Chapter 42: Normalization (2)

An American newspaper office.

“Daniel.”

“Yes, Department Head. Pretty damn good article I put together, right?”

“Scrap it and rewrite the whole thing.”

At Department Head Harry’s firm command, Daniel reflexively blurted out,

“What?”

“What’s wrong with it? Isn’t it eye-catching enough?”

– Savior Person123 Reveals His True Colors? Nightmare-Difficulty Climbs Used as Leverage to Blackmail Every Nation on Earth...

Department Head Harry rubbed his forehead and sighed.

“Eye-catching is fine, but not like this. Not now. Listen carefully. Don’t even think about publishing a negative article about Person123. Not so much as a single sentence.”

“What? Wait, why—”

“Unless you want both your head and mine rolling off the chopping block, go rewrite it.”

Daniel’s eyes widened.

Department Head Harry glared at him, his temper flaring once again.

“I know you’re clueless about how the world works, but even you should know better than to write garbage like this. About a man who’s saved the world how many times now?”

“Since when did you start caring about journalistic conscience...?”

“One more smart remark and someone’s getting fired. Get out!”

After driving Daniel from the office, Department Head Harry released another long sigh.

This had been the state of affairs ever since Person123 made the shocking declaration that he would not challenge Floor 4.

Across the American press, from the largest media corporations to the smallest local outlets, not a single negative line about Person123 was appearing anywhere.

Anything that did manage to slip through was buried almost immediately.

Department Head Harry did not know the full story either.

All he had gathered from something the editor-in-chief let slip was that the most powerful figures in American politics, regardless of party affiliation, had reached a rare consensus and were pouring every resource they had into controlling public opinion.

It was strange enough to make him wonder whether anything like it had ever happened before.

Still, after nearly twenty years in the media industry, he had developed a nose for these things.

It did not take much thought to understand why.

Person123 had declared that he would not challenge Floor 4 unless the governments and the Association reached an agreement.

The mere fact that Person123, who had spent all this time silently focusing on his Nightmare climbs, had finally spoken out on a political issue was unprecedented.

Looked at another way, it meant that he was deeply displeased with the entire situation.

And what if someone tried to stir up negative public opinion against him now?

What if that caused Person123 to genuinely abandon the Nightmare climbs?

The consequences would be impossible to contain and impossible to reverse.

Starting a propaganda war against the man who held the lifeline of eight billion people was absurd from the outset.

An agreement?

Of course they would reach one.

The very fact that they were taking such extreme care to prevent even the slightest careless remark from appearing in the media proved that they had already come to that conclusion.

The entire conflict had to be resolved delicately, without provoking Person123.

They could not afford to let public sentiment turn against him.

The Climber Association was likely thinking along the same lines.

Both sides had been digging in their heels for so long that they would probably dress the compromise up nicely and end the conflict while allowing everyone involved to save face.

From the government’s perspective, perhaps this was even something of a relief.

At the very least, Person123, despite being a Climber himself, had not openly sided with the Association.

“...Terrifying, really.”

Department Head Harry muttered as he sank deeper into his chair.

Person123 had merely cleared his throat, and every powerful figure at the top had begun scrambling while holding their breath.

Once again, Harry was reminded exactly who was single-handedly holding up the world.

***

After Person123 posted his declaration on the Communication Channel, the Channel itself erupted into chaos.

[Tyrannosaurus: Wait, hold on. Is this actually happening?]

[Hanata: What are you saying, Person123... Why are you doing this? This is scary.]

[Jobless: Person123 is seriously pissed af. Yikes.]

[Windmill: No joke, this is serious. Has Person123 ever spoken this aggressively before?]

[Counting Numbers: Aggressive or not, he’s barely ever said anything at all. This is completely unprecedented.]

Over the past several years, excluding the informational posts he occasionally uploaded, the number of times Person123 had written anything at all could be counted on one hand.

And this was the first time he had ever involved himself in a political matter.

[Goldfish: Honestly, both sides need to give it a rest. How long are they planning to keep fighting?]

[Trace of Radiance: But shouldn’t Person123 be siding with the Climbers...? Is staying neutral really the right choice?]

[Li Yan: Kind of disappointing. He’s an Unregistered Climber himself, and this is how he handles it?]

A handful of Climbers on the Channel voiced complaints about Person123, but—

[Galaxy: These bastards are really out here talking shit about Person123 now? Have they lost their minds?]

[Ruby: Did you all forget whose ass you have to thank for still being alive?]

[Conviction: Person123 stepped in at exactly the right time. The Channel’s been a complete dumpster fire lately anyway.]

Their voices were immediately drowned out by an overwhelming wave of support.

Who had the right to condemn a man who had already saved humanity three separate times?

The Association had been manipulating opinion on the Communication Channel from the very beginning, so it was especially quick to encourage favorable sentiment toward Person123.

The Association could not afford to let the mood turn against him either.

“Did you hear? Person123 finally put his foot down. Told the government and the Association to hurry up and settle this.”

“They’ve been at each other’s throats for so long that Person123 had to intervene himself.”

“...But surely, even if they can’t reach an agreement, he wouldn’t actually refuse to challenge Floor 4, would he?”

Those who had supported the government, as well as those who had previously paid little attention to the dispute, now focused entirely on how the situation would unfold.

Even among them, those criticizing or cursing Person123 represented only a tiny minority.

Person123 had repeatedly challenged Nightmare difficulty without asking for anything in return, saving humanity in real time.

