Surviving in the 121st Century - Chapter 83



Only Noblemtl

“···”

To be honest, Jincheol thought that Aiman ​​and Haita would take his words as a joke and laugh. However, Aiman ​​blinked his eyes as if he was embarrassed for a moment, then slowly calmed his expression and crossed his arms and touched his chin as if he was deep in thought.

Haita, who was sitting next to Jincheol, also looked at Jincheol quietly, instead of laughing or getting angry, even though her face was filled with confusion. When the two of them remained silent, the only one who finally spoke was the artificial intelligence held in Jincheol’s hands.

[···I can’t believe it! The guest I finally met after all this time was someone whose circuitry was broken just like the chip I saw! It seemed familiar somehow! Could it be that electrical errors and human madness are related? Hehehe!]

Oh my. The two residents of the 121st century were seriously thinking back on Jincheol’s words, but the AI ​​of the 21st century, no, the 22nd century, was treating Jincheol like a crazy person. Jincheol burst out laughing when he heard that.

“Why? Do you think I’m lying?”

[Of course it’s a lie! No, I’ll believe it to be true, so I’ll say it’s a delusion of a paranoid patient rather than a lie! What’s really unfortunate is that although there is a psychiatric counseling module in the program of this chip, in the case of severe paranoid disorder, you should be guided to a nearby psychiatric clinic or general hospital! But now there are no hospitals or psychiatrists left? This is a big problem!]

The vibration of the chip in his hand was strong. It was as if he was trying to deny Jincheol’s words more strongly. People believe Jincheol’s words, but machines do not believe him.

As Jincheol was laughing at the contrasting appearances of the two, Aiman, who was looking at him with deep thought, also smiled and said.

“···Then how old are you now? Twenty years old?”

[···]

The chip stopped vibrating as if the child’s question was ridiculous. And Jincheol’s smile also grew deeper as he faced him.

“Honestly, I think I could lose at least ten thousand pounds.”

“why?”

“It would be a bit of a stretch to say I was alive during that time.”

At those words, Aiman ​​and Haita’s eyes lit up with excitement.

“Explain a little more. What does that mean?”

“There’s no need to explain it in detail. I was a soldier in the 21st century, ten thousand years ago, during a war, and during some operation, I was buried in a collapsing underground. And I woke up not long ago and am now rolling around in this era.”

“···What does it mean to be buried?”

Jincheol shrugged his shoulders.

“That’s exactly what it says. I went into an underground facility and started an operation, and then the facility collapsed and I fell into the collapsing ground. There was an underground lake down there, but considering how much the ground was collapsing, the lake would have been completely filled.”

“But did you survive? How?”

“It’s hard to explain. At the time, I fell into a collapsing underground lake and lost consciousness, so I didn’t know what happened before I came back to consciousness. Of course, after I woke up, I spent a long time trying to piece together the circumstances and come up with various hypotheses.”

“Hypothesis. Hypothesis… Can you tell me?”

Aiman’s eyes were now sparkling as if they were looking at the wonders of some era. Jincheol felt a little burdened by that gaze, but inside, he felt a sense of liberation.

“The mission I carried out was to destroy a research institute that was creating superhumans by sacrificing countless people. And, perhaps, during the process of the research institute collapsing, the drug that created superhumans was absorbed into me, who was buried underground. Because ten thousand years ago, I wasn’t as strong as I am now.”

“What drug changed you···?”

“That’s the certain part. The uncertain part is how my body, which had changed like that, could have survived for ten thousand years underground without consciousness. I couldn’t figure that out with my common sense. I wondered if it had been frozen, but it doesn’t make sense that it would freeze just because it wasn’t the North or South Pole, so it wouldn’t make sense for it to freeze just because it had been in water for a while. Anyway, as the flow of the underground water changed, my body also flowed out into the river with the flow, and I woke up in a river that the Sioux people called the Sidalia River. There, I met the Atukai tribe, or the Camponi.”

