Chapter 107 - Episode 15. God and Believers (3)
Chapter 107: Episode 15. God and Believers (3)
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Perhaps he could have tried a stronger Stab. A Stab on the level of World Stab. Or perhaps he could have unleashed Stab after Stab.
But he did not.
[How long are you planning to rely on nothing but that brutish method?]
It was because of what Andersen said.
[The path that looks fastest can actually be the longest one. If you had handled things in 《Chaos》 a little more cleverly instead of charging through everything, fewer people around you would have been hurt, and you could have reached the 《Abyss》 sooner.]
“Did you read my memories?”
[I am a resident of your Worldview now. I got to know a little about what happened to you. Your goal is to see the end of this 《Tree of Illusion》, right?]
Andersen kept snapping at him.
[Up until now, you may have been able to take down everything in front of you with “Stab” alone, but that will not work from here on. A simple method like that is not the fastest way to reach the end of the Tree of Illusion. Keep this up, and you will die before long. The 《Abyss》 is crawling with people around General rank.]
The emotions coming from Andersen were not false. She even showed Jaehwan part of the memories she had accumulated over thousands of years.
[Look. Can you fight like them? Huh?]
Watching the Vicegerents fight within his mind, Jaehwan felt something strange.
It was not that he thought he could win, or that he thought he would lose.
The battles here held a sight unlike any conflict he had experienced before. Worlds he did not know collided as they measured their superiority against one another.
[Anyway, I am saying there is a way to save your friend without wrecking that detention center and getting chased around as an illegal god.]
“What is it?”
[Use the auction house.]
Like a tour guide for the 《Abyss》, Andersen kindly explained the auction house system.
[Souls caught at large Fishing Spots are detained for a while, then sent to auction houses. In other words, we can save your friend there without causing unnecessary trouble.]
“...”
Jaehwan did not like the idea of “buying” Yoonhwan, who had once been his friend. Still, Andersen’s words made sense.
After taking a moment to sort out his thoughts, Jaehwan spoke again.
“Lead the way.”
[Really? You mean it?]
“Yeah.”
He found himself unfamiliar, so he repeatedly clenched and unclenched his fist.
Maybe it was because of Andersen’s words. Or perhaps it was because he had met Yoonhwan again after so long.
His Companions in 《Chaos》. Cheongheo and Karlton, Sirwen and Mino. Perhaps the time he had spent interacting with the Ten Hall Masters, including Cayman, had left some mark on him as well.
He had already tried smashing his way through things in 《Chaos》 once. Maybe it would be fine to take a different road this time.
As he listened to Andersen eagerly guide him along, Jaehwan thought this journey might take a somewhat different turn than he had expected.
As if to prove him right, an hour later, Jaehwan was thrown out of the auction house naked.
* * *
No matter which road he took, obstacles always awaited him.
[Sorry. I forgot that my Public Trust Certificate had expired.]
Exactly ten minutes earlier, Jaehwan had arrived in front of the auction house, only to be denied entry by the overseers.
“Sorry, but gods without a Public Trust Certificate are not allowed into the auction house.”
Apparently, gods had something called a Public Trust Certificate. Without one, a god could not use public facilities such as auction houses.
Something about public safety.
The bigger problem was that receiving a new Public Trust Certificate required reporting to the relevant administrative department, then waiting a month.
“Since the certification law was simplified recently, we can issue a Public Trust Certificate at our discretion if you prove that you have at least five Followers.”
At least five Followers. That was the minimum safe unit needed to prove that a god’s Worldview was safe.
[Those top-grade gods always make so many useless rules...]
“Be quiet.”
[Sorry.]
For that reason, Jaehwan, Andersen, and Runald were currently recruiting Followers outside the auction house.
While naked.
With all sorts of things dangling.
Passersby seemed to see Jaehwan less as a god and more as a spectacle.
【Recruiting Followers. New members welcome. 200% Setting benefits for Worldview transfers. Partial cancellation-fee compensation available.】
Jaehwan watched Runald dart around with a small holographic window floating above his head.
He was good at this.
The kid was clever and, in some ways, even experienced. It was admirable, but when Jaehwan thought about it, it was also sad.
He could only imagine what Runald had gone through before this kind of life became familiar.
“Pretty miss! Come take a look at our god’s Worldview!”
“Handsome mister! Hey, do not just walk away. There are incredible Settings waiting for you! Seriously, you will be shocked once you find out!”
Despite Runald’s desperate efforts, no one showed much interest.
“Is it normally this hard to gather Followers?”
“Some people usually at least stop to look. Why is nobody coming?”
Runald looked down at Jaehwan’s and his own lower halves.
“Could it be because we are naked?”
“Probably.”
[What are you talking about? No way! My Setting is perfect! If anything, it should be wildly popular with female Followers.]
Then a man walked toward them.
“Oh, is this a newly established Worldview?”
At last, their first customer.
The man wore unremarkable clothes. The World Force around him made it clear that he was a Follower of a god who was neither particularly strong nor weak. He gave off the air of a wandering soul, but he was still their first customer.
Runald quickly ran over and brought him before Jaehwan.
“That is right! It is a newly established Worldview. If you become a Follower now, you will receive all kinds of benefits, and your Follower rank will be near the top...”
