I Became the Cute One in the Troubleshooter Squad-Chapter 91: Ghosts Also Live in the Online World (2)

"This world is Earth, decades after the emergence of non-human species.

Perhaps that’s why, in certain areas, its technology was undeniably more advanced than where I came from.

For example, humans could swap out prosthetic limbs as easily as shopping for new clothes.

By inserting a chip into the back of the neck and replacing their eyes with mechanical ones, they could shop simply by looking.

Large airships floated silently above the city, creating almost no noise as they hovered.

Granted, this was Night Haven, a city teeming with non-humans whose physiology was drastically different from humans.

Still, when I looked into the distance, I could clearly feel that this was a futuristic world.

Of course, enjoying such benefits was limited to the wealthy elite.

However, perhaps due to the impact of war, cultural progress hadn’t kept pace with technological advancements.

Living here didn’t feel as alien as I’d expected.

The widespread use of social media and online communities felt familiar.

Even creative works seemed to feature titles suspiciously similar to ones I knew from my world.

Of course, the glaring difference was that the internet here was filled with non-human users alongside humans.

Still, for a society supposedly decades behind in development, I adapted to this internet landscape surprisingly quickly.

‘Hmm, fascinating. Nearly half of the recently trending influencers are non-humans. In real life, non-humans are feared and avoided, but online, they’re incredibly popular.’

It was an interesting paradox.

In reality, non-humans were feared and shunned.

Yet, online, why were so many people drawn to them?

On second thought, it made sense.

As the saying goes, life up close is a tragedy, but from afar, it’s a comedy.

Non-humans might seem intimidating and undesirable when they live nearby.

But from behind a screen, they appear exotic, beautiful, and uniquely captivating.

And judging by the list of rising influencers, most were stunningly beautiful elves or succubi.

Some catered to niche tastes, like beastmen with striking features. In a way, it was refreshingly honest—people openly indulging their desires.

‘Alright, analysis complete. That’s the vibe of the internet in this world. Got it. Now... Echo, where do people usually hang out online? Can you find out?’

[ Searching... Ah! According to human traffic data, the most popular site category is the "Meta-human" section on Pioneer. ]

‘Hmm, is that so? In the end, non-humans dominate popularity again. I’m curious—show me.’

[ Accessing now! ]

I was too intrigued to wait.

Lying upside down, I held the screen aloft with both hands, urging Echo to hurry.

The spinning icon on the screen indicated it was connecting to the site.

But soon, a notification appeared, stating that access had failed. What?

[ It seems this community blocks access for anonymous accounts. You might need a verified account to proceed. ]

‘Then make one. I just want to browse for a bit.’

[ Understood! I will create a verified account based on the most commonly used data within the site. ]

Ding.

Before Echo even finished speaking, the interface of the community appeared on the screen.

What? That fast? Is this legit?

Curious, I tapped the screen to check the account details.

The account was impressively simple but believable.

The name was "Jane Smith," female, age 25.

The email address seemed plausible, and the account even had a "Plus" membership that allowed access to premium features.

Echo had created such a convincing account in mere seconds.

Was it okay to be this competent? It was almost scary to think of the potential.

Still, it was convenient for me, and this account was disposable anyway.

Shrugging off my unease, I scratched my cheek and decided not to dwell on it.

Besides, expecting logical limitations from something tied to Invader abilities was a waste of time.

These were beings that had already destroyed an entire world—it made sense they could do this much.

‘Alright then... let’s see what kind of discussions are happening in the most popular online community.’

I browsed the list of posts sorted by popularity.

[Photo] At my local mart, a wooden man and a merman got into a fight, then suddenly an orc joined in – Upvotes (29k)

[Video] A merman’s shocking method for altering the ocean environment – Upvotes (23k)

[Video] Do you know how elves react when you touch their ears? – Upvotes (21k)

[Photo] Fixer ranking updates show significant shifts starting this year-end – Upvotes (18k)

[Confession] My partner broke up with me because of my non-human preferences.... – Upvotes (17k)

The top posts were a parade of irresistible clickbait.

How were they so good at grabbing attention? It was truly a skill.

The "Wooden Man vs. Merman vs. Orc" post at the top was impossible to ignore.

What could have happened? Why were a wooden man and a merman fighting, and how did an orc end up involved?

Completely forgetting my original plan to prank the internet using Echo,

I rolled around on the blanket, gleefully reading the posts and the lively comments that followed.

The content was richer than the short videos I’d watched earlier.

And the very act of exploring fascinating events from around the world while holed up in my cozy closet was wildly entertaining."

“‘Haha, watching debates about which Fixer is stronger never gets old. Then again, just because someone’s high-ranking doesn’t necessarily mean they’re the strongest.’

Of all the posts I browsed, the ones about Fixers were the most captivating.

It made sense—there were plenty of non-human Fixers, so naturally, Fixer-related discussions popped up in this community dedicated to non-humans.

The hottest topic? Debating who the strongest Fixer was.

Huh? Why’s that even a debate if there’s a ranking system?

