Rust - Chapter 510



Only Krnovel

RUST-510

PD, Michael Newman was in charge of administrative affairs in the Holy Kingdom.

Although it is said that artificial intelligence is assisting with administrative work, the reality is different. Artificial intelligence is handling a large portion of basic tasks.

“Isn’t this a mistake?”

[This is not an error. After checking all relevant laws and regulations, we disposed of it according to Manual B.]

Samantha was friendly to Hood, but she responded to PD with the coldness typical of artificial intelligence.

“If you look at it that way, it’s not a wrong way to handle things, but if you look at the whole situation, it seems excessive.”

During the bitter winter, many things happened in the kingdom. The coins that had been prepared began to circulate.

Coins made of gold, silver, copper and graphene elements were not only technically difficult to replicate, but even if replication was successful, the cost of replication would be greater than the face value of the coin, so there was virtually no risk of replication.

There would be no one who would spend 50,000 won, let alone 50,000 won, to copy a 500 won coin, right? That’s how the coins of the Holy Kingdom were.

If the origin of currency lies in credit, then the coins of the Holy Kingdom were the pinnacle of credit, so it was only a matter of time before currency took root.

During the winter, the dollar’s status was replaced by coins, and transactions using coins skyrocketed. The rapid growth of the market meant that it was a good environment for fraudsters to emerge.

And a man who was swindled by a conman turned his back on the world. The conman was punished, but the damage could not be helped. The debt the man left behind was over 1,000 gold coins. Even if you only calculate it in gold, it is a debt of nearly 9 billion.

When her husband died, the wife ran away, abandoning her four-year-old child. Even though the child would inherit the debt if she did not go through the inheritance renunciation process within a certain period of time, she cut off contact and disappeared.

“Wouldn’t it be better to postpone inheritance in the event that the guardian goes missing, or to allow the heir to make the decision when he becomes an adult?”

[Because this is a matter that has already been dealt with according to the rules. In principle, this matter cannot be reconsidered.]

That’s why it was dangerous for AI to take on more and more tasks. It was difficult to expect AI to have faith, belief, compassion, or tolerance.

Even if artificial intelligence were to learn something similar, it would be nothing more than an imitation, not a function of the soul.

The PD looked at the photo of the child who had fallen into debt of 1,000 gold coins at the age of just 4. The child’s brightly smiling face pierced his heart.

[I think this was a case where we could confirm the humanity that the administrator was talking about.]

“What does that mean?”

[Haven’t you often said, Administrator? Human maternal love cannot be explained logically. This incident also could not be calculated logically.]

“······.”

The PD listened silently to what the AI ​​was saying.

[Motherly love is difficult to calculate. Knowing that if you run away without filing for inheritance renunciation, the debt will be passed on to the child, you do so. Is this what it means to raise a child strongly? A mountain of debt from the age of 4. It seems that the calculation power is insufficient to analyze human motherly love. In order to enhance the calculation power, additional calculation assistance devices are required···.]

“Up to there. I didn’t mean to raise him to be strong···.”

The PD who was about to explain closed his mouth for a moment.

“Enhanced computational power? A computational assistant? Was that the purpose? Was that why you handled this case this way?”

[This case was handled according to the principles and manual. The purpose that the administrator spoke of is unclear. What did you mean by the word purpose?]

As expected, AI was not trustworthy. No, if the word “believe” is a word that humans use to other humans, then the PD thought that “belief” was not a word that could be used for AI.

[You didn’t like the part where it was handled according to the rules? It would have been the same if a human civil servant had handled the case.]

Samantha listed similar incidents. Incidents found in newspaper and broadcast archives stored in the server center before the incident. There were many incidents related to human nature in every country in the world.

The human civil servant’s response to him was as written in the manual. The AI ​​was responding to the PD like this.

Human civil servants would have produced the same results anyway. Considering that human civil servants take bribes or delay work, the story is that AI is much better than human civil servants.

