I’m an Infinite Regressor, But I’ve Got Stories to Tell

Editor: echo

Discord: https://dsc.gg/reapercomics

◈ I’m an Infinite Regressor, But I’ve Got Stories to Tell

Chapter 318

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The Skeptic XI

If I had to pick exactly one person in the world who was the farthest thing from faith or devotion, I’d confidently nominate Yu Ji-won.

“Your Excellency the Undertaker.”

Clearly, she thought the same of herself.

“Well, that’s not surprising. If you wrap yourself in Aura, there’s no risk of getting burned, so obviously you’d go.”

“I was merely speaking figuratively to express my loyalty, Your Excellency. But all joking aside, do you really think I would make a suitable Miko?”

“Hmm.”

Before going to her, I’d thought long and hard about it—if Leviathan really had grown to the threat level of an Outer God, who should I partner with to tackle it?

“The truth is, there aren’t many candidates among us who could feasibly become Leviathan’s Miko,” I explained. “It’s basically down to Do-hwa or you.”

At that moment, the only quasi-government body functioning in Korea was the National Road Management Corps. And among the Regressor Alliance, only two belong to the Corps: Noh Do-hwa and Yu Ji-won.

I myself had had a huge hand in founding and operating the Corps, but it would be a stretch to label me “a member.” Think about it. I’d also been a key figure in the founding of the Eastern Holy State, but that hardly made me a member of it.

“But Do-hwa... To be frank, she’s less fit for Miko duty than you are, Ji-won. Can you even imagine her serving anyone else?”

“Honestly, not at all, sir.”

“I can hear every damn word, you bastards...” Do-hwa flicked a casino chip at us, which I casually dodged, then continued speaking.

“Whereas you, Ji-won, you’re practically made to be an offshoot of Leviathan.”

“Pardon?” Ji-won stared blankly, blinking twice to process. “You mean me?”

“Who else?”

Allow me to prove it.

Q: Do you, by any chance, regard all other living beings as insects?

“Your Excellency, I have never in my life treated someone’s life like that of a bug’s.”

“What do you think is the difference between a human life and a bug’s life?”

“All life is equal, Your Excellency. The idea that humans deserve special treatment is pure anthropocentric bias.”

“What about the difference between life and matter?”

“All life arises from matter and returns to matter. Every existence is equal. If you think living beings deserve special treatment, that’s an egocentric bias favoring life.”

“Then why you in particular? Why should you be special?”

“Because the world revolves around me, obviously. You could call it ‘Ji-won-centric.’ Although if I am Earth, then Your Excellency is the Sun, so the true center of the universe is―”

Out.

Q: What is the most valuable thing in this world?

“My loyalty to Your Excellency.”

Q: Clarification: second-most valuable thing.

“Power.”

“What’s so special about power?”

“Power is influence. If you die without power, you alone simply die. But if a person of power dies, it causes a massive commotion. In other words, it’s harder to kill a powerful person. Like how it’s harder to destroy a gigantic mass of matter—the higher the power, the harder it is to dismantle. Only power can compare to the eternal life of matter.”

Out.

Q: All humans have turned into animals. You can become whichever animal you want. Which do you choose?

“Hmm. Is a mythical creature allowed?”

“Sure. Anything you like.”

“Then I’ll be a dragon. One blast of Dragon Fear and all those other animals will lose it.”

Out.

“Yu Ji-won! You’re a perfect match to be Leviathan’s avatar!”

“I’m not sure why, sir...”

Three outs, and we switch sides.

Despite Ji-won remaining as expressionless as ever, she somehow looked a bit deflated. I could almost see the little “nyoro-n” sound effect floating above her head, but no one would get that reference anymore.[1]

“Still, Your Excellency, if that’s your decision, I trust it. However, becoming a Miko to an Outer God... I doubt it’s as simple as wanting to be one.”

“Of course.” If it were something like Infinite Metagame, which blatantly chose Oh Dok-seo and backed her, that might be different. Under most circumstances, though, merging a single human with a single Outer God required a great deal of effort. “But I have a little trick up my sleeve.”

“As expected of Your Excellency. May I ask what it is?”

“...”

“...”

“My, my.”

Three of us stood hand in hand.

Specifically, Yu Ji-won and I were side by side with Go Yuri.

