I’m an Infinite Regressor, But I’ve Got Stories to Tell
Chapter 404
Bab ini belum diterjemahkan ke Bahasa Indonesia
Naskah di bawah ini ditampilkan sementara dari versi English asli.
There is an epilogue.
"Hooray!"
"The strongest troublemaking duo!"
"Upholding the tradition of ten million cult followers on the peninsula! The quintessence of heresy! The last surviving prodigies of Taoism!"
"Yo-hwa Yo-hwa ☆ Sisters! Descend!"
"Hooray!"
Clap! A sound of applause echoed through the room.
"......"
There were two audience members who had witnessed the entire spectacle from start to finish: Noh Do-hwa and Yu Ji-won.
Both of them were from the National Highway Management Corps, and this was no coincidence. The place where the Yo-hwa Yo-hwa ☆ Sisters had just made their grand entrance was none other than the innermost sanctum of the Corps' headquarters, the 'Tower of Babel' management command room.
"Great...."
Noh Do-hwa muttered with an expression that was anything but pleased.
"Sure. I did hear that the Cheon family had twin sisters. I understood as much. But... wasn't one of the twins supposed to be time-sealed or something? Shouldn't she not exist in reality? So why are both sisters standing here making a spectacular mess right in front of my eyes...?"
"Huh, an intriguing observation!"
"As expected from the Corps Chief. The fine lines etched on your brow are evidence of not only your irritable temperament but also your highly evolved intellect."
"It can't be helped, sister. Show them your true form!"
I released my aura.
Srrr—.
My orange hair faded to black, and my sailor uniform reverted to a barista outfit. The aura that had been generating a real-time illusion around me dissipated.
It was as if the transformation scene of a magical girl was being played in reverse.
The result was simple.
Cheon-hwa became the Undertaker.
"?
Noh Do-hwa tilted her head.
"Transformation!"
I pulled my aura up again. It felt like striking a pose after finishing a muscle workout.
Then my appearance, including not just my face but also my height and fashion, distorted back to Cheon-hwa.
"......"
"Hooray!"
Clap, I high-fived Yo-hwa. Da capo.
"The strongest troublemaking duo!"
"Upholding the tradition of ten million cult followers on the peninsula! The quintessence of heresy! The last surviving prodigies of Taoism!"
"Yo-hwa Yo-hwa ☆ Sisters! Descend!"
"Hooray!"
"......"
Silence lingered over the meeting room.
"Mr. Matiz, here."
"Ah, thank you, Ji-won."
"Not at all."
Yu Ji-won handed me the tea she had poured from the thermos she always carried around. I was in dire need of a hot drink after straining my vocal cords alongside Yo-hwa.
Slurp. As I peacefully sipped the tea, Noh Do-hwa finally opened her mouth and spoke.
"Have you completely lost your mind—"
### Chapter 26
Once again, there is an epilogue.
As much as I would have loved to wrap up the epilogue just by teasing Noh Do-hwa while impersonating Cheon-hwa, there was a specific issue in this episode that demanded careful revision and review.
"So, in other words, there might be someone other than Mr. Matiz who has returned. Is that your hypothesis?"
"Yes."
I had just shed Cheon-hwa's illusion when I replied. I held back because taunting any further would only increase Noh Do-hwa's kill count.
Despite my immense enjoyment of Noh Do-hwa's contorted facial muscles, I managed to restrain myself. Cultivating patience is vital for someone who has experienced a return.
"However, it's uncertain whether Go Yuri is genuinely a returnee. At the very least, she's definitely in a position comparable to 'a returnee.'"
"Hmm."
The testimony I particularly noted—
No, more like a transcript— was this part.
――――――――――
Go Yuri: Really. I thought it would turn out like this.
Go Yuri: There shouldn't be anything particularly different this time. Why has Miss Cheon-hwa become so clever?
Go Yuri: Did her DNA change? As if. I didn't even touch a thing concerning the environment in which Miss Cheon-hwa and Miss Yo-hwa were born.
Go Yuri: If mishandled, the twins would become too easily miscarried.
――――――――――
Miscarriage.
This part was so significant that I printed the transcript and handed it out to my colleagues.
"Although we can't be 100% certain, Go Yuri spoke as if she was aware of a world line where Cheon-hwa and Yo-hwa were never born."
"......"
I glanced to the side.
Nod. Having just tested Noh Do-hwa's murderous intent with me, Yo-hwa now wore a serious expression.
"Our mother was... a bit frail. After giving birth to us—uh, me—she was always bedridden."
"Hmm. You're saying that it wouldn't have been surprising if she had miscarried you all."
"Yes."
In response to Yu Ji-won's question, Yo-hwa nodded frankly.
"So if your assumption is correct—and I believe it too—then, it seems Go Yuri, my 'teacher of the first generation,' deliberately ensured the twins would be born."
"What would be the reason for that?"
"Ahaha. That's something I don't quite understand either..."
Yo-hwa scratched the back of her head awkwardly.
Why, for what reason, did it have to be twins?
