Hiding a House in the Apocalypse - Chapter 306



Only Krnovel

123. Message from the Dead (2)

It is said in the world that no one knows or can know the creator of the Necropolis.

The only clue is that he uses the ID Death_Lord98 in Necropolis, but even within Necropolis, there is disagreement about whether this is true or not.

A figure who was presumed to be the veiled operator appeared before me.

Message from Deadman_working: Who am I? That doesn’t matter. What matters is that I happened to see you and your nickname became familiar to me.

Did you use magic?

The creator of Necropolis is said to have skills that even made Melon Mask, who was known as a genius entrepreneur, feel despair.

Even just now he blacked out my screen for a moment.

SKELTON: (Skeleton shocked) The screen just went black? How did you do that?!

I asked.

What kind of magic did you use?

To this, Deadman responded as if it was no big deal.

Message from deadman_working: Why is the screen black? I put a simple code in the message. It’s like an ASCII code. It’s a command to change the screen color in the message.

A message from deadman_working: Like this.

The screen turned blue.

Message from deadman_working: How about this?

This time green.

Message from deadman_working: I hate this color.

And purple.

Message from deadman_working: This board was made crudely to begin with, so changing a single color is a no-brainer.

It’s back to normal again.

A message from deadman_working: There have been a lot of posts on Necropolis recently suggesting that he is Twelvesquare.

Is this the main topic now?

I sat up straight and waited for his message.

Message from deadman_working: There are plenty of people pretending to be Twelvesquare, but only two people consistently claim to be Twelvesquare, and one of them’s transmissions was picked up in a suspicious location.

Message from deadman_working: Yeah, Korea.

A message from deadman_working: The legendary broadcast from Twelve Square took place within Korean territory.

Message from deadman_working: That’s why I messaged you.

Was that the reason?

I always assumed that the all-powerful hacker I saw in the movies had sent me a message after seeing all of Viva! Apocalypse!’s records.

When I actually opened the lid, I found out that there was a reason for it.

I am saying that I am not talking to you like an omnipotent god who knows everything.

Still, this guy knows that the transmission that Valentine and I sent to Necropolis came from Korea.

It is certain that he is qualified to be the administrator, if not the creator, of the Necropolis.

It can’t be helped that if you post on Necropolis from outside the US or Europe,

Dead Man 73609 (???): I know the information about Twelve Square. If the manager sees it, I will request contact.

In this way, regional notation such as “???” appears.

On the other hand, when users from the US or Europe write, it is as follows.

Dead10851 (MD): There’s a lot of trash around, is there a way to burn it without worrying about toxic gases?

Dead59231(GER): Should I burn people like last year?

Dead5413 (FRC): Mutations stole everything I farmed.

Deadman43219(IN): Yesterday, a friend of mine died in my neighborhood while using a slingshot. The gun exploded.

…

…

As you can see, the story is that regional notations do not appear like in the US or Europe.

That can’t be done on an individual level.

Since Necropolis itself is a community that uses minimal resources, it does not support any functions related to bulletin board participation other than posting.

It does not provide any functionality to send private messages or check user information.

Therefore, the only people who can interpret information about the area called “???” are those at the administrator level.

Of course, that alone doesn’t tell us for sure whether Dead Man Walking is the admin of Necropolis or not, but I want him to be the creator of Necropolis.

I have a favor to ask of him.

SKELTON: I am Twelve Square.

I told the truth.

However, the truth is not necessarily persuasive.

As expected.

Message from deadman_working: What’s the evidence?

I immediately became suspicious.

It’s a legitimate suspicion.

The me who was broadcasting at that time and the me now have different accounts, nicknames, and location information.

Besides, in its current state, it is impossible for me to post using the account I had at that time.

That satellite equipment would be left alone in an unoccupied outpost on the side of Mt. Halla.

There’s only one thing I can do here.

SKELTON: How can I get you to believe me?

Proving myself.

This won’t be an easy task either.

Message from deadman_working: I know the account information of Twelvesquare. In terms of account information and satellite equipment terminal serial number, you and Twelvesquare are completely different people.

