0111. A password so easy it feels hollow.But if you look at it piece by piece, opening this archive is a feat of extreme difficulty.By the rules of the game, getting to the top floor in the first place is already a challenge.Not only are there far too many mutants inside the °• N 𝑜 v 𝑒 l i g h t •° Wayless headquarters, but climbing the stairs piles on continuous fatigue.Next you have to break through the top floor’s security — without a hacker trait or survivors skilled in hacking, you’d have to use high-yield explosives.And of course, the blast will draw nearby mutants and infected swarming in to surround you.Even if you force your way into the top floor, that’s still a problem.First, you have to find the archive inside the top floor.And even if you find it, a twenty-digit password waits like a trap.If you don’t know the password, you can’t enter.As befits Gale’s secret archive, hacking it is difficult and blowing the entrance open isn’t easy either.Maybe the best plan for Gale’s archive is the collective intelligence of the community’s veteran players.And I happened to be the leader among them.That archive strategy is also what made the named user “Kyle Han” famous.There was never the stupid mistake of entering the wrong password simply because the letters weren’t visible — after hundreds or thousands of openings.An ordinary person, even dead drunk, could still punch in a front-door lock code.But apart from that background, the fact that I opened this archive makes my heart race.The timeline is different.I opened Gale’s archive just before the outbreak of mutants.And I did it with an extremely easy method.I had the guards removed for this situation.I put Gale into hibernation to remove any obstacles.One last problem remained…Whir—Androids, I suppose.Right before stepping into the opened archive, I watch the combat androids, their exteriors like ant shells.They seemed to be looking back at me.It’s only a silly worry.Frankly, I’m sure they won’t attack.They didn’t react when I opened the door… should be fine, right?The reason I’m certain they won’t interfere is simple.Although they look like soulless machines, these combat androids are equipped with basic situational analysis functions.They already perceive and analyze the situation.So they will never choose to attack an intruder.If they kill me — the intruder — there will be fewer beings capable of saving Gale Wayless.To them, Gale is top priority.Everything else is second or third priority.So why not simply subdue and restrain them?The reason they don’t perform such complicated actions is also simple.A trigger has been activated.‘If they aren’t androids… then it wouldn’t matter.’‘As I said, everything inside Wayless can be taken except the androids here.’Words Gale had spoken casually.And the analysis that he was favorable toward me acted as a trigger, causing errors in their behavior.I know this from experience.These particular androids are new to me, but dealing with many androids before gives me a subtle confidence.‘I’ve seen plenty of similar types even if they’re not high-grade units. An android will always exclude the secondary priority if the blind first priority overlaps with it.’They are machines that can calculate those complex relationships in real time.That’s why they didn’t react when the archive was opened.But that’s as far as it goes.Once I step inside, they will show some level of response.“No face… it’s strangely creepy.”My thoughts were deep, but my decision was quick.I stepped into the archive without hesitation.As expected, they reacted.—Warning, intruder detected.—Warning, intruder detected.—Warning, intruder detected.—Warning, intruder detected.—Warning, intruder detected.A harsh, chilling mechanical voice burst out in unison.Something sprang from a hand and aimed at me.But that was all.It didn’t stop me.The androids simply remained oddly motionless.“If you attack me now, you won’t be able to save Gale.”If these had been humanoid androids rather than combat models, they might have behaved differently.Humanoid types are given a human-like way of thinking, unlike combat types.It was really fortunate these were combat models.Clack-clack— clack-clack—Intrusion.Perhaps that’s the right word.Lights came on immediately inside and illuminated Gale’s collected treasures.And the wooden chest directly ahead.“Of course, it would be here.”Beyond classic, bordering on antique.The dark reddish wooden chest looked valuable even by itself.If I opened that chest I could get the Master Key — the cheat item that lets you start the prologue as you’ve long hoped.My dry throat clicked as I swallowed.I took a deep breath for a moment.“Ha.”Carefully, I lifted the lid.Ding![Master Key]‘Finally…’A circular coin with strange engravings faintly etched into it.The letters floating before my eyes proved it was indeed the Master Key.No bigger than a fifty-won coin.That single coin was Gale’s crown, able to command the city’s major facilities.I reached for it as if bewitched.Behind me, a loud alarm started blaring.