A New Encounter

A low-grade potion. Yet because it had been produced in the Magic Tower, its effects were exceptional — and in an instant, it was transmitted to a thousand people. Those who had always believed the community functions made it impossible to exchange items or exert influence on others erupted in astonished cheers.

Most of the board's reactions were favorable. The thousand who received potions praised me in the hope that more scraps might fall their way, while those who hadn't still realized they could now receive items and supplies from me.

The atmosphere on the board bordered on frenzy. Seeing that, I knew the transmission function was working properly. Choi Yebin, who had been in another room, came over and spoke to me.

"Admin. I got a potion too."

She had left a comment among the first thousand, so I had sent one to Choi Yebin (killer) as well. Whether it was the same novel or a different one, the transmission function ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠worked without issue — even when I bulk-sent to nearly a thousand people.

The utility of this function was enormous. Among the countless novel transmigrators, I alone had become an existence capable of influencing every world.

All I had sent my community friends was potions, but they had already figured it out. Weapons of war, supplies, anything similar — Admin could send as much as he wanted if he felt like it. And that he was someone with considerable wealth.

Anyone crazy enough to send a thousand potions just for a simple test couldn't possibly be lacking in resources. But as always, people who resented power inevitably appeared.

I was about to dismiss it as ordinary trash talk, but the body of the post was packed with mother-and-father insults, so I decided on retaliation.

The moment I saw it, I took a screenshot and uploaded ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠a post of my own.

In an instant, the anonymous user's insult post was flooded with furious comments.

Incredible firepower. The board users swarmed in and began a collective lynching. Feeling satisfied, I posted one more thing.

A few kept following me around begging for more feed. Occasionally someone asked for something else they needed, but most simply wanted another round of the same potions they had just received.

Of course they did. For people transmigrated into novels hurtling toward destruction, a highly efficient potion was a lifesaver. Ordinary low-grade potions only mended minor cuts and bruises, but the ones I had ordered the Magic Tower disciples to produce were different.

The Magic Tower admitted only the finest mages. Even using materials meant for low-grade potions, what they created reached mid-grade effectiveness. It couldn't reattach a completely severed limb, but if an arm was dangling by shreds, it could restore it to normal. That much was more than enough.

Ah, come to think of it, there's that effect too.

The potions also possessed detoxification. Because it was a magical effect rather than a conventional antidote with a fixed list of toxins it could neutralize, its versatility was far superior. Most ordinary poisons could be purged, so depending on the user, the potions would prove extraordinarily efficient.

In fact, more than a few people claimed they had survived thanks to me.

Naturally, people on the Dying Novel Gallery began speculating about my true identity.

Watching them make a racket on the community put me at ease. The gallery was burning hot with me as the main topic, and the thought that I had created all this firepower and vitality filled me with deep satisfaction. Choi Yebin, standing beside me, watched my happy face and spoke.

"You look pleased."

"Of course I am. Our friends are praising me."

"Is getting attention a good thing?"

"Obviously. However I might look in reality, I'm an attention seeker. I like it when other people praise me and lift me up."

And I added one more thing.

"In reality, even when they try to praise me, the only word they ever use is 'mass murderer.' Listening to that kind of empty praise messes with your head."

The man who had secured victory in the war through mass-slaughter magic. To people, McDeras was dynamite, a missile, a nuclear weapon.

No one could maintain an easy relationship with such a being. Anyone who saw him trembled in fear. How many people in the real world would dare curse me out? How many ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠could call me an attention whore or a shit-stirrer? Absolutely none.

But the Dying Novel Gallery was different. Easy relationships continued one after another, and I enjoyed interacting with them. Sometimes their insults annoyed me enough to retaliate, but even that was a kind of love-hate affection.

"When I look at the community, I think, 'I'm just an ordinary person like them.' That feeling makes me happy."

As I wore a bitter expression, Choi Yebin raised her hand with an awkward face and declared,

"A-Admin! We must praise the Admin! Great Admin!"

"...?"

When I looked at her with a startled face, her cheeks turned bright red and she shouted,

"You said ordinary praise was nice... so I tried copying what people do on the gallery."

"Even for me, using community speak in real life is a bit..."

"I understand. I-I won't do it again."

"I'm kidding. It made me feel good."

"You're lying, aren't you?"

"You can tell just by looking, right? Check if I'm lying."

After a moment Choi Yebin nodded.

"I'm glad you seem happy."

"Yeah. I am. You've seen it yourself — inside the Magic Tower my word is absolute. If I tell them to do something they do it; if I tell them to die they'd probably die. How am I supposed to form real friendships with people like that? Impossible. What I need are ordinary people, ordinary friends. People like you."

"How can you say something like that so casually?"

Then Choi Yebin murmured softly,

"You're embarrassing me."

Watching her face flush red in a way that didn't suit her at all, I let out a quiet laugh.

Thank goodness. If I hadn't warped into the novel Choi Yebin had transmigrated into, I never would have met her. And the transmission function never would have activated either.

At this point I have no choice but to admit it.

The Admin functions grow. The method is simple. When I warp into another novel and survive twenty-four hours under a random penalty, a new ability seems to be granted.

My hypothesis might be wrong. But at the very least, I believe without a doubt that these functions are exactly what I need.

Thanks to the warp function I made a friend, and thanks to the transmission function I finally received the sincere attention I had always wanted from the Dying Novel Gallery.

So what would the next function be?

I figured I would find out soon enough. After all, the reply to the message I had sent holly trust earlier had just arrived.

With that short reply, I turned to Choi Yebin.

"This time I'm going to holly trust's place. Will you help me? From what I can tell, the penalty only hits me."

"Well... it's not like I have anything better to do, so I'll help."

The moment Choi Yebin answered, a message appeared stating that the warp request I had sent to holly trust had been accepted. I immediately grabbed the box of Elixir beside me and crouched down.

Brilliant light wrapped around our bodies, and then our vision blacked out.

Bang!

The warp ended in an instant. I landed hard on my rear while Choi Yebin touched down lightly.

Once we arrived, I couldn't say a word.

"..."

Choi Yebin likewise maintained only silence inside the cramped room. The girl sharing the space with us.

Missing one arm, one leg, and even one eye — and yet still unspeakably beautiful — a saintess smiled and greeted us.

"Admin... is that you, Admin...?"

Looking at the girl who couldn't even walk properly, I recalled holly trust's posts once more. I regretted my mistake of dismissing her as a roleplayer.

holly trust — she had been living in hell.