Chapter 111
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The One Who Was a Travel Companion III
Shin No-a
6
Before I knew it, 15 years had passed since the start of the 173rd iteration.
"Guild Maaaaaster...."
Even after more than ten years had flowed by, our guild member, the Goryojang Villain Miss Shim A-ryeon, who still knew nothing of the concept of personal cultivation, wore a tearful expression.
"Why the long face again?"
"Please roll it up for me...."
"...? Roll what up? Do you smoke?"
"...Ugh, geez. This is why normal people are. Anyway. Um, SG Net died...."
Shim A-ryeon sniffled.
SG Net was a website built with cutting-edge technology, and its servers were located in Seo-gyu's brain and heart.
Unless our macho bullshit-spewing man got into a fight with someone on the street and died on the spot, there was no possibility of SG Net shutting down.
Of course, statistically speaking, that was quite a high possibility, but it hadn't actually happened yet, so the expression 'died' that Shim A-ryeon used was merely a metaphor.
"Sob. Look at this...."
Shim A-ryeon showed me SG Net on her smartphone.
-Goryojang: Today's cafe mocha.jpeg
-Anonymous: I tried writing a novel, can I get some criticism?
-Goryojang: Today's cafe mocha.png
-Anonymous: Do you guys believe in god?
-Anonymous: Anyone want to go to a hot spring trip together?
-Anonymous: Why are only idiots left here? lol
-Goryojang: Today's cafe mocha.jpg
I tilted my head. Even after looking through it three or four times, there was only one strange thing.
"A-ryeon. Why do you drink so much coffee?"
"Aaaagh! T-today only two posts were uploaded to SG Net! Two! Just two posts and that's it! And the coffee I drank today, yesterday, and the day before is all the same coffee!"
"Ah...."
"Do you know what the average number of daily posts on SG Net is these days? 4! 4! Oh my god! Guild Master! I can't live like this! I can't even bait for attention. And originally, out of the 4 posts uploaded per day, 1 is mine, and another 1 is a post I wrote anonymously...!"
"Hmm."
Indeed. SG Net had gone under.
Only the [Library Society Monster Dictionary] that Shim A-ryeon and I operated remained active. The evil spirits clinging to the community had been exorcised.
Every result has a cause. There was a very clear reason why the ecosystem called SG Net was destroyed.
"Well. That might have been unknown when everyone was scattered across the country, but now everyone lives here. This city has many plazas and many shelters. Internet communities aren't as necessary as before."
"No, but still, this is too, too weird.... I, I guarantee that even in the old Vatican, there would have been internet communities. It doesn't make sense that internet communities died just because we all gathered in Busan to live. Gasp. G-guild Master! Isn't this exactly the occult? It's a monster, a monster! Wah! Guild Master, you like monsters...! H-hurry up and exorcise it!"
This kid... Sharp.
"A-ryeon. Do you really want to hear the remaining reason from my mouth?"
"Huh? What do you mean...?"
"Look. There are no unemployed people and no homeless people here. Everyone has their own job and lives a healthy daily life. When the day's work ends, people throw small parties or go to clubs and live real community lives. Since all their stress is resolved there, naturally they have no need to come to internet communities. Just look at Seo-gyu - didn't he go out saying he has a TRPG meeting tonight? But you, A-ryeon, are the only one always holed up alone in the guild building...."
"Eeek! N-no! I can't hear it! I can't heaaar!"
Shim A-ryeon covered both ears and rolled. No, rather than rolling... she rubbed her back against the floor. Actively, like doing backstroke, having a seizure.
If Gregory the Sleeper had seen this, he would have despised her for lowering the dignity of bugs.
"R-reality? Happy? You're saying I don't need to use the internet because this moment right now is happy? Are you an idiot? Guild Master, are you really an idiot? Here, inside this smartphone screen, is reality! It's the truth! Humans cutting off the internet, such an inhuman thing...! There's no way that would actually happen in this world, on this Earth, in this universe!"
"But it actually did happen."
"Hieeeeeeek...!"
The Goryojang Villain had sunk.
Even if the world ended tomorrow, Shim A-ryeon was the kind of person who would post nonsense on the internet today, but regardless of that personality, Shim A-ryeon's ability [Spirit Bomb] had no choice but to face a period of decline.
Because it had become harder to draw aggro from people anymore.
Current Busan was getting closer and closer to an utopia.
Everyone wanted to become a better existence than their current selves. And in Busan, there was a way to grant people's wishes.
-It's a habit to do other things until late at night even though I'm tired after work. Because of this, my daily life is always ruined. Great Witch. Wouldn't you remove my habit?
-Of course. Anytime. Is there anything as painful as insomnia? Give me one month of your salary.
It wasn't a devil's deal, but it was a witch's deal.
