DKIE CH83: The Marginal Figure

It wasn’t just them who were puzzled. Whether they liked Luka or not, everyone who downloaded the platform right away couldn’t figure out the point of him creating it. Compared to other software that exploded in popularity upon release, the launch of Spark barely made a ripple. Even Luka himself didn’t post anything about it. It was like plain boiled water, so bland that even hostile forces trying to use software from other creators to smear it couldn’t generate any discussion. It would have been more effective to just curse Luka for his talent running dry.

The Holy Court’s report from those monitoring Luka’s activities consisted of just three words: “Completely dead.” They paid it no further attention.

Late at night, at the Holy Court. The Holy Court was recently going through a period of many troubles. Ever since the division into Inner and Outer Courts, the morale internally was unstable. Although the core remained a monolith, outside the core circle, there were plenty of clergy members with wavering minds. The Inner and Outer Courts were at a stalemate. For safety, the first batch of intern priests who had been turned were now operating under the protection of the Outer Court. The former group leader, Suihan, also known as Louis, was staring at the rating interface for “God of Forging,” deep in thought.

Everyone was criticizing the new software as boring. He didn’t dare say that, compared to the noisy and crowded community platforms, he actually found Spark’s clean interface more appealing. He opened the input box to write a review:

[A very good movie. The end of the film blurs the concept of a god. The giants are as small as dust under the control of the Outer God, while the dwarves, holding hammers, can look down upon the firmament… What is a god? Did the princess, in the end, stand outside the door of truth? In my opinion, I don’t ask for the gods’ protection, only that they do not harm the living creatures under the sky.]

This was also the reason why Louis ultimately chose the Outer Court. The order to have them incite civilians to self-destruct had left Louis deeply disappointed in the Holy Court.

[The moment the princess truly became a god was the moment of her martyrdom. I used to believe that gods possessed the truth, and humans were merely survivorship bias. But over a long enough period, when the people no longer feel the meaning of the gods’ existence, they should ascend to the moon and pluck the stars, driving out the shadows in the sky…]

A long review of a full thousand words was exceptionally conspicuous on the otherwise blank interface. Anyone who came across it would notice it immediately.

The software’s popularity was very low, but people from various places who had watched the movie trickled in to leave ratings. In the dead of night, many people read this long review and, one by one, fell into contemplation.

Until someone replied: [The myriad living beings are the creators; the gods are merely the nominal rulers.]
Like the review, this reply was abstruse. It seemed to hold many truths, appearing profound but incomprehensible upon close inspection, yet it inexplicably resonated with people.

Before long, the reply received many upvotes. The avatar and nickname of one of the upvoters were identical to Admiral Carol’s, but the like was withdrawn in a second. Still, many people noticed. Was it an impersonator or the real person? They leaned towards it being the real person. The reason for the withdrawal was not hard to guess: the topic was very sensitive and seemed to allude to the Holy Court.

“Admiral Carol thinks the same way I do.” This thought surfaced in many people’s minds.

This time was different. Several more long reviews had appeared in the review section, some of which offered deep interpretations of the plot. From gods to class conflicts, some even brought in their personal life experiences. The movie was relegated to a mere medium, becoming a dialogue between them, society, and other like-minded individuals.

The number of likes was still soaring. As the likes grew, the sense of validation among the public who saw the comment late at night grew inexplicably stronger. Later users who came via shares saw the highly-upvoted and ambiguous words, and the impact was particularly strong!

“Gods…” The word itself could subconsciously evoke a sense of authority. The feeling of helplessness suppressed by long-term power found an opportunity for release on a platform that didn’t require real names.

More and more people began to express their own opinions by publishing movie reviews. There were supporters and detractors.

[Stuck at Tier 7: Heh! Don’t forget the rumor that the gods blocked the paths to godhood in their respective channels, which is why there are no successors.]

[Cai Fa Cai: It’s terrifying to think about. Gods aren’t absolutely immortal. If we assume they’re already gone, transformed into the rules of the starry sky, wouldn’t everyone be stuck at the level of a 13th-tier Legendary Grand Magus?]

