Chapter 92

50. Giant Tree (1)

The fact that I briefly worked before the war is something I had already publicly shared through a sincere and straightforward personal account on our bulletin board.

There were two accountants at that company, one of whom was the boss's mistress, and the other was the real accountant.

Neither of them did much work, but the real accountant at least pretended to work. Although I didn't mention it on our bulletin board, it seemed that the real accountant had a strong attraction to me.

"Look at this, Park Kyu."

Perhaps because of that.

She showed me the screen of a community she often visited.

I thought her purpose was to find common ground, but I have never been particularly warm towards women.

"I don't use the internet. I don't use chat apps like KakaoTalk. I don't even check messages."

One reason might be that she wasn't my type, but that's not the only reason.

"What's in the group chat?"

"It's a business account. I want my personal life to be respected."

Even if the real accountant had been more attractive, the outcome wouldn't have changed.

My goal was to survive alone; I never once considered the luxury of surviving with a companion.

However, the community screen she showed me left a strong impression on me, even though I was worried about the war and was mentally and physically exhausted from frequent debt collection.

I don't know the exact name, but it was an anonymous bulletin board, and even though it was anonymous, it wasn't completely so.

The board had a unique system where the name of the company the user worked for was displayed.

It was designed to create a space where office workers could candidly share the secrets of their workplaces, ensuring the right to know and protecting the rights of office workers.

The idea was good.

It seemed reasonable.

But to me, the system looked like a revival of the chronic problems of South Korea.

"Ta-da~ Our company is like this!"

The real accountant posted a message.

Seafood Pancake lv.1 (New Company): I'm so depressed ㅠㅠ

"New company!"

"New company?"

"Yes. Usually, our company is like this..."

She gestured for me to come closer.

"Let's just talk here."

She pouted at my reaction, turned her head, and said curtly.

"It's just a small company."

I secretly registered on the site.

They required a business card and a company phone number, but since the company didn't provide business cards, I had to create one myself using a 2,500 won template and enter the company phone number to get verified.

After creating the account, I logged into the site and checked the atmosphere.

As expected of a site frequented by office workers, it had a realistic feel with practical information and a unique culture of 30-40-year-old office workers.

But amidst this, the familiarity I felt when I first saw it stuck in my throat.

SKELTON (New Company): The work is too hard.

Three seconds later, a similar post appeared.

Saju A (Jeepung Auto HQ): Life is too hard (12)

There was no difference between the two posts.

But the number of comments was different.

My post didn't get a single comment, while the one below it got 12.

I read a few of the comments.

ㅇㅇ (Cheolju Media): I'm also struggling ㅠ

TomorrowIsTomorrow'sSun (Kakao): I have to go to work tomorrow...

Satori Generation (CK Telecom): ... Hang in there

SlamDunk123 (Civil Servant): I want to take a vacation

...

...

"Really?"

Even to me, who was not familiar with the internet at the time, this situation seemed highly unreasonable.

I wondered if I had done something wrong, but I hadn't.

Reluctantly, I began to suspect that the phrase "new company" mentioned by the real accountant might be the problem.

Feeling uncomfortable, I refreshed the page and noticed a post.

BonobonoHamji (Doctor): Our workplace characteristics.txt (13)

- Work is intense

Low pay

Always dealing with old people

I don't know why I studied

"Is there a company called 'Doctor'?"

Finding the company name odd, I wrote a similar post.

SKELTON (New Company): Our workplace characteristics.txt

- Always arrive 10 minutes early, but they want me to come even earlier

Called out of the blue during lunchtime for a walk

When I ask about something I don't know, they say I should think for myself, but if I don't ask, they get mad

"?"

Despite writing a long post, I didn't get a single comment.

Later, while browsing popular posts, I got a sense of the prevailing atmosphere.

The company name next to the nickname was essentially the person's status.

It seemed to be a tool for dividing people, similar to how in the Joseon era, people were divided into different classes, or how people are discriminated against based on their apartment or region.

I, who worked at a small company, had to either not write or be prepared to be mocked if I saw the names of prestigious companies.

Our opinions and thoughts were rarely taken seriously.

I had seen many times how a logically and reasonably written post by someone from a "new company" would be dismissed as whining when a doctor posted something.

Maybe it was because I was from a small company, couldn't get comments, and was mentally stressed by debt collection, but I felt a strong sense of inferiority.

I never returned to that bulletin board again.

However, a similar incident reoccurred 2 years and 7 months after the war started.

The place was PaleNet, a symbol of freedom.

*

ㅇㅇ (A13): Oh, what's this? Something strange just appeared?

ㅇㅇ (B31): Really? What is it?

ㅇㅇ (F13): Purrrrr

ㅇㅇ (D07): Is it like an ID?

ㅇㅇ (E31): Test

ㅇㅇ (E31): ? Why do we have the same letters at the end?

...

...

I heard about the unusual event on PaleNet after a heavy labor, taking a shower, and sitting in front of my laptop.

I had been working since dawn, refilling the main air-raid shelter that had been left open during the rainy season.

I didn't completely fill it with soil this time.

There was a high possibility that it would be used again.

Maybe in about 2 years?

Honestly, at that point, even the survival of the Legion and Kim Daran was uncertain.

So, instead of filling it completely with soil, I laid plywood, covered it with a waterproof tarp, and then added soil on top.

After covering it with soil, I planted weeds around it to camouflage it and left the rest to the scorching summer sun.

Whirrrrr-

While the air conditioner hummed, I turned on my laptop in the comfortable air-raid shelter and heard the news about the unusual event on PaleNet.

It was about strange codes appearing next to nicknames.

