Shounen [Webtoon] DICE by Yunhyunseok

[Impossibility]

A matter of interpretation. It's passive in the sense that she hasn't acted on it so far.

Taking the dice was the action. Carrying it around a school with students fighting over just that was the follow through.

Well, but Eunju's status on X's mind is her problem.

How does that in anyway conflict with what I just said?

Well, it matters because Eunju has to decide her priorities based on how her actions will affect her. So she does not need to factor Mio's convenience in it (not saying that she doesn't).

I didn't say she did. And this is about Mio's action. What does this have to do with Eunju's priorities. You somehow manage to inject her in components of the discussion that aren't even about her. And this whole she has to right to think only of herself is getting old, it isn't relevant to the discussion. And it is entirely disingenuous.

No, but given that the others' actions are rather predictable and there isn't much to interpret in them, exceptions made to X and Taebin, I am always inclined to analyse her. You must have noticed how shorter my comments are when she is not around in the chapter. And I have announced so much the moment I joined this forum.

Others actions are predictable? Eunju is the only person in this manhwa that has stuck to an absolute moral outlook. She is inherently the most predictable character. I understand that you like her, however, it isn't because she's less predictable.

Well, you did begin this by contradicting my statements. If contradicted, I am inclined to respond. Isn't this how discussions begin?

I'm not saying that I disagree, I'm saying that describing my criticism of Eunju as damning is over the top, considering that the worst I've said doesn't come close to that sentiment.

Sure, but again, why should this factor in her calculations?

Honestly? You say that her actions will only affect her, I remind you that it will affect everyone.... and somehow we're off on another tangent, again. Quite frankly, this question has been asked and answered. And if the response to criticisms of a character's choices end up leading to the defence posing the question of why that character should care anybody else...the discussion is probably a waste of time. If anyone else used this line of reasoning over and over again to defend another character, you'd find it as ridiculous as I find it now. Why should X factor the effects on anyone else in his calculations? Why should Mooyoung?

It doesn't, but since she will be punished on the doing (it's pretty certain that she will be harmed if someone comes for her Dice, or worse, she will become a Dicer, what she hates the most), and she only came to make such decisions because of what preceded and the predicament she was put in by forces out of her control, her share of blame is minimal in comparison to the others'.

That's at least progress.

While I admit, and have always done so, that I am focused on Eunju, let's not forget that you are the one who, by posting the second comment, makes the conscious decision to engage me in discussion… which gaves me great pleasure. And since what we disagree about is Eunju, that's where the discussion goes. Your hypothesis on what would happen if I chose to write about Dongtae is probably true, and then again a truism: discussions are based on disagreements.

Reread my first post here, please, you will see that I came here in full knowledge I would be ignored. I write here primarily as a record to myself. If I decide to engage an Eunju-hater elsewhere, I can always come here, copy and paste, because for a long while I have been able to predict their every reaction to a chapter (not that it is difficult, anyway). I normally read reactions to chapters at Dicescans, Mangahere, Kissmanga and Mangafox, but only intervene when I find something I haven't addressed in my writings here before, and this is getting less and less common. If I wanted to engage in a heated conversation, I would post primarily in these places where I know my responses would elicit immediate reactions. I prefer to do it here.

What is wrong in trying to predict how your opponents are going to argue?

And if you mean "exhaustive" as in "leaving no stone unturned", I'll accept it as a compliment. If you mean you are exhausted to read them, that's easily solved, isn't it?

The issue is that none of those opponents are here. So when you post something and it focuses heavily on what readers might say, the assumption is going to be that it's directed to someone here. I doubt there's any intention to do so, however, it almost amounts to baiting. And there isn't anything inherently wrong with trying to predict how your opponents are going to argue, it's how you go about it. And to put a question to you, what's wrong with judging the astuteness of a character's actions and the motivations behind it?

Sure, I concede the point. But there's no problem there, right? One addresses what one finds interesting or important, and in the case of DICE, it is Eunju for me.

No, there isn't much of a problem. It's just ironic, considering your first post.

 

[kendama]

I didn't say she did. And this is about Mio's action. What does this have to do with Eunju's priorities. You somehow manage to inject her in components of the discussion that aren't even about her. And this whole she has to right to think only of herself is getting old, it isn't relevant to the discussion. And it is entirely disingenuous.

Actually, I sincerely thought you were talking about Eunju, because from the moment I agreed that Mio had the right to do it in that she had the might, I thought we had both reached an agreement, even more so because you chose not to discuss that.

I'm just saying, over and over, that Eunju is just as entitled as Mio to follow her own judgement regardless of how it affects the others. It the others don't tolerate that, then it becomes just power play. But Mio cannot (other than by her power) lay any claim to Eunju's Dice justified on her own priorities. In other words, this situation is morally neutral.

Others actions are predictable? Eunju is the only person in this manhwa that has stuck to an absolute moral outlook. She is inherently the most predictable character. I understand that you like her, however, it isn't because she's less predictable.

Actually, you misunderstand. Having an absolute moral outlook immediately leads to the question: when does this character break?

And that is what interests me. How far Eunju can go. That's what I find unpredictable in the first place.

Sure, it's predictable if we assume the outlook is absolute, which you seem to have done. But just as in the Book of Job, the thrill is in seeing every new tribulation and wondering whether the character will resist temptation one more time, and how their righteousness will lead them to salvation if possible.

The other characters are corruptible or corrupted, I see no hidden depths to them. Even if I cannot predict their every action, what they do doesn't surprise me, whereas Eunju's very existence is a surprise in a world of Dicers. That's my take on the matter.

This is a very indirect piece of evidence, but it seems that, in view of the discussion trends elsewhere, Eunju is the most interesting character in terms of how long people discuss her. Even in the forums I don't interfere in, like Mangafox (I have exactly one comment there), where the Eunju thread is the largest. Or Kissmanga, where all the comments in chapter 98 (last time I checked there were some 20) were maligning her. Even her detractors have much more to say on her than on anyone else. It was also like this in Batoto, even before I joined the discussion.

I'm not saying that I disagree, I'm saying that describing my criticism of Eunju as damning is over the top, considering that the worst I've said doesn't come close to that sentiment.

You are right, I chose my words wrongly there. I retract what I said.

Honestly? You say that her actions will only affect her, I remind you that it will affect everyone.... and somehow we're off on another tangent, again. Quite frankly, this question has been asked and answered. And if the response to criticisms of a character's choices end up leading to the defence posing the question of why that character should care anybody else...the discussion is probably a waste of time. If anyone else used this line of reasoning over and over again to defend another character, you'd find it as ridiculous as I find it now. Why should X factor the effects on anyone else in his calculations? Why should Mooyoung?

Precisely. Why should they? (Nah, just kidding.)

However, in the case of Mooyoung or X, we have already seen the effects of their actions. We already know where they stand.

In the case of Eunju, until her actions do backfire, on her or someone else, I see no reason for prejudgement. Can you tell me where I prejudged Mooyoung or X?

I would also venture to say that Eunju, by being a non-Dicer, is insulated from any share of of blame in what happens to Dicers as consequence of their Dicership. It's the Nuremberg principle again. Her responsibilities are different in that none of this is of her making. Dongtae, Taebin and Mio have to answer for what happens to other Dicers. In principle, Eunju only has to answer for what happens to herself, at least until the point she makes a deliberate decision that may harm someone else. There is no symmetry here, because these characters made different choices regarding Dice.