—Warning, step back.—Warning, step back.—Warning, step back.Ignoring all those warnings, my outstretched finger touched the Master Key.The Master Key, as if waiting, changed shape and wrapped around my finger like a ring.Ding!+[Master Key]No further explanation.Just the single word: Master Key.That word carried weight.“I’ve fastened the first button right.”This wasn’t merely a universal key to control the city’s main facilities.It was a possibility.The chance to avoid the brutal endings.The possibility of reaching a normal ending.I finally felt blood flowing through my body again.Not tension, but a strange excitement.That removed all hesitation from my subsequent actions.“Archive, I’ll make good use of you.”I looked around once.There weren’t many types of items, but each was unusual.Huge gems. Masterpieces mentioned even in gameplay.Wines that looked like only a bottle or two would remain in the world.None of that drew my attention.At the far end of my gaze hung a sword.Among Gale’s displayed pieces, the one plain longsword looked most modest, and I couldn’t take my eyes off it.Ridiculously simple and crude, this longsword — above all — reflected Gale’s perverse taste.+[Bladed Weapon: Zero]In the cyberpunk era it’s little more than a decorative piece, but Gale poured immense wealth into crafting his beloved item.Five weapons.Zero, Alpha, Beta, Gamma, Sigma.The first sword, Zero, was in the archive on the top floor of the Weiris headquarters.A masterpiece forged by the city’s king.An unbreakable sword.Because I primarily use firearms and explosives, a longsword as a secondary weapon isn’t suitable, but if firearms are unusable, nothing beats this.It was forged from an atom alloy.Atom alloy excels in hardness, strength, toughness, and heat resistance — one of the few metals that can keep its shape even through a nuclear explosion.That was why the blade looked so crude.But the main reason Zero is needed lies elsewhere.“Even Gale couldn’t resist a lightsaber.”One of the rare swords that can be coated with plasma along the blade.The requirements are stringent, but the mere fact that plasma can be applied to the blade makes it an incredible weapon.And there’s a compact fusion reactor to power it.+[Atomic Reactor (S+)]No bigger than a can of tuna.Despite its size, the amount of electricity this reactor generates is enormous.Reactors used for plasma guns or power suits aren’t easy to come by — they’re unique items.This one boasts the highest output among them.Maybe that’s why it stood proud even in Gale’s archive.One of these alone won’t be enough...But this was a fine start.In conditions where firearms can’t be used, it was the best possible beginning.Well, there were some regrets.To use both properly, there’s still a mountain of farming to do.You can’t immediately mount the reactor on Zero.You’d have to eventually put the reactor in an upgraded power suit, concentrate the power, and draw out a plasma blade — that will be harder work than expected.I’d mostly finished the farming.Still, I checked the archive more thoroughly, just in case.No matter how experienced you are, you might miss something. I skimmed everything quickly in that fleeting moment.“Ah, wait.”Something caught my eye.A richly decorated old-fashioned revolver in the corner was asserting its presence.“Hmm…”Seeing the antique revolver stirred a strange curiosity.“Even if I can’t use it properly because of the Gun Phobia trait, I should at least check whether it’s usable, right?”[Wayless 10th Anniversary Plasma Revolver]Gun phobia.In the game, the moment a player grips a firearm the screen shakes and the weapon is dropped.But maybe it’ll be different now?Honestly—Part of my boldness came from the fact that the description “panic when equipping firearms” didn’t feel convincing.Maybe if I keep holding it, my stress just rises a bit.If it’s truly only a penalty that raises stress slightly…Couldn’t I use it in an emergency?My hand moved toward the revolver’s grip.And at that moment—Ding![‘Gun Phobia’ effect activated]Ding![Panic State]“Uh…”A dizziness surged instantly.A chill ran through me and cold sweat began to drip.After enduring it a little longer—“Ugh!”Ding![Result: Stress +20][(Warning) Stress: 30]I quickly dropped the revolver.That single instant was enough for me to give up.No — maybe it was resignation.“If I try to hold it and endure to hit Stress +20… I should abandon this.”If I can’t hold it, it’d be hard to take it out.It might be possible to smuggle it out in a case without using my hands, but there’s no reason to bother and no time for that.“That stings.”I felt cheated for no good reason.Shaking off that bitter aftertaste, I rose to my feet.“Weiris headquarters farming… this should do it.”Master Key.Bladed weapon Zero.Atomic Reactor.Even Gale’s glasses.I had everything I needed.
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