Armchair Theory (1)

Executive 1: "Hmm? This is a new format."

Executive 2: "Orders came down yesterday to implement a new meeting operations system. Apparently the higher-ups were quite thoroughly displeased with the contents of that last disciplinary committee meeting. The IT team threw this together in a hurry."

Executive 1: "Hmph. Figures..."

Executive 3: "What, they took the disciplinary committee that seriously? Come on, all we did was slap one Administrator brat with a penalty. What's so offensive about that... Sheesh. Bet the IT kids got worked to death."

Executive 2: "Ah, surprisingly, the discipline itself wasn't the problem. The issue was that the content of the disciplinary committee minutes looked rather unseemly to the higher-ups. They said it lacked structure and formality — made everything look messy and complicated."

Executive 4: "That's the higher-ups for you. They never listen to a single opinion from those of us working the field... As long as it looks good to them, they're satisfied whether we do the job well or not. Honestly."

Executive 3: "If Administrator A heard you say that, he'd be thrilled as hell. Hahaha!"

Executive 4: "Wow. Coming from the one who played the role of judge, you really have no mercy, do you. ☆☆... I mean, Executive 3? Have you ever considered that the way you handled your role might have been part of the problem?"

Executive 3: "You think I'd take the judge's seat if I had any mercy? And what business is it of yours how I play judge?"

Executive 4: "Ah. Yes. Yes..."

Executive 1: "Ahem... In any case, the first item on today's agenda is as follows."

Executive 3: "What... an 'Earth' content update? We're debating whether to change it? Why? We already dropped the update notice not that long ago — right after that bat bastard of an Area Boss got wiped out."

Executive 4: "That's not it... I mean the plan that guy — Administrator A — had prepared. The one set to go into effect starting in June."

Executive 3: "Of course I know about that. But so what? Just run the update. Is there some kind of problem?"

Executive 2: "You know perfectly well that update was prepared by Administrator A from start to finish. Upper management flagged that exact point. They asked whether, given that Administrator A caused a scandal, it wouldn't be appropriate to alter the plans he designed as well."

Executive 4: "Ordinarily, the rules would say leave an update like that alone and just execute it. But that bastard ran things so goddamn poorly that two Field Bosses ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠have already been killed, one dungeon has been cleared and another is about to fall, and now even an Area Boss has been taken out. All thanks to his magnificent management."

Executive 3: "Ah! So applying an update prepared by a guy like that next month, as-is, doesn't look good — no, it's deeply unpleasant! That's how upper management sees it, huh?"

Executive 2: "Yes. Exactly that."

Executive 3: "So then... what's the plan? Is there even an alternative?"

Executive 4: "At present, four options exist. One: proceed with the original plan as-is. Two: scrap everything and start from scratch. Three: push the original plan as an update immediately. Four: immediately update with a different plan. Those are the four."

Executive 3: "Oh, for fuck's sake... What is this?! None of these are properly prepared! I got my hopes up when you said 'new options,' and this is what I get..."

Executive 2: "What choice did we have? Between holding the disciplinary committee and investigating the mess Administrator A caused, we've been buried. We haven't given a single thought to any new update!"

Executive 3: "Hah, seriously... Then shouldn't we be scrambling to cook something up? Isn't that why we ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠called this emergency meeting in the first place?"

Executive 4: "It's not as though we have no new options at all. You know where the 'System' we applied to Earth originally comes from... We've pulled several update proposals from ideas sourced there. Applying one of those wouldn't be a bad approach, in my view."

Executive 3: "For example?"

Executive 4: "Things like the appearance of burrowing worms. Or mass-producing underground labyrinths and letting minotaurs run wild. Or the introduction of flying monsters that survivors haven't encountered yet — ones we've deliberately not permitted to attack survivors. That sort of thing."

Executive 3: "Ah, you're talking about the flying monsters? Yeah, those would definitely crank up the terror. The effect would be solid. But... those things have been flying around since the very start of the apocalypse. Why were they only smashing buildings instead of attacking humans?"

Executive 1: "...Administrator A testified about that last time, did he not. He said he would unleash them once the survivors had grown complacent, so they wouldn't even dare set foot under an open sky. 'True terror is born of complacency, so it shall make for a delightful spectacle,' he said."

Executive 3: "Ahh..."

Executive 1: "...If I may venture an opinion, I find the flying monster option acceptable."

Executive 2: "Oh? Is that so?"

Executive 3: "Huh? For real? Well, flying monsters are cost-effective, sure... but that's something Administrator A thought up and then left sitting around, isn't it? Wouldn't that just mean replacing his idea with his own idea?"

Executive 4: "Hmm, I think it's fine too. Whether it came out of that bastard's head or not, it was one of the ideas we all looked on favorably when we first heard the original proposal. More importantly, when you think about it in terms of the 'game system,' introducing an idea like that isn't a problem by any common standard. Simply put... it's an idea any one of us could have come up with."

Executive 1: "No matter what clever scheme we dig up, it will be difficult to deviate significantly from the operational plan Administrator A laid out. So even if we adopt an idea we had already considered, no major issue should arise. What matters now is that we are replacing the existing plan. That alone should suffice, should it not?"

