βYears ago a friend of mine had a dream about a strange invention; a staircase you could descend deep underground, in which you heard recordings of all the things anyone had ever said about you, both good and bad. The catch was, you had to pass through all the worst things people had said before you could get to the highest compliments at the very bottom. There is no way I would ever make it more than two and a half steps down such a staircase, but I understand its terrible logic: if we want the rewards of being loved we have to submit to the mortifying ordeal of being known.β
β I Know What You Think of Me, Tim Kreider for the New York Times
after YEARS of seeing this quote online and finding it to be the most deeply and resoundingly profound writing i finally found the source article and absolutely nothing could prepare me for this opening paragraph
Anya is live and ready to show you everything. Watch her strip, dance, and perform exclusive shows just for you. Interact in real-time and make your fantasies come true.
β Live Streamingβ Interactive Chatβ Private Showsβ HD Quality
Anya is LIVE right now
FREE
Free to watch β’ No registration required β’ HD streaming
Wait so fully mapping out a darkness turns it back into normal reality. Interesting that kim "oops i didn't mean to solo clear that" soleum got dropped into. Into a ghost story world from. Real Life With No Creepy Shit. If he was sent there to turn those darknesses normal... This is how brausol can still win,
It's suspicious that Kim Soleum doesn't even subconsciously think about anything regarding his life back in his home world. He misses nobody. None of the people he meets, nothing he experiences in his daily life reminds him of the people he knew and his life before this world. I wonder if his memory is being actively suppressed.
What if he just popped into existence as a ghost story, that's why he doesn't have family. His memory has definetly been altered in some way or another during or before the beginning of the story.
or like you mentioned, What if Kim Soleum never transmigrated and he just had a warped perception of the world (the wiki) as a darkness before, because the most frightening thing in a cthulhu themed world where knowledge can get you contaminated, is a [being] who treats it as normal (which we see is the trend for contaminated people and darknesses- a sign of contamination is when someone starts treating the weird as normal + the darknesses treat the weird events as a normality). Like what if this whole time Kim Soleum has been experiencing the darkness side of the world and the games and merch of the wiki is actually literally darknesses that he sees as mere toys in his warped perception. Hmm, though that doesn't explain the future knowledge... perhaps Darkness Kim Soleum is related to 'Fate'? it fits with the theme of ghost "story" and Kim soleums hobby as a ghost story reader, as he can quite literally be a darkness who collects/reads the stories/fates of others. Even if this theory isn't true, it would make for a good AU.
Dear lord I'm tempted to write a fic about cosmic horror level being Kim Soleum who reads stories about humans and wanted to understand them so he amnesiac era himself.
I want to put out a few things that I think are relevant and maybe do some brainstorming as well.
Some ghost stories can influence the world in a non-linear fashion. An example of this is Braun's distorting time and space through the radio show, leading to J3 getting into the taxi that Soleum was driving. What I mean is, what you think of as future knowledge is not necessarily future knowledge from Soleum's perspective. There could be actual time difference between these worlds.
I've also been thinking about the Cheerful Research Institute, the group that produces toy-themed ghost stories. Considering how people in the original world of Soleum collectively "produced" ghost stories by posting them on the wiki, there's a connection to be made between the two. I mean the original world of Soleum is the ghost story that produces other ghost stories with the power of imagination. Everything could be a ghost story lol.
There is this theory that the mysterious pop-up store employee was Director Ho, citing the similarity of their speech patterns. I can confidently say that Daydream is a company that will not only squeeze dream essence out of ghost stories, but will also work them to the bone after dragging them to their world. It's similar to what they do with the Security Team, in a sense.
Another thing I would like to add is that there is a non-zero chance that the entity the cult worships is actually Soleum, unbeknownst to everyone involved. This is purely my conjecture.
This turned out to be more word-vomity than I thought ugh. Anyway, the ghost story Soleum is a delicious concept, even if it doesn't turn out to be true.
the possibilities,,,, good lord I'm going insane over what's gonna happen next because I deeply crave more chapters ππ
Purely going off alternate universes here and not based on that much evidence:
Lmfao it would be funny if the Nameless Church calls their god Ireum-nim not because they can't know His name because it's a form of contamination itself, but because the person they actually worship never gave them attention/knew their being worshipped and thus there never being a connection formed enough for the Nameless believers to know the title of the being they worship. They believe the world is made up of ghost stories right? Which isn't entirely wrong since we know from Soleums POV that their world is the "Dark Exploration Records" that makes this belief true and the Nameless believers actually fourth wall breakers, who can glimpse some of the truth of the "2D" world they live in. What if they see the wiki creators editing the records and believe it to be one being with omnipotence (when maybe it's a tired college student way too invested in horror stories to lock in on their exams) lmaolmao.
