Not many people know this, but there’s something called the “Dead Internet Theory.”
It was simple. The hypothesis was that most content on the internet was actually created by AI and bots.
In other words, all the news, videos, and posts you see online are fake, and even the reactions to them come from fake accounts that don’t actually exist.
So we’re easily manipulated by someone’s manufactured public opinion. It was just another conspiracy theory like that.
But it was an old story passed around from way back when such capabilities didn’t even exist.
Something you’d chuckle at and move on, just another trivial internet topic.
However, as technology advanced, it became more than just a joke.
Fake news and false data, manipulated so cleverly it was hard to tell real from fake, flooded the internet and drowned out real information.
Fake accounts mimicking humans, known as bots, could sway public opinion with responses more human than actual humans.
Especially among millions of non-humans weak to media and marketing, these antics spread even further.
“Letting AI manipulate us like this won’t do. We need an internet space truly for humans now.”
This situation pleased no one, except maybe some groups who intended it.
So Pioneer stepped up, vowing to eradicate generated info and fake accounts.
That’s why it became the most popular site of the era.
“Hmm. Feels like a real person. A sophisticated photo that evades AI detection, SNS account linked with records going back ten years, and an officially verified bank account… But looks like they couldn’t alter Night Haven’s airtight database, huh? Gotcha.”
The room was pitch black, every window covered with blackout curtains, not a ray of light in sight.
In this cramped space, a girl sat awkwardly perched on a chair.
Her appearance revealed faintly by the monitor’s glow was quite unique.
Pink skin that looked soft to the touch, golden eyes.
And two long, thin tentacles extending from the back of her neck.
Though she had a human form, her tentacles were more like bundled masses. Her name was Sephara.
Her specialty was whacking enemies with her strong and quick tentacles extending from her neck.
They were powerful enough to easily crush cheap steel swords.
But in her enemy-free room, they merely helped type faster.
“Hah, trying to fool the admin with just this? You’re a hundred years too early!”
Sephara was an exceptionally skilled hacker. Her alias was Phara, taken from the latter part of her name.
Maybe because many hackers fell victim to her; another nickname she earned was Crazy Dog Phara.
She did have an embarrassing past where she cried after losing pathetically to an unknown hacker.
Still, she ranked among the top hackers in Night Haven.
Perhaps due to her incredible skills being recognized,
Sephara became a manager at Pioneer, promised an immense salary.
Her role was to determine whether suspicious users were real or bots.
If they turned out to be fake accounts, she had the authority to delete them immediately.
With just the smallest trace, she could expose identities to the world.
And with a flick of her finger, she could obliterate opponents.
In Pioneer, Sephara was an unbeatable Iron-blooded Guardian!
“Still, kinda disappointing. Thought they came up with something fresh this time, but aside from being more refined, it’s no different from before.”
After deleting the traffic-heavy fake account, Jane Smith,
Sephi sighed deeply, leaning back into her chair, feeling bored.
The pay was good, but it lacked excitement.
Maybe it was because the troublemakers on community sites were usually amateurs.
Of course, thrilling showdowns would mess up the site.
Sometimes, she wished for something special, even if it meant getting fired as an admin.
But beware, misfortune comes through the mouth.
Perhaps thinking about it triggered something, as a cute icon popped up on her monitor with a notification.
[ Suspicious account detected in the Indian Cuisine Community! ]
“Huh? Again? Surely not the same guy. Creating such quality fake accounts takes at least an hour of effort.”
Crack.
Sephara stretched her arms above her head to loosen up her stiff body.
Then, adjusting her posture, she quickly checked the situation using her tentacle to control the mouse.
An anomaly occurred in a desolate community with few users.
A board where new posts appeared once every four or three days.
Suddenly, posts were popping up every ten seconds like a popular community.
Of course, the content resembled cheap auto-generated posts.
But what irritated Sephara wasn’t that.
The author of those posts was surprisingly Jane Smith1.
Definitely the same one she’d just kicked out.
“Hah, challenging me now, huh?”
Pop. A vein bulged on Sephara’s forehead.
To crawl back in with the same account she just banned. This was clearly provocation.
She swiftly blocked Jane Smith1 with her tentacle and deleted all the trash posts copied awkwardly.
