Round 10 Interviews: The Others
The results of the crowdfunding were brutal. Those who saw others succeed and rushed in to try the same thing were mercilessly crushed and killed by Wahando’s Undying Space Front Army.
His opponent had actually been a mystery specialist who might have put up a decent fight against Biin, but Wahando’s forces were well-versed in handling the mystical and responded without issue.
As with all wars, the enemy had already been subdued before the fighting even began.
Wahando only learned about the interview segment afterward. He first awarded himself another new medal, then returned while reflecting on his experiences in life.
“Then, Lord Wahando. Any questions for the organizers?”
“None in particular.”
Wahando did not fully trust the organizers. However, he had already been elderly just before entering the game and held little attachment to life.
Whether the other side lied or not… Besides, after meeting the player named Mihun, he found it impossible to harbor any doubts about the game even if he wanted to.
In life he had fought to conquer the world, but once he had conquered everything there was nothing left to do. The fact that he could continue expanding into the vast reaches of space and keep succeeding was satisfaction enough.
“In that case, the organizers have a question. From this point onward, the questions will be the same for all players.”
“Understood.”
Wahando’s angel recited the questions in a businesslike tone.
“First question. What is your goal as a player?”
“If I drop out midway or win, I want to gather enough points to expand into the vast universe and other dimensions.”
“For the sake of war?”
“Hmm… I keep pouring my strength into war only because my civilization faces constant external threats. If I meet a friendly counterpart, I could interact with them normally and peacefully.
Regardless, whether I become part of the organizers, a subordinate, or a servant, I want to exchange with those who have built such an excellent civilization beyond the vast universe. If the result is being enslaved by an overwhelmingly powerful race, I would rather not do it at all…”
“Do not worry. The organizers cannot treat the winner carelessly. You will be able to manage your world as the winner and interact with us.”
Wahando was satisfied with that answer. If the angel guaranteed it, he could rest easy. He would earn the highest possible points and either become a low-ranking member of the organizers, open a dimensional gateway to his world for exchange with a supercivilization, or negotiate from a higher position as the winner.
That was the goal of the old general named Wahando.
“Then the second question. Do you have any complaints about the game? Regarding the overall rules or interactions?”
“Hmm… Divine power is unintuitive, and it seems too disadvantageous for those from worlds with little or no mystery. But looking at Sesaisa, it appears disadvantageous even for those from high-mystery worlds, so it’s all the same.”
“Indeed.”
“That’s about the extent of my complaints, but it’s not enough to protest.”
“Is that so? Then…”
“However, there is one thing that just occurred to me…”
Wahando’s angel leaned in attentively.
“Did you perhaps tamper with my mind before the game started?”
“Why do you ask?”
“My sense of time has already far exceeded my lifespan, yet I have not gone mad from living too long, nor do I particularly miss biological desires such as eating, excretion, or sexual urges.”
“Ah~ that. We obtained prior consent before making adjustments.”
“Whose consent?”
“Your own, Lord Wahando. You may not remember, but there was a preparatory stage before the game began.”
Wahando frowned slightly.
“That is a major complaint at this point.”
“Pardon?”
“I believe desire is a powerful driving force that seeks victory. If that desire of mine has been restrained, can it still be called myself?”
“Hmm. Desire exists. It is merely that urges do not… Even if I say that, you will not be convinced, will you? To put it concretely, it is because you no longer have a ‘brain.’”
“No brain?”
“Yes. Ultimately, a person’s appetite, sexual desire, sleep drive, and so on are all governed by the body. Since you are now composed purely of spirit, you have naturally been liberated from them. All players currently exist only as flows.”
“Hmm…”
“Still, the desire that exists as a flow—the sense of ‘myself’—you clearly possess that… Please think of it that way.”
He could not accept it.
Wahando had looked down on those enslaved by physical urges. Yet an existence completely freed from physical urges did not feel human either.