There is also the matter of intent. We know X and Mooyoung intend to harm other people, and Eunju doesn't. So the worst that can be imputed to her is imprudence or recklessness. And what I have tried to say is that I don't see her during the War as being reckless or imprudent, which you disagree with.

And this is also why Dongtae and Mio, and probably Taebin, are on the "good" side. Even if they made awful choices, their intent remains on the same side as Eunju. But that doesn't put them on the same non-culpability group as her where Dice are regarded.

That's at least progress.

Thank you. I also saw progress when you said in the preceding post that your "mild criticism of her actions based on her motivations and their potential ramifications is somehow problematic".

The issue is that none of those opponents are here. So when you post something and it focuses heavily on what readers might say, the assumption is going to be that it's directed to someone here. I doubt there's any intention to do so, however, it almost amounts to baiting. And there isn't anything inherently wrong with trying to predict how your opponents are going to argue, it's how you go about it. And to put a question to you, what's wrong with judging the astuteness of a character's actions and the motivations behind it?

Mr Impossibility, how could it have crossed your mind that I could be baiting you? I have always known of your measured, thought-out stance on Eunju. I abhor troll behaviour and would never drop any comment like this in a forum full of people who hate Eunju passionately.

As for "how I go about it", can you clarify it? If you find legitimate cause to fault my behaviour, I'll be the first to acknowledge it and try to mend my ways.

And to answer your question: nothing, only in the case of Eunju you disagreed with my assessment. But it took a while for me to understand that you were worried about potential ramifications of her actions globally, at first I thought you were concerned with how those actions might inconvenience the other characters.

So far, I don't think astuteness has factored in anyone's decisions, but Eunju is the only one who did something I consider mildly productive, i.e. sorting out where Taebin stands (to know whether he is trustworthy) and finding Hood's identity (without stupidly asking Hood himself). Given her own lack of power and current predicament, I find those actions in perfect agreement with her motivations and in no way detrimental to herself or anyone else.

No, there isn't much of a problem. It's just ironic, considering your first post.

If you are saying that because I came here disgusted at the vitriol I received elsewhere, forgive me, but neither of us has resorted to sophistry, personal attacks or the likes of them, and have respect each other's intellect, attacking (sometimes heatedly) arguments, not the person behind them. Maybe I was a little lukewarm in characterising discussions elsewhere as "acrimonious and confrontational". We could call the discussion here the same thing. What I really meant is people calling each other names and starting comments saying "I didn't even bother to read your post, but…"

And if you mean that because I said I would not change my mind on Eunju unless the series begins to show her in a different light, I see no irony there.

 

[Impossibility]

Actually, I sincerely thought you were talking about Eunju, because from the moment I agreed that Mio had the right to do it in that she had the might, I thought we had both reached an agreement, even more so because you chose not to discuss that.

I'm just saying, over and over, that Eunju is just as entitled as Mio to follow her own judgement regardless of how it affects the others. It the others don't tolerate that, then it becomes just power play. But Mio cannot (other than by her power) lay any claim to Eunju's Dice justified on her own priorities. In other words, this situation is morally neutral.

Everyone's entitled to follow their own judgment, that doesn't somehow deflect criticism of the decisions they make.


Actually, you misunderstand. Having an absolute moral outlook immediately leads to the question: when does this character break?

And that is what interests me. How far Eunju can go. That's what I find unpredictable in the first place.

Sure, it's predictable if we assume the outlook is absolute, which you seem to have done. But just as in the Book of Job, the thrill is in seeing every new tribulation and wondering whether the character will resist temptation one more time, and how their righteousness will lead them to salvation if possible.

The other characters are corruptible or corrupted, I see no hidden depths to them. Even if I cannot predict their every action, what they do doesn't surprise me, whereas Eunju's very existence is a surprise in a world of Dicers. That's my take on the matter.

This is a very indirect piece of evidence, but it seems that, in view of the discussion trends elsewhere, Eunju is the most interesting character in terms of how long people discuss her. Even in the forums I don't interfere in, like Mangafox (I have exactly one comment there), where the Eunju thread is the largest. Or Kissmanga, where all the comments in chapter 98 (last time I checked there were some 20) were maligning her. Even her detractors have much more to say on her than on anyone else. It was also like this in Batoto, even before I joined the discussion.

I understand your sentiments, I obviously don't feel the same way, but that's what happens. Although, I wouldn't confuse the amount of discussion with interest in a character. She's very unpopular, unpopular characters generate a lot of discussion in the endless back and forth between the many who criticise and those who defend. As you point out, most of the comments are probably barely better than absolute drivel.

Precisely. Why should they? (Nah, just kidding.)

However, in the case of Mooyoung or X, we have already seen the effects of their actions. We already know where they stand.

In the case of Eunju, until her actions do backfire, on her or someone else, I see no reason for prejudgement. Can you tell me where I prejudged Mooyoung or X?

I would also venture to say that Eunju, by being a non-Dicer, is insulated from any share of of blame in what happens to Dicers as consequence of their Dicership. It's the Nuremberg principle again. Her responsibilities are different in that none of this is of her making. Dongtae, Taebin and Mio have to answer for what happens to other Dicers. In principle, Eunju only has to answer for what happens to herself, at least until the point she makes a deliberate decision that may harm someone else. There is no symmetry here, because these characters made different choices regarding Dice.

There is also the matter of intent. We know X and Mooyoung intend to harm other people, and Eunju doesn't. So the worst that can be imputed to her is imprudence or recklessness. And what I have tried to say is that I don't see her during the War as being reckless or imprudent, which you disagree with.

And this is also why Dongtae and Mio, and probably Taebin, are on the "good" side. Even if they made awful choices, their intent remains on the same side as Eunju. But that doesn't put them on the same non-culpability group as her where Dice are regarded.

I'm not saying you pre-judged X or Mooyoung, although I imagine that at some point we've speculated on them... it'd be pretty difficult not to when they've been cast as the villains. What I'm simply saying is that consistently mentioning free-will and egoism as a defence just doesn't make sense; it adds nothing, and can be used to justify anything.

Thank you. I also saw progress when you said in the preceding post that your "mild criticism of her actions based on her motivations and their potential ramifications is somehow problematic".

That was purely meant to indicate your perspective, I've made it clear that I think it's reasonable, appropriate, and something we've done on multiple occasions.

Mr Impossibility, how could it have crossed your mind that I could be baiting you? I have always known of your measured, thought-out stance on Eunju. I abhor troll behaviour and would never drop any comment like this in a forum full of people who hate Eunju passionately.

As for "how I go about it", can you clarify it? If you find legitimate cause to fault my behaviour, I'll be the first to acknowledge it and try to mend my ways.

As I said, I don't believe that there was any intent to do so. However, when there's only two of us in the thread, that sort of comment is almost certainly going to elicit a reaction. As a rule, unless, it's in reference to a specific comment or post, it's probably best to avoid directly addressing readers or members, particularly when they're grouped as "haters" or its inverse, "fanboys". This section is a lot less active and contentious, however, if something akin to your post had appeared in one of the sections I moderate, I'd immediately be weary of the flame war that would almost certainly result. Whenever a post calls out a subsection of readers negatively, it's going to draw attention, and it generally isn't going to be positive.

So far, I don't think astuteness has factored in anyone's decisions, but Eunju is the only one who did something I consider mildly productive, i.e. sorting out where Taebin stands (to know whether he is trustworthy) and finding Hood's identity (without stupidly asking Hood himself). Given her own lack of power and current predicament, I find those actions in perfect agreement with her motivations and in no way detrimental to herself or anyone else.

