****
Speedwagon. Dana Elisha Hyacinth.
Recently, she had a concern.
“Beep. Target non-face recognition. [Negative emotion 43% / Positive 36% / Identification impossible 21%]. Here is, water. Your hydration is essential for the human body. Water, here you go.”
“….Haah. Thanks, Genie.”
Dana sighed as she took the cup of water from her last remaining personal asset, the malfunctioning housing AI ‘Genie’.
She had lost her base, and the people she worked with, and had barely managed to escape to District 47 through Dome’s rescue team. Originally, like the other refugees, she should have been wrestling with the biting cold outside Dome, swearing and scraping to survive. However, thanks to the people here treating her specially, she had this warm room in the administrative medical building, albeit small, all to herself.
Outside the window, the bustling city and the surrounding bonfires.
“….It’s like I’m a princess trapped in a tower.”
She chuckled to herself at the thought. The problem was that she was supposed to be the prince. The princess trapped in that tower of zeros and ones was Professor who had helped her get here, and she was in a position where she could do nothing but watch him struggle to get out.
No, she wouldn’t just watch. At least, she wouldn’t let him think he was struggling alone.
“How could I have met someone so unique, from one to ten.”
She had been watching Professor’s gameplay recording updated about an hour ago.
As usual, he was delightful, insane, and lived a life full of sincerity. If his situation wasn’t equivalent to that of a prisoner, it could be considered a reward for his efforts up to now.
While she was watching with the people of District 47, what caught her eye was a note left by Professor for the outsiders.
=========
Urgent.
* A list of all hero units operating around the Empire and its surroundings, including appearance and features (photos must be included). Please include what the hero units that survived from the World 2 would look like aged by the aging program.
* All maps circulating in World 3 community. From the capitals to the back alleys of rural villages, regardless of country or region.
* A summary of the fiercest battles in medieval, modern, and contemporary military history. All records available.
* If there is a video left by a person who broadcasted as a magician, and it included a book read in the tower of magic, [Understanding of Magic]? If there is a scanned file of that, I want it too.
* Cultural features and history of each country and race. Everything available, preferably including the main group locations and characteristics.
* [GG Gourmet Tour] or something? There was a chef player who just went around eating and analyzing recipes. Sort those videos by dish.
* Locations of key items in World 3 (I know there aren’t many left after Cheonryuje’s clean sweep, just list the known ones)
* Highly profitable mines
* Trade hubs
* Areas prone to natural disasters
.
.
.
.
.
As I write this, it seems I’m asking for a level of data mining.
I know I can’t provide all of this myself. But I really need this stuff.
Without you guys, the gaps in my knowledge painfully remind me of your presence. Consider it as helping to save a life, please help me out.
Honestly, if it wasn’t for me during the incident in District 30s, everyone around here would have been dead.
You owe me one then. I know everyone’s either stuck underground in Dome turning human-powered generators or deployed in the communal farms. All the survivors protected within Dome are bound to be mobilized into the wartime supply system. Instead of mindlessly pedaling, use those idle hands to dig through the community for me.
When I get out, I’ll treat you big time. Let’s have a meetup, a real gathering. I’m loaded now.
If it weren’t for this war, I would have definitely remained a 40-something unmarried, jobless internet ghost, my friends.
I trust in your vast and profound surplus, as deep and wide as the sea.
From the great hero of humanity, somewhat akin to your savior – Professor Park.
=========
“Pfft!”
Ah, really. The way he presses the keys so earnestly yet chuckles himself is so characteristic of him. No matter how many times I replay it, I can’t help but laugh each time.
How is that the attitude of someone making a desperate plea?
Even more amusing was the reaction of the people in District 47 who were watching the broadcast with her.
=========
– noru_is_druig: Oh my, really. When you flatter someone this much, it’s hard to object outright…
– Nutriagena: Yes, indeed, we’re proudly second to none when it comes to being superfluous!
– Holli: Uh… isn’t that a bad thing? Is it good?
– noru_is_druig: Holli, you might not understand, but this is a grand compliment to us who know the ‘art of living’ in this arid era where life revolves entirely around surviving and making money. Ah, another unproductive day spent. Isn’t this what truly distinguishes us as ‘real’ humans from animals?
– Jokass: Exactly. There are few chat rooms among countless communities as purely unproductive as ours. Proof of that is that anyone with a skill or something to do has been pulled into makeshift production lines, while most of our folks are working on the power lines, right?
