Chapter 916: Deep Web (5)
“I can’t believe it came up with a test like this.”
Raktasha muttered, unable to hide her sour expression.
“How did it know Obaekro was popular in Ars Nova? No, wait, Obaekro was actually helpful for learning spell formations?”
“So the deep web doesn’t have any intel on the customs of the central city, it seems.”
“We might know about famous customs, but a game that was popular among nobles…”
Biting her lip slightly, Raktasha turned to the other administrators who had come with her and asked.
“Has anyone here played Obaekro?”
“When I was a kid, for a few years, maybe?”
“I’ve fiddled with it from time to time to kill boredom.”
“I’m good enough to beat a pro player.”
It seemed the administrators weren’t complete novices at Obaekro either.
As people who enjoyed mental challenges, quite a few of them had dabbled in various complex games.
“That board game definitely has a lot of depth once you get into it. I quit because it was too time-consuming, though.”
“But I never thought it was a game for learning spell formations. If I’d known, maybe I should’ve tried being a barrier mage?”
“…”
It was a silly joke, enough to make Lennok, who was listening nearby, let out a small laugh.
Raktasha nodded with a slightly relieved expression.
“Good. To be honest, I’ve hit Master rank on a remote Obaekro betting site myself. It’s a relief that most of you know how to play.”
“Master rank? Doesn’t that make you the best among us?”
“I never knew everyone was this good at Obaekro. Should we add it to our bets from now on?”
“More importantly, we need to pass the search engine’s test first.”
Raktasha said, nodding toward the statue with its benevolent smile.
“It may be a strong AI, but this is the deep web. We can use every auxiliary computing device we have at our disposal.”
Though taken aback by the unexpected condition, the administrators hadn’t given up on the challenge.
This was, after all, a formless, intangible cyberspace.
The administrators themselves were cybernetic lifeforms who had shed their physical bodies and entrusted their egos to the network.
They could freely use their auxiliary computing equipment to support their own processing power in a match against a strong AI.
In that case, victory didn’t seem impossible.
Brimming with confidence, Raktasha stepped forward before the statue and spoke.
“Who wants to volunteer first? If there are no takers, I’ll go.”
[C12 reverse. Sequential 3-way conversion. Occupy F58 through 72 in order.]
Clack!
Along with the crisp sound of a stone being placed, the strong AI Heiberk’s clear voice echoed.
[With this, it is my victory.]
“Dammit…”
Across the giant game board laid out before the benevolent smiling statue, the administrator who had been sitting opposite clutched his head in frustration.
[My 2049th victory. Will you challenge me again?]
“…”
The other administrators couldn’t even muster a rebuttal to the AI’s calm words.
It had been three hours since they began challenging the search engine’s AI, each displaying their own confidence in Obaekro.
All of the administrators had been defeated helplessly, unable to make any significant moves.
The only reason they had played over 2000 games in just three hours was because they had used thought acceleration to speed up the games.
Even considering that, they hadn’t managed to score a single victory against the AI before them.
[This AI does not limit the number of attempts for the Obaekro test.]
The AI’s gentle voice poured down on the frustrated administrator.
[The luck present in Obaekro is an element that can be controlled depending on one’s skill; even variables can be overcome by ability. Please rest assured, there is no possibility of the security being unlocked by chance.]
“…Are you mocking us right now?”
Was it saying that even with an extremely rare stroke of luck, there was no chance of winning against the AI before them?
As the administrator grumbled and retreated, Lennok glanced behind him.
After about fifty of Heiberk’s one-sided victories, the administrators had begun to change their approach.
Some summoned a laptop in the cyberspace and began working, while another reviewed the game he had just lost.
There were even administrators gathered in small groups, playing Obaekro amongst themselves and giving each other advice.
“Hey, not there! You have to play at R22 and go for a reversal!”
“No, if I did that, the entire 13th sector I occupied would have been flipped.”
“Still, you have to advance and take the opponent’s territory.”
“Yeah, no. If I did that, I would’ve conceded in less than 200 moves, just like you.”
