Chapter 236 - Episode 31. Big Brother (1)
Chapter 236: Episode 31. Big Brother (1)
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“No one knows what Destruction is. None of us have lived beyond Destruction. So why are we afraid of something we have never experienced?”
―Naked Saint Runald
* * *
A year had passed since the red star fell. People no longer spoke of the ‘star.’
Instead, they spoke of the ‘eye.’ In the end, both words referred to the same thing, but there was a crucial difference.
A star and an eye were clearly not the same thing.
* * *
Recently, a single topic had taken over the 《Little Brother》 network in the 《Abyss》.
―What is 《Big Brother》?
Debates ranged from whether 《Big Brother》 truly existed to detailed testimonies about it.
The enthusiasm was so fervent that it was almost absurd for this unknown entity, which had ruled the 《Abyss》 for hundreds of thousands of years, to have only now become a subject of discussion.
These debates were most active in none other than 《Little Brother》’s live chat.
―Eleven Reasons Why 《Big Brother》 Exists
―What If 《Big Brother》 Does Not Exist?
―《Big Brother》 Must Exist
―God Slayer vs. 《Big Brother》
―...
Among them, videos presenting evidence related to 《Big Brother》 had become the main battlefield.
―Anonymous God 15321: Big Brother definitely exists. You can tell just by looking at the identification papers in the video. Big Brother issued them.
―Anonymous God 8264: It was revealed ages ago that the Fortress Lords of 《Chaos》 made those however they wanted.
―Anonymous God 624124: Then how do you explain the 《System》? The System is Big Brother’s Setting.
―Anonymous God 8264: There’s no way to prove that either. It’s just a rumor that’s been around for a long time.
―Anonymous God 55243: Then what about the Adapters of the 《Great Realm》? Big Brother’s Followers are alive and well, and now you’re going to deny their god?
―Anonymous God 8264: Those worthless Adapters say they’ve never seen their god either. They’ve never even heard its voice. How are you supposed to prove anything?
―Anonymous God 3581: Then what is this 《Little Brother》 network? It was said that Big Brother created this too!
―Anonymous God 8264: LOL. If 《Big Brother》 had really made 《Little Brother》, I’d have been censored by now.
―Anonymous God 3581: 8264 has been trolling this whole time. Don’t feed them. Who do you think you are, Jaehwan?
―Anonymous God 55243: 8264, you’ve been acting like you know everything. Why don’t you reveal your own divine name first?
―Anonymous God 624124: Judging by how they talk, they’re probably some ancient geezer god.
Insults continued for a while.
Then another message from Anonymous God 8264 appeared.
―Anonymous God 8264: Fine, I am an ancient geezer. I’ll personally prove that Big Brother doesn’t exist.
―Anonymous God 3581: ??????
―Anonymous God 55243: What the hell are you talking about?
[Anonymous God 8264 has changed their display name to ‘Master Swordsman.’]
Silence fell over the live chat.
Master Swordsman?
As far as the anonymous gods knew, there was only one person in all of 《Little Brother》 who would use a nickname like that.
―Master Swordsman: Hey, you bastard Big Brother! If you’re really alive, strike me with lightning or something!
―Anonymous God 3581: Are you insane??
―Anonymous God 624124: Grandpa, have you lost your mind???
Master Swordsman’s provocations continued for some time. They were so long-winded and flamboyant that the anonymous gods almost believed his insults had truly proven Big Brother’s absence.
Then, shortly afterward.
[Due to excessive profanity, ‘Master Swordsman’ has had speaking privileges revoked for ten minutes.]
A flood of consonants covered the network. Every message began with laughter and ended with laughter.
Master Swordsman grumbled, “Tch,” and closed the network window.
“What a rotten bunch.”
Brilliant sunlight streamed in as the network window closed.
Cheongheo let out a lazy yawn and sprawled out.
“This is a nice life.”
Recently, Cheongheo had developed a fondness for 《Little Brother》. He was enjoying a quiet day off in a hammock set up in the Outer Fortress.
The lively laughter of Followers passing beneath the walls drifted up to him.
Cheongheo passed the time watching the pretty maenads walking below.
No one came looking for him, and he did not go out of his way to look for anyone.
He had spent his days that way for about three months.
Three months. Nearly a hundred days, if counted precisely, but it did not feel especially long. Perhaps it was because peace had come after so long. He wanted to enjoy a little idleness, a little deliberate wandering.
Everyone had a period like that.
It might have been fair to say he had lost his goal.
