Chapter 832: Knot (19)
“A video was leaked on the deep web?”
I’d thought the events in Yorta would be difficult to leak externally, but did someone actually film the incident that occurred in that short span of time and record it as a video?
Lennok, who had instinctively reached out towards the screen, bowed his head deeply, feeling as though his breath had caught.
“Are you okay?”
Hylaea looked back at Lennok, who was bending at the waist with a light cough, with a strange expression.
Hylaea held out the mug she was holding to Lennok and said,
“If you’re having trouble breathing, drink some of this. It’s Dragon Lotus Tea, good for mental stability.”
“…I don’t need it.”
“It’s expensive, though… The Doctor even came by last time and helped himself to some.”
“The Doctor?”
“…No, it’s nothing.”
Hylaea mumbled ambiguously, but Lennok understood the situation as soon as he heard her words.
During the third thesis presentation, The Doctor’s human form had visited Vulcan.
Perhaps he had visited Hylaea then and spent some time.
Leaving Hylaea, who shrugged and stepped back, Lennok recalled the conversation he had just had with The Doctor.
The fact that Myeong now stood at a critical juncture and a decision was imminent.
The explanation that the destruction he wrought across the continent was being defined as ‘Provisional Ascent,’ allowing Myeong a destiny beyond what was given to him.
It was undoubtedly an outcome stemming from the inherent bloodline Myeong was born with.
‘I should pay a visit to those gravediggers…’
During a Pandemonium meeting, he had heard that Baegon, who claimed to be Myeong’s disciple, originally hailed from there.
The name of a group related to Myeong’s bloodline, yet worshipping him like a god.
They might know what Myeong desires, and where he can be found.
But Lennok focused first on checking the screen Hylaea had brought up.
Because he needed to confirm what the leaked video on the deep web was.
If there was any information that could expose Lennok’s activities, he would need to take action through Davi.
“This post here. It’s got so many views and comments, it really stands out. It’s already at the top of the board.”
“…”
A post with hundreds of comments already, even though it was on a board where only diamond-grade members within the deep web could comment.
[Title: Why News Regarding Yorta Has Not Yet Been Released to the Public]
Below the eye-catching title lay a large video file, taking a long time to load.
The video began playing instantly as soon as the play button was pressed.
Splash, splash!!
The camera screen, swaying while submerged in water, flipped violently and surfaced.
The moment the camera, barely perched on the debris scattered around, laboriously lifted its view upwards.
Thousands of silver-glowing Magic Scribes were falling like stars from the dark sky.
Fwaaaaash!!!!
They coiled around the endlessly towering Memorial Tower, drawing countless lines.
Entangling like a net, surging upwards and then plunging down, two distinct figures crisscrossed amidst the descending Magic Scribes.
[Can you see it?]
[It’s not just one person.]
Whispers were heard among those near the camera, wondering if there was more than one person.
Beyond the screen, two figures clashed, scattering immense repercussions around them.
A collision that, by time, was close to an instant.
But that alone caused the tower to sway precariously as if on the verge of collapse, churning both the screen and the water surface indiscriminately.
Fwaaat!!
The moment a figure, wrapped in Magic Scribes, slid dozens of meters across the ground at an angle and formed a hand seal.
Static, static!!
Simultaneously with the screen flickering with static, the video abruptly changed, skipping far ahead in time to another clip.
Ash-gray lightning struck from beyond the dark, cloud-laden sky.
And the image of the Memorial Tower collapsing under the stomp of an immeasurable, colossal light.
[The Memorial Tower, it’s collapsing…]
Crackle!!
The video ended with someone’s mesmerized murmur.
“How is it?”
Hylaea, who had been sitting opposite Lennok, looking at the screen with him, turned her head.
“It seems like a lot more happened than what you described. Don’t you think?”
“…”
But instead of answering Hylaea, Lennok was tapping his mask with a troubled expression.
He hadn’t expected the Yorta events to be completely buried, but he certainly hadn’t anticipated that the exact moment of his clash with Croken, when the tower collapsed, would be filmed.
‘I don’t know if this is bad luck or good luck.’
The video was filmed from such a distance that neither Lennok nor even Croken’s form could be clearly seen.
Not only was he wearing a mask, but being filmed from such a distance meant there was no need to worry about Lennok’s identity being exposed.
The static and abrupt stop of the video, meanwhile, was likely due to the backlash from Lennok’s use of the Ouroboros magic system.
While it was true that a sensitive matter had been leaked, the video itself was not problematic enough to cause issues even if shown.
Normally, he would have instantly perceived such filming, but at the time, Lennok had been pushed to the brink of death and hadn’t noticed.
Hylaea watched Lennok’s reaction and asked with curiosity,
“Judging by your reaction, it seems you had no idea such a video existed. Do you have any idea who might have filmed it?”
“Roughly.”
Lennok replied, pressing his throbbing temple.
“The video started from below the surface. It was probably filmed by prisoners who escaped from underneath the Headrain River.”
The video began underwater, and more than one voice was heard near the camera.
Given that Yorta’s leadership had promised to keep Lennok’s presence a secret, if the video were to leak now, the possibilities were limited.
