# Chapter 114
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## Non-Player II
**Shin Noah**
**4**
Since the topic has come up, I'll mention this—the author of the novel *The Bird That Drinks Poison* (who actually did write it in the 766th iteration) once 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 to light, the tree will wither and die."
This applies not only to world-building but to all situations.
The protagonist is not omniscient. A 'white mist' of blank space must always hover at the edges of their vision, anytime and anywhere.
The white wasteland left by the protagonist's ignorance is actually fertile ground that continuously injects abundant nutrients into sentences and descriptions.
Naturally, information about characters... about people must also always be veiled in mist to some degree. How could one instantly know this person's intelligence level or what skills they possess?
Therefore, status windows are an evil.
Metaphorically speaking, status windows are no different from the atrocity of indiscriminately deleting the earth's minerals and the air's nitrogen.
I'm not doing this because I'm pissed off about Shim Ah-ryeon—I have a perfectly logical and justified cause, let me be clear.
Even though I only developed an interest in subculture starting from the 555th iteration and this is now the 133rd iteration, one could argue I had no knowledge of status windows at all, and that all this bitching is just historical distortion by later generations—I have no need to lend ear to such counterarguments.
This isn't a contradiction but rather proof that the 133rd-iteration me possessed prophetic intuition. Even when I, ignorant of subculture, first encountered a status window, I instinctively felt that it was a 'harmful' existence.
"Depending on something like a status window makes people weak."
I immediately took action.
Not only did I wage a public opinion campaign on SG Net, but whenever I privately met awakened ones, I emphasized one by one how bad status windows were.
"Huh? Brother?"
"In my time, to gauge my own strength, I fought against anomalies little by little, measuring my capabilities through that very process. That journey of exploration—crossing between life and death, testing enemies while simultaneously testing myself—that experience is a treasure that cannot be exchanged for anything else. But these kids nowadays just declare 'my strength is B-rank so I can easily defeat a slime' with such confidence."
"Uh...."
"What an ignorant statement! Slimes cannot be defeated by strength alone, and the danger level varies wildly depending on whether you're facing one in a swamp or in a narrow labyrinth where it might drop from a ceiling you couldn't predict. The Void. That place is originally a space that cannot be converted to numerical values—hence it is the Void."
"...."
"How can you measure your own skills, your opponent's capabilities, and furthermore the depth of the Void, believing only in some alphabet letters displayed on a status window? The status window itself is an anomaly, one that pollutes the consciousness of awakened ones with filth and lowers humanity's standards—a 'fool's box' without a doubt! Why can't you recognize this malicious scheme of an anomaly trying to gradually destroy awakened ones who've grown lax in their self-discipline after becoming accustomed to the convenience of status windows!"
"Um...."
Seo Gyu raised his hand.
"Can I ask just one thing, brother?"
"What is it."
"Why are you talking like that?"
"It's a draft for an op-ed to awaken the consciousness of awakened ones. I'm thinking of posting this on SG Net—what do you think, Seo Gyu? Doesn't your chest feel grand, and don't you newly feel the duty of an awakened one?"
"Ah, um...."
"Surely you're not someone who cries 'status window' too, Seo Gyu? I dragged you from Busan Station concourse and gave you so much one-on-one education, so I trust you haven't handed over your judgment to such a vile anomaly."
Seo Gyu's expression became subtle.
According to physiognomy, his facial muscle state could be interpreted as 'why is this brother acting like this again.'
Beside him, Shim Ah-ryeon (she was still there) whispered to Seo Gyu.
"S-status window came up but he didn't have any abilities... Gacha failed...."
"Ah, so that's why he's like that."
"Yes, yees.... Aah? J-just now from somewhere, an incredible aggro energy? Gasp! I didn't do anything but aggro is piling up like crazy in my heart! I-I can feel my ability strengthening in real-time! D-delicious! So delicious! The finest taste I've never experienced in my life until now...! W-who on earth is sending me this much resentment...!"
"No coffee for either of you for the next six months."
Seo Gyu and Shim Ah-ryeon screamed, but I lightly ignored them. These kids needed to realize the value of discomfort more desperately.
-ZERO_SUGAR: [Long Post] An Op-Ed on the 'Status Window,' a Ghost Currently Appearing on the Korean Peninsula ~Awakened Ones of All Nations, Awaken!~
I rang the warning bell with the feeling of vomiting blood. However, the awakened ones, already steeped in the false convenience of the anomaly, did not respond at all.
Rather, they mocked me.
-Anonymous: ? What is this?
-Anonymous: Is this comedy?
-Anonymous: No, fuck, this is legendary lol
-[Baekhwa]HighSchool10thGrade: >_<);;;;;
-Anonymous: I saw this in elementary school! It's that old story where in the old days, servants said underground tunnels were comfortable, so someone smashed them saying how dare lowly bastards try to avoid the winter wind?
