Chapter 109 - Episode 16. Metaverse (1)
Chapter 109: Episode 16. Metaverse (1)
──────
「Who would have guessed someone like that would show up?」
-Excerpt from the channel of Rene, survivor of the 2,971st Metaverse round.
* * *
[Hey. So.]
Andersen sounded terribly uneasy the whole time they entered the Metaverse.
[What you said was really cool and all, but.]
But?
[Just coming here is not enough, okay? Think it over again. Besides, we have a kid with us!]
The “kid” seemed to think he had come to play and happily followed behind Jaehwan.
“Yay, Metaverse. It’s the Metaverse. I’m finally making my Metaverse debut!”
[Damn it, that pathetic bastard. I really will not help you, got it? I warned you.]
Andersen chattered like a little bird as they walked down the Metaverse’s long corridor.
[I mean it. I will not interfere at all! Really!]
“Do whatever you want.”
[But you cannot go that way. Take the path on the right.]
Jaehwan hesitated for a moment.
“You know this place well.”
[Of course. I’ve been here before.]
“You talk like a Regressor.”
[Regression? Ahem. I do not know what that means, but...]
“No, you failed to finish the climb, so dropout suits you better. I hope your experience as a dropout proves useful.”
[Hey. Why are you so nasty?]
Despite her grumbling, Andersen sounded strangely excited.
[That path is faster after all. It is exactly like it was in my day. You get through here by...]
“I thought you said you would not interfere.”
A strange message then appeared before Jaehwan.
[■■■?#%!@#$$#■■wel■■%■■come■?]
The message screen distorted with crackling sparks.
[Come to think of it, you are an Awakened One. You cannot recognize the 《System Interface》.]
He had struggled with the same problem while in 《Chaos》. It seemed the tower’s System took the same form as the one in 《Chaos》.
[Fine, I’ll be generous. I’ll share my vision with you, so read the messages. You will lose out badly in this tower if you cannot read System messages.]
At Andersen’s words, the distorted message displayed properly. It had been a while since he had seen text like this.
[Welcome to ‘Metaverse Floor 1’.]
[You have entered ‘Bus Stop 1-5’.]
The surroundings rippled, revealing a square room. Stalls resembling those in a massive shopping mall lined both sides of the spacious chamber. There were general stores selling consumables, as well as shops that could modify 「Parts」 and 「Settings」.
The unusual part was that every shopkeeper wore an expression as stiff as a wax figure.
[You are currently a passenger on ‘Metaverse Floor 1’.]
[You are currently in a ‘Safe Zone’.]
[Your World Force will be displayed in real time, and anyone may check your World Force.]
[Measuring your current World Force.]
[You have not yet been assigned a ranking.]
It appeared that even the total amount of World Force one possessed was displayed here. Jaehwan frowned slightly. He had not expected World Force to be converted into numbers.
If World Force was also a concept reduced to numerical values, what made it any different from the spiritual power used in Chaos?
[Unable to measure the user’s World Force!]
Andersen, who was sharing the messages with Jaehwan, spoke in confusion.
[Is it an error?]
[Unable to measure the user’s World Force!]
His status as an Awakened One seemed to have affected the System information again. It was similar to what had happened in Chaos.
[Well, it cannot be helped. Read this first. You can see the window I shared, right?]
Jaehwan checked the Metaverse guide he had received.
+
<Passenger Rules>
1. The Metaverse consists of ten floors. Clear the task on each floor to advance to the next.
2. You can acquire ‘trust’ through the tasks on each floor. Trust can be used to purchase shop items or strengthen your Worldview.
3. Passengers residing on each floor may descend to lower floors through bus stops. However, descending one or more floors below your current floor will incur a certain penalty.
4. Passengers who wish to disembark may press the ‘Exit Bell’ provided on each floor to escape the bus. However, if you disembark before reaching the seventh floor, 1,000 trust and half the trust acquired within the tower will be collected as a disembarkation fee.
5. Once your admission ticket expires, you will be collected as a Metaverse ‘Doll’.
6. Only nine passengers may reside on Metaverse Floor 9, and all of them will qualify to challenge the ‘final floor’.
7. Passengers who reach the final floor may make one wish to the Metaverse’s owner, the ‘Driver’.
+
Jaehwan read through the rules carefully.