Those who were not internal Yorta personnel, yet were close enough to the tower to directly witness and film the events in the city.
Nine times out of ten, it had to be the work of prisoners who had escaped their underground confinement when the tower was destroyed by Croken’s incursion.
Only they would have been blind to the immediate money, leaking this video to the deep web without caring about the consequences.
“Prisoners trapped beneath the Headrain River…”
Hylaea mumbled with a sour expression.
“Then tracking down and erasing the video leaker would be a distant task.”
“That’s pointless. What’s the meaning of deleting the original now?”
Lennok said that, then pulled an ampoule from his pocket and injected it into his side.
Injecting a fresh dose of painkiller to replace the worn-off one, Lennok regained his composure and spoke.
“Enough of that. Scroll down the post a bit further.”
Lennok said that, shaking his head with difficulty.
“I need to see what those who watched the video are babbling about first.”
True to his words, below the video, enthusiastic support from other members was already continuing.
└File extension is mkk? That’s only used for memory extracts. This smells very dangerous.
└Even L-grade cyber-drugs aren’t like this. It seems a distinguished guest has graced this humble place.
└Can’t miss this. Scrap it and go watch.
Behind the initial comments, which seemed to be pre-authenticated like a pilgrimage, the impressions of those who had watched the video continued.
└Hey, this is related to those guys, right?
└Definitely. It’s the Manipulation Wizard who just joined Pandemonium.
└I shouldn’t have watched this. Does anyone know how to erase viewing history on this account?
└Anyone who hasn’t seen it, click fast. If a video is this interesting, that lunatic will come around soon.
The situation was split between those who watched the video and fled, and those who ignored the danger and engaged in serious discussion.
However, the comments discussing the video exchanged much more sensitive and delicate information.
└Pandemonium attacked Yorta and brought down the Memorial Tower? The world’s gone mad.
└Deadrise released related information. Those who heard the news would have moved already. I think the embargo was lifted rather late.
└Yorta’s official statement doesn’t mention Pandemonium. They caused the incident and handled the cleanup completely.
└A crude video being the only evidence… That means Pandemonium handled the aftermath cleanly.
It seemed a considerable number of people already understood what was happening.
Proof that among the so-called ‘experts’ active on the deep web, many respond quickly to news from the central region.
However, a significant portion of the comments focused more on the visual shock presented on screen.
└Enough, let’s just replay this part. See the Manipulation Spellcraft recorded from 7 to 13 seconds into the video?
└If you have something to say, write it quickly. Before that lunatic comes back and deletes everything.
Thousands of silver threads, like rain, coiling around and descending from the Memorial Tower.
Most people who watched the video seemed more deeply impressed by the existence of Magic Scribes themselves, rather than the tower collapsing.
Even if it couldn’t be confirmed who or how the tower was brought down, the Magic Scribes were captured clearly on camera.
└This is the first time I’ve seen a Manipulation Wizard handle Magic Scribes like this. This isn’t a talent that can be defined by mere skill or trickery.
└I showed it to a Manipulation Wizard I know, and they asked if it was manipulated. No, not that kind of manipulation.
└A video that makes a Manipulation Wizard suspect manipulation. This is truly precious.
There were not only frivolous comments but also serious discussions about the movement and output of the Magic Scribes.
└It’s not wrong. Manipulating so many Magic Scribes simultaneously isn’t something a human body can accomplish.
└What nonsense. So you’re saying that guy isn’t human at all?
└Perhaps their mind isn’t human. What’s certain is that with human time perception, it’s absolutely impossible to handle that many Magic Scribes.
└Are you a Manipulation Wizard? How do you know that?
“Hmm…”
“Victor, what’s wrong?”
“No, it’s just… time perception…”
Lennok, who had been reading the comments, let out a small laugh.
“It seems there’s someone in Vulcan who’s quite deeply learned in Manipulation Spellcraft.”
If they knew what Lennok only realized after interacting with Agneta, it meant there was at least one Manipulation Wizard capable of understanding Lennok’s skill in the theoretical domain.
Indeed, it was clear that many extraordinary individuals, unknown even to Lennok, were still hidden within this mega-city.
Even as Lennok thought this, new comments were being added to the post in real-time.
People who had just started watching the video, and people who had already replayed it several times, noting specific timestamps and analyzing unusual signs.
“Something I’ve always wondered about when I check the deep web is how abnormally fast the comment reactions and view counts update.”
Hylaea asked, as if intrigued.
“Considering the nature of the deep web, it wouldn’t be viral marketing or view manipulation, but I don’t know why it’s like this.”
“Because those who leave comments here also know that posts like this won’t last long.”
Lennok replied.
“So they want to quickly see the reactions or opinions of those gathered here before this post disappears.”
“…Ah, so they’re trying to gather information proactively before the board gets nuked?”
“Can’t you tell by looking at this?”
Lennok laughed, looking at the comments appearing on the post in real-time.
└Look at the movements coiling around the tower around the 10.7-second mark. The tips of the Magic Scribes are individually split and attached to the tower’s wall, acting as supports.
