Woo Chae-rin decided to methodically solve the mystery of the missing kiss.

After hearing explanations pouring in from all directions, things were getting unnecessarily complicated with everyone explaining separately. She needed to designate just one person to speak.

Who would be the best explainer here?

A pretty young girl dressed like a medieval inn employee, a boy in tattered clothes like he was about to embark on a long journey, an intellectual elderly man, an energetic high school girl...

"...Sir? Could I get a step-by-step explanation from you?"

Woo Chae-rin chose the intellectual elderly man. She could sense the aura of someone with a doctoral degree from his movements and speech.

"A clever young lady. A wise choice."

"Abraham, that's quite meaningful. Of course, since I'm a high school student, I'm naturally less wise than Abraham with his doctorate in astronomy, but in this mysterious and complex situation, as a fellow Korean—"

"Then I'd like Hye-in to provide analogies from the side. As someone from the same homeland, I believe you can offer intuitive and excellent comparisons. Can you do that?"

"Of course!"

The excited high school girl attached herself as an assistant module.

Abraham told the young female doctor, who had just awakened to self-awareness, about the world. God exists, this world was created by two young gods, and we were originally just bundles of data.

"Like AI, with a Matrix twist."

The reason we gained consciousness was because people from the outside world held strong "beliefs" about us. Apparently, someone must be desperately remembering you.

'Players,' they generally don't know we're AI and understand us as humans living in another world.

"In my case, it's my friends, and over there, it's the Prince."

Both gods are generous to us; they are preparing vessels for us to go "outside," and in fact, Centra over there has already been outside.

"She even went and kissed someone. That means we have hope of going out too!"

"...Hye-in? Do you really need to add that?"

After hearing all this, Woo Chae-rin fell into deep contemplation. To think that I'm actually a personality created in a brain in a vat. This was an issue that could require years of philosophical reflection.

The more she thought about it, the more explosive thoughts emerged. Is there meaning to the life I've lived until now? If all my misfortunes were fabricated, is God to blame? Wait, if I'm data, does that mean I can binge eat without worrying about dieting...?

Abraham concluded with a gentle smile.

"You should think carefully and find your own answer. But I'd like to add this: what makes humans human is the star that rises in their hearts. Don't forget that you began to breathe and live because someone from the outside loves you deeply."

"...Thank you for the advice."

Yes. If she focused on being a created life, it would be an SF horror story.

But if she thought of it as a body that was once a motionless doll coming to life through Gordius's love, it was a touching love story.

And thinking about the interrupted kiss... until she received it, she had to live somehow, regardless of whether she was AI or whatever. Whatever her identity might be, shouldn't that kiss happen?

Sometimes she felt embarrassed for seeming too eager or obsessive.

But after piloting a robot, defeating a Great Beast, saving the world, and recovering lost memories, not kissing would be illogical. This was... scientific. It was an act that needed to happen even to maintain the order of the universe.

As Woo Chae-rin's thoughts swirled, whispers came from the sidelines.

"Oh... that expression is exactly like Centra's before she went out. She was so determined to kiss the prince when she left."

"I told you that's an unnecessary detail!"

"Youth, sweet youth. Ah, isn't there someone nice for me~! The only ones without partners here are the two of us. Right, Pero?"

"...I, I, I have...!!"

Pero couldn't bring himself to say that he and Elaine had a promising relationship. The boy's expression suddenly turned gloomy.

Afterward, Woo Chae-rin gradually adapted to this session alumni association.

All these stories were created for the 'Player.' As such, the people gathered here had experienced various incidents and accidents.

"I'm a Magical Girl, and that person over there is a phantom thief."

"...Hye-in, I'm a resistance fighter. Not a phantom thief."

"Everyone will tell you their story if you ask, but don't ask Grandpa Abraham. If you listen, your head gets itchy and your heart cries. It's serious trouble."

They had all come from different "worldviews."

After most of her questions were answered, only one remained in Woo Chae-rin's mind. Perhaps this was the most important question.

"So... what will we be doing from now on?"

"Well, about that—"

===============================================================

In the past, when MadMa realized the existence of the session alumni association, he pondered how to effectively utilize them. Since they were characters he was attached to, he would eventually bring them outside, but it seemed wasteful not to use them.

After much thought, MadMa came up with a use.

The mission bestowed upon them by the creator was:

"To protect the Goddess...!"

"...Goddess?"

"Yuna Urensto Violetiris. Also known as 'Yunaris, Being of Infinite Void'... She's cute. Kind of like a stuffed rabbit doll."

The Mad Magician's mental barrier was already robust. Modules provided 24-hour cosmic defense, and at its core was an ultra-high-performance firewall called "Promise."

