Chapter 1562: A New Normal (17) |
“At this point, won’t it sort itself out on its own, sir?” Han Sora asked.
“No, I think we need to watch a bit longer. It looks more serious than I initially expected. Of course, there are plenty of people just getting swept up in the mood, so it’s hard to tell them apart… but there are still those who keep stirring things up consistently…” I[1] answered.
“Do you think they’ve all crawled out of their holes?” she asked.
“Of course. Looks like they’ve even started putting a spin on it… Honestly, it’s already full of lunatics, and it's to the point where you wonder if any of this setup was even necessary… but the biggest takeaway is that the users have recognized the existence of extremists. What do you think?” I replied.
While fiddling with the Goddess’s Mirror in one hand, Han Sora replied, “Yeah, Benigoa Net has an unusually well-developed blocking system… Of course, each platform has its own quirks, but users here practically live with that block button.
"Back on Earth, I blocked people who annoyed me sometimes, sure, but not to this extent. Here, the moment something rubs you the wrong way, people just block others instantly.”
In other words, if someone had even a slight disagreement with someone or disliked something, they could immediately block the other party. There was even a culture where blocking or being blocked wasn’t taken too seriously. Of course, it varied from person to person. Some would take it personally, while others felt bad about blocking and apologized, but overall, Benigoa Net had developed a culture where the block button was used very actively.
I couldn’t be completely sure why, but from what I’d heard…
‘Wasn’t it because of How the Alchemist and the Genius Swordsman Loves and How the Plaguelord and the Genius Swordsman Loves?’
Their influence was so large that they could sway overall public opinion.
Back then, platforms weren’t even organized, so all those people were crammed into the same space, constantly clashing, which eventually led to a culture where people just respected each other’s preferences by blocking instead of arguing.
In a way, it created an environment where users had no choice but to rely heavily on blocking.
Later, the data analysis showed just how much users depended on it, so the platform developers refined the system even further, making blocking easier and unblocking just as simple. The UI even made it obvious, and it was the first thing one would notice on Benigoa Net—a bright-red block button.
The platform’s growth had gone hand in hand with that feature, and while it had evolved into something quite efficient, it had its issues.
‘Even when trolls are running rampant, you just don’t see them…’
It created an environment where trolls could operate more easily. Instead of engaging in discussion or debate, people focused on shaping their own curated echo chamber. Some didn’t even bother using the block function anymore.
Those who were exposed to trolls would often mistake their voices for the community’s overall opinion, and they would end up getting influenced, becoming a part of it without realizing it.
‘That’s why we stirred things up on purpose.’
Using two of Han Sora’s accounts and two of mine, we ignited the situation, pushed for concentrated attention in extremist communities, dragging out everyone hiding in the shadows. The result was exactly what we were seeing now. It wasn't just those in hiding, but even the ones who usually stayed quiet had all come crawling out at once.
The downside was…
[Huff Huff Huff: The Saint’s prayer meeting compilation (NSFW) (EXTREME NSFW)]
[Footsole Maniac: Collection of the Saint of Sacrifice and Revival’s barefoot photos gathered for no particular reason (no reason at all, seriously)]
‘The problem is… some really weird ones came crawling out, too…’
On top of that…
[Hypnosis Guy: Today as well… while gazing upon the Saint of Sacrifice and Revival’s gracious and sacred form… the desires within me… were stirred. How… can such allure and purity… exist at the same time? I truly… cannot comprehend it… Perhaps someday… the day will come when I can peel back… another layer of the Saint’s secrets… ^^***]
‘This bastard is a little scary…’
[Hypnosis Guy: Our… Saint… being together with tentacles… always sets my… burning heart on fire. Not more… not less… If only I could… meet him just once… that would be… enough….]
‘What the hell are you going to do if we meet…’
[Common Sense Changer Mob1: Sir… I’ve sent you a DM… I look forward to a more in-depth discussion… I might be able to… help you…]
‘What the hell is wrong with this guy…’
Some seriously unhinged weirdos crawled out, too, but what mattered was that the people who’d been happily staying in their own little bubbles were finally becoming aware that something like this was happening on the board.