I agree, and that's why I regularly criticise the decision-making that's going on. This wasn't any different.

 

[kendama]

Spoiler

Everyone's entitled to follow their own judgment, that doesn't somehow deflect criticism of the decisions they make.

I think we loop back here, because I return to my usual stance: sure, but in the case of Eunju I am more aware of avoiding pre-judgements because I think she deserves closer scrutiny due to her peculiar status in the story. Also, the others' actions, because they partake in the ongoing battle directly, tend to backfire immediately on the spot, so the window of time between a prejudgement and its being vindicated (or less often, contradicted) is quite small. As opposed to Eunju's, which so far haven't backfired on her or anyone else. So given her track record, shouldn't we show her more leniency? At least that's what I do regarding her: "Let's wait and see." Even more so, I should add, because every single call of her in the story so far has been either correct or neutral.

I understand your sentiments, I obviously don't feel the same way, but that's what happens. Although, I wouldn't confuse the amount of discussion with interest in a character. She's very unpopular, unpopular characters generate a lot of discussion in the endless back and forth between the many who criticise and those who defend. As you point out, most of the comments are probably barely better than absolute drivel.

Ah, don't worry, I know that, I was just being a little provocative. But the Mangafox thread on Eunju, I must say, is far behind us here in the dissection, but they are way more measured than the average.

In any case, I don't see as much discussion on Dongtae's morality or the consequences of his actions, even though he is the protagonist. Baam in ToG is way more discussed, even if we control the intensity of the discussion for the popularity of the series. I can only say this is probably because there isn't so much to discuss, because Dongtae's character is by now well understood. However, I am surprised that almost no one has pointed out his contradictions so far (other than the people here).

May I also add that, just as in the case of ToG's Rachel, the discussion on Eunju is 99% of the time an echo chamber of contempt. There is no "back and forth" between attackers and defenders, because there are very few of the latter. I can actually count them in my fingers. It's not a balanced discussion like, say, on Ayana Fujisawa's actions in Revenge Classroom at Batoto.

I find this behaviour actually fascinating, because Rachel is deliberately designed by the author to be seen as a villain, but Eunju clearly isn't, and yet no matter what she does, she doesn't earn any sympathy from readers. And I think that this dissonance indicates something - something ugly - in what readers feel about the premises of this series.

I'm not saying you pre-judged X or Mooyoung, although I imagine that at some point we've speculated on them... it'd be pretty difficult not to when they've been cast as the villains. What I'm simply saying is that consistently mentioning free-will and egoism as a defence just doesn't make sense; it adds nothing, and can be used to justify anything.

That's where intention enters. One of the reasons I like Eunju is that she is the one character who could sit this out with a clean conscience and still doesn't.

Not all situations are morally neutral for the person taking the decision. I cannot possibly use free will and egoism to justify, for example, a sudden decision of Dongtae to stop protecting people, even leaving aside that as a Dicer, he can be and has been forced to get involved by X.

And that is what I have been trying to say. The moment Dicers make the decision to become X's puppets, they share collective responsibility for the consequences. This cannot possibly apply to Eunju. (Again, the Nuremberg principle.)

All the people in the school are Dicers (well, except Hyunjo), so there is no a priori reason for Eunju to factor them in her own decisions. If she chooses to get involved, it's because she chose a path of solidarity (in addition to self-interest in finding a way to defeat X). The others had very little choice.

As I said, I don't believe that there was any intent to do so. However, when there's only two of us in the thread, that sort of comment is almost certainly going to elicit a reaction. As a rule, unless, it's in reference to a specific comment or post, it's probably best to avoid directly addressing readers or members, particularly when they're grouped as "haters" or its inverse, "fanboys". This section is a lot less active and contentious, however, if something akin to your post had appeared in one of the sections I moderate, I'd immediately be weary of the flame war that would almost certainly result. Whenever a post calls out a subsection of readers negatively, it's going to draw attention, and it generally isn't going to be positive.

Oh, rest assured I calculate that very carefully. I only took the liberty of labelling a subset of readers so because I knew they never come here, which is the reason I chose this forum in the first place. And I am sorry if you felt included. But if I may add, I don't really think of anyone in particular when I am writing. I do let my feelings (in this case, of disapproval for mindless bashing of a character elsewhere) transpire, but I don't rub my hands and cherry-pick terms trying to be provocative. If anything, I would be weary of a knee-jerk reaction to my posts and if a flame was erupted, I'd probably take my posts elsewhere.

In any case, I would imagine Eunju haters would be proud of being called such, as I don't have any trouble and readily admit to being her fanboy.

I agree, and that's why I regularly criticise the decision-making that's going on. This wasn't any different.

Well, as I said, it touched a matter of my interest and that was why I engaged you in discussion. There isn't any more to it.

The chapter is out. I've written an explanation on blind betting and how I think it applies in the release post. I have a few things to say about the chapter, but won't do it first for a change.

 

[Impossibility]

X is always chatty, however, he was pretty aggressive this chapter. It was a bit odd. Other than that, the chapter was simply about the next target. The teacher seems to be making his move with a rather unsuspecting target. In a way, Mio and Eunju are fortunate. Of the potential opponents, he's probably the easiest to take on. He has the least experience, probably the fewest dice of any A-ranker, and his A-rank ability is probably the least useful in the current environment.

 

[kendama]

Spoiler

Hmmm... I don't see much change in X' behaviour. He was pretty nasty during Byungchul's funeral, and during the Icarus Arc while talking to Eunju. Being just a kid, his emotions are undeveloped and he treats everything in a dismissive, careless way. In a sense, the way he mocked Gilma's group while they were being savagely beaten by Dongtae in the Dominoes Arc was horrible, but since they were getting their just deserts we didn't notice. It just becomes more pronounced because he is addressing the protagonist, I think.

Now, things that called my attention in this chapter.

First, lemme have some fun with symbolism. Post-modern analysis of art holds it that any interpretation is valid in the sense that if a work of art was able to evoke that interpretation in the minds of the recipient, said interpretation must be legitimate. I don't like this degree of relativism, but it's a danger we incur whenever trying to see symbolic meaning in things, because we're always under the risk of projecting our own biases onto the thing we are analysing. However, post-modernist would contend that since everyone is like that, and it's unavoidable, being aware of it is better than pretending to be impartial.

That being said, it gave me endless amusement while editing this chapter to find that the next target is an Ethics teacher. I'm surprised nobody else noticed, or cared about enough to comment, the irony, because I was chuckling all the way along when I typeset it. I mean, the author is almost grabbing his main thesis and concussing us in the head with it: "Hellooo-oo! Are we on the same page, now? Dice are not compatible with Ethics!"

Now let's stretch this a little further just for the fun of it.

i. X is out to destroy Ethics.

ii. Dongtae, Che-hyun and Mio want to protect Ethics but don't know where to find it.

iii. Teacher Kim will finally make a move, and against teacher Chun. In other words, Ethics is the first victim of Greed.

iv. Eunju is the only person left who knows what Ethics is and who can lead others to it.



Okay, I have enjoyed my private joke.

Now, when I was preparing the release, I said to myself: "People are going to criticise Dongtae for not attacking Hood while he was paralysed by Time Pause". And sure enough, this morning I saw precisely that in a comment at Dicescans.

