Chapter 244: Reverse City 2
If the front gate reveals the dignity of the homeowner.
Then what of 'Reverse City', which welcomes you with such a perfect and beautiful cityscape?
Rooty-Meow and her viewers received confirmation that it would at least not disappoint them, if nothing else. Just from the scenery they saw upon logging in.
['Reverse City' is officially supported by Planet Earth]
"...Planet Earth?!"
-No way ㅁㅊ what does this even mean
-This was officially supported content?
-First time hearing this;;
-Right from the start, Nuclear Tourism class destroying it ㄷㄷ
The broadcast was turned upside down once again by the message that appeared after the 'Reverse City' logo.
It wasn't Planet Earth Korea, but Planet Earth itself providing official support. Which meant there was a connection with the American headquarters, the actual development company.
Without a doubt, the hypothesis linking Baek Woohyun's story and 'Reverse Planet' updates, which had been quietly dying down, would blaze up fiercely once again.
Was this what it felt like to take a powerful punch from an unexpected direction?
"Let's start quickly!"
Rooty-Meow, whose eyes now shone even brighter with anticipation, swiftly completed the character creation process. It could be said there was almost no delayed time in the process.
It finished quickly because she'd simply copied and pasted the avatar information and supernatural ability build she'd been using in 'Reverse Planet.'
"Wow."
-Now that I'm inside, it's even more amazing
-There's also ㅈㄴ tons of NPCs ㄷㄷ
-How the hell did they handle the server processing ㅅㅂ
-If Planet Earth is officially supporting it, what can't they do? lol
'Reverse City', viewed while actually inside with her feet on the ground, felt impressive in a different sense than when looking down from afar.
It felt even more so because the city creator Isaac was apparently a foreigner, making parts of it seem somewhat exotic to Koreans.
Thus, Rooty-Meow was too busy frantically looking around to even think about where to go.
She looked so much like a country person who'd come up to the city for the first time that surrounding NPCs focused their gazes on her as if she were fascinating.
Some NPCs who seemed mean-spirited even giggled and sneered at her. —Of course, there was no way the viewers would miss that.
-lololol they're laughing at her
-Getting treated like a zoo monkey by NPCs ㄷㄷ
-??? : Look at that one lol
-Why is the embarrassment mine to bear
"Kyaak! Don't tease me! Even if you were me, you'd be emba...?!"
-? Why'd you stop talking mid-sentence
-Did she break
-She has been used for a while~
-Everyone, please leave!
Rooty-Meow, who'd been shouting, suddenly stopped.
As viewers wondered at her appearance with her eyes wide in surprise, she asked.
"Did I say anything that could be a keyword since entering here?"
-You didn't say anything
-Has dementia set in too ㅜㅜ
-? Huh, come to think of it, she really didn't say anything
-No way, is this that?
Most viewers didn't understand what Rooty-Meow's question meant, but some quick-witted ones seemed to have noticed the anomaly.
That was right. Since seriously starting 'Reverse Planet,' Rooty-Meow had been busy sightseeing the city and hadn't said anything.
Yet the NPCs reacted to her actions, watching curiously or sneering as they passed by. Just like real people would!
"Hello! Nice to meet you!"
"...? Yes. Hello."
Instead of explaining all this in detail, Rooty-Meow suddenly grabbed a passing NPC and attempted conversation.
Seeing is believing—she judged it better to show directly rather than listing various speculations, as that would make viewers realize it.
She thought one plausible conversation would make everyone notice, as she had, that 'Reverse City' NPCs had 'Fully Responsive AI' installed.
"Could I ask you just one thing?!"
"Uh, um, is this some kind of survey? Sorry, but I'm kind of busy."
"No! It's not a survey!"
"Well then. Sure, ask away."
"Are you broadcasting right now?"
"Broadcasting? Like an individual broadcast?"
"That's right!"
"I'm not."
"Thank you for answering! Have a good day!"
"That's it? Ah, yes. Have a good day."
-Wow ㅅㅂ I think it's real
-What's real, don't talk about things only you guys know
-You can't notice even after seeing that lol
-That's Fully Responsive AI ㄷㄷ
"Right! It's Fully Responsive AI! I'm sure! ...Meow!"
Rooty-Meow, watching the departing NPC's back, shouted with conviction full of amazement.
Naturally, debate broke out in the chat. The majority insisted there was no way such crazy technology as Fully Responsive AI would pop up here.
They said that no matter how amazing 'Reverse City' was, it made no sense to lavish that much on a mere private server.
Even though Rooty-Meow had just demonstrated a conversation that couldn't exist unless it was a Fully Responsive AI NPC.
Well, who could easily believe it? This was technology that all other game development companies had practically knelt down and desperately begged for.
Regarding this denial, Rooty-Meow didn't bother saying anything. She just asked one more question.
"Didn't you see the message when you first logged in?"
['Reverse City' is officially supported by Planet Earth]
-That's what it meant? ㄷㄷ
-Crazy; the official support is Fully Responsive AI?
-Have they gone mad lololol
-F u c k i n g G o d s
After that, Rooty-Meow randomly grabbed several passing NPCs and attempted conversation, and the more she did, the firmer her conviction about Fully Responsive AI became.
Because if it wasn't that, it meant all the numerous NPCs currently filling the city interior were people hired by the 'Nuclear Tourism' side.
Between Planet Earth's official support with Fully Responsive AI technology, or hiring tens of thousands of actors (including strict confidentiality), the former was more convincing, right?
