......But in the end, conflict really was a hassle.
I was already strong enough that I didn’t even feel the need to get any stronger than this.
And I didn’t really want to fight with anyone.
‘They’re people who suffered for years, just like .’
I’d heard there were quite a few deaths even in [Easy Difficulty]. Was the life of people who survived after forcing their way through that path supposed to be easy?
If everyone was an Earthling, I wanted to be good friends.
“I’m disappointed.”
“...?”
For once, Ran—who normally didn’t pass judgnt on my opinions—spoke up in opposition.
“It is not as though I exist to satisfy you.”
“I’m easily satisfied and I’m still disappointed. The player who represents an entire server is stopping their contest with other servers. That is like... proposing with a fake diamond, giving birth to a seventh son, getting a shortcut and looking like your older brother, the first night inside your pants—egege...”
For so reason, once he ca out to offline, Ran’s expressiveness got a little richer. He kept grumbling busily with a bird’s beak, but what was I supposed to do?
When I was weak, I was curious whether I would win or the Hornless Demon Tribe would win. Now that I knew I was strong, I didn’t particularly want to prove it.
“Ran. Showing off is a deficiency. You only want to prove strength because you’re weak.”
“Then does love for one’s mother imply the mother’s absence?”
“What? No.... ...Wha....”
How does that even follow.
“Enough. I’ve made up my mind. I didn’t plan to stay in End Ocean long in the first place. So—Isn’t there so way to avoid creating pointless conflict?”
“Then turn on [Pacifist Mode].”
“Pacifist Mode?”
Co to think of it, there was a button like that. A button called [Pacifist Mode].
“It is a remnant of an old End Ocean patch, but in the past, those who disliked combat could avoid battles by restricting and hiding their information. Attacking becos impossible as well, but wouldn’t that be fine?”
He said things like, you won’t appear on the [Mini-map], and combat power asurent becos impossible. It sounded pretty plausible.
‘Right. If combat power can be asured, rumors will spread in an instant even if you don’t log into the community.’
I originally graduated from a science high school, so there weren’t any class bullies like that.
But from the webtoons I’d read, stories like “the new transfer kid in the class next door used to be the top dog at another school...” spread really well.
“Good idea. Pacifist Mode.”
To use an easy analogy.
The goal is to et Class 1’s bully.
You go to Class 1 without them even knowing you transferred in, grab the bully, and only then briefly reveal your strength.
Haa.
, Kim Dante Hiacapo—I’ve llowed out a lot....
That was the thought that crossed my mind.
How many people had I beaten up while living as a professor in the Assassination Departnt?
I beat up cadets.
I beat up Hornless Demon Tribe mbers.
If they got mouthy, I beat up the Discipline Departnt too.
I killed constellations. Killed sea monsters. Beat up guards. Beat up professors. I even attacked Eve just because she clung to and I didn’t really know her—, the total thug Kim Dante Hiacapo.......
But now I’d settled my past as an assassin and beco a pacifist.
‘Yeah. They’re all guys who possessed the ga and lived through hell to reach the ending.’
With that resolve, I pressed the button.
Click.
[ Pacifist Mode - on ]
[ From now on, while Pacifist Mode is on, you and your island will not be exposed on the mini-map, your combat power will not be revealed, and likewise you will be unable to attack others. ]
“An island is approaching.”
“There are people too.”
It was early evening.
As an island approached from far away—after eting real people for the first ❀ Nоvеlігht ❀ (Don’t copy, read here) ti in years—I lifted my hand, happy inside.
A light blinked over there too.
‘Whoa. It’s an actual person.’
An Earthling.
Comrades who were dragged here and suffered like .
And the island was a decent size too.
Thinking of so “pale blue dot alumni association” or whatever, I waved my hand a little brighter as well.
“Sir! What are you doing here! You’re not even on the mini-map!”
As the ship ca close, a kind-looking middle-aged man smiled brightly and asked.
Unbelievable. He called “sir.” Sir.
“I turned on Pacifist Mode.”
