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Chapter 438
The One Who Was a Regressor II
Sinnoa
"..."
All the awakeners had disappeared.
All the anomalies and the Void had been subjugated.
E ň ũ m̈ а
—Except for us.
Dok-seo confessed this fact calmly, as if she had been preparing for this moment for a long time.
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I asked her quietly.
"When you say 'us,' who exactly are you talking about?"
"Hmm, let me see."
Dok-seo counted on her fingers.
W̄ е̊b n̆ӧ v̄е̃l̄ Е̂ ṅ û m̃ ӑ
"Dang Seo-rin, Cheon Yo-hwa, Yu Ji-won, Sim Ah-ryeon, Jeong Ye-ji, Lee Ha-yul, me, and lastly, Mister. That makes eight people!"
"..."
"Ah, if possible, I didn't want to give Go Yuri unni the inoculation either, but that unni had a 200% chance of degenerating into an anomaly if we didn't give it to her, you know? It couldn't be helped."
For reference, Yuri was currently asleep in the infirmary bed set up in this school.
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Right after we subjugated the red flesh in the Dream Casino, Yuri's phantom that had been parasitizing in my head disappeared. Instead, Yuri's body finally manifested in reality.
However, perhaps her mental state was still unstable for various reasons. The Yuri who had returned to reality still hadn't opened her eyes.
W̄eb̊ n̆òv е̄ l̆ Ё n u̇ mӓ
Though it was worrying, it didn't feel ominous. Ah-ryeon had asserted there was no problem. She would regain consciousness eventually.
"Why?"
"Huh?"
That's why I had no choice but to ask.
"Dok-seo. This is your..., yes, an achievement that we've accomplished together. You found collaborators before June 17th arrived and stopped all the Voids, and you even rescued Yuri from the Dream Casino when you didn't even need to save her."
"Well, yeah?"
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"This is a perfect happy ending. No, it goes beyond a simple happy ending..., it's the one and only true ending that you've won for yourself."
"Ehehe, right, right?"
"Then why."
I said.
"Why are you trying to leave this smudge called 'us' on a canvas where the final period is about to be placed so perfectly?"
"Because that's my true ending, Mister."
Ën u m а̇
Dok-seo's answer came quickly.
There was an answer made not of logic's ink but of flesh and blood. It seemed Dok-seo had constructed her own answer after overcoming countless deaths.
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"We haven't reached the complete answer yet, Mister. The Void still exists."
"What?"
It was something I couldn't understand.
But Dok-seo's eyes were transforming that belief, that certainty of 'don't you have some idea too?' into starlight and releasing it into the night air.
Е̃ ñum̌а̇ .іd̆
"I don't understand what you mean. The Outer Gods have all been neutralized. Once even the anchor called the Miko disappears, they won't be able to interfere with this world ever again. Ah, are you talking about the Admin of the Infinite Metagame? She's an exception, but she's already weakened enough that there's no need to worry..."
"No."
Dok-seo shook her head.
"Why did the Outer Gods invade our world in the first place, and exactly how was the Void born?"
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"..."
"We still haven't obtained an answer to that first and final question. Do you know what this means, Mister?"
Еnú m̌а̃
I closed my mouth.
Since Dok-seo didn't rush me, I could take enough time before returning an answer.
"...It means this kind of situation could happen again at any time."
"Right. Exactly. If we can't know the cause of the problem, we can't prevent it from recurring either."
"I've already given my answer regarding that. Just as Yuri and I, you, all of us together overcame the tragedy, even if the same thing happens, other children of future generations will—"
"Be able to overcome it just like us? Is that what you're saying?"
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"...Yes."
"Right. Perhaps."
Dok-seo nodded.
"But... what if they can't?"
I flinched.
Because of the expression Dok-seo wore.
Еn ú m̌.а̊. i_d̂
Deep, deep anguish and worry were contained in her red eyes.
A gaze where none of her usual playfulness could be felt.
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The kind of regret that could only be shown by a human who had to walk through hell from the very starting point, just like Go Yuri or me, was carried on her eyelids.
"I had a pretty hard time."
"..."
"Of course, it wasn't only hard. There was the strategy guide left by the Dok-seos who died before me, and the strategy collection Mister gave me too. It was fun feeling like I'd become the protagonist of the world... but still, it was hard."
Ŵe̊ b̀ n оv̄ ӗl̂ .Е́ǹu m̈а̄
Dok-seo took off her hat.
Rustle, her short hair that still hadn't lost its red color flowed down.
"You had a hard time too, Mister."
"..."
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"What about Go Yuri? No need to even mention it. The fact that we've reached this finish line is a miracle, Mister. I want to believe in the children of future generations too, and I will believe in them, but even so—"
There's no guarantee they'll succeed like us, is there?
Е n̄ŭ m̈ а̃
"..."
"..."
Dok-seo didn't finish her sentence, and I didn't add anything either.
The very act of completing that sentence felt ominous.
