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Admin ⅠⅠ
"Website management?"
"Yes."
It was a power I had never heard of before. Given that Seo Gyu's mere survival was unprecedented, it was not surprising, but I had never even heard of a similar ability.
"What exactly is the ability?"
"Um, it's limited to a single domain name, allowing anyone to connect to it."
My eyes widened.
"What? Anyone? From anywhere?"
"Ah, yes."
In contrast to me, Seo Gyu's voice grew fainter. A downtrodden emotion smeared his tone.
It was clear he had no idea of the value his awakened ability held.
"Yesterday, I tried making a website as a test, but the design can only be upgraded as my power improves. Right now, it's like those old websites the elderly used... it's embarrassing to even brag about to my colleagues. It's utterly useless in combat..."
What.
"Do you need your permission for someone to register on this site?"
"Eh? Oh, yes. It only appears to be a website, but it's really something like a building made by my ability. Um, my will is reflected in real-time. If I were to create a registration system... Uh, probably no one could enter without my permission..."
Impressive.
I inadvertently placed my hand on his shoulder.
Seo Gyu lifted his head back up, and our eyes met.
"Seo Gyu. Remember when I first met you, I told you I was an agent from the National Intelligence Service?"
"Yes..."
"That was a lie."
"What?"
"I lied to make it easier for you to understand. Of course, I gave you the opportunity to select the truth yourself. Let me say it again: I am actually a regressor."
"What?"
"Seo Gyu, why do you think all our party members are geniuses and you're the only late bloomer? It's simple. Because I've regressed about 50 times and only recruited proven geniuses. But you're a first. An unscratched lottery ticket. Somehow, you never managed to survive in the waiting room at Busan Station in all those regressions."
"What?"
"From now on, your ability will be called [Ubiquitous]."
Ubiquitous.
A word derived from Latin, meaning 'to exist everywhere'.
It's commonly used to express that God exists everywhere, but the important thing now was the origin of the term. Latin has the magical power to make anything sound cool.
"Originally, the power is mostly about the name. Site Operation? Community Manager? Moving Network? You're just Ubiquitous."
"Ubiquitous..."
Sure enough, Seo Gyu's expression began to look intrigued.
I grinned broadly.
"Seo Gyu. Let's work on something together."
We immediately moved to Yongsan.
The Saintess greeted us in what seemed like an aquarium-themed underwater temple, leaving it ambiguous whether it was a place for people or fish.
She listened to my story without a word and then spoke.
"That's incredible."
"Right?"
Typical Saintess. She immediately recognized the value of Seo Gyu's ability.
Meanwhile, Seo Gyu himself seemed bewildered by what he had been hearing and kept staring blankly at the Saintess until she finally averted her gaze.
"Um, uh. What's so great about my power...?"
"Seo Gyu. Just imagine if Awakeners signed up on your site. If they had to enter their personal details, all their information would be fed directly into it. We could know everything they post on the site too."
"Ah... But, hyung. Why would those clever people bother to sign up on my site? Especially with their personal details..."
I nodded.
"They definitely will."
It had been less than a year since the gate crisis began.
So Seo Gyu, other Awakeners, and even ordinary people were still somewhat optimistic or indifferent. Life wasn't ruined just by participating.
"This world is going to become more chaotic."
But after the second year, everything would deteriorate rapidly.
Initially, Korea remained relatively calm thanks to the Saintess' 'Constellation Games', but signs of warlordism were already evident in other countries.
"Seo Gyu, humans begin to lose their sanity the moment they're cut off from external communication. But your site is not just a platform; it's sustained by your awakened ability, Ubiquitous. As long as you're alive, it's a public square accessible to anyone at any time."
"......"
"Large guilds will be the first to recognize the value of this site. It becomes a way to stay connected even after entering a gate."
"That, that's true...", Seo Gyu grimaced as he nodded.
To me, it was a bitter but inevitable response.
In my view, the rank of an awakened being's power is determined by how well it overcomes temporal and spatial constraints. In that sense, Seo Gyu had awakened an S-class ability.
It was ironic— holding a rare treasure sword and yet not realizing its value.
Not just me, but the Saintess too looked on incredulously.
"Ubiquitous..."
"Huh?"