Tsk tsk, that’s a rookie mistake.

This chapt𝙚r is updated by freeωebnovēl.c૦m.

Fixer rankings are based on scores converted from performance and popularity metrics.

Believing that high rank equals strength is something only clueless fans would think.

Not to mention compatibility between fighting styles is a factor.

Some Fixers perform better or worse depending on specific situations.

So, in a broad sense, debating who’s the strongest Fixer is a pointless argument.

But debates like "Lion vs. Tiger," "Baseball Bat vs. Dagger," or "Shark vs. Crocodile" have always been fun, haven’t they?

Naturally, I was more than happy to join in on this type of discussion.

‘My pick is the Dragon Mayor in his prime. After all, beneath a dragon’s feet, everything else is just noise.’

In the end, the ultimate conclusion was that no one could surpass a dragon.

With that thought, I gracefully exited the endless battlefield of debates.

There was no need to waste time arguing with people who didn’t even know what Fixer fights actually looked like.

What do they know? Have they seen a real Fixer battle? I have! ...Well, in comics.

Humming a little tune, I scrolled through more posts, until a certain comment made me frown.

[00apart]: “I can’t believe people still think this stuff is real, lol. Non-humans, sure, whatever, but magic? Come on, don’t be idiots. It’s been scientifically proven to be impossible. What are you, dumb?”

What’s this? A new kind of attention-seeker?

Tilting my head, I checked the comment thread.

There were over 100 replies to it.

It was a heated back-and-forth filled with insults, and from the looks of it, this troll genuinely believed that magic didn’t exist.

Wow, someone like this actually exists?

Then again, there were characters in the story who’d never encountered non-humans in their lives.

Of course, there’d be people claiming all this was made up.

Still, this was excessively antagonistic. What a nasty person. It put me in a bad mood.

Watching the troll stubbornly hold their ground despite being verbally pummeled, I smirked.

‘Alright, let’s mess with this one. I felt a bit guilty about playing tricks on random people, but I won’t lose sleep over trolling someone like this.’

So, you want to stir up trouble with hateful comments? Bad choice, pal.

Focusing on 00apart, who was actively spamming the thread, I pressed Echo to my forehead.

‘Echo, this site sends notifications for new comments, right?’

[Correct.]

‘Then leave this person a random comment, delete it immediately, and repeat it... about a hundred times.’

[That’s... very easy!]

Ah, the infamous notification spam attack.

Let’s see how they react. I kept my eyes on the troll’s replies, waiting for the fun to begin.

One minute, two minutes, five minutes...

Just as I started wondering if they’d noticed, I received a private message.

Unsurprisingly, it was from the troll themselves.

[00apart]: “What the hell are you?! A bot?! My device froze because of your spam! Can’t win an argument with logic, so now you’re attacking me with a macro? Fine! Keep it up, asshole! I’ll report you and get your account banned!”

Oh, it’s working.

I giggled at the flustered troll’s reaction, then pressed Echo to my forehead again.

‘Let’s send another hundred!’

[It seems the user has blocked notifications.]

‘Can you bypass it?’

[...Of course.]

Whoa, Echo can even bypass notification blocks? That’s impressive.

While I nodded in approval, Echo must have sent another wave of notifications, because ten minutes later, the troll sent me another, much meeker message.

[00apart]: “How are you bypassing my block? You hacker trash! Whatever, I’ve got more accounts, so deleting this one doesn’t matter. Keep wasting your time, loser!”

‘Echo, restore their deleted accounts.’

[Understood. Account restoration complete.]

‘Now send 300 notifications!’

Trying to pull a victory lap while running away? Not happening.

I bombarded them with triple the notifications.

Their device was probably frozen under the avalanche of alerts by now.

Thinking about it made me feel a little sorry for them... but hey, they should’ve been nicer in the first place.

While enjoying some other interesting posts, another private message popped up from the troll, much later this time.

[00apart]: “What did you do?”

[Jane Smith]: (spinning wheel emoji)

[00apart]: “Why won’t the notifications stop, no matter what I do?! Even after deleting my account, the app, and cutting the internet?! What did you do to me?!”

[Jane Smith]: (ugly chicken pecking emoji)

[00apart]: “I’m sorry! Please stop! What do you want from me?!”

Oh my, they’ve completely broken down.

I stared at the troll’s message for a moment before closing the chat.

They’ve learned their lesson, I guess. Let’s call it a day.

Satisfied, I turned my attention back to browsing posts when a bright red notification suddenly appeared at the top of the screen.

[Administrator: Your account has been permanently banned. To appeal, please leave a message at (link).]

What? Banned already? How’d they figure it out?

Blinking in surprise, I realized I’d been kicked out of the community.

If it’s a permanent ban, they must’ve figured out my account was fake. Sharp admins.

Pressing Echo to my forehead again, I grinned.

‘Alright, time to prank the admin without getting caught this time.’

It was a truly mischievous thought.

[Um... Yuria, my energy is running a bit low...]

Wait, you use rift energy for your abilities too?

That was an unexpected revelation."