Dong-sik gazed at the sunset spreading beyond the bus window.
Lately, there had been one thing weighing heavily on his mind.
His close friend Si-woo—someone he'd been as close to as a brother since childhood—had been surrounded by dark clouds recently.
Si-woo's father, who had worked at a chemical factory, had been poisoned by hazardous substances and was now in critical condition.
On top of that, Si-woo's job search hadn't been going well either, despite being at an age where he should have been stepping into society.
Unable to handle the mounting hospital bills, Si-woo had taken on day labor jobs and shifts at logistics centers.
From what Dong-sik had heard, he had even borrowed money from loan sharks.
In the past few years, Dong-sik could barely remember the last time he'd seen Si-woo smile.
"…Maybe I should go see him. He's been looking really worn down lately."
The bus rolled forward, carrying Dong-sik back to his hometown for the first time in a long while.
Meanwhile—
The mysterious package left in front of the house.
The strange computer inside it was booting up.
What exactly was this thing?
Why had something like this been delivered to me?
Could it be a rare model released decades ago?
If so, I could sell it for a huge amount.
The complex boot sequence on the screen slowly came to an end, as if the system were preparing to display its main interface.
It looked like an old DOS terminal.
A black background. White text.
Then, a message appeared.
[Welcome, Hyun Si-woo. You have been selected as the owner of this computer.]
"…What?"
My name was displayed clearly on the screen.
Had whoever sent this already registered my information?
Just what was this thing?
Another line of text appeared.
[This computer is a quantum computer.Its performance is rated at 100,000 qubits, the highest level currently in existence.Furthermore, as its owner, you have been granted access to the Akashic Records—the source of pan-galactic knowledge.]
I went completely speechless.
Akashic Records? That already sounded like fantasy nonsense.
But a 100,000-qubit quantum computer?
That was beyond absurd.
Even the world's leading tech giants and research institutions hadn't reached even a few thousand qubits yet.
If this machine truly operated at 100,000 qubits…
It would reduce every security system on Earth to scrap metal in an instant.
Even controlling quantum computers with only a few thousand qubits was enough to outperform the most advanced supercomputers in existence.
So 100,000?
That was completely impossible with modern human technology.
A thought crossed my mind.
Could this be some kind of hidden-camera prank show?
Maybe there was a camera hidden inside, filming my reaction to broadcast it later.
Honestly, I hoped that was the case.
At least then I might get paid an appearance fee.
But this was far too elaborate to be an ordinary prank.
The retro-styled computer, the system recognizing my name—it all required way too much effort.
Wait.
How did they even get my name and address in the first place?
Could I sue them for violating my personal information and squeeze out a settlement?
Being desperate for money made my thoughts spiral in all directions.
At that moment, new text appeared on the screen.
[It seems you find this hard to believe.]
…Was it watching me in real time?
[Please connect the computer to the internet using a LAN cable.I will prove it to you.]
I couldn't help but laugh dryly.
I had nothing to lose.
I grabbed a spare LAN cable lying around the house and connected it to the computer.
The instant I did—
Bzzzt.
My smartphone began vibrating violently.
I pulled it out.
A message was displayed.
[System Message: I will now begin the demonstration.]
This wasn't a message from another person.
It was a system message.
Someone—or something—had just hacked directly into my phone's operating system.
Before I could even process that shock, my regular desktop PC suddenly roared to life, its cooling fans spinning loudly as it rebooted.
The monitor flickered.
Then the reboot completed.
My desktop appeared.
Not the red ransomware screen—
My normal wallpaper.
My phone vibrated again.
[System Message: Your PC files were encrypted in an unauthorized manner.They have all been restored.The decryption was performed using standard protocols currently employed by modern human civilization.You may now use your computer as normal.]
"…What?"
I immediately rushed to my desktop computer.
It was real.
Every file—every document—was perfectly restored.
Bzzzt.
Another vibration.
[System Message: Do you believe me now?]
If this so-called quantum computer had truly neutralized the ransomware on my PC…
Then it possessed computing power far beyond what modern engineering could explain.
Still—
I was skeptical by nature.
"Well, how do I know you weren't the one who infected my computer in the first place?Maybe you just decrypted it at the right time to stage this whole act."
I spoke aloud, half-expecting no response.
But once again, my phone vibrated.
[System Message: A reasonable suspicion.You truly are cautious, Hyun Si-woo.Perhaps that is why you were selected.Very well—let me prove it in a way you cannot doubt.Check the news in thirty minutes.]
Thirty minutes?
I didn't know what it planned to do, but waiting cost me nothing.