Just like that, peace returned to the Indian Cuisine Community.
Sephara confirmed no strange signs with her calm eyes and then searched Jane Smith1’s account info on the sub-monitor.
Surprisingly, instead of the Jane Smith she saw earlier, there was a completely different face and past.
This time, the address was from Belmont, an obscure city, not Night Haven.
But Sephara quickly realized this person was also fabricated.
“What, preparing character info in advance and using them one by one? If that’s the case, why not rob a bank? Why stir trouble here?”
Tsk, but even this level still posed no real threat.
Waving her tentacles in the air, she traced whoever made this Jane Smith character.
Creating such elaborate fake personas must leave some mistake somewhere.
Sephara planned to find that face and plaster it on Pioneer’s notice board.
But the more she dug, the more her expression hardened.
Analyzing personal info, IP addresses, emails, and SNS showed nothing.
It was as if this person genuinely existed without a trace.
“Huh? Not an AI-generated photo, nor something randomly taken from somewhere? Then what is this? Who are these people in the background?! Who spends this much effort on disposable fake accounts!”
Detail-oriented pests are annoying. Tracing them back will be tough.
Clicking her tongue, Sephara cautiously watched for any next intrusion.
As expected, Jane Smith2 attacked the community and got instantly banned.
But anticipating the ban, Jane Smith3 revived within seconds. Banned.
Following were Jane Smith4, 5, 6… bombarding the Indian Cuisine Community.
When Jane Smith25 met her demise at the hands of Admin Sephara,
She slammed her tentacle on the desk and shouted.
“Aaargh! Persistent little pest! Is your grudge against Indian food that deep? Why are you clinging on like this!”
At this rate, it’ll never end. I need to root out the source!
Meanwhile, somehow figuring out the admin email, the noisy intruder was met with Sephara’s fierce glare as she kicked a button under her desk with her foot.
Instantly, her ordinary desk expanded, multiplying keyboards and monitors.
This was Neo-Sephara Mode, tripling her hacking skills and abilities!
Only one anonymous hacker with the nickname D ever beat her in this state.
“I’ll kill you! Jane Smith!”
A murderous gleam flashed in Sephara’s golden eyes.
It was a ferocious aura that wouldn’t settle until she obliterated her opponent.
But what she didn’t expect was that this wasn’t a hacker duel…
But rather, a harmless prank by someone.
“What, already here?!”
Buzzz…!
The monitor screen Sephara was watching wavered hazily.
No, all nine surrounding sub-monitors displayed the same symptom.
Could they have planted malicious code so quickly?!
Startled, Sephara hurriedly typed on the keyboard to prepare defenses.
Right before her eyes, a phenomenon turning everything white appeared.
“…Eh?”
Emerging from the rippling monitor surface was a hand.
A perfectly white, doll-like hand.
Suddenly, hands burst out from all ten monitors.
Shocked, Sephara froze without even a scream.
What is this? This isn’t magic?
Overwhelmed by this surreal phenomenon, she could only gape at it blankly.
And as the hands reached out from the screens towards motionless Sephara…
Just as they were close enough to poke her eyes out,
In the blink of an eye, they vanished without a trace.
Hallucination? Or mental delusion?
Unable to move, she stayed frozen, finally managing to speak after dozens of seconds.
“…This is expensive tableware.”
Feeling the dampness, she closed her eyes tightly and secretly wiped away tears.
Another dark history line added, one she could never tell anyone.
*
At the same time, Yuria pouted at the unresponsive admin despite her trolling.
“What, just one little interference. The admin isn’t coming at all. Wasn’t anything dangerous done, right?”
[…Sorry. Looks like the admin received a big shock and temporarily left.]
“What did you do… Ah, whatever. Delete the posts I just uploaded and make me a new account. I’ll just lurk from now on.]
[Understood.]
Bye-bye, Indian Cuisine Community.
I’m moving on to bigger waters now. Thanks for being my playground.
Yuria thought this while logging into Pioneer with a newly created anonymous nickname.
Not Jane Smith this time, but something else entirely.
Thus, leaving behind a legendary tale known only to those in the know, the greatest troller quietly retired.
If the day comes when they awaken again… surely the internet will become ruins.