For once, I dropped the Dante act and spoke normally.
“Ohhh. I see. People here don’t really turn on Pacifist Mode. So I was surprised. Is this your first ti in End Ocean?”
“Yes. It’s my first ti in End Ocean. I don’t know anyone yet either.”
“Ah—are you Korean?”
Even though all languages had been unified into Hiaca’s common language,
from subtle points in his expression and gestures, I realized he was Korean too.
“Ah, you are Korean. That’s huge. Usually the ones who clear late are foreigners. What difficulty did you clear?”
“I cleared Normal. You?”
“Aigo, you must’ve suffered a lot. I’m Easy. Even that was hard.... But hyungnim, your character’s lucky. You possessed a really handso kid.”
“How many people are on your island?”
“About twenty-ish. They’re all good people. Ah, this won’t do—since eting like this is fate, do you want to co over to our island for now? We’ve got a friend who can make kimchi stew!”
“Really? Thank you.”
So I went over to their island. I shook hands with a few people, smiling. I was guided into a room like a reception room.
“I’m Robin, but my real na is Kim Yoonchan. I’m 28. You’re older than , hyungnim. What’s your na?”
“Ah, I’m... what was it again......”
Then I ate kimchi stew and had a drink too. It really felt like I’d co back to Korea and t online ga friends for the first ti in forever.
“Have another drink, hyungnim.”
“Thanks.”
Was it because I’d always lived on edge? Or because I’d been acting even normally?
The fact that I could finally loosen up completely was really comfortable.
......But what I realized soon after was—
Vegans can only exist when there’s plenty to eat.
Human rights can only be cried out for once life is livable.
And pacifism is only possible when people are kind.
I was sitting in the reception room.
Puhwak-!
Sothing burst through my chest.
While my vision was blurry because my drunkenness hadn’t faded yet,
a low voice reached my ears.
“What the hell. He really was a total beggar.”
That familiar, friendly voice. Robin. Kim Yoonchan.
When I slowly turned around, the smiling faces from the drinking table were gone. All of them—him and his buddies—were the sa.
All that remained was the disappointed look in their eyes as they stared at the thing that had fallen out of : a plain wooden stick.
“......You.”
With my insides pierced through so I could barely speak, Kim Yoonchan let out a sigh.
“Who the hell are you to turn on Pacifist Mode when you don’t even have anything? I thought you were hiding sowhere and mining so good vein or sothing. You got my hopes up.”
“Hey. You little X, Kim Yoonchan. Didn’t you say he looked like he’d have so money? This doesn’t even cover the booze.”
“No, is this Xcking my fault? Look at his face. I thought he had money rotting away and did customizations or sothing!”
“Enough. Ah, Xck. So there are still guys like this these days. How much of a dumbass do you have to be to take fifteen years to clear Normal....”
Thanks to [Pacifist Mode], I couldn’t feel pain, but my body began dying quickly. Because [Pacifist] itself was a state where combat power was completely sealed.
“Catch that bird too.”
The bluebird, Ran, started flapping and trying to fly away, and I stared at the blood surging up from my heart before I slamd my head down.
[ You have died. ]
[ Your island has been taken. (Seizer: Robin) Your island will be rged into Lord Balthazar’s faction. ]
[ You have been expelled from End Ocean. ]
[ Access will be restricted for 24 hours. ]
[ Ran, as your helper, will also be reverse-summoned with you. ]
When I opened my eyes, it was the sea.
Splashing, I climbed onto offline land. In the anti, I picked up Ran, who was flailing in the water, and set him on my head.
“You okay, Ran?”
“Yes.”
When we got onto land, Dino was napping next to the campfire.
I sat down beside him.
Ran and I stayed silent for a mont.
Since I had nothing, there wasn’t much of a hit. I didn’t lose anything. There wasn’t really any death penalty either. I didn’t feel hollow, and I didn’t even feel betrayed.
‘...Right. The level of guys who saw the ending of this psycho ga is all like this.’
What did I expect.
On the other hand, even if my mood was fine, my thinking had changed.