The Cheongheo of today was very different from the Cheongheo who had first entered the 《Abyss》. The goal once set by the Abyss Expedition had lost its purpose.
They could return to Chaos with the 「Fruit」 if they truly wanted to, but the problem was what came after.
The 「Fruit」 was not a key that “restored life,” as the people of 《Chaos》 believed.
The 「Fruit」 was nothing more than a pass to the 《Great Realm》.
Now that it had become clear that the 《Great Realm》 were simply one Site among many, the fantasy of “real life” had vanished. The 「Fruit」 was only another deception about life.
And Cheongheo had an obligation to explain those facts to the people of 《Chaos》.
But how the hell was he supposed to explain that?
Was he supposed to tell them that the “real life” they had longed for was entirely a lie, and that the miserable life they had lived was actually “real life”?
Truth was always right.
But if that truth could destroy people, perhaps it was meant to be hidden. Perhaps they would live happier lives if they continued longing for “real life” forever without knowing the truth.
Besides, unlike before, was 《Chaos》 not a perfectly livable place now?
“This is giving me a headache.”
Frowning, Cheongheo picked apart the knots of his hammock one by one. Then he spotted a small white bird flying toward him from the distant sky.
It was a message from the Committee.
The Committee was the governing body that currently ruled the 《Abyss》.
It had been established by Yu Seolha after Maiad and 「Rupture」 fell. It was not an organization created to establish a new power base.
If anything, it was the opposite.
After the Committee’s founding, the political landscape of the 《Abyss》 changed completely.
One year since the ‘fall of the star.’
Many great changes had come to the Abyss during that time.
The greatest transformation was to the gods’ grade system.
When the Committee enforced mandatory welfare for Followers, the standards that divided gods into high-grade, mid-grade, and low-grade changed.
The old grade system had been based on the World Force gods possessed. Now, a god’s grade was based solely on their Followers’ happiness index.
Regardless of how much World Force a god possessed, the more Followers enjoyed happiness through their Unique Worlds, the higher that god’s grade became.
That was not all.
Followers were no longer bound to a single Unique World. Anyone could choose the Unique World they wanted and leave it whenever they wished. Some Followers even deliberately joined startup Unique Worlds, helping those worlds grow together.
It was the result of welfare policies centered on Followers.
At first, many gods resisted such demanding policies. Yet through the Committee’s active use of force, every god in the 《Abyss》 had eventually accepted the Committee’s will.
Naturally, even gods affiliated with the Committee were not exempt.
“Ugh. Is it already grade evaluation season?”
Cheongheo frowned as he read the message from the Committee.
Grade evaluation season.
It was the judgment period, introduced a year ago and held once every six months.
During this period, gods whose Followers’ happiness index fell below a certain level, or whose dissatisfaction index rose, would face penalties.
Cheongheo had already been punished harshly during the previous evaluation period. The maenads of his Unique World, 「martial world」, had reported Cheongheo’s 「Setting」 to the Committee.
“God. No... Grandpa. A 「Polygamy」 Setting...? Have you lost your mind? Your World Force grows stronger the more wives you have?”
After that incident, the number of maenads in 「martial world」 had dropped sharply. The backlash from the male Followers had also grown severe, leaving Cheongheo with a constant headache.
He had made the Setting in an attempt to reflect the Plausibility of a real 「martial world」, but it appeared to have been thoroughly outdated.
Once this evaluation period passed, he would have to accept his divine grade dropping from mid-grade to low-grade.
Seolha made such a strange system... Maybe I should go see her for the first time in a while.
Cheongheo rose from the hammock and stretched. As he looked at the clear, cloudless sky, Jaehwan’s face suddenly came to mind.
Come to think of it, he had not seen Jaehwan even once in the past few months.
Where could that bastard be?
Jaehwan had already remained in the 《Abyss》 for a full year.
Cheongheo did not know why Jaehwan, who had always done nothing but run forward, had settled down here. More accurately, Cheongheo had not bothered to ask.
Perhaps he had been afraid.
They were tired.
They knew an opponent called 《Big Brother》 still remained.
Yet, as Rupture Lord Maiad and Great Lord Jerome had claimed, 《Big Brother》 was an entity with no clear substance. Everyone spoke of 《Big Brother》, but no one knew what 《Big Brother》 was.
Was that why?
A part of Cheongheo wanted Jaehwan to give up here.
* * *
The Committee had gathered in the inner palace of 〈Edmund〉 for the first time in a long while.
Everyone had responsibilities of their own, so it was difficult to assemble like this outside grade evaluation season.
Yu Seolha examined the list of gods summoned to the Committee one by one.
