#145

Honestly, isn’t the kind of person who seriously believes the Dark Realm might actually exist abnormal?

I mean, even if they said it was modeled after the real world, for fuck’s sake, it’s just a game.

Destroying Earth in a war game doesn’t have any effect on the ‘original’ Earth.

‘And what’s the point of playing a game other than for fun?’

The joy, sense of achievement, anger, shock, fear, betrayal, guilt felt while playing…

What else are you supposed to call that if not ‘fun’?

If you don’t turn off a horror game even when you’re about to piss yourself from fear, doesn’t that mean you’re ultimately enjoying the chills?

>> What do you think now?

[What do I think? For fuck’s sake, I’m trapped in the Dark Realm, so how is this a game? This is reality.]

Whether it’s a brain in a vat or a simulated universe, isn’t the important thing that you’re hungry when you skip a meal and full when you eat?

If you’re dying of pain, would the pain disappear just because someone tells you that nothing is real and the suffering is an illusion?

>> Would a cloned NPC also think this is reality?

‘Out of nowhere?’

I narrowed my eyes.

He probably thinks that by bringing this up, I’ll plead with him not to kill NPCs indiscriminately, right?

‘Nope.’

Since I can’t use King-God Persuasion right now, I have no intention of arguing with that bastard Pandemonium over this.

The moment I’m perceived as someone who would betray a player because of an NPC, I’ll be crushed immediately.

‘Even if they don’t kill me, they’ll make sure I can’t stay in the Capital Church anymore.’

An ‘Apostle of Order,’ and a ‘player’ under the protection of the Saintess at that.

Honestly, if I were Pandemonium, I wouldn’t have taken a player whose identity was unknown, like Fabio, as an ally until they had died and been resurrected.

[Why? Suddenly bothered by it? Then just think of NPCs as philosophical zombies.]

>> What’s a philosophical zombie?

[Uh… a philosophical zombie is a kind of thought experiment where you assume a person reacts and behaves exactly like a normal person, but in reality, they feel nothing…]

>> Hyung, please use words that people generally know.

[For fuck’s sake, as long as you understand, it’s fine. It’s just the two of us talking, so if you and I both know, that’s what ‘general’ means.]

>> …Is the explanation long?

[It’s damn short. It’s simple, so…]

>> If it’s long, can’t you tell me before I go to sleep? I feel like I’d sleep like a log. I usually go to bed around 1 AM.

[I said it’s fucking short. Just think of every existence other than me as a robot begging not to be turned off. They talk as if they feel fear and dread, but in reality, they feel nothing and are just outputting text entered by someone, so there’s no need to feel guilty.]

>> That’s not actually the case.

‘Ugh.’

He’s getting on my nerves.

In the past, I would have just thrown him a Wiki link and told him to read it carefully.

[I’m just saying try thinking of it that way. Anyway, there’s no way to be certain that anyone other than me has consciousness.]

>> Hyung, that really sounds like something a psychopath would think.

‘You little shit. I’m playing along and you still complain.’

[Fuck, then just be damn stressed every time you kill an NPC. You whined that your cognitive abilities drop when you’re stressed, so I taught you a way to mentally justify it, and you treat the person who worried about you like a psycho.]

>> It’s a bit sudden, but I’m really glad you’re a Happy God player.

[What the fuck. Are you mocking me?]

>> No, I’m serious. Honestly, I don’t have the confidence to beat you, a Mother God player.

‘Then what about now?’

…He probably lacks confidence in a different sense.

Confidence in winning.

>> Yep.

[What.]

>> Wow… holy shit.

[What is it.]

>> No, nothing. Someone just came to see me. Let’s talk later.

[At least tell me who it is before you go.]

[SYSTEM: Pandemonium has blocked you.]

[SYSTEM: You can still send messages while blocked, but they will remain unread until the block is lifted.]

“What the hell is this guy doing?”

He blocked me?

I mean, the chat pop-ups can be annoying.

But shouldn’t he at least explain before blocking?

His habit of putting his phone on silent, ignoring calls, and then flipping out when I don’t answer hasn’t changed a bit.

“Does he think I can’t block him too? System! Block Pandemonium!”

[SYSTEM: Please purchase the block function from the shop.]

“Fuck.”

I can’t even do that.

Is it right to sell the block function for points?

Is the System perhaps an Othergod of capitalism?

“System! Shop! Shop window! Open point shop!”

[SYSTEM: Opening the shop is the authority of the Othergod.]

[SYSTEM: Please send a request to your Othergod.]

“Haa…”

I didn’t even expect it.

If Happy God had any intention of doing something for me, he would have given me something long ago.

