Chapter 107
Chapter 107
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Translator: crow
Chapter Title: Inspection Tour
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Internet crimes accumulate karma too.
As the Eastern Hell's conclusion after much debate and compromise, they created not only punishment for internet karma but a separate internet hell just for them.
"Shall we take a look around at what else is here?"
Entering the next arena, a massive city welcomed me.
The city's size, impossible to fit inside an arena, made it clear that the arena's internal space was independent from the outside.
"Hey, didn't you sell your body?"
"Whoremonger bastard, ugh! AIDS!"
"That guy's got smallpox, right? Get lost!"
"You're fucking disgusting. Could you not touch me?"
Inside the city were countless people harassing and cursing at what seemed to be a sinner from behind.
"That guy's parents are murderers."
"Aren't you a package thief? Man, why live like that?"
"Hey! Ilbe bug! Off to buy sex again?"
Looking closely at the people, I spotted tiny horns peeking through their hair.
'Goblins.'
The sinner, harassed by goblins disguised as humans, soon couldn't hold back his anger and lashed out.
"I never did that! I never sold my body! I'm not a whoremonger! I don't have AIDS! No smallpox! My parents aren't murderers! I'm not a package thief! And I'm no Ilbe bug!"
"If you didn't, then you didn't—why get mad?"
"He's guilty and touchy about it. A normal person would try a rational conversation, not flip out. Speaks for itself, like the one who farted gets mad."
"Why do you think those rumors started? No smoke without fire. Must be because he did something wrong."
"You fucking bastards!"
He tried to swing at them, but the goblins revealed their true forms and tore the sinner to shreds.
Then the entire city's time rewound, the sinner walked the streets again, oblivious to his previous death.
'What sin is this?'
Fortunately, this arena had a guide sign too.
[False Rumor Spreader's Daily Life]
[Punishment for those who spread false information or exaggerate minor faults to torment and bring misery to others. They remain unaware of their death and suffer the false rumors they spread in life.]
[They remember the lies they propagated, so they can escape if they truly repent. But none have ever done so.]
"Spreading false rumors, huh."
A place to punish those who torment others with fake news.
'False rumors targeting celebrities, streamers, or famous civilians must be off the charts.'
Even without sources or logic, most people just believe them anyway.
'Because it's more fun that way.'
Incidents and scandals pump out extra dopamine.
This was an arena punishing illegal dopamine dealers.
"Let's head to the next arena."
This one was pretty lewd.
"Uwaaak! Help!"
"Uhehe! Stop right there!"
Some men were chased by hulking women, others women by hulking men.
From a modern perspective, the pursuers looked utterly grotesque, but their horns revealed them as goblin disguises.
[Disgusting Image Pursuers]
[Punishment for those who post lewd photos, videos, or text on public boards to disgust others. The people featured in their posts chase the sinners down, raping them upon capture.]
[True repentance allows escape, but none have succeeded.]
So the pursuers' appearances were from the disgusting lewd images the sinners posted online?
'What counts as a disgusting image?'
They might've posted it because they genuinely liked it.
Does it depend on whether the average person finds it repulsive, or on the poster's intent?
'Given why I accumulated karma, probably the former.'
If I hadn't cleared mine, I'd be here too.
'Doesn't seem that hard.'
If caught, just enjoy it.
Repent by empathizing with the victim's side—easy.
"Guess I should try it once."
I leaped down into the arena.
Unfortunately, with all past karma gone, I was back outside before I could blink.
"Too bad."
Guess I'll just watch.
'Why does my chest feel so heavy, though?'
An inexplicable stuffiness pressed on my heart.
It wasn't severe, so I ignored it.
"Uwaaak!"
I saw many more arenas.
"S-save me! Gurk, kuaaak!"
Sinners who posted cruel images or text causing major trauma suffered "Disgusting Image Accidents" matching their crimes until true repentance.
"Kuuk! Please! Don't take my memories... Huh? What was I doing?"
Scammers who stole virtual assets like Bitcoin, accounts, or game items endured "Memory Theft," periodically losing memories until they lost their very self, resetting to suffer again.
"Smile, why aren't you smiling? Did someone hold a knife to your throat to come to hell?"
"N-no! No sir!"
"If you're pissed, just kill yourself—problem solved!"
"Sob! I revive even after death!"
"Nu-mal-bo?"
