Chapter 179: The Record (1)

Tak! Tak!

Hu Bong descended into the pit with Baekgi, Mun Ran-yeong, and the fainted C.

“Lord!”

“Did you let your target escape?”

“Yes.”

All three were surprised to hear that Chun Yeowun had let the man escape because he was known to never let his enemies live.

Of course, it was ambiguous whether or not the old man actually was an enemy, but he certainly had more power than any person they met thus far.

“Lord, what’s this blade?”

Baekgi asked while pointing to the blade Chun Yeowun had left behind that was made of a black, iron-like metal that wasn’t from Earth. Chun Yeowun gently touched the blade with his fingertips.

Shh!

‘I can feel the sword’s strong energy.’

Perhaps, in order for the blade to attain its full potential, it needed to absorb and embody Good Qi, but this wasn’t the right place for that to happen.

‘This blade seems to be trickier than the White Dragon Blade.’

The White Dragon Blade was Chun Yeowun’s best blade. Since it was cut off from the horns of a white dragon about to ascend to the heavens, he considered it a sacred treasure.

He obtained it by accident, but luck played a huge factor.

‘I’ll check this out later.’

Shh!

Chun Yeowun opened the shadow realm and kept the blade in it.

Mun Ran-yeong and Hu Bong were familiar with the shadow realm, but Baekgi wasn’t and looked at it with curious eyes.

Chun Yeowun closed the shadow and looked around. The place was full of boxes, seemed like a warehouse, and had dust all over as if no one ever visited this place.

‘Is something hidden in here?’

Chun Yeowun pondered the words that the old man said. Did he know what Chun Yeowun was looking for?

He was curious, and to resolve his curiosity, he would have to check this place out.

‘I’m alone.’

He found out from the fight with the 3rd Guest that this place was wider than he had imagined. Moreover, it had several floors. However, there was something peculiar about this wide structure.

In terms of energy, he couldn’t feel any external presence.

“I want to take a look around this place, so the three of you should search the other floors and find out what they were up to here.”

“Is it fine to leave this woman here alone?”

Mun Ran-yeong asked, looking at C with intense eyes. Since this woman had used Mun Ran-yeong’s husband’s body to live, Mun Ran-yeong wouldn’t hesitate to kill C.

Sikk! Woong!

Chun Yeowun put his hand down, and three naked men with identical faces appeared.

“Oh my!”

Mun Ran-yeong blushed at the sight, which made Hu Bong grumble.

“Honey, turn around.”

The naked men were all clones of Sayogi that were Ghosts with physical bodies. They were similar to elites hidden in the shadows, as they also didn’t have identities.

“They’ll watch over her.”

“Yes.”

At Chun Yeowun’s words, the three subordinates moved to other locations and began to search. Once they left, Chun Yeowun ordered the clones to refrain from any physical contact with C and went to inspect the warehouse.

‘Nano, scan.’

[Scanning.]

Chun Yeowun held out his hand as a red laser beamed out and scanned the place. Using Nano’s ability would be exponentially easier than manually searching for any clues.

Brrr!

Chun Yeowun’s eyes trembled as augmented reality activated in his vision.

In augmented reality, dots moved around to show the surroundings being scanned. Inside the boxes seemed to be documents and some old technology.

‘Why hide them here?’

There wasn’t anything worth hiding in here that he had found yet. All of the information was displayed by the scanning, and there were no other doors aside from the east side door, so Chun Yeowun had to think outside the box for clues.

‘If it isn’t at the surface…’

It would most likely be below. Chun Yeowun put his palm on the ground.

Beep! Beep!

A red cross appeared in augmented reality, showing the location where numerous boxes were stacked.

Shhh!

When Chun Yeowun held out his hand, the boxes were pushed aside and the floor underneath them was revealed, and initially there seemed to be no signs of anything being hidden.

However, there was one sign:

[There are traces of construction.]

At first glance, the floor didn’t seem different from the other floors, but Nano was able to see the differences in its texture and color. Chun Yeown grabbed a sword and drew a circle in the ground.

Tear!

When the ground was cut by the Invisible Sword, the floor was pulled out along with the pillars stabilizing it.

‘So thick.’

The pillar was around 5 meters in height, but the height of the opening was too small so he had to slice the pillars and then lift them up. Because the slabs he had cut were so thick, when Chun Yeowun descended he realized that something had to be down here.

‘Should I go down now?’

Chun Yeowun pulled out a slab and entered the hole. After passing through the tunnel-like hole, a dark space appeared.

Wheik!

When Chun Yeowun ignited a fire with Fire Qi, the dark space lit up, revealing a spacious environment.