The contents themselves were simple. The goal of this 〈Metaverse〉 was ultimately to climb to the tenth floor and meet the Driver. It was a familiar system for Jaehwan, who had already climbed the 《Tower of Nightmares》 to the top.
[That is right. You understood it well.]
Gazing at the top of the towering structure, Jaehwan briefly reviewed what he needed to gain here.
First, reach the tower’s seventh floor and save Yoonhwan.
Second, experience the gods’ particular way of fighting.
And third...
If the 『Record of the Abyss』 were correct, Mulack had also passed through this tower. If so, there might be a clue at its summit that led to the end of the 《Tree of Illusion》 Mulack had discovered.
He was seriously organizing his thoughts when...
“Hey, everyone.”
A strange sound reached him.
...?
When he turned around, he realized it was not a greeting directed at him.
“Everyone, can you guess where we are? Want a little peek? There, do you get it now?”
A woman with soft brown hair and light leather armor was talking eagerly into empty air.
“The Metaverse again? You are not interested? Oh, come on. Rene is finally challenging the Metaverse for the tenth time! Oh my, this is not a promotion. My channel does not even have many viewer gods, so what alliance would give me a promotion deal?”
The woman who introduced herself as Rene did not seem particularly skilled at broadcasting. Yet that clumsy side of her was what kept her viewer gods watching.
Rene frantically responded to each of their comments.
“You think I look like Sirwen? Gasp. Thank you! I really like Sirwen. She speaks so well, and she is so cool.”
Pleased, Rene raised her voice a notch.
“More importantly, I prepared new content today. It is called, ‘Carrying a Metaverse Beginner!’”
Rene’s eyes quickly searched the area.
“You are asking where you can find a beginner in the Metaverse these days? Surprisingly, there is one. Look! No matter how you look at him, he is clearly a beginner! Let me introduce, ‘Mr. Beginner’!”
Jaehwan blankly looked down at the microphone stab in front of him. What was this supposed to be?
“Hmm? Maybe he is nervous because this is his first broadcast. Gods, what do we do at times like this? Yup, slip Mr. Beginner some trust!”
[‘Rene’ has donated 100 trust.]
Andersen, who had remained silent, casually remarked.
[I heard there were people like this these days. It is strange seeing one in person.]
Jaehwan roughly understood what was going on.
‘A streamer, perhaps.’
Come to think of it, there had been a similar job in the world he left behind.
“Excuse me, but would you mind playing along a little? I will give you more trust.”
[What are you doing? React already.]
‘Why would I?’
[She said she will give you trust. Take it, raise your World Force, and buy Parts. You need to save your friend, and repay the trust you borrowed from me.]
‘That was not a loan.’
At some point, Runald was also looking up at Jaehwan with sparkling eyes. Jaehwan gave a short sigh and shook his head.
“I am Jaehwan.”
Rene stared blankly at his indifferent answer, then spoke again.
“Jaehwan! That is an unusual name. What brought you here? Could you be... a trust-grinder?”
“A trust-grinder?”
“Oh, you do not know what that is?”
When Jaehwan shrugged, Rene’s eyes lit up as if she had found the perfect topic for content.
“A trust-grinder is...”
According to her, it was short for someone who came to the Metaverse to earn trust.
Jaehwan answered.
“I came to save a friend.”
“A friend?”
“I heard a friend of mine was brought here. I intend to save him and leave.”
Normally, he would not have explained himself at such length. This time, though, things were a little different. He did not intend to remain in this tower long anyway, and if that woman was really broadcasting, it might help him find Yoonhwan.
Rene seemed to like his answer.
“You came all the way to this dangerous Metaverse to save a friend who was dragged into the tower by evil forces! I think I am about to cry.”
That was not quite right.
[The viewer gods watching ‘Rene’ take an interest in you.]
The voices of the gods began to reach Jaehwan in fragments. He was probably hearing them through Andersen.
This seemed to be the 《Little Brother》 that demon had mentioned.
“But Mr. Beginner, you are not wearing even a single thread.”
“That is true.”
