Chapter 114

Non-Player II

Since we’re already on the topic, the author of the novel "Bird Drinking Poison" (who really wrote it in the 766th cycle) said the following:

-The settings of a novel are like the roots of a tree; they need to be vast and solid, but if exposed, the tree will wither and die.

This applies not only to the settings of a world but to all situations.

The protagonist is not omnipotent. There should always be a hazy margin, like a 'white mist,' lingering at the edge of his vision.

The white wasteland left by the protagonist's ignorance is the fertile ground that continuously enriches the prose and descriptions.

Of course, the characters... information about the characters should always be somewhat shrouded in mist. How can one instantly know the intelligence of this person or what their skills are?

Therefore, the status window is harmful.

To use an analogy, the status window is like recklessly eliminating the minerals from the earth and the nitrogen from the air.

I’m not saying this because I’m pissed off at Sim Ah-ryeon, but because I have a very logical and just reason.

Even if I took an interest in subcultures from the 555th cycle and we’re now in the 133rd cycle, meaning I actually didn’t have any knowledge of status windows, and the things I’m saying now are historical distortions by later generations, there’s no need to listen to those counterarguments at all.

This is not a contradiction but rather proof that the 133rd-cycle me had prophetic intuition. Even in my subculture-ignorant days, I instinctively felt that the status window was a harmful existence.

“Relying on something like a status window makes people weak.”

I immediately took action.

Not only did I wage a public opinion battle on SG Net, but I also emphasized the harmfulness of the status window to every awakener I met.

“Excuse me? Hyung?”

“In my time, we fought with anomalys to gauge our strength and slowly estimated our capabilities. That process of exploration, the experience of testing oneself while crossing the line between life and death, is an irreplaceable treasure. But these days, people boast about their strength being a B grade, saying they can easily handle slimes.”

“Uh...”

“What an ignorant statement! Slimes cannot be defeated by strength alone, and the danger varies drastically depending on whether you face them in a swamp or a narrow labyrinth where they might drop from the ceiling unexpectedly. The void is a space that cannot be quantified, which is why it’s void.”

“......”

“How can you trust only the alphabets displayed on the status window to measure your skills, your opponent's abilities, or even the depth of the void? The status window itself is a anomaly, contaminating the consciousness of the awakened and lowering the standard of humanity. It’s nothing but an ‘idiot box’! Why can’t you see through the wicked scheme of the anomaly that’s trying to destroy the awakened, one by one, by making them rely on the convenience of the status window?”

“Uh...”

Seo Gyu raised his hand.

“May I ask you one thing, hyung?”

“What is it?”

“Why do you talk like that?”

“It’s a draft of an article to awaken the consciousness of the awakened. How about posting it on SG Net? Seo Gyu, doesn’t it make your chest swell and make you feel the duty of an awakener anew?”

“Uh, well...”

“Surely, you’re not advocating for the status window, are you? I’ve been educating you one-on-one since the waiting room at Busan Station, so I trust you haven’t entrusted your judgment to such a filthy anomaly.”

Seo Gyu’s expression became subtle.

According to physiognomy, it could be interpreted as ‘What’s up with this brother again?’

Next to him, Sim Ah-ryeon (who was still there) whispered to Seo Gyu.

“He, he must not have had the 『Status Window』. Gacha disaster...”

“Oh, so that’s why he’s like that.”

“Yeah, yeah... Oh! Suddenly, I feel an overwhelming aura of aggro from somewhere? Ah! Even though I didn’t do anything, aggro is piling up in my heart! I can feel my abilities strengthening in real-time! It’s delicious! So delicious! It’s a delicacy I’ve never tasted in my life... Who, who could hold such resentment towards me...!”

“You two won’t have coffee for the next six months.”

Seo Gyu and Sim Ah-ryeon screamed in horror, but I gracefully ignored them. These guys needed to realize the preciousness of discomfort more deeply.

-ZERO_SUGAR: [Long Post] An article about the ghost 'Status Window' currently appearing in Korea ~Awakeners of all nations, awaken!~

I sounded the alarm with a heart full of blood. However, the awakened, already steeped in the false convenience of the anomaly, did not respond at all.

Instead, they laughed.

-Anonymous: ? What’s this?

-Anonymous: Is this a joke?

-Anonymous: Wow, this is legendary lol

-[Baekhwa]TenthGrader:( >_<);;;;;

-Anonymous: I saw this in elementary school! It’s like the old story of nobles smashing the underground shelters that commoners found convenient, saying, ‘How dare you try to avoid the winter wind?’

