Regressors are also people. Human beings.
I was far from an all-powerful deity.
Take Sim Ah-ryeon's case for instance. Who would have thought that the title of a Japanese web novel like '[Manga Serialization Soon] I Thought I Was a Mere Pathetic Awakener, But This Time, I Turn Out to Be a Legendary Healer ~Saving Patients from the Brink of Death, They Call Me an Angel~[Releases 11/11]' would unfold.
Once again, being a regressor doesn't mean knowing every secret.
Every so often, there are unsolvable riddles or events that might as well be called urban legends that find their way to me.
They're the events I reflect upon while sipping Old Man Scho's café au lait, those 'What on earth was that?' kind of events.
Today, I'll introduce you to such a mystery.
Do you believe that there is balance in the world?
For instance, if there are scumbags among humans, there are also angels.
On internet forums where villains emerge, so too do popular stars whom people want to befriend.
-[Satisfaction] CookingQueen: Do you seek peace of mind? Join the Satisfaction Guild! Our main hub is in Daejeon!
On SG Net, CookingQueen has always been one such popular figure.
I myself only have good memories of this person.
"CookingQueen? I haven't observed her for long, but she's not a bad person. She takes good care of her guild members and even volunteers on Sundays. Personally, I believe there's no one as trustworthy among the Awakeners as CookingQueen."
Witness 1: Saintess.
"Oh, you're asking if I know CookingQueen? She's a really good member. I've seen all sorts of things managing SG Net, but I've never seen CookingQueen cause trouble. Boring? Not at all. She writes plenty of funny posts and doesn't act all high and mighty. Ugh. If all members were like CookingQueen, I wouldn't have to suffer like this..."
Witness 2: Seo Gyu.
-[Satisfaction] CookingQueen: OldManGoryeo, I believe in the goodness planted deep within your heart. Why do you keep repeating these self-harming actions? If you have any concerns, please consult me.
-OldManGoryeo: Please... Stop... It's my fault. I'm a son of a bitch and a bad guy, so don't talk to me like that…
Witness 3: Sim Ah-ryeon.
All the Awakeners, each with their unique personality, unanimously testified that CookingQueen was a rare find in this day and age.
Even the Saintess, known for her stringent standards, did not skimp on the praise. Her testimony held extra credibility, as she could observe other Awakeners with her [Clairvoyance].
I, the one and only infinite regressor (since the other one went on long-term leave), had a good impression of CookingQueen as well.
-LiteraryGirl: This ZERO_SUGAR person... such a nosy brat.
└[Satisfaction] CookingQueen: To speak ill of others is actually to lower oneself. Every human is a mirror to me, and I am a mirror of all humans. Let us respect and be considerate of one another.
There are those who hide in the shadows and slander me, yet CookingQueen stands against them.
I know best how difficult a task it is to stand alone and fight for good while everyone around you does evil.
And so it was in the 89th run. Invigorated by 'the unscratched lottery ticket' Seo Gyu hitting the jackpot, I had since taken to recruiting new companions in each run. Having proven her integrity and steadfastness over past runs, CookingQueen was also one of my targets.
It wasn't because she personally took my side that I approached her.
"Greetings."
"Hello."
And enlisting CookingQueen was not a hard thing to do. Like Seo Gyu, she was popular for a reason.
At the starting point of my regression in Busan Station's main concourse, 399 individuals were summoned there, and among them was CookingQueen's main form.
"I would say it's safer to move together with others. Would you perhaps accompany me, at least until we leave Busan Station?"
"Oh. Yes, I would like that."
The woman had rosy-hued hair. Her hair might have been dyed a flashy color, but her demeanor was calm. Hers was the sort of peace found and kept despite going through numerous trials in life.
There was an imbalance between her vivid hair color and mode of expression, but that awkwardness was not out of place but instead lent itself to a rather unique charm.
"Thank you. You can call me 'Doc' or just 'Undertaker' if you prefer. And what is your name?"
