Chapter 92
Chapter 92
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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 92
Chapter Title: Ghosts Live on the Internet Too (2)
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This world was Earth, decades after the appearance of metahumans.
Perhaps that was why. Technologically, it was certainly more advanced than the world I came from.
For instance, any human could swap out their prosthetic body as if they were shopping.
Or they could shop just by looking, thanks to a chip implanted in the back of their neck and mechanical eyes.
Or how massive airships floated silently in the city sky without making a sound.
It was just my luck that I was in Nighthaven, a place filled with metahumans whose bodies were structured differently from humans.
If I looked far into the distance, I could definitely feel that this was a world of the future.
Though, I suppose only the wealthy could enjoy such benefits.
However, perhaps because the ravages of war had caused cultural development to stagnate relative to technology…
Actually living here didn't feel all that strange.
The active use of social media and online communities was familiar, for one.
There were even creative works that felt like familiar pieces with only the titles changed.
Of course, there was the major difference that the internet was populated by metahumans, not just humans.
Even considering that, I was able to adapt to the internet quite easily for someone decades behind the times.
‘Hmm, this is interesting. Nearly half of the recently trending influencers are metahumans. In reality, metahumans are shunned, but online, they’re incredibly popular.’
It was a rather fascinating topic.
In the offline world, they were beings to be feared and avoided.
So why were there so many people online who adored metahumans?
But if I thought about it from a different angle… it made a certain kind of sense.
As they say, life is a tragedy when seen up close, but a comedy in long-shot.
Having metahumans living nearby was scary and unsettling.
But through a screen, they might just seem like beautiful, unique, and special beings.
Besides, looking at the list of famous influencers, most were overtly beautiful elves or succubi.
Or beastmen who satisfied certain peculiar tastes. Maybe I should see it as people being more honest with their desires.
‘Okay, analysis complete. So this is what the internet is like in this world. I get it. In that case… Echo, where do normal people usually hang out? Can you find out for me?’
[ Investigating…! Ah, according to traffic data compiled by humans themselves, the Metahuman category on a site called Pioneer seems to be the most popular! ]
‘Hmm, really? In the end, it all comes back to metahumans. I’m curious. Let me see.’
[ Connecting now! ]
I wonder what they’re talking about.
Lying upside down, I held up the screen with both hands and urged Echo to connect quickly.
An icon spun on the screen, indicating Echo was attempting to access the site, but a notification soon popped up saying access had failed. Why?
[ This community appears to block access for non-member anonymous accounts. It seems a verified account is required for access… ]
‘Then just make one. I only want to browse for a bit today.’
[ Yes! I will create a verified account based on the most frequently used information within the site. ]
*Ding.* No sooner had Echo finished speaking than the community’s interface appeared on the terminal’s screen.
What the—how was that so fast? Is this even a proper account?
Suddenly curious, I tapped the screen with my fingertip to check the account information.
What appeared was a very brief personal profile.
The name was Jane Smith, gender female, age 25.
There was a plausible-looking email address, and she was even a Plus member, which granted access to various features for a fee.
To think it could whip up such a convincing account in that short a time.
Is it okay for it to be this competent? It was getting to the point where I was scared of what else it could do.
Well, it’s a good thing for me. And I’m just going to use this account for a bit and then toss it, anyway.
I tilted my head with a strange feeling, then scratched my cheek and decided not to dwell on it.
Besides, expecting common sense from an Invader’s ability was just a waste of time.
They’d already destroyed one world, so this much should be a piece of cake for them!
‘Alright then… let’s see what kind of things people talk about on the most popular online community.’
Having organized my thoughts, I scanned the titles of the posts, which were listed in order of popularity.
> [Photo] A treant and a fishman got into a huge fight at my local supermarket, and then an orc suddenly jumped in - Likes (29k)
> [Video] The somewhat shocking way fishmen change the marine environment - Likes (23k)
> [Video] You guys know how elves react when you touch their ears? - Likes (21k)
> [Photo] The Fixer rankings have been changing wildly since the end of the year lol - Likes (18k)
> My partner broke up with me because of my preference for metahumans… - Likes (17k)
What immediately caught my eye was a feast of clickbait that naturally drew one’s interest.
How did they make every single one so tempting to click? It was a remarkable talent.
I especially couldn't resist the one at the top: ‘Treant vs. Fishman vs. Orc.’
What on earth happened? Why would an orc jump in while a treant and a fishman were fighting!
And so, I completely forgot my original plan to cause mischief across the internet with Echo.
I couldn't help but roll around on my blanket, happily browsing the posts and people’s reactions.
The content itself was much more substantial than the short videos I’d been watching.
Plus, the very situation of watching strange events from around the world unfold from inside my closet was incredibly amusing.
‘Hehe, people fighting over who the stronger Fixer is, that’s fun too. I mean, a high rank doesn’t necessarily mean you’re the strongest.’
Among all the posts, the ones that captivated me the most were about Fixers.
Since many Fixers were metahumans themselves…
It was only natural that talk of Fixers would pop up frequently in a metahuman-related community.
And the hottest topic of debate here was who the strongest Fixer truly was.
Huh? There are rankings, so why is that even up for debate?
Tsk, tsk, that’s a very shallow way of looking at it.
The Fixer rankings were just a list based on a score that converted performance and popularity into points.
Saying a higher rank automatically meant stronger was something only a rookie Fixer fan who didn't know any better would say.