└[國道] Officer: It’s an anecdote from the Goryeo period about the literary figure Yi Gyu-bo. The original text says, ‘夏熱冬寒, 四時之常數也. 苟反是則爲恠異’. Meaning, ‘Hot in summer and cold in winter is the constant of the four seasons. If it’s the opposite, it’s strange’. Coincidentally, the original text also uses the word anomaly (恠異).

└Anonymous: How are you so smart?

└LiteraryGirl: Oh.

-dolLHoUse: Oppa...

-OldManGoryeo: lol

-OldManGoryeo: lol

-OldManGoryeo: lololololol

-OldManGoryeo: This guy’s strength and intelligence skill levels were F on the status window. I saw it lol

└Anonymous: Oh!

└Anonymous: We didn’t even know ㅠㅠㅠ

“......”

There was no public opinion in my favor anywhere on SG Net.

Is this the pain of a pioneer with clear eyes in a city of the blind?

...No, strictly speaking, there was exactly one piece of support.

-[Yuldoguk]SwordMarquess: Ah, what this lad says is indeed correct! When something is visible only to oneself, it is an illusion, and from ancient times, being captivated by illusions has been diagnosed as a sign of madness. The fact that all the martial artists are collectively captivated by an illusion is nothing but a mass insanity. Alas! Unavoidable madness is a tragedy, but what can be said about willingly going mad?

└Anonymous: Here comes the boomer duo.

└Anonymous: Romance of the Three Kingdoms boomer vs. martial arts boomer... My chest swells...

It was a defense that was worse than no defense at all.

There were some mean people on SG Net who often grouped me and the Sword Marquess together, and his defensive shooting only added fuel to this prejudice.

“...Fine.”

I admitted frankly.

“Anomaly, you win.”

This wasn’t a monologue. Since the ‘Status Window’ was certainly a psychotic-type anomaly, it was everywhere and nowhere.

“But don’t think your victory is confirmed here. Next time, and the time after that, I will appear again and eventually overthrow you.”

[…….]

“Saintess. Even if you don’t say anything, I can hear your breathing when you’re watching.”

[Ah. Yes. I will be careful.]

Thus, we moved to a slightly higher stage.

To put it plainly, we moved on to the 134th cycle.

“Eek? W-Why is so much aggro generating on its own when I didn’t do anything...? It’s delicious, but. Scary! Guild leader! Someone I don’t know is hating me for unknown reasons! In real-time! Every day! P-Please help me!”

“......”

For some reason, the 134th cycle Sim Ah-ryeon had awakened her skills to an unprecedented level.

Of course, such minor happenings were not very important.

I earnestly warned the Saintess.

“Saintess, starting three days from now, an anomaly called the status window will begin to appear nationwide.”

“Ah. Yes.”

“I explained what kind of anomaly the status window was last time, so you remember, right?”

“Yes, very much so. You passionately talked for three hours in front of Noh Do-hwa and me.”

“Good. Now, seize the moment and hijack the status window.”

The Saintess blinked.

“...What?”

“Pretend that giving out status windows is part of the constellation authority. Then, every time someone uses the status window, their gratitude and all their emotions will be directed towards the constellations. People will sing the greatness of the constellations, and they’ll never know it was actually an anomaly.”

“...I’m sorry. If I understand your proposal correctly, you’re suggesting we steal the anomaly’s achievement and make it ours?”

“That’s a bit harsh, but yes. That’s correct.”

“Oh...”

The Saintess sighed.

She must have been impressed by the greatest anomaly hunter, me, Undertaker’s strategy, which even mocked the gods.

Next to her, Noh Do-hwa, who had been quietly listening, put down her coffee cup.

“Amazing. Now, you’re not just stealing people's achievements but also those of anomalys now. Didn’t you rant about how dependence on the Status Window leads to laziness? Why are you now suggesting a hijack? Is this the caliber of a regressor...”

“Thank you.”

“That’s not a compliment, idiot...”

My plan was perfect.

I remembered the exact moment when the first post confirming the status window appeared on SG Net, thanks to my [Complete Memory] ability.

This operation couldn’t afford any failure, so I even moved to Yongsan and conducted the operation from the Saintess’s house. The Saintess and I sat side by side in gaming chairs, staring at the monitor.

“Standby.”

“......”

“Standby, standby. 3 seconds, 2 seconds, 1 second―― now! Saintess! Now!”

The Saintess clasped her hands together.

[The Saintess of National Salvation bestows upon you a new power.]