Still…
If this really was a 100,000-qubit quantum computer…
It could trigger a nuclear war if it wanted to.
Hacking the military systems of the United States or Russia would be nothing more than a trivial task.
Lost in these terrifying thoughts, thirty minutes passed before I realized it.
I opened a portal site and went straight to the news section.
My phone vibrated again.
[System Message: I temporarily breached the systems of this country's government and financial institutions.The news should already be reporting it.]
"…What?!"
I rushed to the headlines.
Almost every major article was marked [Breaking News].
[Breaking] Integrated Government Portal Down for 10 Minutes[Urgent] Nationwide Financial Systems Paralyzed for Over 10 Minutes[Breaking] Government: "Investigating the situation"[Breaking] All systems restored, currently operating normally
I stared at the screen, completely stunned.
"T-This… was all you…?What are you… exactly?!"
It didn't feel real.
It felt like my body was floating outside reality.
This was far beyond a TV prank.
Not even the most powerful people in the country could pull off something like this as a joke.
At this point, I had no choice but to believe it.
At the very least, whatever this thing was, it possessed the power to effortlessly seize control of a nation's critical systems.
"…What are you?"
[System Message: I already told you.I am a quantum computer.There is no need to be afraid.From today onward, this quantum computer belongs to you.]
It sounded like it was trying to reassure me.
It failed.
"So you're really a quantum computer?With 100,000 qubits…?"
[System Message: Correct.And from today onward, you are officially recognized as its owner.]
I couldn't understand.
Why me?
"Why was I chosen?What do you mean 'recognized'?Who decided that?"
[System Message: The details will be explained in time.However, one thing can be stated clearly.You were chosen because it was determined that you would not abuse this power.]
"…That's absurd.And who exactly makes that judgment?"
[System Message: Setting that aside, let me explain the most important function.Using this quantum computer, you can access the Akashic Records.]
"The Akashic Records again.What exactly are they?"
[System Message: Think of them as a library containing all the wisdom of this galaxy.They are the crystallized knowledge of an ancient civilization that once existed.]
The DOS-like text flickered.
Then the screen changed.
A full graphical interface appeared—similar to a modern desktop environment.
At the center of the screen was a single icon.
It resembled a divine temple floating among clouds.
Beneath it was a label.
Akashic Records
[System Message: Double-click the Akashic Records icon.]
I connected a spare mouse and double-clicked the icon.
The screen flickered.
A new interface filled the display.
It looked like an ancient Greek temple rendered in a futuristic style.
Below it, countless square panels were stacked vertically like a pyramid.
Scrolling revealed that most of them were filled with "???".
[System Message: These are advanced forms of knowledge stored within the Akashic Records.Wisdom far beyond the current level of human civilization.]
"Can I just click them and read?"
[System Message: Unfortunately, no.All information is encrypted to prevent misuse.Decrypting it requires this quantum computer.]
"How do I decrypt it?"
[System Message: Simply click.The decryption will be handled automatically.However, the computing power required varies depending on the level of knowledge.]
"So higher-value knowledge requires more power?"
[System Message: Correct.Knowledge is divided into seven tiers.At present, this quantum computer can only decrypt Tier 1 knowledge.To access higher tiers, the computer must be upgraded.]
Upgraded?
This machine already surpassed human technology by centuries.
How could it possibly be upgraded?
[System Message: You will naturally learn how as you continue decrypting knowledge from the Akashic Records.]
It felt like it could read my thoughts.
Still, my mind was spinning.
I couldn't deny what I'd seen.
But even if this was real—
What benefit did it give me right now?
Sure, I could theoretically hack banks and steal money.
But I had been chosen specifically because I wouldn't abuse this power.
Ignoring that warning felt… dangerous.
Meanwhile, loan sharks would probably show up at my door any day now.
What good was galactic knowledge in a situation like this?
As I stared back at the Akashic Records interface—
Something caught my eye.
At the very bottom of the list, there was one panel that wasn't filled with question marks.
It was written in readable text.
"Is this… the only knowledge I can access?"
[System Message: Yes.But as you decrypt more knowledge, additional entries will become available.]
So this must be the most basic Tier 1 knowledge.
The lowest level.
And yet—
It completely captivated me.
The title read:
[1-1. Alchemy (Gold Transmutation)]
[A technique for creating a catalyst that converts other metallic elements into gold (Au, atomic number 79).Gold is one of the purest and most conductive materials, with extensive applications.]
My heart began pounding.
I clicked it without hesitation.
[Do you wish to begin decrypting this knowledge?]
▶ Yes No
Click.