└They’re directly manipulating thousands of Magic Scribes, imbuing them with will-thought. It’s an unrealistic technique.
└There’s almost no erratic manipulation of magic. The spellcraft operation is so stable, it’s hard to believe it’s a specialized spellcaster.
└How can such a sensitive Manipulation Spellcraft be used in combat like this?
└There were rumors that Pandemonium only deploys them for especially important tasks. At this level, it doesn’t seem like a mere rumor.
Analyzing the coiling movements of the Magic Scribes in the video frame by frame, and debating in real-time whether such a thing was possible.
Hylaea, scrolling through the comments, asked,
“Are you going to be okay?”
“What do you mean?”
“Inquiries about you have started coming in through Pandemonium’s internal network. They’re asking if they can borrow your abilities.”
Hylaea glanced at the deep web and said,
“A capable Manipulation Wizard is a valuable asset anywhere. Even knowing your personality, they’d want to work with you–”
Hylaea suddenly covered her mouth with one hand and cleared her throat.
“Ahem, excuse me. I meant that the level of interest would rise that much.”
“…”
“Powerful and outstanding specialized spellcasters aren’t objects of affection. Far more people will be wary and try to keep them in check.”
Hylaea, touching the magic-embedded screen spread before Lennok’s eyes, said,
“You should be careful. I can help with internal organizational communication, but if word spreads outside like this…”
“I’ll handle that myself. Don’t worry about it.”
“…”
Hylaea shook her head in disbelief at Lennok’s words, but Lennok also had a card up his sleeve.
He had known from the beginning that concealing Victor’s movements in this incident would be impossible.
Even if some of Victor’s abilities or talents were to leak through the video now, it was a situation he had somewhat anticipated.
Above all, he had a cunning partner who resided on the deep web all day, constantly looking for opportunities.
When it came to erasing traces or inferences, Davi could handle it more reliably than anyone.
Thinking that, Lennok stroked Davi’s head inside his robe.
“Leave no traces. Got it?”
[Don’t worry, Master.]
Davi grinned and replied to Lennok’s quiet whisper.
[I’ve been diligently creating accounts for stirring up trouble—ahem, multiple accounts—and staying active for times like these!]
“…What?”
The moment Lennok, for an instant, didn’t understand her words and countered.
Fzzzt!!
The comments below the post began to distort with grotesque static.
The comments, transformed into unreadable static, simultaneously changed into a specific form right there.
[La la la~ La la la~]
The image of a baby fox frolicking over the post with a joyful hum.
Hundreds of comments crumbled and twisted, then transformed right there into the shape of a fox covering the comment section—a bizarre situation.
“…”
As Lennok watched the screen, speechless, new comments began to appear frantically below the comment section.
└F*ck, that guy’s here.
└This lunatic still hasn’t logged off?
└Oh, please, don’t delete it, I haven’t finished reading all the comments.
Even comments appearing in real-time were instantly deleted and transformed into frolicking foxes.
[La la la~ La la la~]
Boing. Boing. Boing.
Before long, the comment section was filled with thousands of lively, frolicking foxes, with no text whatsoever.
The video linked in the post was already blocked, and even the play button had turned into a fox’s head, cheerfully singing towards them.
Simultaneously, new posts were being registered on the board without pause, relentlessly pushing this post downwards.
The ceaselessly uploaded posts were all interest-driven, each containing different topics and videos.
And in the usernames of the members uploading such posts, two words were conspicuously emblazoned.
[Fox_lover]
“…”
Amidst the posts that instantly filled the entire board, even the grumbling posts from other members disappeared.
└Someone please ban that bastard.
└Are you an idiot? Where’s the ban function on the deep web?
└He’s a guy who hacks the deep web for fun whenever he’s bored. Who’s going to stop him? Give up.
The deep web’s atmosphere was one of half-resignation, even as people cursed and grumbled.
Judging by the reactions, it seemed this wasn’t the first or second time such an incident had occurred.
As Lennok silently stared at the screen, unable to hide his bewilderment, Hylaea suddenly spoke as if something occurred to her.
“Ah, I’ve seen that account before. They’re a famous heavy uploader on the deep web.”
“…Heavy uploader?”
“They’re famous as a hacker who uploads unknown data or secrets they’ve scraped, freely changing site rules like upload limits or data capacity.”
Hylaea shook her head back and forth at Lennok’s retort and replied.
“Their hacking skills are undoubtedly incredible, but no one knows where they belong. They’re so notoriously mischievous that I found out about them on my first day accessing the deep web. Among their most peculiar characteristics is…”
Hylaea looked at the comments and posts being deleted in real-time and laughed awkwardly.
“That they’re a lunatic who deletes all other posts and comments just so their own uploaded posts get attention.”
“…”
Only then did Lennok, realizing who the ‘lunatic’ mentioned throughout the comments referred to, quietly shut his mouth.
[Hehehe… now Master knows how diligently I’ve been manipulating the emotions of organic beings on the deep web, right?]
Davi’s voice, chattering proudly as if she had accomplished something great, faintly echoed in his mind.