"You asked! I revive! You keep harassing, beating me! The pain! Why ask when you know!"
"Geub?"
Internet instigators who picked fights and trolled to anger others now faced goblins who grated their nerves with every reply—or smashed their bones with iron clubs if ignored—in "Troll Village Conversations."
'So many punishments.'
There were more, but the fun part was that sinners didn't get just one.
"Aaah! It's shifting!"
"Damn it! Please! Something less painful!"
The internet abyss is deep.
One sin leads to more, and most sinners with multiple faced arena shifts every six hours for new torments.
'No time to adapt.'
But the real surprise was elsewhere.
"Shift three over!"
"Break time!"
"Whew, good work. See you in six hours!"
"Good work, everyone!"
Hell had breaks.
Goblins tormenting sinners diligently clocked out. Remaining sinners gathered in one arena, granted rest.
[Break Time Log]
[Only those who apply for rest in this program can lie on comfortable beds in private rooms, eat delicious food, and rest pain-free.]
But like requesting vacation, they had to apply via computer.
"Kuuk, I'm starving!"
"My body's burning up!"
"S-so sleepy... but... can't sleep... Lying on a bed should do it...?"
Otherwise, intense pain, hunger, and fatigue hit even without punishment.
'One computer per person.'
A small desk, desktop PC, and hard wooden chair provided.
Sinners rushed to apply.
[Membership required.]
[Use certified certificate for identity verification.]
[No certificate? Click here to issue one.]
No one could sign up, shunted to certificate issuance.
[Starting certificate issuance.]
[Install security program.]
Countless sinners clicked install.
Download was glacially slow—thirty minutes.
[Security program installed.]
[Page error. Reconnect.]
They reconnected.
[Keyboard security program missing.]
[Manually install missing security program.]
"You fucking shit!"
Some cursed, manually downloading and reinstalling—another thirty minutes.
[Security program installed.]
[Enter ID, password, personal info.]
They inputted as prompted.
[Password cannot be name, resident ID, birthdate, or simple numbers.]
[Use 15+ characters: special chars, complex numbers, letters+numbers.]
[Error. Reconnect.]
"Grrr...."
Some foamed at the mouth.
Quitters here were mostly foreigners.
'Japanese, Chinese, Thai—lots from Buddhist countries.'
A few Westerners, some with crosses.
'What're the criteria?'
The rest were almost all Korean.
Koreans, familiar with this nonsense, persisted stubbornly.
[ID created.]
[Starting verification.]
[Enter i-PIN ID and password.]
[No i-PIN? Click to create.]
"Uwaaaaa!"
Even more quit at this stage.
But the hopeful clicked i-PIN creation.
[Creating i-PIN ID.]
[Security program not installed. Install.]
[Time to security install complete: 34 min 27 sec.]
A new program, unrelated to the previous.
Nearly everyone gave up.
"Always this bullshit!"
"Gaaaaak!"
Their rage-filled screams suggested daily torment.
"Please, please!"
A few didn't quit.
A tiny few calmly persisted, succeeding at i-PIN and certificates... but...
"Break over!"
"Back to punishment!"
Too late.
"We could've rested this time!"
"Is success even possible?!"
"Damn it!"
No success stories.
'Why try? For fleeting relief from pain, or clutching a rotten rope in despair.'
I'd seen enough and was about to leave when—
"Huh?"
I ran into a goblin.
It glanced above my head, straightened up, and shouted.
"An honor to meet the provisional King of Hell!"
"Provisional King of Hell?"
"Yes! It's... your name up there!"
"Hm, got a mirror?"
"Here!"
The goblin pulled out a hand mirror.
I read its name from the blue badge on its uniform.
"Thanks, Gold-Sixty."
"My pleasure to help!"
In the mirror, my face—and the vivid orange name floating above: 「(Provisional) Yi Seung-hoon」.
"The name's orange."
"When Kings of Hell or candidates visit, it's marked that way."
"Hm."
That explained it.
Some ulterior motive, huh?
"May I ask the reason for your visit!?"
Inspection tour.
I meant to say that, but realizations poured like a downpour from touring.
'I figured out that stuffiness.'
Endlessly tormented sinners.
Signs stating no escapes.
Goblins working mechanically like civil servants on shifts.
"Everyone."
I addressed the goblins who'd gathered, noticing me.
"Does Hell exist to torment sinners... or to reform them?"