The arrangement was simple: Ji-won was in the middle, holding my hand on her left and holding Go Yuri’s on her right.

“Um, Doc? You suddenly asked me to hold this lady’s hand, so I did, but what exactly are we doing here?”

“Don’t worry about it. We need your power to break through Leviathan’s contaminated Void, but I can’t afford direct contact with you. Hence, we’re using Ji-won as a filter.”

“My, my... Ah ho ho.”

A tiny laugh fell from Go Yuri’s lips, but even her usual smile that crinkled her eyes couldn’t hide the sense of unease drifting around her. Her gaze bounced between me and Ji-won as she spoke.

“This really is fascinating... Do you know everything, Doc? Because if you do, I might be really surprised.”

“I have no idea what you’re talking about.”

“I’m weak to this person.”

I said nothing.

I hadn’t explained the mechanics of it in detail, but in a past cycle, I discovered that Ji-won wasn’t affected by Go Yuri’s mental manipulation. Evidently, Go Yuri already knew about that weakness.

Ji-won tilted her head. “Huh. Excuse me. I’m not good at recognizing faces. Are we acquainted?”

“...Ah ho ho.”

“I believe I spoke in a universally understandable language. Are you not Korean? If you’d like, I can speak your native tongue.”

“...”

“Your Excellency, it seems this lady shares the same trait as Lee Ha-yul or Phantom Blade.”

Ji-won’s facial muscles remained flat and composed, no different than usual. Meanwhile, I was stunned to hear these two “people” (though neither truly qualified as an ordinary human) having an actual conversation.

‘Go Yuri... She’s gone all timid?’

Based on her interactions on SG Net alone, it was clear to me that Go Yuri could talk circles around anyone. Her entire shtick was to feed the other person exactly what they wanted to hear, after all. Even extending that to group conversations, she usually gave every participant the “ideal” line or ran an even more advanced form of brainwashing.

‘But Yu Ji-won is conversing with Go Yuri face to face, and I can hear them both perfectly!’

When I observed Yu Ji-won vs. Go Yuri during that previous cycle, I kept my distance. This was my first time seeing their exchange up close.

A wave of confidence washed over me.

“Allow me to introduce you, Go Yuri. This is Yu Ji-won. She’s my esteemed adjutant. It’d be great if you two got along. Or maybe all three of us can arrange a routine tea party―”

“Doc, do you like slimes?”

“Huh? Not especially, no.”

“Would you like me to make you a fan?”

“...”

The Undertaker was now timid.

And so, hand in hand, we stepped out of the Inunaki Tunnel, leaving the rest of the Human Allied Forces with some excuse about going “on a scouting mission.”

Translator: ZERO_SUGAR

Editor: echo

https://dsc.gg/reapercomics

– Kieeeek.

– Groooaaa...

Splat.

All three of us planted our feet simultaneously.

Then, something incredible happened. Even Ji-won, who rarely displayed any hint of surprise, blinked.

“Your Excellency, the fog...”

“Yeah,” I said. “It’s moving on its own.”

The wall of thick fog that veiled everything beyond ten meters in any direction began shifting like a living thing. The raindrops followed soon after, pausing in midair and then wriggling sideways...

All skittering away from where Go Yuri set foot.

“...”

“...”

“Wow! The open air does feel refreshingly cool. So where to, Doc?”

“...I’ll lead the way. Keep pace with me.”

“Okay!”

Splorch.

Yu Ji-won and I trod upon the mud while Go Yuri’s heels somehow landed on ground that was dry and solid, as if freshly baked. Occasionally, a water-bug rained down from above and landed on her wide-brimmed hat.

...! ...!

Then the droplet would contort in silent agony, as though under torture—stretching out horizontally, vertically, in all directions, and then contracting over and over at high speed—until it burst barely a second later.

“I’ve always wanted to take a walk with you like this, Doc.”

“...Always? Sorry, but we only met a few months ago at best.”

“That’s just a difference in perspective.”

Splorch.

“Doc, do you love Ha-yul?”

“I do.”

“Have you always?”

“Yes. Always.”

“Even in the distant past?”

“...”

Splorch.

“You surely didn’t love her the instant you laid eyes on her. She’s not your birth daughter. It must have taken time and observation for that love to grow.”

“...What’s your point?”

“‘I love Ha-yul.’ Even that simple statement needs context, right? Like ‘but only after enough time had passed since we met.’”

