Chapter 87: A Catfight Would Actually Be Cute in Comparison
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 87: A Catfight Would Actually Be Cute in Comparison
"None of these houses are quite right."
I had looked at several places, but none of them caught my eye.
It seemed staying in the top-tier suites of the Bogeumjari Hotel a few times had been my undoing. Now that I had the money and my standards had skyrocketed, an average house just didn't cut it anymore.
After spending two or three hours house hunting with zero results, I returned to the dormitory.
Since it wasn't something I did regularly, I felt drained. Just as I was about to strip off my clothes and collapse onto the bed—
Vrrr, vrrr, vrrr.
My phone rang with extreme urgency.
It didn't feel like a normal call; a sensation flashed through my mind telling me I absolutely had to pick this up.
'Manager Kim Min-ju?'
It was Kim Min-ju, the person from Bogeumjari specifically assigned to handle my affairs. She had helped me out a lot back when I visited Wonderland, but why was she calling now?
—"Hello, Mr. Baek Tae-yang. This is Kim Min-ju. I apologize for the sudden call. Do you have a moment to talk?"
"Ah, yes. What’s going on?"
—"By any chance, have you seen the news articles online?"
"No? Did something else about me get posted?"
A sense of foreboding washed over me. Someone who never called when things were going well was calling to ask if I’d seen the news. That meant it was no trivial matter.
I quickly turned on my computer and searched my name.
Usually, the search results would be filled with stories of my good deeds, but now, strange related search terms appeared.
'Moving? Real estate? Property values?'
How did they know I was planning to move?
Don't tell me that presence I felt when I walked into the real estate office was a reporter. I thought it was nothing, but to think it would trigger a butterfly effect like this.
—"For now, we are doing our best to block the articles... but since this has suddenly been linked to property values, public sentiment is turning quite sour... It is absolutely not your fault, Mr. Tae-yang, so please don't be too discouraged..."
"Ah, it's fine. More than that, I just want the reporter who first broke the story to be properly punished."
—"You don't have to worry about that. We've already tracked their location, and our team is moving to ensure they face severe consequences. However, we can't do much about the general public's opinion right away... I am truly sorry."
"It’s really okay. Then, uh... ah, here he is. Reporter Yoon San-dong? I’d appreciate it if you could take firm legal action against this person. I have no intention of settling or meeting him, so please push for the maximum penalty."
—"Understood. We will handle the response on our end and provide periodic updates whenever there are specific developments or reports."
"Yes, thank you."
Click.
It was my first time being attacked by an unspecified mob, so I was quite flustered. I hadn't done anything wrong, yet people were attacking my character through a few keystrokes.
Among them were comments that seemed to be venting unrelated frustrations, and they were absolutely loathsome.
'It's like they were just waiting for a chance, or maybe someone organized a raid...'
Other reporters were either wary of me or Bogeumjari, so they weren't writing follow-up articles. Only Reporter Yoon San-dong kept churning out pieces linking me to real estate, and the comment sections were essentially emotional cesspools.
Scroll, scroll.
'Hm?'
While reading the delusional comments fueled by Yoon San-dong’s exaggerations, I spotted a familiar nickname.
[Comments for Reporter Yoon San-dong’s Article (1263)]
ㄴIndomitable Hero Kim XX: I knew this guy was a prick from the start lol... I saw this coming kkk;;; Honestly, I bet I’m not the only one who felt it???
No matter how I looked at it, I had a strong feeling that the 'XX' masking the end of the name stood for 'Min-su.'
I could be wrong, but these hunches of mine were usually spot on. Min-su had suffered enough at my hands that he probably would have left a comment even without a nickname like that.
Well, whatever. He can curse all he wants.
Having grasped the general flow of the situation, I stepped away from the computer. Usually, the more you look at stuff like this out of curiosity, the more it poisons your mood.
"I guess it's time to use that reward I was saving."
When I first received the reward from the Hallucination Dungeon after taking Shael, I had agonized over where to use it. I had even wondered if I’d ever have a reason to use it at all.
==================================
[Internet Criticism Exemption Ticket (S, 1 Use)] :: Prevents you from being criticized just once when you are at risk of a trial by media for a major mistake.
ㄴNo matter what happens on the internet, it unconditionally flips public opinion in a positive direction.
When used, you will not be criticized for anything related to a specific incident, and everyone will take your side.
Please use it wisely, as it can only be used once.
==================================
Re-checking the reward I had received a while ago instantly put my mind at ease. There were even a few extra lines of explanation added compared to when I first saw it.
I hadn't committed a "major mistake," but I didn't want to be bashed for no reason. Furthermore, even if others helped suppress the media, once an image is tarnished, people keep nitpicking. It was best to crush an incident like this early on.
'Do I just tear it?'
Perhaps because it was a consumable skill, it materialized as a physical ticket in my hand just by me thinking about it. Seeing as it even had a perforated line, the instructions seemed simple enough.