└[National Road]Historian: It's an anecdote from a writer named Yi Gyu-bo during the Goryeo era. The original text says '夏熱冬寒, 四時之常數也. 苟反是則爲恠異'. In other words, 'Being hot in summer and cold in winter is the constant of the four seasons. Going against this is anomalous.' Coincidentally, the original text also uses the word 'anomaly' (恠異).
└Anonymous: What are you, why are you so smart?
└LiteratureGirl: Oh.
-dolLHoUse: Oppa....
-Goryeojang: ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ
-Goryeojang: ㅋ
-Goryeojang: ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ
-Goryeojang: This bastard got F-rank in strength, intelligence, skills on his status window, I saw it ㅋㅋㅋㅋ
└Anonymous: Ah-ha!
└Anonymous: And we didn't even know ㅠㅠㅠ
"...."
Nowhere on SG Net was there public opinion supporting me.
Is this the pain of a clear-sighted pioneer in a city of the blind?
...No, strictly speaking, there was exactly one supportive argument.
-[Yuldokuk]Sword Queen: Ah, this child's words are truly right! That only one's own eyes see something is a hallucination, and from old times, being seized by hallucinations has been diagnosed as a sign of madness. That martial artists of the murim are collectively seized by hallucinations is nothing other than collective madness! Alas! Unavoidable madness may be called tragedy, but what can be said of an act of madness they chose themselves?
└Anonymous: Here comes the old farts duo
└Anonymous: Three Kingdoms old fart vs wuxia old fart.... My chest feels grand....
It was support worse than having none at all.
On SG Net, there were sometimes bad guys who grouped me and the Sword Queen together, and the Sword Queen's covering fire had poured oil on such preconceptions.
"...Fine."
I admitted readily.
"Anomaly, you win."
This wasn't muttering to myself. The 'status window' was definitely a mental confusion-type anomaly, so 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 strike you down."
[....]
"Saintess. Even if you don't say anything, I can hear your breathing when you're watching me."
[Ah. Yes. I'll be careful.]
And so we moved to a slightly higher stage——.
To put it bluntly, we moved to the 134th iteration.
"Eeek? W-why is this much aggro being generated automatically when I didn't do anything...? I-It's delicious though. Scary! G-Guild Master! Someone whose identity I don't know is hating me for reasons I can't understand! In real time! Every single day! P-please help meeee!"
"...."
For some unknown reason, in the 134th iteration, Shim Ah-ryeon had awakened her skill at an unprecedented level.
Of course, such minor incidents weren't very important.
I earnestly instructed the Saintess.
"Saintess. Three days from now, an anomaly called the status window will begin to be observed nationwide."
"Ah. Yes."
"You remember what kind of anomaly the status window was, since I explained it last time?"
"Yes. Very much so. You delivered a three-hour impassioned speech in front of me and Mr. No Do-ha."
"Good. Now, wait for the timing and hijack the status window for me."
The Saintess blinked.
"...Yes?"
"I'm telling you to make it appear as if displaying the status window is the Constellation's authority. Then whenever awakened ones cry out for status windows, their gratitude, their emotions generally, will all flow toward the Constellations. People will sing of the Constellations' greatness and never realize it was actually an anomaly."
"...I'm sorry. If I understood Mr. Undertaker's proposal correctly, that is. Um.... You're saying to steal the anomaly's achievement and make it ours, is that right?"
"The expression is a bit harsh, but. Yes. That's correct."
"Ah...."
The Saintess let out a groan.
She must have been impressed by the scheme of me, the Undertaker, the greatest anomaly hunter in history who would blaspheme even gods.
Beside us, No Do-ha, who had been quietly listening, put down his coffee cup.
"Amazing. Now you've gone beyond humans and are stealing even anomalies' achievements. And didn't you just earlier spout some old-fart talk about how getting addicted to the convenience of status windows makes people lazy or whatever? Why are you suddenly telling us to hijack it? Is this what a regressor's class is supposed to be...."
"Hmm."
"That's not a compliment, you bastard...."
My operation was perfect.
Thanks to [Perfect Memory Ability], I remembered exactly down to the second when the first status window verification post would appear on SG Net. Since not even a shred of failure was acceptable for this operation, I had come up to Yongsan and was commanding from the Saintess's residence. 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 placed her two hands together.
[The 'Saintess of Salvation' bestows a new authority upon you all.]
[From now on, you can check your abilities by muttering 'Status Window' or 'Status Open'.]
At that very moment.
-Anonymous: As soon as I opened my eyes today I shouted Status Open, did my status window appear? (Day 191)
-Anonymous: It appeared so I'm posting ㅋㅋㅋㅋ (Day 191)
A verification post went up on SG Net with impeccable timing.