“I do not know what circumstances led to this, but can you really save your friend without even one piece of armor? Look, everyone over there is wearing something.”
She pointed to a group of Followers of low-grade gods gathered nearby, just like Jaehwan.
The passengers had already begun forming groups, seemingly finding climbers to ascend the tower with. A few glanced toward Jaehwan, but soon shook their heads and looked away.
“I do not need it.”
“That will not do! Mr. Beginner, join my team!”
“No.”
“An instant ‘Rene Team’ has been formed! The members are Rene, the Natural Beginner, and the cute pretty boy!”
Runald opened his eyes wide and began to mutter, “I think I like...” when Jaehwan cut him off.
“I said no.”
“Good, very good. When someone you do not know makes all sorts of offers, you have to refuse firmly, just like that!”
Jaehwan’s response did not seem to sit well with the gods.
[Few gods criticize that this is clearly an act.]
[Few gods question where anyone could find a beginner in the ‘Metaverse’ these days.]
“An act?”
[Some gods insist that he is clearly a hidden-strength Follower.]
A hidden-strength Follower, in simple terms, was a Follower concealing their power.
“A hidden-strength Follower? So Rene got tricked? But he was really just a beginner passing by!”
Rene glanced at Jaehwan, covered her mouth with one hand, then turned away and began whispering.
“Gods, how about this? ‘The Grand Operation to Determine Whether This Person Is a Beginner or Not.’”
Of course, Jaehwan could hear every word. He wondered whether she had even intended to hide it.
After reaching an agreement with her viewers, Rene spun back toward Jaehwan.
“Oh dear, I am sorry. My viewer gods are very suspicious by nature. Mr. Beginner, may I ask what floor your friend is on?”
“I heard that those brought in as ‘Dolls’ usually go to the seventh floor.”
“A Doll? Your friend was brought here as a ‘Doll’?”
Rene’s expression changed slightly as she added,
“Is your friend particularly attractive? If so, he might be popular as a display doll and have made it to the ninth floor... Though it is unlikely.”
Jaehwan thought for a moment before answering.
“He might be on the ninth floor.”
“My goodness. The ninth floor... You really are a beginner if you can say something that ridiculous. Then this is a serious problem...”
While Rene pondered someone else’s problem for them, Jaehwan turned his attention to the souls gathered before the entrance to the first floor. They were busily talking about the Metaverse for this round.
“What patch version is this again?”
“Ver. 9.61.”
“Oh, it is that version? The one they promoted as bringing back the nostalgia of the early Metaverse?”
An advertisement related to 〈Metaverse〉 was playing on the screen above the entrance to the first floor.
-Anyone can make it to the fifth floor through effort alone. We will give you back the thrill of the day you first encountered 〈Metaverse〉.
The man in golden armor looked, at a glance, like a Vicegerent of a high-grade god. People clicked their tongues.
“Do you believe that? I would sooner believe that the Great Realm are fair to everyone.”
“It is just a battle between idiots who spend lots of trust. We can earn a little and get out.”
“Who is going to reach the ninth floor this round?”
Some of the chatting passengers seemed to have participated in previous versions of 〈Metaverse〉.
Having finally made up her mind, Rene asked,
“Excuse me, are you really going to participate? I am not broadcasting this, so please answer honestly. You could really die if you go in like this. This is not a place beginners should come to carelessly.”
Rene’s eyes were quite serious. Jaehwan replied in an even more serious voice.
“I will participate.”
“W-wow. Gods, did you hear that? He is serious. He is the real deal!”
“Did you not say you turned the broadcast off?”
She did not seem to care about Jaehwan’s remark.
“You said I turned the broadcast off, so why would I tease a beginner? This was all part of Rene’s grand plan to show the gods Mr. Beginner’s sincerity!”
“...”
“Anyway, Rene is really fired up now. I will make sure this person gets to the seventh floor. What? You feel sorry for the beginner?”
After fuming at empty air for a while, she suddenly began offering earnest advice.
“Mr. Beginner, listen carefully. Veteran Rene’s first piece of advice. See those people in matching clothes over there? Never get involved with them.”
The people she pointed to looked dangerous at first glance. In particular, the ones with long pipes tucked into their belts seemed vaguely familiar.