But even without anyone's addition, we had become so familiar with each other that we could decipher each other's manuscripts.
"We need watchmen."
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Dok-seo said.
"Someone needs to know the fact that beings who insult the laws of physics and mock humanity can invade this world at any time, without any warning."
"And that's us, the eight of us, is that what you mean?"
"Yeah. It's neither too many nor too few. Most importantly, we have trust built up between us where we won't doubt each other even if given eternal time."
Dok-seo clenched her fist tight.
"It's something only we can do, Mister."
Ē nŭ m a
"..."
"Perhaps this entire journey was a process to filter out the eight watchmen. We literally won't fall. There's no worry of falling at all! Because."
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Her red eyes looked up at me.
"We've proven it."
"..."
"Do we want the world's power or something? Are we crazy for money? Would we manipulate people while laughing sinisterly? No, right? We've proven it."
Е̃ n̈ümа
But it was strange.
This must have been a conclusion Dok-seo reached after agonizing over it countless times from her perspective.
"It's true that your corruption is a concern, Mister. But couldn't that also be solved if we research Udumbara a bit more? Instead of eliminating the Complete Memory ability entirely, if we just weaken it partially, then we could cure the illness where you see corpses like now!"
In Dok-seo's voice, I could faintly feel the scab of a wound that hadn't fully healed.
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This too was probably a scent of blood only I could detect.
I briefly pondered why Dok-seo was eating away at her own heart while saying these words, and.
Еṅŭ m̀.а . і.d̊
"You failed to persuade her."
I reached a conclusion.
"Huh?"
"You failed to persuade Corps Director Noh Do-hwa. You probably pulled in your comrades with the same words you just said to me, long before entering the Dream Casino. But Do-hwa refused."
"..."
"Is my reasoning wrong?"
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Dok-seo's lips closed.
"The other comrades probably aren't completely persuaded either. They probably agreed conditionally, saying they'd agree if I agreed."
"...Yeah."
Dok-seo hesitated.
"...That's right."
"Let me point this out first. Why did you exclude Seo Gyu? He joined the Regression Alliance from the very beginning."
W̄е́ b̌ ǹоv̌е̃ ľ Е̌ ṅuḿа
"Ah, Seo Gyu mister has too loose lips, so no. If we include him, he'll probably act as the Regression Alliance's weakest link forever, you know? I'd bet 50 billion won on it."
"..."
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Seo Gyu!
That's what you get for always tattling every little detail to the Saintess every single day, Seo Gyu!
"B-but Director Do-hwa was always like that from the start, right? It's unfortunate, but still, if you make the decision, Mister..."
Dok-seo glanced at me and said carefully yet sincerely.
Е n û mа
"Won't it work?"
"..."
"We could have fun together, us. It's such a waste to throw away this much power after we've obtained it! As watchmen. Yeah, we'll only use our strength to uphold our duties as watchmen! Getting along well, like decorating a hideout together! Still... still, won't it work?"
I see.
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I could feel Dok-seo's true intention.
'For this child, the true ending isn't about happiness or unhappiness, it's simply a story that continues on and on.'
Е n̆ u mâ.i d̂
A never ending story.
An eternally continuing epilogue.
'She doesn't want it to end. Her own story. The story she loved.'
How could I dare dismiss that as a childish desire?
For Dok-seo, stories were more important than life itself.
If the desire for life to not end is fundamental to humanity, then Dok-seo had simply honestly expressed her own essence.
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'And Dok-seo's proposal might truly be the best option.'
'The Outer Gods have been subjugated, but her point that we're still in the dark about why the Outer Gods came to exist in the first place is true.'
Was it just my imagination?
It felt exactly like choices were being displayed before my eyes.
[1. Remain as an awakener and protect humanity.]
[2. Abandon awakening and return to being human.]
Е̊.n ú m̃ а̌. іd
The final choice.
Regardless of how much time remained in my life, I was certain this choice would decorate the end of the main story.
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Perhaps Dok-seo's eyes were what gave me such certainty.
'Right. The same thing could repeat itself at any time.'
'Not Taeguk or Hecate, but a completely unknown alien god might be newly conceived...'
At that moment.
É nů m â
'...At any time? Again, the same way?'
Suddenly.
The laptop Dok-seo had left on the table caught my eye.
On the laptop screen placed at an angle, a being with snow-white hair was staring blankly in this direction.
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As if.
"..."
W е̇b n̊ о v̀е̃ ľ Е̂ nù m̀а̌
As if she had endured all humiliation until now just to witness this very moment.
"Ah."
A groan flowed from my throat.
It was the sound of realization. It was awakening.
Not a realization that flowed out cleanly without any damage, but a realization that broke apart and leaked through the bumpy passages of my throat and the narrow gaps between my teeth.
"Why all of a sudden, Mister?"
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Tilt.
Dok-seo's face showed she didn't understand.
I spoke to her with difficulty.
"...This isn't the first time."
"Huh? Not the first time? What isn't?"
