Chapter 654. Cheap Trick (1) #PART 2
The atmosphere at AAU was peculiar.
“Should I be happy about this, or should I be sad?”
Even Sung Hyungjoon, who was somewhat of a mood person, was struggling to grasp the situation, his expression ambiguous. It was understandable. AAU had achieved a significant milestone after a long time.
“We’ve found the cause of the mosaic messages…”
Messages filled with □. Thanks to continuous communication with the players, AAU had figured out what these messages actually meant.
Yoon Soogyeom stared at the report.
──────
Error Log
──────
Back in the days when Arcana was just a game.
Thanks to the successful recovery of the error logs left in Cosmo’s database. Of course, considering the manpower invested in decrypting the vast encrypted documents, it was questionable whether the effort was worth it…
Sung Hyungjoon placed a finger on the report.
“When a phenomenon cannot be represented by the system, and mosaic messages appear… There’s no better evidence than this, right? It lines up perfectly with the timing the players testified about.”
AAU had already defined the capabilities and limits of the system. It was effective in both Arcana and the real world. Essentially, the system was categorized as a form of [Anomaly] as the players called it.
It was also understandable why the message couldn’t display the Ten Thrones.
“Well, the Ten Thrones are entities that have devoured dozens of worlds. It’s plausible that a system that can only represent Arcana and the real world can’t display them.”
What if this information gets out?
It would inevitably create quite a stir. This was evidence against the widely held belief among many players that the system was omnipotent.
However…
“But, in the midst of such an important matter as deciding whether or not to make public such an outrageous fact, the General Manager of the Yusra branch is writing a letter of resignation…?!”
The General Manager of the Yusra branch, Hoyeol, suddenly stepped down. No one could guess the reason behind it, but it was clear that the decision could not be undone.
Sung Hyungjoon continued, dejected.
“Yeah. AAU… It was a position that could be abandoned at any time, after all. It was essentially a volunteer role. But to step down from the position of the Chief Mage of the Magic Tower as well?”
The General Manager… Or should I now call him Lee Hoyeol, the player? What kind of change in mindset could have led to these decisions…?
Sung Hyungjoon’s trailing words were answered by Yoon Soogyeom.
“Isn’t it the same?”
“Eh? The same? What do you mean?”
“He must have realized that he couldn’t contain himself.”
Yoon Soogyeom added.
“Like how the system can’t represent beings that exceed its limits, maybe he thought that no title or affiliation in the world could represent him anymore.”
To be more precise.
“He probably finally threw off all his chains.”
“Calling AAU chains really makes my heart heavy, Senior.”
“It’s not wrong, though. You’ve got to admit what’s true.”
“You’re quite cold when it comes to those things?”
A heavy silence followed.
Perhaps right now, the heads of each branch were discussing whether to disclose the information related to the mosaic messages. This really was an unbelievable game.
‘The past Arcana continent’s electricity.’
Yoon Soogyeom looked at the report again.
‘Was this really just the tutorial of today?’
Maybe it was just a beta test before the official release. With that thought in mind, something undeniable in the message caught his eye. Specifically, at the end of the report. Given the approximate timing… it was probably the last error log before the Cataclysm.
──────
■■■■
──────
This wasn’t a mosaic message that had revealed its true nature. It was clearly different from the mosaic messages. It seemed like it had been completely shattered.
‘…Only four characters?’
Of course, since it was shattered, he couldn’t be sure it was four characters. Whether it was in English, Korean, or system language, he couldn’t tell. But one thing was certain.
‘This is a completely different issue.’
It looked like something beyond the level of a mosaic message, beyond that higher level. After those four short characters, the Cataclysm occurred.
Sung Hyungjoon rolled his eyes.
“Senior, what are you staring at so deeply?”
“Oh, nothing.”
“Come on, stop pretending.”
“This time, it’s really nothing, so don’t doubt me.”
“Well, if you say so, Senior.”
Seeing Sung Hyungjoon stop giving him suspicious looks, Yoon Soogyeom thought.
‘Still, Raymon Sean, you must know.’
At this point, it was getting curious.
Even Lee Hoyeol, the player, had revealed his class. But Raymon Sean… he was the only one still shrouded in mystery.
.
.
.
“So, what’s the conclusion?”
“Isn’t the point of mixing words to reach a conclusion?”
“Is the translator broken, or are you being aggressive?”
“Is that so? Well, it seems like it’s not broken then.”
“What? Are we seriously just going to argue without pride?!”
Park Minjae kept silent amidst the back-and-forth shouting.
It was a problem with no answer from the start.
Whatever choice was made, consequences would follow.
‘Who could take responsibility for that?’
Since the Cataclysm, AAU had been under a lot of criticism. After officially declaring incompetence, it had become the punching bag of the community. Perhaps, this was an opportunity to relieve some of the past frustrations.
“It doesn’t matter how much you hide it, eventually, it’ll come out. The top-tier rankers already have an inkling about the anomalies that transcend the system, don’t they? I don’t see a reason to hesitate.”
Exactly.
To recover the investment made in restoring the Arcana continent’s previous logs, AAU needed to restore its honor. But who could handle the aftermath?
“Indeed, for the branch managers with top-tier players, there’s nothing to hold them back! But for the majority of players who haven’t entered the realm of anomalies, and those of us who support them, it’s a different matter.”
And so, the rebuttal began.
“To players, the system is a guide. This announcement is effectively a direct contradiction of that system, don’t you think? If the system is flawed, what do you suggest the majority of players—who can only progress with the system—should do?”
“As the General Manager said, chasing after anomalies…”
“Do you think it’s as easy as it sounds?”
“Of course not.”
“We’re simply asking for more time. There’s no need to rush.”
Tick-tick-tick.
Park Minjae casually shook his legs. It seemed like no conclusion would be reached at this branch meeting. After all, even he couldn’t come to a decision yet.
“…Maybe I should have some green tea.”
It was at that moment that Park Minjae muttered without realizing it.
Ding.
“?!”
Suddenly, a voice announcing the entrance rang out.
Everyone couldn’t help but flinch.
Given the nature of the agenda, this meeting had all the branch managers attending.
Except for the General Manager of the Yusra branch who resigned just a day ago, there were no empty seats. Therefore, all the branch managers, including Park Minjae, were hopeful.
Perhaps the General Manager was attending to make the final decision. As it turned out, the unexpected visitor gave them an answer.
“Long time no see, everyone. By the way, you’re all the same. You’re not focusing on the task at hand. Remember, what you should focus on now is not some mosaic message.”
It wasn’t the answer they had been hoping for, nor the person they had expected.
“You all seem suspicious, don’t you? About the truth of the Cataclysm.”
Suddenly,
“Don’t you agree, Deputy Park? Or should I say, Branch Manager Park Minjae?”
Park Minjae stood up unconsciously.
He shouted at the mysterious voice beyond the monitor.
“Raymon Sean, you bastard…!!”
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