Common Sense Hijack System-Chapter 77

Valencia snorts softly, but doesn’t take her eyes off the road. "That’s up to you. Do you think Angeline deserves to be destroyed?"

Karl falls silent, trying to find his answer. He doesn’t even know much about Angeline except for what Layla has said. But the same fear starts creeping in—fear that he’ll make the wrong decision again, and guilt will continue to haunt him.

"How do I know who deserves to be destroyed?" Karl asks, his voice full of confusion.

Valencia sighs deeply. "That’s the problem. There’s no rulebook for that, Karl. You have to make your own decisions, and live with the consequences. If you think Angeline deserves it, then do it. But if you’re unsure... maybe that’s a sign to step back."

Karl listens to Valencia’s words with a troubled heart. He feels like he’s standing at a dark crossroads, without a direction.

After a moment, Valencia continues, her tone more serious. "Actually, the problem you’re facing is small compared to what’s happening in the world."

Karl furrows his brow. "What do you mean?"

Valencia smiles faintly, her eyes still glued to the road ahead. "You know Glowsphere, right? The social media platform used by almost everyone. Where people share, watch, even stake their lives on?"

Karl nods. "Of course, I know. Who doesn’t? Everyone in the world uses Glowsphere. And of course, it supports Angeline."

Valencia glances at him briefly. "And you know how its algorithm is designed, right? To make people stupid, addicted, and easily manipulated?"

Karl nods again. "I know that. But I always thought it was just a business strategy, to harvest data and profit."

Valencia chuckles softly, but there’s no humor in her voice. "It’s more than just business. Glowsphere wasn’t created by an ordinary company. It’s a project of a state."

Karl is stunned, looking at Valencia in shock. "A state project? Which country?"

Valencia smiles faintly, but doesn’t respond directly. She lets Karl digest the new fact she just revealed before continuing. "That state created Glowsphere to make the whole world stupid, easy to manipulate, and busy with unimportant things. Meanwhile, in their country, Glowsphere is run differently."

Karl frowns, unsure if he wants to hear more. "What do you mean ’differently’?"

"In that country," Valencia continues, "the Glowsphere algorithm is designed to educate children. Low-quality or non-educational content never appears. No stupid prank videos, senseless dramas, or harmful trends. Only things that enrich knowledge, creativity, and critical thinking skills."

Karl is stunned, feeling angry and confused. "So they’re dumbing down the entire world while protecting their own generation?"

"More than that," Valencia replies, her eyes still focused on the road. "They ensure that their children grow up to be leaders, innovators, and controllers. While the generations in other countries? They become loyal followers without question."

Karl doesn’t know what to say. His whole body feels heavy with the weight of the new reality he just heard. If Glowsphere is indeed a global manipulation tool designed by a state, then what he and others have considered entertainment all this time is actually a shackle.

Valencia glances at Karl for a moment, then continues. "And Angeline? She is the face of Glowsphere. The perfect angel designed to cover up all the rot behind that platform."

Karl is still silent, trying to process everything. Angeline’s name, with all her holy image, now feels like a thorn in his mind. "Wait," he says softly. "You said Angeline is the face of Glowsphere. You mean she’s just a pawn?"

Valencia chuckles softly, a mocking tone evident. "A pawn? No, she’s more than that. She’s a symbol. The manifestation of what Glowsphere wants to show to the world. Beautiful, perfect, full of empathy, and—in the public eye—never wrong. But it’s all fake."

"So she knows everything?" Karl asks, feeling confused and angry.

"Not entirely," Valencia responds with a shrug. "Angeline might know some, but she still chooses to be part of this game. She enjoys her position as the ’angel of the world.’ Everyone worships her, and that’s enough to blind her morals."

Karl feels sick. "And it all started with Layla’s life being destroyed as a teenager?! That’s just plain rude!"

Valencia nods slowly. "Yeah, true. all of Angeline’s achievements and Glowsphere’s success started with Layla’s life being ruined. So, how about it? Do you think Angeline deserves to be destroyed?"

Karl shakes his head, trying to deal with the turmoil within him. "Of course, she deserves to be destroyed. But that means I have to be a pervert again, and screw while being recorded."

Valencia laughs, "Oh? Aren’t you still horny and perverted as usual?"

Karl sitting there, trying to wrap his head around the convo going down with Valencia. Every word coming out of her mouth was just adding to the confusion and torture he was feeling. But then, Valencia’s laugh broke the silence, almost mocking his perplexity.

"Don’t tell me you’re starting to doubt yourself, Karl," Valencia said teasingly, with a hint of challenge in her voice. "I thought you were used to this game. Being a predator in a world full of prey."

Karl raised an eyebrow, his already halfway empty eyes trying to focus on Valencia’s words. But before he could respond, a buzzing sound from the system startled him.

----

[ Uncommon Creature Detected ]

[ Species: Homo Obscura ]

[ Warning High Potential Danger Detected !]

----

Karl felt his heart rate skyrocket. He stared at the hologram screen that popped up in front of him, eyes widening as he read the message. Homo Obscura? Why others Obscura came up to him? And with high potential danger?

"What’s going on?" Valencia asked, noticing Karl’s change in expression. Karl quickly made the hologram screen disappear with his mind, trying not to panic. But tension was thick in the air.

Without warning, they were suddenly startled by a group of three slick-looking dudes in black suits appearing in front of the campervan. These guys looked super trained, with quick and coordinated steps. They stood in the middle of the road, waiting for their ride to approach.

Valencia furrowed her brow, a bit surprised by their appearance. "What the heck is this?" she muttered, steering carefully to avoid a confrontation.

But as their campervan got closer, one of the black-suited men stepped forward, blocking their path. His face was stone-cold, showing no emotions. Without saying a word, he raised his hand, signaling for them to stop.

"Shit!" Valencia cursed.