I have given the matter some thought, and ultimately I think Dongtae made the right call. Here are my reasons:

a. If Dongtae attacked Hood, the moment he landed the blow, Hood would be released from Time Pause. Dongtae doesn't know how strong Hood is, and especially how much he increased his Endurance with Dice. If he is a Tank Character like Daewoong, Dongtae's blow might be wholly ineffective and the next thing will be a freed Hood in a position to Attack.

b. Sure, Dongtae could land repeated blows alternated with Time Pause to try to knock Hood out, but that would consume precious Dice points the might need later, and there would still be no guarantee it would work. There is also the possibility that Hood knows tactics against Time Pausers, like Taebin's (maintaining direct contact while fighting).

c. The only thing that would work 100% sure would be to go for the kill... which Dongtae isn't ready to do.

Ergo, escaping was the best option. For once, I applaud Dongtae's decision.

I also like the fact that he seems to be giving serious thought to finding a way to defeat X. I knew he would eventually, but seeing confirmation is nice.

Well, Eunju is being fully cooperative and doing things even her detractors must agree are constructive, so I'll leave her be for this chapter, I don't need to praise her more than I already do.

I am more curious about Kim's expression in the last panel. For someone who was laughing maniacally in the end of chapter 86, I was surprised to see the combination of - remorse? lack of determination? It seems our calculating teacher is seriously conflicted to injure a colleague with whom he is on friendly terms. Still some humanity left in him, I suppose.

While I have to agree that it is fortunate that Mio and Eunju are going to face Kim, I really hope Mio has shown some of Dongtae's prescience, or that she at least has enough Dice to purchase store items, because I don't think she has any superhuman skills like Dongtae. Her rescue of Eunju in the Light & Shadow Arc showed she only has some increased agility, or maybe even normal agility. I would venture to say that she has spent most of her 125 Dice on her looks. But Kim is a grown young man, and looks very strong, too, so a frontal attack without Dice to back her up will be almost certainly end in failure.

The Cloaking Die may tip the balance and allow Mio to put Kim out of action in a sneak attack. Let's see how the two girls strategise: right now, they have to be lucky enough to find him. Will they make it to the auditorium before the two teachers leave?

By the way, are the phones out of action even for sending messages between Dicers inside the school? Can't Mio text Dongtae saying they found the identity of the teacher? Dongtae's mere presence is enough to tip the scales and ensure victory against Kim, after all.

Hood has brought Samsusaeng back... and Taebin is just around the corner... let's see what the issue of this is. I have this crazy theory that Taebin and Mooyoung may be the same person with a split personality, but it is too far-fetched and I don't think it is true, but let's see.

Chapter 101 is out. A quintessential set-up chapter, characters were just positioning themselves for the climax.

We're getting decent glimpses of X, and we get to know what chess piece each character corresponds to in his mind. Eunju is the White Queen (we already knew that), Mio is a Black Bishop and so on. Dongtae is a pawn (we know it from chapter 66; of course, pawns can become Queens if they cross the chessboard). Still, I think this is only trivia and has no real importance.

The only interesting thing is that teacher Kim may be a good person and trying to protect teacher Chun. Given his maniacal laughter on chapter 86 and some of his expressions ever since, I'd be surprised, but maybe he is really trying to ease his consciousness by at least letting teacher Chun know about Dice and allowing him to have a word before attacking him. You know, those characters that try to get their victims to "forgive" them in advance by saying that there is a good justification for what they are going to do: "Well, if it were to save the world, hurting one person would be a low price to pay" and things like that.

So Kim may be looking for atonement and in that case, we might be in for a lesson in Ethics in the next chapter! And frankly, other than Eunju everyone is in dire need of one in this series...

 

[Impossibility]

The best thing about this chapter was X giving the characters his own nicknames. Other than that, the only thing the chapter held was the suggestion that Kim isn't exactly what he may have seemed, although I'm going to find it difficult to see him as anything other than a villain after that laugh.

 

[kendama]

Chapter 102 is up.

Nothing really happens in it. It's a filler chapter. Clearly, the author had a reason to extend this arc. Maybe he needs to meet some deadline or achieve a number of chapters before he leaves for holidays. I wouldn't know.

I see no point in the events. Teacher Kim is shown to be a crook (I chose the word myself while proofreading the script), but that's all we gain from it. If the quest is to incapacitate the target, there is no reason why teacher Kim couldn't have done it there and then in that room. Why does he need to take teacher Chun elsewhere?

(Another person suggested that from Kim's point of view, Mio doesn't know he is a Dicer - he doesn't know she is a Clairvoyant - and so he is putting up an act not to expose himself as an A-Ranker, and wants to take the teacher to a place where he can dispose of him without drawing suspicion to himself. Sorta makes sense, I guess.)

Another small deus ex machina (or Ass Pull if you are in a bad mood) was the "bug" caused by the Peace Barrier that enabled Eunju to call Dongtae and tell him where to go. There has never been a bug in the Dice Sytem before, and I doubt a hyper-technological system that bends the laws of nature would be that fallible. Well, there was the precedent of Byungchul successfully hacking it, so maybe it is imperfect after all, but it left a bad aftertaste.

Whatever. The art is beautiful, the plot isn't compromised, Eunju had some screen time, I can live with these minor faults. It was good to watch teacher Kim's cunning in action, too.

Can't wait for the next chapter!

 

[Impossibility]

This seemed like an absolute waste of time. I don't see any reason for such a convoluted approach. If it was his intent to be discreet, he was already behind closed doors. Dragging it out only provided more opportunities for someone to intervene. Even without Dice he probably would've been able to take down the old man quickly. In reality, this should've been finished long before Mio and Eunju even showed up.

 

[kendama]

Chapter 103 is up.

Well, I am ready to forgive the roundabout, seemingly pointless way the author has made teacher Kim go about attacking teacher Chun. If any justification is needed, I can just ascribe it to a certain hesitancy to do it in an upfront way, so Kim chose a sneak attack whereby teacher Chun won't even realise what happened to him. Besides, it gave me an opportunity to have a good laugh at the strategy Kim used.

However, this chapter brought a very interesting development. Teacher Kim is the very first person who has realised X is a child. In this he went a step further than Dawn, who had guessed correctly that he is a person. I'm a bit disappointed because I had hoped Eunju would be the one to crack the enygma, but teacher Kim makes more sense, because he can see things from the perspective of an adult. I wonder whether this piece of information, which may prove crucial, will reach Dongtae and his allies.

As for the rest of the chapter, the discussion on choice is very clever, but what caught my attention was the fact that we may be in for a Taebin versus Hood fight.

Well, I've been reading the Long Day Arc and have a guess about who Hood is.

We have always assumed from whom Mooyoung harvests the A-Rank Dice die, and Taebin has said himself that is what probably happens and the reason the Soul Die appears. However, towards the end of the Long Day Arc, Taebin and X have a rare conversation and in it X proposes Taebin stop hiding and rejoining the older Dicers.

Hmmm… of course he could be talking about other people, but given what we know about Taebin's past story, the only older Dicers he knows are the group he belonged to in his previous school. I mentioned it as wild speculation in a previous post when the idea occurred to me, but I'll reinforce it here: what if Mooyoung has somehow come to control the other Dicers, or they have somehow regained their Dicer status and are now coming for Taebin?

There's still the cryptic remark by that student Hood interrogated right in the beginning of the War: he expressed surprise at Hood's voice. Maybe it doesn't sound human? I dunno.

In any case, my current bet, if this hypothesis is true, is that Hood is Gibaek, Taebin's former friend who had Psychokinesis. Why he would be obsessed with finding him I wouldn't know: maybe he thinks Taebin is somehow to blame for what happened to him, or maybe he blames him for letting Dawn die. It's anyone's guess, really.