[User 1322: History can be fabricated. There are no gods. Effort is meaningless.]

[The Holy Court represents the gods. The last known gods all came from the Holy Court.]

Shortly after this was posted, a new comment popped up—

[Yao Buyao: The Holy Court doesn’t represent the gods. What does criticizing the Holy Court have to do with the gods?]

The moment this sentence appeared, the speed of the argumentative comments suddenly slowed. For some unknown reason, due to various historical records and factors, all races had subconsciously come to regard the Holy Court as the existence closest to the gods.

In Boulder City, Lilian saw her father sitting in the courtyard, his face glowing green in the light of his terminal. She was startled. Walking over, she saw he was posting on a forum, which gave her a second shock.

“Didn’t you say the internet was too frivolous and good for nothing but communication?”

The Apothecary said calmly, “That ‘Immortal Fish’ or whatever is a cesspool. This platform is different. All the discussions are thoughtful and deep.” Niche, very high-end. Suitable for a high-quality human with standards like himself.

 “???”

Starting with the “God of Forging” reviews, other sections of the platform became active one after another. Long-form reviews turned out to be the perfect diversion for the long nights. Gradually, some accounts on the community platforms began to spontaneously recommend it, calling it a treasure trove. The Spark platform successfully made a comeback against the odds, relying on its bold discourse. Before many people had noticed, the platform’s user base began to grow at a steady, continuous pace, forming clusters with a unique culture of commentary.

Because Luka had said beforehand that they would understand the software’s genius once they used it, Quill was also keeping an eye on Spark in his spare time. He discovered that this stagnant pool was showing bizarre signs of life. The review section for “God of Forging” was the most exaggerated. A sun in an empty shot was interpreted as a light that ignored good and evil. Even the punctuation in the princess’s final letter was given its own definition.

Quill was speechless.

Luka , whose magic power was still a bit chaotic after consuming the Four Symbols Star Orb, was cultivating. Without looking at the platform, he guessed, “I bet the common thread in these comments is that they’re romantic yet sharp, full of criticism, and seem to be very thought-provoking.”

“More or less,” Quill said. In fact, a closer look revealed that many of the statements were empty words, but they also revealed some truths.

“What kind of group is this exactly?”

Luka slowly uttered two words: “Intellectuals.”

Any era could find a microcosm of this group. Their pursuit of the niche made them love exploring works with depth. They were disdainful of authority. Setting aside their pretentiousness, at certain specific moments, they could bring ideological enlightenment to society.

This was what Luka needed. “When the public starts discussing the definition of gods, the Holy Court loses its…”

Quill watched him intently: “Uniqueness.”

Luka smiled. “Exactly.” There was no such thing as a single true god. He had a premonition that the footsteps of war were fast approaching. “If we win, it will be impossible to slaughter every related faction after the war. To prevent the centipede from staying alive even after death, ideological liberation is essential.”

With the popularization of terminals, some niche cultures would quickly transition to the mainstream. When even a child could casually describe the god in their own words online, the Holy Court would completely lose its authority.

Luka temporarily stopped cultivating. “Actually, I kind of hope the Holy Court tries to salvage its reputation. A shameless enemy often becomes quite powerful.”

As Quill listened from the side, he slightly flexed his wrist. Luka noticed it sharply. “Is your hand uncomfortable?”

“Growing bone,” Quill said. His gloved hand was not made of flesh and blood to begin with.

“Hyperplasia?”
“…”
After making a dry joke, Luka , while Quill wasn’t paying attention, grabbed his wrist and happened to feel a certain groove. His brow furrowed. “How did this happen?”

This concern was greatly appreciated by Quill. “A little surprise saved for the unveiling,” he said, smoothly changing the subject.

“You will sooner or later become a god yourself. Why are you still helping the masses shatter the myth of gods?”

“Of course.” To Luka , “god” was just a unit for measuring power, not anyone’s exclusive halo. He rustled and spread his large wings. “Actually, I’m an angel.”

An archangel.

