⚠️ Content Disclaimer
This chapter contains scenes of intense emotional distress and intense struggle that may resemble self-harm to some readers. The author does not condone self-harm or violence in any form. It is purely fictional and written for dramatic purposes. If you feel distressed by such themes, please take care while reading.
Yuzen didn't understand what was happening. The system was the one that showed the options and had never said anything about rules, and even after waking up, he couldn't find any rules anywhere on the AnWorld website.
It felt like the system was playing with him on purpose, making up rules just to make him suffer.
How was erasing an enemy a direct alteration, but summoning someone to kill it wasn't?
And when he picked the potion, how was that any different?
And now he was on the floor, gasping for air, all because the system said he was dishonest.
This doesn't f**king make sense! I was telling the truth!!!
He kept writhing in pain on the floor while cursing the system in his head. The pain was not as bad as the previous backlash, but it was still intense, a feeling like his entire body was being ripped apart, sewn together, and ripped apart again.
He saw Hyejin and the doctor running toward him from the doorway.
"Mr. Yuzen, are you okay? Hey? Can you hear me?"
They kept calling his name, but his eyes felt too heavy to open. Another buzz from his watch jolted him awake, and he saw the chat from the special message channel.
[I shouldn't have believed in you]
Great. Now Seo Jaein thinks I was ignoring him again. It's not me! It's the f**king system that won't let me send the message, okay!
As suddenly as the pain had come, it vanished. Yuzen was still gasping for breath, but at least he no longer felt like he was being torn apart.
He couldn't stay still because he needed to answer Jaein's message.
"Hey, calm down, don't get up yet."
The doctor and Hyejin pressed on his shoulders, wanting him to stay on the floor, but Yuzen pushed them away.
He didn't care anymore if he looked crazy to them. He just needed to reply.
[I am not God.]
He couldn't figure out what had been wrong with his last reply, but he thought this simpler answer should work.
He was wrong. A fresh wave of agony ripped through his body.
[Message can't be sent. You are in unbreakable agreement with your MC. The agreement is to not lie. The message must adhere to that. Executing punishment for breaking the promised agreement.]
His body twisted violently as the pain surged, and he rolled across the floor clutching his chest. He could hear more footsteps and voices as people rushed in to restrain him.
Through his hazy vision, he saw the doctor preparing a syringe.
He needed to do something before the doctor used it. He needed to reply.
What was wrong with his reply anyway?! He was not a god!
He was just some office worker who had spent all his life savings trying to get rich on the platform.
Yuzen realized it wasn't about being honest. It was about writing what the system allowed him to write.
From the system's view, he was a god to Seo Jaein, because he was the only one who could change his fate. He typed the only answer the system would accept.
[I am your 'God'.]
The doctor knelt beside him, and soon after, Yuzen couldn't think or feel anything as everything went dark.
*****
"Yes, the doctor has run many tests, but we still can't figure out what caused it."
Yuzen heard the faint shift of paper as the voice continued.
"At first we thought it might be an awakening, but no. There are still no signs of his mana. I did feel it for a moment when that happened, but then it was gone."
A pause followed.
"Yes, it's exactly as Hani described before. Understood."
The call ended, leaving only hushed voices from nearby.
"This is really strange. No matter how I look at it, having no mana in this world is… how is that even possible? All humans, awakened or not, should still have traces of mana."
The same voice gave a short laugh.
"Unless he wasn't in this world when the gates appeared, haha."
The woman's reply came, tight and edged.
"If that's what happened… that would be a blessing for him. But I would hate to find anyone with that kind of blessing on this earth, because it would mean they never went through the hell we did."
Yuzen had been about to ask for water, but he decided it was better to stay quiet and listen.
So the reason they were so adamant about his condition was because they thought he was going to awaken? What mana were they talking about?
He couldn't wrap his head around it, but he really needed to check his livestream. He stayed still for a while, listening as Hyejin and the doctor whispered a little more before moving away.
When the sound finally faded, he opened his eyes and accessed his watch.
The livestream was still ongoing, and his message had already been sent to Seo Jaein, but there was no reply.
Strangely, the Jaein on the stream wasn't on a battlefield. He was just sitting in what was left of his home.
Why is he there? Why is he not replying to me?
Yuzen glanced at the same never-ending comment section.
[#anonim23]: it's finally time
[#newmoon47]: yeha just a bit more
[#truesupreme]: 15m here we gooo
[#puffcat300]: hope the owner will finally create some new interesting event for us [#worldhopper77]: its so boring wtf is the mc doing just sitting there
[#iamgod7613]: this is not why i subbed
[#worldhopper77]: I know right, I've been here for hours and what? The mc is just aimlessly going here and there like there is no plot! So boring!
[#lalamon]: its boring cause u guys got no brain to actually relate with him [#newmoon47]: let him have his peace, he lost everything just days ago what is wrong with u people
[#worldhopper77]: no wtf is wrong with u, we're not here to see some stupid mc having monologue with himself, read the tags again, f c k i n g b e a c h
[#truesupreme]: wow chilllll
[#newmoon47]: cant you ban people who swear here owner?
Yuzen banned some aggressive people from the comments and sighed. To them, this peace must have been infuriating.