It was a question that could only be answered by peering into Go Yuri's true intentions.
"Hmm."
Noh Do-hwa sat a bit apart from us, deliberately leaning her chin on her hand.
"What if it's the opposite...?"
I tilted my head questioningly.
"The opposite?"
"If there's a reason it must be twins but it's unclear, shouldn't we consider the issues that could arise if it isn't twins...?"
Indeed.
I engaged in a brainstorming session with Noh Do-hwa.
"If only one was born instead of the Cheon-hwa-Yo-hwa twins, there wouldn't be a need to distinguish between them. There wouldn't even be a risk of confusion since they'd already be a single 'Cheon Yo-hwa.'"
"From my perspective, it still amounts to just one person, Cheon Yo-hwa... In any case, there would only be one Cheon Yo-hwa left. What issue arises from that...?"
"Well,"
I began.
"Yo-hwa was chosen as a sacrifice to the underworld and Cheon-hwa was selected as a sacrifice by the antagonists. So the divine entities meant to be divided between the two would be focused on just one person—"
At that moment.
"Ah?"
My mouth went silent.
"...?"
"Teacher?"
"Mr. Matiz?"
All three turned their focus on me.
But I could hardly notice their expressions. A sudden realization, as striking as lightning, shot through my spine.
I spoke.
"Taiji."
"Taiji?"
"We're considering this backward. Not two separate Outer gods from the start—what if originally there was only 'one' Outer god?"
Blink. Blink blink.
The others still seemed puzzled by my words, their eyebrows quirking in uncertainty.
But as I continued, I felt caught in a violent wave of electric epiphany.
"Taiji. The taiji. Neither an yin (陰) Outer god nor a yang (陽) Outer god. Initially, they were one. What if there was originally only one Outer god named 'Taiji'?"
"..."
"This Taiji god regards everything as equal data. It infinitely simulates how everything combines, ensuring that the most beneficial world line for itself emerges, tirelessly, relentlessly, until 'the most favorable world' comes forth."
"Ah?"
"......!"
Finally, realization began to dawn upon their expressions.
What if the terrifying entities of the abyss and the darkness, notorious even when isolated, were originally merged as one?
"In simple terms, from a human perspective, that Taiji god essentially wielded the power of a returnee. No matter how much one struggled, there was no beating it. Naturally."
"It can just keep running simulations until it wins."
Yo-hwa murmured hesitantly.
"Even if humanity wins, it's not really a victory. The Outer god would just move to the [next round]. ...Just like you, teacher."
Indeed.
My voice fell to a murmur as well.
"Even having a returnee doesn't matter. It's eternally a draw. No, even a draw can't last forever."
"Why is that, teacher?"
"Humans don't have infinite mental resilience."
The logic was simple.
Humanity boasts a returnee. Even after being obliterated by the grotesque, they could attempt again in the next round. Until victory is achieved.
Grotesque has Taiji god. Even if humanity triumphs, it reruns the simulation. Until humanity is annihilated.
However, unlike humanity, grotesque lacked intelligence. No reason, self, mind, center. No stress, no trauma.
"...That's a worst-case scenario."
Yu Ji-won said, expressionless.
"Humanity reached this point purely because of the existence of a returnee like Mr. Matiz. Imagine if the enemy had a similar power. It's unthinkable."
"If we were born not as twins but a single child, would Taiji god emerge...?"
Yo-hwa whispered in shock.
Truly, a dead end.
An endless labyrinth one could never transcend.
A trash game where every decision led to a bad ending.
If I, the Undertaker, encountered such an insurmountable fortress—what would I do?
"I'd give up."
Like old man Seo.
"But if I didn't?"
It's a problem that Taiji god exists.
"Simply eliminating Cheon Yo-hwa won't solve anything. Another sacrifice will just be chosen as the shrine maiden."
"Leaving the new shrine maiden unknown makes it harder to control variables."
Cheon Yo-hwa is left alone.
"If the Outer god is too strong, then the Outer god must be fragmented."
"......"
Force it apart.
Insult nature.
What was naturally one, forcibly divided into two.
Tao follows nature (道法自然).
-I interpret the phrase the other way around.
A reminiscence.
-One individual human ultimately alters a path. So I ask...
When there is no route.
-Why can't one person change that path?
Create a route.
Taiji.
The concept of Taiji had a loophole. Even if ultimately one, it could initially be divided into the extremes yin and yang.
Therefore, it could be split.
The originally singular 'Cheon Yo-hwa', the shrine maiden of the Taiji god, devised a method to split into one yet two.
'Twin sisters.'
Simple. Roll the dice until Cheon Yo-hwa's mother gives birth to twins. A low probability, but undoubtedly possible.
"Just being twins isn't enough. Make them as if truly one... As entities reflecting different aspects, yin and yang. So,"
Even their names were unified.
Cheon Yo-hwa. Identical pronunciation.
By writing, Cheon Yo-hwa (天寥化). Cheon Yo-hwa (千謠話).
Pronounce it by segmenting, one Cheon-hwa, the other Yo-hwa.
"That's absurd."
