Chapter 88
Chapter 88
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Translator: Ace
Chapter: 88
Chapter Title: Episode 29. Happy Happy Comment Squad
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"Hah."
In the inner chamber of the underground labyrinth, BM let out a hollow laugh.
"Well, I'll be..."
The hulking figures seated in front of computer devices were hammering away at their keyboards. Their faces lit up like they'd hit the lottery jackpot the night before. It was quite the sight.
These were none other than the "Federation's Claws," the elite 30-man airborne special forces team, now touring various sites and posting positive comments.
Could there be a more mismatched scene?
'Never thought I'd live to see the day...'
BM's bemusement didn't last long.
One of the operatives shouted.
"One instant ramen, please!"
"Got it."
Clank.
The Guardian poured hot water into a cup of ramen and handed it over to the operative.
BM vaguely recalled seeing a similar scene in his childhood.
"...What is this, a PC bang?"
This was a columnist's piece exploring why an accidentally uploaded video was drawing such vicious backlash.
Dozens of comments filled the section below.
(Comments: 54)
This site was no different. Hate bred more hate. Even now, as Wei Lian was being identified as a demonkin and investigations wrapped up, these remnants lingered.
Then, out of nowhere, entirely different comments began appearing one by one.
A typhoon swept through, scattering trash in its wake.
Then delicate petals blanketed it all.
But there were rather a lot of those petals.
(Comments: 884)
"...What the?"
The columnist rubbed his eyes in disbelief. In just five minutes, hundreds of comments had overrun the article.
'Some positive comment campaign?'
Weird as it was, reading them brought a sense of calm. The world didn't seem so bad after all.
From one finished site to the next, and the next. The bizarre positive comment wave spread.
Even on old articles, videos, and posts where the buzz had died down, comments praising and cheering for Gaeul began pouring in.
Such comment ops were commonplace. No one batted an eye when the hate squad did it, and the media and public ignored this too.
It only ruffled the feathers of those who lived there.
The hate squad.
The "Yoo Gaeul Community" had briefly buzzed during orientation but was now a ghost town.
No one visited. Yet now, ripples from the mishandled video had made it the hate squad's prime target.
Filled with malicious comments and posts, the admin had given up moderation and was pondering shutdown.
Until now—storm-like cheers flooded in. Hundreds per minute.
The hate squad wouldn't just watch.
Logic no longer mattered. Gathered as Wei Lian fans, any fanboying made them targets for backlash. So they hid weaknesses, spewing raw rage.
Lol just spat on Yoo Gaeul pic and tore it up lolol
Mad yet? lolol Tore it to shreds with all my might and it turned to dust lololol
Of course, no photo, no tearing—just bait to piss people off.
Replies came instantly.
"What the actual fuck..."
A hate squad member's hand trembled as he read positive replies from his room.
"You crazy bastard..."
He spat curses, but they rang hollow. Strangely, his rage subsided. He paused.
Then chewed over the reply.
'...'
Among posts was one with a kitchen knife slashing a yellow doll—Yoo Gaeul curse pics as usual.
One featured a guy flexing impressive arms.
A female hate squad member showing off, dissing Yoo Gaeul.
A reply followed swiftly.
"What the hell? Crazy?"
Prove it?
Black operative Joshua panicked.
"Oh man. I left the wrong comment. Wrong one..."
"What's up, Joshua?"
"Look at this. They want proof of my lifts."
"Oof. Proof? That's... haha..."
"Right? It's not impressive enough to show off... heh."
2.4m tall. 94cm shoulders. 269kg bodyweight.
3-lift total: 6250kg. His specs.
Joshua chuckled sheepishly, activating his device's cam. Airborne team leader Bell yelled.
"Hey Joshua! No showing tattoos, face, or giant crystals, got it?"
"Of course, Captain. Just a peek at the forearm!"
A monster-like arm, resembling a massive creature's, hoisted a car-sized barbell. It rose and fell effortlessly for a while.
After Bell's inspection, he uploaded the simple clip.
Five minutes later. An apology post.
And so the Happy Happy Comment Squad roamed sites, burying filth deep, posting cheers for Gaeul, workout tips, and feel-good positives galore.
The hate squad, already raging, lost steam as news revealed more of Wei Lian's crimes.
......
Petals piled endlessly where the typhoon passed.
Closing his eyes brings that scene vividly to mind.
4th regression.
The undisputed top singer of the era, Billboard goddess with 24 No. 1s, AT media's greatest singer ever—pop star Baby Yellow's suicide attempt.
Yoo Ji-tae, hiding his identity, served as her bodyguard. He'd realized she was the Gold Dragon who triggered the apocalypse in 1st and 3rd regressions.
As chief bodyguard and celebrity liaison.
From just outside that line, Yoo Ji-tae shadowed her every move, protecting Gaeul.
Top floor of a grand hotel. Baby Yellow lay in the tub, slicing her wrist with a sharp dagger.
Sensing doom, Yoo Ji-tae smashed the door open.
The Gold Dragon sobbed silently.
Blood spread like paint in the tub. Weeping Gold Dragon. Water-repelling golden hair felt surreal.
In panic, Yoo Ji-tae pulled her out to staunch the bleeding. Overwhelmed, he yelled.
"Why do this? You were fine just now. We were laughing, talking—what the hell—!"
A fact unknown even in 3rd regression, when he wasn't worthy to approach a dragon.
The Gold Dragon's breakdowns had precursors.
She hides emotions.
The Gold clan's deep immersion and empathy became a quagmire. Hide. Hide more. Hide again. Too young and fragile to show hurt. The shadows rot slowly.
Then, uncontrollable impulses erupted self-destructively.
Why had he dismissed the signs?
This was the result.
The wrist cut was symbolic—her dragon heart was stopping alone. Yoo Ji-tae desperately persuaded her. He didn't know why, where it started.
The Gold Dragon silenced the regressor coldly.
"See? You think I'm the problem too? Everyone does, so I thought about it—yeah, it fits. My existence is the issue. That's why I regret it. If I'd known I'd be this kind of bitch, I wouldn't have let myself be loved."
Then Yoo Ji-tae realized. The "beginning" was the problem.
All this stemmed from something that never should have been.
Her faint heartbeat faded from his ears.
"But you really lack sense. If you came to talk down a problem child like me..."
She scrunched her eyes, crying again.
"...you should've brought something sweet."
And her heartbeat stopped.
Water under the bridge. Caging her didn't fix everything—issues arose elsewhere in 5th and 6th regressions. But that's past too.
"Huh? Why? Why why?"
Lost in thought, Yoo Ji-tae's mind snapped back. He'd called Gaeul to the terrace alone.
"Why give me this all of a sudden?"
Yoo Gaeul's eyes widened at the candy he offered.
Blue and pink swirled on a lollipop.
"...Eat it."
"A gift? So pretty! How could I bear to eat it?"
Crunch. Chomp chomp!
But her mouth was honest.
As she munched the candy, giggling in sugary bliss,
Yoo Ji-tae carefully recounted the past three days.
She nodded calmly, surprised.
"Gaeul. If anything bothers you—any thought, any feeling—tell me freely."
"Okay."
"Tell me. Got it?"
"Yes yes."
He placed a hand on her head, sucking noisily on the candy. Blood-free golden hair tickled his fingers softly.
"I'm always on your side."
Her heartbeat echoed reassuringly, easing his heart.
Past regressions were gone. No repeats in the time ahead. Not like now.
Then Gaeul mumbled mid-crunch.
"So that's how Bom unni felt back then..."
What?
"Huh? No, nothing!"