Chapter 76 (1/2)
Episode 5: Citizens.h.i.+p / Chapter 76: Advancement Evaluation (10)
TL: emptycube
Editor: Obelisk
The second extinction occurred. What was especially shocking was that the meaning behind the extinction of 1/5 was not of the ‘surviving ones’ but 1/5 of the ‘initial population’. People who were already aware of game design style of the alliance reacted with an ‘Of course,’ however, those who were inwardly optimistic received a huge shock. If it was like this, probability-wise, it would become more and more difficult to survive.
The number of non-awakenees sharply dropped to 60% in two days. All this happened while they were still bewildered. From 80% to 60%, the difference they experienced was drastic.
Up until yesterday morning, many people still went to work.
Although they were able to see who lived and who died by the scattered desks of the absentees. Although there were many people who held onto their phones, calling their family and friends instead of working. Although the break rooms were filled with people, who broke out sobbing, as they watched the news of missing people and the government’s response. Although arguments broke out on whether Choi Hyuk’s countermeasures were right or wrong…
Up until yesterday, people still went to the places they would normally go.
Up until yesterday, there were still quite a few lucky people who hadn’t had any of their friends or family die.
However, after failing another advancement evaluation last night, by morning, the world had completely changed.
Some woke up this morning to see that their wife or husband had disappeared. Parents, who went out last night, looking for their children who had gone missing from their rooms, and came home with the sliver of hope that their child would be home when they returned, despaired once more. Although there were still people who went to work, they were met with an empty office. Amongst them, department heads and section chiefs attempted to call their subordinates. The majority of them didn’t answer. Occasionally, when someone answered, they were met with curses and swears when they asked whether they were coming to work or not.
The extinction felt too unreal. Although they didn’t feel it yesterday, they felt it today. What if they failed another advancement evaluation? Only 40% would survive. Not even half. And if they failed again? 20% would remain. While the remaining 20% may be thankful for the first successful advancement evaluation… The remaining 80% would forever be dead. Even if they didn’t die, their loved ones would most definitely die.
For the first time, people’s blood began to boil. Liquid didn’t change its state until it hit a boiling point. If 100 degrees was the boiling point, 10 degrees or 99, there wasn’t a big difference to the naked eye. However, if the temperature increased by 1, the true nature of what had been calm at 99 degrees would be revealed. It was the critical point. The change was dramatic. If it was 99 degrees yesterday, it was 100 degrees today. No, it was at 150 degrees. If it was a liquid state yesterday, it was gaseous today.
These people didn’t know what to do as their blood boiled. They wanted a method. What did they have to do in order to recover from this crisis? And one answer spread out like wildfire. Although it was unknown who spoke it first, through the web and through speech, it was transmitted to everyone.
{Let’s gather at the Berserk Sovereign’s colonized land!}
The Berserk Sovereign.
When they looked back, he was the only person who gave a responsible statement to this situation. When they looked back, he was the only person who had the will to resolve this probl
em.
In a single day, people’s opinion of Choi Hyuk had changed. What was thoughtless yesterday was a hope today.
By lunch time, the portal in Yeouido was crowded with waves of non-awakenees… It had come to the point where it was useless to count them all.
A hundred thousand? No, a million, no, 10 million. The numbers grew minute by minute. It seemed like all the non-awakenees in South Korea had gathered here. People suddenly showed up in Seoul. They gathered in Yeouido. Traffic was frozen. As Yeouido Park was too small, the waves of people were pushed as far back as the 63 Building and the National a.s.sembly building. People pushed and entered into the buildings lining the streets. They took their spots in offices which barely had any employees in them. They sat near the windows and looked outside. They sat on roofs and looked out.
Global reporters, who loyally did their job even in this situation, rode on helicopters, flew above Yeouido and live broadcasted this bizarre sight to the world. Foreigners who saw the broadcast were of the same mind. They too, like the Koreans, went out into the streets to find their country’s sovereign, or they gathered in front of a large screen and watched the broadcast relaying the situation in Korea.
It was the largest gathering since Dangun{1}. During the June Democracy Movement{2} or the 2002 World Cup, there were, at most, hundreds of thousands of people gathered at one location. There was never a time during any revolution when the number of people gathered in one location exceeded the millionth scale. Just looking at this sight was magnificent, frightening and exciting. It was something that awakened all the senses a human could feel.
There were times when someone would suddenly ask,
“But why are we gathered here?”
“To change the world!”
The shock from the fact that they gathered was already surpa.s.sing its cause.
People had gathered with the thought that they had to do something. What would they do once they were gathered?
There was only a single person who could answer this. It was the Berserk Sovereign, Choi Hyuk.
During this time, Choi Hyuk was in Naro’s s.p.a.ces.h.i.+p. He normally spent his time in Naro’s s.p.a.ces.h.i.+p these days. It was the same for the other Berserkers as well. They would either be in the s.p.a.ces.h.i.+p or in the colonized land.
“How unpleasant…”
Choi Hyuk wet his lips as he stared down at the endless crowd below his feet. The s.p.a.ces.h.i.+p was currently in stealth mode. From the outside, they would only see the blue sky. On the other hand, the inner walls of the s.p.a.ces.h.i.+p were transparent like gla.s.s, and he could clearly see the outside. It was normally a metallic wall, but depending on the situation, he could switch it as he pleased.
“… Really, I never imagined that it would turn out like this. As expected, you can’t predict the future in politics.”
Baek Seoin stood in front of him with his hand placed on his thumping chest.
Tens of millions of people were gathered to see Choi Hyuk.
Just the fact that they had gathered made Baek Seoin, Lee Jinhee, Ryu Hyunsung… and all of the Berserkers, including Choi Hyuk, become embroiled in an incomprehensible worry.
Gatherings had that sort of strength. Green migratory locusts were normally cute. However, when they started to gather, their bodies would rapidly produce serotonin and change their shape. They would grow and their color would change into a reddish-brown. They would devastate people’s fields as they traveled in swarms. A cute insect would turn into a fearful locust swarm. Gatherings weren’t simply a quant.i.tative change, but also brought a qualitative change in the individuals.
Humans, who were social animals, were the same. With the simple action of gathering together, they were becoming completely different from normal. They hadn’t done anything yet, but they were already immersed in this feeling of having accomplished everything. If Choi Hyuk showed up now, it would be like the second coming of Christ.
However, Naro warned,
“Please be careful. You cannot leave them alone to be intoxicated by this feeling.”
Choi Hyuk, who had been about to leave, halted and asked,
“Why?”
“From my deductions, the chance that the fourth advancement evaluation will not happen soon is high. They are going to test the humans. From when I’ve investigated, humans are outstanding at gathering, but at the same time, have the characteristic of being unable to maintain such a large gathering for a long time. In a short while, the crowd will disperse. Also, the more intoxicated they become from this feeling, the greater the dejectedness would be once they disperse.”
“… Ah…”
Choi Hyuk let out a sigh. There was a break period of a day between the first and second advancement evaluations. There was no break between the second and third advancement evaluation as they commenced the day after each other. Then, it was obvious he would expect the fourth evaluation to take place within the next two days. The reason why over 10 million people gathered in a cramped Yeouido within half a day was because they were nervous that there would be another evaluation soon.
However, what if the evaluation didn’t occur right away? No, since when was it guaranteed that it would occur right away?
Naro pushed its hands out and did a pressing down gesture as if telling him to calm down.
“The message master has to give now is to actually calm the crowd down.”
“… Calm the crowd down?”
“Yes. So that this pa.s.sion can continue to persevere like a charcoal fire.”
“…”