"Go Yuri."
The woman who had been active on SG Net under the name CookingQueen in past runs, now smiled gently and calmly.
"Please, just call me Yuri, Doc."
To get straight to the point, Go Yuri had absolutely zero combat-related abilities to speak of. Not just combat, either. The ability she had awakened, [Stealth], could barely be called useful. If Go Yuri had the talent of a sniper or assassin, then [Stealth] might have been put to good use, but as it was, Go Yuri truly had no talent for fighting.
"Ugh. Ah! Agh! I'm sorry! I'm sorry!"
She was getting pummeled by slimes, which were considered the weakest monsters.
Sim Ah-ryeon (who had also been recruited into my party around the 51st run) aggressively ripped the slimes apart.
"Oh, noona... You're pretty bad at this..."[1]
"Yes, it seems I have no talent."
"It's okay, I'll protect you!"
"Thank you, Ah-ryeon."
It was a beautiful display of camaraderie between party members, despite Sim Ah-ryeon being one of the weakest in combat herself.
Still, we did not expel Go Yuri from the party.
It wasn't because we feared the story would turn into a genre of #regret #obsession #misery, but for purely rational reasons.
"Oh, Guild Leader."
At 5 AM, a time of serene blue before the day begins, I was drinking café au lait in the guild house kitchen when Go Yuri hurried down from upstairs.
Having lived as a regressor for a long time, I still found it hard to get used to being called 'Guild Leader'. The title was a bit special to me.
But I accepted the greeting without letting that show. "You're up early."
"Yeah, I wake up automatically around this time," Go Yuri said, sheepishly scratching her cheek.
Plus 10 points.
Indeed, a sound and healthy lifestyle fundamentally involves going to bed early and waking up early. This belief hasn't changed through my 100th or even 1000th runs.
Go Yuri peeked into the kitchen. "Guild Leader, you always seem to brew coffee in the morning, and our guild has 'café' in the name. Is it a hobby of yours?"
"It is. It wasn't always, but an old friend was deeply knowledgeable about the subject. Somehow, I ended up getting into it as well."
"That's cool!" Go Yuri clasped her hands together to form a triangle, then tilted her head while grinning. "I think following a set pattern early in the morning is itself proof of diligence. It's like a declaration, a refusal to let time simply pass one by. And yet, you're relaxing with a coffee, which eases mental and physical tension. It's a wonderful habit, truly!"
A smile spread across my face. I had my own reasons for loving the dawn, but Go Yuri wasn't wrong either.
"We really connect in conversation," I commented. "Heading to water the flowerbed now?"
"Yes, the hydrangeas are blooming beautifully! I was worried whether the soil would take well, but I'm happy to see the blue come out so bright!"
Plus 30 points.
Indeed, lazy people spread the virus of indolence while diligent people emit the radiation of effort. The mere act of caring for a flowerbed unasked was commendable in and of itself. Watching her speak so logically and with such precision was simply heartwarming.
Whenever I spoke like that in front of the other party members, their responses were always lukewarm, somehow.
"Say, hyung."
"What is it, Seo Gyu?"
"Hyung, you're not that much older than me, but hearing you speak feels like I'm listening to a company manager..."
Uh-oh.
I frowned, and Seo Gyu quickly averted his gaze.
I handed a cup of coffee (brewed to taste as close as possible to bagged coffee) to the Saintess, and she was touched.
"I think Mr. Undertaker's view is correct. All virtue originates from habit, and habit begins with diligence. Virtue without diligence creates a dilettante, a mere show-off."
"That's right, isn't it? Indeed. Seo Gyu, you should also learn from Yuri and the Saintess."
Seo Gyu made a puzzled expression. "…It's strange. Our guild's average age is almost the youngest in the industry, but why does it feel like…?"
He mumbled in complaint, but fondness for Go Yuri was not unique to me but shared by all party members.