Dang Seo-rin's equivalent exchange magic. Cheon Yo-hwa's brainwashing magic. When the two powers cooperated, people became able to so conveniently surgically extract 'parts that would be better off gone' from their personalities.
It wasn't just personalities.
-I was abused by my family when I was young. Even now, if I stay still, the trauma from that time suddenly comes to mind and it hurts. Because of this personality, I also cause harm to people around me. Great Witch. Could you erase the memories of being tormented by family in my childhood?
-Of course. In exchange, if you pay even the negative emotions you have toward your family as the price.
Memories. Emotions. Personality.
The great witch recognized anything as material for negotiation and accepted anything as payment.
Busan's crime rate plummeted. It was natural since criminals' personalities were all reformed.
Dang Seo-rin's 'Witch Trial' came to be opened even to ordinary people. Once a week, golden scales flew over the grand plaza, and each time dozens of people transformed into better versions of themselves.
Did Tolstoy say it? Happy families are happy for similar reasons, but unhappy families are all unhappy for their own reasons.
While there are many ways to return to unhappiness, the path to happiness is always a single road.
This city was the same.
As people castrated their unhappiness one by one, interestingly, the citizens' auras gradually became similar.
Healthy. Waking up early and sleeping early. Exercising consistently. Valuing people around them. Polite. Kind. Honest with themselves. Not getting hurt or hurting others as much as possible.
Utopia.
"What should I do, Guild Maaaster.... Heueeng, now even if Guild Master's arm gets cut off and legs get cruuushed, I can't heal you anymore.... I'm sorry. If a monster wave attacks again, I, I don't think I'll be able to heal Guild Master anymore..."
"Ah, don't worry about that. You were going to be fired soon anyway."
"...Huh?"
"It's going to end soon. The monster wave."
7
The detailed explanation of the monster called 'Monster Wave' will be covered in another episode.
For now, it was enough to just imagine the appearance exactly as felt from the name monster wave.
A tsunami of monsters. Monsters endlessly pushing in from the horizon.
Monsters that could never mix together because their territories overlapped came rushing in as if forming one giant legion.
I don't know why this phenomenon occurs. But 'when' it occurs is clear.
When the Void becomes too massive.
For example, if all of North Korea becomes stained with the Void, a 'Monster Wave' definitely appears.
The tsunami's duration is about 20 hours.
Thousands, tens of thousands of monsters all form waves at once and approach to cover the ground humanity is still protecting.
This very phenomenon forced me to create the National Road Management Corps.
The reason for not giving up on various cities on the Korean Peninsula and protecting territory while stubbornly connecting national roads was that if more area was consumed by the Void, they would be swept away by a tsunami of monsters that was virtually infinite.
Dang Seo-rin chose the opposite option from me.
-Undertaker! Undertaker! Undertaker!
-Waaaaah!
And today.
With the Korean Peninsula's resources and manpower concentrated in Busan, the terror of the monster wave that had always threatened the city's security finally came to an end.
-Everyone! Please welcome with applause! Our hero! The one who protected Busan, no! The Korean Peninsula! Going further, the world's guardian! Undertaker Seung-cheon-in's entrance!
-Long live the Undertaker! Long live Busan!
A parade was held in the city.
It was a kind of festival. Like a general who reported victory in Rome passing through a triumphal arch to show off achievements to citizens, I too marched slowly while being protected by surrounding awakeners.
I rode in an open car, but in the sky, the Three Thousand Worlds guild members riding broomsticks (now belonging to the National Road Management Corps) followed in quite a decent formation.
Victory songs poured out endlessly from speakers installed throughout the city. It was a melody that excited and moved listeners.
Alcohol, a representative luxury good, was also distributed without limit today. Five years' worth of stockpile would disappear just for this one day.
-Until now, our city has always been threatened by those loathsome monster waves! However, thanks to Undertaker Seung-cheon-in and the valiant efforts of numerous heroes! The monster wave has finally been subjugated! Please rejoice to your heart's content, citizens! Our city is free!
-Waaaaah!
The climax of the festival was when the march crossed the city and reached the National Road Management Corps headquarters.
The plaza where the 'Witch Trial' was held every week. The National Road Management Corps headquarters towered like the Tower of Babel as if looking down on that plaza.
At the center of the great staircase that had to be stepped on to go up to the headquarters building, the city's ruler, the Korean Peninsula's master, Dang Seo-rin in a black conical hat was waiting.
"Welcome, Undertaker."
Dang Seo-rin smiled. That smile and voice were being broadcast throughout the city through magic specially designed for this day.
"You finally did it."
"...."
"You warned me before. That countless monsters would block the path we chose. But I said that with your power and my magic, we could overcome it."
Dang Seo-rin playfully pursed her lips.
"Now can we say it's been proven which of us was right?"
"You take being right. Instead, I'll take the blood and effort I invested all this time to make your words right."
