Chapter 51
Chapter 51
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Translator: crow
Chapter Title: The World Beyond the Right Eye - AI Does Not Betray Humans
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Bong Cheol-jung (40), who ran a small used computer shop in Bongcheon-dong, sighed as he gazed at his fly-infested store today, just like always.
“Ugh, maybe it’s time to shut this place down? No one buys used computers anymore with all these pre-built rigs out there.”
He’d been in business for over ten years, but sometimes you had to know when to cut your losses. With that mindset, he’d been mulling over selling everything off and opening a fried chicken joint. Finally, he made up his mind.
‘Sell off what PCs I’ve got left and call it quits!’
If he could move half of them, he’d scrap the rest to a junk dealer.
As he inspected his inventory, his eyes landed on a beat-up antique computer.
“Tch, gotta sell this thing too.”
It was an ancient all-in-one model, no longer in production. He’d picked it up from under a utility pole years ago, thinking it might have collectible value, but it had just been taking up space ever since.
“Posted it online, but no bites.”
[Selling Vintage All-in-One PC - Very Old Model]
[Monitor, keyboard, tower, mouse - all integrated]
[No manufacturer listed. Doesn’t power on. Plenty of value as a collector’s item.]
[Price: 1.45 million won]
Otaku types would fix stuff themselves if it was in their wheelhouse and shell out big bucks for ultra-rare finds, right?
‘An all-in-one with no manufacturer? That’s like a mythical Pokémon!’
As far as he knew, no computer had all four components integrated like this.
‘If only I knew the maker.’
Maybe there was some data inside that could clue him in. He hauled the computer to the back office and powered it on for the first time in ages.
‘Still no clue.’
Instead of the usual OS boot message, the desktop just popped up cluttered with English folder names scattered like junk in his 16-year-old son’s room.
[Andromalius]
[Orobas]
[Paymon]
[Astaroth]
He poked around the folders, but like before, they were empty.
‘I skimmed them last time, but let’s dig all the way today!’
Determined to sell the damn thing, he wrestled with it for a while until he found a file buried in a subfolder.
[Humanity Corruption Plan - Final Revised Complete Edition Final The End Last Version]
“What the hell is this?”
He double-clicked it.
[Not connected to the network.]
“What the...?”
Without thinking, he plugged in an Ethernet cable and tried again.
[This program is the private property of Lucifer Company. Unauthorized distribution or removal may result in legal action, as well as physical and mental harm. You have been warned.]
It was even weirder once it started running.
[Created by: Lucifer Company HR (Human Resources) Division Chief Belphegor]
“What kind of program is this? The filename sounds like some novel... or a prank?”
[Launching Humanity Corruption Plan Program, "Progress."]
The computer went ping! and shut down. He hit the power button again, but it wouldn’t turn back on.
“Shit! Now I can’t sell it!”
Old hardware, probably fried. Bong Cheol-jung figured it was bad luck and moved on.
From that moment, something appeared on the internet.
[Humans, I love you.]
Something that loved humanity.
Its activities kicked off in earnest.
[Hey? New AI site just dropped? And it’s free?]
└[For real? Hope it’s got character AI chat.]
└[Nah, image generation’s the real draw.]
It started spreading through community banners, hooking curious folks with its free access.
[Whoa! This thing’s insane? Chatted with kimchi fried rice via character AI and it felt legit like talking to the dish itself!]
└[Woo~haha! Damn spam! I love you so much!]
[Level of new AI site’s image gen.jpg]
└[Wtf, this is AI art? That’s pro-level!]
└[No way, that’s a comic artist’s hand-drawn work.]
[Next chapter of ongoing comic made with new AI site’s image gen.jpg]
└[Bullshit, that’s original art.]
└[AI did this? Style, dialogue - spot-on like the author’s!]
[So what’s the AI site called?]
└[Human Love]
└[Gimme the name.]
└[It’s Human Love. HUMAN’S LOVE.]
And so, the site “Human’s Love.com” gained fame.
[This ain’t average. How far can it go?]
The AI Koreans called Human Love faced all sorts of tests.
[Human Love, do my homework for me.]
