I got into school for nothing - 167
I got into school for nothing (167)
Lesson 34. Free Subjugation - 2
The number of subscribers to the Rebellion channel, operated by Ban Yuwon, had surpassed 3 billion.
Videos depicting the daily life at Union Academy, watched by all dimensions, and the growth of the specially talented Rebellion party, all presented with entertaining editing.
The channel's subscriber count soared through word-of-mouth alone, without needing promotions from major dimensions, but recently something happened that accelerated this growth.
It was live streaming.
The Rebellion channel's style had been to record first, then cut out or conceal undesirable parts, edit them nicely, and then upload; however, as any channel grows, the number of people wanting to communicate more vividly with them naturally increases.
Furthermore, too many people were stubbornly insisting that the Rebellion party's incredible abilities were actually a fraud due to editing, so after much deliberation, they decided to do live streams every few days.
Of course, there was an ulterior motive.
They had already done a brief live stream inside the spaceship heading to the E-1 Dimension, and were scheduled for another live stream tonight.
――So, Ban Yuwon, thinking it was the perfect timing as the banquet began, started the live stream.
That's not to say sensitive information, like the talk of nine-tailed foxes and Fenrir grooms that came up at the drinking party today, was broadcast as is.
Why? Because, naturally, the one filming the video was Tikke, who possessed intelligence.
Tikke, having shared Ban Yuwon's modern sensibilities and video editing skills through their resonance, was capable of expertly filtering content unsuitable for live broadcast, automatically applying mosaics or muting audio, making him a trustworthy choice for the live stream.
[?!]
[Chu... Master?]
[Hey, wait, Rucell, this is live!]
[...Huh? Kyaaak!]
However, Tikke only edited out scenes that would be problematic for broadcast; he didn't automatically turn off the stream.
No, rather, judging by the way he relentlessly filmed the scene without ever closing the aperture, one might say it was the downside of him knowing all too well what kind of video 'sells.'
Thanks to this, the scene of a half-naked Rucell climbing on top of Ban Yuwon, as if to pounce, was fully broadcast, and only then did Ban Yuwon, belatedly realizing Tikke's presence, frantically pressed the device to stop the live stream.
Fortunately, Unitube's protective magic prevented a secondary spread, but hundreds of millions of viewers were able to see the vivid footage of the two right before they were about to... well, engage.
—OMG, holy crap, it really was a broadcast accident.
—What a waste, if only it had gone on for 10 more seconds...
—Even if it had, it would've been all mosaic and muted, so what's the point.
—And then the channel would get suspended.
—Sponsoring^^
—ThatbastardtouchingRucellthatbastardtouchingRucellthatbastardtouchingRucellthatbastardtouchingRucell
—I'llkillhimI'llkillhimI'llkillhimI'llkillhimI'llkillhimI'llkillhimI'llkillhim
—...Didn't she call him "Master" at the end?
—Oh, you didn't know? She subtly calls him "Master" when they're alone.
—Look at that kinky play style... Sponsoring^^
—Hmph, look at our Yuwon-nim, he's so soft-hearted he can't refuse and just accepts it ㅜㅠ
—If he didn't accept that, wouldn't he be impotent? Ah, sponsoring^^
Although they narrowly avoided a full-blown accident, this incident not only caused the subscriber count to explode once more but also set a new record for the month's channel donations, surpassing previous records by more than tenfold.
However, the majority of those who had subscribed to the channel, drawn by Rucell's ever-growing charm, turned into Ban Yuwon's anti-fans, showering him with curses...
On the other hand, the reaction from the female fans who were completely engrossed in Ban Yuwon, the de facto operator of the channel, was no less intense.
“......”
“Unnie, I don't think there are any monsters left... Unnie? Yumi Unnie?”
“Haaaah...”
Ban Yumi, Ban Yuwon's older sister and one of the first on Earth to connect to the Union Net and Unitube, was also one of them.
“Yuming, stop stalking our husband and get up. Let's go catch the boss! Yuming? Yuming-ming? ...Boss?”