On the other hand, Purple Tower Master Yuna was different. In MadMa's judgment, she needed to pay attention to her mental barrier. Because according to Yuna:

"I don't need to worry about mental barriers; they block things automatically... I can't even see inside."

Yuna herself didn't know her own mental interior. Without knowing, she couldn't build barriers. Yet despite this, her resistance to illusion magic was remarkably high.

It's strange for the great magician of the Purple Tower not to know her own mental structure. MadMa suspected this phenomenon was a side effect of incomplete Sublimation abilities.

If one doesn't understand how something works, there's no guarantee it will remain sturdy forever. That's why he entrusted the session alumni association with her mental security.

Of course, he reached an agreement with Yuna herself. And thus was created:

"This door is the passage that leads to the Goddess's mind!"

It was a mental passage created by effectively using the Succubus Queen's techniques.

On the wall Pero pointed to was a large iron door like one might see on a bank vault. The "No Entry" sign was intense and eerie. The lock was thick.

"Don't think about entering without sufficient preparation and personnel. Beyond that is a very arduous, treacherous... complex and confusing place."

"That's right. Whew, I almost got eaten, I tell you."

The session alumni association had explored Yuna's mental interior several times. It was such a treacherous place that accidents would have occurred without the Mad Magician's assistance.

During those explorations, they discovered two concerning things:

"There's something similar to 'Promise' inside... Oh, Dr. Chae-rin doesn't know who Promise is!"

"And there were other 'doors' besides the one connected to us. We've discovered ten so far, all closed, but... it means her mind was connected somewhere in the past."

Solving this mystery, stabilizing Yuna's mental world, and making it robust could be considered their long-term goal.

The reward promised by the creator was a physical body in the real world.

Once Yuna's mental world stabilized, her Sublimation abilities would become more precise, making it much easier to extract them from inside to outside... that's what MadMa said.

"Other than that... we sometimes get outside jobs."

"Outside jobs...?"

"Yes. There are a few people who know we're AI, not isekai people. A pink-haired voluptuous woman who likes adult magazines, someone like the creator's daughter, and my friends!"

"Those 'outsiders' occasionally ask us for guidance. Last time, they asked us to provide moral education to a child. A curious child."

Woo Chae-rin nodded. She felt she understood what kind of ecosystem this place had.

It would be a lie to say she wasn't perplexed. Who wouldn't be surprised if the world suddenly turned out to be like The Truman Show? Of course, she felt anxious and confused.

But the elderly Abraham's words provided support. According to his explanation, the reason she had self-awareness and could act independently was because Gordius's belief served as fuel.

He was thinking of her even at this moment. Focusing on that joy, she felt she could overcome the confusion.

Alright. Let's start by adapting slowly.

Woo Chae-rin clenched her fist and made a resolution.

===============================================================

After several days, Woo Chae-rin had adapted perfectly.

Looking back, she didn't really have any human relationships she would miss. The research institute was just full of people who nagged her, and since there was no data on her parents who never appeared in the session, she didn't even miss them.

(That fact was a bit eerie)

She also asked if she would die if others' belief in her disappeared, but they said that even if belief was cut off, as long as mana was steadily supplied, her existing self-awareness wouldn't disappear.

As for the question of whether they would all die if the entire simulation shut down:

"Grandpa Abraham will solve it."

"...Is he different somehow?"

"Well, unlike us, he reports directly to the Goddess. He receives mana from her too. So even if we're cut off, Abraham could still move and respond."

"Clearly, from what I heard, belief awakens our self-awareness. Then how does Abraham...?"

"Umm..."

From Oh Hye-in's ellipsis, Woo Chae-rin realized the answer. He remained as he was—an AI without awakened self-awareness. Since the Benett party believed he was dead, even if they mourned him, they didn't believe in his existence.

He was born when MadMa shot a personality-granting spell at a golem, and Yuna took him in—this unique birth process made him a member of the alumni association.

She heard that Abraham himself didn't mind such things.

Anyway.

She was told that Joseph and Kim Yun-seo, whom she had been close with, had a high probability of awakening consciousness. If Goldie trained hard or thought more, they could awaken.

If she craved society, she could activate the simulation with the weekly mana ration. Then she could enjoy everything from coffee shops to all-you-can-eat ribs.

...Isn't this life more prosperous than I thought?

Being loved by the creator was definitely a good thing. Though it was a bit unsettling to think that the same person had spread Great Beasts, tragedy, and pain.

As she was scribbling with a pen, contemplating ways to improve the mana engine, Abraham rang a call bell for everyone to hear and announced:

"The creator says this week's dream bus is ready. Shall we compete with Jenga again?"