“What did you say, you bastard?”
The administrators’ voices rose as they reviewed and advised each other, and soon they began to argue among themselves.
As Lennok watched them with an amused expression, Raktasha shook her head.
“Haa… It’s hopeless.”
“Things aren’t going well, it seems.”
“After the first 50 moves, I can’t even read its intentions.”
Raktasha let out a deep sigh.
“After 100 moves, the balance completely collapses, and after 150 moves, we’re just struggling to hold on. Forget winning, we’re having a pride battle over who can last the longest.”
“…”
“You’ve been watching, so you know, but our opinions are so divided on a single phase that even giving advice doesn’t work. There are too many variables to consider; even with our auxiliary computing devices, we can’t keep up with its moves.”
Considering the spaces that could be occupied and the black and white stones flipping from all directions with every move was nearly impossible.
What more needed to be said when even these hackers, who had handled all sorts of hacking tools and complex code, were reduced to making moves as if leaving it to chance?
A game that an Ascendant could create and enjoy meant, conversely, that even an Ascendant’s abilities couldn’t measure all its variables.
“So, what is it you want to say?”
“…”
Raktasha, who had been keeping her lips sealed, spoke as if she had no other choice.
“I don’t care if you take the access authority for the search engine, just cooperate with us. I want to disable that emergency protocol and check its performance, no matter what it takes.”
“If I get my hands on the search engine’s authority, the distribution ratio we discussed earlier will be meaningless.”
“It’s better than staring stupidly at the search engine right in front of us, like we are now.”
At Raktasha’s firm reply, Lennok stroked his chin, seemingly lost in thought.
“Disabling the protocol…”
“As a Great Wizard, you must be exceptionally skilled at Obaekro, right? If what the AI says is true, it’s that kind of game.”
Raktasha said with conviction.
“Among us, you have the highest chance of winning. You knew that from the start and were just waiting for me to ask, weren’t you?”
“No. It’s more that I have a theory I wanted to test first.”
“A theory?”
“There’s something unsettling about the AI’s play. A part that my own judgment can’t grasp. Perhaps…”
Lennok’s voice trailed off as he slowly began to walk.
“Watching any longer won’t change much. From here on, I need to confirm it myself. I’ll participate.”
Standing before the statue, Lennok glanced back at Raktasha and smirked.
“However, you’re wrong about me having a high chance of winning.”
“…What?”
Lennok turned away from the bewildered Raktasha and stood on the opposite side of the game board placed before the statue.
The administrators, who had been focused on their own reviews, immediately turned their attention to Lennok as he stepped forward.
It was the challenge of a Great Wizard whose magical aptitude was beyond the reach of everyone present combined.
No one could help but be interested in the fact that the most infamously dangerous wizard in the megacity was participating in a board game.
“…I’m surprised Adamant Thunder still has the patience for a board game like this.”
“You don’t think he’ll just flip the board in the middle of the game?”
“It’ll be a problem if he deletes the search engine in a fit of rage. It wouldn’t be impossible for a Great Wizard.”
Ignoring the murmuring administrators, Lennok placed his hand on the game board.
Recognizing Lennok’s intent to participate, the AI immediately spoke.
[Will you begin a new match?]
“Let’s begin.”
Paaat!!
In that instant, the black and white stones densely packed on the board were instantly retrieved to the sides of Lennok and the statue.
The AI unhesitatingly made the first move on the now-empty board.
Just as Lennok was about to pick up a black stone, Davi sent a thought with a tense tone.
[Master. If you need a computing device…]
“No, it’s fine.”
Lennok said, immediately placing a black stone on the board.
“Computing devices won’t be of much help in this match.”
Variables so close to infinite that they could never be fully considered by superior computational ability alone.
Complex rules that could never be overcome with superior magical aptitude alone.
But why did the technicians of the central city choose Obaekro as the condition for renewing the search engine’s authority?
If it were simply about being good at Obaekro, then officials from outside the central city should also be able to access the search engine.