They were all people who had risked their lives in the final war of the 《Abyss》.
But one familiar face was missing.
“He didn’t come again?”
At Yu Seolha’s question, Runald answered.
“You know Jaehwan-nim is always busy.”
“He thinks he’s the only one who’s busy? I’m so busy I could die too. It took so much effort to create this system. Why did we make it if he isn’t going to follow it?”
Everyone on the Committee fell silent at her icy tone. Yu Seolha was not someone to provoke when she was like this.
Yu Seolha slowly turned her head and looked over the Committee members as though they were pathetic, then promptly chose her next target.
“Master.”
“Uh, yeah?”
“You broke the Setting rules again, didn’t you? I told you last time, didn’t I? I told you not to make those kinds of Settings. You got criticized and removed 「Polygamy」, then this time you made 「One Husband, Three Wives」? Are you trying to mess with me?”
“Ahem. There was no helping it. As you know, Seolha, more than eighty percent of my Followers are men.”
“Don’t blame your Followers.”
“...”
Cheongheo groaned again. That problem had already been causing him enough trouble lately. For a world’s ecosystem to function properly, each species needed a balanced ratio between the sexes.
Runald asked, “Hm. So the problem is that there are lots of male Followers but no maenads?”
“Huh? Well, yes.”
“Then why not pair up the male Followers with each other? Or transform their souls... There are Settings that let people change genders these days. While we’re at it, why not just turn all the male Followers into women...”
Cheongheo blinked blankly at Runald’s shocking suggestion.
Come to think of it, that brat was Jaehwan’s Follower. Cheongheo tended to forget that.
Yu Seolha, who had been listening, sighed.
“Runald, stop talking nonsense and go bring Jaehwan here.”
“Why?”
“Do you really have to ask? Do you even know what grade Jaehwan is right now?”
Pushing aside Karlton, who was organizing documents nearby, Yu Seolha took a sheet of paper from the stack.
Everyone on the Committee focused on it.
A grade designation had been printed across the page in large, bold letters.
After a moment of silence, Runald spoke.
“Isn’t the grade designation wrong?”
“No. It’s accurate. This is that bastard’s current situation.”
“How can Jaehwan-nim be lowest-grade?”
“You can see it yourself.”
Everyone looked at the document.
+
Divine Name: Jaehwan
World Name: The World After the Fall
Number of Followers: 1
Follower Happiness Index: 1
Overall Grade: Lowest
+
Cheongheo clicked his tongue.
“Still just one?”
At Cheongheo’s words, everyone in the meeting room looked at that sole ‘one.’
Then that ‘one’ spoke.
“By the way, what exactly is the basis for calculating this happiness index? Since I’m the only Follower, I suppose you only counted me... but even so, why is the index only one?”
“Because the only Follower you have always talks like he’s depressed. How could someone who keeps having mental breakdowns all day, saying there’s an eyeball in the sky watching him, possibly look happy?”
At Cheongheo’s words, Runald closed his mouth as though he had swallowed honey.
“More importantly, that Jaehwan brat has somehow managed not to lose his divine rank until now. How did he survive the previous grade evaluation? Wasn’t it the rule that gods with a happiness index below ten lose their divine rank?”
Karlton answered.
“I opened 「Fortress Gorgon」 at that time. Whenever I use my Unique World, Jaehwan-nim’s number of Followers sharply increases for as long as the Unique World remains active.”
Karlton’s 「Fortress Gorgon」 was an ability that neutralized the boundary between 《Chaos》 and the 《Abyss》 for a brief moment.
Although 《Chaos》 had no concept of ‘gods,’ there were more than enough people who held a faithful belief in Jaehwan. So whenever Karlton opened his Unique World, Jaehwan’s Followers temporarily surged in number.
Cheongheo frowned.
“Isn’t that cheating?”
“Still, we cannot exactly strip Jaehwan-nim of his divine rank.”
“That’s true, but...”
“If necessary, I intend to do it again this time.”
Yu Seolha cut in with a frown.
“That won’t do. Jaehwan needs to receive a fair evaluation this time as well. We cannot keep giving him special treatment forever.”
“Do you mean to strip him of his divine rank?”
“Why would I do that? We’ll just make him complete volunteer hours or lecture him a little. While we’re at it, we can renovate his Unique World so he can increase his number of Followers. What matters is that he needs to follow the rules now too.”
A few Committee members nodded at Yu Seolha’s words.
She was right. A system was fairest when it created no exceptions. No matter how much Jaehwan was a hero of the 《Abyss》, giving him alone special treatment would inevitably provoke other gods one day.