I corrected myself. The Saintess wasn't looking at Seo Gyu but at me.
"What's the matter?"
"No, nothing. I just thought the naming sounded quaintly old-fashioned. It's your taste in names, I see."
"Yes? Isn't it a wonderful name?"
"Indeed."
An odd response.
Anyway, the main point now was Seo Gyu's power. I got to the heart of the matter.
"They say seeing is believing. Now, let's discuss with the Saintess here how to develop this site."
"Ah. Well, I hope for your kind cooperation...?"
"Yes. We hope for your cooperation."
Seo Gyu awkwardly shook hands with the Saintess.
Fortunately, the awkward atmosphere didn't last long. Not only had I revealed that I was a regressor, but the truth that the Saintess was actually the embodiment of the Constellations also came to light.
A scream echoed through the aquarium living room.
"――Ack! So, the Constellations were all fakes?"
Seo Gyu seemed shocked.
Understandably, discovering that the pen pals who had secretly supported him during tough times were all virtual beings would certainly be disorienting.
"No... my god. What exactly are you and the Saintess planning? Are you seriously aiming for something big?"
"Come now, don't speak as if it's someone else's concern."
You're part of our party now.
"First, Saintess, please disguise this site as if it's under the authority of the Constellations."
"Okay."
"Seo Gyu, you act like an administrator who has taken over the site management from the Constellations."
"Ah, yes, hyung."
The plan was meticulously executed.
We even pushed through the work while sipping on precious coffee. The three of us huddled in front of computers, transforming the mystical underwater temple into what seemed like an actual PC café.
"PC café... Fish café. Indeed."
"…?"
The Saintess turned to look at me upon hearing my murmur.
Her gaze was intense, prompting me to quickly change the subject.
"Saintess, what do you think we should name the site?"
"Are you talking about the name?"
The change of subject was successful.
"...How about [Apocalypse Gallery]?"
"Hmm. It’s a fine name, but the word 'gallery' might remind people too much of a specific type of site. We're planning to operate more like an old membership-based site or café, so it doesn't quite fit. What about you, Seo Gyu?"
"Uh... How about [Viva! The Doomed World!]?"
"It’s a cool name, but remember, the site is supposedly set up by a Constellation. It sounds too cheerful. Might modern people fighting against calamities find it a bit infuriating?"
"It's tricky…"
"Um."
At that moment, a great idea popped into my head.
Finally, after fifteen days, we launched the site to the masses.
-Constellations' Playground!
-The only safe internet community!
-Welcome to SG Net!
The site was named SG Net.
This name carried multiple meanings.
First, SG was a nickname I used for Seo Gyu before I knew his real name. Coincidentally, 'Seo Gyu' could also be abbreviated as SG.
Lastly, as it was a site managed by the Constellations, 'Star’s Ground' shortened to SG again.
A naming sense aiming not just for a double but a triple entendre!
Perhaps I had a hidden talent for naming as well as Ubiquitous. How could one person be so multifaceted? Sometimes, I scared even myself.
"……"
For some reason, the Saintess looked like she had much to say but chose to remain silent. I ignored her.
Beside her, Seo Gyu wore a gloomy expression.
"Hyung, no one else has logged in yet..."
He just stared aimlessly at the monitor.
In those fifteen days, Seo Gyu had become quite familiar with his power, making the site slightly prettier. Still, it barely reached the level of an early Hi-Tel PC communication design.
If no one appreciated it, even a good design would be meaningless, but we had a marketing tool that was almost free.
"Saintess, please blast an advertisement."
The ad agencies known as Constellations!
"Got it."
The Saintess clasped her hands together.
At that moment, every Awakener active in Korea received the same messages.
[An unknown and nameless Constellation manifests its power.]
[An unknown and nameless Constellation invites you!]
The site address was also sent as part of the message.
Seo Gyu silently watched the monitor with a tense face.
Soon, the number of users displayed on the site skyrocketed.
"Ten... ninety... t-two hundred, five hundred? Wow, how many Awakeners are there in Korea...", Seo Gyu muttered.
But his astonishment was nothing compared to the other Awakeners who logged into SG Net.
Even through the monitor, it was palpable how baffled they were by the sudden appearance of this community.