“Ahh…”

Since the place had been blocked out for so long, there was a musty smell that filled the room.

There didn’t seem to be any opening for air to move, so if ordinary people came they would have had a hard time breathing.

Shh!

Chun Yeowun raised his hand, causing the wind to rise and the dust to blow in from all directions in an instant.

It didn’t take long for the dust that was displaced to coalesce into one huge form of pure dust and filth. Once the dust was removed, he could clearly see what was inside.

“Machines?”

The entire place seemed to be filled with machines. There were many unusual mechanisms, starting with white machines with boxy square monitors and vacuum tubes with no connections.

‘Nano, do you see the time pack?’

Chun Yeowun looked around as he asked Nano. Chun Yeowun knew what the time pack looked like, he couldn’t search for it all alone in this confusing area.

[The time pack isn’t in this space.]

Nano concluded that the time pack wasn’t there. Looking at the old machines, Chun Yeowun mumbled,

“What is all this?”

[Cannot be determined definitely. The result of the scan shows many vacuum tubes that are connected, appearing to be some form of a supercomputer.]

Supercomputer.

It was literally a computer, unlike regular ones, it was a high-level computing machine.

‘Can you turn it on?’

Chun Yeowun asked while touching one of the tubes. The next words from Nano were very shocking.

[As a result of analysis of the components of the computer, it is difficult to operate it now as this machine was manufactured 400 years ago,]

‘400 years ago?’

Computers didn’t exist 400 years ago itself. But this one was made?

‘Nano. If the information you sent me is right, then the computers were built…’

[The production of the first computer, known as ‘MARK-1’, was in 1944. The first super computer ENIAC, however, was produced in 1946, two years later.]

The information hidden here could overturn history. However, what was even more shocking was the supercomputer’s performance speed.

[The computing speed of this device is about 8.0 teraflops.]

A 1 teraflop processor could perform 1 trillion operations per second. The MS Group had the technology to outperform such a processor by a factor of eight 400 years prior?

Anyone involved in academia would have been surprised at this information.

‘Is this even possible?’

It was now impossible for Chun Yeowun to know the true strength of MS Group.

[To have computing power at the teraflop level is impossible with this number of connections. In addition, several complex future technologies are part of the machine.]

Beep! Beep! Beep!

Nano pointed out the red crosses on various machines. It was absolutely impossible to achieve such a high level of performance with such simple tubing, meaning that this was only possible with help from the distant future.

Chun Yeowun’s expression darkened. For some reason, it felt like he was getting close to something.

‘Mu-seong company… Chun Mu-seong.’

MS Group was formerly known as Mu-seong Company.

When he heard the name from Hwang-heol, he thought it was just a coincidence, but he realized it was much more than a coincidence when he arrived at this sector when he cracked the TQC code and teleported to the encrypted coordinates.

No matter how much he thought otherwise, there was definitely a connection between MS Group and Chun Mu-seong.

‘What the hell happened to the supercomputer?’

Since Nano couldn’t operate it, Chun Yeowun had no information regarding the supercomputer. Chun Mu-seong clearly informed all three of his subordinates that he would leave behind an item that would help Chun Yeowun return to the past.

However, all he found was a supercomputer that he couldn’t access.

“Phew.”

However, the moment he began to feel frustrated:

Beep!

In the augmented reality, which was still open, Nano signaled something on the ground. When Chun Yeowun approached it, he saw that there were several pieces of glass on the ground.

There were a total of 5 pieces of glass, and three were broken while two seemed intact.

‘What is this?’

[This is a carbon glass image storage device, known as TVM.]

‘What?’

[It is a video recording device developed in 2906.]

Chun Yeowun narrowed his eyes. His descendant, Chun Mu-seong, had traveled back in time from 2940. However, since this video recording device was made around that time, it was more than likely that it came from Chun Mu-seong.

‘Nano…can you see information about this too?’

[Yes. Since it is a semi-permanent storage device, if the TVM isn’t damaged, the media can be relayed through augmented reality.]

At those words, Chun Yeowun smiled. He had finally found a clue.

His only disappointment was that not all of the 5 glasses were fine, but he couldn’t be too sad because at least 2 of them were undamaged.

‘Show me.’

[Place your hand on the TVM.]

Following Nano’s instructions, Chun Yeowun put his hand on one of the TVMs as a red laser flashed from his palm to scan it.

[The TVM has many cracks, which damaged most of the footage.]

‘What now?’

When he looked closer, there were quite a few scratches, but considering that the other TVMs were broken, it was natural for something to have happened to these 2.

[Any restorable data from the video will be played.]

Eventually, Chun Yeowun’s field of vision changed as he recognized a sight in the video.

Chik!