In the end, everyone’s gaze naturally turned to Runald.
Runald, Jaehwan’s sole Follower. He was the only one who could exchange messages directly with Jaehwan.
“Runald, you know where Jaehwan is right now, don’t you?”
Runald was carefully studying the document Yu Seolha had handed him.
“Hey, what are you...?”
Runald’s gaze remained fixed on the words ‘Follower Happiness Index.’
Yu Seolha, who had been about to continue, fell silent. A sorrowful feeling passed through the eyes of those looking at Runald.
Some of them were staring at the prominent scar running from Runald’s shoulder.
Those who had fought in the Rupture War all knew what that scar was.
From his shoulder to his left thigh.
It was the mark left by an exploded soul. Runald’s soul had been damaged so severely at the time that calling it irreversible would not have been inaccurate. He had drawn completely upon the potential of his existence. The fact that he had survived at all was a miracle.
It was a wound that could never have healed without Jaehwan’s 「Cognitive Dissonance」 and Cheongheo’s devoted care.
If Runald had not been there then, the Seventh Site would have been finished.
Everyone here knew that.
It was nothing new, but the boy before them was a remarkable hero.
Someone who had given everything to kill one of the Great Lords.
The boy had earned the right to be ‘happy’ now.
“I don’t think you answered my question earlier.”
Perhaps everyone had become lost in their own thoughts. They did not immediately realize Runald had spoken.
Yu Seolha blinked belatedly.
“Hm? What question?”
“This.”
Pointing at the words ‘Follower Happiness Index: 1’ on the document, Runald continued.
“Who calculates this happiness index, and what exactly is it based on?”
“Ah, that was me...”
“You did it, Sis?”
“So what?”
“How dare you?”
Yu Seolha’s expression hardened.
The atmosphere had suddenly turned cold.
But Runald’s expression was even colder.
“How can anyone dare to judge another person’s happiness? How could you possibly measure something like that?”
“Hey, you.”
“How is this any different from the System?”
Yu Seolha, who had been about to speak, closed her mouth again.
“You’re all right. Jaehwan-nim’s world is incredibly depressing. When I stare at that eyeball hanging in the sky, I really do feel like I’m losing my mind. Sometimes I even want to die. But that doesn’t mean I’m unhappy.”
A few people let out quiet groans. They had not expected words like that from this young boy.
“I decide my own happiness. So if you intend to bind Jaehwan-nim with an excuse like this, stop.”
At that clear voice, a few Committee members looked moved.
But adult pride would not allow them to readily accept a child’s words. Every Committee member soon looked toward the adult who represented their pride.
Yu Seolha lightly bit her lip and opened her mouth.
“To create a world that is fair to everyone...”
Runald’s face twisted.
“Is that really why? Can you be sure?”
Yu Seolha could not answer immediately.
Runald abruptly rose from his seat and walked to the window. He pulled back the beige curtains and opened it wide.
Cold wind entered, chilling the meeting room.
The scent of the clear sky.
The meeting room’s window was broad, but not broad enough to hold the entire sky. There was always sky left unseen by them.
Looking at the square of sky cut out precisely by the window frame, Runald said, “Sis, you already know what Jaehwan is doing and where he is, don’t you?”
Yu Seolha did not answer.
Only the tremor in her eyes was an answer.
“You’re afraid.”
“...”
“We’re afraid. Afraid of learning something.”
Several people shivered in the cold wind.
There was not a single being on the Committee whose soul was weak enough to feel something as simple as cold.
Yet they were cold.
A sharp winter wind was blowing over the idleness brought by a year of rest.
“We just want to keep Jaehwan-nim tied down.”
* * *
Is this the place?
Jaehwan had come to the Muspelheim region, famous for being the hottest part of 〈Tropical Night〉, the Third Site of the 《Abyss》. He gauged the direction of the sky and slowly looked around.
“Are you sure we came to the right place? There’s really an entrance to that place in my Site?”
Having trained continuously over the past year, Karavan had inherited Ignis’s 「Setting」 and become the new god of the Third Site.
He was still nowhere near Ignis at the height of their power, but anyone who saw Karavan now could agree that he would become an excellent god.
“Yes.”
“Sometimes 「Fruit」 falls here, so I had wondered... Did you hear that from Maiad?”
“Something like that.”
Jaehwan looked up at the sky.
The enormous eye that had always watched him.
Its eyelid was slowly closing.
Jaehwan’s eyes narrowed in response.
“It will be time soon.”
Footnotes:
Chapter discussion