He himself had felt pleasure from delicious food. There had been a certain sense of “being alive” even in sexual acts and simple excretion.
Was it possible to exclude all of that and retain only pure desire? Wahando could not tell. The fact that he did not even long for what he no longer needed left him somewhat troubled.
“This is the organizers’ final question. Regarding soul annihilation. You have won by employing an extreme strategy of annihilating every player you faced. Do you feel no guilt about annihilating your opponents’ souls? What was your impression upon your first soul annihilation?”
“You ask that of someone who has rolled across battlefields?”
“True. You have a point.”
“I have killed many. Unlike Biin, who seems never to have killed even one person with his own claws in his life, I, as a commander, have killed quite a few… I already settled any guilt while I was alive.”
At those words, Wahando’s angel made a gesture that, by his species’ standards, was a bright smile and concluded the conversation.
“Thank you for cooperating with the interview. There will be another interview someday. I hope we meet again.”
“Of course.”
“And this is just me asking personally.”
Wahando’s angel smiled quite naturally.
“Lord Wahando. Do you like the connections you have made in the game?”
Wahando pondered the question for a moment, then simply closed his mouth.
“Do I have to tell you even that?”
“Hehe… You’re embarrassed. Then, Lord Wahando, I will return you to your original timeline.”
∞
Mihun had crushed his opponent’s world. Instead of pouring the Divine Soldier’s Banner into Yeondan-u alone, he had split it into thousands of pieces and let each cultivator wield a portion of its authority.
It was also a means of inducing internal competition. Those who possessed the Divine Soldier’s Banner could strengthen their own by defeating one another.
The cultivators coveted each other’s weapons and competed, dealing with invaders and crossing into the enemy world to fight for the sake of growth.
Meanwhile, Yeondan-u, who had once held the Divine Soldier’s Banner in its entirety, recalled his past experience of being neutralized after relying on a powerful weapon. He tempered himself and repelled the invaders.
“You have become humble. Good. That is better than arrogance.”
After securing victory, Mihun was satisfied. The difficult yet not overly arduous win had ended, and the organizers declared the interview segment, summoning Mihun.
His sparrow-like angel chattered.
“It is the interview segment. But in truth, it holds little meaning for you, Lord Mihun. Both we and you already know everything about each other.”
“Haha! So it is. This immortal received an explanation before participating. Still, most players imposed restrictions on themselves, so it is a bit surprising. Even this immortal is granted an interview segment? Even though everything is already known.”
“The game must be fair. Since it was stated that it applies to ‘all players,’ we have no choice but to proceed. First question.”
“Ascension.”
“Second question.”
“None. Everything is satisfactory. Even the things that do not go according to my will are lovely. I lived too omnipotent a life for a while.”
“The final question is… Hmm. This question feels rather inappropriate, does it not?”
“Indeed. The rules were set that way from the beginning, so asking about impressions now changes nothing.”
“Still, it would be a bit troublesome if you answered without even hearing the content…”
“Haha!”
Mihun merely offered a brilliantly refreshing smile.
∞
The Holy Emperor of Utopia, Terasion, had also advanced to round 10 through cooperation. His opponent had seemed somewhat willing to fight at first, but after a single reconnaissance, their spirit broke and they immediately adopted a submissive posture.
Then came the interview segment. An interview in round 10 was slightly surprising… but in a way, it felt appropriate now that roughly one-third of the game had passed.
‘Then the next interview segment would be after another third of the remaining rounds, at round 17? After that, round 22? Then 25, 27… It’s just a guess, but given how consistently scheduled everything in the game has been, round 15 or 20 isn’t impossible either.’
“Lord Terasion. First question. What is your goal as a player? What do you wish to do after winning or dropping out midway?”
Terasion thought the angel’s first question was remarkably human. That the great organizers would show such consideration to a mere human like himself…
“Humans are truly detestable beings.”
“Is that so? That is an unexpected answer.”