Political issue or not, he was not someone people could casually tell to mind his own business.

Everything he had done and achieved made such a response unthinkable.

It was not as though he had blindly taken the Climbers’ side simply because he was one of them.

He had stepped forward in the public interest, attempting to put an end to the conflict between the governments and the Association.

Even if the threat attached to his request was slightly terrifying.

Anxiety gnawed at people as well.

What if he truly refused to challenge Floor 4?

That left only one direction for public anger to turn.

“Hurry up and reach an agreement! How long are you going to drag this out?”

“People are going to die because of you!”

As criticism of both the governments and the Association swelled rapidly, news articles began appearing almost as though they had been prepared in advance.

– U.S. Government Begins Active Negotiations with Association...

At a discreet meeting in Washington, the President of the Climber Association sat across from the White House Chief of Staff.

They were concluding a lengthy conversation held in preparation for the official negotiations.

“...Then it’s settled. We accept Mandatory Registration, and nothing beyond that.”

“Just keep your side quiet. You’re the ones who whipped the Climbers into a frenzy.”

“Oh, please. The same could be said of you, couldn’t it?”

Regardless of the actual substance of the negotiations, both sides had gained something from the conflict.

The government had been able to confirm Person123’s position.

The fact that he, despite being a Climber himself, had declared neutrality rather than supporting the Association was at least a small blessing for the government.

Had he openly sided with the Climbers...

The very thought was horrifying.

For the Association, this outcome was also a reasonably satisfying way to bring the matter to a close.

Person123 may have proclaimed neutrality, but he was still a Climber.

His threat to stop climbing the Tower had quietly engraved one fact into the minds of the public and every government in the world.

Between Climbers and governments, the Climbers were the ones holding the sword by the hilt.

From now on, no government would dare provoke them casually.

Each man harboring his own thoughts, the two exchanged a polite handshake and parted ways.

***

After I made the post, the Communication Channel and the media erupted exactly as expected.

Honestly, it did not sit well with me.

At the end of the day, what I had done amounted to blackmailing people while holding their lives hostage.

Of course, I had no intention of actually refusing to climb the Tower.

But the fear my words would cause was real.

What I really meant was simple.

Stop this damn fighting and resolve the issue already.

Still, I could not help worrying.

What if I had gone this far and it still changed nothing?

Fortunately, the medicine appeared to be working.

[Chicken Sandwich: I’m hearing that negotiations between the two sides are already taking place behind the scenes. This information came from inside the White House, so it may be worth waiting a little longer.]

Bilon told me that reaching an agreement would not take much time.

According to what he had heard, the Association would accept Mandatory Registration and nothing more.

That would be the end of it.

“Good.”

What surprised me was how difficult it was to find even a single negative news report or article about me.

I had expected to take at least some criticism.

Strange.

There was something else that was even stranger.

Actually, “baffling” might have been the better word.

The day before, while I was out for a walk, I saw a small group of people holding picket signs and staging a protest in the street.

“The Climber Association and the governments must awaken and reach an agreement at once, in accordance with His will!”

“This is the revelation of our Savior, Person123! Reach an agreement!”

...Of all things, the demonstration was being held by members of the Person123 Church.

I had heard enough about them from the news to understand the general situation.

Lately, cult-like religions worshipping me had apparently begun appearing all over the world.

Was “cult” even the right word?

What else was I supposed to call them?

In any case, religions like that had been spreading everywhere.

The Person123 Church was supposedly the largest among them, expanding faster than any other religious group of its kind.

“Noona?”

The truly baffling part was that I recognized one of the protesters.

“Huh? Seo-hyeon?”

“...What are you doing here?”

It was Jiu noona, a senior I had been fairly close to during my university days.

Running into her again in a situation I could never have imagined left me speechless.

I had always thought she was the last person who would ever become involved in something like this.

What on earth had happened to her?

“Oh, no, this isn’t anything weird! You know about the Person123 Church too, right?”

When we stepped aside to talk, noona eagerly began explaining the religion to me.

“So basically, Person123 is humanity’s savior, and we faithfully believe in Him and follow His will.”

“I mean... isn’t that basically a cult?”

“Hey! Watch your mouth! He’s actually out there saving the world!”

“Ah. Yes. Right.”

“You, me, every single person alive today is able to live safely because of His devotion. Isn’t that true? How can it be a cult when the person we believe in actually exists?”

Then she tried to recruit me.

“It’s really nothing strange, and everyone who joins is honestly a good person. Don’t think of it as some overly religious thing. Just think of it as a group of people who believe in Him and support Him.”

“Ah, no. I’m fine, thanks.”

“Aww. Well, if you ever change your mind, feel free to contact me!”

It was already strange enough that a religion worshipping me existed.

Now someone I personally knew was calling herself one of its faithful.

How was I even supposed to describe that feeling?

Anyway, that happened too.

– The U.S. Government and the Climber Association have reached a dramatic agreement. Through sincere dialogue, both sides have reportedly succeeded in narrowing their differences...

Just as Bilon predicted, the conflict between the governments and the Association finally appeared to be coming to an end.

Beginning with the United States, governments around the world that had been locked in conflict with the Association ended their standoffs one after another.

And so, thankfully, everything seemed to be reaching a clean conclusion.

Of course, nothing could be done about the fundamental problem.

At minimum, tens of thousands of people would die every year.

With every floor of Nightmare difficulty I cleared, the Climbers who refused to enter the Tower would continue to die.

Or else they would transform into monsters.

That was the reality.

And it would not change.