordinates.”

There wasn’t anyone here who ranked below me, but I nodded as though I understood.

CEO Cha let out a crooked smile.

“The Trial Response Agency still works people to the bone, I see.”

Samra’s face became expressionless.

Even when he stopped pretending to be human, CEO Cha showed not the slightest hint of unease.

Slowly, he turned his head and fixed his gaze on me.

“Han Goyo. Come to Paseong.”

Really?

…I almost answered that before barely stopping myself.

CEO Cha was famous not only for his terrible personality but also for his deep distrust of people.

There were only a handful of individuals he truly trusted.

Because of that, I’d heard that every mercenary recruited by Paseong was scouted by the company’s two directors—his closest confidants.

I was probably the first person in Paseong’s history to receive a recruitment offer directly from its CEO.

It really seemed like I was incredibly useful to him.

‘Would it really hurt just to hear why he wants me so badly?’

Of course I couldn’t trust CEO Cha.

I wasn’t going to sign with Paseong.

Maybe I’d just hear him out for a moment…

“CEO Cha. I can no longer permit further conversation.”

A holographic-colored mist flowed from Samra.

Within the dreamlike mist, Samra tore away both sleeves of his uniform.

Smooth artificial skin was revealed as the synthetic flesh imitating a human body split apart along geometric lines.

Mechanical components writhed like living creatures, rearranging themselves into silver gun barrels.

His left arm became a railgun.

His right arm transformed into a plasma cannon.

Even then, Samra took the time to explain.

“I selected relatively simple weapon systems in order to simultaneously operate nanomachines and inverse-phase waves.”

In other words, he was saying he could transform into something much cooler, but since he had too many things to manage right now, he’d settled for an early-model configuration.

‘Didn’t you say you only had defensive combat functions?’

Apparently his definition of defense differed somewhat from a human’s.

Perhaps noticing my expression, Samra added,

“Because of the condition that I must not harm humanity, a significant portion of my functions has been restricted. Completely defending against CEO Cha would be difficult, but I estimate I can buy sufficient time.”

Looking directly at CEO Cha, Samra declared,

“Lieutenant Colonel Je Hyun-oh is returning. I will defend this position until then.”

Whiiiiing.

Holographic energy began gathering inside the plasma cannon.

Samra gave his order.

“Lieutenant Won Taebeom. Withdraw immediately.”

Boom!

The instant those words fell, brilliant white light collided with holographic radiance.

Samra had intercepted CEO Cha as he rushed toward me.

Their exchange unfolded so quickly it was difficult to follow with the naked eye.

The white sword cleanly split apart an energy shell that Samra had fired by twisting his arm into a shape no human body could possibly achieve.

Fragments of energy scattered in every direction as CEO Cha charged straight toward him.

The barrel of Samra’s left-arm railgun spun rapidly, unleashing a barrage of electromagnetic projectiles.

The bullets tore through the air toward CEO Cha’s chest.

Yet CEO Cha casually twisted his body in midair, deflected the rounds with his blade, and immediately swung the white sword.

The swarm of nanomachines surrounding Samra instantly shifted form.

The holographic mist condensed into a defensive barrier composed of interconnected hexagons.

Boom!

The barrier and the white blade collided, sending showers of sparks cascading like a waterfall.

The dim surroundings became bright as daylight for an instant.

I wanted to keep watching the battle between CEO Cha and Samra, but Won Taebeom started running, and the distance between us naturally widened.

Glancing back over my shoulder, I finally understood why I’d felt those tremors back in the underground passage.

The side of the Trial Response Agency building had been completely torn open.

I’d asked Samra what kind of urban warfare he thought would happen in Seoul.

He had already foreseen this outcome.

“Trainee Han.”

At the blunt voice, I looked at the back of Won Taebeom’s head.

“Are you planning to remain with the Trial Response Agency?”

If I answered no, it felt like he might throw me onto the ground, so I gave a vague reply.

“For now… I think so.”

“Do you know how to handle a firearm?”

“I know the basics.”

I didn’t bother mentioning that the first time I’d fired one was in DeZonDeal.

“My apologies.”

Won Taebeom shifted me from his back to the front, supporting me with one arm.

His strength matched his muscular physique.

He effortlessly repositioned me, handed me a pistol, and then took an item from his inventory for his now-free hand.

The silver gauntlet looked like something a medieval knight would wear.

It was Won Taebeom’s weapon item, Paladin’s Oath.

After equipping the gauntlet, Won Taebeom stared ahead.

The night covered by Samra’s inverse-phase field was unnaturally silent.

Yet I immediately sensed what Won Taebeom was watching for.

Under the moonlight, two figures slowly emerged from the shadows.

A man wearing glasses and a woman with her hair tied in a high ponytail.

Both wore office attire, making them look at first glance like ordinary employees working late into the night.

If not for the Trial items they carried in their hands.

Holding a sword lined with teeth, the man smiled amiably and greeted us with the polished tone of a salesman.

“Lieutenant Won. It’s been a while. You’re looking as impressive as ever.”

The woman carrying a gun covered in blooming flowers widened her eyes innocently, as though she wasn’t holding a weapon at all.

“Lieutenant, you’re working awfully late. Shouldn’t you clock out already?”

“Move.”

“Haha, we’d love to. But what can we do? When the boss tells us to jump, we jump.”

“We only need a few minutes to talk with Goyo-nim.”

The woman smiled brightly.

“If Goyo-nim just signs the contract, we’ll send him right back.”

They were Seo Moonchan and Mok Saehwa, the two directors of Paseong and CEO Cha’s closest confidants.