But for me? I almost died five times in three days!! Please let my MC have his monologue in peace, because I need one too. Damn it!
Suddenly rage built in Yuzen's head. He felt like if he could, he would delete the channel entirely. He didn't want to have anything to do with this anymore.
F**k it. Even if this world was like this because of me, it was an accident, okay? Why did I have to get transmigrated here?
What about his family in his world? If they watched his channel and saw him here, saw him being torn by the dog, he was sure even his busy mother would have shed some tears too.
No. If it's his mother, she probably didn't even realize her son wasn't there at all, considering how she never looked for him unless he did.
What about Rin? Yeah, even in the nightmare she was looking for him, so… maybe, maybe she did care, right? No. Didn't she just get a new boyfriend a few days ago?
Hahahahahahahahahaha. No one probably realized I wasn't there.
Then what's the point of trying so hard to stay alive here?
Should I just let him die so this channel ends? So… mine also…
[Congratulations! Your channel has reached 15,000,000 subscribers! A new Feature is now available!
Event Voting is now available. This feature will be randomly triggered throughout your MC's journey!
With this feature, the system will create various suuuper interesting events that viewers can vote on!! Each vote will cost 10k Loens at first! Each time the viewers want to change their vote, they will have to pay three times the price! This way, your channel will be able to make even more Loens!
This feature is automatically applied to your channel and cannot be turned off until you reach 20M subscribers!
So communication with your viewers is key! Make sure they vote for the most interesting one! Good luck!]
Yuzen stared at the projected screen for a long time.
[Event Voting is ongoing! You have 5 minutes to vote!
Option 1 : A potential female lead appears at the MC's apartment and consoles him, and his memories of his ex-girlfriend will be removed, and instead he will start to have feelings for her after this event ^o^
Option 2 : A Disaster Level 5 appears near the MC's apartment. This disaster has the power of animating and mimicking death. All the recently buried, including the MC's girlfriend and mother, will be resurrected! >o<
Option 3 : A Disaster Level 5 appears near the MC's apartment. This disaster has the power of controlling dreams and will make everyone relive their worst memory in a dream for as long as they are alive! (╥﹏╥)]
"WHAT THE F**K?? NO!! I DON'T WANT THIS KIND OF FEATURE! SH*T SH*T SH*T!!! ARGHHHHHHH TAKE IT OFF OF ME!!!"
Yuzen tried to tear the watch from his hand, but every time it unclasped, it immediately clamped back on. He thrashed around the room, swearing as he tried to pull it off. He hammered his wrist against the table, trying to break the watch, but not even a scratch appeared.
He spotted a fruit knife on the table and grabbed it.
"No… f**k it… f**k…"
His voice cracked as he spoke.
No matter how much he stabbed at the watch, it showed no damage, and he even tried slicing the strap from the back. Through his blurred vision, he noticed liquid starting to flow from his wrist.
"Please… please stop… I want to go back. Stop this… I don't want to do this… I don't want to watch this…"
It didn't matter what the viewers chose, because all the options were the worst that could happen. The system could even change his MC's feelings if it wanted to.
Wasn't that as bad as killing him? To be stripped of your memories and feelings for the people you care about and have them replaced?
Or to watch your dearest people die again and again in a never-ending dream?
Or to actually have to kill them with your own hands in the real world?
"How can the system be this messed up?! What's wrong with it?! How can they turn someone's misery into entertainment?!"
The commotion drew the doctor and Hyejin back into the room. Yuzen was now kneeling on the table beside his bed. The knife lay on the floor, but he was still clawing at the watch, trying to take it off.
"Please… take it off of me…"
He was tired of being a passive onlooker to the doomed ending of his MC's life. He was tired of feeling guilty for being the reason all of this had happened, and he just couldn't bear it anymore.
"Stop it! Stop!"
Hyejin clasped both of Yuzen's hands together to stop him from scratching at his wrist or slamming it against the table.
She looked at him with a confused expression, then turned to the doctor.
"Maybe we need more than just a physical check. Have you checked his mental condition?"
"W-well… no… he wasn't like this at all these past three days. This is the first time he went…"
Hyejin stared at the doctor with disbelief in her eyes.
"Okay. I don't think there's anyone available at this time of night, so I'll arrange it tomorrow. For now, I can only sedate him."
She turned back to Yuzen, and a red vial appeared in her hand. Hyejin uncorked it and poured the contents onto Yuzen's wrist, and the stinging sensation jolted him back to reality.
He looked down at his left wrist where the watch sat, the cool liquid now covering it. He could feel a cut under the watch, the one he had made while trying to get it off. He jerked his hands back from Hyejin's grasp.
What the f**k? Why did the knife go through the watch? What the hell is going on?
It felt like the reality of this world was being bent by something.
But before he even had time to worry about what they thought of him, a buzz came from his watch again.
[Time's up! Voting is now closed! Time to reveal the viewers' choice!]
Strangely, he heard another buzz at the same time, but this one came from the devices on Hyejin's and the doctor's wrists.
Hyejin looked down at her own device, her eyes wide.
"Haa.. I can't believe this. A Level 5 suddenly appeared in Yonsa."