From what Lennok had observed so far, it was highly unlikely that things would work out so well.
The reason Lennok was only now participating in the match was to use the data he had gathered to confirm his theory.
The game that thus began continued for 2 hours and 12 minutes.
[HA434 reverse. BB312 to 398 sequentially occupied.]
“…Unbelievable.”
Black and white stones densely covered the giant game board.
1053 moves had been exchanged between them.
[Jangsaeng. It is a draw.]
The first game, which had seemed as though it would never end, concluded without a victor.
[In the long history of matches in Ars Nova, a Jangsaeng draw has only occurred 13 times.]
That was the first thing the AI said to Lennok as soon as the match ended.
[All 13 instances occurred in matches between Great Mages of Level 8 or higher.]
“…”
[Jangsaeng is an immutable paradox where all stones on the board maintain an antagonistic state, unable to be killed or flipped no matter what move is played. It is the rarest and most valuable of the five draw rules in Obaekro.]
The statue with the benevolent smile delivered the guidance, its first words outside of the game itself.
Everyone held their breath, listening to the AI.
Looking at Lennok with a gentle gaze, the AI spoke.
[Human. You are a sorcerer who has reached a transcendent realm. Your intuition in initiating a battle of wits at critical moments, in particular, far surpasses the computational ability of this AI.]
“…”
[However, a causality exists within Obaekro that cannot be fathomed by the principles of magic alone. To surpass this, one needs more than what talent alone can provide-]
“This is enough.”
Lennok stood up without hearing the AI out.
No one dared to speak as they watched Lennok turn away with a blank expression.
Should they be surprised by the Great Wizard’s skill, or by how unrealistic Ars Nova’s technology was?
In the quiet silence, it was Raktasha’s turn to speak first.
“This is the first time since I started working as a hacker that I’ve seen a mere AI shower a human with such praise.”
Looking up at Lennok with a calm gaze, she asked.
“How was it? If you managed a draw in the first game, you should have a better chance of winning next time, right-”
“I don’t think I can win.”
“…”
Looking at the blinking administrators, Lennok said calmly.
“Separate from skill, its ability to eliminate the cause of defeat is superior. It’ll be hard to surpass that overnight.”
“…I don’t quite understand. Can you explain?”
At Raktasha’s words, Lennok gathered his thoughts for a moment before speaking.
“It’s true that you can learn to create spell formations through Obaekro, but the two abilities aren’t completely organically linked. There are parts of creating a formation and parts of playing Obaekro that don’t overlap.”
“…”
“That AI possesses an Obaekro skill that cannot be covered by magical aptitude alone. It makes moves that I can’t explain with my magical judgment, and every time it does, it gains the upper hand.”
Lennok shrugged.
“If you heard what the AI said, you might have guessed it, but I suspect it has the data from all the Obaekro matches played in Ars Nova.”
“You think this strong AI has the game records from all the Obaekro matches in Ars Nova?”
Raktasha asked, her expression unable to hide her disbelief.
“Otherwise, there’s no way it could have mentioned how many times a Jangsaeng draw, like the one I just made, has occurred in Ars Nova.”
“…”
“It was only a suspicion, but this confirms it.”
Lennok said, rubbing his tired shoulders.
“Whenever its judgment falls short, it supplements the missing parts using game records. If the problem is lack of game time or know-how, it’s not something that can be solved in a short time.”
Obaekro was a board game created by Jindun to teach barrier magic in an easier and more convenient way.
But that didn’t mean that every element of Obaekro perfectly matched the aptitude for barrier magic.
Lennok was able to inherit Jindun’s barrier magic through Obaekro because it was a miracle that occurred within Jindun’s thought-domain.
Obaekro could be a way to judge aptitude for barrier magic, but not everyone who plays Obaekro well can become an outstanding barrier mage.
Lennok, who had directly inherited Jindun’s barrier magic, naturally possessed excellent skills in playing Obaekro.
Even so, there were times during his match with the AI when he couldn’t understand his opponent’s moves.