"What are you saying. Showing off."
Laughter flowed from the crowd surrounding the plaza.
It was overly casual speech and conversation for a city ruler, but it didn't matter. In this city, grand political rhetoric or exaggeration was no longer needed to maintain power and authority.
Because each and every citizen had become complete.
"Anyway, a hero who defeated the worst enemy deserves proper compensation. I'll swear on my golden scales, so whatever you wish, I'll definitely grant it. Come now. Our hero. Tell me your wish."
"Thank you. Then.... I see you've left today's event microphone to Operations Director Yoo Ji-won. Change the person. That guy, even though his personality changed, he still overdoes things. I thought I was going to die of embarrassment coming all the way here."
-Undertaker Guardian?
Laughter burst from the plaza once more.
Dang Seo-rin also chuckled, then took one step toward me. Thud. For some reason, that footstep wasn't broadcast through the city's speakers and was delivered only to my ears.
I understood that Dang Seo-rin had momentarily cut off the 'broadcast magic."
"Is that enough? Really? I was serious about granting any wish."
"My wish is for you to stay by my side until the end, and that wish has already been granted."
"...."
"So fire Yoo Ji-won. Quickly."
Dang Seo-rin snorted.
"Really...."
I don't know what words followed after that either.
Dang Seo-rin extended her right hand, and following her taste, I too kissed the ring. And the cheers of the entire city drowned out all sounds.
Night came.
Fireworks exploded.
All kinds of witches were flying around the city's night sky. National Road Management Corps members who received a 3-day vacation from today were riding broomsticks and shooting off fireworks magic as they pleased.
Dang Seo-rin and I sat on the high-rise terrace of the National Road Management Corps headquarters, just the two of us looking up at the night sky's festival.
On the table were several breads from a famous bakery in Haeundae. And two emptied wine bottles were placed there.
"So then."
Swish- Dang Seo-rin's long fingers rubbed the rim of the wine glass.
"All the monsters threatening us are gone?"
"Well. I think it's safe to say the greatest threat is gone. There might be more Outer God-level monsters I haven't identified yet. But at least the monster wave will never target this place again."
"That's good. We don't have to see the nasty sight of disgusting monsters swarming anymore. Really, that's good."
Fireworks exploded again.
Even the sound of fireworks going fwoooosh- was implemented with magic, and pleasant firework sounds echoed in the sky.
On Dang Seo-rin's side profile as she watched the night sky, red and yellow backlight was shining.
"Ah- I feel good. Yeah. Undertaker, make me a cup of coffee. I feel like drinking it."
"If you drink caffeine at night, you can't sleep."
"So what?"
Dang Seo-rin propped her chin with her left hand and grinned. Her right hand was petting Blackie, who was curled up on Dang Seo-rin's lap.
"We're not sleeping tonight anyway? I'm skipping work tomorrow too. You're going to be free from today too, aren't you?"
"...True. Then, just one cup."
On the rooftop terrace that was practically Dang Seo-rin's exclusive bar, tools for baristas were all prepared. Smelling the beans, they were ground today.
There was even ice cream in the icebox. I smiled bitterly, made an affogato, and handed it to Dang Seo-rin.
"Here. Coffee for sobering up."
"Ah, thanks! Mmm. As expected. Your coffee is the best."
Fireworks exploded.
Meow- Blackie cried from Dang Seo-rin's lap.
"But.... How did you subjugate the monster wave? You said it yourself, Undertaker. That's practically impossible to subjugate, it's closer to a phenomenon than a monster."
"I didn't subjugate it."
"Huh?"
"I couldn't subjugate it. Near Seoul, a monster wave consisting of hundreds of thousands of monsters is still appearing, disappearing after 20 hours, and appearing again, repeating endlessly."
"...."
It was something I had confirmed with my own eyes.
Dang Seo-rin's hand motion stopped as she was deliciously scooping affogato with a spoon.
"...Wait. Really? You're not joking? Then that's a big problem!"
"No, I've never lied to you, Dang Seo-rin. The monster wave will absolutely never push down toward this place again. Your city is safe."
"Um... hey, Undertaker?"
Dang Seo-rin made a confused expression.
"Sorry. I can't follow the conversation right now. Wasn't the monster wave a phenomenon that unconditionally pushes from the Void to non-Void areas, to human territory? You said so in the past."
"That's right."
"And the monster wave wasn't actually subjugated and is still appearing?"
"Yes."
"Then why, on what grounds are you confident that a monster wave will never sweep into Busan again?"
"Because this place is the Void."
Fireworks exploded.
"――This place is no longer human territory, but monster territory. Not Busan, but Utopia. Literally, a void land named 'a place that exists nowhere'."
"...."
"So there's no reason for the monster wave to deliberately target and swarm this place. Dang Seo-rin. As long as a monster called you rules this area."
Fireworks exploded.