I Became the Dystopia’s Swordsman
The text is unreadable.
But experience is enough to overcome such obstacles.
After a very short breath, I stand at the center of the control device.
A central control unit that is clearly operational but unusable by anyone.
I press the touchpad with my palm.
“Hey, you shouldn’t touch that carelessly.”
“Administrator! We’re already busy enough as it is…”
Complaints erupt around me, their thoughts unreadable.
But that chain of reactions doesn’t last long.
Because, contrary to their expectations, the control device responds.
Beep—
Bzzzt—
Ding—
“Huh?”
[҉A҉c҉c҉e҉s҉s҉ ҉P҉e҉r҉m҉i҉s҉s҉i҉o҉n҉ ҉C҉o҉n҉f҉i҉r҉m҉e҉d҉]
[҉M҉a҉s҉t҉e҉r҉ ҉K҉e҉y҉ ҉R҉e҉c҉o҉g҉n҉i҉z҉e҉d҉]҉
As the screen lights up, the surroundings fall silent in an instant.
“……”
“Uh…?”
“Why is that—?”
And the moment they read the text, they freeze in shock.
“Master… key?”
“What… that’s impossible.”
“No way, something like that existed?”
Master Key.
Almost no survivors know what this is.
Even players only learned of its existence after opening Gale’s archive.
So, in a way, their reaction is rather composed.
“Hmm.”
The problem is Ellie Wayris, who knows about the Master Key.
Her flustered voice echoes through the room.
“Uh… uhh… How… How do you have the Master Key? Why would you… How on earth? Why do you have it?”
Her trembling hands and rambling speech betray the depth of her confusion and panic.
But I have no explanation to offer.
I can’t exactly say, “I stole it from Gale’s archive.”
However, just before the confusion deepens—
[Welcome, Administrator.]
A neutral AI voice rings out.
The timing is perfect.
The voice I’ve only heard through headphones until now.
The electronic tone that once tickled my ears now echoes right in front of me.
Familiar, yet strangely foreign.
Now, what should I do?
I rely on hundreds, thousands of experiences.
“Connect to the nuclear power plants.”
‘This should work.’
[You can connect to a total of 12 nuclear power plants.]
Just like I saw on the screen.
I have no choice but to follow the predetermined actions, awkwardly but persistently.
“Batch connection.”
[Connecting to all 12 nuclear power plants.]
Ding!
Soon, several options appear.
[҉҉I҉n҉t҉e҉r҉n҉a҉l҉ ҉S҉y҉s҉t҉e҉m҉ ҉C҉o҉n҉t҉r҉o҉l҉]
[҉҉P҉o҉w҉e҉r҉ ҉G҉e҉n҉e҉r҉a҉t҉i҉o҉n҉ ҉C҉o҉n҉t҉r҉o҉l҉]
[҉S҉t҉a҉t҉u҉s҉ ҉C҉h҉a҉n҉g҉e҉]
Having controlled countless facilities before, I begin selecting based on faint memories of the text.
Beep—
At this point, a few mistakes won’t matter—the plants are being shut down anyway.
But I proceed carefully.
This is my first time halting a nuclear reactor.
Unforeseen variables must be considered.
Besides, the reactions around me serve as a secondary guide to what I’m pressing.
“Uh, excuse me? What are you trying to do…?”
“Why are you opening the reactor status change tab…?”
This will take a while.
A nuclear plant can’t be shut down with just a few button presses.
To avoid mistakes, I steady my hands, suppressing urgency.
My mind is already dredging up memories to their limits.
And around then, Ellie Wayris’ voice reaches me—now composed.
“If the Chairman handed this over to you… then everything you said must be true.”
‘She recovers quickly.’
At the same time, Sasaki Ken’s conflicted voice follows.
“What’s the reason for shutting down the reactors?”
Two unwavering questions.
My fingertips tremble slightly.
This isn’t the time for conversation.
Deep discussion is nearly impossible while I’m focused.
The only dialogue possible is one-sided information relay.
Just listing what I know.
And this time, the recipient is Sasaki Ken.
I can’t resolve Ellie’s confusion with just a few words.
‘Might as well reveal it now.’
“Mr. Sasaki, do you know anything about zombies or ghouls?”
“…What does that have to do with anything?”
“There are already many people here showing strange symptoms.”
“What connection do the two have…?”
“Those with symptoms will soon begin to mutate.”
“What kind of nonsense is this? Explain properly.”
“And once the mutation begins, the mutants will attack living beings. Those attacked will most likely become infected.”
“Are you saying a damn zombie outbreak is about to happen?”
“In that situation, keeping the reactors running will turn the entire city into a radioactive wasteland. Another hell.”
This isn’t a conversation.
Ken asks questions.
I don’t answer him.
I’m only conveying the most basic information needed to survive this world.
“That’s why I’m shutting down the reactors first.”
“Damn it, you’re spouting nothing but incomprehensible nonsense.”
An unidentified disaster.