"Yuri! Let's grab a beer after training! Our usual place is well-stocked this week!"
"Hey, Go Yuri. About managing SG Net..."
"Go Yuri, would you like to have lunch with me today...?"
Even the most wild and difficult members of the party turned as tame as donkeys in Go Yuri's presence.
In fact, that was precisely why I decided to keep Go Yuri around.
While we're on the subject, I should explain that Awakeners generally have bad temperaments. It's not an absolute rule, but those with particularly twisted natures often have stronger abilities.
Our guild, for example, was made up of S- and A-class prospects. Emotional instability was rampant. Even Seo Gyu, seemingly docile in my presence, once went nuts at the Tutorial Fairy, shouting, "You fucking asshole!"
The Saintess... I trust her with my life, but it's hard to say she has a normal personality. She only occasionally discusses SG Net operations with Seo Gyu. Despite sending out more messages than anyone else, paradoxically, she disliked interacting with people.
In a guild filled with troublemakers, being friendly with everyone was no small feat.
'The mental stability of the party members has greatly improved compared to previous runs.'
Plus 200 points.
Affinity Level 7 achieved.
Even if Go Yuri only mastered [Stealth] and was nothing more than a normal person with a single hair out of place, it didn't matter.
As I often say, mental stability is crucial for humans. What's the use of having the strongest combat abilities without it? Take Old Man Scho—a broken mind merely turns one from 'showing up' to a 'no-scho'.
"Yes, everyone. Let's have lunch together."
Go Yuri served as a bridge connecting all of the guild members.
Even Awakeners who normally growled at each other in previous runs were now tempered by her presence, which significantly reduced my burden.
"Go Yuri is really like a hearty Korean soup. Managing the organization has become unbelievably easier," I whispered to the Saintess while observing the scene from a distance. "You know Hayul, right? The quiet one. Even they follow Go Yuri. At this rate, we might even be able to increase our member count to 20 or 30 without any issues."
"..."
"Hmm?" I turned around at her silence, only to find the Saintess looking a bit dazed. Her usually clear eyes were slightly clouded. "Saintess?"
"Oh. Yes. Sorry, what did you just say?"
"It wasn't anything important. Maybe you're feeling the heat? Shall I get you some cold water?"
"...No, it's fine," the Saintess murmured. "It's just, I'm amazed by how someone can be so close with everyone. You know I'm quite the opposite."
"Each personality has its strengths and weaknesses, doesn't it? Maybe Go Yuri also has her struggles that she doesn't talk about with others."
"That's a fair point."
The 89th run felt good in many ways.
SG Net operations were all smooth sailing. The villainous OldManGoryeo, Sim Ah-ryeon, had successfully rebranded from an attention-seeker to an A-class healer.
With the Saintess's flawless support and Go Yuri's maxed-out charm and affability, our guild was more cohesive than ever before. We even captured all the fairies to garner nationwide support from the Awakeners.
It was a run where our power solidified both overtly and covertly.
'Maybe… Maybe this time, we might actually prevent the end of the world?'
Looking back on it now, I realize that sentiment must seem like nonsensical rambling, but at the time, I sincerely believed it might actually happen.
That was how I ended my satisfying day and went to bed.
The next day, I awoke and made to get up.
My rule was to rise immediately after waking without lazing around in bed.
"...?"
But on this day, for the first time in a very long while, I struggled to get out of bed.
It wasn't because I suddenly learned the value of laziness.
I just stared blankly up at the ceiling.
The ceiling that had been spotless as ever before I went to sleep.
[Do not trust the one with pink hair.]
That familiar ceiling now bore an unfamiliar sentence.
Infinite regression has taught me many lessons.
One of those lessons was named 'doubt'.
Old Man Scho, a fellow regressor, had said the same.
"Do not trust these Constellation things too much."
Everyone believed in the existence of the Constellations without question. However, Old Man Scho pointed out their bias towards Koreans and never let go of his skepticism.
