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The shape was bizarre beyond measure… but at the same time, it was the most effective form.

It concealed Park Jinseong’s identity while instilling fear in those within this research institute. And in the future, it would serve as an efficient shape to terrify those who would seek to review the records by all means possible.

**Squish.**

Park Jinseong, having crafted a grotesque childlike body made of insects, began to move slowly.

Slowly.

To ensure the insects that formed his body wouldn’t crumble.

The body wasn’t solid or sturdy due to its consumption in various locations, so he aimed to maintain it as intact as possible.

“That density is too low.”

It was an unavoidable issue.

The protein used to create the tentacles had suffered through vents and sewage, leading to a lower body density.

How could one expect firewood to remain unchanged while being burned?

The more consumed, the lower the density, and while it could take shape, the contents within had become flimsy.

Therefore, Park Jinseong’s current body was akin to a beautifully wrapped but rotten peach.

It was a body that could shatter to pieces from a single kick from a regular adult.

Much like a castle of sand built up at the beach.

Yet, even with such a body, there was no problem.

Considering the entire research institute was in a mess at this point.

Infection spread both externally and internally now.

The infected sought other people, while the uninfected busied themselves escaping or hiding.

In such a scenario, how many could hinder Park Jinseong?

Even if there was interference, as long as he bought time with his tentacles, angry people would swarm, making it no issue to protect his own body.

This was the reason Park Jinseong incited chaos in the research institute.

And…

[Authentication Required.]

It was also to conveniently bypass their thorough security system.

Upon hearing the need for authentication, Park Jinseong called forth a tentacle crawling behind him.

**Squelch.**

The tentacle that approached him opened its mouth wide, spilling saliva onto the floor.

Then, it wriggled its muscles, pushing a researcher it had trapped within a bit forward until the researcher’s face peeked out. Afterward, it brought a part of the split tentacle to their face and extracted a thin tendril to grab the surrounding muscles around the eyes, forcibly prying them open and bringing them against the panel.

**Beep.**

[First stage iris authentication successful.]

[Second stage authentication required.]

Wriggle.

Hearing that the second stage was needed, the tentacle naturally squirmed and vomited something out.

A long piece of meat chunk.

[Second stage fingerprint authentication successful.]

[Third stage authentication required.]

A finger for fingerprint authentication.

Although the shape was questionable, with the bones fragmented and twisted, making one wonder if it could really be called a hand… still, as long as it stayed attached, there was no problem operating the capacitive recognition panel.

Once he reached this point, the third stage was simple.

[Third stage biometric chip authentication successful.]

[Level 2 researcher authority confirmed. The door opens.]

The final third stage was a tiny biometric chip implanted in the bodies of staff.

As long as it was alive, being inside a tentacle posed no issues.

Thus, Park Jinseong easily passed through the security system.

In a traditional yet remarkably efficient manner.

“Speaking of which, isn’t rubber-hose cryptanalysis supposed to be the ultimate hacking technique?”

Back in the day when he was a mercenary, he collaborated with hackers often…

One hacker once said that among many hacking methods, rubber-hose cryptanalysis was the most effective.

There was no more straightforward method than physically abducting the security personnel and torturing them for information. Once caught, there was a 100% chance of retrieving the information, even without prior knowledge of hacking, which is why this method had been beloved for so long.

Of course, that hacker said it as a joke… but now, seeing this situation, they would be astonished at how right they were.

Not only had he abducted the security personnel to extract information, but the sight of the security personnel and the encryption becoming one was remarkable—a scene akin to a skilled inspector becoming one with their sword, with the security personnel and the codes merging into a single entity, each acting as both a lock and a key.

How could one argue against rubber-hose cryptanalysis?

Moreover, the security system he had breached was the latest three-tier security developed by the Machine Cult.

Perhaps it can indeed be said that the hacker was right.

Park Jinseong continued to lead the all-powerful ‘security personnel-encryption’ mass, moving forward.

If he lacked sufficient authority, he would drag out another researcher.

And at last.

“Hooh.”

He reached the place where the arthropod series was stored.

The arthropod series.

In a huge space that resembled a factory, there was a large machine.

A colossal piece of machinery that looked like a giant cable or a component for a particle accelerator.

Had it not been for its snake-like head or body resembling annelids, it wouldn’t have been odd for it to appear as a mere component or advanced facility device.

“Looks like it’s still under research. Its appearance is quite clumsy.”

What Park Jinseong felt upon seeing it was that it was poorly constructed.

It was so haphazard compared to what he had seen before his rewind that he couldn’t even begin to compare.

He wondered where the huge drilling machine capable of piercing through rock had gone, and why was there a head that mimicked a snake’s? Rather than equipment needed to spray chemical solutions, there were bizarre protrusions that seemed to serve unknown purposes, and what was left that resembled the tail of a rattlesnake had an antenna attached, clearly showcasing that it had gone through many trial and error stages.

A prototype.

No, something that didn’t even qualify as a prototype.

What lay before Park Jinseong’s eyes was an incomplete worm.

‘It may be incomplete, or perhaps they might be developing another model.’

But well.

That wasn’t exactly important.

Park Jinseong was neither a part of nor invested in the Machine Cult.

He had no vested interest in the Machine Cult’s success, nor any reason for the worm to be completed or not to be completed.

Wasn’t the only reason he was there that it was perfectly suited for his plans?

Park Jinseong strode into the factory.

Then, as he passed through the hallway, he would sneak out researchers from the tentacles, having already passed the security system, and slowly inspected the algorithm system to be integrated into the ‘worm.’

An overflow of code and machine language.

Perhaps it was for security’s sake?

Instead of writing the code in English, they had encoded it…

It seemed difficult for anyone who wasn’t part of the Machine Cult to tamper with the code.

‘As expected, it’s beyond my ability to handle.’

No way to crack the encryption, and he wasn’t a programmer either.

Checking the algorithm had merely been a casual hope.

Park Jinseong decided to proceed as planned.

‘Rampage pattern.’

An algorithm contributing to the notoriety of the Machine Cult.

A special pattern created to prevent machines from being captured and analyzed or to stop traitors from defecting with machines.

1. The arthropod series must be with those who belong to the Machine Cult.

2. Only those with implanted biometric chips can control the arthropod series.

3. If there is no person with an implanted biometric chip, the arthropod series enters rampage mode.

4. Once in rampage mode, if damage exceeds a certain threshold, self-destruction occurs.

5. Once the arthropod series enters rampage mode, it can never be calmed.

A true headache-pattern for those opposing the Machine Cult.

If one tries to capture it, it goes into a rampage or self-destructs.

If it’s with someone from the Machine Cult, they can remotely manipulate the biometric chip to kill the person forcibly, making the machine go berserk.

Even if one tries to calm it down, it self-destructs, and over time, it underwent malicious modifications to ensure it wouldn’t be able to respond to self-destruction. Later, they even began to spew out pollution capable of contaminating an entire area or release deadly viruses or bacteria that would leave permanent damages to brains…

The Machine Cult likely held a significant stake in how America descended into chaos before his rewind.

So… yeah.

Wouldn’t it be a fine thing to let them experience the havoc they had unleashed before his rewind?

“Haha.”

With a chuckle, Park Jinseong manipulated his tentacles.

**Crack.**

To kill the researchers he had now sufficiently used up.

 

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