-King-verse God-ty ㄷㄷ
-Thousands of people plus Fully Responsive AI NPCs ㄷㄷ
-There was some ㅅㄲ before cursing that a private server accommodating thousands made no sense, what will they say seeing this
-Does official Fully Responsive AI technology support make sense lol
"This is my chance! There's something I've always wanted to ask a Fully Responsive AI NPC!"
When all the viewers realized 'Reverse City' really had Fully Responsive AI applied and fell into a frenzy.
Having noticed one step earlier and thus calmed down a bit faster, Rooty-Meow grinned wickedly.
"Hello!"
"...? Me?"
"Yes! Hello!"
"Yees, hello."
The person Rooty-Meow grabbed was a passing high school student NPC. A typical model student style with messy hair and black horn-rimmed glasses.
To the high school student NPC making a wary expression, perhaps finding her suspicious as she approached with a broad smile, she suddenly asked.
"Do you know this world is inside a game?"
"What are you-"
-Is this person perhaps crazy?
-Telling a game NPC this is a game lol
-But honestly if it were me I wouldn't have been able to resist either
-Look at the high schooler's expression lololol
To the high school student NPC asking what nonsense she was talking, Rooty-Meow passionately declared. That this world was merely a world inside a virtual reality game.
Viewers who saw her crazy act were busy giggling. Who knew she'd so brazenly commit an act that everyone imagined but wouldn't actually do.
Bluntly speaking, it was like grabbing anyone on the street and declaring "You are a brain in a vat!" In this case it was actually true, but anyway.
"So."
The high school student NPC, who'd been quietly listening, opened their mouth.
Somehow their eyes were sparkling brightly.
"To summarize, this world is a well-made virtual reality game, and I'm just a common NPC in it, right?"
"That's right!"
"If that's true, isn't it possible your world is also fake? If this place was implemented so perfectly, it could be the same there."
"...Huh?"
-Gasp
-What
-I was a brain in a vat?
-We were living in a fake world too ㄷㄷ
'ㅇㅇ' donated '1000 won'!
[That's... convincing!]
"B-but unlike here where pain is reduced, I feel pain as it is in reality!"
"I also feel pain as it is in this reality. If you're an NPC like me in that reality, wouldn't it be the same?"
"Ah."
"You might be an NPC who doesn't know they're an NPC. Well then, I'll be going."
The high school student NPC, having instantly shut down Rooty-Meow's argument, departed with a leisurely gait.
Truly a dignified retreating figure.
'PeoplesFriendDog' donated '1000 won'!
[There's an individual broadcaster who got logically crushed by an NPC? Ppyoong-ppyoong?]
-Pathetic, Rooty
-Jmeow out! lol
-As expected, humanity's true friend is dogs, agree?
-And it was a high schooler of all people lololol
"Uugh-"
Viewers who seized the opportunity gleefully mocked Rooty-Meow, but this time even she couldn't push back. Whatever she said would only be pathetic.
Like one viewer's chat said, she'd grabbed the wrong opponent and got logically demolished by not just any NPC, but a high school student NPC—what rebuttal could she make?
She could only purse her lips, vowing to repay the humiliation someday. ......Though she'd have to deal with the clips spreading everywhere first.
Ddiring-
"Huh?"
It was then that an alarm sound suddenly rang out from Rooty-Meow's pocket.
Searching the inner pocket of the jumper that was her default outfit, she discovered a latest model smartphone. Naturally it wasn't something she'd put there.
This jet-black smartphone was far from her taste.
[Message 1. Map]
[Message 2. How to Press the Button]
Two messages had arrived on the smartphone.
One was a map with a specific location marked, the other was how to press an elevator button.
"Hmm~" Rooty-Meow examined the map in the message and said.
"This seems like directions to the Villain Alliance?"
-Seems like it ㅇㅇ
-Should we sell it to the Hero Association?
-Already seeing betrayal potential ㄷㄷ
-Let's get the first traitor title!
"Don't be ridiculous. ...Meow. What if Hackphysical marks me for that?"
'ㅇㅇ' donated '1000 won'!
[Immediately track and hunt the traitor ㄷㄷ]
Thanks to the map showing even Rooty-Meow's current location, she could tell there was a considerable distance to the destination.
Since it seemed it would take quite a while walking or running, she decided to catch a taxi. This was possible because she'd found a substantial amount of money in another pocket.
The 'Nuclear Tourism' content side had probably put in starter money for this purpose.
[...Next news. After the battle between hero 'Star Rain' and villain 'The End', the Villain Alliance's activities have sharply decreased...]
"Wow! This must be the story after the trailer."
-Star Rain and The End, hmm...
-Is it just me or is that childish
-Hero and villain names are originally childish
-What do you think of Iron Man and Wonder Woman?
Before long, Rooty-Meow, having entered the destination in the autonomous taxi she caught, sat comfortably and watched the news in the hologram video as she traveled.
The news content telling the story after the trailer—the battle between hero 'Star Rain' and villain 'The End'—was enough to capture her and the viewers' interest.
Especially since it included content related to the Villain Alliance she would be joining.
[...Some experts say this decrease in Villain Alliance activity isn't simply due to villain 'The End's' injury, but rather they're contracting to pull off something even bigger...]
Beep!
"We're here."
Soon arriving at the location shown on the map, Rooty-Meow entered the building interior. The building security guards just stared blankly at her, and no one stopped her.
When she got on the elevator and pressed the buttons according to the second message's contents, red lights suddenly flashed and it began descending.
Basement level 1, 2, 3— passing to 4, 5. Surely when she'd looked before getting on the elevator, basement 3 was the end.
"A secret underground base? This is romantic. ...Meow!"
-ㄹㅇlol
-As expected, if you're a villain you gotta have at least one underground secret base
-Why does she keep adding that meow
-Leave her alone, it's her identity
***