It was obvious that praying to that bastard, who didn’t even have Clear Points, wouldn’t allow me to buy even a minor convenience feature like that.

I quickly gave up.

‘Anyway, who came to see me?’

Judging by the reaction, it seems to be someone unexpected.

Could it be an apostle?

‘No, it’s still the Tutorial, so the apostles wouldn’t be hunting down players first.’

Then is it Nyapoleon? Or Insanity?

Or else…

‘There’s no way to know just by brooding in my room.’

It’s not like I have clairvoyance.

Regardless, it’s something Pandemonium will handle.

In the meantime, I should check out the new items I got.

I’ve been curious about what it feels like to have an inventory.

[Fabio, are you inside?]

‘What the fuck.’

It was Callister’s voice.

I deliberately ignored him and didn’t answer, and the sound of knocking—tap-tap-tap-tap-tap-tap-tap-tap—echoed.

[I know you’re inside, Fabio.]

When the knocking speed increased from 100 to about 120 times per minute.

I couldn’t take it anymore and grabbed the doorknob.

“What is it, exactly! If it’s nothing important, just go back.”

[Fabio, who was the person you met earlier?]

“…Why do you want to know?”

[Actually, it doesn’t really matter to me. But I think it might be different for your lover.]

‘Athanas?’

Why is Athanas coming up here?

“…I’ll explain to Athanas myself.”

[It seems a bit too late for that.]

“Too late…?”

[Athanas has just gone to find Marcello Teres fully armed. I’m letting you know since you didn’t seem to know.]

‘What?’

Startled, I flung the door open.

Callister was smirking.

“How about coming along to see?”

‘Athanas went to find Pandemonium?’

Why?

Did the news that Pandemonium gave me a ring spread that quickly?

No, even so, shouldn’t he have asked me first?

Why did he go to that side first?

“Of course, Athanas told me absolutely not to tell you.”

I had a bad feeling.

In a situation where there’s no evidence of heresy, Athanas wouldn’t suddenly pick a fight, but…

‘What if Pandemonium deliberately provokes Athanas?’

This is a primitive era where duels are permitted by customary law.

In a legitimate duel, killing the opponent does not result in a murder charge.

What if he manages to piss Athanas off and then starts a duel?

And if Athanas dies…

‘I have to stop them!’

Pandemonium, Marcello Teres, was currently speechless.

“…So, the reason you came is?”

“I heard you forcibly harassed my lover.”

‘Hah.’

It was a first meeting that completely wiped away the emotion of actually seeing the Heretic Butcher.

No wonder he told me to come outside instead of him coming into the room.

Is he suggesting a duel?

Pandemonium rested his hand on the pommel and fell into thought for a moment.

‘I don’t think Hyung sent him…’

If Hyung wanted me dead, he would have just sent the Saintess.

Not the ‘precious’ Athanas.

‘I could hear the gears in his head grinding so loudly trying to keep Athanas from crossing paths with me.’

He probably thinks he deceived me well, but not at all.

Every time he called Athanas the Heretic Butcher, his expression stiffened for a moment; how could I not notice that?

It was so fucking annoying I wanted to kill him.

I didn’t expect the other side to find me first.

‘…It’s bothering me that his attitude is too calm to think he just rushed here after hearing a rumor.’

He didn’t look like someone whose eyes had flipped because his lover was cheating.

Rather, yes. He just had the eyes of a Heretic Butcher.

‘As expected of Insanity’s unit.’

“Harassed? There seems to be some misunderstanding. Did Fabio say that?”

The moment he uttered the name, a shimmering Halo rose behind Athanas.

He was ready to swing his sword infused with divine power at any moment.

‘Fuck, is Hyung actually blind?’

Why is he protecting a crazy bastard like that?

“I, Athanas, challenge Marcello to a duel.”

“…You know you can’t even complain if you die in a duel, right?”

He smiled, pretending to be relaxed, but his thoughts were racing internally.

Why did Athanas come?

A duel? Does he have the confidence to beat me?

No, even if he does, that’s a problem.

‘If I die, the Council will fall through.’

The Council is convened only if four of the seven Electors agree.

However, the Head of the Teres family is currently only listening to Pandemonium, so if Pandemonium dies or becomes unconscious, he will feel a sense of crisis and return to the family.

‘What is Insanity thinking?’

Or was he sent by Insanity?

The Saintess, or perhaps someone from the side of Order…

“Draw your sword.”

‘Fuck it, I don’t know.’

His blood began to boil.

This exhilaration was something he truly could never get used to.

Because of a certain anachronistic Othergod who loved one-on-one duels, Pandemonium could not refuse a fight.

A grin leaked out, even though he didn’t intend it.

‘I’ll think about it after I kill him!’