[AGLSLover: I’m unblocking everyone for now. These lunatics are running wild.]
[Genius Swordsman And Shy Alchemist: Ah! I unblocked and that Hypnosis Guy is showing up again… Who the hell is he that he’s like that all day?]
[Only PGLS Matters: I unblocked everything, too, but what’s going on? Does anyone know what’s going on? Why are they acting like this?]
[4GSLLover: The board is a messㅜㅜ I was busy looking at the Saint’s photos BW posted… then everyone started unblocking, so I did too, but what’s going on… Why are there so many crazy people…]
[PGLStheTruth: Even if I keep blocking them, idiots keep showing up, it’s so annoying. What’s going on… I’ll go take a look.]
[PGLSMember123: I skimmed through it, and they look like the Democratic Country supremacists? They keep going on about sacred democracy and stuff… Probably because of the peace treaty. Should we just leave this alone?]
[AGLSSoda: I found their community~ They even opened a portal here and posted asking for backup. What are they even doing…]
[PGLSSoda: Hey AGLS fans. Seems like everyone’s unblocking right now, wanna talk?]
“S-sir… looks like the users have already found the extremists’ secret community,” Han Sora said, pointing out.
“Yeah, I’m seeing it too, Miss Sora,” I said.
‘What the hell? How did they find it already?’
We were so deep in that space that I figured we’d leak it ourselves later while pretending to be on their side, but somehow, the extremists’ main base was already exposed.
[To The Shadow Mansion: We’ve already dug up one of them~ Won’t expose it publicly, sending it straight to the Vatican~ Pope Basel, Inquisitors, I got you one~]
‘How the hell did they even dig up their personal info? 'Do these guys have some kind of master account or something? Or is Max slacking off and letting the system’s security fall apart?'
[PGSnake: Guess we don’t have a choice. Should we team up this time?]
[AGRibbit: Oh my, I haven’t forgiven you guys just yet, you know.]
I wasn’t entirely sure what was going on, but images of frogs sitting on top of snakes flooded in nonstop. It seemed to have turned into a meme, and the mood was shifting toward cooperation between the two groups that could never coexist before.
Even they seemed to find the situation amusing. Honestly, it was the right direction. Even without some grand cause or a sense of duty toward the continent, what really mattered in situations like this was that people were enjoying themselves, as enjoyment was what drove them to act.
[Hypnosis Guy: T-This old man… can… lend a hand as well… ^^ I, too… wish to help the Saint… alongside the ladies… who are fighting so hard…]
[AGLSSoda: Ah! Don’t butt in without reading the room, just get lost, Hypnosis Guy!]
[PGLSSoda: Ah, fuck! That guy’s back again!! Just go away!!! Stay in your doujins!]
[Hypnosis Guy: T-That’s…]
The overall atmosphere of Benigoa Net changed instantly. Honestly, it didn’t even feel like a fight. They were completely outmatched from the start. Comparing the two sides was pointless. What was happening on Benigoa Net wasn’t a clash; it felt more like an all-out purge.
[AGLSisAGLS: Think we can crash their community? I kinda want to overload it with traffic and just take it down.]
[ILovePGLSAuthor: It’s probably small enough to take down lol, no way it’s officially authorized, and you all know Benigoa Net runs on mana, right? Don’t just use the hand mirror, connect through the full mirrors, too, all your alts included.
I’ve already asked my friends for backup, so don’t forget to reach out. There are still a lot of people asleep, so it might be better to tell them a bit later… But just in case, let’s archive their community first. Anyone can do that? lol]
[Witch Of AGLS: Here’s a tip for boosting mana traffic using the Goddess’s Mirror. It might not help other classes, but if you’re a mage, you should definitely make use of your mana.