“Yes. My species was like that. After all, whether black or white, male or female, rich or poor, their genes are not so different, yet they divide ranks, line people up, and mutually despise and discriminate against one another… Such a detestable race. That was my species.”
“……”
“Civilization is the same. Capitalism that has reached its extreme has allowed one person to accumulate literally a trillion times the wealth of another. Social systems are full of contradictions, and inequality grows ever worse. Dinosaur civilizations without civilization lasted for hundreds of millions of years, so why did humans drive Earth’s ecosystem to ruin in less than twenty thousand years? Probably because the intelligence required to create civilization is lower than the intelligence needed to maintain and mature it.”
Terasion’s angel merely smiled brightly while listening to the words of the one called the Holy Emperor of Utopia.
And with this reasoning, the Holy Emperor of Utopia declared:
“That is precisely why solving those contradictions and baseness is the task that future humanity must undertake. I will obtain victory, or power equivalent to it, to enlighten humanity itself and make our civilization more mature.”
“How is that different from brainwashing and modifying all of humanity?”
“It may not be different. Still, a method will surely be found. With the help of the organizers’ great civilization? And perhaps…”
“Perhaps?”
“It may be possible to create a civilization capable of correcting your contradictions as well.”
“Hehe…”
Terasion’s angel could only offer an ambiguous smile at that confident declaration. As a proxy of the organizers, that was all he could do.
“I understand your lofty ideals well. Secondly, do you have any complaints about the game?”
“Hmm. If I must say, why create a cooperation-oriented environment while allowing the Meteor Cartel and the pirate fleets to run rampant?”
“Haha… Evil is also a strategy, and a strategically valid option. If we excluded it, what meaning would there be? Strategy itself would disappear, and it would not be realistic either…”
“That may be true, but still.”
“Lastly, you have risen without annihilating anyone, even embracing the pirates. In the future, there may come a time when you must inevitably annihilate an opponent due to penalty traits or similar reasons. What do you intend to do then?”
Terasion pondered for a long while before speaking.
“Well… Anyone can talk about ideals as much as they like. Whether saying they will carry the penalty traits or declaring they will win at all costs and even cancel soul annihilation.”
“……”
“But we cannot avoid discussing reality either. When it actually happens, I might compromise with a casual ‘it can’t be helped.’ Still, I want to think about it when the time comes. I simply pray that there will be no need to annihilate souls at all.”
“Thank you, Lord Terasion. I have nothing to ask personally. I hope you win without fail.”
∞
Meanwhile, there was one more person.
“Lord Sesaisa. First question. What is your goal as a player?”
“To return to my homeland, become an emperor or an existence surpassing that, and obtain a powerful body.”
“Second question. Do you have any complaints about the game?”
“That betrayal is completely blocked! It seems that unless one has a specific trait, contracts must be upheld no matter what.”
“Third question. You have risen by annihilating all opponents. How do you feel about that?”
Sesaisa, in his elephant avatar, grinned from ear to ear.
“It is sweet…! In my homeland, even if you tried to kill someone, they would only change form as a flow and remain alive. No matter how long you tortured them, their personality would keep changing, so you could never enjoy the sensation of tormenting the same opponent.
In that sense, how delightful it is to be able to ‘annihilate’ an opponent…! I must rise to the very end and annihilate even more!”
“Haha… That is quite an ambitious goal. However, as an angel, I must objectively point out that among the four members of the Meteor Cartel, your capabilities are the most lacking.”
“It is regrettable. Still, it is fortunate that they will not betray me first. The fact that I cannot betray them even if the opportunity arises… is even more regrettable.”
Mind, ideology, thoughts, feelings, personality, desire.
The things that constitute ‘self.’ Freed from subordination to physical urges, they could truly think as themselves.
Before they knew it, one-third of the game had passed. The 1,048,576 participants and their worlds would eventually converge to a single point.
They waited for the strategy of the final remaining winner.