Not only the first witness but all awakened ones across the Korean peninsula simultaneously received a Constellation message. On SG Net, posts like 'What?' 'Whoa guys did you just get a Constellation message' went up, followed by posts plastered with 'It really shows my status window?' 'Why is this real?' as verification.
I clenched my fist.
"Success! Saintess! We succeeded! You did really well!"
"...Yes."
This single moment of timing. To pull off the optimal surprise that would screw over the anomaly, the Saintess had pressed pause on time itself and sent messages to all awakened ones on the Korean peninsula.
How could this not be gratifying? Even Xun Yu, upon seeing the empty food containers after ordering boxed lunches that the delivery driver had eaten, would have been less surprised than this.
-Anonymous: Saintess of Salvation << If she's the GOAT among all Constellations, upvote ㅋㅋㅋ
-Anonymous: For real, this bastard is just the correct answer ㅋㅋ
└Anonymous: Bastard?
└Anonymous: Call her properly, how dare you
-LiteratureGirl: She tells us what skills are, tells us how to develop them, and now she even gives us status windows as gifts... Just how far will you give without reserve, our GOAT....
Naturally, the faith that would have gone to the anomaly all gathered toward the Constellations. In other words, toward the Saintess.
The anomaly performs the trick, and humans take the credit. This is the utmost Way of the regressor.
"How about that. With this, checkmate."
"...."
The status window anomaly was neutralized.
What I couldn't have guessed at this time was that the 'status window' was, after all, merely an aftershock of the gap created by the subjugation of the Alien God Mujian.
Like the aftershocks of earthquakes, the Void's aftereffects occur multiple times.
*Ku-woong!*
Not even a few days after I had rejoiced thinking I had overwhelmed the status window, Shim Ah-ryeon came crashing through my door and tumbling in.
"G-Guild Masterrrrr!"
"...Ah-ryeon. I've told you over and over, you shouldn't obsess over S-class or whatever such verbal things...."
"It's Sk-Sk-Sketch. Please don't get it wrong again."
"Ah."
"Oh! A-anyway! That's not what's important right now——No, that's important too! B-big trouble! H-hurry, come outside and see!"
Shim Ah-ryeon tugged at my sleeve.
The proposition 'maybe my body isn't moving because E-rank strength is pulling it' momentarily rushed up my throat and tickled the corners of my mouth, but I barely held it back.
I hadn't fallen that far yet.
Anyway, when I came out to the empty lot outside the guild (at this point, I hadn't yet conceived the idea of using the undersea tunnel as a base), a single slime was wriggling in a half-dead state.
"Aaaah! It's already running away! Eek! Eek! Stop! Where did a slime even...!"
Perhaps because Shim Ah-ryeon was the one who had beaten this slime, the slime was clearly wary of us and twitched.
Shim Ah-ryeon picked up a wooden club.
"L-look at this! Guild Master! You need to open your eyes kwaaat and look...!"
What does 'open your eyes kwaaat' mean.
As I harbored the impression that the language of Cryptid creatures becomes more abstruse by the day, Shim Ah-ryeon swung the club.
And I ended up opening my eyes kwaaat-.
"...Huh?"
"L-look. Hehe. You saw it well, right...?"
The reason I was surprised wasn't because Shim Ah-ryeon's club swing contained some profound principle, or because some chemical reaction I'd never seen before occurred in the slime.
More precisely, the reaction was witnessed in the 'empty air' above the slime's body—in the part that should have been left as the beauty of blank space.
[DAMAGE!]
[91!]
It was floating.
Above the slime's body, the letters 'DAMAGE' in English. And the 'numerical value' of that damage.
Exaggerated bold red letters floated... and then, after a moment, disappeared.
The even more surprising fact occurred immediately after.
*Pyo-ro-ro-ron♪*
An absurd sound effect rang out once. Then Shim Ah-ryeon went "Ah" and wiggled her fingers as if manipulating the status window in the air.
"E-experience points came in and I leveled up...."
"Experience points? Level?"
"Oh, yes. I was beating slimes every day for stress relief when suddenly da-damage and stuff started appearing. Experience points and level got added to my status window too...."
"...."
"I-I'm level 13! Oh. I just went up to 14.... What does yours show, Guild Master? Huh? Hehe. You're not suddenly 99 all alone, are you?"
Shim Ah-ryeon's eyes sparkled, but I could only fall silent.
From somewhere far away, I seemed to hear an auditory hallucination of an anomaly.
-Checkmate? No, you're the fool.
-Where are you looking? That's my afterimage.
The status window was merely the tip of the iceberg.
Experience points. A leveling system.
The identity of the anomaly that freely wielded all these elements was none other than an RPG... a 'Role-Playing Game'.