“Then why is that Vicegerent naked?”
“That is not important! Anyway, he has an incredible Worldview! You will be absolutely stunned when you see it.”
“Really? What kind of Worldview is it? What Settings does it have?”
“Uh, well...”
Runald suddenly found himself speechless.
Come to think of it, how was he supposed to explain this Worldview?
Runald stared silently at the sky, then his face turned pale. His helpless, pleading gaze turned toward Jaehwan.
Jaehwan spoke.
“I will show you myself.”
A short while later, the expectant man’s eyes filled with horror. Pointing at the sky with a trembling hand, his eyes slowly rolled back.
“H-Hiiiiik...!”
Just as Runald had predicted, the man was so shocked that he fainted with foam spilling from his mouth.
Several more souls passed by in the same manner.
The Followers’ reactions after seeing Jaehwan’s world all differed. They foamed at the mouth, rolled back their eyes, or did both at once.
Then, without exception, they cursed before leaving.
[It is impossible to recruit Followers like this.]
Andersen muttered in a despairing voice.
[Most Followers in the 《Abyss》 live hand to mouth. Your Worldview is too dark and gloomy. Their lives are already hard enough. Why would they want to see something like this too?]
“...”
[How about making it brighter? I will lend you my Worldview.]
‘What is your Worldview like?’
[It is called the “Naked World.” A wonderful place where all the Followers are naked. The only flaw is that shady old men sometimes join, but it barely stays on the legal side...]
‘Did you not say your Worldview was fairy tale-like?’
[It is a fairy tale. An adult fairy tale.]
Jaehwan narrowed his eyes as he looked at Runald, who was busy calling out to passersby in the distance.
[You really will not consider it? I am not forcing you. At this rate, you will never gather any Followers.]
“I will not change my Worldview.”
[You mean that?]
“I will wait a little longer. If it does not work, I will just go in like before.”
[W-Well, do not do that. If you plant flowers here and grow some trees, it could definitely become a beautiful Worldview. Decorate it just a little, and tons of Followers will definitely gather...]
That was when a murmuring crowd poured out from the auction house entrance.
“Damn it, all the detention-center souls for this week are already gone. I could not get even one. Where did they all go?”
“Ha ha, you did not know? This week is 〈Metaverse〉 quota week. You might as well consider the souls from the public Fishing Spots completely dried up for a while.”
Jaehwan’s head snapped around. He spotted the face of the man who had just been talking among the crowd.
“Seriously. They caught so many souls, but if one tower monopolizes them all, what are the rest of us supposed to live on...”
“What do you mean?”
“W-What? Who is this naked bastard?”
Ignoring the man’s alarm, Jaehwan stepped closer, grabbed him by the collar, and pressed him for answers. The man looked Jaehwan up and down, then his face went even paler.
Jaehwan continued.
“Where did you say the souls from the Fishing Spots went?”
“L-Let go of me first.”
The man stammered in confusion at Jaehwan’s intimidating presence, then seemed to realize something and waved his hands.
“Ah, are you a slave trader? Too bad, but 〈Caspion Auction House〉 is a bust this week. 〈Metaverse〉 already cleared out all the stock.”
“Metaverse?”
“Hm, are you from another Site? It is that place.”
In the direction the man pointed, advertisements flashed across a screen.
“Vicegerent of Apollo, ‘Xenobis,’ declares entry in the 2,971st 〈Metaverse〉!”
“Vicegerent of Drake, ‘Pilgrim,’ announces intent to participate in the 2,971st 〈Metaverse〉.”
“Mid-grade god ‘Gale’ declares direct entry in the 2,971st 〈Metaverse〉!”
“《Little Brother》 Special...”
“What is that...”
The moment Jaehwan released him, the man was already running away.
Runald muttered beside him.
“Come to think of it, I have heard about it too. I heard there is a place like that in Caspion. It is called the ‘playground of gods’...”
[No.]
Andersen spoke.
[Absolutely not.]
Her voice was too firm.
[It is not a place any sane soul should go. I am sorry, but your friend is already... Hey!]
Whatever she said, Jaehwan was already moving.
After using 「Doubt」 and 「Understanding」 to grasp a map of the surrounding area, Jaehwan quickly headed off. Runald hurried after him with short steps.
Before long, the center of 〈Caspion〉 came into view.
Buildings with a unique skyline that brought a massive circus to mind. Souls in all kinds of outfits moved between them. Groups of hippies puffed on cigarettes. There were people dressed like medieval knights, and others armed like tribespeople from an isolated island.
[Wait! Stop, I said!]
They walked for another five minutes or so.
Across a narrow alley, lights poured down from something that resembled an extravagant theme park.
“Fair rewards for those who strive!”
“Welcome to 〈Metaverse〉.”
The tower revealed beside the signs was made from enormous wheel-shaped discs stacked atop one another. It rose so high beyond the clouds that its peak could not be seen.
It was larger than any structure Jaehwan had ever seen.
“In honor of Master ‘Neil Crash.’”
Those words were written before the colossal tower.
Master. Jaehwan knew well what kind of race received that title.
[Damn it. To think I would come back here alive.]
‘Why is the Tower of Nightmares in the Abyss?’
[Why do you think? There are lunatics who miss the days when they were Products.]
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