Chapter 54

36. Transformation (2)

REDMASK: Alright, then, Eunchang. I have a few questions. Did you test the Ritz yourself?

Eunchang11: ㅇ

REDMASK: ?

Eunchang11: Why?

REDMASK: Is your mom or dad next to you, Eunchang?

Eunchang11: They're out working.

REDMASK: Even if it's anonymous, people should still maintain basic manners. We are human, not animals, right??

Eunchang11: Yes, sir.

REDMASK: Sigh...

Eunchang11: ??

REDMASK: So, where are you now?

Eunchang11: In Incheon.

REDMASK: I see... When you tested the Ritz, did you see any hallucinations, like something that wasn't real?

Eunchang11: Hallucinations?

REDMASK: Yes, like intense images that come to mind, or maybe a strong light spreading around you that could surprise you.

"Images, huh."

Come to think of it, there's a common phenomenon when Awakeners first open their abilities.

It's called the Awakening Phenomenon, known by various terms like Awakening Pain or Awakening Time. Each Awakener shows a different manifestation when they first open their abilities, making it hard to describe with a single word.

Woo Minhee listed the typical manifestations of the Awakening Phenomenon.

Pathological hallucinations, intense images that linger even with eyes closed, or some kind of symbol.

These are typical of lower-tier Awakeners.

Truly powerful Awakeners not only experience intense Awakening Pain but also spread strong visual or mental effects that can be noticed by those around them.

I've seen it myself.

How Kang Min and Na Hyein opened their abilities and gained true power on that desperate battlefield.

When they gained their powers, it felt like the world was changing.

Of course, it was natural.

Two of the strongest Awakeners of the era, who would be called saviors, both opened their abilities at the same time.

Suddenly, I thought of my mentor.

Did they not show any Awakening Phenomenon?

Given that the Ritz is white, it's possible that the Awakening Phenomenon was so obvious that anyone could see it.

REDMASK: Eunchang? Why are you quiet?

While I was lost in thought, Woo Minhee showed her usual impatience.

She's probably holding back because I'm young and on the internet.

If she were right next to me, I might have gotten a slap or a kick.

Eunchang11: I saw a large axe.

REDMASK: An axe?

Eunchang11: Yes, the blade was burning by itself, and the, the, handle? was like water.

I adapted the image from the Awakener Awakening manuals I had seen.

I know about this because I once participated in an Awakener Awakening test.

To be honest, I almost died.

Some people actually did die.

The stronger the test, the more it literally shatters a person's soul.

REDMASK: I see. Do you know how amazing what you did was, Eunchang?

Eunchang11: No. A friend lent me his phone and told me to post it here, so I did.

REDMASK: I see.

REDMASK: Are you eating well, Eunchang? You can only use your phone with the army nearby, right?

Eunchang11: I can't eat well. I barely get by with what my dad brings, like those strange nutrition bars?

REDMASK: We can send your family to Jeju Island.

There it is. Jeju Island.

Eunchang11: Jeju Island?! We're taking a boat. The schedule is already set.

REDMASK: When? Which fleet?

Eunchang11: I'm not sure, but we're leaving soon.

REDMASK: The first fleet? Hmm, it might be better not to take it.

Eunchang11: Why?

REDMASK: There are rumors of Chinese submarines patrolling. If you're unlucky, you and your family might end up at the bottom of the sea.

Eunchang11: Then how do we get to Jeju Island?

REDMASK: By plane.

Eunchang11: Are there any flights now?

REDMASK: Yes, if you want. Don't worry. If Eunchang comes here, takes a simple test, and is recognized as qualified to enter the school, not only Eunchang but the entire family can go to Jeju Island. There are houses with electricity and you can play games. Do you like League of Legends? I do too. You can even play ranked games there.

Woo Minhee sent a photo.

The photo showed picturesque townhouses lined up against the beautiful sunset of Jeju Island, with families enjoying pre-war life and chatting inside.