Jincheol shrugged his shoulders again.

“What happened next? As you can probably guess, I was in a quandary in Shiol and ended up here after rolling around here and there.”

Aiman, who had heard the whole story, slowly examined Jincheol’s face with very serious eyes. It was as if he was looking at some ancient relic or a work of art.

“···Have you told anyone else this story?”

“None. I can’t explain it to anyone else when I can’t even say it myself. In fact, I still think the second hypothesis is more likely than the one you just mentioned.”

“Is there a second hypothesis?”

“Yes. That day, the day the research center collapsed, the human Kang Jin-cheol died, and what he is experiencing now is just an illusion after death, or purgatory.”

Only the child chuckled at those words.

“Have you ever had such a hard time waking up from a long sleep?”

“···It’s not that it was difficult, but rather because it was so far removed from the era I originally lived in···”

Aiman ​​shook his head.

“You are alive. I don’t know for sure how the person in question will distinguish between death and the afterlife, but anyway, you are here, face to face with me, talking to us, eating with us, doing your best to solve the problems you are experiencing at this moment. Even if this is after death, you still have to keep doing something to maintain consciousness. That’s what I know about life. So aren’t you alive?”

“···”

Well, what is it? It seems a bit strange to say that I’m trying my best to solve a problem. I’ve been rolling around for the past week. But I didn’t want to point that out to the person who was trying to comfort me. I just looked at the child and smiled faintly.

“Anyway, that’s amazing. So you’re from the era we currently call the mythical age? This is truly a myth that has no place in history. In an era where even history books don’t remain, you destroy the false temple that used people as offerings, and using that temple as a cradle, you leap over ten thousand years of time. The ancient superhuman has returned to this land that is in chaos.”

“···You’re not being serious, are you? If Miguel heard that, he’d probably try to crack my head open, saying, “Are you talking about a new general?”

“Hahahaha! It’s like that again!”

Aiman’s laughter echoed through the tent. And before the laughter could end, a soft vibration came from Jincheol’s hand.

[···It seems like the cute guest believes everything this crazy guest says. Why is that?]

Aiman’s eyes turned to Jincheol’s hand. Jincheol opened the palm he was holding and let Aiman ​​see the hotel chip.

“Why? The Jincheol I’ve seen so far isn’t the kind of person who would lie like that. Does that mean he’s crazy like you say? No. If he was crazy, he wouldn’t have risked his life and run through the underground city to save his friend.”

Is this talking about the time when Shiol was underground? Aiman ​​lifted the gombangdae and sucked on it, then smoke escaped.

“He’s not a liar, nor a lunatic. And he’s not a friend whose personality is so twisted that he tries to tease me. So then? Jincheol’s words are true. Although it’s far from reality, that’s the only possible reason.”

Jincheol looked at the puppy swordsman in front of him again. He was explaining his reasons, but in the end, it was nothing more than an explanation that it was all because he had faith in Jincheol. Can I receive this kind of faith? Have I ever done something for Aiman ​​like that?

[···What about the synthetic guests?]

“Yes? Me?”

Hotel Chip turned his attention to Haita, who had been sitting quietly. Haita opened her mouth hesitantly at the question suddenly directed at her.

“That… I said it earlier.”

I said earlier. I said I would trust Jincheol. She said that and slowly lowered her gaze. Her ears turned red.

Hotel Chip whined about such a high-level thing.

[···Hehehe. This world is crazy. No, is it just that the logic circuit of the main chip is broken? That’s probably right. If it were a proper manager program, there’s no way it wouldn’t believe you just now. Hehehe! Damn it, that’s why I told you to destroy it quickly, customer! The main chip can’t even understand how the logic circuit of the main chip works anymore! It can’t distinguish between lies and truth, jokes and seriousness! It’s gone crazy!]

“Yes. That’s alive.”

