NOVEL NEXT Chapter 21
One day, the broadcasts took over TV and the internet.
A gray giant breathes fire in a collapsing city.
Shadow monsters that look like they came up from hell slaughter people.
The scene is excessively vivid.
The sight of corpses being broadcast without any censorship understandably sent countries into a frenzy.
A cyberterrorism event targeting the entire globe.
Of course, no one accepted that video as reality.
The battle between superhumans who have surpassed humans and monsters rampaging was something hard to believe had occurred in real life.
And then, in that moment, something happened.
The red sky collapsed, revealing a blue sky, capturing the scene with satellites from various countries.
A shocking event that would astonish both those who knew about the [Abnormality] and those who didn’t.
Fortunately, even with the live broadcast, the majority of people didn’t believe it was real.
It was just too absurd.
Those who knew felt relieved, while those who didn’t merely scoffed and so…
A month passed.
*
People tend to have a hard time believing things unless they see them with their own eyes.
Especially if it has the kind of impact that turns common sense on its head.
However, people living in Seoul, South Korea, couldn’t possibly deny that truth.
If something like that appeared right in the middle of Seoul, it would be hard for anyone to dismiss it.
In a space in Jung-hwa-dong, Seoul.
The land that had once turned to ruins just a month ago now bore little resemblance to its former self.
In a radius of approximately 1 km, pure white stone buildings filled the area.
The structures, reminiscent of ancient architecture while also bearing some modern apartment traits, emanated a strange atmosphere that insisted this place was another world.
[Ordinary City]
“But isn’t this illegal occupation?”
“Well, it is, but the government can’t really do anything about it. It should be fine, right?”
I didn’t even do it on purpose.
That day, along with the completion of the quest, the [Status Window] recognized my actions not merely as subduing the Alliance Leader, but as dismantling the [Alliance].
Complete eradication of the [Giant Force – Humanity Innovation Alliance].
And what followed was a phenomenon I had experienced once before.
A piece of land concealed in the [Otherworld] above Seoul revealed itself.
[Abnormal City – Asgard]
A realm that was once called the world of the [Gods] and the headquarters of the [Alliance] members.
Pash…
■ You have defeated the [Giant Force – Humanity Innovation Alliance].
└ The dungeon you hold, [Ordinary Apartment], will merge with [Abnormal City – Asgard].
└ [Ordinary Apartment] will absorb a higher existence and evolve.
└ [Ordinary City] will be projected into reality.
Yeah, it was inevitable.
What can I do if the [Status Window] decided to absorb things on its own before I could even do anything?
In fact, it wasn’t a bad thing.
Since it was the [Alliance]’s base, absorbing their technology and various [Abnormalities] was beneficial, and the city was being effectively utilized as the main stronghold for the [Broadcasting Station].
Although I kept receiving notifications from the government, this was already an event that surpassed the scale of a single nation’s interference.
“Well, soon enough, they won’t even be able to call to complain.”
The [Alliance] had fallen.
That didn’t just signify the collapse of a single faction.
Regardless of what the Alliance Leader thought, no one could deny the role of the [Alliance].
On the day the [Alliance] fell, I announced the birth of a new giant force.
But would there be anyone willing to acknowledge that straightforwardly?
The case was different from the [Alliance].
While the [Alliance] was also a deformed faction reliant on the personal strength of the Alliance Leader, it had the asymmetrical power of [Ragnarok] and centuries of achievements and renown.
The world’s deterrent power.
That phrase isn’t an empty expression.
The [Alliance] could serve as a world deterrent due to its bizarre structure, and thus it held the name of a giant force.
Even if I possessed the strength to practically dismantle the [Alliance], I was incapable of continuing such a role.
My strength was personal power, not the power of a faction.
That’s what I meant when I said it would have been so without the [Special Upgrade Coupon].
The day the Alliance Leader died and the [Alliance] fell, I made the establishment of the new faction, [Broadcasting Station], known worldwide and immediately used the coupon that was the quest reward.
“How’s the platform?”
“The number of subscribers has increased tremendously this month.”
The items that could be enhanced with coupons were simple.
Expansion of existing functions.
Rather than mere enhancement, they allowed for the broadening of functional range or an increase in the degree of interference with reality.
Two coupons received as quest rewards.
I used them to simultaneously target the expansion of the faction and the stability of humanity.
> Connect hunting system.
> Upgrade streaming service.
The name of the faction is [Broadcasting Station] for a reason.
I transformed the super broadcast account that was previously applied to me into a platform and began a streaming service aimed globally.
Backroom.
A platform functioning as an [Abnormality] with a server hidden behind the world’s backdrop.
Just like my broadcast during the attack on the [Alliance], it was simultaneously transmitted across all platforms existing on the internet, and it was a super broadcast that even the site operators couldn’t interfere with.
Naturally, the existing platforms were in chaos, but I ignored it.
I didn’t touch the commission, so should there really be a problem?
…
Actually, there is a problem.
Since the management’s interference is ineffectual, all kinds of broadcasts sprang up.
Thanks to that, it seems to have become a recent social issue…
“But it’s necessary.”
