Chapter 244
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 244
"So, the bubble has finally burst!"
Bisabeol smiled brightly.
"It was bound to happen eventually."
"Did you expect this?"
"Of course. It would have been harder not to."
These were people who had spent their entire lives unable to do as they pleased. Most probably didn’t even know what they wanted in the first place. And to offer such citizens a 'happy dream with absolutely no side effects'...
It was only natural that they would ignore the government and go wild over it.
"You’re surprisingly positive about this."
"My, but I am always watching my son. I make sure to witness every performance you put on, no matter when or where, with my own two eyes."
"So, how do you like this performance, Father?"
"Of course I do!"
He seemed to be in an exceptionally good mood.
Arjio lounged on the long sofa in the Guild Master’s office and looked up at him. Bisabeol, leaning on his cane, looked down at Arjio, his bright yellow eyes gleaming with an obsessive light.
Hmm.
He liked those eyes.
Seo Gio and Giovanni recoiled at the thought, but Arjio ignored them. He had a soft spot for the fanatically passionate. People like that always ended up causing at least one major incident.
"Fine, I’m in a good mood. I’ll grant you the chance to converse with my precious self."
"My, how very grateful I am."
Bisabeol didn’t bother moving to the sofa opposite him.
"I was filled with admiration," were his first words. "Indeed, this world is dreadfully boring. Everyone is so desperate to survive that they’ve lost sight of what’s truly precious. They’re busy scraping together a mere resemblance of happiness, not the real thing. And they suffer for it."
"It’s because they don’t know any other way to live."
"Exactly. No one knows how to do anything but endure. It’s a ridiculous world. They force themselves into molds, wasting their precious lives without ever knowing what they like, what they hate, or what they truly want to do."
"Was it that boring for you?"
"Ah, it was mind-numbingly boring. If it had devolved into an absolute mess, at least it would have been entertaining to watch, but it wasn’t even that. Just toy soldiers crawling around, barely scraping by as they swallowed their discontent..."
"Tamed people can hardly rebel."
"Indeed. There’s no reward for it."
Bisabeol’s lips curved into a thin smile.
"But now, you have given them a reward."
The Black Cloak gives gifts to good people.
"Look at the world the Black Cloak has created! Those obnoxious, empty-headed elites have actually started to think. The denizens of the slums, who used to tremble in fear of being crushed, have begun to find their courage."
"Because I give them gifts."
"That was where it all started."
The citizens, who only knew how to live under oppression, had learned how to be brave. They began to step forward instead of hiding, dipping their toes in the water. The current situation was a direct result of that.
"Now that they have learned what good is, they are learning what evil is."
Arjio laughed at Bisabeol’s words.
"Are you saying I caused trouble?"
"Trouble? Didn’t I just say it? This is a performance."
Everything was nothing more than a planned play.
"Those who came to embrace good because of the Black Cloak will find a better path, even if they learn of evil. But those who had no interest in the Black Cloak, or even felt an aversion to him, will use this as an opportunity to learn evil first."
Even so, Gio wouldn’t let this performance turn people into evil beings.
"Ultimately, Arjio, I know that you too are a mystical being who loves heroes and champions goodness."
"You think so, even though I am an Evil God?"
"Of course! Aren’t you simply someone who loves amusement far too much? Arjio, the Cruel Beast, who loves righteous wrath more than anything in the world. You don’t turn your back on the weak."
"You know me quite well."
"Because I have good eyes."
They were eyes he could boast of even to a divinity.
"In the end, everything will get better. Yes, the world needs to be like this to be interesting! What joy is there in living like a machine, with both good and evil utterly suppressed? It disgusts me to watch people being swept along without any sense of self, like a pack of rats in a filthy alley."
"So in the end, you’re just seeking your own amusement, too?"
"A humanity that never changes is just a resource to be used and discarded, over and over. Where is the value in that? Without good and evil, there is no change, no rebellion, and no conflict. If you teach them well this time... Teacher Seo Gio."
At the sight of the Black Cloak, who had returned to his black-haired form, Bisabeol’s eyes curved into crescents.
"How much more interesting will the world become?"
"……."
Gio, looking up at him, hummed and said, "I was wondering where that expression of yours came from."
"My expression?"
"The one you’re making right now. That smile."
"Ah, of course." Straightening his back, Bisabeol chuckled. "My curators probably smile just like this."
It was the same smile outsiders occasionally found creepy. Bisabeol was its origin. It wasn’t intentional, but at some point, his curators had started mimicking the expression. He quite liked it, so he simply let it be and enjoyed the sight.
"By the way, you didn’t deny being called 'Teacher'?"
"I am indeed a teacher."
"Even now, when your school has been reduced to ruins?"
"It seems you know about me."
"I already knew your name and face; did you really think I wouldn’t investigate? Your identity predates the Great Catastrophe, so it was difficult to verify, but I managed to uncover a few small stories."
"Who did you hear them from?"
"Perhaps from those who used to be your students?"
After a brief silence, Gio spoke.
"So they survived."
"Of course. But it seems you haven’t gone to visit them."
"I was hesitating."
"May I ask what you were hesitating about?"
"What I should do. Should they consider me dead or alive? Would they be afraid if I suddenly appeared? Would showing myself be the right thing to do, or would it be better if I didn’t?"
