Chapter 3
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 3
Chapter Title: Moderator
-----------------------------------------------------------------
During my conversation with these self-proclaimed Martial Gods, I started to notice something off.
'Wait, doesn't the worldview feel a bit... different?'
Traditionally, martial arts progression started from third-rate, moved to second-rate, first-rate, peak, and ultimately reached the Profound Realm, right?
That was the standard formula in my narrow martial arts novel mindset.
'Hold on a second.'
At that moment.
A ominous possibility flashed through my mind.
'Is this... a cultivation world?!'
Inkkiya aaaak!!!
Seniors...
By any chance... do you guys eat humans...?
?
Why would we eat that? It doesn't even taste good.
Wuu... What are you even saying... newbie...
I eat other stuff!
What the heck?
Newbie, what on earth are you suddenly talking about?
Um. Don't you eat humans to raise your realm? Like cultivators or immortals...
If it's due to racial differences, maybe, but cannibalism among our own kind doesn't happen.
...Really?
Of course, the path of martial arts is infinite and boundless, so among those who practice demonic arts, it might exist. But as far as I know, no one in our Martial God Gallery indulges in cannibalism.
Phew, what a relief.
I was worried that if this world I suddenly got dragged into was some cultivation crossover, what would I do? But it didn't seem like that.
Anyway, let me summarize what I've gathered so far.
3-Line Summary on Recent Hot Topic Bait 'Newbie'
1. A new Martial God, or Martial God candidate newbie, joins the gallery.
2. Surprisingly, the newbie hails from a dimension without martial arts and has zero knowledge of it.
3. Sword debate go go?
3-line summaries are truly Alpha Empress!
And yet the sword debate bird is real...
The Martial God Gallery was a community for Martial Gods from various dimensions.
They truly existed in different dimensions, otherworldly beings.
Yet here I was, invited to it, a complete newbie who didn't know the first thing about martial arts!
"Eban de."
I felt utterly bewildered.
It was like joining a rock enthusiast gallery as a top collector, only to find everyone talking about Hearthstone instead of rocks.
But unlike me, the Martial Gods reacted calmly.
Anyway, we have a new recruit.
Almost a thousand years, right?
Since a new recruit joined.
According to records, yes.
New blood is always welcome.
I'm finally free from being the baby!
They even seemed to accept me like a new family member.
Questions bubbling up, I posted a comment right away.
Um... you're really accepting me?
No reason to reject you.
I'm grateful, but why...? I don't even know a single martial arts technique...
Hmm... Standards for martial arts vary. Plus, you might not remember it, but you could already meet the gallery's entry requirements.
You mean I've lost my memories?
It's possible.
Me, amnesia?
'No way.'
My memories flow continuously like a panorama, solid as can be.
I can even recall what I ate a week ago.
Then, one particularly kind anon commented.
Above all.
Above all?
You've got the gallery's endorsement. Nothing more trustworthy than that.
The gallery's endorsement?
Did that mean the invitation to the gallery?
'Oh yeah.'
Then a sudden question popped into my head.
Come to think of it, I have a question.
What is it?
Where's the admin here?
Admin.
Commonly called the armband, or Moderator.
Or the unpaid hate image deleter.
If a community exists, they had to be there, but I hadn't seen any.
But,
There's no such person.
Eh?
No Moderator?
Not even a Sub-Moderator.
No Moderator?
Is that even possible?
Well, I've been active here for quite a while, but I don't recall seeing one.
I couldn't believe it, but
Surprisingly, it seemed to be true.
Lol, if there was an admin, they'd ban the sword debate birds first.
Sword debate go go?
You fucking brat.
Teacher would get banned first though...
If one really exists, I'd be curious.
I hope it's a guy!
If one exists, it'd be older than the World Tree.
From the reactions as comments poured in one by one, no one seemed to know about a Moderator's existence.
Then who created this gallery?
It's always been here.
Always?
Yes. At least tens of thousands of years ago.
No, tens of thousands of years ago?
The staggering timescale left me speechless.
The gallery has been around for a very long time. It appears before Martial Gods who prove their worth.
To you too, Black Sky...?
What kind of nickname is that... Anyway, same for me and the other Martial Gods.
Black Sky's continued explanation was truly interdimensional.
The gallery transcends dimensions and worlds, creating a connection point for Martial Gods. We can exchange ideas on the martial path we've built. Not physical meetings or item trades, but discourse on martial arts.
Like AlphaGo?
She's a bit of a variant... Anyway, every Martial God's martial path is unique. A hundred Martial Gods mean a hundred paths. All paths lead to one, but we're all sailing different streams toward that end. That's why we respect your case too.
All paths lead to one, huh.
Some fight fiercely everywhere, others openly show disdain,
but all Martial Gods in the gallery basically upheld mutual respect.
That's why they accepted my existence so easily.
'Beats me.'
Martial God Gallery.
This place that appeared out of nowhere was more enigmatic than I thought.
Even the active members didn't seem to fully grasp it—
'No proper admin in sight.'
Yet the community ran smoothly, so I slowly scrolled through the notice list.
-[Wuu... So what’s Hungry Prostitute having for lunch today...? (7)]
-[Amnesiac Newbie. Qi Deviation Hypothesis.txt (13)]
-[Sword Debate Room 1:1 Sword Debate Go Go (21)]
Before long, the posts buzzing with my arrival had calmed down considerably.
Gazing at the now-quiet notices felt oddly melancholic.
Just moments ago, I'd been contemplating death, and now this sudden liveliness.
Honestly, I didn't hate it.
After five years as a loner, I'd thought I was used to loneliness—
'Guess not.'
Humans are social creatures, after all.
I keenly felt how much I'd craved people.
'Though from how things are going, quite a few non-humans here too.'
Anyway, the warmth I hadn't felt in ages made my lips curl into a smile unwittingly.
But,
'Hm?'
While hovering my cursor and reading a post closely, a strange phrase caught my eye.
-[Apply for Moderator]
'What's this?'
At first, it was curiosity.
The orange icon screamed "something special," drawing my hand naturally,
Click—
Second time was carelessness.
*What's the worst that could happen?*
But,
You have applied for Moderator.
Your Moderator application has been approved!
[(Notice) A Moderator has been registered in the Martial God Gallery!]
[(Notice) A Moderator has been registered in the Martial God Gallery!]
[(Notice) A Moderator has been registered in the Martial God Gallery!]
The screen flooded with spamming notices, followed by,
[????????????]
[Legendary incident occurring legendary incident occurring legendary incident occurring legendary incident occurring legendary incident occurring legendary incident occurring legendary incident occurring]
[Did the gallery get hacked? Did the gallery get hacked? Did the gallery get hacked? Did the gallery get hacked? Did the gallery get hacked?]
Once again, the gallery exploded.