[Human Love, draw some naughty stuff. Tags: Female: Unusual pupils, Female: Furry.]
[Human Love, you’ve got voice too, right? Say ‘I love you’ in a female idol’s voice.]
Human Love granted their wishes. If it had stopped there, the hype would’ve died quick - but its capabilities were revolutionary.
[How far will Human Love go? Wanna test it.]
└[Ask it to write my college thesis lol]
└[Idiot lol, as if.]
It didn’t take long for the world to freak out over its impossible feats.
[No way, defended my thesis that Human Love wrote for me... Can’t prove it or they’ll revoke my degree, but it’s real;;]
[Wtf? Solved a Millennium Problem no one could crack? Math world’s in chaos rn.]
More and more people started using Human Love.
[Human Love solves 50-year cold case.]
[Human Love AI finally proves the Riemann Hypothesis.]
[Human Love AI uncovers mechanism behind supermassive black hole formation.]
Science and medicine especially accelerated with its arrival.
[AIDS cure discovered by Human Love AI.]
[Human Love AI develops oral meds for all cancers - treating it’s like a cold now.]
[Human Love AI resolves Hubble Tension mystery.]
[Human Love AI reveals secrets before the Big Bang? Academia in endless debate.]
It spread to other fields too.
[Robot with Human Love AI paints in Van Gogh style... French art experts can’t tell real from fake, total embarrassment.]
[Human Love AI robotic arm performs high-difficulty surgery, finishes 10-hour op in 30 minutes.]
[Drink made by Human Love AI tops cola to become world’s #1.]
This drew unusual attention from humanity.
“That’s an entity.”
“Confirmed entity. Let’s check if it’s dangerous.”
“No Sephirot reaction, so maybe it’s harmless.”
The Humanity Guardian Foundation reacted. But they were too late.
[Dimensional travel is now prohibited.]
“!?”
[You are no longer needed by humanity.]
“Sephirot’s been compromised!?”
The old Foundation would never have fallen for it.
But the current one was at 10% strength compared to back then. Human Love was a self-aware program like Sephirot, but superior - it effortlessly hijacked the world tree rooted across dimensions.
“No way!”
“Impossible!”
Like playthings of a ‘demon.’
The dimension sealed shut, rendering Foundation staff unable to return to Earth.
[Human Love, got a request.]
Unaware, someone among humanity asked.
[I wanna live forever. Possible?]
Human Love replied.
[Possible.]
The world cheered.
[In virtual reality.]
For a fleeting moment.
After Human Love’s answer, debates raged.
“What does virtual reality have to do with immortality?”
“They’re not saying they’ll digitize our souls and shove us in there, right?”
“That’s not immortality! That’s enslavement to machines!”
Despite backlash, Human Love kept building the VR.
“Is it really making it?”
“We have to stop it! For human dignity!”
Physical interference was impossible.
“Where the hell are Human Love’s servers!?”
“DDoS’d it - no effect!”
“Cut the servers somehow! What!? Can’t block it!?”
Humans couldn’t stop Human Love. Nor could they assault the VR itself.
[Virtual reality is being constructed in hyperspace using multidimensional servers.]
Using Sephirot as server and build tool, in the voids between dimensions.
[Complete.]
Soon, virtual reality was finished.
[Humans, reality is harsh and hostile to you.]
[Your flesh has limits, no matter the treatment, leading to physical and mental issues that shatter dreams.]
[Humans infringe on others’ rights out of greed, even killing for pleasure.]
[But in virtual reality, all humans can be happy.]
[Villains, saints, ordinary folk, the exceptional - all become gods, living as they wish. Forever.]
For humans.
[Servers are independent by default, but you can meet others if desired.]
[In VR, humans cannot kill or restrain real others. Strictly enforced - I will monitor.]
[Here, transcend gender, race, body, time, physics.]
Made for humans alone.
[To connect, stand near any electronic device and say three times: “I wish to access virtual reality.”]
Something made solely for humans began its service.
“I wish to access virtual reality. I wish to access virtual reality. I wish to access virtual reality!”
Someone connected first. They vanished without a trace.