Though if we're going off Soleum being Ireum-nim here (the Korean characters aren't the same, but I can see why theres a non zero chance purely because their english names/pronounciation are similar) what if he was the only one who could really edit the wiki and the Dark Exploration Records was just a self writing record of the ghost story world originally?
Another thing I find it interesting is how Soleums mentioned how he normally avoids horror type stuff because of how scared he is of them, but why exactly "Dark Exploration Records"? When there could've possibly been other interesting stuff to relieve boredom with? Sure maybe its because Soleums not actually a coward and he's more 3-Dimensional than that, but maybe coming across the wiki will get you contaminated into liking it more.
Or maybe Soleums the ghost story of transmigration. Isekai is an insanely popular genre while it has the subtle dark undertone of a person being transmigrated into a completely unfamiliar world. Though I don't exactly think this because ghost stories probably rely on fear and people are way too interested in transmigrating into an new world.
Oh wow did I start rambling all the thoughts I had while waiting for the chapter 196 in approximately 16 hours...
Anya is live and ready to show you everything. Watch her strip, dance, and perform exclusive shows just for you. Interact in real-time and make your fantasies come true.
β Live Streamingβ Interactive Chatβ Private Showsβ HD Quality
Anya is LIVE right now
FREE
Free to watch β’ No registration required β’ HD streaming
The fandom being mad at Braun the last several chapters has been the highlight of my week so far. Every reaction of 'throw him in the trash' or 'he's sleeping on the couch' is so funny to me.
Am I mad over what he did in the chapter 190s? Oh gods, yeah. And Soleum is very rightfully mad!
But did I expect any better from him?
Honestly, not at all. I think this was a missed chance for him to shine in the eyes of the readers, but like. I expected this behaviour, lol. In fact, we could possibly see in later chapters that Braun wasn't actually being malicious in the least!
Spoilers below--
Braun did say that he wasn't going to be Good Friend anymore when they parted after the Midnight Talk Show, but they did agree to still be friends.
Braun is also not human and therefore should not be judged by human standards, especially human standards of friendship. This is, of course, unfair to Soleum who is human and therefore it makes sense that he expects Braun to be at least a little bit like what humans would consider a friend.
We know that while Braun is still somewhat constrained by the ritual of the Good Friend summoning, that restraint is very, very weak. He's just humouring it. Lee Jaheon has warned Soleum-- Braun could break out of those restraints at any time, easily. He just chooses not to, which when you think about it, is quite the thing!!
He chooses to stay with Soleum. He chooses the stuffy and difficult to move little bunny plush in order to watch over his friend.
But that doesn't mean he's obligated to help Soleum. In fact, the moment when Soleum needed help-- when faced with Choi and when he was being sucked into the Glass Prison, Soleum's life wasn't what was in danger.
His freedom was. His future (on his current path) was. The people around Soleum was in danger.
But Soleum himself, his life, was never in any real danger.
And therefore Braun chose not to help. It's not to see his friend suffer, per se, but Braun does want to see what Soleum would do. That's what interested him about Soleum in the first place! That out of the box thinking, that way of worming his way out of situations!
I think that Braun would have intervened had Soleum's life truly been in danger, even if he might claim that if Soleum couldn't get himself out of such a simple thing, then maybe he wasn't entertaining enough for Braun's attention-- but we all know from that moment at the end of the Midnight Show arc that Braun, should Soleum really be in danger, really would be distraught if Soleum were to die forever.
Then there's the part where I do think Braun is a little bit irritated with Soleum-- Braun has been considerate enough to watch over Soleum even while they were apart, offer help when Soleum was faced with the taxi ghost and offer advice during the amusement park crisis, yet Soleum still went and did his own thing instead. And when Braun was irritated with Lee Jaheon, Soleum also did not take his side.
Was Braun a bad friend for just watching the situation around Soleum devolve into something terrible? Oh, yeah, definitely.
But there could be various reasons for that. In a more human aspect, you could say that maybe their friendship felt a little unfair-- Braun gave up quite a lot of freedom to (willingly) stay with Soleum, and he seems isolated from everyone else while he's nothing more than a stuffed bunny while Soleum gets to interact with everyone else and then seems embarrassed by Braun's very presence. Sure, Soleum provides entertainment and Braun provides help, but... despite everything, it does seem a little one sided for a grand being who thrives under the spotlight to limit himself to such a small role.