– Holli: Hehe. I’m in the hospital.
– korekorekorekore: Farming is something I do like a ghost… There’s not a corner of District 45 that my hands haven’t touched… Damn… to become powerless in an instant…
– HeungAnMandu: Ah, not me. I was able to get out to the periphery counting my military service in the air force.
– noru_is_druig: Ooooh! An undeservedly competent child! You don’t even deserve to be in the 47th chat room!!
– Jokass: Our incompetency is such that there isn’t a spot on our feet without blisters from pedaling, while the capable ones sit pulling triggers! They get paid well and fed well! Ooooh! Get lost!
– HeungAnMandu: Don’t even mention it. The rumor that they’ve set up gun production facilities at the front and are running machine gun posts was true. There’s not a moment when gunshots stop for more than 5 minutes. Before, a single heavy machine gun worth 5 million shillings would melt into scrap metal daily. I’ve been here three days and I’m already going deaf. That’s why machine gunners all have signal pins implanted under the skin of their wrists. Since they can’t hear commands, they’re commanded through touch. I got the procedure yesterday.
– Jokass: ….The whole world’s gone mad. Anyway, the competent and busy ones, please leave, and let’s help each other out, us incompetent ones. I’ve even downloaded general strategies and hero unit rosters on my terminal.
– noru_is_druig: I have the entire list of known ways to unlock affinities with all hero units, optimized farming routes, and item lists for affinity missions. Oh, not every hero unit. I don’t deal with the ugly ones.
– Jokass: If we start listing one by one like this, there’s no end to it. Unless someone takes the lead and compiles the information, it’ll just be a dump of characters. Someone specialized, someone very knowledgeable about information…
– noru_is_druig: Right. Someone who’s been doing this kind of thing regularly…
– HighwayNachoman: If it’s Professor Park’s matter, then someone who would light up their eyes and dive in—anyone like that? Ah, I think I know someone~~ very, very likely~~~
– Speedwagon: ….I was actually planning to do it.
– HighwayNachoman: Yay~~~
– noru_is_druig: Wow! A professional!
– Jokass: Wow! Mrs. Jess!
– HeungAnMandu: Wow! It’s awkward not to use 음슴체 (internet slang omitting particles) for Dana now!
– Speedwagon: The way I talk is because of the internet before the war. Back then, if you revealed you were a woman in games or on the internet, a lot of strange people would come running. After the war, I deliberately didn’t reveal my identity as an information dealer for protection. Now that it’s all out, there’s no need to be awkward about it, right?
– Jokass: Wow! Even using honorifics! Learn a bit, Noru! Doesn’t she seem nice just from the text?
– noru_is_druig: F*** off
– noru_is_druig: I’d be willing to behead (斬) you if I had an axe blade hanging in front of your neck.
=========
People who passionately engage in mere ‘requests’ without any financial incentive are a rarity, almost extinct, in this day and age.
However, passion is one thing, and ability is another.
Professor said that once everything is provided, it will be handled independently, but even a small city is complex with entangled characters, history, culture, groups of petty thieves, the power of the lords, and the factions that divide among their heirs. Summarizing just that could fill at least two thick volumes. How could all of that be covered?
Once Professor’s video is uploaded, the background and circumstances must be assessed to predict the next steps and distill the necessary information. This task alone is a mountain of work.
“….Still, that would have been manageable….”
The problem is the time ratio between GG and reality, which is 5:1. Five hours there is equivalent to one hour here, meaning that Professor’s videos, based on a day in the game, are uploaded automatically every 4.8 hours, or 4 hours and 48 minutes.
The time limit is 288 minutes. Within that period, one must predict, select, and organize the vast information to be provided.
Even though Dana is an expert in this area, the timeline is physically impossible.
If there were more people, she might have delegated the work, but the people in the 47th District chat room alone were not enough. They are not just sitting around doing this; they each have assigned tasks to carry out in their respective domes.
Amid such concerns, ‘she’ arrived with a rather surprising solution.
Knock, knock, knock!
“Sis~!”
“Dana~!”
“….Come in.”
Whoosh!
Ever since she had been admitted to the administrative ward, those who had been visiting her frequently burst into her room again today.
“Wow! Sis! What’s all this?”
“I’ve organized it, so please don’t touch. Remember what we discussed in the chat room? The information Professor said he needed. I’ve started by organizing and extracting the information we can use right away.”
“All this…. already?”