The users of PaleNet, who had nothing to do and were hungry, were speculating about the nature of these codes.

A cautious user soon made a guess.

ㅇㅇ (D13): Isn't this a camp code? They did base station construction for each camp before, right?

The user's guess turned out to be true.

The code next to the nickname indicated the base station the user was connected to.

On the other hand, the code for our Viva! Apocalypse! users, who connect to PaleNet via satellite communication, is as follows.

ㅁㅁ (Unknown): Test

Unknown.

In other words, it means unknown.

This means that even if Park Kyu or other users use the mask "ㅇㅇ," their origin cannot be hidden.

In short, the possibility of a second Yoon Chang appearing on PaleNet has been permanently eliminated.

However, that wasn't the only problem.

ㅇㅇ (D13): Codes by region.txt

A user figured out the locations of the base stations based on the codes and organized them clearly.

The intention was good, but the people who received the information interpreted it in a dirty way that the writer probably didn't expect.

For example:

ㅇㅇ (A18): Codes by class.txt

The second post was a copy of the first, with only one change.

The regions were replaced with classes.

I didn't know this, but it seems that there were significant differences between the camps in Incheon.

Strange conspiracy theories circulated during this process.

At first glance, all the camps seemed the same, but in reality, the government seemed to have categorized people based on their living areas before the war, such as those who lived in well-off areas, average areas, and areas with little value.

There were strong counterarguments to this.

During the chaos of Seoul's collapse, it was inevitable that there would be differences between camps as people were hastily gathered and sorted.

I think the latter argument is correct.

There were no government representatives, and it was unlikely that middle-aged people would be dragged out and killed.

From what I can see, the government only needed people with the potential to Awaken.

However, logic often falls to illogic.

People in camps that were relatively highly evaluated wanted to be superior to others based on their location, and they forcefully pushed their logic, leading to the spread of the camp class theory throughout Incheon.

The result was as follows:

ㅇㅇ (A18): Codes by class (Final Edition).txt

-A01~10: Royalty

A11~23: Aristocracy

B01~18: Gentry

B19~33: Yangban

----Yangban Line----

C01~14: Middle Class

C15~32: Commoners

----Human Line----

D~: Slaves

E~: Serfs

F~: Zombies

"..."

The value of free discussion was damaged.

A class system emerged on PaleNet, where everyone had been free and equal, using the nickname "ㅇㅇ."

형우아빠 (D18): This doesn't seem right. What's the difference between camps? I'm going to Jeju.

ㅇㅇ (B11): Sure, next beggar. Enjoy it in your dreams.

ㅇㅇ (A22): This class list is spot on. Our camp has a lot of doctors and celebrities. I used to be a fund manager in Yeouido.

ㅇㅇ (A23): Our camp has a lot of survivors from Gangnam. It seems the government sorted and accepted them.

ㅇㅇ (E22): Bullshit? What the fuck did you eat today? Did you eat beef and shit like this?

ㅇㅇ (A15): Ah, E smell. I feel sick.

ㅇㅇ (A02): Munch munch... beggars... the board is finally getting disciplined... munch munch... don't know their place... munch munch...

...

...

People who used to laugh and chat together now check each other's status based on the codes next to their nicknames.

This reminded me of the company names displayed next to nicknames on a bulletin board I saw before the war.

I immediately contacted the subordinate of Jonnae Nondi upon seeing this situation.

SKELTON: What's going on? There's chaos on PaleNet.

A while later, I received a message from the subordinate.

Message from 171cm54kg13cm: Ah, Mr. Skeleton...

SKELTON: (Skeleton surprised) No, your nickname...?!

171cm54kg13cm: It's now like my account. I don't like lying much.

SKELTON: (Skeleton takes a deep breath) I see.

SKELTON: (Skeleton) Anyway, what's happening?

171cm54kg13cm: Well...

171cm explained the situation to me.

During the rainy season, the equipment was damaged, and they had to seek help from the government, which led to their subordination.

Jonnae Nondi did create a great site, but maintenance and updates were necessary, and for that, money and resources were needed.

The resources were almost depleted during the rainy season.

Jonnae Nondi had to bend his principles and submit to the government, leading to the current chaotic situation.

171cm54kg13cm: And...

The text made me imagine a thin, bespectacled man hesitating.

Sure enough, he sent another message.

171cm54kg13cm: Mr. Jonnae Nondi. There's not much time left... I think this month will be the turning point... ㅠㅠ

"..."

I closed my eyes tightly and sighed.

I had expected this.

When I saw him, the first thing that came to mind was death.

But now, to hear that this man, who was like a light, is facing death, feels like a blow to the head.

I wish he could have lived longer.

Even if he no longer actively participated in the bulletin board.

SKELTON: I see... ㅠ

171cm54kg13cm: Anyway, I'm also very distressed. Really...

SKELTON: Why?

171cm54kg13cm: Mr. Jonnae Nondi is very distressed. Seeing his site, which he created, being horribly changed by the government... He couldn't sleep last night, gasping for breath while looking at the board, his eyes full of regret...

I can understand that.

Seeing his utopia, which he exchanged for his life, being defiled by the government must be incredibly disappointing and heartbreaking.

"..."

A sense of powerlessness enveloped me again.

There's almost nothing I can do about this problem.

It's not something that can be solved by wielding an axe.

Even if I were Awakened, I wouldn't have a solution.

Unless I were in a position like Gang Min, who could influence the entire country.

But.

"..."

Wait.

That's right.

Jonnae Nondi is Jonnae Nondi.

As a long-time fan, I know him very well.

I know what he likes and what he wants.

Tap tap

SKELTON: (Jegalskeleton) I have a good idea.