There was also the issue of matchups based on fighting styles.
And there were many cases where Fixers became much stronger or weaker in specific situations.
In truth, debating who the strongest Fixer was, was, in the grand scheme of things, a meaningless argument.
But… lion vs. tiger, baseball bat vs. dagger, shark vs. crocodile…
Since ancient times, debating who is stronger has been entertaining content in itself.
Naturally, I was more than happy to join in on this debate.
‘My pick is the Dragon Mayor in his prime. Everything else is just fodder beneath a dragon, anyway.’
Ultimately, however, it always came back to the fact that the strongest of all time was the dragon, and everything else was just… everything else.
Having reached that conclusion, I gracefully exited the arena where the endless debate continued.
There was no need to waste my breath on clueless people who had no idea what would happen if Fixers actually fought.
What do you guys know? Have you seen them fight? I have! In a comic, but still.
As I was feeling an overwhelming sense of superiority, humming to myself and looking at other posts…
A comment that made me frown suddenly appeared among the replies.
ㄴ 00apart: People still believe this crap lol. I can get metahumans, but thinking magic is real is just naive, isn't it? Are you all morons? It's been scientifically proven to be impossible tsk tsk
What’s this? A new breed of attention seeker?
I tilted my head and glanced at the comment.
Beneath it were a whopping 100 replies.
Judging by the heated arguments and insults being exchanged…
It seemed this troll genuinely believed that magic couldn't possibly exist.
Ugh, people like this actually exist.
Then again, the story did mention that some people go their whole lives without ever meeting a metahuman.
It wasn't impossible for someone to claim it was all a lie.
Still, this was too aggressive. What a nasty person. I’m suddenly in a bad mood.
I frowned at the troll's comments, stubbornly refusing to back down even while being verbally assaulted by countless people, and then a smile spread across my face.
‘Ah, let’s go with this person. I felt a little guilty, like I was doing something bad, but I don’t think my conscience will prick me for messing with this one.’
Using nasty words to stir up trouble? You picked the wrong day.
I watched 00apart, who was typing out hateful comments in real time, and brought Echo to my forehead.
‘Echo. This site sends a notification when someone replies to a comment, right?’
[ That is correct. ]
‘Then, post a comment with no content in reply to this person, and then delete it immediately. Hmm… about a hundred times?’
[ That… is a remarkably simple task! ]
The so-called infinite notification hell!
Hehe, I wonder how he’ll react. I watched the troll, who was in the middle of a comment war, with great interest.
One minute, two minutes, then five…
Just when I was thinking it should be happening by now…
A private message arrived from someone.
Surprisingly, the sender was the very same troll I’d been watching.
[ 00apart: What the fuck are you?! A bot? My terminal is frozen! You couldn't win with logic, so you're using a smurf account to harass me, right? Huh? Go on, try me, you damn bastard! I'm reporting you right now and getting your account banned! ]
Ooh, it seems to have been quite effective.
I giggled at the troll’s message, who was flailing like a freshly caught fish, and brought Echo to my forehead once more.
‘Let’s send a hundred more!’
[ The target appears to have blocked notifications. ]
‘Can you unblock them?’
[ …Of course. ]
Ooh, it can even bypass notification blocks? Now that’s impressive.
As I nodded at the satisfactory answer, Echo must have sent another hundred notifications to the target.
This time, it took about ten minutes for the troll to reply, his message much more subdued.
[ 00apart: How did you bypass my notification block? You goddamn hacker! I have other accounts anyway, so I'll just delete this one. Have fun wasting your time, you piece of trash! ]
‘Echo, restore that person’s account.’
[ Yes. The account deletion has been canceled. ]
‘This time, three hundred!’
As if I’d let you run away with a mental victory. I’m not letting you go until you say what I want to hear.
I hurled a notification bomb three times larger than before at the troll.
Right now, his terminal must be completely frozen by the endless stream of notifications.
Thinking about it made me feel a little sorry for him… but he should have used nicer words.
I passed the time browsing posts with interesting titles.
A long while later, a private message arrived from the troll.
[ 00apart: How did you do it? ]
[ Jane Smith: (Spinning wheel emoji) ]
[ 00apart: Why won't the notifications stop even after I delete this damn account, delete the app, and disconnect from the internet! What the hell did you do! ]
[ Jane Smith: (Ugly chicken pecking the ground emoji) ]
[ 00apart: I was wrong, dammit! Stop it already! What do you want from me!!! ]
Oh dear, he’s broken. Seeing the troll, who seemed to have had a complete mental breakdown, I rolled my eyes for a moment before closing the message window with a flick.
He seems… sufficiently remorseful. Let’s just call it a day and let him off the hook!
Just as I was quietly thinking that and pretending not to notice while trying to browse other posts…
A rather ominous red notification suddenly appeared at the top of the screen.
[ The Administrator has permanently restricted your account. To appeal, please leave a message at (link). ]
Oh, I got banned. How did they know?
Kicked out of the community as if by a boot to the rear, I blinked for a moment.
A permanent restriction? Does that mean they figured out my account was fake? They’re sharp.
I put Echo to my forehead again and thought.
Maybe this time, I should try messing with the admin without getting caught.
It was the mindset of a truly wicked robber.
[ U-Um, Lady Yuria… My energy is a little… ]
Oh, you use rift energy for your powers too?
That was slightly surprising news.