Hiding a House in the Apocalypse-Chapter 142.2: Coin (2)

If I were to objectively evaluate myself as a person, I’d consider myself an all-arounder with a high ceiling, but nothing particularly outstanding in any one field.

Even during my time in China, Kim Daram was superior in shooting and acrobatics, Lee Sang-hoon outshone me in operational planning, and Gong Gyeong-min was slightly better than me in battle command.

In terms of close-quarters combat using cold weapons, I was considered the best in Korea, but among the nameless hunters who died in China, there were probably a few who were better than me.

The reason I rose to the top, surpassing countless hunters, wasn’t just because I had no weaknesses or because I was exceptionally talented across the board—I believe it was my ability to “adapt” better than anyone else.

In an ever-changing battlefield, where new and unpredictable situations constantly arise, adaptability is what truly shines.

Personally, I don’t think anyone else was as flexible in adapting to every situation as I was.

I’ve been active on the Red Archive board of the Jeju Intranet for quite a while now.

Given that I was able to carve out a name for myself in that internet community full of younger generations with their own bizarre culture, I’d say I adapted quite well to the Red Archive board.

Afterward, I was unjustly kicked out by a board admin named Cheonsaek, but I wasn’t just idle after that.

I wasn’t obsessing over revenge like King Goujian licking his gallbladder, but I did quietly observe the Red Archive board from the shadows, waiting for the right moment for payback.

During that time, I discovered a strange culture on Red Archive that doesn’t exist on our board—something called “sniping.”

To explain, it’s the act of singling out a user you don’t like, provoking others to block them.

On our board, since everyone’s more or less the same age, if someone weird shows up, we don’t need anyone to point it out—we just quietly block them.

It’s a cultural difference.

Even now, a sniping post is the top post on the Red Archive board, generating tons of comments.

YeotgireumPasta: Targeting a non-gamer.jpg

The content? I don’t even need to look.

They probably wrote some eye-roll-worthy post or shared an unwanted diary entry, making the board filthy.

It’s like how people get criticized for not cleaning up after their dogs in a park—if you keep posting nonsense like dog poop, you’ll eventually become the target of a sniping post.

And the board admin, seeing the public opinion on the sniping post, will decide whether to block the sniped user or the one who made the baseless attack.

Lately, I’ve been keeping a close eye on the sniping culture unique to Red Archive.

Like anywhere, there are the privileged and the non-privileged, and there are those who hold power on the Red Archive board.

Cheonsaek, who blocked me, is one of them.

But after observing Cheonsaek from the shadows for several months, I realized he wasn’t just an ordinary user.

While most users get dragged away by the Rift or disappear due to other missions, Cheonsaek and the other admins are always around, living and breathing the board 24/7 like it’s their only job.

I know from living in Jeju that this isn’t something that’s usually allowed in Jeju.

A big shot like Unicorn or Na Hye-in would be the only ones granted such leisure. So, it was strange to see random nobodies hanging around the board all the time.

With all the time I had, I diligently investigated this oddity, gathering information that was floating around among users. Some of it was unverified, but it was credible enough.

Apparently, Cheonsaek and the admin cartel were hired by a high-ranking figure in Jeju, known as “Yang Jaham-pok.”

If you dig deeper, it turns out that there are several other boards like Red Archive on the Jeju Intranet.

Since there’s no freedom of speech in Jeju, they couldn’t create open boards to placate the younger generation’s complaints, so they made secret communication zones disguised as illegal spaces.

But if someone stirs up trouble or forms a negative opinion in these spaces, it becomes a case of role reversal, and that’s why Jeju’s upper crust hired scum like Cheonsaek to manage the boards.

Of course, if the board admins make a mistake, they get caught in the public’s wrath and kicked out. But some people even say it’s all just part of the show.

Lately, I’ve been paying attention to a user named “Cheongbaeksu.”

He’s posted several times, criticizing the admin cartel for their cliquish behavior and questioning the current admins, which has led me to raise my own suspicions about them.

He’s like an investigative journalist who’s risking his life to expose society’s darker side.

Well, as for me,

MuGwageumNewbie: What’s the expression for a female crab eating fast?

“......”

Tap tap tap

MuGwageumNewbie: “Crabgirl-like”

I’m still the lone clown, walking the lonely path of bad jokes.

Ever since the Red Archive user “Happy” disappeared, no one’s commented on my jokes, but personally, I believe I have some shy fans.

Considering I’m getting views of 4–5 instead of just 1–2, I’m sure of it.

Anyway, it seems like the time has come for this lonely clown to make contact with the journalist.

I left a comment on a recent post by Cheongbaeksu.

MuGwageumNewbie: I have a few questions. Is it alright to ask them here? (I’ll delete any replies immediately.)

I approached him cautiously, picking a time when Cheongbaeksu was most active—Saturday evening between 6 and 8 PM.

Thanks to my careful approach, I was able to get a reply quicker than I expected.

Cheongbaeksu: ? Who is this?

MuGwageumNewbie: I want to know about Cheonsaek’s group.

Cheongbaeksu: Why do you want to know?

MuGwageumNewbie: I’m planning to snipe Cheonsaek’s group.

Cheongbaeksu: Who are you to expect me to trust that?

MuGwageumNewbie: Do you remember “Skelton?”

Cheongbaeksu: Skelton...?

Cheongbaeksu: Oh, the one who only posted emoticons and got blocked by Cheonsaek?

MuGwageumNewbie: Yeah.

Cheongbaeksu: That was you?

Right then, I switched accounts.

SKELTON: That’s right.

The block was lifted since the blocking period had passed.

Well, if Cheonsaek’s group notices me, I’ll be instantly blocked again for 30 days.