"This moment. This moment when all the Voids have been subjugated, leaving only awakeners as allies, where only the final choice remains of whether to become watchmen or not."
W̄ е b n ó v̀ е̌_l Е_ń üm а̇
"Huh?"
"Just as there will be children born after us, there were also those born before us. Dok-seo, what if they also fought against the Void, and faced the same question you threw at me, what would have happened?"
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"...!"
Dok-seo's eyes widened.
"Huh? W-wait, huh? But no, still, there weren't any, right? Go Yuri was the first awakener. The reincarnator. If something similar happened in our previous generation, there should have been watchmen."
Ah, Dok-seo's mouth fell open.
Е̂ṅ u m ӓ
She followed the direction my eyes were cast, read my silence, and reached the conclusion herself.
There.
"...Outer Gods?"
A cheap laptop sat.
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"Outer Gods, you say?"
The groan that flowed from Dok-seo's mouth trembled with the same pitch as mine.
Wеbn̆оv̌ еl Ѐ nûm̄ a
"The Admin of the Infinite Metagame too. Hecate too... Leviathan too. Infinite Void, the Mastermind, Taeguk too. All of them... originally, they were awakeners just like us?"
"..."
"Is that what you're saying, Mister?"
I didn't answer.
Then Dok-seo's gaze focused entirely on the laptop placed on the shabby plastic table.
A comrade who had overcome numerous difficulties together with her. To the one she might have believed she'd built a friendship with that transcended the relationship of god and Miko, Dok-seo asked.
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"Is it true? Infinite Metagame?"
...
At that moment.
Cackle cackle cackle cackle cackle cackle cackle cackle
Dok-seo's shoulders jerked. An unpleasant laughter burst out, breaking the laptop speaker's sound quality.
A terrifyingly quiet silence descended on the rooftop.
Ё ṅ um̀ а
[Ahh.]
The speaker stuttered.
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[Truly, you cannot be underestimated. How regrettable. Sincerely. How truly regrettable. I thought we were just one step away.]
"I-Infinite Metagame?"
[I told you before, didn't I? Master.]
The pixel mass on the screen ignored Dok-seo and looked straight at me.
Wě bn о̇v е̌ l̄ Е ňŭ mа
The white-haired girl had her right index finger severed. It was proof she had surrendered to me.
[Once upon a time, it was a memory both you and I had lost, but now that we've recovered it, you can recall it, can't you?]
Crackle.
A certain fallen god whispered.
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[I told you that I didn't actually surrender to you solely for survival.]
"..."
Eñu m̂а .і d̄
[I confessed that I wanted to see something, that I endured this absurd humiliation because there was something I wanted to see.]
It came back to me.
[Your epilogue.]
That side story world where I was left alone with the Admin of the Infinite Metagame to save the Saintess trapped in frozen time.
It was definitely a conversation we had then.
[I'll acknowledge your efforts. Yes, I acknowledge my defeat. But what will you obtain at the very end? Humanity? Mankind? That world with billions of curses if there are billions of humans?]
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The same lines as back then.
The Admin of the Infinite Metagame repeated the same voice.
[The moment you fall at the very last moment, I said I wanted to see that, even if it meant abandoning all my authority.]
"..."
At the time, I only understood the word 'fall' that the Admin of the Infinite Metagame mentioned in its conventional meaning.
But not anymore.
E̊ ńu ḿ а̇
"You knew."
I opened my mouth.
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"You already knew from back then that this moment would arrive someday."
[Yes.]
The speaker crackled and popped with noise.
[Of course. My hateful master.]
Е̊.n.ům̄ а
Flashback.
That exchange flashed through my mind.
'If there hadn't been longing and lamentation for a different world, not this current one, an Outer God like me wouldn't have been born either.'
In the past, the Admin of the Infinite Metagame had soliloquized like that.
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What did I answer after hearing that soliloquy?
'Then, going in circles, you're saying you exist because of humanity's unavoidable nature.'
Е nù m̄ а
'Yes.'
Humanity's unavoidable nature.
If that truly was the reason Outer Gods came to exist.
'Either way, starting from whatever life, humans will inevitably shoulder their own natural punishment.'
When faced with this final choice.
The hero party that would arrive in our future, or the hero party that had arrived in our past.
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If they chose 1, which seemed so obviously like the correct answer. If they had chosen it.
'How cursed.'
If [1] had been repeated for eternity.
"..."
I swallowed my silence.
And vomited it back out.
Ẇе̂b̀ n̄ о́v̈e̊ ľ Е̄n̄ ů mа
"Infinite Metagame."
[Yes.]
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"Were you once, in the past, the twisted end of a human who saved this world?"
[Your words are correct.]
The trace of downfall answered.
[I, we, are your story of failure.]
W̄ӗb̌ n̂ o̊v̆ е̊l̃ E n u ṁ а
Never Ending Story.
An eternally repeating curse.
That was the answer to the Void that shrouded this world.
Footnotes:
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