Chapter 7
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Administrator II
Shin Noah
"Site operation?"
"Yees."
...It was an ability I'd never heard of in my life.
It was only natural, considering that Seo-gyu surviving until now was unprecedented in itself, but I hadn't even heard of anything similar.
"What kind of ability specifically?"
"Hmm. It says I can limit it to just one domain name and make it so anyone can connect there."
My eyes widened.
"What? Anyone? From anywhere?"
"Ah, yes."
Unlike me, Seo-gyu's voice grew smaller and smaller. Gloomy emotions were plastered all over it.
He clearly had no idea what value his awakened ability possessed.
"I tried making a website yesterday as a test. But I found out that my ability needs to become more proficient before the design can be upgraded to look decent. In its current state, I can only make those old websites that elderly people used to use... It's embarrassing to show off to my comrades. It's an ability that doesn't help with combat at all..."
What did he say.
"By any chance, do people need your permission to sign up for this site?"
"Huh? Ah, yes. It just takes the outward form of a website, but it's actually a structure created entirely by my ability. Uh, should I say my will is reflected in real-time? Will itself? Anyway, it's just that my ability is still weak, but if I were to create a membership registration system... Uh. I guess no one could enter without my permission...?"
Jackpot.
I unconsciously placed my hand on his shoulder.
Seo-gyu raised his head that he had been keeping down. Our eyes met.
"Seo-gyu. I told you I was an NIS agent when we first met."
"Yes..."
"That was a lie."
"Yes...?"
"I deliberately lied to make it easier for you to accept. Of course, I also gave you the chance to selectively choose the truth. I'll say it again - I'm actually a returner."
"Huh?"
"Seo-gyu, you used to complain every day about why all our party members are geniuses while you're the only late bloomer? It's simple. Because I recruited only awakeners who had been proven countless times to be geniuses throughout my 50 or so returns. But you were the first. You were a lottery ticket I'd never scratched before. No, somehow you couldn't even survive the Busan Station waiting room throughout all 50 iterations."
"Huh?"
"Your ability is now [Ubiquitous]."
Ubiquitous.
A word derived from Latin meaning to exist regardless of location.
It was commonly used to express that God exists simultaneously everywhere, but what mattered now was that the etymology of this expression was Latin. Latin held a magic that made anything sound cool.
"Most abilities are all about the name anyway. Site operation? Community administrator? Moving network? All unnecessary. You're just Ubiquitous."
"Ubiquitous..."
Sure enough, Seo-gyu's expression started to be taken in.
I smiled gently.
"Seo-gyu. Let's do a job together."
4
I immediately took Seo-gyu and moved to Yongsan.
The Saintess welcomed us in her own underwater temple - an aquarium-style living room where one would be confused whether this was a house where humans lived or fish lived.
After listening to my story in silence, the Saintess spoke.
"That's amazing."
"Right?"
As expected of the Saintess. She immediately recognized the value of Seo-gyu's ability.
Seo-gyu himself had been blankly staring at the Saintess's face, not understanding what was going on. Only when the Saintess turned her head did he seem to come to his senses and hurriedly avert his gaze.
"Uh, um. What's so great about my ability...?"
"Seo-gyu. What if awakeners sign up for your site? If you make them fill out their personal information then, all their information would come right into your hands. You'd also know everything about what posts they write on the site."
"Ah... But brother. Would those smart people really bother to sign up for my site? Even writing their personal information..."
I nodded.
"They will definitely sign up."
Not even a year had passed since the Gate incident broke out.
So Seo-gyu, other awakeners, and ordinary people were all somehow optimistic or indifferent. Just because someone was bad at the internet didn't mean their life would be ruined.
"This world will become increasingly messed up."
But from the time it passes the second year, all situations rapidly deteriorate.
Originally, Korea was relatively peaceful among awakeners thanks to the Saintess's 'Constellation play,' but in other countries, signs of warlord-ization were already appearing.
"Seo-gyu. Humans find it difficult to maintain their sanity from the moment communication with the outside is cut off. But your site is sustained not by technology but by your awakened ability, Ubiquitous. As long as you're alive, it's a plaza where anyone can connect anytime."
"..."
"Right away, large guilds will recognize the value of this site. It means having a means to contact the outside even after entering a Gate."
"Th-that's true..."
Seo-gyu nodded with a sour expression.
From my perspective, I could only give a bitter smile at this reaction.
In my view, an awakener's ability was graded by how much it overcame time and spatial constraints. In that sense, Seo-gyu had awakened an S-grade ability.
To think he was bewildered, holding a rare precious sword without recognizing its value himself.
