Chapter 273
Chapter 273
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 273
Chapter Title: Faith (2)
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Is camaraderie necessary on the internet?
There's no right answer.
It depends on the person.
If you're just popping in for less than an hour a day to grab some info or a laugh, you don't need to chase online friendships.
Unless it's a tiny community with barely anyone around, short-timers trying to buddy up won't stick in anyone's memory—they're just forgettable users who don't need remembering.
But if you're glued to the net all day, every day? That's a different story.
No matter how massive the community, there are always the core active members.
Among them, you'll find the likeable ones racking up comments and the pariahs everyone ignores.
Someone might scoff, "Who cares if you get one more comment or one less?" But it matters—a lot.
Even the same crap post gets a reaction or not, and that dictates your presence on the board.
Internet forums are basically online diaries at heart, so knowing someone read it and bothered to respond? That's validation.
Of course, schmoozing with the mods, admins, or whoever's got the wristbands—those power users—is key.
Even if they're just doing their job managing the place, they're human. Personal feelings sway them.
I've kept a good rapport with Viva Bot, our board admin, for a while now.
Sure, there were some early missteps. I was green back then.
Schools never taught internet etiquette or how to navigate it properly.
But now? I'm seasoned. Years online have built my instincts and common sense.
SKELTON: Hey, looks like I've got some new permissions I haven't seen before.
I shot a message to Viva Bot.
And while I was at it, replied to Suu too.
SKELTON: (Skeleton surprise) W-what's up, Suu?
Viva Bot replied first.
SKELTON: Yeah?
SKELTON: There's a delete option or something. Didn't know what it was, clicked it, and poof—the post vanished...
SKELTON: (Skeleton humbled) Oh man. Safe to hand that kind of power to a nobody like me?
Playing coy when you don't mean it? Basic internet pro move.
SKELTON: (Skeleton moved) Oh...
SKELTON: Haha...
SKELTON: Got it completely.
SKELTON: No wristband flair? Like that sparkly thing next to Foxgames' name?
SKELTON: Why not?
SKELTON: Dark knight...
SKELTON: (Skeleton surprise) ?!
SKELTON: Oh... really?
"..."
The board's dark knight, huh...
Not flashing my identity bothers me a bit, but it's not all bad.
Can't nuke Foxgames' posts, but I can freely trash those damn zealots' crap.
A zealot just posted that.
Our board buddies stick to ignoring it.
Rule of the board: blank weirdos. But truth is, this cultist's scary as hell too.
Silence blanketed the board.
Part fear of the zealot, part "no need to poke the bear." That's the crew's vibe.
We've lost too many already.
Not everyone's zipped it, though.
Our timid m9 posted, mustering a shred of board spirit.
But it's not enough.
We need to show more steel.
Our unflinching calm against the zealot's murder threats.
"..."
Tap tap
Tossing nonsense into the silent board.
Watching reactions.
Board users: crickets.
Then an unexpected player bites.
"Hm."
Been a while.
Someone biting my signature "birth/better" pun.
Perfect.
Tap tap
Crank the tempo?
SKELTON: ?
SKELTON: (Fact platter) Middle school dropout.
True story.
My "school" isn't even a real high school—no Education Ministry creds as alternative ed.
Internet newbie bites anyway.
Fresh reaction.
Posts throat-slitting vids fine, though.
SKELTON: Got pretty mad, huh... Understood...
"..."
Showtime.
Click
Delete.
Click
Delete again.
Click
Delete once more.
Every zealot post gets nuked from here on.
Delete.
Delete.
Delete.
Delete.
Storm of deletes. Board falls silent again.
Staring intently, no more zealot posts.
Even the fanatic's backing off.
Thrash all you want IRL—this board's just another user to them.
They brag about hunting us down? How?
Satellite net stumps legions and Jeju gov alike on location.
To nab us proper: pinpoint coords, bring signal detectors, comb suspects. No gear? Just hot air from some killer looting sat tech off corpses.
Left the board hushed a bit, then casually posted.
That post got a flood of recs—first in ages.
Top three: Bronze—Seoul nutrient bars. Silver—warm gukbap. Gold—hamburger.
But burgers and gukbap? Off the menu now.
Nutrient bars maybe, but they'd skip 'em anyway.
Just as things settled...
Gonna delete anyway—peeked at the content.
Dark room, lit only by monitor glow. Figure in flowing white rags filled the screen.
Furious, jabbing a finger at the camera: young woman, early 20s tops.
Pouty glare more cute than creepy, but those eyes... icy cold.
Rivals my junior Woo Min-hee.
Faint under the white: shirt badges glinting.
Portrait pins. North Korean style.
One? Maybe NK defector. Dozens? Chilling.
Trophies, probably. From kills she made herself.
Below: lone sentence from ONE_FAITH.
"I'll find you and kill you for sure."
Left it up.
Let everyone ogle ONE_FAITH's mug.
My trap sprung perfectly.
Mystery anon horde.
Our board crew, obviously.
Wildcards normally, but unite to clown weirdos.
Like Koreans: bicker nonstop, band together in crises.
Newbie ONE_FAITH serves up tasty bites.
Decent thrash, but...
...
...
Crew's roasting ramps up.
New IDs popping too.
Fun's contagious—everyone goes anon.
ONE_FAITH finally self-deletes the ID pic.
Solid flow so far.
Ignored a message ping, glued to the board.
But my grin vanished at one anon comment.
"?"
Frantic typing
SKELTON: Not me?
SKELTON: (Skeleton wronged) Told you, not me.
SKELTON: No, Anonymous23216 framed me.
Checked the framer quick.
Nick info → unique acct → public posts. Easy.
Scumbag revealed.
Foxgames: Patch not updating excuse3.txt
Foxgames: So sorry. Feeling the limits of solo dev now.
Foxgames: Current patch status (ver.1.032)
Foxgames: Patch not updating excuse2.txt
...
"...This bastard?"
Foxgames.
Mr. Nice Guy on board, plotting to smear me.
SKELTON: Foxgames! The imitator!
Straightened it out.
ONE_FAITH ignores.
Says piece and ghosts.
Nuked those posts, but no response.
"..."
Newbies ain't all upsides.
Falling for cheap impersonations.
Post reeked of dimwit anyway.
But strong? Dumb's no issue.
Level 5+ Awakener minimum, maybe more.
Speaking of—Foxgames, you punk.
Can't let this slide.
SKELTON: Hey.
Messaged Foxgames.
SKELTON: I know where you live.
SKELTON: Coming for you?
Kid stuff, but gotta vent somehow.
No reply, obviously.
Blocked or ignored.
Bet not blocked.
Guilty feet—would've unblocked for this stunt.
Was gonna spam more when ping hit.
New message.
Suu.
Ominous tone.
SKELTON: What's wrong?
Suu's sharper than her mom, keen instincts—seen it firsthand.
She only hits me up on holidays, so this urgent ping means trouble.
Save netiquette Qs for later—serious counsel mode.
SKELTON: Mom around?
SKELTON: Who taught you that word?
SKELTON: Ditch that friend.
Rebecca and Suu's US camp ain't as rosy as I thought.
SKELTON: Got it. Let's talk options. Tell your mom to message me. We'll hash it out together.
"..."
While chatting Suu, another message drops.
This one's...
Priority in current mess.
Defender.
SKELTON: Still kicking?
SKELTON: Brother too?
No questions asked.
SKELTON: Where?