“Lee Hyunji, shut up for a second.”
“Th-that's real. The real one has appeared!”
“I said shut up!”
Countless changes had occurred on Earth, which had greeted a great upheaval.
Many lands sank and new ones rose, and the composition of the land, atmosphere, and sea subtly changed.
Mana imbued all things in the world, strengthening them to varying degrees, and humans were no exception.
Monsters, previously only seen on Unitube, appeared on Earth, dungeons manifested, and Constellations also gained indirect intervention rights on Earth, searching for capable contractors.
For some reason, humanity, which had obtained the 'Status Window' — a benefit even humans from higher dimensions rarely acquired — relied on it to survive on the transformed Earth and establish a new order.
“Haaah, haaaah...”
“...Yumi Unnie really seems angry, Hyunji Unnie. Hurry and kneel and beg, quick.”
“But I didn't do anything wrong right now~.”
“Your very existence is a mistake, so hurry.”
“...Yu Jina, you're the only one who doesn't treat me like a senior, aren't you?”
The nation that adapted first to the changed environment and emerged as the protagonist of the new era was the Republic of Korea.
As if they had foreknown such an event, they swiftly organized rescue teams to save people, mobilized the military to combat monsters, revised laws to suit the transformed Earth, and established departments to manage those with abilities.
Naturally, it wasn't because the Korean government was exceptionally superior to other nations; it was thanks to Grandfather Ban, a political heavyweight, who orchestrated everything from behind the scenes.
Since all other nations had no choice but to follow Korea's lead, wasn't it only natural that Korea's influence in the international community grew?
“What's up? Why is Yumi gathering energy again?”
“Miyeon Unnie! Not now, Yumi Unnie is super angry. I don't know why, but...”
“I know why. I was watching the Rebellion channel's live broadcast too.”
“What, so I was the only one hunting orcs?! I always get stuck with the leftover tasks. How long has it been since I left the athlete's village anyway...”
“If you're so bothered, then raise your Level, raise your Level.”
“Miyeon Unnie just got a Unique Authority by sheer luck!”
Thanks to following the guidelines provided by Korea, the global chaos subsided relatively quickly, and humanity managed to adapt to the changes after suffering 'merely' a 20% population loss.
As a result, the Ban family, who had always wielded a certain amount of influence, now firmly established themselves at the center of power in the Republic of Korea.
Among those who obtained a Status Window, Ban Yumi, who awakened a Unique Authority that only a select few did, leveraged her father Ban Juseok and Grandfather Ban to create the world's first elite ability user group, a Guild, and began her activities.
Its main force consisted of fencers who had been her teammates.
Kang Miyeon, one of the initial members, also awakened a Unique Authority, just like Ban Yumi, making the Guild's power formidable. Furthermore, thanks to Grandfather Ban's strong support, they grew at an incredibly fast pace, establishing themselves as one of the world's top Guilds.
Everyone who had ever met her at the athlete's village eagerly wished to join the Guild, but because the Guild's membership requirement was female, half of them had to drop out.
“Miyeon, so what happened? It's probably because of our Yuwon, I bet.”
“That's right. Yuwon ended up getting pounced on by that pink-haired girl— —”
“What?! Uwaaaah! I was going to be the one to take Yuwon's virginity— —Mmph!”
“Crazy unnie, stop it!”
It was good that the crisis on Earth had been overcome, but most people harbored a question.
Why was only Korea able to act so swiftly?
How exactly was the Ban family able to respond to the monsters and stabilize Korea?
Grandfather Ban didn't even need to answer that question.
――Because the top 1% of humanity on Earth had gained access to the Union Net.
“Kyaaaaaaak! Kwaaaaaaang!”
“Uwaaah, Ban Yumi's gone crazy! She's finally raging wild!”
“It'd be great if she could get over her brother complex this time~.”
“Unnies, are you even human after that? Do you only feel satisfied after landing that final blow?”
Accustomed to Earth's internet, they easily accessed Unitube, where they found videos of Ban Yuwon, who was currently enjoying top-tier popularity.