"..."

I had a rough idea of how things were going.

Sure enough, the Jeju-bound fleet was another lie to deceive people.

Truly capable Awakener candidates are taken by plane.

In a way, this is a reasonable outcome.

Come to think of it, when I went to Seoul a few times, I saw that only elementary and middle schools were open despite the country falling apart.

Is this a setup for that?

Young people, being young, have a higher chance of Awakener awakening and can be brainwashed, so they are being gathered to Jeju Island.

Guys like Kim Daran, who have survived the war, are left to fend for themselves.

I've heard everything I wanted to hear.

I took screenshots of the entire conversation.

I could end the conversation here, but since I'm in a one-on-one chat with my lovely junior, let's talk a bit more.

Eunchang11: Can zombies become Awakeners?

REDMASK: Zombies?

REDMASK: That's a strange question. Zombies are dead people.

Eunchang11: What if a dead person comes back to life?

REDMASK: Hmm, would that be a meaningless experiment?

A meaningless experiment.

Does this woman not know the state of my mentor?

Let me ask one more question.

Eunchang11: How strong is white? Can you beat it, sister?

REDMASK: That might be a stretch.

REDMASK: I'm very strong, you know?

Eunchang11: ㅎㄷㄷ;;

REDMASK: Well, if Eunchang goes to Jeju Island, learns to control psychic abilities, and develops your skills, you might be able to outperform me.

Eunchang11: I see.

REDMASK: Anyway, where are you now? You said Incheon, right? Can you come to Pier 8?

Eunchang11: Yes.

REDMASK: Eunchang ^^

"?"

REDMASK: You don't seem to be in the capital area.

Eunchang11: What?

REDMASK: Ah~ The unique number of the person I'm talking to isn't within our government network's internet bandwidth. Where are you, Eunchang? Are you in a rural area? Hmm? I'm not the best-tempered person, you know~ Be honest~

No way. Is this kid tracking IP addresses or something?

Most people using the Failnet are piggybacking on government or military networks, so if they want to, they can track specific individuals, especially within their own sites.

That means our conversation is coming to an end.

But I'm not satisfied yet.

Eunchang11: What's your name and age, sister?

REDMASK: Minhee.

Eunchang11: Mini? Small chest? Small height? Small heart?

REDMASK: Don't joke around ^^

Eunchang11: What's your age, sister?

REDMASK: Thirty.

Eunchang11: You're an aunt.

REDMASK: Eunchang? ^^ IQ tracking? ^^

<Do you want to leave the chat room?>

I immediately left the chat room.

"Of course it was you."

I know everything I wanted to know.

Woo Minhee.

Once my cute junior, she is now responsible for taking children from their parents.

Redmask.

What a fitting nickname.

Maybe she knew her role in advance when she chose it.

At least, she never wore a mask when she was with me.

She said she was too pretty to wear one.

I saved all the conversations with her as screenshots.

Especially the part about Jeju Island might be quite interesting.

Though I am a powerless individual in this era, unable to do anything, I am still human.

As a human, don't I have the right to mess with others a bit?

*Message from 183cm88kg18cm: IQ tracking? You mean IP tracking. While the Failnet might be different, Viva! Apocalypse! has poor board security, but the satellite signal is hard to track. You can use it without worry!

Woo Minhee knows the threat is a bluff, but I contacted a subordinate to confirm my safety.

The conclusion is that I'm safe.

Still, IP tracking.

Woo Minhee must have been really angry.

With my safety confirmed, I have something to do.

"What? You really wrote that post, Skeleton? Why did you lie to me? Between us?"

"Skeleton! People shouldn't do that."

I contacted the Defender siblings through a communication device.

"Anyway, I need your help."

I asked the Defender siblings to edit the screenshots I took.

I have the tools, but I'm not good at editing, so I lack the skill to convey my message effectively.

On the other hand, the Defender, especially the younger one, is good at this.