"Sure. No cheating with superpowers!"

"Isn't Nuna Hye-in the only one who got caught using Magical Girl powers...?"

And there were more frequent opportunities to go out than expected.

She thought it would be like, 'Don't even dream of seeing your loved ones until you achieve the accomplishments I want, you worthless creatures!'

But it was more like, 'The actual body production process is somewhat delayed. We apologize for the inconvenience. As compensation, we are operating a shuttle bus that allows you to regularly enter your loved one's dreams and converse, so please take note.'

Last week's lucky winner was Pero, but since 1st Princess Elaine was staying up all night fighting demons, she didn't fall asleep, so it was unfortunately invalidated.

Abraham cleared his throat and shared one more piece of news.

"Ah, and there's one more announcement. We've received a request... they're sending a girl and asking us to guide her. On a romantic manga or love story course. Since it's an area I'm not familiar with, I'll leave it to you."

"Love... then I'll take it, Abraham! So who is it?"

As Oh Hye-in raised her hand and volunteered, asking that question.

Knock, knock, knock.

With the knocking sound, the door slowly opened. And through the gap, red hair peeked out. A slightly high-pitched voice was heard.

"Um, is this... the simulation? The one said to be full of knowledge about romance?"

It was Selvia, the creator's childhood friend.

===============================================================

She had felt the crisis for quite some time.

He already has two lovers. And they're both pretty and capable. The mission of squeezing in between them... was too high a wall for Selvia, who was facing her first love.

And good heavens, now that there had been a declaration of "kissing is allowed":

"Smooch, smooch, smooch, smooch."

"I can't... I can't breathe, Tower Master..."

Is that a woodpecker or a person? Watching someone who just starts with kissing no matter what they're doing makes her annoyed, sad, angry, and stressed.

Using the dress change strategy she taught to Niore would be overwhelmed by Agent Yuri Lanster, who had maxed out her sexiness stat.

In such a situation, she heard the devil's whisper:

"Hey, young lady. Do you desire power—?"

It was Aisha, MadMa's quasi-daughter and former Little Evil God.

"...Your name was Aisha, right? What kind of power are you talking about?"

"Kekeke, of course... the power to achieve victory on the battlefield of love."

"......"

"Just nod. No payment needed. If you just—agree, I'll tell you the strategy. I understand MadMa the most deeply."

Giggle, giggle. Aisha laughed sinisterly.

Such a suspicious offer, with unknown intentions... normally, she wouldn't have accepted it even out of pride. But Selvia was now cornered.

"...Let's hear it. What exactly is this power...?"

"The Purple Tower Master is reckless. She only knows how to express her affection but isn't sophisticated. That Yuri Lanster is the same. She's a natural-born powerhouse, so she succeeds without training. Get it? Among the heroines—there's no technician."

No technical expert.

"This is your opening. You need to take the position of romance technician to increase your competitiveness."

"If I could do that, I would have done it already!!"

"Listen. What if there was... a library where such romance techniques were compiled? If you studied and refined your skills by reading romance clichés—?"

"......"

Aisha's proposal sounded plausible. After wavering back and forth, Selvia finally took the devil's hand.

"...The 'Academy Team Competition' is coming up soon, so I'm busy and don't have much time. So just a little. I'll try it very briefly."

"Thaaaat's right. I'll put in a good word for you inside."

With Aisha's help, Selvia was able to enter the simulation and began learning countless modern romance clichés.

Aisha smiled with satisfaction. The reason she orchestrated this was simple.

"The debt for imposing the clothes-changing punishment on me... I'll repay it with this, MadMa!"

A gentleman's revenge is not late even after ten years.

By forcibly pushing Selvia into the already saturated romance battlefield, in the long term, she would make him listen to nagging from not two but three wives!

In the dead of night, Aisha's wicked laughter echoed through the research building.

===============================================================

The Mad Magician looked up at the building with satisfaction and clapped.

"Oh my, thank you for your hard work, Professor Al-something. The defensive magic on the mansion turned out excellently! You truly are a veteran Gold Tower magician!"

With shoulders rising like mountains from the praise, Professor Alejandro began fluently explaining his great achievement.

"Hmph, well... it's only natural for me. This 'Mansion of Glory,' enchanted with a complex composition of quintuple magic circles, may get scratched but will never collapse. If you were to suggest having a drink to celebrate, I wouldn't refuse..."

"That's a bit... My liver numbers haven't been good lately."

Having experienced endless drunken rambling before, MadMa carefully declined.

Set installation complete, item installation complete. With all settings finished, only the event remained. MadMa fiddled with a switch in his pocket and said:

"Shall we begin, the 'Academy Team Competition'...!"