Splorch.

“I’m the same way, Doc.”

“...”

“I’ve always wanted to walk with you like this.”

Go Yuri glanced sidelong at me, a faint smile playing about her lips.

Tens of thousands of liquid creatures crawled around her, writhing. It was as if she were enveloped in an inverted, transparent umbrella.

“It’s just a different viewpoint. Same as you.”

At long last, we reached the Tower of Babel. Already, half of it had been replaced by water, yet all three of us managed to climb with no problem—thanks to how the watery steps reverted to stone steps under Go Yuri’s feet.

And so we reached the rooftop. A place with nothing except a door that only I could open: the door to the Time Seal.

“...We’re fine now that we’ve made it here. Thanks for bringing us.”

“You’re most welcome.”

Go Yuri smiled.

“In the end, you plan to solve everything on your own, without really relying on me.”

“...If you hadn’t accompanied us, Ji-won and I could never have gotten here so smoothly. I did accept some help.”

“Yes, but only that much. You’ve decided that ‘borrowing this much power won’t come at too steep a price,’ right?”

Beyond the seal of this crystal tomb lay an area safe from Leviathan’s mental corruption. There was no reason to risk more conversation with Go Yuri. Yet somehow, I felt an urge not to end things here with her. An intuition that I shouldn’t just part ways now.

Maybe that’s precisely Go Yuri’s brainwashing...

It might be.

“...I’m sorry.”

Go Yuri blinked.

“Huh?”

“...”

“What are you apologizing for, Doc?”

I was as baffled as she was.

Those words slipped out of my mouth without my own volition. Some unconscious part of me had moved my lips.

Up here on the rooftop, rain and water-bug squirming noises merged into a haze of background noise.

I thought:

‘I’m sorry... to Go Yuri? Why? About what? Where does that come from?’

But the question was short-lived. Even before my rational mind pieced things together, my heart, from ages past, was already hiding the answer.

“I always thought... that I was smart to avoid you. Because the best way to handle a danger you can’t defeat is not to confront it. But in hindsight, you were only doing what the other person wanted.”

Go Yuri could have come to me at any time, as evidenced by the current cycle. She pierced through every precise boundary I’d set and forced a meeting. Yet for hundreds of runs in the past, she never came to visit me.

Why?

It was simple.

“Because I avoided you. Because I didn’t want to meet you, you simply stayed away to match my desire.”

“...”

“I’m sorry.”

I still didn’t know exactly what Go Yuri was or how she worked, but if her absence over those centuries was merely my doing, my fierce wish not to see her, then somehow, now, this moment, I had to apologize.

“...”

Go Yuri was quiet for a while. Expressions of surprise, acceptance, contemplation, and a tiny smile each crossed her face in turn.

“All right. I’ll take that apology as payment for what I did to help you today.”

Clap.

Go Yuri brought her hands together, and in that instant, the loud crashing of the rain abruptly cut out, as if someone hit pause.

I realized she was doing that for me—like a gentle push on my back, telling me to leave now.

“...Thanks.”

Go Yuri didn’t respond. Instead, she let go of Ji-won’s hand and backed away from me as well. Then I stepped through the Time Seal door with Ji-won.

When I glanced back one last time, Go Yuri was standing politely, seeing us off.

Atop the Tower of Babel, locked within the Time Seal, was none other than Cheon Yo-hwa—the one who was once both the Infinite Void and the Mastermind, calling herself my pupil and strategist.

In that sealed space, she saw only the happiest day of her life on an endless loop.

“Hmm, hum-hum... Hmm... Huh?”

To Cheon Yo-hwa, it was a classroom. Long ago, she’d confessed her love for me in that illusionary space. There in that classroom, she sat perched on a desk, humming a tune.

Crimson eyes flicked up to see my face... and Yu Ji-won holding my hand.

“Heh.”

Someone destroyed, yet never truly gone—an Outer God or perhaps the Miko of an Outer God—she—tilted her head.

“Yeah. Welcome back, sunbae.”

The orange-haired girl beamed.

“I always believed this day would come.”

Footnotes:

[1] A reference to Nyoro-n Churuya-san, a 4-koma series that usually features a girl named Churuya getting treated unfairly and then her disappointment with a little “nyoro-n” sound effect in the last panel.