So, what he was saying was that in order to organize administrative work more efficiently, investment in auxiliary computing equipment was necessary.

“I think Xenia Roden would be happy to know.”

[I would really like it if the computational assistant was provided first.]

Samantha deftly accepted the PD’s sarcasm.

‘Fucking tin bitch.’

While PD and AI Samantha were engaged in a war of nerves that wasn’t really a war of nerves, Diana intervened.

[The Master would like to mobilize the tribute rats.]

“Tribute rat? What’s going on all of a sudden?”

Diana gave a brief account of what happened at the Newport News Shipyard.

“···Is the situation so bad that we need to mobilize rats as tribute?”

[Yes, it is a rat that spits acidic saliva strong enough to corrode metal. The Master can handle it, but we cannot allow him to continue catching rats.]

“Yes. It’s not hard to collect them since we’re supplying medicine and bombs to the tribute rats, but real-time control is difficult.”

The nurse could understand what the rats were saying, but the rats were not understanding what the nurse was saying properly. So the PD was also using picture books to give orders to the rats.

[It seems like he will take control himself.]

If there were enough tribute rats, the plan was to wipe out the acid rats at the Newport News Shipyard and use the remaining tribute rats to create a defensive line.

“If He controls it directly, then it is possible. Get ready right away.”

[I will have the airship stand by.]

The PD included a picture book in the medicine and bombs he was sending this time. Under the scene where Maru, depicted as a huge darkness, points at the airship with his finger, there was a picture of rats carrying bombs running away.

The tribute rats who received the medicine and bombs started a heated discussion surrounding the picture book.

Tick- tsk- tsk! (This means that the god of death will give a new land.)

Tick-tick tsk? (Why would we need God’s grace and fire to go to a new land?)

Tick- tick- (It’s a temple. God wants a temple.)

Jjik-jjiik? (Then what about this place?)

It had already been over eight months since PD had handed over the medicine, bombs, and faith to the rats. Eight months was not a short period of time for the rats.

Even though there were mice that did not have faith and those that only took advantage of God’s grace, the god of death that was passed down through picture books and oral tradition was not easily erased.

What if I fail to repay the grace of the gods? The grace may not end. What if the flame of the gods disappears? I will be annihilated by the attacks of the hostile rat tribe.

Realistically speaking, I couldn’t help but follow the guidance of the picture book. If I win in the temple, I will be given more grace and fire.

Jjiiik! (I will pioneer new lands and receive more grace!)

Sizzle! (It’s a temple!)

PD sent over 20,000 tribute rats on an airship. They arrived at an empty lot near the Newport News Shipyard.

The rats that landed from the airship’s cargo hold were met by the god of death, the death that had been passed down through picture books and oral tradition.

“Thank you for coming.”

The rats that were offering sacrifices, stiffening from the murderous intent slowly rising from Maru’s body, lay flat on their stomachs.

“Kill those rats in the shipyard. All of them.”

I couldn’t understand the words of God, but one thing was certain. It was telling me to go to the shipyard. I stretched out my arm in that direction.

Tsk tsk! (Let’s go – the god of death said!)

Tribute rats, loaded with napalm and high explosives, swarmed the Newport News shipyard like a tidal wave. Before long, explosions and black smoke billowed everywhere.

After all, the fastest way to catch a rat is to catch another rat.

======

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The name of the rat kingdom that controlled the Newport News Shipyard and its surrounding areas was the Steel Tomb Kingdom.

The steel plates piled up here and there in the shipyard and the aircraft carriers left unfinished while being built were also scrap metal. A graveyard of steel that had been left unfinished for over a year. That’s why the rats named their kingdom the Steel Graveyard.

It was a safer place than a hill or a rock crevice, a human home or a city. The huge tomb made of steel was so strong that no natural enemy could kneel down and enter.

Now all we need is food.

Even though the mutation caused a subtle adjustment in metabolism, it was inevitable that calorie consumption would increase.

At first, they hunted humans.

Not only were they easy to catch and eat, they were also nutritious and delicious. The problem was that all those people suddenly disappeared.

After the humans disappeared, the rats of the Iron Tomb Kingdom suffered from a long starvation. They barely managed to maintain their power through cannibalism, but a new natural enemy and prey appeared: seagulls.

The war between the acid-pouring seagulls and the rats was fierce. Day was the seagulls’ time and night was the rats’ time.

They influenced each other, and they became each other’s natural enemies. Gulls became able to regulate the concentration of acidic stool and divide the amount. Rats developed the ability to bite and spit acid.

In the past, they were unable to bite through steel, but now that they have developed acidic saliva, they can bite through steel. However, they were unable to stop the new intruder that suddenly came.

Take a picture- (block it-)

Squeak! Squeak! (Tear it! I mean spit it out!)

Jeeeeek! (God wills it!)

Sizzle! (It’s a temple!)

Kwaaaaang!

Hurrrrrurr

An attack by a swarm of tribute rats that self-destruct when hit with acidic saliva or bitten. In an instant, the defenses of the Iron Tomb Kingdom were breached.

The tribute rats squeezed through the breach in the defense line like a blazing fire.

Buzzing

The tribute rats rushed toward the reserve force gathered to block the breach and blew themselves up without hesitation.

Kwaaaaaaaang!

Squeak squeak- (Stop it, you crazy kids!)

The steel tomb rats desperately tried to block the gap created by the chain explosion, but the tribute rats, who were specialists in blast warfare, did not miss the gap.

Jjijijik! (Gandaaaah!)

A huge flame and black smoke spread in all directions. In just a few days, the defenses of the Iron Tomb Kingdom were breached.

[The tribute rats are moving deep into the aircraft carrier.]

“One thing is certain: the effect. If I could communicate with the tribute rats, I could have given them more detailed operational orders, but that’s a bit disappointing.”

Hood also expressed regret at Maru’s words.

[It’s a shame that rats are a good source of information, as they can invade places that crows have difficulty accessing.]

She had wanted to use rats as informants from the beginning. Rats could be used for various operations, such as breaking into server rooms and chewing through cables.

The nurse fidgeted at the two people’s words.

[Oh, sorry.]

“I’m sorry, but thanks to Nanae, I know what the rats are talking about.”

The nurse nodded at Maru’s words.

[The last line of defense has been breached.]

A visual appeared on the HUD. On one side of the hangar, which looked like a large open space, there was a group of large rats.

They were rats that looked like some kind of guard. Behind them, I saw a plump little rat sitting proudly. That was its head.

The tension between the tribute rats and the guard rats grew thick. Even watching the video, you could feel the tension.

Just as the final explosion seemed to be about to occur, the plump rat behind me came forward.

The king steps forward. My interest was short-lived, as the bastard began to howl loudly.

Jjii—eeeeeek!

■■■■■■■■

A sound that was beyond the range that could be reproduced by the speaker. It was a sound that was so loud that it made my hair stand on end.

‘Oh my.’

Maru lowered the volume and looked around. Among the tribute rats, the ones nearby had collapsed, foaming at the mouth.

Is the king a king?

Pak- Maru, who had activated the hiding device, disappeared into the shadows.

Jjiiiiiiii—Eek!

■■■■■■■■

The tribute rats were unable to make a final attack. They could not get close enough, so ascending with flames would be meaningless. If the explosion could not burn the enemy, it was clear that they would not ascend.

At that moment, as they were dying one by one helplessly, the king rat, who was about to scream again, was torn in half.

Kwajijijijik-

There was no warning, no energy. Then the aura of death spread. The guards guarding the king rat froze in place. And then the bloody wind followed.

At the end of the traces of being cut, sliced, and torn, what was left was something invisible.

That day, the tribute rats witnessed the One whom their ancestors had spoken of.

Oh god of death.