“Everyone else is desperate, I can’t just sit around doing nothing.”
Just looking at her could make anyone smile involuntarily; she was a girl full of energy.
Holli. Her real name is Holli Grace. She is the cherished daughter of Gideon Grace, the head of the marketplace.
Publicly, it is said that she stays in the administrative ward because of her frail health, but that is just the superficial reason. In reality, she has been placed there, one of the most secure locations in Dome, along with a substantial donation, due to the numerous kidnappings and assassination attempts.
“Holli~? Unlike us, who pretend to be patients, Dana is genuinely frail. If you bother her too much, she might leave us soon. If Dana, already weak, works this hard only to have her efforts spoiled out of boredom…. wouldn’t that push her too far?”
“!!!”
The sound of hurried footsteps.
“Shall I cut some fruit for you, sis? Coffee? Dad says coffee is for people who work….”
Sigh. This child, really.
“I’ll take your good intentions.”
Ideally, I would prefer her to just leave, but then her big, round eyes would well up with tears. Dana wasn’t cruel enough to treat someone like that.
Still, Holli was manageable. It was like having a slightly noisy beagle around.
The problem was the woman who followed her inside, dressed as a nurse, strikingly beautiful to the point of being overwhelming.
“Let’s see… Elf culture, common skills of the elf species, current imperial interests and conflict-prone areas… Wow! You’ve gathered a lot in such a short time?”
“There’s too much at stake to just sit idle.”
“Hmm… From that perspective, you haven’t found much. After all, you haven’t even organized half of the potentially useful information yet.”
The woman had the look of a model rather than a nurse, knowing exactly how to present herself to capture others’ attention. Her small face was expressive, and the curves evident through her clothes were impressive enough to captivate anyone with her vibrant presence.
“Hmm… Maybe we should exclude the Blue Line Mountains monster distribution if elves will guide us there. They’ll provide much more accurate boundaries than any information floating around on the internet. Ah, and we can omit the information about the 7th prince. He was poisoned for overreaching during the early noble wars involving the 7th, 14th princes, and the 3rd princess, right? The only one alive now is the impostor put forward by the 1st prince.”
“That’s… definitely true.”
Her beauty was natural and striking. She had a deeper knowledge of GG than Dana, who had been dealing with GG information for years. In the Wasteland, her face was too well-known to ignore.
In the Wasteland, she had almost as much influence as President Young, and even Dana, an experienced informant, couldn’t easily dismiss her.
“Rabbit. Did you come to talk about that today?”
“Of course! I guarantee it as the top of the industry! I assure you that I can fill your manpower shortage in one go!”
Rabbit Princess. Real name unknown. Currently, she holds the most stable clearing seeds in Worlds 1 and 2 and is undisputedly the most famous idol in the Wasteland.
The woman sitting on her hospital bed, flicking her legs, was a mogul whose annual broadcasting income was comparable to Dome’s entire defense budget.
Why would someone of her stature be here, in such attire, mingling with a girl at least ten years her junior, stirring up trouble everywhere they went?
“Rabbit. Couldn’t you build a shelter with security comparable to the administration’s?”
“I did use private security, but there’s always someone among them with a different agenda. I hate worrying about that. Besides, no place has as reliable power and a flawless connection to GG and its servers as here. A professional can be severely affected by a delay of even a comma of a second. I’m a ranked player supported by Dome, so I should at least have access to a suitable playing environment.”
“And… that outfit?”
“If I wore casual clothes in an administration building full of researchers and doctors, wouldn’t I stand out? That would lead to gossip, rumors of Rabbit staying in the administration building, and then fans, who’d say they’d die to see me, would flood in and end up piled up in front of the laser turrets…. Ugh, that would be terrible.”
“Isn’t that a bit of an overreaction….”
The sound of hurried footsteps followed.
“It’s based on experience. It used to happen all the time in the shelter residence with 12 units I built with my own money. People from the Wasteland don’t have many places to lean on emotionally. Most are in a fragile mental state. When they idolize someone, when they see someone as an idol, they lose all brakes. After several shelters were blown up, I just decided to move in here. Uh… honestly, the nurse uniforms here look pretty good too. Don’t you think the style is nice? With a little adjustment, you can really accentuate the waistline.”
As she said this, she proudly showed off her slender waist with a flick of her fingers, suddenly leaning in to face Dana closely.
“So, Dana, have you thought about it? Huh? Huh?”