Cheongbaeksu: Huh.

MuGwageumNewbie: (Skelton in righteous fury) Ever since that day, I’ve been waiting for the moment to take my revenge on Cheonsaek.

Cheongbaeksu: What do you want?

MuGwageumNewbie: I want information on Cheonsaek’s group and on Yang Jaham-pok.

The most important figure here is Yang Jaham-pok.

Cheonsaek’s group is just a means to lure Yang Jaham-pok out.

After all, there’s no smoke without fire—Yang Jaham-pok is rumored to be one of Jeju’s highest-ranked figures.

At the very least, he’s above those parachute security officers.

So, if I stir things up here, the security officer’s focus will naturally shift to the narrow battlefield of Red Archive.

Cheongbaeksu: Take a screenshot and send me the message. I’ll delete it right after.

Cheongbaeksu shared the information.

The document Cheongbaeksu provided, detailing the organizational structure and relationships within Cheonsaek’s group—down to the degree of closeness and rivalry between the members—was beyond my expectations.

And most importantly, the information on Yang Jaham-pok.

Cheongbaeksu: There’s a rumor that Yang Jaham-pok is the general director, Gong Gyeong-min.

Cheongbaeksu: Right now, he’s treated like an old man in the back room of the committee, but he still holds some power. He’s a legendary member of the 13th cohort.

Cheongbaeksu: From what I’ve heard from people who briefly worked at the committee, it’s certain that he’s involved with the Red Archive board. He was the one who ordered the game developers to be brought in, after all.

This translation is the intellectual property of Novelight.

Cheongbaeksu: There’s a rumor that Cheonsaek is close with Gong Gyeong-min.

Gong Gyeong-min, huh.

Is that true?

Well, it doesn’t really matter.

I may have cut ties with Gong {N•o•v•e•l•i•g•h•t} Gyeong-min in real life, but that’s in the real world, and what’s happening now is a different story unfolding in the world of the internet.

The problem is that Cheonsaek is a very meticulous person.

Cheongbaeksu: Cheonsaek’s been around the internet for a long time, so he’s very seasoned. He doesn’t leave any obvious evidence. I’ve been collecting evidence to snipe Cheonsaek for a long time, but it’s been hard. Unless you’re someone like you—seemingly harmless and without many friends—he’ll just send his group to deal with you.

MuGwageumNewbie: So, there’s no way?

Cheongbaeksu: It’s not impossible.

Cheongbaeksu: There’s a guy on the admin list named Suzume.

Cheongbaeksu: Cheonsaek usually rejects others, but for some reason, he’s very protective of Suzume.

Cheongbaeksu: Personally, I suspect that Suzume’s nickname and even the fact that it’s Japanese might mean there’s a real connection to Cheonsaek. Maybe they’re brothers, friends, or even lovers.

MuGwageumNewbie: So if we deal with that guy, we can get to Cheonsaek?

Cheongbaeksu: But be careful. If you go after Suzume, Cheonsaek will immediately give you a harsh block, even if he lets everyone else off.

MuGwageumNewbie: That won’t be a problem for me.

MuGwageumNewbie: ㅇㅅㅇ

Cheongbaeksu: What’s with that emoticon?

MuGwageumNewbie: ㅇㅅㅇ

*

“......”

Tap tap tap

Cheonsaek’s Mom: I’m exposing the disgusting actions of the game board admin, Suzume, who never talks about the game.

I began the sniping.

There was plenty of evidence.

Suzume: Tonight’s dinner (AKA. non-frozen chicken).jpg

Suzume: Out with friends at karaoke!

Suzume: Do 30 push-ups if you think I’m bad at singing.

Suzume: At the gym!

Suzume: Should I remove this mole on my arm?

Suzume: Honestly, I didn’t like this patch.

Suzume: Singing a song.

Suzume: Honestly, I don’t care if this game fails or not.

Suzume: Woke up! (feat. room photo)

Suzume: The 1st zone is bad, but how about the 2nd zone? How bad is that?

...

...

The game board is for discussing the game.

You can talk about personal stuff a little, but no one wants to read a personal diary on a game board.

Suzume, one of the eight admins of the Red Archive board, is the typical “internet diary” type.

And it’s the worst kind of diary—boring, with the worst material constantly inserted, like his fixation on real life.

He even blatantly hints that he lives in the most coveted 1st zone of Jeju, flaunting his better food and luxurious leisure activities. Who would like that?

Mentioning the 1st zone is already a surefire way to make enemies on Red Archive, but Suzume didn’t hesitate to show off things like the hands, arms, or clothes of a woman, as if he had a girlfriend.

I know that 98% of the users on the Red Archive board are probably single.

Despite all this, Suzume maintains his admin position, which means he must be important to Cheonsaek in some way.

The sharp sniping quickly passed 1,000 views.

It hit 100 times more views than my best joke post, and it took just 5 minutes.

However, despite the views, the number of comments or recommendations was surprisingly low.

Soon, the reason became clear.

[Access request on the Red Archive board was denied.]

I was blocked.

I was literally blocked.

The users knew that, and that’s why none of them dared to comment or recommend the sniping post.

They didn’t want to get caught up and thrown out of the board.

But I was prepared for this day. I had accounts ready for revenge.

Accounts with zero posts and zero comments—what I call empty accounts.

I had a total of 1,032 such accounts.

They were a gift from my old friend, Ballantine, who grumbled as he created them for me. It was one of his legacies.

“......”

Click.

Cheonsaek’s Mom: Exposing the disgusting actions of the game board admin, Suzume, who never talks about the game. (Part 2)

Today, I’m dead serious.

This content is taken from fr𝒆ewebnove(l).com