Not only I but also the Saintess was expressionlessly dumbfounded.
"Ubiquitous..."
"Hm?"
I stand corrected. The Saintess was looking at me, not Seo-gyu.
"Why do you say that?"
"...No. I just thought it was a strangely old-fashioned feel. So that kind of naming is your taste."
"Huh? Isn't it a cool name?"
"...I suppose so."
A strange reaction.
Anyway, what mattered now was Seo-gyu's ability. I got to the main point.
"They said seeing once is better than hearing a hundred times. Now, let's decide how to decorate this site by consulting with the Saintess here."
"Ah. Uh, please take care of me...?"
"Yes, please take care of me."
Seo-gyu awkwardly shook hands with the Saintess.
Fortunately, the awkward atmosphere didn't last long. Not only the fact that I was a returner but also the truth that the Saintess was actually the main body of the Constellations was revealed.
A scream rang out through the aquarium living room.
"—Eek! W-what, the Constellations were all fake?"
Seo-gyu seemed to be in shock.
Well, if you realized that the pen pal friends who secretly cheered for you during hard times were all virtual beings, your head would spin.
"No way... Good heavens. Saintess-nim and Doctor hyung-nim, what on earth are you two planning? Aren't you seriously aiming for world domination or something...?"
"Hey. Why are you talking like it's someone else's business?"
You're our party member now too.
"First, Saintess-nim. Please disguise this site itself as if it were a power of the Constellation."
"Yes."
"Seo-gyu, you act as if you received the site's operation from the Constellation and are the administrator."
"Ah, yes. Brother."
The plan proceeded steadily.
We pushed forward with the work, even sipping precious coffee. With all three of us sitting in front of computers and groaning, the mystical underwater temple became virtually like a PC bang.
"PC bang... Fish bang. I see."
"...?"
The Saintess looked this way at my mumbling.
Her gaze was unusual, so I decided to quickly change the subject.
"Saintess-nim. What do you think would be good to name the site?"
"The name, you say."
Changing the subject was successful.
"...How about [Doomsday Gallery]?"
"Hmm. That's excellent, but the word 'gallery' would remind people too much of a specific site. We're not really going to operate it as a gallery but more like an old membership-based site or cafe, so it doesn't fit well either. Seo-gyu, what about you?"
"Uh... How about [Viva! The Doomed World!]?"
"That's a cool name, but this site has the setting that a Constellation personally established it. It feels too excited. Wouldn't modern people who ended up fighting monsters get annoyed?"
"It's difficult..."
"Hmm."
Just then, a good idea popped into my head.
Finally, half a month later.
We opened the site on a large scale.
-The Constellations' Playground!
-The Only Safe Internet Community!
-Welcome to SG Net!
5
The site name was decided as SG Net.
Several meanings were hidden here.
First, SG was the nickname I used to call Seo-gyu before I knew his real name. And coincidentally, the name 'Seo-gyu' itself also became SG when abbreviated.
Finally, since it was a site managed by Constellations, it was 'Constellation Net (Seongjwa Net).' If you abbreviated this Constellation Net, it was again SG.
Naming sense that aimed for three birds with one stone, going beyond two birds with one stone!
With Ubiquitous and all, perhaps I had a hidden talent for naming. How could one human be so versatile? Sometimes I got scared even when I thought about it myself.
"..."
For some reason, the Saintess was looking this way with eyes that said she had a lot to say but wouldn't say it, but I ignored it.
Next to her, Seo-gyu had a gloomy expression.
"Still no one but us has connected, brother..."
The guy kept staring blankly at the monitor.
During half a month, Seo-gyu became quite familiar with his ability, and the site became a bit prettier. Of course, that still only amounted to one hair growing on a Hitel-style PC communication design.
No matter how much the design improved, it would be meaningless if no one looked at it, but we had a marketing method that was almost free.
"Saintess-nim, please run an advertisement."
So-called advertising agencies in the name of Constellations!
"Understood."
The Saintess joined her hands together.
At that moment, identical messages flew to all awakeners active in Korea.
['Nameless Constellation' manifests its power.]
['Nameless Constellation' invites you!]
Along with this, the site address was also sent as a message.
Seo-gyu stared at the monitor with a tense face without a word.
Before long, the number of users displayed at the top of the site increased exponentially.
"Ten... ninety... T-two hundred. Five hundred? Wow. No, how many awakeners are there in Korea..."
Seo-gyu muttered.
But Seo-gyu's surprise would be nothing compared to the other awakeners who connected to SG Net.
I could clearly feel how flustered they were even beyond the monitor screen. Posts were being written one after another in the previously empty community.