A mere human.
"Successfully divided an invincible grotesque, 'the infinite simulation Spinning Akashic Record,' an Outer god?"
-The method is singular.
-Become as broad as nature’s path, as expansive as the universe.
...
-Strictly speaking, Tao is human.
-Being natural (人然) yet a cause and effect (因緣).
Splitting one grotesque into two didn’t merely halve its combat strength as in an RPG.
Imagine dividing my own 'return ability' and 'total recall' as the Undertaker.
The result wouldn't be a 50% reduction but likely 80%—or perhaps a staggering 99%.
Most of my advantages would vanish completely.
The 'Taiji god,' which should have instilled terror across all existence, was now gone.
Only the imperfect yin and yang. Marks of the abyss and backdrop. Echoes of horror barely whispering their feeble cry in the cosmos.
The once flawless Outer god waned. It plummeted.
Leaving only incomplete, decisively lacking grotesques roaming the earth.
'If.'
A sudden ominous thought struck me.
'What if the difficulty of conquering this world that I've challenged over a thousand times, which I've always thought of as Hard or Lunatic, has in fact been adjusted to Normal by someone?'
Adjusting the world's difficulty.
Perhaps such an impossible feat might have been achieved by some entity known as Go Yuri.
In battles where defeat was once certain, it was adjusted to a 'doable level' if you diligently knocked your head over and over.
It was nothing short of a miracle.
'Wait, why is someone so incredible wandering around now transformed into a grotesque?'
'Why was she deleted from Cheon Yo-hwa's memory on June 17th...? No, there isn't enough information to judge this.'
I shook my head.
Even if I managed to deduce the existence of the Taiji god, there were still far too many mysteries surrounding Go Yuri's actions.
I needed more clues.
"At least, I've found a way to approach Go Yuri's secret."
Fortunately, I knew where the clues might be hiding.
"If I hadn't entered Yo-hwa's dream and delved into her past, I wouldn't have known about the '□'—a void, an emptiness in her mind."
"Did you only learn this after more than 1,000 attempts? Isn't that negligence as a returnee...?"
"Ahaha, I often explored my dreams. But I was cautious not to unwittingly engage with Go Yuri residing in the unconscious world, out of respect for privacy and self-preservation."
When I thought back, my own dreams were also riddled with holes, like memories of my mother.
No matter where I looked, all I could find were [404 - Not Found] signs.
It turned out that I wasn't unique in this aspect, and Yo-hwa was similar—something I never imagined, even in my dreams.
"But that's different now. I've verified a method to engage with Go Yuri without falling to her influence."
"Hmm..."
"Thus, I say to you all."
I began.
"I suspect, just like with Yo-hwa, that there might exist... a similar void or '□' in all our pasts, including mine."
"Pardon...?"
"It's a hypothesis at this point. A theory. So, like I did with Yo-hwa, may I take a brief look into your pasts?"
"No. Absolutely not..."
Noh Do-hwa made a face of profound aversion.
But there was only one individual like Noh Do-hwa in the world. Yu Ji-won received it calmly.
"There isn't much to treasure in my past beyond the summers I spent with you, Mr. Matiz. The rest I hold no attachment to."
"Thank you, Ji-won."
"Not at all."
That very day, with the help of the tutorial fairies and Cheon-hwa, I infiltrated Yu Ji-won's dreams.
Beyond the fourth tier and further. Into the past. Reaching the dangerous threshold from which fragments from Go Yuri's unconscious world spilled forth.
The result was plain.
[404 - Not Found]
The same void of memory as Yo-hwa's. That '□' was there.
"......"
In Yu Ji-won's past, traces of 'the existence of Go Yuri being deleted' were present.
'How?'
I then turned to the Saintess's past.
[404 - Not Found]
To Lee Ha-yul's past.
[404 - Not Found]
To Sim Ah-ryeon's past.
[404 - Not Found]
Seo Gyu, Kim Ji-su, Dang Seo-rin, and beyond.
In every one of their pasts, I found a '□'. Different people in my proximity, fragments of their pasts, or parts of their memories were 'cut off.'
Every time I wandered near that void of the heart, something identical to Go Yuri appeared.
"Why...?"
But it didn't stop there.
I persuaded others too. I entered Lee Joo-ho's dreams. I accessed the former swordsman's past.
Lee Baek, Lee Jae-hee, Uehara Shino, the Grand Priestess, Manyeo, Heo Su Gum, Heuk Yo Geum, Jo Yeong-su, Shin Soo Bin, Cecilia, Kwon Ryong, Nenet, Manav, and Akasha.
[404] [404] [404] [404]
[404] [404] [404] [404]
[404] [404] [404] [404]
[404] [404] [404] [404]
Everyone. Every single one.
In every person I looked into, and perhaps all of humanity, I found hollow voids like vacant marks pierced into their pasts.
All were a result of 'forgetting the existence of Go Yuri.'
"......"
No one in this world.
Not even I, equipped with perfect recall.
Could remember the someone who had vanished from our respective pasts.
-Lost Individual. Conclusion.