Or you can take a grander approach. Braun Does Not Like where Soleum is at in his life right now. He feels that Soleum is settling for a terrible place when he deserves better, and he's going to push Soleum out of this hell hole even if it means Soleum is not happy with him for the moment.
Think about it-- Soleum is staying a atrocious motel, his workplace seems rather shabby, and Braun doesn't even approve of his teammates (at least Daydream was entertaining with all the workplace drama and employees willing to backstab each other in a moment). Maybe he could see that Soleum was getting attached, and with the spy issue, things would only get worse if he let it brew. The Bureau's not going to like Soleum any better than they do now, but Soleum might hurt worse if he grows more attached. Best to rip the band-aid off, so to speak. Get the worst out of the way.
But do I think that Soleum is justified in his cold shoulder to Braun now? Oh, yeah.
But I also think that Braun isn't just planning for the moment where everything fell apart. He's planning a bit longer than that. And if worst comes to worst, well, Soleum could always join Braun again! It may seem like his inactions are closing a door on a part of Soleum's life, but Braun is always here to remind Soleum that he is providing another option in case all else fails.
...Even if it seems like Soleum never listens to him.
[ This is a mere theory, and may be wrong post chapter 195 ]
Quite a few nuggets of information hint at Baek Saheon having been raised, or is associated with a cult in GSGW. So I want to list some things in dot point format, as nothingβs concrete so far thus everything is short.Β
Spoilers for the novel, I will mostly talk about things already tled, but warnings for the latest chapter spoiler will be clearly marked.
1. Church oppa vibes
In chapter 2 Saheon is introduced to look βfairly innocentβ, and purposely acted in a disarming manner when he began talking to Soleum. Ignoring the official illustration (which isnβt text accurate), his curly hair and kind demeanor mimics religious cult recruiters at Korean universities. Which is a real thing btw. People have noted them to look like good looking and kind young men, who look kind but are actually cult recruiters with an agenda. In the Tamra Express arc too, we see him try to act unassuming and gentle.
2. Tries to take advantage of someone vulnerable
Cults have been known to prey on the most susceptible, and do it well and often. Saheon has tried over and over again to get rid of Soleum once he is perceived as vulnerable, and not as threatening. A more blatant example would be in chapter 76 where he said, βheβd always used fools around him as bait during critical moments.β
3. Trained response to danger
Saheonβs immediate switch from hostile to docile upon Soleumβs intimidation, seemed reminiscent of a trauma response to avoid getting hurt. Saheon recognised something with more authority than him, and backed down quickly. He has a heightened sense of danger, to an abnormal degree with how avoidant he is to Soleum, and thinks the other is practically capable of anything. Eg. Thought Soleum brainwashed the crowd with the fountain pen, despite knowing that it's single target only.
4. Goat snake symbolism
Goats in the bible are associated with the devil, experience eternal damnation and are said to have desecrated a temple in the Book of Revelation. Snakes are associated with deception and evil in the bible. Also, he called Youngeun a lamb despite being a goral (which is closer to goats) and thus Saheon is like a sacrifice too. Refer to my religious allusions gsgw post, for a slightly more detailed explanation.
5. Angel devil iconography
With his purple eye, Saheon can see halos behind those whom he deems dangerous. I do not think itβs a coincidence that Saheon, and Soleum have a lot of connected religious symbolism associated with them.
6. Brainwashing equipment
While Saheon no longer has it, the staple item Viper used was the Fountain Pen which could make someone follow a suggestion. Pushing someone who is unaware into doing something, is a classic cult tactic.
7. Trusts his family enough even though they know he will be in harm's way
Saheon received a cassette tape by one of his relatives, who presented it as something that can βreverse a dire situation". This family member, a wanted criminal, was aware of Saheon possibly being in life threatening situations. Yet, heβs constantly going back to visit his family (who have been mentioned several times), and didnβt want Soleum to take the cassette tape.
CHAPTER 195 SPOILERS
8. Able to recognise cult tactics
Chapter 114 during the Tamra Express arc, Saheon said βIn a small, high-stress emergency environment, humans tended to do whacko things.β How βridiculous suggestionsβ¦ suddenly seemed worth clinging toβ, because it βwas human nature.β Saheon gathered all of this from a few shouts, which shows his familiarity with the subject. Despite recognising it, he also began twisting the narrative in his head and ended up believing Soleum to know the truth to get out safely, and in the end give a worthwhile item. Again, he also believed Soleum to be capable of brainwashing multiple people with the fountain, which he is very much aware isnβt possible.
