The Genius Programmer Turned Wizard - GPW Chapter 14: The Shallow Hollow (7) (Part 2)

Looking at the code, I was once again in awe.

‘They actually pulled it off like this?’

This code was unlike others that merely interacted with material space.
It interfered with the entirety of the game system—
In other words, it manipulated causality in this world.

It didn’t simply make overlapping objects disappear.
Instead, it checked all the causality linked to each object in the system and subtly rewrote them, as if the object had always been there naturally.

That was how teleportation was implemented in this game.

It revealed why the language of ancient magic took the form of machine code—a language capable of directly issuing commands to the system itself.
And also, why a spell that merely relocated something consumed so much Mana Power.

‘Freaking lunatics.’

It took guts.
This code tampered—delicately and cleverly—with a part of the system where even the slightest mistake could collapse the entire game.
Only now did I truly understand why they had hidden it away and encrypted it with such an esoteric language.

‘This code alone won’t be enough…’

But if enough codes like this were gathered—
Eventually, someone would be born who could twist this world at the level of the game engine itself.

‘And that someone… should be me.’

I barely managed to calm my excitement.
Then I refocused my mind on maintaining the spell.
The spell I was casting now was a miniature version of the one inscribed on the stone slab—
The one that had manifested the infinite room we passed through.

The strand of Mana Power passed through my spell, re-emerged from behind, and continued to loop endlessly.
As a result, it couldn’t reach Ethan, and without restraint, he writhed in agony.

“Hurry, please!”

Even though I had reduced the scale to match the narrow thread of Mana Power, space magic was still space magic.
Just maintaining it consumed a tremendous amount of Mana Power.

“Ron! Get the rope!”
“Y-Yes!”

Ron pulled out a rope from his bag and began tying up Ethan with Liam.

“Urgh! Leader! Ron! What the hell is this…?”
“S-Sorry!”
“Just tie him up already!”

Meanwhile, Liam shouted at me.

“What the hell’s going on?! Explain!”
“Ethan was being controlled.”
“Controlled?!”

Ron murmured at that.

“So that’s why…”

It seemed Ron had also sensed something strange about Ethan.

‘Anyway…’

I didn’t show it outwardly, but my Mana was nearly depleted.

‘I can’t afford to pass out again after using everything up.’

Just as anxiety started creeping in, Liam signaled me.

“He’s tied up!”

Only then did I release the spell.

The strands of Mana Power, which had thickened from looping endlessly in the air, rushed into Ethan in a single wave.
Bzzzt—
His body trembled violently, his eyes rolled back, and even a nosebleed burst forth.
But soon after, his expression went blank.

“Ha…”

Ethan’s gaze turned to me.

“What are you?”

Unlike before, the question held no pretense.
It was as if he was Ethan but also wasn’t.
Seeing that, Liam raised his spear, and Ron lifted his shield, both on high alert.

I answered.

“An apprentice.”
“Bullshit.”

Huh. I was just telling the truth.
Ethan responded like he’d heard something ridiculous.

“A prisoner not even locked up in the Magic Tower’s prison—but a regular one—has skills even Crow, the Mage of Origin, would acknowledge.
And now you’re saying you just happened to apply to apprentice at this dungeon?”
“…And?”
“Whatever your real goal is, it sure isn’t innocent! In that case, join forces with me!
My magic—pretty useful, right? We’d make a decent team!”

He wasn’t wrong.
His magic was quite intriguing.

‘A spell that lets you control others remotely…’

And the only person in the entire game who had ever used it—was him.

‘But… the problem is that person later becomes the most troublesome villain.’

I started approaching Ethan.

‘The traces he left behind…’

By investigating those, I’d surely uncover his method.
Maybe even reverse-engineer it.

“What are you doing?”
“Alright. Let’s talk.”

But not with you.
With your code.

At that moment—
Ruuumble!

Suddenly, the ground began to shake.

“You son of a…”

‘What the hell…?’

Looking around, I noticed something ominous.
Shhhh—
Pebbles on the ground began sliding somewhere.
It felt similar to when the hole Adeline had made was restoring itself.
But this time, the scale was entirely different.
Clatter! Clack!
Even fist-sized stones began to move—

Rumble! Ruuumble!

And then, boulders the size of bodies started being pulled toward a single spot.

‘Adeline!’

I cast Magic Shield to protect her from getting hit by flying rocks.
Meanwhile, the stones kept gathering—

Eventually forming an enormous figure.

‘This is…’

A giant golem made of rubble the size of a house.

I had never heard of anything like this appearing here.

‘This thing… has no core.’

I had watched its formation closely—it definitely had no core engraved with code.
Which meant hacking it was impossible.

Only one hope remained:
That it wasn’t hostile.

But then, its body turned toward me.

It had no eyes, but I could feel it was watching me.

Then, a voice echoed from thin air.

[Master, have you returned?]

A chilling, mechanical tone.
As if something ominous was about to begin.

[Beep. Mana waveform mismatch. Intruder elimination sequence initiated.]

Of course. Goddamn it.

Translatin_Otaku

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