“And do you see those people talking to empty air? Be careful around them too.”
At the back of the group, several people muttered to empty air by themselves. Some had what looked like Action Cams floating before them and made strange gestures.
“Most people who start from the first floor without a High Pass are nothing special, but there are exceptions. The ones who come here to enjoy what they call ‘noob slaughter.’ They broadcast that by...”
“You appear to be in the same category as them.”
“Ahaha... Mr. Beginner, you really catch on quickly.”
Rene smiled with her eyes.
“Whether you trust me or not is up to you. Like you said, if my viewer gods tell me to stab you in the back, I have to do it.”
Her gaze made it impossible to tell whether she was joking. Even so, Jaehwan liked the honesty in her voice. It reminded him somehow of when he had first entered 《Chaos》.
[Be careful. I have a bad feeling about her. She reminds me of someone I used to know...]
Without answering Andersen, Jaehwan walked toward the entrance to the first floor.
[‘Metaverse Floor 1’ will officially open shortly.]
[This 〈Metaverse〉 is based on the initial Setting created by Master ‘Neil Crash’. For further details, please refer to the Ver. 9.61 ‘Metaverse Setting Guide’.]
[The ‘Metaverse Setting Guide’ is currently available for purchase. Would you like to buy it?]
Rene made a fuss beside him at the purchase window floating before his face.
“Oh, here they go again, those merchants. Never buy this Setting Guide, okay?”
“Then what should we buy here?”
“Hmm, well...”
Sociable Runald was already in the middle of a lively conversation with Rene.
[‘Metaverse Floor 1’ will open in 5 minutes.]
[The shop is currently selling the ‘Metaverse Patch Ver. 9.61 Commemorative Beginner Package’.]
“This is the one to buy! Should I buy you one?”
“Yes!”
Runald smiled brightly and shouted.
[The shop is currently selling the ‘Metaverse Patch Ver. 9.61 Commemorative Beginner Package II’.]
“Please buy this too!”
“Oh, how cute. Here you go!”
[A package bundle discount event is currently in progress.]
[The ‘Metaverse Patch Ver. 9.61 Commemorative Growth Package’ is currently on sale.]
“This too!”
“Huh? Ah, this too...”
[The ‘Metaverse Patch Ver. 9.61 Commemorative Growth Package II’ is currently on sale.]
[The ‘Star Stream Collaboration’ event package is currently on sale.]
“That one looks good too.”
“You are quite something, aren’t you?”
While Runald and Rene chattered away, Jaehwan frowned at the empty air. Selling items in packages in advance. He had never seen such a system even in the 《Tower of Nightmares》.
[Something strange has been added.]
‘When did you come here?’
[About five hundred years ago.]
When he was unfamiliar with something, the best course was to listen to the opinions around him. As he quietly listened, voices rose from all sides.
“Still, the beginner packages are pretty efficient, right?”
“It is much better than starting from nothing. If you climb by grinding with nothing, you will see hell.”
Runald, having gotten thoroughly fleeced by Rene, approached Jaehwan while wearing sparkling equipment.
“Jaehwan-nim! I got so much! Here, this is for you too, Jaehwan-nim...”
“I am fine. You use it.”
“R-really?”
As if he were truly moved, tears welled in Runald’s eyes.
“Hm.”
Rene looked at Jaehwan with an expression of genuine pity. She seemed to have bought several packages herself, as a special aura floated around her.
[Entry will begin in 30 seconds.]
“By the way, we are on the same team now, so should we speak casually to each other?”
“No.”
“I do not want to either, but you already dropped the formal speech. How old are you?”
“Two thousand years old.”
Rene was briefly startled by Jaehwan’s reply, then deliberately lifted her chin.
“Then I am twenty thousand years old.”
Jaehwan glanced at Rene as if he had not expected that.
[Entry will begin in 10 seconds.]
“Really?”
“What do you think?”
Along with Rene’s sparkling eyes, Andersen’s voice reached him.
[I am telling you again, be really careful around her. I have a feeling that...]
With a brilliant flash of light, the entrance to 〈Metaverse〉 opened.
Footnotes:
Chapter discussion