That wasn’t because the AI’s magical aptitude was superior to Lennok’s, but because the AI had mastered the ‘knack’ of Obaekro, which was different from magical talent.
If an AI, which has no memories or life, had mastered such a knack, where else would its database come from but Ars Nova?
“That can’t be…”
“Dammit, isn’t that cheating?”
The faces of the other administrators crumpled upon hearing Lennok’s logical explanation.
“That means we can’t beat that AI unless we get our hands on the Ars Nova game records.”
“Either that, or we collect enough Obaekro game records to surpass the AI’s data.”
“Either way is impossible.”
They didn’t know how popular Obaekro had been among the nobles of the central city, but the amount of game records accumulated during that time must have been enormous.
Moreover, the level of those matches would have been extremely high; how could the administrators gathered here possibly obtain such records?
“You knew this from the beginning?”
“Watching you guys play, I thought the AI’s responses were strange.”
“…”
“But whenever it made a move I couldn’t comprehend with my own judgment, the AI took the initiative in the match.”
Lennok said, looking back at the statue.
“Watching that, I understood there was a knack for playing Obaekro well that wasn’t included in my own aptitude. After that, I just experienced it myself to confirm.”
“…”
While the administrators were busy just trying to hold on against the AI, this wizard had seen that far ahead and even dragged the game to a draw?
To not only predict the outcome before the match even started but also to use the process itself as a basis for his judgment.
Even though only their consciousness was connected to the cyberspace, the administrators couldn’t help but marvel at his unparalleled intuition.
“To intentionally guide a match against Ars Nova’s AI to a Jangsaeng draw… A Great Wizard is on a completely different level.”
“And he dragged the match that far without any auxiliary computing devices like us. What in the world is inside that head of his?”
“Adamant Thunder, it’s good that you figured out the AI’s secret, but if you can’t win, we need to make a decision.”
Raktasha said with a serious expression.
“We’ll either have to hide the search engine’s address or extract it and store it elsewhere.”
“Why is that?”
“By now, other hackers must have noticed that we’re all gathered in this area.”
Understanding the meaning behind her words, Lennok nodded.
“You’re saying the search engine could be stolen by other factions.”
“Just setting up a firewall isn’t enough. In the worst-case scenario, they could inject a virus or malware and corrupt it beyond our ability to do anything.”
Raktasha said, her expression growing grave.
“Actually, we’re already in a precarious situation. I let it be because I thought Adamant Thunder might win the Obaekro match. But now…”
Did she mean they had to take action now that Lennok had admitted he couldn’t discuss the odds of winning?
Understanding this, the other administrators sighed softly.
“If I knew this would happen, I would have come better prepared.”
“Who would’ve thought an AI from the central city would challenge us to an Obaekro match?”
“It might have been different if Cheonbeon were here. From what I hear, there are rumors that Evan Martinez inherited Jindun’s barrier magic…”
“Hey, hey!!”
“Shut your mouth. What are you doing?”
At someone’s muttered words, the other administrators gasped and covered the speaker’s mouth.
Less than a month had passed since the showdown between Adamant Thunder and Cheonbeon. It was a statement one couldn’t make unless they didn’t value their life.
Stealing glances at Lennok, who was lost in thought, the administrators scolded the one who had just made the blunder.
“No, but it’s true that Cheonbeon would have been more helpful at this point than Adamant Thunder-”
“He’s right here listening. You think he’d be pleased to be compared to that flame user? Huh?”
“Do you want your consciousness incinerated?”
While the administrators were trying to silence their colleague, wary of Lennok,
Raktasha spoke to Lennok, who was ignoring the surrounding chatter and lost in his own thoughts.
“If you’re okay with it, we’re going to wrap up our work here and seal the address. Is that alright?”
“…”
“I’m thinking of collecting Obaekro game records and creating a new AI to play against. I’ll call you again when it’s ready, so for now-”
“If the Obaekro game records were valuable enough to collect, would there be any reason to just throw them away?”
“…What?”