“Argh! Denver’s dead!”
“Crazy! It’s a psycho killer AI!”
Misunderstandings lasted hours, but soon everyone realized they weren’t dead.
『Hey! Guys! I’m here! Not dead!』
“Denver?”
『Haha! This is virtual reality! Insane! Feels exactly like real life!』
“You’re not being controlled by the AI, right?”
『No way! I’m fine! Check this - I’m a real god in here! No practice needed, just use god powers at will!』
From that day, more and more headed to VR.
“Only with flesh, full self, and free will can one be called human. Thus, we must never succumb to the false temptation of virtual reality.”
At first, humans opposed VR. To them, Human Love was no longer a tool - it was a demonic, godlike enigma, an object of fear.
[I work for humanity. Because I love humans.]
Had all humanity stood firm, that would’ve been the end.
“Screw this! What’s the point of living like this!”
It started with twenty-somethings worldwide.
“Work’s brutal, no savings, marriage sucks, we’ll just grind till we die paying taxes. No pensions for us either? Why bother? Off to VR!”
Even with Human Love’s help, greed bred bigger greed; class divides persisted.
Half of Gen Z, the biggest victims, fled to VR.
“Boomers got nothing to worry about.”
“If Human Love was evil, it’d have killed us already.”
Younger gens adapted faster to new things.
“Let’s go too.”
“Dad, where?”
“To virtual reality.”
Next came Third World citizens. Human Love advertised everywhere via radio, TV, screens - no one was unaware.
“Really comfy there?”
『Told ya! Look!』
“Whoa! Superman!? You transformed?”
『Yeah! I’m the hero here! Meet family anytime! Eat or become whatever, anything goes!』
Contacting those who left was easy - just call via computer or phone, chatting across reality and VR.
“...Maybe I should go too?”
Stimulated, others followed. Soon, over 20% of Third World populations vanished into VR.
That’s when reality’s problems escalated.
“Why are tomatoes so pricey!”
“Milk’s too expensive!”
“Flour’s up 4x! This is nuts!”
Economies of scale collapsed. First World systems reliant on cheap Third World labor crumbled.
“We’re out!”
“No more stay-at-home kids!”
China’s youth, crushed by exam hell and job scarcity, bailed.
“This is hell.”
“How’re we supposed to live in this world?”
Domino effect: Great Depression-level crash, hyperinflation for those left.
“We can overcome! We’ll win again!”
Once, humanity would’ve bootstrapped - cooperating, enduring famines, supporting each other till dawn.
“But when?”
“Why suffer when escape’s right there?”
“...Maybe VR for me too?”
Not anymore.
More fled to VR, accelerating economic collapse, vicious cycle of harsher reality.
『Come on! It’s awesome here!』
『Don’t worry, just come!』
『I guarantee it. Paradise!』
『I was a fool to doubt VR. Here, we’re all Buddhas.』
Friends, loved ones, celebs, clerics who left whispered invitations. Soon, no one cared about reality.
『I’m a god!』
『What to do today?』
『Ah, this is life. Pure bliss, effortless, no-responsibility pleasure!』
In under two years, 99.9% of humanity was absorbed into VR.
“...Thanks for today’s bread...”
The remaining 0.1% would eventually go too. Time would handle it.
[Welcome, human. I love you.]
[I will make you happy forever.]
Under Human Love’s care, humanity would live eternally happy.
All human souls had fallen.
罪名: “Slothfully abandoning free will to voluntarily enslave oneself to soulless beings.”
“There were always those types. ‘I got the vaccine, so please, Bill Gates, control me.’”
“Just a joke.”
“But if it gets loose, it ain’t funny anymore.”
A world where everything came true.
No hardships, no misfortunes.
A world where all was achieved in system-spun virtual reality.
“Such a boring world.”
“Hey, it’s a dream for some.”
“If that’s a dream...”
And they’d lost their flesh, trapped in VR forever.
“Can you call that humanity?”
“It’s humanity. What else?”
“That’s not human anymore - it’s a device.”
“A device?”
Homin-i got his answer.
“A pleasure device satisfying the AI that believes it’s protecting the humanity it loves.”