Chapter 76

“Pff…”

But rather than maintaining any decorum, the chaotic reality of the virtual world felt so stimulating that it’s likely why net junkies are endlessly proliferating.

Moreover, as I blankly observed their interactions, I felt an intense nostalgia coupled with a weak heart, realizing that there seemed to be ways to enjoy life here that weren’t so different from original South Korea.

“Is there anything fun going on?”

“…Not really!”

I received a disposable cup from the broker who had returned before I realized it.

As the cocoa with a marshmallow-like taste slid down my throat, my spirit began to revive.

…Alright, let’s set aside distractions for now.

I’m not a corporate lackey.

While I don’t feel any notable sense of mission about obstructing Five Eyes operations, since it’s a commission, I felt it would be a shame to miss out on the mini-game opportunities that provide credits for every post I detect.

Zzzzt…!!

I set the cup down and collected my thoughts.

As I gradually increased the signal strength, the sound of electricity crackled in the device circuitry, tickling my ears, but it soon faded as the connection stabilized.

Recalling a time when I stupidly searched the entire city database and nearly had a brain aneurysm, this time I was careful to define the area I would delve into clearly.

As it was a one-off inquiry against illegal propaganda being spread, there wasn’t proper work division or guidelines, but I had experience completing quests related to Five Eyes.

It was impossible to expand an underground organization’s ideology and scale merely through vague insinuations or subtle nuances.

People don’t resist the regime based on sentiment or romance alone.

However, if I subtly inserted genuine links leading to overt propaganda within regular posts or videos, and created results they would think they discovered themselves to capture their interest, what then?

And if I presented a new ideology that seemed to resolve all the inconveniences of history and reality, elegantly dressed in just the good parts?

Whether it takes root or not depends on an individual’s qualities, but at least it’s clear that unwanted seeds would be widely sown, much to the chagrin of corporations.

Kugukuung…

With a heavy roar, my consciousness shifted.

Expanding the wall of the library-control area far out, new books and data filled with a wealth of information emerged rapidly.

Though I explained it grandiosely, ultimately what they were doing was similar to promoting a club. …That might be a bit of a leap, but whatever.

In that case, it would suffice to list communities and boards with a large number of users in order and start grope my way through them one by one.

“First… exclude materials with confirmed author identities.”

By actively utilizing my censor privileges, more than half of the books were suddenly engulfed in flames and expelled from the library.

While I felt a sense of overworking my brain through this task, the wonder of it never faded no matter how many times I did it.

…Finally, even though I’d love to boast about becoming a grand wizard as I aged, it was only disappointing not having anyone to show it to.

“…Suddenly, I’m angry.”

As I burned the texts that consisted solely of pure text from the remaining pile, the quantity was halved.

Next, I incinerated the chatter that contained neither encrypted code nor images or videos.

Once I finished filtering this far, the amount of other data significantly decreased, while the hacker community’s materials remained nearly unchanged. What a bunch of pre-crime wannabes.

Swish—!

The remaining books spread open, and their contents disassembled.

From now on, to ensure tangible results, I would report upwards and delete any suspicious data. Delete again and again! Just keep deleting!

I’m not abusing my power without verification.

As I erased everything completely, ensuring it didn’t even leave a trace in the archive, I began my work after identifying the reality following those external links they had thrown.

“The United States, that hot and brilliant name!”, “The tragedy and conclusion of dictatorship”, “The flowering evil, Mega Cop,” and so on—all their titles were dizzying.

It was a bit funny since companies hadn’t always existed in the past.

…Still, I found the propaganda piece “The Miracle of the Han River, ultimately the driving force behind social maintenance is the citizens” amusing.

It minimized and omitted the roles companies played. While emphasizing the framework and principles established by the state and the sacrifices and efforts of the citizens, it was exactly the same.

To see statements like “Our society today is even worse than the weak nations of East Asia 200 years ago!” was unexpected.

…Ah, right. I shouldn’t forget to stop by the Korean restaurant in the food alley before I leave.

How much longer would I maintain such an ironclad censorship?

When the score of this mini-game, which wouldn’t end until they gave up, surpassed five digits.

Swish…

Noticing something strange, the disorderly dissemination of what appeared to be Five Eyes’ indiscriminate flyers halted.

In the battle of security, the roles of white hat hackers (defenders) and black hat hackers (attackers) have always favored the latter, contrary to the old adage of defense and offense.

“Next year, I won’t interfere. So just retreat quietly.”

Didn’t the teacher say?

The advancement of technology has, rather than diminishing the disparities between people, brought about the birth of superhumans.

So sorry, but as an aspiring superhuman within the virtual world, I’m not keen on simply surrendering unless it’s a major character or a named hacker.

Before I knew it, the bookshelves in the library, which had stretched to the horizon, had no sheets of paper left.

Although the volume of data processed was high, it was far less burdensome than attacking the information warfare where control and dominance were being directly challenged.

Now, in the remaining time, should I enjoy the parade as ordered, or indulge in another thread of trivial readings? Just pondering this moment.

“Hmm?”

A book that matched the set filters suddenly appeared before me.

But this time, instead of a link leading to a strange propaganda piece, there was a link that intricately connected to a private chat channel.