Chapter 350
Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 350
Chapter Title: 142. Coin (3)
Just as the battle was about to kick off, words from the NEET flashed through my mind.
At this point, whether that bastard was a guy or a girl didn't matter much anymore.
The root of all evil, Sparrow, had sent me a 1:1 admin chat request.
I admit that depending on the frame, my words could come off as reckless, vulgar, and childish.
But do I really need to talk like a human to a beast?
Even this is me matching their level in chat etiquette, at least.
Anyway, my chatting seemed to have successfully pissed off Sparrow.
The curtain had risen on full-scale revenge.
For Valentine's sake, if nothing else, this revenge had to succeed.
By the way, back in school and on the battlefield, I've always been tenacious as hell. I don't shy away from or fear the grind.
"......"
Click.
...
"......"
Tap tap.
Six hours had passed since the online battle began.
"SKELTON. You skipping breakfast this morning?"
"Just a sec. I'm in the middle of something really important."
"Even though we got fresh juicy ones today?"
"This is juicy enough. When I'm done, tell everyone I've got a surprise straight from Jeju—hot off the press!"
Breakfast together was my rule, but there was no helping it.
This was a more crucial moment than ever.
"......"
Click.
This battle might be the fiercest one of my entire life.
Looking back, struggle isn't always ugly or violent.
Sublime struggles can ignite fire in the hearts of onlookers.
Just like now.
The first user siding with me had spoken up.
"The beginning is half the battle" means the situation was ripe for it to start.
Once that first user chimed in, countless others who'd been watching this fight for six hours jumped in like they'd been waiting.
The users were rising up.
This wasn't resentment built up over a day or two.
They'd long known about the inequality hidden in the board.
They'd just turned a blind eye.
Because getting daily comfort from the internet mattered more than picking fights.
All I'd done was turn their ignored anger back on.
Like pouring water on a blazing fire—far from dying out, the flames engulfing the board only grew fiercer.
And those flames soon summoned one man.
My fellow mod—maybe Gong Kyung-min.
He liked me, at least on this board.
Either way, he was the real power here.
The moment he showed up, the entire board got "frozen."
Posts and comments locked down.
Taking the opening, I returned to base.
No big deal.
Just send the message floating in the input window of my spare laptop on the central toilet to the Viva! Apocalypse! board.
"......"
Click.
I fire off the pre-written trump card to my home turf, Viva! Apocalypse!
...
"......"
A wave was coming.
A massive tsunami Jeju couldn't handle.
...
From the eye of the storm I'd unleashed, I secretly messaged my slightly shady ally I'd joined hands with.
"......"
Tap tap.
For the Jeju security guy who got in purely on connections and nepotism, not skill or experience, this would be a heavy burden.
It happened while prepping the Jeju intranet secret folder hack with Foxgames.
Foxgames shared some truths with me.
Not all that surprising.
That rat poison was seriously potent.
Strong enough to kill a predator that ate the poisoned rat, and even the predator's predator.
Foxgames had sent "proof" pics saying Blackie was alive, but I'd already considered he might be lying.
Time passed to now.
A message finally from Unicorn, who'd been MIA forever.
Right when Foxgames had successfully hacked Jeju's secret folder, extracted data, and we were deep in analysis.
I saw her messages three hours after the last one.
By then, Foxgames and I were wrapping up analysis on the extracted Jeju secrets.
Truth, as Foxgames said, is like two sides of a coin.
Truth doesn't always light up the world, bring happiness, or guide us to better places.
Some truths breed despair, crush hope, and brutally deny our future.
"......"
I already knew.
What that blue-backed list of countless Awakened was.
Why would I not? It looked just like what I'd seen on the battlefield.
"......"
Yep.
...
Doesn't matter.
The rest of the story.
Humanity can't escape extinction.
That's the truth engraved on the back of the coin.
Before it, Foxgames and I are just ordinary humans. Nothing more.