“If he was attached enough to play Obaekro right before he died, I doubt he would have left his game records somewhere out of reach.”
At Lennok’s monologue, Raktasha struggled to compose her expression.
“I don’t know what you’re talking about. If you have something to say, please say it so we can understand-”
“I’ll be back from the real world in a moment.”
“What? Wait! If you break the connection here, you won’t be able to come back…!!”
Ignoring Raktasha’s panicked words, Lennok immediately stepped out of the Dream-Thought Virtualscape.
Fwoosh!!
The realm of cyberspace peeled away like a shell, and he landed on the ramp right next to the underground cavern.
Sitting down on the ramp, Lennok began to take out all sorts of items from his coat.
Chiiik!
-Ah, Van. Are you done with your business? Speaking of which, I got a call about some meeting.
Sensing Lennok’s presence, Jenny sent a message through the underground cavern’s speakers.
-They want to send an envoy to inform you of the meeting schedule. They said they’ll arrive at the tower soon, so if you have any intention of meeting them-
“Let’s talk in a bit.”
Shwaaak!!
Lennok pulled a giant scroll from his coat and unfurled it.
The Papyrus Argenteus, which shimmered with a faint silver light. The Ascendant’s spell-armament that Lennok had obtained from Jindun’s Cradle.
It was a relic-class artifact that recorded and stored mana or spellcraft, which Jindun had used in life to pre-inscribe barrier formations.
Lennok had been using this Papyrus to store his inefficient blink spellcraft.
However, what Lennok was looking for on the Papyrus was not a pre-stored spell or formation.
Sarak…!
Lennok’s eyes sank as he ran his bare hand over the rough surface of the papyrus.
‘If Obaekro game records have significant value in improving one’s skill, then Jindun must have kept his records too.’
Jindun was attached enough to the game he created to pass on his barrier magic through Obaekro just before he died.
If so, he surely wouldn’t have carelessly discarded the Obaekro game records he had played throughout his life.
But Lennok hadn’t seen any paper or data with game records written on them in Jindun’s Cradle.
In that case, the artifact where Jindun’s Obaekro game records were likely to remain was-
‘Ethan Bajour used the Papyrus Aureus not for mana or spellcraft, but to record his travel journal.’
Fumbling, Lennok traced the papyrus and slowly drew up his mana.
‘If the Papyrus series has the ability to store phrases or text, then surely Jindun also-’
The moment Lennok thought that and rubbed the papyrus with his mana as if drawing an Obaekro board,
Sreureuk…!!
Lennok flinched when he saw an Obaekro board and a white stone appear on the empty surface of the papyrus.
When Lennok placed a black stone, another white stone was etched onto the papyrus.
“I see.”
Lennok smiled, realizing that the series of plays was not a one-off coincidence but flowed naturally as if predetermined.
“This isn’t a game record… Was this Jindun’s hobby tool?”
Lennok immediately stood up and walked back into the domain of the Dream-Thought Virtualscape.
Chijik!!
Raktasha stumbled back in surprise and retreated.
“Y-You really came back. How could you disconnect once and still be perfectly fine…”
“The search engine. It’s still there, I assume?”
“We were just about to clear it out. If there’s no other way, there’s no reason to stay here-”
“Let’s try one more time.”
“What?”
Ignoring Raktasha, Lennok immediately stood before the statue.
The AI, recognizing the challenger, formed a benevolent smile using the statue’s face.
[Will you begin a new match?]
“Let’s begin.”
Lennok said, leisurely tapping the game board.
“However, this time, I won’t be competing with my own skills.”
[I do not understand what you mean.]
“It’s nothing special.”
With a smirk, Lennok immediately pulled an elongated papyrus from his coat.
Shwaak!!
The Papyrus Argenteus. An artifact that draws, records, and stores the formations of barrier magic.
But Jindun had recorded every Obaekro game he had ever played onto this recording device.
He had been using it to play against himself.
A hobby tool created to alleviate the boredom of an Ascendant who lived for what felt like an eternity.
“Let’s see which tool performs better. Sound good?”