Never thought I’d use this here, but looks like my research is coming in handy. Working together with the PGLS fandom feels a bit awkward, but it’s kind of fun too… Strange, but I’ll share it anyway!]
‘These guys are the real deal… There’s no end to this…’
Stuff I didn’t even know about was popping up. I had no idea how they were boosting mana traffic, and when they had even put together those magic circles. Honestly, I couldn’t even feel good about it.
If this were Earth, it’d just be something one could laugh off and move on from, but if there were high-tier adventurers mixed in here with rough tempers, then it would be a whole different story.
[PGAssassin: Got one of their personal details lol. Dumbass troll was leaking all his info online. Says he lives in Rahel lol. Heading over to kill him now.]
‘Damn it…’
[PG4444: And if there’s no proof, then what?]
[PGAssassin: It’s not even that far if I warp over. I’ll post proof within 3 hours. Just wait. Lol]
[AGLSFraud: Ah, please don’t!!! Aaaah… why are you trying to make this worse…]
[PG4444: Just leave him. It’s probably all talk anyway lol]
[AGLSFraud: You said Rahel, right? I’ll move too, just in case. If this hits the media, things will get bad. It’ll only give them more leverage. And you’ll get picked up by the Continental Protection Management Committee right away… Don’t ruin your life over a moment of stupidity…]
[PGAssassin: Yeah, I’m already on a wanted list anyway lol. And those Continental Protection Management Committee guys can’t catch me lol. But who are you to tell me what to do?
You someone important? AGLSFraud? Oh, a paladin, huh? The team’s healer, lol. Judging by you being on here at this hour, you’re probably not with the Vatican… What tier adventurer are you? Are you even Tier 3?]
[AGLSFraud: Hard to say. Probably higher than you.]
[PGAssassin: Bullshit lol. Then try stopping me. Wanna bet? If you win, I’ll brand myself with a retainer mark and call you noona for the rest of my life~ I’ll even change my ID to AGLSAssassin LMAO. You know what happens if I win, right?]
[AGLSFraud: Retainer marks are illegal, you know? Kid.]
[PGAssassin: Damn, you’re so boring LMAO. What, scared?]
[AGLSFraud: Go to sleep before you regret it. You sound young, so I’m giving you advice as your elder.]
[PGAssassin: What are you gonna do about it?]
‘Still… looks like they’ll stop someone from actually killing someone.’
My chest tightened at the intensity of it all, but the moment I checked AGLSFraud’s ID, I let out a breath that I didn’t realize I was holding.
‘Black Swan… she’s with them.’ Once I saw the name, I couldn’t help but pause. 'Olivia Choi. A late bloomer who’d recently been rising fast.'
“…”
“…”
A named figure known as the Black Paladin. Part of Ji-Hye noona’s circle, and someone I’d even greeted before. A strong contender to be one of the next generation’s leading figures.
‘So, she’s active on forums too… Good. At least there’s a safety valve.’
No one had died yet, but if someone suddenly died, things would spiral fast. This was probably one of the side effects of slapping that trash extremist title on all of them to rally public opinion.
‘If someone’s going to die, it has to happen under an inquisition… not out there.’
Letting people think that they could judge and execute others themselves would be a disaster.
‘I knew there’d be people like this…’
The kind who couldn’t read the room.
Just then, a voice came from beside me. “S-Sir?”
“What is it, Miss Sora?” I asked.
“I-I think… we just got a message from the guild master…” she answered.
“Huh? From Hyun-Sung? To you?” I asked.
“N-no… not to my account… It went to Black Tower Lord. T-This is the guild master’s channel… isn't it?” she asked.
[2714: This is the Continental Protection Management Committee. You’re involved in a very serious and dangerous situation. For your safety, we would appreciate it if you could provide your contact information and current location.]
‘What kind of ridiculous phishing scam is that?’
“W-What do we do? What do we do?!” she asked loudly.
“What?”
“W-What are we supposed to do?!”
Han Sora’s face, which was pale with fear, appeared before me.
1. Lee Ki-Young’s POV ☜