A Basement-Dwelling Loser, the Inquisitor – Chapter 226

[Rene]

[Hello, I’m planning to protest today]

[New Dimension | 10,891 viewers online | 00:58:25]

〔The heretics trying to disrupt the continent must repent.〕

〔If they acknowledge their sins and atone, they can be forgiven.〕

“Everyone… What exactly did the heretics do in this World Quest…? We, the players, risked our lives and time to fight… And yet the result is that the heretics’ power has grown stronger…? Doesn’t that seem strange no matter how you think about it…?”

─I gave a buff to let Tabung win, right, Tenryun? LOL

─Heretics start appearing in the chat little by little.

─Didn’t we, the players, do all the fighting??? They’re milking us with just a buff click…

─The ones who were initially embarrassed are now all in enjoyment mode, LOL

─Just because we won the war doesn’t mean the defense industry did it all; in the end, it’s the soldiers who have to do it…

─If we’re going to keep watching this nonsense anyway, let’s just enjoy it, LOL

─The fact is, this is better than that frustrating power struggle…

“Don’t you all realize something strange…? We need to understand that the heretics acted to fill their own interests…!”

After spilling all the words I had prepared, I glanced around, and countless players’ gazes were still focused on me.

So right now, with this enormous crowd in front of me, I basically held a one-person protest…?

As that thought crossed my mind, heat and embarrassment rushed to my face.

Of course, someone had to do it.

In a situation where no one else felt the strangeness of the heretics’ actions, I became the only one who realized that I had to make it known.

But that didn’t mean I wasn’t embarrassed.

“T-thank you for listening to what I had to say….”

With those last words, I retrieved my placard and stepped back from the plaza.

─I think this was a protest that happens once in a hundred years…

─I honestly can’t imagine a madwoman protesting against NPCs in the game within a hundred years like me, ㅇㅇ [Deleted message.]

─I have no idea why this went on for an hour; if you don’t know, thumbs up, LOL

─Honestly, I feel pretty awesome for watching the broadcast for a whole hour.

─It felt like my brain was melting, Tikitikitikiti…

─Honestly, it was funny; let’s have a drink.

─Are you saying our leader, fighting for the restoration of the continent, is just amusing???

The chat reactions weren’t bad.

Could it be because there were so many Rebongi who watched my broadcasts?

They were well aware of how dangerous the heretics were.

Of course, thanks to promoting it on places like New Dimension Gallery, far more people gathered than usual, and while some of those who came treated me as a weirdo, I bet even they felt something unsettling watching this protest.

“How strange the situation is in New Dimension right now.”

“My protest turned out to be somewhat successful…”

─Successful???

─Certainly, it succeeded in grabbing attention, ㅇㅇ

─Right now, the New Dimension-related community is flooded with our leader’s story, LOL

─The NPCs didn’t even react at all; is this really successful…?

…That was certainly a chat message that hit the nail on the head.

Even though I protested for almost an hour in the central plaza, the NPCs around me barely reacted.

Rather, they looked at me as if they were questioning what I was doing.

What was it that made me plan this protest in the first place?

I felt puzzled about the fact that Tagirion, which we players all teamed up to take down, was now in possession of the heretics as the greatest reward.

In other words, the biggest purpose of this protest was to spread that question to the NPCs and normalize their self-proclaimed faith.

However, for some reason, there was almost no reaction from the NPCs.

At first, I wondered if I was really in the wrong.

But seeing the situation not changing at all, I could gain confidence.

The reason I decided on a one-person protest was that the NPCs of New Dimension were AI.

They were not just programs that repeated instructed behaviors but were AIs whose actions varied based on the players’ actions.

That’s why I could plan to spread my questions to the NPCs.

But spreading my question? As it turns out, the NPCs had an unusually indifferent reaction, as indicated in the chat.

This meant…

“Does this imply that they’ve been brainwashed by the heretics…?”

Once again, I thought of the heretics.

How could they engage in such a horrifying act as brainwashing without any hesitation…?

─I seriously can’t follow the thinking of these crazy people, LOL

─Wow, so if it’s brainwashing, there’s nothing we can do, ㅇㅇ; These heretics are really too much, ㅇㅇ

─How to deal with the insane: just don’t respond to them [Deleted message.]

