2026-01-14 01:54:12
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Chapter 86
Min-joon read the message three times, feeling his brief sense of victory crumbling into ash. The Core had been a distraction, a test run, and now something worse was coming, something organized and patient and prepared.He forwarded the message to Ara, to Han, to Min-seo, to all the key members of the resistance, and within minutes his phone was ringing with panicked calls from all of them."Is this real?" Ara demanded. "Is there really a Collective planning to launch a global hive mind?""I do not know but we have to assume it is real," Min-joon said. "The Core had no reason to lie in that message, he was gloating about how we won a meaningless battle while missing the real threat.""Then what do we do?" Han asked on a separate call. "We just finished fighting the Core, we are exhausted, we barely have resources left. How are we supposed to fight an entirely new enemy?""We rest, we rebuild, and we prepare," Min-joon said, trying to sound more confident than he felt. "We have a mont
Chapter 85
The global strike happened over the next forty-eight hours, coordinated attacks on all forty-seven node locations simultaneously, and the reports came flooding in one after another. Tokyo successful, fragment destroyed with no casualties. Beijing successful but three volunteers were injured. Moscow successful after heavy fighting. London successful. São Paulo successful.Min-joon stayed in the command center they had set up in Seo-rin's apartment, monitoring everything, coordinating responses, making decisions when local teams needed guidance. He barely slept, barely ate, surviving on coffee and adrenaline and the knowledge that thousands of people were risking their lives on his orders.By the end of the second day, forty-three of the forty-seven fragments had been destroyed completely, their node structures dismantled and their System energy dispersed. Three more were contained, isolated in locations where they could not spread or recruit new victims. Only one remained fully active
Chapter 84
The attack hit and the Core's body dissolved into fragments of data and light, but he reformed instantly a few feet away, laughing. "Did you really think it would be that easy? This is not even my real body, just a projection, you cannot hurt me by destroying pixels and light.""Then I will destroy the node itself," Min-joon said, redirecting his power toward the massive crystalline structure in the center of the chamber.But before his attack could reach it, the chamber filled with darkness so complete that Min-joon could not see his own hands in front of his face. He heard Tae-hyun shout something, heard Min-seo cursing, but the sound seemed to come from very far away.The Core's voice spoke from everywhere and nowhere. "This is my domain, my origin point, the place I have had fifty years to prepare and fortify. Here I am not just strong, I am god, I control every aspect of reality, and you are nothing but an insect who forgot his place."Min-joon felt something wrap around his ankl
Chapter 83
The flight to Jeju Island left at six in the morning, early enough that the airport was quiet and half-empty. Min-joon, Tae-hyun, Choi Jin-woo, and Min-seo boarded without incident, though Min-joon noticed airport security giving him longer looks than normal, probably recognizing him from news reports about the System incidents.They did not talk much during the flight, each of them lost in their own thoughts about what was waiting for them on the island. Min-joon spent most of the time reviewing everything he knew about the original System node, trying to prepare mentally for what they might face.Kim Hae-young had been the first player fifty years ago, selected on Jeju Island when the System was just beginning, when it was small and experimental and still learning how to harvest human consciousness. That meant the original node would be old, primitive compared to what came later, but also fundamental, the foundation everything else was built on.If they could destroy that foundation
Chapter 82
Song Mi-rae had been sitting quietly in the corner for most of the planning session, listening to everything but not contributing. Now she spoke up, her voice soft but clear. "I might be able to help with coordination, I still have the connection to the fifteen thousand people who were part of the hive mind. If I ask them, if I explain what is happening, some of them might be willing to act as scouts or messengers, they are spread across Korea and some have connections internationally.""That would be incredibly helpful," Min-joon said, grateful. "But I do not want to put them in danger, they have already been through enough.""Let them choose," Song Mi-rae replied. "Give them the option to help and let them decide for themselves, some will say no and that is fine, but some will want to fight back against the thing that controlled them. They deserve that chance."Min-joon nodded, understanding. "Okay, reach out to them, explain the situation, ask for volunteers only. Anyone who wants
Chapter 81
By dawn, Min-joon had made thirty-seven phone calls and his voice was hoarse, but he had commitments from twenty-three former players across twelve cities. It was not enough, not nearly enough to cover forty-seven locations, but it was a start and that was something.Han Woo-jin arrived at the apartment first, looking older than Min-joon remembered, his hair grayer at the temples and lines of guilt etched deep around his eyes. He had been trying to atone for his years as a Keeper by helping former players adjust to normal life, but the moment Min-joon called he had dropped everything and come running."Show me what we are dealing with," Han said without preamble, setting down a duffel bag that clinked with what sounded like weapons.Min-seo pulled up her monitoring data on the laptop screen, showing energy signatures from around the world. "These are the original forty-seven node locations, most of them are still dormant but three have started showing activity in the last six hours. T
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