I'm also wondering who will be the first one to arrive at the storage room: Samsusaeng, Taebin and the others, or Mio and Eunju? Somehow I'm betting on the girls, because they are the only ones who know their precise location. Dongtae will have to do a search even if he uses Time Pause and ditto for Samsusaeng with Teleportation. Incidentally, with only six Dice from Che-hyun, Dongtae has around 21 points or three and a half minutes of stopped time, give or take a few seconds left from the previous Dice he received. It's not enough to carry an exhaustive search of the building, even if the three boys split up.

One final remark: I really like teacher Chun's mindset. It is very similar to Eunju's by the way. The assertion that our troubles make up who we are as much as our successes is a very sound notion. Like her, he doesn't try to find shortcuts in life. Bravo, teacher Chun!

 

[Impossibility]

Outside of the brief focus on X's character and the apparent run-up to the meeting between Taebin and Hood, this chapter seemed somewhat wasted. Honestly, this is a completely pointless way of taking out the old man, even if his method was surprising.

 

[POW]

Wow I just stumbled onto this comic by accident and started reading. I honestly didn't think I would be that interested but it turned out to be really fun to read.

- Took me about 2 secs to realize it was Korean comic after I saw the phrase "bread shuttle" and "saved the country in another life" I was sure of it.

 

[kendama]

Wow I just stumbled onto this comic by accident and started reading. I honestly didn't think I would be that interested but it turned out to be really fun to read.

- Took me about 2 secs to realize it was Korean comic after I saw the phrase "bread shuttle" and "saved the country in another life" I was sure of it.

Welcome to the forum. Impossibility and I have been the only commentators for the past six months, so a third poster for a change is a pleasant surprise.

Yes, it is very interesting, isn't it? Well, I am one of the Manga Editors so I am biased. Our releases are weekly and I normally write a heads-up here when the new chapter is out.

 

[Son-Derling]

awww....kendama is feeling a little lonley here?
maybe i should not just read but also write a little bit but after such boring chapters with stupid story and no real overall reveal to the whole big picture (well the characters now know what we know since chapter 0 so this could be considered a little piece of the overall picture)...i never know what to write!

 

[kendama]

Spoiler

awww....kendama is feeling a little lonley here?
maybe i should not just read but also write a little bit but after such boring chapters with stupid story and no real overall reveal to the whole big picture (well the characters now know what we know since chapter 0 so this could be considered a little piece of the overall picture)...i never know what to write!

Nah, not really lonely. After all, I could go to livelier places where discussion is more intense (MF, Kissmanga etc.) if I wanted. I made a deliberate choice to write here because it is more quiet. (Well, there is also the fact that in most other places the discussion is not so well developed. Many are just rehashing old issues that don't bring in anything new.) Still, I never thought the discussion would be reduced to two people.

I see you favour plot progression. On my side, I really liked the current stream of chapters because they allow me to know what the characters are thinking. Because DICE is fundamentally about morality, the decision-making process of characters is important to me. The plot will come in due time. I would be disappointed if we just saw the characters doing things just because, I want to know the reasoning that leads a Dicer to kill a person, how they justify it to themselves and so on. I also find it very important to understand how slowly Dongtae comes to realise what is wrong with Dice.

Yes, we have known everything from chapter zero, but it's from that comfortable position that I want to watch the protagonists toil away. That is, in my opinion, more important than the "big picture". The mysteries surrounding how the kid in the prologue became X, where the Dice come from and what is the real meaning of the Final Die are secondary to me.

Spoiler

Chapter 104 is up.

I didn't expect teacher Kim to have such an easy victory. And quite frankly, I liked it: the more I think about it, the more I think it wouldn't have been so cool if he had done it by beating teacher Chun into a pulp. And to be honest, I have grown to believe that this way, though roundabout, saved teacher Kim a scene. There is also the fact that there is a difference between killing a person via a clever ruse and doing it with their own hands: not everyone is ready to spend several minutes hurting a human being, especially one who counted them as a friend. And this way we had a nice discussion, so I am fully satisfied now.

To more important matters.

There are two attitudes towards DICE (the series) that I have thought about because many have expressed them:

i. There are readers who think X is the problem, and Dice are not intrinsically bad.

ii. There are readers who think X is not the problem, people are just naturally inclined to harm each other in pursuit of their desires.

I think (ii) has been safely debated and disposed of, here and elsewhere, and even in the story.

I have discussed (i), too, and said in previous posts, also here and elsewhere, why I think it is misguided. Others have articulated it similarly. The argument is multi-pronged, but because it was revealed in this chapter that it is what Dongtae believes (or at least the notion to which he is desperately clinging), I'll reproduce the main points here briefly:

a. Dice are power, and power corrupts (Lord Acton). Especially if it is power that comes at no, or disproportionately low cost. Giving immense supernatural power to random people at no cost in self-improvement, moral development or suffering is bound to result in what has happened: spoiled brats trying to solve all their problems via shortcuts. That would have happened even if vicious quests had not been attached to Dice.

b. Sungchul nailed it: if everyone obtained Dice equally, nothing would change. People don't want to excel alone: they want to be better than the others. So no matter the setting, there will always be Dicers trying to hog all Dice, or surpass their fellows. As Miju said of Dongtae's guild: "That shit is useless."

c. Blaming X for the quests does not exempt Dicers from the responsibility for having accepted them. The same is true for Dice: it's not because someone had a dark desire without them that it is a good thing to give them a tool that will allow them to indulge that desire with impunity. And since we cannot tell who those people are in advance, there is no rational way to control distribution of Dice.

Thus, Dice are bad. Intrinsically so. There is no way around it. Period.

Dongtae's fool's errand this chapter was sad to watch. He really doesn't get it. Neither do the other Dicers, but Dongtae is worse, because this chapter proves that he has been thinking about that, and that Eunju's words from chapter 56 are still haunting him. And yet he has failed to acknowledge this simple fact that Eunju understood from the get-go.

Well, symbolically speaking, Ethics are dead in the school now. The author isn't even subtle about it. Only Eunju has the right to mourn it. And Dongtae has failed. Will he finally awaken to the real problem, or is he going to persist in error? I can't wait to see.

But I'll leave the matter now and turn to details of the chapter.

Man, teacher Kim is a great villain. He is clever, he is bold and he is devious. It's a great delight to see him in action, how his face lets transpire his greed and expectation. I hope he isn't defeated very soon.

And team Dongtae is hopeless. They are just running around without a plan. Now they have run out of their precious few Dice. Not that they could have done much, but I suppose they could have unfrozen some students in the auditorium and asked them whether they knew where Mio and Eunju, or the teachers, had gone to. They will begin the third period at a serious disadvantage.

Well, at least we confirm with this chapter that Che-hyun is indeed an ally. He was worrying about Dongtae in inner monologue, which is a narrative device used to expose one's true intentions. When a character is a villain in disguise, they are unlikely to behave like that in inner monologue, and authors will either refrain from using this tool, or will only show them musing about unrelated subjects.

Ah, yes, I have been thinking and I'm going to place a bet on the outcome of the War Quest: it will end with the Attack Team's victory, probably with a terrible loss to Dongtae. Mainly for plot reasons: if Defence wins, leaking Attack Dicers' information to them will make no difference, because neither Dongtae nor Mio want to engage in PVP. For progression of the story, the thing that makes sense is for Dongtae and Mio's data to be released to the others, because that will force Dongtae to fight in self-defence and to protect Mio. His life will devolve even further into hell. Given his reflections during this chapter, my prediction is that his life will be made even worse.