As expected, it was as expected.

SKELTON: Is there no way?

I tried hanging on again.

silence.

There is no answer.

“······.”

I kept waiting.

Right now, the only person we can realistically turn to for advice on networking and communications is the creator of Necropolis.

Plans to create a second PaleNet are romantic, but they come with too many physical constraints.

It’s a hassle, at least for a group our size.

At least the king wouldn’t know.

In the midst of the endless waiting, a new message arrived.

Message from deadman_working: But I definitely get your desire to help people. And I also want to see more users in Necropolis.

“!!”

The moment I saw that message, I unconsciously clenched my fist.

Message from deadman_working: But there is a condition.

SKELTON: Conditions?

Message from deadman_working: I’m looking at your Korean board right now.

Message from deadman_working: Do you have a friend named mmmmmmmmm?

SKELTON: I know.

Message from deadman_working: Are you a friend? A close friend?

SKELTON: That’s not it. We’re just rivals.

Message from deadman_working: Okay. That’s good.

Why are you suddenly talking about the M9?

Deadman said in doubt.

Message from deadman_working: Kill that guy.

“?”

He tilted his head.

How long has it been since I’ve had the experience of reading a text only to find myself unable to interpret it?

The message that this friend, Deadman, sent me was about ten million light years away from my usual thoughts.

Message from Deadman_working: Kill that guy and then authenticate with his account. If you’re in Twelvesquare, where you can single-handedly take on dozens of soldiers and monsters, that should be a pretty easy task, right?

I replied immediately.

SKELTON: Are you kidding?

At that moment, an idea occurred to me.

This guy named Dead Man Walking.

Maybe I’m a more broken person than I imagined.

Message from deadman_working: I don’t tell jokes. I buried jokes in the ground with my colleagues a long time ago.

SKELTON: Are you really related to the Necropolis?

Message from deadman_working: If you are the one involved, will you kill mmmmmmmmm?

“That’s not it.”

I typed the same thing into the chat window.

And asked.

SKELTON: What on earth are you trying to say? Why are you saying that?

It smells similar to what I felt from the past Defender.

A smell that I don’t know well and will never understand.

Message from deadman_working: Humanity is doomed anyway.

Message from Deadman_working: No one can survive. No matter what hopes you have or what values ​​you believe in, this fact will not change.

Message from Deadman_working: Humanity cannot overcome the rift. In the first place, the rift is not a competition between humans and the Earth itself. Isn’t it a comedy that humans, who are parasites on the Earth, are the ones who close the rift on behalf of the Earth?

“······.”

Much to my dismay, Dead Man Walking has similar thoughts to me.

I have no intention of denying it.

My views on the future of humanity are not much different from Deadman’s.

Humanity will be defeated.

We can’t win this fight.

Isn’t it true that even divine beings like Kang Han-min and Na Hye-in are fighting right now and still can’t close even a single crack in Jeju?

Message from Deadman_working: In the end, we’re all on the same path to destruction, so it doesn’t really matter who dies sooner, who lives longer, or who lives more morally. We don’t look at dinosaur fossils in museums and discuss the nature of an individual, do we?

“······.”

I finally found it.

The difference between me and this friend.

They say that although languages ​​are different, human thoughts are ultimately the same.

Language is, after all, a means of expressing thoughts.

Empowered by the wisdom of Melon Mask, I convey my thoughts to an unknown friend far away.

SKELTON: I don’t think so.

Message from deadman_working: Why?

He asks back.

I let out a shallow sigh and tapped away at the keyboard.

SKELTON: Even if I die someday, I will die as a human being.

Without hesitation.

Message from deadman_working: Human definitions vary.

SKELTON: I believe you have that level of literacy. Besides, I don’t want to talk about difficult things like philosophy with people I don’t even know well.

SKELTON: What I need is a way to get the information we know to as many people as possible. Whether that’s the Necropolis or your mother’s police, it doesn’t matter.

This is what I mean.

It is my firm will.

A moment of silence passed between the monitor, the LAN cable, and the satellite.