[From now on, you can check your abilities by murmuring ‘Status Window’ or ‘Status Open’.]

At that moment.

-Anonymous: I woke up today and immediately said “Status Open”. Did the “Status Window” appear? (Day 191)

-Anonymous: It appeared, so I posted it lol (Day 191)

With impeccable timing, a confirmation post appeared on SG Net.

Not just the first witness, but awakened across the entire Korean Peninsula received the constellation message simultaneously. SG Net was filled with posts like “What’s this?” “Did you all get the constellation message just now?” followed by “It’s really there?” “Why is this real?” with confirmation posts flooding in.

I clenched my fist in triumph.

“It’s a success! Saintess! We did it! You did a fantastic job!”

“...Yes.”

For that single moment of timing, the Saintess paused time and sent messages to all the awakened in Korea.

How could I not be thrilled? Seeing a delivery man sneakily eating all the food from a lunchbox wouldn’t be as shocking.

-Anonymous: The Saintess of National Salvation << GOAT among constellations, give her a thumbs-up lol

-Anonymous: Really, this one is just correct lol

└Anonymous: Bastard?

└Anonymous: Show some respect and call her madam.

-LiteraryGirl: She tells us what skills we have, how to develop them, and now even gives us a Status Window. How much more can you give us, oh my GOAT...

Naturally, all the faith originally intended for the anomaly now gathered towards the constellations, specifically towards the Saintess.

The anomaly did the work, but humanity reaped the rewards. This is the supreme path of a regressor.

“How’s that? Checkmate.”

“......”

The status window anomaly was neutralized.

What I didn’t anticipate was that the “Status Window” was merely an aftershock of the void created by the elimination of the anomaly, Infinite VOID.

Just like aftershocks follow an earthquake, the ripples of the void occur multiple times.

Boom!

Barely a few days after celebrating my victory over the status window, Sim Ah-ryeon burst through my door.

“G-Guild leader!”

“...Ah-ryeon. I’ve told you repeatedly not to obsess over trivial things like status class...”

“It’s S-class. Please get it right.”

“Oh.”

“Anyway! That’s not the point right now―― I mean, it’s important, but! There’s a big problem! Come out quickly!”

Sim Ah-ryeon tugged at my sleeve.

For a moment, the thought “She’s pulling with E-ranked strength, no wonder my body isn’t moving” shot through my mind and tickled the corner of my mouth, but I held back.

I hadn’t fallen that far yet.

Anyway, when we got outside to the vacant lot (we hadn’t yet considered using an underwater tunnel as our hideout), there was a half-dead slime slithering around.

“Aah! It’s already escaping! Hey! Hey! Stop! How dare a slime...!”

Probably, Sim Ah-ryeon was the one who had beaten it, as the slime was clearly wary of us and wriggled around.

Sim Ah-ryeon picked up a stick.

“L-Look! Guild Leader! Look closely...!”

I wondered what she meant by “look closely.”

As I pondered the increasing complexity of cryptid language, Sim Ah-ryeon swung the stick.

And I widened my eyes.

“...Huh?”

“D-Did you see that? Hehe. You saw it, right?”

What surprised me wasn’t that Sim Ah-ryeon’s stick swing contained profound techniques, nor that the slime showed some unprecedented chemical reaction.

More accurately, it was something witnessed in the ‘void’ above the slime’s body, where there should have been blank space.

[DAMAGE!]

[91!]

It was displayed.

Above the slime’s body, in English, the word ‘DAMAGE’ and the numerical value of the damage.

Bold, exaggerated red letters floated briefly... and then disappeared.

What happened next was even more astonishing.

Beep-boop ♪

A ridiculous sound effect played once. Sim Ah-ryeon twitched her fingers as if manipulating an invisible status window.

“I gained experience points and leveled up...”

“Experience points? Level?”

“Yes. I hit slimes daily for stress relief, and suddenly, damage numbers started popping up. The status window now shows experience points and levels...”

“......”

“I’m level 13! Oh. I just leveled up to 14... What’s your level, guild leader? Hehe. What if it’s 99?”

Sim Ah-ryeon’s eyes sparkled, but I remained silent.

Somewhere, I could hear the anomaly’s mocking voice.

-Checkmate? No, it’s a counter-move.

-Where are you looking? That was my afterimage.

The status window was just the tip of the iceberg.

Experience points. Level-up system.

The true nature of this anomaly, freely manipulating all these elements, was none other than an RPG... a ‘Role-Playing Game’.

Footnotes:

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