-Anonymous: Why does it connect normally here? Is this a strange site? (2)
-Anonymous: I came after being called by the Constellation-nim. (0)
-Anonymous: Does anyone know who the nameless Constellation is? (15)
-Anonymous: Wow, I wasn't the only one who received the message. (1)
Perhaps because it was known as a site created by a Constellation, the users' tone was generally mild.
The awakeners were confused but posted and commented among themselves while watching the situation. The numbers like (2), (15) after the posts indicated the number of comments.
However, they were still active as 'Anonymous' nicknames who hadn't signed up - that is, as non-members.
"Seo-gyu. Now's the time."
"Ah, yes. Brother. I'll post it!"
Seo-gyu posted a notice under the member nickname 'Administrator.'
The content of the notice was simple when summarized.
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1. This site can be accessed anytime, anywhere.
2. A Constellation who cannot reveal their name established SG Net for entertainment. I am that person's proxy.
3. The more active the members are, the more SG Net develops. Simply understand members as a kind of believers and community activities as religious practice. The stronger your 'faith,' the more powerful the Constellation who descended to earth becomes.
4. Non-members can use SG Net for only 1 hour per day, while members can use it without restriction. Please understand this distinction as non-members are non-believers and members are believers.
5. 'Nameless Constellation' desires nothing from you except community activities.
6. Your personal information is thoroughly protected.
──────────
Naturally, except for number 1, it was nothing but lies from beginning to end.
As soon as the notice went up, non-members were in an uproar. In an instant, dozens, hundreds of comments were attached to the notice post.
-Anonymous: Is it true that he's the Constellation's proxy?
-CookingQueen: Administrator-nim, how do I become the Constellation's apostle?
-Anonymous: How smart.
-GoryeoJang: Why do these kids talk so fucking annoyingly?
-Anonymous: How can we believe this is real? Couldn't this also be a monster's prank?
Already several awakeners had completed membership registration.
First, 'CookingQueen' and 'GoryeoJang' registered as members faster than anyone else, and seeing that, other non-members also started悄悄 signing up.
"This actually works...?"
Seo-gyu exclaimed with a dumbfounded face.
While doing so, he kept moving his fingers to record members' personal information in text files.
Occasionally, there were movements among non-members who doubted the authenticity of the notice post, but such awakeners had the Saintess's message waiting for them.
['Prime Minister in the Red Cloak' confirms that while displeased, what this Constellation says is true.]
['Saintess of National Salvation' advises many awakeners that prolonged internet access has a negative effect on real life.]
Borrowing the name value of other Constellations to guarantee SG Net's authenticity.
With this, even the most suspicious awakeners had no choice but to lose some of their momentum.
The overwhelming number of non-members began to convert to members before we knew it.
As countless awakeners' information poured in like a tide, Seo-gyu couldn't hide his excitement.
"Wow. This is finished, brother."
"Good work."
I patted Seo-gyu's shoulder.
"But it's not finished. It's just beginning."
"...?"
Seo-gyu seemed not to understand the meaning of my words.
Well. How could he predict how I would utilize SG Net from now on?
"Keep up the good work in the future too. Seo-gyu."
"Huh? Oh my, brother. I should be the one asking for your continued support!"
A bit simple-minded but innocently following my words well, my younger brother smiled brightly.
6
Unfortunately, the 50th iteration of the world couldn't avoid destruction either.
However, the usefulness of SG Net was proven. Just this alone gave the 50th iteration great significance.
I, the Saintess, and Seo-gyu. We three, as the founders and administrators of the site, experienced truly various things. There were too many stories tangled up here, so I'll probably mention them whenever I'm bored.
Right now, the significance of the 50th iteration that I can lightly mention was this. From this point on, my actions at the moment of starting a return, the moment of opening a new iteration, became somewhat different.
"Aah, hello everyone! Everyone! Oh my? The number is a bit small... Anyway, you must have been very surprised to be suddenly summoned to a place like this, right? But you don't need to worry! I'm the guide who will kindly guide you from the beginning!"
In the past, when I opened my eyes in the Busan Station waiting room, I only thought about how to quickly get to Sho old man's cafe.
But not anymore.
There was one more person I needed to save.
"Then from now on..."
"Hey, you fucker! What kind of bullshit is that!"
A resonant lion's roar rang out.
I smiled at the familiar voice.
I could say it was like my personal alarm that reminded me that life had started again.
As I moved my steps, telling myself to work hard in this iteration too, I listened to the curses I had missed quite a bit.
"You fucker!"
- Administrator. Fin.
Infinite Returner Tells a Story