In the end, Old Man Scho was right. The Constellations were just a masquerade played by the Saintess for the entire nation.
'German.'
I thought about the sentence I saw in my room while having breakfast with the guild members.
'It wasn't written with a writing tool but carved with the tip of a knife. Then...'
I reached into my pocket and pulled out a dagger, the self-defense weapon I never parted with, even in sleep.
Inspecting the blade, I noticed a fine layer of dust and debris stuck to it. I would need to consult Uehara Shino for a detailed composition analysis, but at a glance, it seemed the same as the ceiling material.
Meaning…
'Someone took the dagger from my possession and carved the sentence into the ceiling in German, a language only I would recognize. They did this without my noticing and bypassed all the security in my bedroom.'
Was that even possible?
'Impossible.'
Even the headquarters of our guild, thanks to 'Puppeteer', a specialist in fortifications, were laced with fine 'cobwebs' across the ceilings.
Aside from Dang Seo-rin's guild train, there were no other headquarters with such a high level of security. At the very least, no one in our guild was capable of bypassing security and pulling off such a feat.
Maybe Old Man Scho could... No, even then. I had already identified his corpse at the start of the 89th run.
Ultimately, there was only one suspect.
'Myself.'
I stared at my own reflection in the glass of water.
If I were the culprit, then I could easily ignore any and all adversities and commit the crime.
The problem was... no matter how much I racked my brain, I had no memory of carving that sentence into the ceiling.
'Brainwashing? Sleepwalking? Split personality? Memory loss? Hypnosis?'
Countless possibilities surfaced.
Either way, it was one of two things.
'Either someone is trying to sow discord between me and Go Yuri, or they are genuinely warning me about Go Yuri.'
Suddenly…
I turned my head, and my eyes met with Go Yuri, who was munching on a sandwich.
"...?"
Go Yuri smiled and continued eating her sandwich.
...My heart settled.
I followed her example and ate my own meal as if nothing had happened.
'Never thought the near-legendary 89th run would have such a screwed-up event.'
In such a crisis, the only person I could consult was the Saintess. Not only did she know that I was a regressor, she also knew how to assess any situation with objective eyes.
"By the way, haven't the Constellations been quiet lately?"
"Huh? You too? I haven't gotten any messages since yesterday."
"It feels a bit unnerving when they normally talk a lot and then suddenly go quiet, doesn't it?"
I paused.
The casual chatter from the guild members at the table drifted my way, and I absentmindedly looked over at them. "The messages from the Constellations aren't coming through?" I asked.
"Ah, yes, Guild Leader."
"Isn't there some talk about it on SG Net right now?"
A foreboding feeling washed over me.
-x-X-x-
Sure enough, there was indeed commotion on SG Net.
-Anonymous: The Constellations have gone silent out of nowhere. Am I cut off?
-[Samcheon] WitchJudge: I asked my guild members, and they confirmed that they haven't received any messages from the Constellations since yesterday. The last contact anyone had was 28 hours ago. I hope other guilds will speak to their situations as well.
-dolLHoUse: oh no.
-Anonymous: Guys, I'm scared. What's happening...?
-OldManGoryeo: Idiots. Always singing their praises to the Constellations, and now they whine like babies who lost their mother because there hasn't been contact for two days. What are you even keeping your balls for? To make egg soup? These guys probably don't even have yolks in their balls LOL.
└Anonymous: Fuck, this crazy bastard gets more annoying every day. Where the hell do you live?
└[Yuldoguk] SwordMarquess: My sword cries out.
Sim Ah-ryeon was being typical Sim Ah-ryeon like any other day, but the Awakeners were unusually restless.
I tried knocking on the door, but there was no response.
"Stay here and shout if you sense anyone spying or approaching."
"Yes, hyung."
I stepped into the townhouse, trying to hide my anxiety. I had known the front door's passcode for dozens of cycles.
The living room was dark.