Rabbit’s question caused a look of concern to appear on Dana’s face. Just yesterday, this woman had burst into her hospital room claiming she wanted to meet a new guest, and as soon as their eyes met, she screamed out a proposal that was too unfamiliar a solution for Dana.
“A broadcast? And one that reveals all my personal information? I’m not talented in that area. I’m not particularly good with words, and I’m not that specialized in GG play either….”
Yes, the first thing Rabbit Princess, the undisputed top of the broadcasting industry, had said upon meeting Dana was, “Have you ever thought about trying broadcasting?!!!”
“Tsk, tsk, tsk! If you’re not an expert, you should follow one! Of course, I boast a sharp, agile, cat-like yet deadly playstyle! But if that was all, I wouldn’t have been this successful. The biggest contribution to my position today is just one thing!”
Snap!
“Me! My beauty! I’m not just pretty, but cute, lovable, humorous, intellectual, and sexy—a perfect womanly ideal! Beauty as if handcrafted by a deity! Perfect acting skills to fit any taste! And the irresistible title of ‘a girl who plays games well’! I can embody everything from a graceful lady to a girl crush, which is why I could reach the top of this vast Wasteland!”
Sitting on the edge of her hospital bed, one leg up, hand on her chest as if declaring her point, Rabbit then reached out and grabbed Dana’s hands.
“In my eyes, Dana Elisha Hyacinth, you are a perfect raw gem! A famous informant that anyone in the Wasteland who’s someone has heard of at least once! And to discover that this well-known figure is such a delicate, cool, intellectual beauty! There’s nothing sexier than someone who is professional about their work! You don’t need to act or do something spectacular for the broadcast. Just be yourself, do your job, and the viewers will flock like clouds. All you need to do is appeal to them about ‘what we can do for the hero who saved the Wasteland.’ Maybe add a teardrop or two for effect? Hmm~ Romantic! Just the thought makes my heart flutter!”
Without waiting for an objection, Rabbit had already summoned a few small drones with a remote control and began setting them up.
Dana hurried to speak, fearing that the broadcast might proceed immediately without her consent.
“There are several major flaws in that assumption. It’s based on the then Blue Ocean of Wasteland entertainment, and you’re the only example; and above all…”
“Above all?”
“…I am not as beautiful as you….”
Pushing aside every other excuse, this was the real reason Dana had been delaying her response.
Her soft silver-blonde hair rippled as if spun from threads of moonlight, her large eyes and delicate facial features like those of a graceful deer, leading down to a deep collarbone. Her waist was slim, in stark contrast to her pronounced bust and hips, undeniable presences.
Even as a warrior who, in reality, could slice through a squad of mutants with just two daggers due to the requirements of direct action in GG, she was at the top of her game in this era.
Being a woman herself, the internationally acknowledged beauty standards represented by such a vibrant woman were intimidating. Every time Dana saw that lively beauty, she reflected on her own pale and severe self and thought, ‘That’s possible because it’s her.’
[Professor? Oh, I saw him once last time. I got interested because of the way he plays. He was chased by some wild-eyed researchers and got lost, so I showed him the way to the ward~ even held his hand~ I was wearing different makeup and a mask, so he probably didn’t recognize me.]
Each time Dana recalled Rabbit twirling her hair and speaking, she felt a bitter taste rising within her.
She had sparked interest.
They had run through narrow, complicated alleys to avoid people following them.
And she had said they held hands.
Aware that Rabbit enjoyed his reaction, Dana couldn’t stop the uneasy assumption that maybe she might show interest in Professor.
Of course, this was purely her own thought.
Holli’s face crumpled mercilessly as she heard Dana’s sluggish response.
“Ugh, so annoying.”
“Exactly. Some people try so hard to get what they naturally have, and the worst part is they don’t even know it.”
Holding a peach that was nearly half eaten, Holli vigorously nodded her head, placed the tray down, and struggled to bring over a wall mirror hanging nearby.
“Look here for a moment, Dana? Could you?”
“Holli, if it’s encouragement, that’s fine. I just wanted to say that I don’t meet Rabbit’s expectations, not that I feel inferior about my looks—”
“Hurry up!!!!”
Holli’s forceful demeanor made Dana turn toward the mirror as instructed.
“First, look at the person reflected in the mirror. What do you see?”
What do I see? The same appearance I always see. An unkempt, lifeless woman in her early twenties.