The thod I’d thought was a hassle seed like it would be the fastest thod.
“I do not understand. Why do they suddenly attack?”
“It’s fine.”
“Is it fine?”
“Humans are just like that.”
“Humans attack others recklessly for no reason?”
“Yeah.”
And I was human too.
***
The next day, I connected to End Ocean again.
[ Pacifist Mode - off ]
After that, I took out the smartphone in my pocket and connected to the [Community] too.
Then an event ssage popped up.
< The [Hell Difficulty] clearer [Dante Hiacapo] has entered End Ocean. >
At the sa ti, it felt like the community board was starting to explode, but I didn’t feel like checking it right away.
They’d be going “wow finally that guy ca” and whatever.
『Light Step⁺₊⋆』
I didn’t even need to move my island and travel. When I perford a basic footwork technique, light began to wrap from my feet around my entire body. I rose into the sky and shot upward in a straight line.
Kwa-kwa-kwa-kwa-kwa-kwa ——
As I crossed the sea, a sonic boom erupted. The water’s surface shattered in a circular pattern, opening a path for . Since End Ocean’s starting point is always a place called the [Sea of Beginnings], before long I found many islands.
After skipping past several islands big and small, Ran spoke.
“It seems to be over there.”
It did.
When moving by light, I’m barely affected by inertia, so even midair I could turn at a right angle and descend onto the island.
There was no explosion. It was just a bright flash of light and then I landed in front of my feet.
“...What the hell? What is this?”
Right after a startled voice rang out, the first person to appear in the forest was Robin (Kim Yoonchan). Because I had co straight to him.
I walked up to him.
Maybe he recognized —his eyes widened. “You’re...” Then he started backing away. He realized sothing was wrong.
I stepped in and grabbed his cheek.
“Aaagh!!”
If it’s not [Pacifist Mode], pain applies according to the values the 『Ga System』 imposes. If you twist soone’s cheek, they feel pain proportional to how hard you pinch.
Robin’s body curled up, and he tried to pull away, but he couldn’t.
When I tore at his cheek, he collapsed and slamd his head to the ground. Even a hard pinch hurts a lot.
“Did you co to your senses.”
“Hwuk, ghk.... you crazy, crazy bastard... what are you....”
“Not yet?”
I pinched the other cheek.
“Aaaagh!”
It was grip strength that could leave marks in steel if I wanted. Even pinching lightly, he writhed in pain, twisting his body.
The screams didn’t echo far. Because the mana within my territory was blocking nearby sound waves.
“Did you co to your senses.”
“You, you were definitely yesterday...”
“You? What do you an ‘you’ to your hyung. You. Still not in your senses, huh.”
When I raised my hand again, he flinched and ducked.
His situation was different from mine. Since he’d lived here long, he had things he’d gained.
Which ant he had things to lose.
“...Hyungnim. I’m sorry, but... could you please spare ....”
I stepped on his head and pressed down. Like a hydraulic press. His skull flattened against the ground.
“Not happening. You had no manners.”
“Ah.... th, this—”
“Still, depending on how you behave, my mind might change.”
“...I’ll do well. I’m really sorry about yesterday, hyungnim.”
“Watching you sit there like that—it was really disappointing. Soone showed you kindness. Trusted you. And you stab them in the back? Even between Koreans.”
“...I’m sorry.”
“You said you’ve been in End Ocean for eight years. Yesterday, at the drinking table.”
“...Yes.”
“Then why did you set up shop here in the Sea of Beginnings?”
“...B-because I didn’t want to get involved in the Lord/Anti-King conflict.”
“Then you could’ve gone to another sea. But why did you specifically settle in the newbie respawn sea? Why.”
“...To hunt newbies.”
“Newbies don’t have money. Like .”
“...Th-there are sotis random spawns like rare mines even here.... Sotis newbies would loot those. In the past.”
“So you wanted to loot that?”
“...Yes.”
“You’re a total X-bastard.”
I stomped his arm and broke it.
“Aaaaaaagh!!!”
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