“…”

Luka was busy with preparations for the new terminal, while the outside world was changing rapidly. The human race was suddenly no longer peaceful. It began with an unknown speaker on the platform claiming that the Saint intended to abolish hereditary nobility. Overnight, the discussions multiplied. Then, some people argued that with so much buzz, the Saint’s failure to refute it was a tacit approval.

The rumors swirled, and the nobles grew increasingly nervous and dissatisfied.

While trying out the new terminal, the Elf King brought up the matter. Luka shook his head. “The Holy Court is deliberately instigating conflict.” This time, they didn’t even try to hide it much.

An open conspiracy is the hardest to endure.

The Elf King was very satisfied with the new flip-phone design. Seeing Luka in thought, he said calmly, “The privileges of the human nobility are built on the lower classes. With the rise of the academic faction, their demands and the conflicts will naturally increase.”

Theorists skilled in magical architecture began to resist the term “magic-inferior.” The academic faction held tightly to the military’s leg and even got a new group name—the New Scholars.

Amidst millions of back-and-forth arguments, someone pushed Luka to the forefront, calling him the “leader of the New Scholars,” a beacon of light. With countless words of praise, Luka had seemingly become the representative of the academic faction.

“As expected, in this life, I’m either representing someone or being represented.”

As Luka skimmed through some hot posts, his terminal suddenly began to vibrate. Cullen’s voice call came through. His tone was serious. “Have you seen the community?”

 “Yes, I’m looking now.”
Cullen said in a low voice: “Luka , the situation is very wrong. Someone is deliberately deifying you. Now, more and more nobles are dissatisfied with you.”

They had not only placed Luka in opposition to the nobility but had also caused some of the former lower class to project excessive expectations onto him. Just as Cullen said, Luka ‘s community account was already flooded with people trying to stir up trouble.

[Maike: That’s right, that’s right, which side are you on! Are you really going to represent those commoners? This is simply a betrayal of us!]

After getting a general understanding of the situation, Luka was silent for a moment and said, “Actually, I find this quite baffling. Has no one noticed the fundamental flaw in all this?”

Cullen was taken aback. “A flaw?”

Luka, calm and collected, randomly replied to a questioning comment online:

@Maike: There’s a chance I’ll become the Demon King in the future. Are you sure you want me to be a representative for the human race?

Before his reply, the number of comments was growing every second. But as soon as this sentence appeared, it was as if the pause button had been pressed. All the netizens who saw this reply fell silent. Even the Elf King was silent for a moment. In the past, the most talked-about aspect of Luka was his half-human, half-demon identity. At some point, this identity had gradually become blurred.

In short, everyone was completely shocked, but they didn’t know what they were shocked about. And yet, they were indeed very shocked.

[Maike: Uh, uh… Is that so?]
[Otherwise, why do you think I participated in the Return Hunt?]

Ultimately, Luka had the most amazing “marginal figure” constitution ever. When he was in the human domain, both humans and demons would subconsciously treat him as human. When he was in the demon domain, both races would subconsciously treat him as a demon.

In the Demon Realm, the demons were watching the show. Except for Alicia, the other royal heirs were having a rare gathering together, gloating.

Until they saw his reply. The Third Prince’s mouth dropped open.

“I almost forgot, he’s a demon too.” After Alec’s death, Luka was a strong contender for the throne! How could they have forgotten?

A demon general below had a flash of inspiration. “Your Highness, the Demon Realm also has conflicts between the new and old nobility. We can imitate the humans and stir things up for him.”
A swift kick sent him flying. It was the usually graceful Fourth Prince. “Idiot, have you seen a single noble in the Demon Realm who supports him? Now you want to help him unite all the forces he can unite? Do you think we aren’t dying fast enough?”

“…”

Excerpt from Luka’s Diary:

I am Luka. I speak for the gods, the future Demon King, and the richest man on the continent.

Alex passed by, leaving 99+ flame renewals.

The Dragon Clan flew over, leaving mountains of gold and silver.

The Holy Court brought out its cannons, attempting to level the arrogant fool.

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