“First… the skin is very pale…”
“Yes~ So white and translucent, it seems like it would smear if touched, like a princess who’s never seen the sun~”
“Also… the eyes are not that large, and to say the face is beautiful—”
“Such long beautiful eyelashes that they could be used as an umbrella, a cute and perky nose, and lips so pretty with their cherry color against the white skin, you’d want to steal them~”
“Ah, um… not very feminine, too thin, and the figure isn’t really appealing…”
“A body so shapely even without an underwire, in a hospital-style bra, and a fragile, delicate, thin style that seems untouched by any care~”
As Holli melodically countered each of her flaws one by one, Dana’s pale face turned beet red.
“Oh, how cute! Dana Elisha Hyacinth! Only you don’t know, but everyone sees a veeery rare natural beauty! Just fool yourself this once and turn on the broadcast. Just say it’s for business, collecting big data for GG strategies, and just do the work, right? Maybe greet them once in a while?”
“Just… my working appearance?”
“That’s right! Just like now, keep organizing the materials you were sending to Professor Park. Just work quietly, and when you’re done organizing, you can turn off the broadcast too!”
After all, it’s just showing others what she would be doing anyway. Is it really just for a while, even if it means the number of sources could increase by nearly dozens?
“Certainly, losing all our sources and not being able to gather quality information, having even a few more collaborators would indeed be a big help….”
Seizing the slight waver in Dana’s resolve due to her continuous enticement, Rabbit quickly proceeded with her plans.
“Holli! I’ll prepare the camera, so just help with the basic makeup! Keep the base light, and the lips just a bit provocative! You get the feel?”
“Yes~ sister!”
“Just a moment! I’ll, I’ll do it myself….!”
Despite her struggles to avoid the overwhelming duo, there was no escaping the combined strength of an excited high school girl and Rabbit, who at the age of seven had dismembered a rabbit with her bare hands.
“Ready~ Standby- Cue!”
As the red recording lights on five drone-style cameras lit up, Dana froze, and Rabbit smirked at her.
“Let’s see…. Speedwagon, hmm. The nickname is too dry. We need a cute name for the broadcast title, something a bit more provocative….”
Rabbit chuckled, seeing Dana bury her reddened face in documents, trying to focus on her work.
Ding-!
New! [Delicate Beauty Dana~♥’s Official GG Strategy Broadcast!]
In an era filled with girl crushes real enough to smash skulls with hammers, here’s an uncommon pure beauty + a veteran GG player—’Who dares claim [Official]!’ could incite a fury, a provocative title designed to draw attention.
“Hehehe. Hmm~ a couple in perfect harmony. Princess Rabbit says it was quite delightful to have the two lovers appear together live on broadcast~”
The timing was right.
Everyone was struggling, dedicating their days to labor for survival, much like the early days of doom.
Dome had the obligation to provide entertainment to prevent people from crumbling under fatigue and fear, ensuring they remained productive.
Broadcasting, the era’s premier form of advanced entertainment, was naturally the top priority.
The folks would soon realize the tremendous potential of Dana, the new broadcaster.
‘What would Professor Park think if he saw this?’
His long-time internet friend turned lover had suddenly become a world star—could this be real?
Rabbit felt her expectations swell in anticipation of a scenario like something out of a cheap light novel.
Princess Rabbit. She was a woman with ambition.
She planned to dominate entertainment, an activity inseparable from human life.
‘Someday, when I clear through and secure the coordinates of GG’s server room. Not just the coordinates, but if ‘Rabbit Entertainment’, created with all the money I’ve gathered, can amass enough power to reach there and run Gedroits’ game…!’
Wanting happiness and enjoyment are human instincts. Some might say what use is entertainment when people are starving to death, but looking at the causes of death in the wastelands, isn’t suicide consistently at the top of the list?
People die if they don’t eat.
People die if they run out of blood.
People die if they lack happiness that makes them look forward to tomorrow.
She believed there was no significant difference between these three.
Therefore, she wanted to become the person who spreads and controls the greatest happiness in this destroyed world. Having the most influence in GG, which could be considered the pinnacle of entertainment in this era, was certainly aligned with her dream.
There must be some reason she was born with such beauty in this age of blood and violence. At least, she hoped there was.
“Come on, Dana? Work hard and help us expand our market—so that more people can chase after happiness?”
In the small private hospital room of the administration.
There, somewhat bizarre and too extraordinary to be just bizarre, a conspiracy was ripening.
****