[···What the hell are you talking about? This chip isn’t alive! It’s just a cognitive program that maintains continuity of thought! Hehehe! No, that’s not the kind of nonsense you’re talking about! Woof! Woof woof! That’s nonsense! The guest shouts along with the outbreak! Woof! Woof woof! Woof woof woof!]

Jincheol’s short words made Chip tremble and babble nonsense. Jincheol, who had been quietly listening to the sound, said.

“What does synthetic mean?”

[Hehehe! What does synthetic person mean? What does it mean? It’s just a word used to call a synthetic person!]

“So what is that?”

[Synthetics is a discriminatory term for citizens who have been given artificial bodies and abilities through DNA manipulation and synthesis since the early 22nd century. In the case of the Great Palace Hotel, the owner is a pure human bloodline advocate and created various discriminatory clauses within the hotel, and in this chip, racist dialogue is used in accordance with that tone. How is it, do you understand? Hehehe!]

Aiman ​​and Haita’s eyes lit up once again at Chip’s story. And Jincheol also looked at Chip, thinking that he might be able to learn a little more about the history after he fell asleep.

“Why did that happen?”

[Oh, you wanted a history lesson? But the main chip is a casino and hotel management system, and the educational module is really shallow. Also, the logic circuits deteriorate over time and become less accurate. Still, would you like to take a look? Hehehe!]

“Just talk, even if it’s shallow.”

[Okay! A special lecture on history explained by a two hundred thousand dollar semi-high-end management system! Let’s start! Period 1! The world after World War III!]

Jincheol’s heart pounded at those words. It wasn’t excitement or happiness, but a pounding heart as if a shell had exploded next to him and his whole body was shaking. He could hear gunshots and screams from somewhere.

[···A world peace organization that restores the post-war world! However, the technology that has developed rapidly since the war is also putting its sword to the foundation of human life! People who change their skin color and grow ears simply for the sake of style! Workers who choose to change themselves for specific jobs! Genes that are being cut after billions of years of evolution! Meanwhile, the development of artificial intelligence that is being rejected for simple jobs! Oh, how pitiful!]

Contrary to their interest, Aiman ​​and Haita were not able to understand even half of what Hotel Chip was saying. However, the eyes of Jincheol, a 21st century loser, shone even more deeply.

[Gene scissors, which were just a simple trend and style, have gradually become a means of power for dictators and countries… Humans begin to manipulate genes according to class and groom them according to their tastes according to their uses… At some point, ‘race’ begins to be divided into truly different species, not just skin color…]

It’s not good news. Humans kill each other just because of differences in nationality and ethnicity. What if a group with completely unfamiliar skin and appearance like the Haita next to them appears? The next thing is obvious. Scenes that he had forgotten about flashed through Jincheol’s mind again.

A city covered in black smoke, and corpses lined up like objects on the streets. Ordinary people hanging from their necks like fruits, following their veins. A battlefield where people are not seen as people, but only as pieces of meat that must be killed. And soldiers who kill because they don’t want to die there.

Jincheol felt dizzy and lifted his left hand to hold his forehead. The story of the hotel chip that would follow began to take shape.

[···]

“···?”

But the vibration of the hotel chip stopped there. Jincheol squinted his eyes and looked at the chip.

“Why did you stop talking?”

[Is it the end?]

“···what?”

[I told you, sir. This chip’s class is shallow. It’s of no use in hotel management, so there’s not much material. Oh, or should I teach you about the history of wars before World War 3? That’s a lot of material for theme park management! Then, let’s wrap up the first period here and move on to the second period, the history of wars around the world, oh my?!]

Jincheol looked at the chip with trembling eyes.

“···This useless kid.”

[Huh! How dare you utter such abusive language! However, in accordance with the teachings of Jang Yoo-yu-seo, this chip will not refute the guest’s words. Old man. I am truly sorry that I cannot give you the information you want. Please punish this chip. As a punishment for one sin, destroy this chip, Grandpa!]

Jincheol felt dizzy in another sense.