I compared Eunju, and later found out so had the author in chapter 85, to the Biblical character Job. Actually, X used Satan's lines against her in that chapter. However, the kind of tribulation Dongtae is being put through due to his belief in Dice is also Jobbian in essence. The great moral question of this series is who is going to break first: Eunju from her conviction that Dice are pernicious, or Dongtae from his that they are not? My side is chosen and it's not hard to guess whom I favour and why. I'll be severely pissed if the author chooses the other option, because it makes no ethical, moral or any kind of sense at all.

One more thing: it may be a mistake in the art, but the Dice around teacher Chun's body are red. This implies teacher Kim has already received his reward and activated it.

Well, right now I'm curious about the meeting of Hood and Taebin. We have republished chapter 85 and I was reminded that in it we see a lock of long bluish hair protruding out the hood. That is possibly a hint, but I don't know of what.

Spoiler

Chapter 105 is up.

While typesetting it, I felt like punching a wall in frustration at Mio and Dongtae's obtuseness. So, Eunju, allow me to put some words in your mouth.

Mio: So you're saying that ultimately, we're just moving according to X's whims?

Eunju: Yes, you retard! That's what I'm saying! Dimwit, shit for brains! What else do I need to do to get it into that thick, pretty skull of yours?!

Seriously, the author has thrown subtlety to the dogs and keeps one-upping himself in straightforwardness. Morally or intellectually comparing any of the other protagonists to Eunju is like comparing the Sun to Betelgeuse. The girl has understood every single one of X's schemes so far. She isn't even a Dicer and understands the situation just as well as Hood of all people!

And yes, Mio, what on Earth are you chasing teacher Kim for, you fool? What do you think you can accomplish if you catch him? Do you realise in five minutes he would have acquired your Clairvoyance and Eunju's Cloaking Die?

Well, X is making another attempt at winning Eunju over. This can go Book of Job again and she refuses; or it can go Beyond Good and Evil and she will finally decide to stare into the abyss. I frankly hope she refuses again, as it is more consistent with her character, including the fact that she doesn't usually believe anything X says, much less the specious promises he uses to bait prospective preys. However, Eunju's corruption would highlight the evilness of Dice and I suppose that could work as well, provided that the author does it properly.

(X is pulling no punches, too. Revealing the third period target in advance to a non-Dicer… that caught me by surprise.)

I'm relieved teacher Chun is still alive, but that changes nothing, so I hope Dongtae begins to think the matter properly now.

It seems we're in for an explanatory chapter next. And finding out Hood's identity, too. I for one cannot wait.

Chapter 106 is up.

Three things to discuss: the big reveal, Mio's hypocrisy and Eunju's wavering.

The big reveal:

Well, the author managed to throw us in the wrong way very effectively. A few posts ago, I said that I suspected Hood was a girl because that student had found something strange with her voice. However, everyone kept addressing Hood as "he". Then I thought it was Gibaek, because Air Gravity seemed to be a form of manipulation of matter, thus a derivative of Psychokinesis. Now it turns out it was a derivative of Levitation, and Hood is Dawn.

However, it seems my earlier crazy theory is true: Mooyoung and Taebin are the same person.

Well, sort of. From what teacher Kim is seeing, it seems Taebin's status oscillates, so it is safer to say that he "hides" Mooyoung within himself, or something like that.

My problem with my own theory was that chapters 12-13 are in third person narration (as opposed to the Taebin (Mooyoung) Arc, which is narrated by Taebin and thus could be a product of his imagination), which seems to indicate that the incident where Taebin was saved by Mooyoung really happened. So at least until a certain point, the two seem to have had distinct existences. However, since Jihae said that Mooyoung is a different being, and Dawn seems to be blaming Taebin for everything that happened, I am led to conclude that right now Taebin and Mooyoung are a shared existence.

Which leads me to another crazy theory. Dawn asked Dongtae whether he had gotten his Die from Taebin. What if the person who gave you your first Die somehow comes to "own" your existence? That would explain Mooyoung's cryptic proposal to Taebin: "if you are going to take your life, how about giving it to me?"

If that is so, there are a few consequences:

i. Taebin is owned by Mooyoung. Maybe his former friends were, too, but somehow were released when Mooyoung was defeated by X.

ii. Because Dongtae did not receive his Die from Taebin, he is not owned by him or Mooyoung, but directly by X.

iii. Everyone else in the school is indirectly owned by Dongtae via Byungchul.

I wonder whether the key to defeat X doesn't have something to do with that. Well, we will see in due time.

Ah, yes, this chapter was firm indication that derivative skills have many levels and so far we have only seen level 02 skills. It appears Dawn and Taebin have both third level skills. Cannot wait to see what these are.

Eunju's wavering:

I don't have much to say here. Eunju is human, after all, and her desperation is reaching a point where she begins to doubt her decisions, even more so with X's persistent attempts to win her over. (And given my crazy speculation above, owning Eunju must be of direct interest to X. And let's bear in mind that her Dice are under the same circumstances as Dongtae's first, that is, they came directly from X and not from another Dicer.)

It's good that this time she had someone, Mio, to dissuade her. I'm beginning to fear that if X manages to control Eunju, things will become much more difficult for Dongtae, and not because Eunju will become an enemy.

However, although useful, Mio's speech was…

Mio's words:

… sheer hypocrisy. I mean, that was bizarre even for the kind of double standards Dicers normally apply.

I will discount it because Mio was trying her best to stop Eunju from listening to X, but her arguments had no place in her mouth.

How dare she use Eunju's ideals against her when she is against them herself? After all, if she weren't she wouldn't have embraced Dice in the first place!

And how can she tell Eunju with a straight face that this is a Dicer-only problem when she scolded her one chapter before, asking her whether she thought she was unaffected by the events just because she was not a Dicer? So Eunju is affected, but has no right to interfere, is that it? Mio has quite some nerve to say that!

Well, that being said, I am really eager to find out what will happen in the third period. I cannot even begin to fathom how just two Defenders can protect the entire student body from eight Attackers. Even if we discount Taebin, Che-hyun and Dawn, each A-Ranker only needs to attack thirteen people to win. And there are one thousand students in the school! X is really pulling out all the stops.

I can't wait for the next chapter.

Edit: Sigh… it's so depressing… visiting the comment sections of other forums, that is. The trend, always, is the same: Eunju can do no right, Mio and Dongtae can do no wrong. She was the only one to realise what was wrong with the War Quest and even so I found people complaining she didn't realise it sooner. But I did find someone defending her at Kissmanga, which was a surprise, I didn't think these people actually exist. And yet, I felt sad for them, out in a fool's errand like that. I thought of myself one year ago, debating each and every cipher again and again…

 

[POW]

WOOT I finally caught up just finished Ch 106 !



- i think this would make a fun forum game kind of like mafia or something.

- I would love to see a large tree map of all the skills and combos.

Spoiler

Nah, not really lonely. After all, I could go to livelier places where discussion is more intense (MF, Kissmanga etc.) if I wanted. I made a deliberate choice to write here because it is more quiet. (Well, there is also the fact that in most other places the discussion is not so well developed. Many are just rehashing old issues that don't bring in anything new.) Still, I never thought the discussion would be reduced to two people.

I see you favour plot progression. On my side, I really liked the current stream of chapters because they allow me to know what the characters are thinking. Because DICE is fundamentally about morality, the decision-making process of characters is important to me. The plot will come in due time. I would be disappointed if we just saw the characters doing things just because, I want to know the reasoning that leads a Dicer to kill a person, how they justify it to themselves and so on. I also find it very important to understand how slowly Dongtae comes to realise what is wrong with Dice.

