Chapter 154

Episode 154. I'd say you deserve to die (3)

"Your worlds... That sounds interesting. There are others waiting for me, but I can spare a moment."

"Good, I'll be brief."

The Clown's attitude changed. It meant that he was highly interested.

"The Games you host aren't that bad. But they are too small in scale. For example, think of a life-threatening battle. It sounds manly and exciting, doesn't it? But, what if the fighters are three-year-old kids? What if the battle takes about ten seconds? Who would be interested in that?"

"...So you think my Games are that insignificant?"

"Yes. To be exact, your worlds are too trivial. They aren't fun at all, and the results are predictable."

From now on, I wasn't Jeong Si-woo. I was a newly transcended moron who was hooked on world games—an idiot with big goods. I was a rich idiot.

"I have quite a few worlds. I can't hand over some of them...... But there's one that's too big for me. It's too difficult for me to handle but too valuable to give away for free."

"Oh, I understand. Some of the worlds that end up in my hands are like that. Their owners die from getting caught up in fights between Transcendents, and they become worlds without owners."

"Yes. Luckily, I happened to get one of those worlds. And this one is quite special."

The Clown gulped. It looked like he wanted me to continue quickly.

But I kept rambling, stalling on purpose. Talking excitedly and hurriedly wasn't effective. During negotiations like this, you were supposed to walk on thin ice and play hard to get.

Of course, I wasn't looking to gain anything from this deal. I was just baiting him. The more I behaved this way, the more the Clown would think of me as a 'sly and greedy individual' instead of suspecting me.

Deflecting attention. That was the basic skill of lying.

"You can watch for over 100 years and still don't know which world will get destroyed. somehow manage to overcome those hardships. It reminds me of my old mortal days and a well-written novel. It's so captivating that just thinking of it excites me. Haha!"

"Tell... tell me more."

"Rifts occur between the dimensions, and humans fight against it. The humans have also existed for a long while. They created weapons with metal and gunpowder and created their own civilization. And then, a miracle happened. So......."

"......."

My intentionally slow words caused the Clown's eyes to widen. Unlike his fancy name, he wasn't very sly. I could probably manipulate him easily with three of the best negotiators I knew.

But since I was the one who taught those three, the outcome was obvious.

"Clown, how long are you going to keep us waiting? I have my money for the bet here, and I'm tired of waiting!"

"Oh, yes. Sorry, I just...!"

Just as I was about to get to the important stuff, a Transcendent sitting at another table cut in. The startled Clown moved over to soothe him.

The small world he was controlling began to change. The tip of the shiny chandelier cracked. The world that was flowing perfectly under his control became slightly disjointed. And even the slightest hitch was bound to destroy the entire cluster of moving parts.

According to my assessment, it wasn't hard to analyze images. A constantly perfect individual could be viewed differently with a single mistake. And likewise, one misstep could lead to destruction.

And inducing that was my specialty.

"Well... Everyone looks impatient. Why don't you buy a round of drinks, and we can talk outside? That should calm things down."

"Oh, yes. Yes, I will. I'm sorry, everyone. We'll take a short break to prepare for a perfect Game. All drinks are on me, so drink and enjoy!"

Everyone cheered at his words. The Clown looked relieved.

'What an idiot.'

He was wrong to be relieved. Things were better now, but it wasn't his idea. It was a solution derived from a clear stranger with different values and notions.

The solid image he made was now affected by me. The sturdy table cracked. His small world slowly broke down. He didn't realize it, but he was being consumed by my strong image.

'When he notices, he'll already be too deep in the swamp.'

That was how gaining control over someone worked. The victim didn't need to know. Believing that things were going smoothly, he would only notice at the very end that everything was a mess and heading in the opposite direction.

I tapped the table a few times. Manipulating Transcendents, despite their grand name, was easier than I thought. My eyes gleamed. Transcendent or not, I had never lost at mind games like this.

"Let's head out. There's a lot I would like to hear."

The Clown calmly smiled again and led me outside. Following him, I barely held back from laughing. It was like watching a moth flying into a flame.

* * *

In an empty alley, I described the world I had to the Clown. Of course, I was talking about the world I owned. The world that was invaded by monsters, where humans awakened powers to overcome the Disasters.

It was a world that, according to the Traveler, a very high-level Transcendent had an eye on. I explained in detail the history that I had experienced myself.

"...Amazing. Quite amazing. Plenty of Transcendents will be willing to pay to hear your story without even having to hold a Game. Ah......."