The Saintess lay dead in her sanctuary, surrounded by four monitors casting a bluish glow like a carpet of water and dozens of aquariums like walls of a fortress.
"..."
My mind went cold.
'Strangled.'
The Saintess always had towels on hand to tend to her aquariums, with a stocked towel rack in the living room. She had hanged herself with one.
'Suicide.'
There were no signs of struggle, but I knew that no matter what happened, the Saintess would never have died by suicide. It was not simply because "it wasn't in her character." It was the truth discovered through observing dozens of cycles.
'It's murder disguised as suicide.'
The Saintess was central to my goal.
In an instant, the Constellations had vanished. The force that held the Awakeners together through external connections and boundaries, and not from within, had snapped.
And it wasn't just that. The ever-present network of communications between guilds that used the Constellations as messengers had also disappeared.
When someone needed to gain another's trust, saying 'the Constellation vouches for our identity' would now be impossible.
'No sign of the security devices being activated.'
I had always taken extreme care to ensure the Saintess's safety.
The security measures that had been so meticulously prepared had all been disabled at once.
'Without even a moment to send me a message?'
I approached one of the aquariums. When I pushed the fish tank aside, there was a hidden compartment beneath the steel bookshelf with a USB inside.
It was a contingency plan we had agreed upon.
I plugged the USB into the computer and opened Notepad.
──────────
Hello, Mr. Z.
If you are reading this, I must be dead.
My death came without any forewarning. From all the observations I've made as [CLA], there were no factors that could have led to my death.
There might be something on the CCTV, but it is hard to imagine that someone who killed me this stealthily would leave meaningful evidence behind.
As you know, the most pressing issue now is the disappearance of the Transcendents, which has unleashed the intangible reins that were held on the Awakeners.
The only Transcendent we can currently mobilize is the anonymous one known as the creator of N.
Using this name, we must post a notice on N and claim, "An entity obstructing the activities of the Transcendents has been born," adding a scene where N is attacked and temporarily goes offline to increase credibility.
But containing the chaos among the Awakeners is impossible.
I am truly sorry that my power was insufficient.
I hope you will find strength again.
- S.
──────────
It was the Saintess's will.
To avoid detection by others, she had referred to me not as 'Undertaker' but as 'Mr. Z'. Clairvoyance was abbreviated as 'CLA', and SG Net as 'N'. Instead of Constellation, she used the term Transcendent.
The 'again' in "I hope you will find strength again" undoubtedly meant 'the next cycle'.
It couldn't be anything but the Saintess's style of a will.
The creation date of the Notepad file was one year and six months ago.
'It was indeed a sudden attack that led to her death.'
If it had been suicide, she would have revised the will.
And if it wasn't suicide, there were only two suspects.
The first suspect was me.
"Ah, hyung. Is the Saintess doing well?"
And then there was Seo Gyu.
After leaving the townhouse, I quietly observed Seo Gyu.
"Seo Gyu."
"Yes."
"Did you ever tell anyone where the Saintess lives?"
He was startled. "Excuse me? No, I wouldn't! You told me never to tell anyone!"
Could he really be trusted?
Although Seo Gyu and I had been allies for quite some time, if I were asked whether I could trust him with my life like the Saintess, I would feel it more appropriate to describe our relationship as too light for that.
"Two days ago, you went out briefly after filing an outing report, yes?"
"Y-yes... But why...?"
"Go Yuri spent the whole day back at the dorm that day."
"Did she?"
"But using [Stealth], someone could sneak out without the other party members knowing. And if they had followed you out, the risk of being detected would have been much less."
"Hyung, what are you trying to say—?"
"There are countless security measures unknown to you spread throughout the Saintess's residence. One of them scans and saves the shoe prints of anyone who enters her home. This data is refreshed weekly."
It was a lie.
But my expression and tone did not waver.
"Why are your shoe prints in the Saintess's residence?"
"..."
Silence.
"That's strange?"