Yes, we have known everything from chapter zero, but it's from that comfortable position that I want to watch the protagonists toil away. That is, in my opinion, more important than the "big picture". The mysteries surrounding how the kid in the prologue became X, where the Dice come from and what is the real meaning of the Final Die are secondary to me.

Spoiler

Chapter 104 is up.

I didn't expect teacher Kim to have such an easy victory. And quite frankly, I liked it: the more I think about it, the more I think it wouldn't have been so cool if he had done it by beating teacher Chun into a pulp. And to be honest, I have grown to believe that this way, though roundabout, saved teacher Kim a scene. There is also the fact that there is a difference between killing a person via a clever ruse and doing it with their own hands: not everyone is ready to spend several minutes hurting a human being, especially one who counted them as a friend. And this way we had a nice discussion, so I am fully satisfied now.

To more important matters.

There are two attitudes towards DICE (the series) that I have thought about because many have expressed them:

i. There are readers who think X is the problem, and Dice are not intrinsically bad.

ii. There are readers who think X is not the problem, people are just naturally inclined to harm each other in pursuit of their desires.

I think (ii) has been safely debated and disposed of, here and elsewhere, and even in the story.

I have discussed (i), too, and said in previous posts, also here and elsewhere, why I think it is misguided. Others have articulated it similarly. The argument is multi-pronged, but because it was revealed in this chapter that it is what Dongtae believes (or at least the notion to which he is desperately clinging), I'll reproduce the main points here briefly:

a. Dice are power, and power corrupts (Lord Acton). Especially if it is power that comes at no, or disproportionately low cost. Giving immense supernatural power to random people at no cost in self-improvement, moral development or suffering is bound to result in what has happened: spoiled brats trying to solve all their problems via shortcuts. That would have happened even if vicious quests had not been attached to Dice.

b. Sungchul nailed it: if everyone obtained Dice equally, nothing would change. People don't want to excel alone: they want to be better than the others. So no matter the setting, there will always be Dicers trying to hog all Dice, or surpass their fellows. As Miju said of Dongtae's guild: "That shit is useless."

c. Blaming X for the quests does not exempt Dicers from the responsibility for having accepted them. The same is true for Dice: it's not because someone had a dark desire without them that it is a good thing to give them a tool that will allow them to indulge that desire with impunity. And since we cannot tell who those people are in advance, there is no rational way to control distribution of Dice.

Thus, Dice are bad. Intrinsically so. There is no way around it. Period.

Dongtae's fool's errand this chapter was sad to watch. He really doesn't get it. Neither do the other Dicers, but Dongtae is worse, because this chapter proves that he has been thinking about that, and that Eunju's words from chapter 56 are still haunting him. And yet he has failed to acknowledge this simple fact that Eunju understood from the get-go.

Well, symbolically speaking, Ethics are dead in the school now. The author isn't even subtle about it. Only Eunju has the right to mourn it. And Dongtae has failed. Will he finally awaken to the real problem, or is he going to persist in error? I can't wait to see.

But I'll leave the matter now and turn to details of the chapter.

Man, teacher Kim is a great villain. He is clever, he is bold and he is devious. It's a great delight to see him in action, how his face lets transpire his greed and expectation. I hope he isn't defeated very soon.

And team Dongtae is hopeless. They are just running around without a plan. Now they have run out of their precious few Dice. Not that they could have done much, but I suppose they could have unfrozen some students in the auditorium and asked them whether they knew where Mio and Eunju, or the teachers, had gone to. They will begin the third period at a serious disadvantage.

Well, at least we confirm with this chapter that Che-hyun is indeed an ally. He was worrying about Dongtae in inner monologue, which is a narrative device used to expose one's true intentions. When a character is a villain in disguise, they are unlikely to behave like that in inner monologue, and authors will either refrain from using this tool, or will only show them musing about unrelated subjects.

Ah, yes, I have been thinking and I'm going to place a bet on the outcome of the War Quest: it will end with the Attack Team's victory, probably with a terrible loss to Dongtae. Mainly for plot reasons: if Defence wins, leaking Attack Dicers' information to them will make no difference, because neither Dongtae nor Mio want to engage in PVP. For progression of the story, the thing that makes sense is for Dongtae and Mio's data to be released to the others, because that will force Dongtae to fight in self-defence and to protect Mio. His life will devolve even further into hell. Given his reflections during this chapter, my prediction is that his life will be made even worse.

I compared Eunju, and later found out so had the author in chapter 85, to the Biblical character Job. Actually, X used Satan's lines against her in that chapter. However, the kind of tribulation Dongtae is being put through due to his belief in Dice is also Jobbian in essence. The great moral question of this series is who is going to break first: Eunju from her conviction that Dice are pernicious, or Dongtae from his that they are not? My side is chosen and it's not hard to guess whom I favour and why. I'll be severely pissed if the author chooses the other option, because it makes no ethical, moral or any kind of sense at all.

One more thing: it may be a mistake in the art, but the Dice around teacher Chun's body are red. This implies teacher Kim has already received his reward and activated it.

Well, right now I'm curious about the meeting of Hood and Taebin. We have republished chapter 85 and I was reminded that in it we see a lock of long bluish hair protruding out the hood. That is possibly a hint, but I don't know of what.

Spoiler

Chapter 105 is up.

While typesetting it, I felt like punching a wall in frustration at Mio and Dongtae's obtuseness. So, Eunju, allow me to put some words in your mouth.

Mio: So you're saying that ultimately, we're just moving according to X's whims?

Eunju: Yes, you retard! That's what I'm saying! Dimwit, shit for brains! What else do I need to do to get it into that thick, pretty skull of yours?!

Seriously, the author has thrown subtlety to the dogs and keeps one-upping himself in straightforwardness. Morally or intellectually comparing any of the other protagonists to Eunju is like comparing the Sun to Betelgeuse. The girl has understood every single one of X's schemes so far. She isn't even a Dicer and understands the situation just as well as Hood of all people!

And yes, Mio, what on Earth are you chasing teacher Kim for, you fool? What do you think you can accomplish if you catch him? Do you realise in five minutes he would have acquired your Clairvoyance and Eunju's Cloaking Die?

Well, X is making another attempt at winning Eunju over. This can go Book of Job again and she refuses; or it can go Beyond Good and Evil and she will finally decide to stare into the abyss. I frankly hope she refuses again, as it is more consistent with her character, including the fact that she doesn't usually believe anything X says, much less the specious promises he uses to bait prospective preys. However, Eunju's corruption would highlight the evilness of Dice and I suppose that could work as well, provided that the author does it properly.

(X is pulling no punches, too. Revealing the third period target in advance to a non-Dicer… that caught me by surprise.)

I'm relieved teacher Chun is still alive, but that changes nothing, so I hope Dongtae begins to think the matter properly now.

It seems we're in for an explanatory chapter next. And finding out Hood's identity, too. I for one cannot wait.

Chapter 106 is up.

Three things to discuss: the big reveal, Mio's hypocrisy and Eunju's wavering.

The big reveal:

Well, the author managed to throw us in the wrong way very effectively. A few posts ago, I said that I suspected Hood was a girl because that student had found something strange with her voice. However, everyone kept addressing Hood as "he". Then I thought it was Gibaek, because Air Gravity seemed to be a form of manipulation of matter, thus a derivative of Psychokinesis. Now it turns out it was a derivative of Levitation, and Hood is Dawn.