Tiring~

A notification popped up.

Another message arrives.

It’s not from Deadman.

Message from COOKIEMONSTER18: Skeleton~

It’s from Rebecca, or Sue.

A relationship I know and cherish miraculously sent me a message at the moment I needed it most.

Despite its sudden arrival, the message struck me with overwhelming emotion.

Knock knock

SKELTON: (Skeleton surprised) What’s going on all of a sudden?!!!!

To the point where I’m acting overly excited, which is unusual for me.

These are the little miracles that can happen between people, that I learned after the war.

Even if we are all destined to die, is it really necessary to destroy this relationship with our own hands?

I stared at the monitor, waiting for Rebecca and her daughter’s answer rather than Deadman’s.

Another message arrived soon after.

Message from deadman_working: I agree with the idea that at least one person should be saved.

The moment I saw the message, I tilted my head.

SKELTON: Suddenly?

A message from deadman_working: This isn’t a story for altruistic reasons like yours, Skeleton.

SKELTON: (Skeleton panicked)

Message from deadman_working: The Necropolis is a city of the dead. The number of echoes that will echo forever in that city of the dead is a pretty good choice for a city builder.

Message from deadman_working: Can you secure a location with at least local broadcast quality radio transmission and reception equipment for 72 hours?

Suddenly the story progresses.

I didn’t do anything in the process.

I have never tried to persuade or justify it.

Suddenly, one side gave its consent out of the blue.

SKELTON: I guess I’ll have to try, but why did you suddenly change your mind?

Message from Deadman_working: I think you’re misunderstanding me, but I’ve never changed my mind. Didn’t I say that before? I welcome the increase in users of Necropolis.

I scrolled up.

Yes, that’s right.

That’s what I said.

Message from Deadman_working: If there was any help in the necropolis wasteland of East Asia, I would be happy to join hands. As I have said many times, the more echoes that can be heard in the city of the dead, the better.

“······.”

Deadman still speaks incomprehensible words.

But he reached out first.

He has ways and knowledge that I can’t, that I can’t have.

SKELTON: Are you saying that Necropolis can be used in Korea as well, if we just secure the broadcasting equipment you mentioned?

There is no need to refuse.

If character were the standard, there wouldn’t be many deals that would come to fruition in this world.

Message from deadman_working: If you’ll just follow my requirements. I need to work on connecting the streams of radio waves and radio waves.

SKELTON: Is that all there is to it? It’s not like we’re asking for unnecessary human lives, is it?

Message from deadman_working: Why?

SKELTON: Then why did you bring up the m9 story earlier?

Message from deadman_working: I hate it when people like m9 give hope to others.

SKELTON: ?

A message from deadman_working: It has been proven in many places that false hope makes people live longer.

SKELTON: Do you not like the idea of ​​people living long lives?

Message from deadman_working: No, that’s not it. Just.

SKELTON: ?

Message from deadman_working: I just want to become the last human a little faster.

“······.”

I hate to admit it, but I feel like we share similar dreams.

Dead Man Walking’s story continues.

Message from deadman_working: Imagine. Skeleton. A day when everyone on this planet is dead and humanity is extinct.

Message from Deadman_working: Whether it’s tens of millions of years or hundreds of millions of years, won’t something similar to us appear in this world someday? Either a brother with a common ancestor with us, or a guest from outer space?

Message from deadman_working: Then they will be able to hear the highly radioed message that has been floating along the Earth’s magnetic field for billions of years.

Message from deadman_working: That’s the necropolis.

Message from deadman_working: In the city of the dead, neither good nor evil, nor the order of death, has any meaning.

Message from deadman_working: What do you think? Skeleton.

Despite these similarities, we cannot mix.

All I can sense in his message is a denial of humanity and a self-consolation bordering on delusion.

Tiring~

[ A new message has arrived . ]

I can tell because I once had similar thoughts.

He must be a lonely person.

Message from COOKIEMONSTER18: I want to eat something juicy.

The faint smile on my lips is proof of that.

He answered.

SKELTON: (Skeleton confused) ?