Awakened, Assemble - (FIN)
There is a nuance that might seem similar at first glance, but is in fact entirely different: 'resolving' an anomaly versus 'sealing' one.
Resolving an anomaly means, quite literally, leaving no room for it to persist, cleaning up the aftermath, and settling the matter perfectly. Once an anomaly is resolved, you don't have to worry about it for the rest of your life.
...But sealing is different.
You know the traditional fantasy cliché, right? The Demon King, sealed away by a hero 500 years ago, reaches out with a dark hand to rule the world again once the seal is broken for some reason... that kind of childish trope.
But it’s not just a cliché. The Awakened Association has to consider every single possibility.
Variables.
Variables arising from variables.
Variables arising from those variables—literally every situation imaginable. The Association takes this so seriously that they even established a dedicated 'Variable Prediction Department,' employing 200 staff members whose sole job is to predict these variables.
A seal is, quite literally, a bundle of variables. You never know when it might break, you can never be entirely sure if it was done correctly, and some lunatic or villain might show up and undo it.
The Awakened Association doesn't even consider sealing as an option. It’s either resolution or death. At the very least, every single anomaly that has appeared over the last ten years has been concluded through resolution, not sealing.
Of course, there are exceptions.
The 'Portrait of the Mad Woman,' which Lee Jia and Yoo Iseul resolved, was, if we’re being pedantic, not fully resolved but sealed. You never know. Some madman might remove the black cloth covering that portrait and turn the Association headquarters into a living hell.
However, in that case, even Yoo Iseul’s weapon, Iron Sword No. 3, couldn't deal physical damage, so sealing was the only option. And since the variables regarding that seal can be sufficiently controlled, it doesn't pose a major problem.
The Awakened Association is not an organization to be taken lightly. The 'Portrait of the Mad Woman' is currently double and triple-sealed somewhere in the headquarters, and the personnel assigned to monitor it are excessive—ten people watching it 24/7, 365 days a year.
As such, unless it's a truly special case, the Association prefers 'resolution' over 'sealing.' But the Fervent Followers were a little different.
First of all, unlike an anomaly, which is a kind of 'phenomenon,' they are an existence. In other words, they are living organisms.
The best way to 'resolve' a living organism without any side effects is, naturally, to kill it. But Fervent Followers are fundamentally immortal. They don't die. Therefore, they cannot be resolved. Therefore, sealing is the only answer.
Only after Lee Jia proved perfectly that 'Fervent Followers are immortal' by smashing the auditorium did the Awakened finally begin to share constructive opinions. They stopped debating how to kill them and started debating how to seal them.
The meeting reached its final stages. Watching it all, I realized one thing: I must have been underestimating the Awakened Association all this time.
From the moment the focus shifted from 'resolution' to 'sealing,' a wide variety of opinions were exchanged. Every single one of them was realistic and, from what I could see, perfectly feasible.
Ah. I misspoke. They *seemed* like feasible opinions.
I couldn't understand a single bit of what the Awakened were proposing. This ability, that ability. Ability, ability, ability, ability. At least ten of the bizarre, unheard-of abilities possessed by the Awakened were being combined to suggest outlandish sealing methods.
And it didn't end there. Items were added to the abilities. At least ten abilities, at least twenty items. These people were discussing how to seal a Fervent Follower by utilizing at least thirty 'variables' in total.
How could a newbie like me, who had just debuted as an Awakened, possibly understand this chaotic conversation?
...To be honest, even if I were a twenty-year veteran, I wouldn't have understood it. Is it an intelligence issue? Am I particularly dense compared to others? As someone who seeks knowledge, that hurts my pride a little...
...It’s not an intelligence issue, right? Yeah.
I couldn't understand everything they were saying, but I could grasp the general nuance. And based on that, the conclusion I reached was: 'The Awakened themselves are fully capable of sealing a Fervent Follower.'
Just because they are Fervent Followers doesn't mean they are completely immune to the effects of Awakened abilities and items. They just don't die; abilities and items still affect them. ...At this rate, it’s a pretty fair fight, isn't it?
It wasn't just Yoo Iseul and me carrying the heavy log alone. As that 'Udon-brain' guy said, the existence of an 'Awakened' seems to be quite high-tier even from a cosmic perspective. Humans are amazing. Humans are the best.