─Are they brainwashing now??? How dreadful, these heretics…!

─tag: mind control

─Get lost, you bastard, LOL

So while it wasn’t easy to say this protest was completely successful, I concluded that it was still somewhat successful.

I could feel assured of the heretics’ mischief by observing the NPCs.

And the other players clearly must have noticed that something was off by watching my protest.

“I will definitely restore the world of New Dimension…!”

★

“So? What’s the current reaction to Rene’s protest?”

The Planning Team Leader asked, and Hamin began to explain by passing a report.

“Well… Naturally, most players think it’s just Rene’s concept play. There are occasionally players who echo Rene’s claims, but no one seems to be seriously debating.”

“…Should I be relieved or saddened about that?”

If I had to delve into the Planning Team Leader’s subjective view, it would be the latter.

The theme of New Dimension has always been freedom.

The more freely a player can think and act, the more fun they can have in New Dimension.

From the inception of New Dimension’s concept to the present, the Planning Team Leader had never altered that thought.

This was also the case in this World Quest.

The first World Quest, the Great Demon Tagirion Raid, could only begin because one specific scenario aligned among numerous possibilities.

After the Tagirion Raid, the Albion Hunt was discovered.

The party leader, who first succeeded in the Albion Hunt, accepted the guild’s designated quest, giving birth to a profession called the Scadi Cult, leading to a Crusade.

Only when the three powers overcame their disadvantaged position and emerged victorious could ‘World Quest – Great Demon Tagirion Raid’ be activated.

If anything had gone awry here, this World Quest would have never begun.

If the Albion Hunt had been discovered before the Tagirion Raid.

If they had rejected the guild’s designated quest.

If Elun or the Scadi Cult had won in the Crusade.

Then the New Dimension players would have never seen ‘World Quest – Great Demon Tagirion Raid’ for the rest of their lives.

And without a doubt, the primary reason this World Quest started was none other than Rene.

Bringing countless people to the peak of Rivagar, which everyone despised.

Accepting the guild’s designated quest without second thoughts in a situation that warranted some skepticism.

Creating a three-power alliance that was inevitably disadvantaged and participating in the Crusade.

All of this was possible because Rene viewed New Dimension not merely as a game but as a ‘real world’ and moved freely.

Some would argue that the results generated by Rene’s actions were mere coincidence.

To such individuals, the Planning Team of New Dimension would say that it was indeed thanks to Rene’s perception of New Dimension as a ‘real world’ that they could reap such rewards.

For such players, even though the activation of this World Quest caused the other 90% of dormant World Quests in the New Dimension world to revert to blank state… they could still reason that it was acceptable.

Thus, the Planning Team Leader felt an even greater sense of regret over Rene’s protest.

Most of Rene’s claims were misguided, yet there was one thing she accurately pinpointed at the core.

“She’s very perceptive…”

Yet despite hitting the mark so accurately, due to her previous actions, she was dismissed as simply engaging in concept play and couldn’t garner understanding.

From the perspective of the planner, feelings of sympathy were only natural.

Of course, if one were to analyze it, the timing certainly wasn’t great either.

Development for the next chapter hadn’t yet been completed.

Thus, the New Dimension NPCs’ restrictions had not yet been lifted.

If those restrictions had been lifted, the situation would certainly have played out differently.

“Hamin, do you think Rene will continue that protest until then?”

“I doubt she will. She hasn’t mentioned any plans for the next protest on her broadcast yet…”

“Right. …Then how will it proceed from here?”

In the heart of the Team Leader, a sense of anticipation quietly began to blossom.

★

[Rene]

[I’m going to try out the newly released game]

[Akashic Project | 8,531 viewers online | 00:43:22]

─Damn that b damn that b damn that b damn that b damn that b damn that b damn that b [Deleted message.]

─This power struggle is ridiculous, damn LOL

─If this power struggle doesn’t stop, I’m going to die…

─Kek… Keeeeek…

─Advertisers are crying, LOL

─Just acknowledge it and wrap it up, Tenryun.