‘Chun Mu-seong!’

It was his descendant. Unlike the first time he saw Chun Mu-seong, this time Chun Yeowun found the beard and clothes of the Murim of the past strangely unfamiliar.

Chun Mu-seong was sitting and filming himself, stroking the beard a few times before opening his mouth.

“Video record number 421. December 9, 996. The time is 11 pm.”

This video was created 1083 years ago. Looking at the number 421, it seemed that the broken TVMs contained the videos he had made prior.

“I finally helped Baekgi hibernate after he memorized the last TQC code. If this all goes well, I’m sure that Ancestor should meet them around 2079.

Chun Mu-seong was recording his daily routine like a diary. Chun Yeowun focused even further on the video.

“One concern is that the hibernating people and their locations will probably receive some form of shock or disturbance in the future, and if something goes wrong and they end up getting hurt, then Ancestor might not receive the time pack. Sigh.”

Chun Mu-seong frowned, as if his mind was in pain. He seemed to have prepared something for Chun Yeowun, but had some doubts about whether it would actually work. He thought for a little longer and said,

“I think I should prepare for any contingencies.”

Click!

The video was cut off and the next one started playing.

“Video record number 422. December 23, 996. Time is 8 pm. I was told that Miss Mun Ran-yeong lived a long life by taking the blood of Qilin, so I will try to replicate her longevity.”

Tak!

Chun Mu-seong held what looked like a small gourd in his hand.

-This holds the blood of Flame Qilin. Using it should increase my life expectancy, but this refined blood is so strong that many people have died taking it. Considering its uses in the past, this is a huge risk…No, honestly I’m pretty scared.

Chun Mu-seong put down the bottle and spoke,

“I plan to take blood on the first day of the new year. If… if I don’t make the next record, then you can consider me dead. I hope I can record more… lick!”

The video stopped, making Chun Yeowun wonder if the next video would play.

[Other videos cannot be played due to the damage done to the TVM. Do you want to read the records on the other TVM device?]

“Phew.”

Chun Yeowun sighed. Only two short records from the past had survived, so the rest would only be more unsettling.

‘Play it.’

He had to confirm his thoughts. Nano finally scanned the last TVM and then,

Click!

Chun Mu-seong appeared again, but he was different from before. Judging from the red hair, it seemed like he had managed to control the blood of Flame Qilin, but he looked like he was in his mid 50s.

“Video record 3021. 1699. August 20th at 5 pm. The update of the supercomputer is proceeding smoothly. It’s only in teraflops, but with this level of computational power, it is likely to be able to support an AI.”

‘AI?’

AI stood for Artificial Intelligence.

“If an AI can be supported, the supercomputer which I named Demon God can self-update and expedite the development of space and time movement devices.”

Click!

Chun Mu-seung ended the video with a smile, but Chun Yeowun frowned.

“Supercomputer Demon God?”

That man named the supercomputer with Chun Yeowun’s title.

He thought it was odd, but he managed to find the important fact through this TVM technology.

‘He was developing a space-time movement device?’

The reason for creating the supercomputer was finally revealed to Chun Yeowun. Through the supercomputer, Chun Mu-seong was developing a space-time movement device to replace the time pack, but Chun Yeowun couldn’t figure out why he was creating it if the time pack was just fine.

‘Would it be used for Hu Bong, Mun Ran-yeong, and Baekgi?’

‘Or would it be for Chun Mu-seong to return back to his own time?’

The next video then played.

Click!

However, Chun Mu-seong’s face looked very exhausted. Judging by the wrinkles on his face, it seemed like even more time had passed.

“Cough… video record number 3087. March 15th, 1728 at 11 pm. Cough. I am gradually losing weight. It seems like I’ve caught something strange, but with the medical information I currently have, it’s impossible to know for certain what’s wrong with my body.”

Blood trickled down the corners of his lips. It was clear that the body condition was deteriorating from that alone.

“Did the energy of the spirit blood run out? I have no way to find out. Cough. I guess I should study how to heal my own body.”

Click!

When the video ended, another continued, but Chun Yeowun’s face darkened as he saw it.

Chun Mu-seong’s face was pale as if he had no blood running through him. The now dangerously skinny man opened his mouth with much difficulty.

“Video… record… number… 3092. February 19th… 10om. I am surviving on drugs… but there seems to be a limit for it… in order for advanced development I should… haa… haa…”

Chun Mu-seong exhaled in a long and raspy manner, speaking while biting his lip.

“For a year… I spent all my time digitally recording my brain. I don’t know if this will work, but I am trying to update the brain records into the supercomputer Demon God’s AI.”

Chun Yeowun frowned at those words.

‘This… what does this mean?’