- Anonymous: Why does this connect so well? Is it a bizarre site? (2)
- Anonymous: Came here at the summons of a Constellation. (0)
- Anonymous: Does anyone know who this unknown and nameless Constellation is? (15)
- Anonymous: Oh, so I wasn't the only one who got the message. (1)
Since the site was known to be created by a Constellation, the users' tones were generally mild.
While the Awakeners were confused, they continued to post and comment, observing the situation.
(2), (15) indicated the number of comments.
However, they were still acting as 'anonymous' non-members for the time being.
"Seo Gyu, now's the time."
"Ah, yes, hyung. I'll post it!"
Seo Gyu, under the member nickname 'Administrator', posted an announcement.
The gist of the announcement was simple.
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1. This site can be accessed anytime, anywhere.
2. An unnamed Constellation whimsically established SG Net. The poster is their representative.
3. The more active the members are, the more SG Net will develop. Members are akin to disciples, and community activity is simple to understand: the stronger your 'faith', the more powerful the descended Constellation becomes on earth.
4. Non-members can use SG Net for only one hour a day, whereas members can use it unlimitedly. Non-believers are non-members, and members are believers, so please understand this distinction.
5. The 'unknown and nameless Constellation' desires nothing from you beyond community activity.
6. Your personal information is strictly protected.
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Naturally, aside from point 1, it was all lies.
As soon as the announcement went up, the non-members stirred. Suddenly, the announcement received dozens, hundreds of comments.
-Anonymous: Is the representative of the Constellation for real?
-CookingQueen: Mr. Administrator, how can one become an apostle of the Constellation?
-Anonymous: Smart move.
-OldManGoryeo: why does everyone here talk like assholes???
-Anonymous: How can we believe this is real? This might be a trick by a specter too.
Several Awakeners had already completed their registration.
'CookingQueen' and 'OldManGoryeo' were among the first to register as members, and others followed suit upon seeing this.
"Is this really happening...?", Seo Gyu marveled, dumbfounded.
All the while, his fingers were busy recording the personal information of the members into a text file.
Occasionally, some non-members expressed skepticism about the authenticity of the announcement, but they were met with messages from the Saintess.
[The Chancellor of the Red Cape feels displeased but confirms the truth of these Constellation's words.]
[The Saintess of National Salvation advises several Awakeners that prolonged internet use is detrimental to real life.]
Thus, other Constellations' renown was leveraged to endorse the legitimacy of SG Net.
Even the most doubtful of Awakeners had to relent somewhat under such assertions.
Initially dominated by non-members, the ratio soon started shifting towards members.
As the information of countless Awakeners poured in, Seo Gyu could not contain his excitement.
"Wow, we're done here, hyung."
"Good job."
I patted Seo Gyu's shoulder.
"But it's not over; it’s just the beginning."
"…?"
Seo Gyu seemed not to grasp the meaning of my words.
After all, how could he predict how I intended to use SG Net from here on?
"I'm counting on you moving forward, Seo Gyu."
"What? Oh, hyung, I'm the one who should be saying that!"
Clueless but earnestly following along, my younger brother smiled brightly.
Regrettably, even the 50th cycle couldn't escape destruction.
However, the usefulness of SG Net was proven. That alone made this cycle significantly meaningful.
Me, the Saintess, Seo Gyu. We three as the site's founders and managers experienced a wide range of incidents. The stories intertwined here are too numerous and varied to mention, but I'll likely bring them up whenever I have the chance.
The immediate significance of the 50th cycle was this: from this point on, the actions I took at the start of each new cycle changed slightly.
"Ah, hello there, everyone! Oho? The numbers seem a bit low... Anyway, you must be quite startled to be summoned here all of a sudden, right? But don't worry! I'll be your friendly guide from the start!" In the past, when I woke up in Busan Station’s waiting room, all I thought about was how to quickly get to the old man's café.
But not anymore.
There was now one more person I had to save.
"From now on..."
"You fucking asshole! What the hell are you talking about!"
A booming roar echoed.
I smiled at the familiar voice.
It was like my personal alarm sound, reminding me that life had started over once again.
As I started to move, eager for this cycle, I fondly listened to the swearing that I had missed.
"You fucking asshole!”
Footnotes:
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