However, it seems my earlier crazy theory is true: Mooyoung and Taebin are the same person.

Well, sort of. From what teacher Kim is seeing, it seems Taebin's status oscillates, so it is safer to say that he "hides" Mooyoung within himself, or something like that.

Hahaha a Fight Club ending ...who is Tyler Durdan?

I like it !

 

[kendama]

Chapter 107 is up.

I see Dawn's point, but the truth of the matter is that this time the Dice spread at no fault of Taebin's, or only minimal fault. The primary responsible party was X by setting a trap quest for Taebin and after that Dongtae. Taebin's responsibility is in not warning Dongtae against the dangers of using Dice (I have already discussed that) and in insisting in asking for more quests from X, thus giving him the opportunity to ensnare Dongtae. That's what the flashback scene from chapter 02 is about: Taebin wanted to have his cake and eat it. Instead of contenting himself with being handsome, strong, clever and popular, he tried to improve himself even more, when he already knew there was a risk of another Dicer coming into being.

This all drives home the point that even people who should know better cannot resist the temptation, much less control Dice expansion. I wonder how long it will take for Dongtae to understand that.

Speaking of Dongtae, I wonder how he is coping with the irony of being appealed to for help by the same people who were betting against him. There is so much hypocrisy going on in this series that I am amazed that Eunju and Dongtae can still feel the need to protect that riff-raff against X.

As for Daewoong, I'm sorry, but I cannot take him seriously, I just laugh hard when I see him in action.

However, this third period quest has one issue to consider: the Dice being dropped. Sixty-four people is equivalent to hundreds and hundreds of Dice. And I don't mean the award Dice, because these go solely to Attack Team members, but the Dice that drop when a Dicer is beaten. If Daewoong takes care to collect the Dice and roll them for each person he knocks out, he can become invincible with just a few Dicers. But what if he stupidly concentrates on bringing people down and leave the Dice scattered on the ground? There are a few consequences:

i. The pandemonium will intensify as fleeing Dicers will get mixed with Dice scavengers.

ii. Che-hyun is on Attack and may pick some of these Dice.

iii. Dongtae himself may be able to pick them. That would turn the tables on Daewoong.

Actually, this issue has to be dealt with even if Daewoong is defeated, and in that case Dongtae and his allies may become truly overpowered from so many Dice. I wonder whether Hyunjo will use the opportunity to become a Dicer, too. I would be curious to see how that would unfold.

As for defeating Daewoong, although it is not extremely hard to figure out a way, there is one, and only one person, who already knows how to do it: Eunju. She witnessed Sungchul versus Miju and knows that if they activate the sprinkler system, Daewoong will become visible under the falling water. I will be pissed if the author doesn't give her this opportunity to shine.

I wonder what the other Attackers will do. Samsusaeng, for one, teleported to the auditorium a couple of chapters ago.

I cannot wait for the next chapter.

Ah, yes, an unrelated thing that occurred to me: if my crazy Taebin-Mooyoung theory is correct, it would explain why Mooyoung has both Time Pause and Teleportation despite having been defeated by X.

 

[Zoofranz]

Taebin's face when he recognized Dawn. Poor guy, I had never seen him so happy since he was dating Eunju.

Indeed, Eunju could use that knowledge to stop Daewoong, but I wouldn't be that surprised either if she refused to use a "tactic" that led Miju to die in front of her eyes. Either that or she not wanting Dongtae to beat someone up, which now makes me wonder what would have she done if Mio had caught Teacher Kim.

Anyway, I think that if Dongtae can get some of the dice that the targets are dropping he could just use time pause when Daewoong punches someone revealing his aproximate position.

Yeah, I'll be around here til I get lazy or forget my password again, or both.

 

[kendama]

Indeed, Eunju could use that knowledge to stop Daewoong, but I wouldn't be that surprised either if she refused to use a "tactic" that led Miju to die in front of her eyes. Either that or she not wanting Dongtae to beat someone up, which now makes me wonder what would have she done if Mio had caught Teacher Kim.

Anyway, I think that if Dongtae can get some of the dice that the targets are dropping he could just use time pause when Daewoong punches someone revealing his aproximate position.

Yeah, I'll be around here til I get lazy or forget my password again, or both.

Welcome. As for the password, you can always ask your browser to record it and keep you always logged in.

In any case, I don't think Eunju is that squeamish. As for what would have happened if Mio had "caught" teacher Kim… I don't think she would have done anything, and actually neither would Mio. Mio is not particularly strong, in all likelihood the teacher would have defeated her and harvested her Die. I agreed with Eunju that pursuing him was a foolhardy, pointless thing to do and I'm happy Mio paused to consider what Eunju was saying.

As for Dongtae pausing Time while Daewoong's position is given away by his aggression of a Dicer, I will post here what I said at Reddit earlier:

Not so easy. Daewoong is a Strength/Endurance Dicer. He was unharmed after being hit by a car around chapter 47. Dongtae may be strong, but the moment he landed the first hit, Daewoong would be most likely unscathed and then released from Time Pause and in an unknown position. He then would most likely resort to knocking people up without lifting them up.

The one skill that can give Time Pause some trouble (excluding derivative skills like Auto Dodge) is Cloaking. Dongtae has to land one critical hit, otherwise the Cloaker is released and will change their location. And because Daewoong is essentially a Tank, I doubt Dongtae would be able to settle the matter with one hit like with Samsusaeng. That's why I'm placing my bets on the sprinkler strategy, because Dongtae would be able to engage him in a fight with repeated blows. All would then boil down to who is stronger, and actually it would make Time Pause much more useful. So in the end a combination of both tactics is the best approach.

 

[Zoofranz]

Welcome. As for the password, you can always ask your browser to record it and keep you always logged in.

In any case, I don't think Eunju is that squeamish. As for what would have happened if Mio had "caught" teacher Kim… I don't think she would have done anything, and actually neither would Mio. Mio is not particularly strong, in all likelihood the teacher would have defeated her and harvested her Die. I agreed with Eunju that pursuing him was a foolhardy, pointless thing to do and I'm happy Mio paused to consider what Eunju was saying.

Sorry, I meant if she had caught him before he took down Teacher Chun. If she had been able to destroy the door for example. I don't agree with Teacher Kim being able to defeat her. He didn't, and still doesn't have a significant amount of dice and, consequently, stats. Mio is definitely physically weaker than Taebin and Dongtae, but she's still strong. She was able to leave Daewoong (tank character who had been gathering a huge amount of dice with his guild) out of combat with a single hit during the Eunju quest. Yeah, she had the element of surprise, that doesn't necesarily mean that she could have defeated him in an open 1v1, but I'm only trying to prove that she's stronger than an ordinary person. If she was able to defeat someone like that a long time ago she shouldn't have any problems in taking down someone who became a dicer two days ago or less.

About Daewoong, I read your posts about cloaking and tank stats being a deadly combo and I find that interesting because it's very counter-intuitive. Normaly, or at least in the games I've played, characters with stealth fit more the assasin role. They are squishy but they are also fast and have a high damage output. They need to go in, kill and get out fast or else they get blown up. On the other hand, tank characters are slow, and they have a medium damage output, but can be very dangerous to squishy targets if they can reach them and stick onto them. At first sight, cloaking+tank stats seem kinda silly if you think about it. Why do you need to hide if you can take more than one hit? Something like levitation or teleport would be better on a tank character because it would give him the mobility he lacks. The thing that changes this paradigm and makes the tank+lev/teleport combo kind of useless is the existance of Time Stop.