"Make it look like this, reduce the image size for the Failnet beggars to see clearly, and adjust the text. But it's better to post the original along with it for credibility."

"Thanks."

"Thanks? Between us. Invite me over sometime. I want to see Skeleton's place?"

Da-jung talks well through the communication device.

In person, she has a quiet voice and only speaks when her brother is around, but she'll change over time.

I think I'll maintain an alliance with them for a while.

With the help of many people, my plan to expose Woo Minhee and the disgusting people behind her is complete.

I don't have the power to create a new world like Jonnaen, but I can at least sound the alarm for those who are trying to die on their own in this world.

ㅇㅇ: Results of catching REDMASK (Caution: Shocking)

I uploaded a post to the test-taker board.

The board contained the edited conversation between Woo Minhee and me, which Failnet users could easily check.

The most important part is about Jeju Island.

The destination of that fleet is not Jeju Island but death.

They will likely remove unnecessary people in large numbers and more conveniently than the pioneers.

A single container ship can carry tens of thousands of people.

My post, with a catchy title, soon gathered a huge number of views and comments.

ㅇㅇ: Results of catching REDMASK (Caution: Shocking) (1132)

ㅇㅇ: Is this real? This?

ㅇㅇ: I had a bad feeling about the Jeju-bound ship.

ㅇㅇ: It's just the pioneers, right? Just pioneers on a ship, right?

ㅇㅇ: What should we do now?

Young-min's Dad: This is a lie. It's fake. It has to be.

ㅇㅇ: Honestly, it's too big to believe just from this one post, isn't it?

ㅇ ngOnInit: You can't really call this a verification.

ㅇㅇ: But if it's true, it's really creepy, isn't it?

ㅇㅇ: The interface is the same as when I talked to Redmask...

...

...

My post became a battlefield.

People who trusted me, people who attacked the government based on my words, people who denied me, people who criticized me, and people who spread lies.

My post, which was already burning on the test-taker board, burned even more fiercely on the Failnet.

ㅇㅇ: Results of catching REDMASK (Caution: Shocking) (10001)

The comments exceeded ten thousand.

It means the entire Failnet community has gathered.

"O~ Skeleton~?"

Da-jung contacted me.

"Our board is unpopular, but it's a hit here. A hit? Ten thousand comments! Wow!"

"S, Sir!"

"..."

I felt a strange, eerie throb in my heart as I watched the situation unfold.

"Sir. They must have pulled their shills."

The Defender contacted me.

Sure enough, fake verification posts mimicking mine appeared on the test-taker board.

It's not Woo Minhee's idea, but it seems there's a department responsible for community public opinion.

ㅇㅇ: Nice catch~

ㅇㅇ: Anyway, Koreans are easily swayed.

ㅇㅇ: This is just a story made up by someone who wants to take the Jeju-bound ship. ㅉㅉ

Unfortunately, the fire I started was extinguished there.

It couldn't be helped.

I just started the fire.

It was small, and the people putting it out were skilled.

I watched other topics heat up on the Failnet with a sense of half-hearted disappointment.

But my brief adventure seems to have some meaning.

That night, I received a message.

Message from John_nenon: (Thumbs up from Jonnaen)

This is enough.

This is.

Or, in a way, the best reward.

*gijayangban: Is there someone messing around on this Failnet?

gijayangban: Is Eunchang or someone here?

Why is the journalist so agitated lately?

gijayangban: If you keep causing trouble on the Failnet, all our board friends might be in trouble. Be careful.

Why is he so worked up?

It's unlike him.

"..."

No way.

No, it can't be.

The journalist is Woo Minhee?

Come to think of it, she was in the newspaper club when we were in school...

No way.

It can't be.

The journalist is a named figure on our board, a savior and a pillar of light.

It's hard to imagine that someone like Woo Minhee is behind the mask he wears.

I want to believe that.

"..."

I also wore a mask as Eunchang11, after all.