An inexplicable sense of dread within it.
And an unbearable truth.
This combination can only make people tense.
A faint tremor was visible in Ken’s expression.
But that’s his burden to bear.
I don’t offer irresponsible reassurances like “It’ll be fine” or “Don’t worry.”
“The mutants will emerge soon. If you want to live, find a way now. Well, I’m sure you’ll manage…”
‘This should be enough.’
With those final words, I refocus on the task.
Honestly, worrying about a humanist’s survival might be laughable.
Barring unforeseen events, survivors like him outlive player characters.
No further questions come.
Are they stunned?
I can’t tell.
Nor is this the time to care.
I’m too busy recalling unreadable options based on experience.
How much time has passed?
Sweat drips down my forehead.
And the moment a bead rolls down my nose—
‘This…’
[҉S҉h҉u҉t҉d҉o҉w҉n҉]
[҉C҉o҉r҉e҉ ҉R҉e҉p҉l҉a҉c҉e҉m҉e҉n҉t҉ ҉S҉t҉a҉n҉d҉b҉y҉ ҉M҉o҉d҉e҉]
An unexpected, unfamiliar option appears.
‘This is unforeseen.’
Should I ask for help now?
It might cause misunderstandings, but they’d probably read the text for me.
But before that thought finishes—her voice reaches me.
“If you’re trying to shut down the reactors, why not switch to standby mode instead of a full shutdown? That would temporarily halt fission without melting the core and leaking radiation. It’d also leave room for reactivation…”
Ellie’s now-calm voice explains the text’s meaning.
I instinctively glance back.
Ken and the officials still wear conflicted expressions.
But Ellie Wayris is perfectly composed.
Did she regain her composure in that time?
‘Bringing her was the right call.’
“Mm.”
Right, if there’s room for compromise, I should reconsider.
Until now, I only thought of shutting them down.
Her suggestion leaves a way out.
Any leeway is worth keeping.
The reactors will be needed again someday.
No—they’ll have to be.
Regardless of my thoughts,
everyone’s eyes—except Ellie’s and mine—are fixed on the words on the screen.
They all seem deep in thought.
Are they stunned by the Master Key’s absurd authority?
Or are they numbly watching an unbelievable situation unfold?
I can’t say for sure.
I can’t even guess my own emotions right now—how could I decipher theirs?
Amidst it all, Ellie is the only one looking straight at me.
So, cliché as it is, I have to ask.
“Do you believe me now?”
“It seems I have to. If the Chairman personally… gave you that key.”
“What if I stole it from Gale?”
“I’ve only heard of the Master Key in rumors. Even my family wouldn’t know what it looks like. For you to identify and bring it… that’s impossible.”
Ken cuts in, incredulous.
“Wait, hold on. How can you believe such an absurd story? Zombies? Come on.”
“You look like you’re thinking hard for someone who doesn’t believe.”
Contrary to my words, his expression betrays him.
“That’s… well…”
Ken hesitates.
After a brief silence, his reply is closer to an excuse.
“…The situation is just weird.”
‘It is weird.’
Thinking about it, no matter how unbelievable the story, the situation makes it plausible.
Someone suddenly appears, unlocks everything with a Master Key.
Of course he’d be baffled.
“Still… one thing’s clear.”
“…”
“Even the Mayor wouldn’t have the authority to shut down all the reactors at once.”
As everyone watches in bated breath,
my finger moves.
Ellie’s reaction alone tells me which option is standby mode.
When I hover over the first option:
“You’re really… going to shut them down?”
Then, the second option—Ellie’s expression relaxes slightly.
Beep!
[Switch all 12 reactors to core replacement standby mode?]
[҉Y҉e҉s҉]
[N҉o҉]
For some reason, the text feels clearer now than ever.
[Yes.]
[No.]
No great resolve is needed to press it.
Because it’s the obvious choice.
Yet I hesitate.
Because I know.
Everything will change the moment I press this.
‘If I press this… there’s no telling what butterfly effect will follow.’
The backlash, so to speak.
In a way, I know the future.
Which clans are dangerous, who will make what choices—countless pieces of information.
But the moment I make this choice,
much will go off-script.
The future I knew will be rewritten.
I’ll have to relinquish some of my strongest weapon—knowledge.
But.
Even so.
Nevertheless.
I suppress my hesitation and press.
Because it’s the right thing to do.
A life destined for a miserable end.
A vicious cycle of self-destruction just to prolong that life.
That’s why this world is a dystopia.
An apocalypse.
This choice is the first step in breaking that cycle.
Rather than clinging to the comfort of knowing everything…
‘I’ll reach a better ending.’
Beep.
[Switching all 12 reactors to core replacement standby mode.]
This is it.
This is the moment I cross the turning point.
……
……
……
……
……
-W҉a҉r҉n҉i҉n҉g҉:҉ ҉V҉a҉l҉u҉e҉s҉ ҉r҉i҉s҉i҉n҉g҉.҉