Executive 2: "I see... In that case, I won't object either."

Executive 3: "Tch... If everyone's on board, I can't very well be the only holdout. Fine. I approve. Approved."

Executive 1: "With a unanimous decision, the conclusion of Agenda Item 1 shall be 'Addition of Flying Monsters.' Naturally, in a manner that does not significantly conflict with the existing system—"

Executive 2: "Ah, just a moment. We haven't set the update timing."

Executive 3: "Crap, the timing! Completely forgot... But since it's a replacement for the June update, shouldn't we just update in June?"

Executive 1: "Do you have a different opinion, Executive 2?"

Executive 2: "Yes, I do. We apply the update right now. Alongside the existing update plan for the appearance of new zombies, no less."

Executive 3: "Huh?"

Executive 4: "Wait, that's not really an alternative so much as... a revision, isn't it?"

Executive 2: "You're right, it is closer to a revision. Upper management never ordered us to completely scrap the original plan, did they? So I think it's better to fold additional ideas into the existing plan and execute it that way. Immediately, at that. Once it's already running, if anyone complains, we can just say we never received an order to 'scrap' it in the first place, so we proceeded with the execution. That should cover us."

Executive 3: "Hoo... Isn't that completely seat-of-the-pants? You really think upper management will just let it slide? What if they chew us out for making an even bigger mess..."

Executive 2: "What upper management wants is for Earth's situation to deteriorate in a manner befitting an apocalypse — not for the updates themselves to become a chaotic mess. Look at where we are. Two Field Bosses already down... no, a third is about to fall any moment. And the Area Boss, which by all rights shouldn't have died for another year if at all, got wiped out in an instant. If we introduce a 'despairing' variable right when a 'hopeful' atmosphere is spreading among the survivors, I doubt upper management will say a word. What they want is a proper 'apocalypse' descending upon 'Earth' — not the rapid 'reconstruction of civilization.' And above all, the rules forbid casually canceling an update that has already been planned and even 'announced' in advance. Upper management knows that too, which is why they never went so far as to say we should erase Administrator A's original plan entirely."

Executive 3: "Oh... That actually makes a decent amount of sense."

Executive 1: "...An excellent judgment. Adopted."

Executive 1: "I hereby conclude Agenda Item 1 as follows. In addition to the existing Super Zombie appearance, we shall incorporate the provision that the monsters previously traversing the skies will descend to the ground and assault humans. This shall commence tomorrow — Earth Calendar 20XX, May 11."

Executive 4: "Executive 2... You really are the same person who was first to endorse Administrator A's disciplinary committee. That strict adherence to the rules, that unmatched enthusiasm for delivering despair to others... I would prefer not to share a meal with you going forward. Please don't seek me out."

Executive 2: "We're in a meeting. Kindly keep the nonsense to a minimum? I could always request a disciplinary committee for you next, you know."

Executive 4: "Yes, ma'am."

Executive 3: "Alright, so that item's wrapped up? Still feels a little unsatisfying, though."

Executive 2: "Executive 3? Unsatisfying how?"

Executive 3: "Everything's fine and all, but... the monster created by Administrator A's sloppy management — the headache he handed us, no, the headache that became a headache itself — that 'Jeong Hoon' bastard won't take any immediate damage from this, will he? Since we ourselves handed him that inviolable territory called a 'Sanctuary.'"

Executive 1: "...Well said."

Executive 3: "Huh? Well said? What do you—"

Executive 1: "The second item... is to determine the disposition of the survivor known as 'Jeong Hoon' — the byproduct born of Administrator A's negligent management."

Executive 3: "Ah... So how to deal with this guy made it onto the agenda after all, huh?"

Executive 4: "Executive 3... Please review the materials beforehand. I'm begging you..."

Executive 3: "Yeah. Get lost."

Executive 4: ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠"Ugh..."

Executive 2: "The more I think about this survivor, the more of a headache he becomes. Just the fact that he was granted an entirely separate system from every other survivor is absurd enough... but what is this ridiculous record? Fastest Field Boss kill. Fastest dungeon clear. Fastest Area Boss kill... Wow. I want to swear. I really want to swear."

Executive 4: "Honestly, this record alone means that insane bastard Administrator A has nothing to say even if he does hard time. Is this zombie apocalypse survival, or a one-man end-of-the-century rampage? And you heard what that idiot Administrator A said at the disciplinary ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠committee, right? Just shamelessly—"

Executive 1: "◐＊◑ is correct. Restrain yourself."

Executive 4: "My apologies. When that... Administrator A's face comes to mind, I get worked up again... I am truly sorry."

Executive 3: "Hmm. But look... we have to decide on this 'Jeong Hoon' guy's disposition, right?"

Executive 1: "Indeed... Do you have some clever solution?"

Executive 3: "I do. And it's an extremely simple one."

Executive 2: "What is it?"

Executive 3: "What else."

Executive 3: "We 'eliminate' him. That 'Jeong Hoon' bastard and every force clinging to him — wipe them off the face of Earth without a trace. Like pinching that one spot flat between your fingers. The way humans crush a tiny insect underfoot."