There was no reason to hesitate. I tore the ticket, and as expected, a message appeared immediately.
[Using the Internet Criticism Exemption Ticket! Searching keywords... 'Baek Tae-yang', 'Property Values', 'Real Estate', 'Moving' identified. Preventing criticism and flipping public opinion!]
'That's it?'
There were no grand effects or sound symbols like I had imagined. I was expecting some spectacular production like a superhero movie with wizards. To think it just ended with a single message.
I expected something special since it was S-class, but I guess not.
Regardless, I sat back down at the computer to check the results. Getting up and sitting back down—what a mess.
I just wanted to live on my own, and now these annoying flies were buzzing around, irritating me. Hoping that Yoon San-dong guy would get caught and rot in prison for a long time, I checked the news articles.
'The effect is killer.'
A truly amazing sight unfolded.
[Comments for Reporter Yoon San-dong’s Article (1563)]
ㄴKi Mun-jeong: So now a Hunter can't even move house when he wants to? He's a cadet who probably just wants to live on his own, so he looked into real estate. So what? lol [Upvote 3332 / Downvote 213]
ㄴJeong Seong-man: Sandong-ah, looks like things are going exactly as I said... Thanks to you, I'll be stuffing my face with pyeonyuk and yukgaejang. Thanks, buddy. [Upvote 2023 / Downvote 150]
To think that everyone who was cursing me just a moment ago was now busy shielding me. The statements of those who were already on my side were gaining even more traction.
Feeling the power of an S-class skill firsthand, I let out a sigh of relief. No matter how strong you are or how many S-class Gates you clear, enduring a barrage of internet hate is a different matter entirely. My mental state wasn't strong enough to handle the hatred of total strangers, so that was a close call.
I heard that back on Earth, they stopped allowing comments on news articles. I could finally understand why.
Ring, ring.
Just as I was catching my breath, my phone rang with impeccable timing.
—"Hello, Mr. Baek Tae-yang. This is Manager Kim Min-ju. Public opinion suddenly shifted just as you said... Did you know this would happen?"
"Yes. Honestly, I've done a lot of good deeds, and I have many people on my side... I believed everyone would realize the truth soon enough."
—"As expected... You truly are amazing. On that note, Chairman Choi Young-nam mentioned he is also looking into a house for you. If you're interested, I can narrow down a few candidates and send them over. Would that be alright?"
"Ah, I'd appreciate that. Please do."
—"Understood. Also, we've finished tracking Reporter Yoon San-dong's location and completed the filing. We've already hired a lawyer, so we'll contact you again once a verdict is reached."
"Thank you."
Click.
The incident was wrapped up at incredible speed. It was fast enough to be considered a mere hiccup.
With Bogeumjari looking into a house for me and the Academy telling me not to come in for a while, this situation... could be seen as a long-overdue vacation.
I had firmly told Chun-hyang that I was going to rest for a bit, so she didn't even think about coming out.
How long had it been since I enjoyed such leisure in bed?
There was still plenty of time for the NTL Quest, and I was confident I could steal all of Min-su's women within that timeframe. I had already taken Yu-min, and judging by the progress with Melanie, she wouldn't be far behind.
Ryu Hye-mi was a bit of a concern, but I doubted it would take months to steal her from someone like Kim Min-su.
Just as I was about to roll around on the bed with a relaxed heart while looking at my phone—
Several messages arrived simultaneously.
(So Yu-min)
<♥I heard you’re moving♥
<(Emoticon of a cute cat curling its tail into a heart shape)>
(Yoo Su-jin)
<(Emoticon of a small puppy scurrying around and licking its owner’s cheek)>
(Melanie)
Tension suddenly injected itself into my relaxed daily life. My upper body snapped upright like a spring.
'I didn't plan for this.'
A variable I hadn't even imagined had cropped up. The only saving grace was that they hadn't all called at once, sparing me from the fate of a call center counselor.
'Every single reply I send from now on is critical.'
I had already decided to move into the place Bogeumjari found for me. However, I had to be as considerate as possible of the feelings of all three women at the same time.
In short, the conclusion was set, but the process had to be navigated with absolute positivity. Back when I was just managing a fish tank, it was a simple matter of cutting off the unattractive girls first.
But now, I was at a major crossroads where I couldn't afford to lose a single one.
'First, I have to prevent a situation where all three of them show up at my house at the same time.'
If a three-way confrontation happened here, it would be a disaster. All three were Awakeners, and highly skilled ones at that. What if a fight broke out in my dorm room?
'A catfight would actually be cute in comparison.'
My room might turn into an underground arena.
'First... let's handle them in order of danger.'
To reduce the chance of sending a message to the wrong person, I quickly set the priority for my replies.
The first target was, of course—
'So Yu-min.'
The wicked witch, So Yu-min.