"I still haven’t found the answer."
So he had buried the thought for a while.
"Guild Master Bisabeol, you might not know, but even I have pathetic moments like this."
"I am filled with admiration for your thoughtful nature."
"You have a habit of saying and doing rather intense things."
"And yet, aren’t you the one who came all the way to my room? Isn’t that right, son?"
"That’s true, too."
As Gio swept his hair back, it instantly turned red.
"I quite like teaching things, Father."
"So you’re going to educate South Korea? That sounds incredibly fun. I like it."
"I realized something during my time with the Moon Cult."
"May I hear it?"
"That the people of this era are truly no different from newborns."
He stroked his chin.
"They don’t even know the most basic things. It’s a given that they don’t know what they want. But they’ve also forgotten how to get angry, how to cry, how to laugh, how to sing, how to eat, how to sleep, how to walk, how to see, how to hear... So many have even forgotten how to breathe."
It wasn’t like that in my day.
"So I am teaching them, step by step. Not that I think you’d worry, but you don’t need to. Those who realized the value of humanity and connection from the Black Cloak will stand firm, even with the appearance of the Evil God Arjio."
"You seem to know me well, but I wasn’t worried in the slightest."
"I meant for you to at least pretend to be."
"Isn’t that pointless?"
Finally, Bisabeol sat on the sofa opposite him.
"So, what is the reason you came to find me?"
"To see those eyes once more."
"Aha, my eyes?"
"Yes."
Gio’s golden eyes stared into Bisabeol’s.
"How did you end up obtaining them?"
"Well now, I’ll have to say 'no comment' on that."
"Are you getting along well with those eyes?"
"Of course! We have become terribly affectionate with each other."
"How do I appear in them?"
"Hmm, let’s see..." Bisabeol pretended to ponder before replying. "Aha, oh my."
"Well? How is it?"
"You look like a winged beast."
"You saw correctly."
Arjio laughed.
"I’m glad your eyes are perfectly fine."
He had intended to help if they were causing him pain, but it seemed they were getting along just fine on their own.
* * *
"The 'Dream Amusement Park' is indeed a dungeon," the Moon Cult Bishop explained.
"Based on the information gathered so far, a massive, amusement park-shaped space does exist. The entry condition is to 'receive a flyer, write down what you want, place it under your pillow, and fall asleep.' Based on this, it’s been identified as a virtual dungeon."
It was a format where participants were pulled into the dungeon once they met specific conditions.
"Since these conditions can only be met voluntarily, there is no coercion. However, considering the massive appeal that 'safely doing whatever you want in a dream' would hold for citizens exhausted by reality... it is not a matter we can easily dismiss."
"Does it take longer to wake up from sleep, by any chance?"
"There hasn’t been any news of that in particular."
The Moon Cult was a religious order with close ties to the Association. When incidents of this nature occurred, they would share information and act as allies to brainstorm solutions. The Bishop, who had just returned from a briefing at the Association, addressed her fellow disciples.
"The scale is too large to be the work of an individual or a small group. There is also a standardized space. Please check the distributed materials for more details. What we must do is grasp the structure of this dungeon, the 'Dream Amusement Park'."
Essentially, they were to be guinea pigs.
"You may use any method you see fit, as long as it doesn’t cause any major issues. Just as we did in the 'Deep Sea Kingdom' last time, I look forward to your diligent research and reports, brethren."
"Then, can we try the method on this flyer? After all, the easiest and fastest way would be to experience it firsthand. It also says there have been no special side effects so far..."
"If it poses a threat to your health or life, please report it before attempting. Otherwise, you may proceed as usual. Please conduct your research discreetly so as not to cause any social issues."
"Understood."
The Moon Cult was generally in high spirits. To them, dungeons and monsters were merely interesting research topics. Furthermore, a virtual dungeon with such friendly conditions? It was well worth investigating.
Their benefactor, Hunter Seo Gio, who was sitting among them, smiled awkwardly.
"I hope everyone refrains from doing anything too dangerous."
"Saint, do not worry. If it really feels like I’m going to die, I’ll just pray to our Master..."
"And if you pray, will the Moon God save you?"
"He’ll probably hear of my commendable achievements right before I die."
"I rarely say this, but please, exercise some moderation."
"It’s all for the future of humanity..."
"Seriously."
"Yes, sir."
The Bishop cleared her throat and awkwardly intervened.
"This kind of situation must be rather awkward for you, Hunter Seo Gio."
"The Collector Guild has a similar atmosphere of reckless self-sacrifice, but perhaps out of consideration for the Guild Master, they don’t do anything too dangerous. I’m still not used to this, even though everyone here is so smart."
"Their brains work well, but our order isn’t made up of people who are that clever. Still, they are children who will absolutely keep to any conditions set for them, so you don’t have to worry too much."
"It seems you are worrying more than I am, Cult Leader."
"……."
A beat later, she asked, "...Ah, me?"
"Your expression hasn’t looked very good lately."
"I think it’s because I haven’t been sleeping well."
"Are you having nightmares?"
"No, rather than that..." the hesitating Bishop replied, "it feels like I’m only half-asleep."
She had recently been dreaming of the Evil God.