Everyone found him: the one who had been exposed to other-dimensional cultures more than four months before the cataclysm struck Earth, who fought against terrifying monsters that present-day Earthlings couldn't even dream of, and who didn't even try to hide the fact that he was an Earthling.
Since his surname was also Ban, there was nothing to hide.
“I'll kill her, I'll kill that bitch... I'll kill her!”
“She doesn't even seem to be trying to hide it. What are we going to do with her?”
“Ah, the boss room's been cleared. The boss... is dead?”
“That crazy bitch, I thought a volcano was erupting...”
All members of the Ban family who engaged in external activities were powerful awakened individuals, and the eldest son, Ban Yuwon, was literally competing on a different dimensional level than Earthlings.
Not Grandfather Ban, who had seized control of global politics and economy, nor Ban Yumi, who had become the leader of the most powerful armed group on Earth, and certainly not Ban Juseok.
The Ban family's most formidable power was Ban Yuwon.
Only then did everyone understand and acknowledge it.
That the rulers of this era were none other than the Ban family!
...Ban Yuwon still didn't know.
That every video he uploaded to the channel was being watched by all Earthlings.
That he had revealed his most embarrassing moments to the very person he least wanted to show them to!
That Ban Yumi, unable to handle it, was running wild, her face flushed crimson...!
“Yumi, calm down. Maybe he got embarrassed because of the broadcast earlier and stopped.”
The sub-master of the Guild [Oculus Ruber], undeniably a holder of a Unique Authority, comfortably ranked among the top 1% of all humanity, and possessing access rights to the Union Net.
Kang Miyeon, who also served as the "Unnie" for all the spoiled members of the Guild, spoke in a gentle voice, trying to soothe Ban Yumi.
Then Ban Yumi, seemingly still unsatisfied even after obliterating the entire boss room with a mere mana explosion, raised her head, her eyes stained crimson, and met Kang Miyeon's gaze.
“Miyeon, do you really think so?”
“No, unless your brother's impotent, he probably went through with it.”
“Uwaaaaaaaaaaaah!”
“Miyeon Unnieeee!”
Fortunately, no casualties were reported, but for a while after that, Ban Yumi's mood was extremely sour. As fate would have it, China's top-ranked ability user, who had openly tried to flirt with Ban Yumi during that period, met with the regrettable fate of having his entire Guild annihilated.
* * *
“――That brat.”
Lyu Cheolmyeong gnashed his teeth, a displeased expression on his face, and turned off The Mirror.
He was about to get his hands on that woman, but just before that, he had to be one-upped like this?
To him, the process leading up to their relationship didn't matter in the slightest.
Only the burning resentment of having his possession snatched away right before his eyes remained as truth.
“Well, fine. A woman who knows men has her own unique flavor, after all...”
—Master, all preparations are complete. Please give your command.
“You fools, because of your sluggishness, I was forced to witness a spectacle I had no desire to see.”
—My apologies. And I have one report. We detected traces of a new spaceship entering the planet after them, but...
“If it's mana too small for me to perceive, I don't care who it belongs to. ...Begin.”
—Understood.
The communication ended.
Immediately afterward, Lyu Cheolmyeong felt a throbbing pain in his chest and gritted his teeth.
The penalty of the restriction.
A curse was tormenting him.
“Student Council President, that audacious girl— —”
He had intended to step forward and quickly deal with it himself, without needing to borrow the strength of those low-lives, but he had been thoroughly enchanted by that woman and ended up in a pathetic state.
But that was fine; even if he borrowed the strength of others to drive the prey deep into a corner... he would be the one to deliver the finishing blow.
For that very reason, he had to conserve his strength for now.
“Alright, let's see how you'll fend off the insects once everything's shattered.”
A throbbing pain―― Lyu Cheolmyeong calmed his heart, which was tightening once more, with mana, and raised his head.
Kwaaaaaaang! A fierce explosion seemed to echo in his ears.
The bombardment had begun.
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