Well, that doesn't mean sealing is the *best* method. The best method is obvious. Either Yoo Iseul finishes them off by 'Calling' them, or I offer a surprise prayer to the Shining Stars so they can permanently erase the Fervent Follower. One of those two is the best way.
Sealing is the next best thing. If Yoo Iseul and I were incapacitated for some reason, the remaining Awakened could seal the Fervent Follower, and then I, or Yoo Iseul, could erase them later. I think that would be the most ideal way to handle them.
The meeting was racing toward its end, but one task remained unresolved: How to counter the Fervent Followers' mental attacks. In fact, the method of countering mental attacks is the alpha and omega of sealing them—the most important issue of all. I suddenly wondered how the Awakened would solve this.
An Awakened stepped up to the podium. I hadn't spoken to her directly, but I knew her by reputation. Her epithet: the Sea Goddess, Seo Jiyoon. I was glad to see she looked well.
There was only one reason Seo Jiyoon came to the podium. She was an Awakened who had suffered direct damage from a Fervent Follower’s mental attack.
Seo Jiyoon spoke into the microphone with a confident tone.
"I'll be honest. There aren't many Awakened with stronger mental fortitude than me, right? My mental strength is several times stronger than yours. Especially compared to Seo Jaewoo, that brain-dead idiot with nothing but muscles in his head—it wouldn't be an exaggeration to say I'm over a hundred times stronger."
Unlike the others who easily conceded, Seo Jaewoo stood up and shouted at the top of his lungs.
"Why are you picking on me, you fish-brained bitch who can only use her powers in the water!"
"I held my own against the Chairperson and Suhee-unnie even out of the water, didn't I? Though I don't remember it."
...So that was her personality. She looked like a gentle person with innocent charm on the outside. This is why you shouldn't judge people by their appearance.
Regardless, Seo Jiyoon continued.
"Anyway, the fact that someone with mental fortitude as strong as mine had their memories erased... means that there is absolutely no way to deal with the mental attacks of those Fervent Follower bastards using conventional methods."
Following Seo Jiyoon, Ahn Suhee chimed in.
"I know because I've been hit by it too. You can't endure that unless you're Iseul or Jia."
Seo Jiyoon had her memories erased, but Ahn Suhee hadn't, so she would know exactly what level the Fervent Followers' mental attacks were at. According to Yoo Iseul, Ahn Suhee was in the top five among all Awakened when it came to mental strength alone. Since even she declared that it was 'impossible to deal with'...
For the next 30 minutes, a meaningless debate ensued.
Hmm... I have a brilliant solution, but... if I say it, the atmosphere is going to get really weird. Even if the Awakened are believers who watch my streams, this solution is so absurd that even I think it's ridiculous. It might even lead to a catastrophe where they lose interest in me and stop being fans.
I did suggest this solution to Ye Jung-hwan last time, but the fact that it hasn't spread to the other Awakened yet means Ye Jung-hwan is also half-doubting it.
Should I just close my eyes and go for it? Or not? Should I? Or not?
It’s already five in the afternoon. I need this meeting to end quickly so I can go home and stream comfortably.
I’ve decided. Even if I regret it, I’m going for it.
Just as I stood up to put an end to this meaningless debate, Yoo Iseul, who had been sleeping without a care in the world, woke up and spoke with a bored expression.
"Just pray to the Shining Stars, you idiots."
"..."
"..."
"..."
"..."
At her words, the room became a library again. Whether they cared or not, she continued.
"If the prayer works, great. If it doesn't, you just die. Meeting adjourned."
"..."
"..."
"..."
Surprisingly, what Yoo Iseul just said was the exact solution I had wanted to propose to the Awakened. Yoo Iseul turned to look at me.
"I'm leaving first. You stay behind and make an appearance for these guys."
"Make an appearance? What do you mean..."
"Stay for the company dinner, too."
"Ah."
"I'm going."
"Uh... yes, yes. Thank you for your hard work, Unnie."
Screech. Yoo Iseul’s chair slid back.
"Hey, get out of the way."
"Yes."
"Move."
"Yes."
"Get lost."
"Yes."
Just like that, Yoo Iseul exited the conference room, and the method for countering the Fervent Followers' mental attacks was concluded: praying to the Shining Stars.
The meeting was adjourned.