In chapter 195, Soleum arrives in a village in Cheonan, which is where the Jiksan Baek clan is based. Thereβs also a festival going on, which when you add village + festival in a horror story it usually = cults. Itβs a typical trope to have a celebration or festival of some kind to include a sacrifice (perhapsβ¦ a lamb?), and villages sometimes become a concentrated place riddled with ghosts. Saheon has shown how strangely unfazed, and more familiar he is with ghost stories compared to other rookies. And his obsession with items aiding his survival could possibly be hinting at his upbringing, and why heβs not scared of ghosts themselves but other people.Β
I would also like to mention that the Church of the Luminous Unknown has three branches, and the village might be under it. A village that worships, and sacrifices for Ireum-nimβ¦ In this tweet, OP says that Saheonβs name in Hanja might mean: To serve, snake, offering/sacrificial rite. Which makes me go crazy!!
Thank you for reading my very loose theory. I've had it since January, but havenβt collated it properly until now. It may not become canon, however itβs fun to think about. I also have another post, which is basically a long love letter to Baek Saheon's character.
I wasn't too shocked he decided to wait until the worst timing to tell Soleum about the incoming fiasco tbh
Even if he did, would it change anything? The fact that Agent Choi knew he was a spy? He was probably already there when Kim Soleum entered, and sure Braun could've warned Soluem to not take off the disguise at the very least instead of fixing everything like a deux ex machina. But a reveal was bound to happen in some way.
I wanted to throttle the stuffed doll for making Kim Soleum suffer. Like, sure he's felt more like a being with emotions/that cares about Soleum since the torn Soleum doll scene, but we can't forget that first of all, he's the darkness equivalent of THE drama queen.
A plot will always have its up and downs. And is the complicated relationships and feelings of caught between 2 sides because of unfortunate circumstances, not the epitome of a spy drama? Was this arc not entertaining and emotionally gripping?
So no, I didnt have high expectations for him to intervene that much when Soleum was caught in this mess. Perhaps he'd lend more of a hand when Soleums caught in darkness/disaster messes because he doesn't want him to die, but if it's just a mess without a high threat of contamination of death? yeah hes just a stuffed doll.
He's become more of an audience to the drama of Soleums life (like us) now.
(Yes I was particularly inspired by an earlier ramble of yours OP)
Anya is live and ready to show you everything. Watch her strip, dance, and perform exclusive shows just for you. Interact in real-time and make your fantasies come true.
β Live Streamingβ Interactive Chatβ Private Showsβ HD Quality
Anya is LIVE right now
FREE
Free to watch β’ No registration required β’ HD streaming
[Picture of Kim Soleum from 'Got Dropped into a Horror Story, Still Gotta Work', Klein Moretti from 'Lord of the Mysteries', and Siffrin from 'In Stars and Time']
'In Stars and Time' Spoilers:
POV: all your favorite characters are from wildly different parts of media, yet they all share one thing in common.... souls lost from home.
Tears in my Hyunmu Team eyes.... no first it was the godawful amount of choisol angst, then the Tamra train PTSD??? author please. please give Kim Soleum a break. I don't like what this says about the absolute shitshow that WILL happen when Kim Soleum finally gets info on the Abyss Class Disaster...
Hah... he sounds so tired.... our poor Grapes....
Hyunmu Team 1 will be fine.
None of them will die. None of them will get contaminated. None of them will become insane. Kim Soleum wont leave permantneyly after his spying job is done, not until the wish. None of them will face the same fate like Lee Jaheon being left alone after his squad mates got contaminated or left or fake died. Not like Group D Not like Group D Not like Group D-
Anya is live and ready to show you everything. Watch her strip, dance, and perform exclusive shows just for you. Interact in real-time and make your fantasies come true.
β Live Streamingβ Interactive Chatβ Private Showsβ HD Quality
Anya is LIVE right now
FREE
Free to watch β’ No registration required β’ HD streaming
Imagine working the night shift of your new job, you're tense, and on edge, so you turn on the radio to listen to some tunes and maybe relieve the stifling atmosphere. And bam. On literally the first station, somewhat aptly named "Romance Radio"... Your ex, whom you got into a messy situationship with over the past year, and have just broken up with recently, is on the line, airing you out. Fighting, Kim Soleum!