"Do you understand now why I said yours was small in scale and insignificant?"

"Of course. But... how interesting."

"What's so interesting?"

The Clown's eyes twitched.

"Your world sounds so similar to the one my boss spoke of. Alien creatures called monsters invading, and humans awakening supernatural powers to fight. But then, the specifics are different. Anyway, this will be quite entertaining. It should make for a very big Game."

"Of course."

"But it looks quite valuable. I assume you'll be asking for a large sum...... How much would you like?"

At his words, I wiped off the greed from my face. To be exact, I still pretended to be greedy, but no longer acted like I wanted money. What remained on my face was a mad desire for something that could give me pleasure.

"I don't need a big sum. This world is a nuisance to me, too. And... what I want isn't money, but a Game. I'm extremely curious about what will happen with this world. But if this becomes a money issue, your boss will get involved. And then the Game will proceed in a boring and old-fashioned way, unlike your Games that are always so interesting. Then there will be no reason for me to sell this world. You're the one I want, Clown."

"Oh... How, how touching. I'm so moved!"

The Clown laughed exaggeratedly. But then he abruptly stopped laughing.

"Ah... But all Games have to be examined by my boss. That is our principle, and I cannot go against it. But don't worry. I'll try my best to become the host for the Game......."

"That's disappointing. I was going to hand over this world because I trusted you. If I knew, I would have just gone to your boss to get a higher price."

"...What?"

"I hate boring Games. And I hate involving too many individuals. It'll make things dull, and they'll put off the Game again and again because it's a big one. Too many cooks spoil the broth, and the result is just too obvious. We're done here. I'll ask someone else. There are countless Transcendents in this Utopia, so there should be a better host than you......."

"W-wait. Wait!"

The Clown shouted hurriedly. He took the bait right away.

"What are you talking about? I'm the only one who can host Games in such an entertaining way. Ha-ha, there are just a bunch of idiots that treat world Games like they're some sort of ritual. I'm the only one who can provide you with a proper cathartic experience. I'm the only one."

The Clown's eyes gleamed with a hint of madness. Everything was going as planned. I had disturbed the basis of his image. His pride.

Clowns fundamentally existed for entertainment. And judging by his appearance and his name, the Clown was probably no different on the inside. A clown could not exist without attention, fun, and excitement.

And I had just declared that I would withdraw my interest in him, take away what he wanted the most, and give it to someone else.

That was the breaking point.

"Would you like me to describe how I proceed with the Games? Or, I'll tell you about a Game I hosted in the past. So, there was this Game that everyone enjoyed greatly......."

"No, thanks. I'm disappointed."

A cold face. Disappointment. The two were the strongest weapons that could bring down those who entertained people, not to mention the Clown.

'I don't know how advanced the press was in your world, but I can be sure of one thing. That nowhere else is the press and the art of instigation as developed as my world.'

Even in the worlds of Transcendents.

The Clown looked devastated. A clown trying to keep a crowd from leaving. Harsh rejection, disappointment, and indifference. His image began to shatter to pieces.

There was no need to put him down using my class or powers. This was how killing Transcendents worked. If you ripped apart and smashed the values and the things they were most proud of, Transcendents were practically dead.

The moment he lost his identity as an 'entertainer', and the moment he thought he was 'ugly', he was basically broken.

There was nothing uglier than a clown clinging on to a leaving crowd, making dull jokes. And the Clown was probably the most aware of it.

"Ah... Ahhhh......."

The white paint and makeup began to disappear from his face. His shell that provided entertainment to others vanished, and everything he achieved as a Transcendent and as the Clown was getting smashed. Watching him, I smiled in satisfaction.

'You played games with worlds, toying with humans and using them to make money. You killed humans on request and destroyed their lives. You laughed at their tears and enjoyed their pain as comedy.'

I'd say he deserved to die.

I looked at the Clown sitting helplessly like an empty shell and tapped his forehead. And a line on my hand shone brightly. It was one of the powers I had made while I was staying with Han Yeon-soo.

"Answer me."

It wasn't a new creation but a power I made by modifying an ability I originally possessed.

As the line shone, something inside me burned hot.

"Tell me everything you know about your boss and the Games."

[The Sixth Power]

[The query of the Akashic Records.]

.

.

[The super dimensional assembly of information requests an answer from the incapacitated target.]

"Oh......."

Letting out a foolish sound, the Clown spoke in a weak voice, unlike before.

"He is... a monster."

Very slowly, and very clearly.