Still, there haven’t been any serious crimes yet, so it should be fine, right?
“A month has passed…”
It’s been a month since the deterrent power of the [Alliance] and the world has crumbled.
“It’s about time for it to come out.”
As I spoke, the bear who was managing the platform halted his fingers that had been tapping the keyboard.
“I really don’t know if this was a good idea.”
“Well, what can we do? They attacked first.”
The lack of deterrence.
So far, the world hasn’t faced significant changes.
But that would soon come to an end.
The suppressed powers overflow into the world, and a month is certainly a long enough period.
Having lived through various worlds, my sensitivity to soul sensations is quite high.
Magic, mana, ki, divine power, the forces that are the sources of all special abilities.
Though they felt somewhat alien compared to the sensations I experienced in my previous life…
“[Abnormality]…”
Han Yu-seong thought to himself that whoever named it did a really good job.
*
“Hello, everyone! It’s everyone’s idol, Lumi-chan!”
As the broadcast turned on, a woman with black bobbed hair greeted the camera with a bright smile.
A woman with a well-toned body and an adorably charming appearance.
Once a K-pop trainee who failed to debut, she became famous by starting a new YouTube channel.
“Oh? Are we doing a nighttime broadcast today?”
“Nighttime broadcast? Is that a lewd broadcast?!”
“Are you insane? It’s an outdoor broadcast.”
There are occasionally strange trolls like that, but Lumi was satisfied.
I’m making way more money now than I ever did as an average idol!
Hearing her former fellow trainees complain about their struggles made her feel glad she quit.
Some might criticize her for being a female-only streamer, but in the end, it’s all about making money.
“Today’s content is a food exploration!”
The content she focuses on are exercise and eating shows.
She has always loved eating and engages in exercise for sexy appeal and body management.
But she doesn’t just eat a lot indiscriminately.
Eating broadcast content only happens on cheat days!
She manages herself on usual days!
– “Lumi-chan is streaming on ‘that platform’ today, huh?”
At that moment, one viewer felt something was off.
He was talking about the individual broadcasting platform introduced by the man who had turned Seoul upside down a month ago.
The official name is [Streaming System], but on communities, it’s commonly referred to as ‘that platform.’
“Oh! I just tried it because my friends recommended it!”
It seems like it simultaneously broadcasts to every site in the world, and even the operators can’t interfere!
While people overseas see it as the work of a low-quality hacker, Lumi, having personally visited the incident site, thought it might be real superpowers.
“As long as it generates good profits, whether it’s due to superpowers or hackers is beside the point.”
I’ve heard of broadcasting friends who went viral thanks to this platform and gained international attention?
Since it automatically settles currencies like dollars or euros, there’s a rumor that the scale of profits is changing within this industry.
“Today might be worth looking forward to in terms of revenue!”
She was still the same money-minded girl, wanting to earn as much as possible upon dreaming of becoming an idol and even starting her broadcasting career.
Why did she want to become an idol?
Because it pays a lot!
Why did she start broadcasting?
Because it pays a lot!
While overseas broadcasters regard it as a hacker’s doing and feel a sense of aversion, she plans to seize the moment and earn as much as possible!
As she walked through the streets of Hongdae, she looked forward to the day’s earnings.
“Then, please recommend some good restaurants…!”
“Eek!”
At that moment, a scream was heard nearby.
A woman cried out as she fell, and a man was attacking her.
Lumi’s eyes widened in horror, and she ran out.
Even though Lumi was money-minded, she hadn’t fallen so far that she could ignore such blatant injustice.
… Actually, it was partly due to image management since she was live on air.
“Let go of her right now!”
Even though he was an adult man, Lumi had been working out consistently, making her more than strong enough to forcibly pull the man off.
“Grrr…”
The man released his grip on the woman with a groan and stood up, coughing.
His stumbling form was clearly abnormal.
“Is that…?”
He looked pale.
Veins popped out on his pale skin, and his eyes were unfocused, unable to hold a gaze.
Come to think of it…
Wasn’t he cold to the touch when she pulled him away earlier?
“Cough, cough! Grrr…”
At that moment, the woman who had been attacked began to convulse and stood up, making similar gagging sounds.
As noticeable flesh fell away, her neck became ragged and battered.
Suddenly, memories of the man’s broadcast from a month ago flooded back.
‘In this world, there exists something called [Abnormality].’
[Abnormality].
Something that isn’t supposed to happen.
A presence in reality that emerged from the unreal.
So then…
“[Zombie]?”
“Ahhhh!”
With the appearance of the [Abnormality], screams resonated through the streets of Hongdae.
*
As Lumi was attacked by the [Zombie], incidents began to erupt simultaneously around the world.
From the coast of Busan, the gigantic whale [Moby Dick].
The legion of [Vampires] attacking Manchester, UK.
[Zombies] springing up from graves in China.
The [Giant] appearing in Russia.
It wasn’t just the underground powers oppressed by the deterrent of the [Alliance].
Thoughts that had been wandering without coming together due to the power of the [Alliance] began to take the form of [Abnormality] and reveal themselves to the world.
A flood of [Abnormality].
The world was facing a transformative change that no one could have anticipated.