A strange voice came from Seo Gyu's mouth.
"I didn't know anything about that."
A gunshot rang out.
Seo Gyu's body fell like a reed.
He had quickly drawn a pistol and aimed it at his palate, firing instantly.
Red blood seeped out onto the asphalt road, cracked as if suffering from untreated atopic dermatitis.
"..."
I clenched my fist.
After calming my heart again, I tried to connect to SG Net.
[Unable to connect to the site.]
The Seo Gyu who died in front of me was the real Seo Gyu.
The possibility that he was a marionette controlled by the Puppeteer, an apostle of an Outer God, or another entity had drastically reduced.
The two pillars that could influence the nation's Awakeners―the Saintess and Seo Gyu―had collapsed in an instant.
At that moment, my mindset had already shifted to gathering as much information as possible for the next cycle.
It was an all-too-familiar task to me.
I drew my sword and headed to the guild's lodging.
The duo that should always be on guard was nowhere to be seen.
"..."
It was quiet.
The training ground, where members should have been, was empty. Instead, Sim Ah-ryeon lay dead.
In the dining hall, meals were left untouched. The wheelchair that a beloved guild member usually rode was rolling around alone, lost without its owner.
There was no sign of life in the hallways or dormitories. In its place was only German phrases scrawled here and there along the pillars and walls.
[Do not trust the one with pink hair.]
I walked out to the training ground and sank into a bench.
It was summer. The sirens of cicadas screamed their fierce alarm.
Before I knew it, Go Yuri was sitting politely next to me on the bench.
"Have you returned, Guild Leader?"
"..."
"Whew. It's really hot this summer."
Go Yuri flapped her outerwear to create a breeze. Behind her, the sound of cicadas faded out like a whiteout.
"Your ability, it wasn't [Stealth]."
"Yeah," she affirmed simply.
"[Stealth] was just the surface," I muttered in thought. "When your ability activates, it essentially just dulls others' awareness of you. Considering the current situation... your true ability must be [Perception Inhibition]. No, perhaps [Perception Manipulation]?"
"Ah― That's right." Go Yuri smiled broadly. "Guild Leader, you are really amazing! I thought so the first time I met you, but you are truly impressive."
"...I should have realized something was off sooner."
I thought back again to the last cycle, what evaluations Go Yuri, that is, CookingQueen, had received from those around her.
"CookingQueen? I haven't observed her for long, but she's not a bad person. She takes good care of her guild members and even volunteers on Sundays. Personally, I believe there's no one as trustworthy among the Awakeners as CookingQueen."
Witness 1: the Saintess.
The mere fact that she left her will on a secret USB reveals how cautious the Saintess was. She was the one who arranged our first meeting, thinking, 'Perhaps there might be a regressor in this world.'
That such a person would dub someone she admitted she "hadn't observed for long" as "the most trustworthy"?
It was suspicious from the start.
"Oh, you're asking if I know CookingQueen? She's a really good member. I've seen all sorts of things managing SG Net, but I've never seen CookingQueen cause trouble. Boring? Not at all. She writes a lot of funny posts and doesn't act all high and mighty. Ugh. If all members were like CookingQueen, I wouldn't have to suffer like this..."
Witness 2: Seo Gyu.
Seo Gyu testified that Go Yuri wrote "a lot of funny posts."
But wasn't that strange?
I have never once witnessed CookingQueen writing anything amusing.
-[Satisfaction] CookingQueen: Seeking peace of mind? Join the Satisfaction Guild! Our main base is in Seoul!
-[Satisfaction] CookingQueen: Words are a reflection of thoughts, and thoughts are like mist on a cloudy day, concealing oneself. Why not try using clearer and brighter language?
-[Satisfaction] CookingQueen: Brother, if you ever have a secret you can't tell anyone, feel free to consult me anytime. People are killed by their fellow man, but people also live by them.
-[Satisfaction] CookingQueen: The curses you pour onto others will eventually return unto you. