The definition of Personal Combat Simulation (PCS) is broad.
Virtual reality games like Wagal and Resonance can also be referred to as PCS in a wider sense.
Cecilia had received support from a PCS developed by NASA, so it wasn’t outright banned.
However, things get serious when information collection on specific individuals is conducted unlawfully.
“Y-yes… I understand. Master, please be careful as well.”
Receiving a contact from the Katsuhata Sect, Emika hung up the phone with a serious expression.
“It’s just personal information, how much could it be?”
“Body data, aura output, the techniques I primarily use, decision-making, casting speed, reaction time, agility, aura recovery… They said the matching rate is 96%, so it seems like almost everything.”
“What about the duration?”
“From the competitions I participated in the last year up until the Round of 16 in this year’s National Exchange Tournament.”
“Doesn’t that mean someone brought measuring equipment inside the arena? You can’t figure out aura output just by watching footage.”
“Probably…”
A wizard is a valuable national defense asset.
Even though they might have extracted information to win the tournament, there was plenty of potential for misuse.
Before Emika could fully enjoy the joy of winning the National Exchange Tournament, unsettling news reached her.
With her mood turning low, Emika rested her chin in her hands, staring blankly outside the window.
There’s no proper solution for a data leak.
Even if all related individuals were tracked down and punished, her information would surely remain somewhere in the world.
Before getting off the airplane, I slipped my hand into hers and intertwined our fingers.
“…?”
“Sister Emika, you’re improving day by day. That’s why you could win the finals. If you become even stronger than now, all the leaked information will become useless.”
I lifted our joined hands and struck a “fighting” pose together.
Emika burst out laughing and gently patted my head.
“Haha, thanks for comforting me, Na-me. Thanks to you, I feel energized.”
If you’re going to use your age when you’re young, when else would you use it?
It’s a privilege only children have to heal wounds with somewhat cliché words.
We arrived at the Gimpo Business Aviation Center at 9:30 PM.
The building was separated from regular travelers, enveloped in silence.
The security check, immigration procedures, quarantine, and customs clearance were completed in just 10 minutes.
After bidding farewell to the people from the Katsuhata Sect who came with us, we grabbed a driver-less taxi for another hour of travel.
Emika, being a morning person, must have been tired, as she fell asleep first.
Just watching her alone felt a bit bittersweet.
I leaned my head against her shoulder and took a photo.
[Group Chat: Lonely Na-me Room #NoName #Lonely #Meme #LonelyNoNameRoom #ChitChatX]
[(Cool Cool.jpg)]
*
According to the joint investigation by the World Wizards Federation and the National Exchange Tournament Organizing Committee, it was found that personal data leaks occurred on a much larger scale, affecting 43 out of 64 victims.
The joy of winning the world championship was tainted, as the country’s status plummeted into a crisis.
What must Emika feel watching Japan collapse in real-time from across the sea?
“Hmm! Patbingsu is delicious!”
“How is it? It’s super sweet and tasty, right? Should I add more condensed milk on top?”
“Saetbyeol-chan is so kind. Thank you!”
I didn’t particularly have any thoughts.
That’s also the case since Emika is only fifteen years old.
She enjoyed the dessert forbidden by her family’s elders while beaming with delight.
‘She seems to enjoy this more than when she won.’
It seemed like the psychological burden decreased a lot since she wasn’t the only one who had her information leaked.
“Ah…! No, I really have to stop eating now. If I eat more, I’ll gain weight.”
“Eating this will make you gain weight? You look thin to me!”
“I have a body type that easily gains weight. Saetbyeol, do you happen to exercise? Your body shape looks amazing.”
“Me? Um, jogging, maybe?”
“Hey, Cheon Saetbyeol, you haven’t been jogging lately because you said it’s too hot.”
I interrupted in between, and Saetbyeol frowned.
“I hate that feeling of my clothes getting soaked with sweat!”
“You can work out in an air-conditioned gym.”
“I absolutely despise treadmills. I don’t get how everyone can endure those boring machines.”
“Saetbyeol, you’re already pretty enough. Your chest is big, and your waist is super slim.”
“Hehehe.”
“Ha, that’s nice.”
Even after living 34 years as a woman, I still can’t understand this universal culture of women boosting each other’s confidence.
I was munching on an apple while staring silently at my phone.
Ding-
“Mmm! Wow!”
A message from the High Wizard Qualification Evaluation Project Team.
I hurriedly opened the file they sent while taking a bite of my apple.
“Appointment Letter
NoName
Appointed as General High Wizard
July 31, 2052
President Ijo-won”
“Finally.”
I was worried they might find some trivial reasons to reject my application, but thankfully that didn’t happen.
“Wow! You really passed? You’re a High Wizard now, Sister!”
“Hmm. It’s nothing to celebrate. This was the expected outcome.”
I straightened my expression and replied casually.
In the first half of 2052, besides me, 27 others received the title of High Wizard.
There were various age groups, from graduate students in their late 20s to professors in their 50s.
I nodded while looking at the A-Class Unique Magic developed by others.
“Emika, look at this. This person implemented a Photon Catastrophe Chain Amplification Reaction with magic. They say it’s a lethal light magic; isn’t that amazing?”
“Hmm, I can’t quite imagine it.”
“Exactly! I need to try it out someday. There are tons of fascinating things.”
“So, are we going to create a clan now?”
At Adella’s question, I shook my head.
“No, I already made the clan. I just didn’t have the authority. Look here.”
Three heads popped up roundly on the dining table.
“Wait, let me just install the authentication certificate.”
Verifying my identity, I input my account details and created a password.
“Oh, I also need to authenticate my main bank? Just a moment.”
I fiddled with the bank app to carry out the irritating verification tasks.
“I need to confirm the guardian’s real-name identification too. What was Professor Chun’s resident registration number again?”
“Ahhhh, how long do I have to wait?”
“Almost there.”
Finally getting into the application.
It greeted us with a clunky design that seemed outdated for ten or twenty years.
[Korean Wizards Federation – CLAN]
“What font is this, Gothic? Is this North Korea or what?”
“Na-me, is this possibly a scam application? It looks suspicious.”
“Let’s give them some credit since it’s probably made for the older generations. If we go into the National R&D Integration Announcement here… Do you see? Various commissioned research projects pop up, and you take these one by one for your business.”
To help them understand better, I showed them an example.
“Research on automatic control magic for flood damage prevention. To keep the magic circle operating stably even when there’s no one around, you need to ask wizards to optimize the design.”
“Ohh. It looks super useful for magic when I see it like this. But, will I be able to help in the clan? I don’t know diverse magics like Na-me does and can’t do science either.”
“About that level?”
“Like, physics is just first-year university level for me.”
“Well… isn’t that enough?”
Suddenly, Saetbyeol directed a bewildered glare at us.
Her long, slinky eyes began to glisten.
“Waaah! I honestly can’t talk to these monsters! Emika, how can you say you can’t do anything even though you’re at a university level? What’s up with accepting that so easily, Sister?!”
To comfort Cheon Saetbyeol, I got off my chair and hugged her from behind.
The strong scent of shampoo hit my nose.
“Still, after realizing that the taxes I paid through Mana are being used for good things like this, I feel a little less reluctant now. Although I still think it’s expensive.”
“Sister, are you serious? If you’re going to comfort me, please at least do it until the end. Ugh, just go away now.”
“Is that enough?”
“No! I said don’t really go away!”
While playing with a cat, Emika stroked her chin and asked.
“I have one question.”
“What is it?”
“Isn’t the term ‘Sister’ used for someone older in Korea? Why does Saetbyeol call Na-me ‘Sister’?”
“Ugh.”
“Oops.”
Both of us were suddenly at a loss for words.
I had been too relieved thinking that Emika was a foreigner.
“Ah, that’s because! I made a bet with Na-me regarding ‘Yaja Time’ and lost, ha ha ha! So that’s why I keep calling her ‘Sister.’ Right, Sister?”
Nod nod-
Emika’s eyes sparkled after hearing the explanation about ‘Yaja Time.’
“Ohh, that sounds fun! I have to try it when I go back to Japan.”
“I think it’s better for you not to do it, Sister Emika.”
“Why?”
“Just don’t do it if I say not to.”
If they ask what useless things I learned in Korea, it would put me in a difficult position.
“I’ll end up handling these research projects until the clan grows. There’ll be parts that Emika can manage separately.”
I switched from the government project sector to the corporate project sector.
Most of them were about Open World tasks.
“Adella-”
“Shh!”
“Oh, Saetbyeol. Do you remember Ballum Benavons? The library’s nobleman.”
“Of course I remember, but I can’t mention this here…”
“Ballum Benavons?”
“Yeah, he’s a mid-boss in Wagal. I got curious, so I looked it up, and it turns out they used combat data from a Chinese Tongnan school wizard? For boss monsters in virtual reality games, most of them need a wizard’s combat data. If things go south, they might even develop a unique magic and transfer the copyright altogether. They charge a hefty price for that, though.”
Alphonse’s unique magic, A슈타일의 고리, was one of those cases.
I remember it being made by outsourcing to a famous clan in England.
While large clans directly outsource their work, small clans need to create class materials in advance and win bids.
“Unlike other businesses, working in virtual reality yields the highest pure profit. It’s perfect for growing a clan.”
In modern society, money is the strongest motivator.
If there are just one or two successful cases, people would come rushing in.
You need people to build houses or dig wells.
“But even so, using the Katsuhata style…”
“Who said to use that? I’ll teach you new stuff. The swordsmanship I taught during the training camp.”
“Really? That’s awesome!”
Emika was thrilled to learn new swordsmanship, and I was happy to use it as a business item for the clan.
“Then let’s start looking for ones that match our fighting styles from tonight. Adella, you too.”
“Huh? Me too? Will I get a proper salary for this?”
“Salary? Waaaah?”
I made finger gestures of 2, 1, 0, 0.
“Did you forget about the 2 billion won?”
Adella pouted and dramatically collapsed on the glass table.
“Ugh…”
“I’ll add an extra tuna can to your dinner table every day.”
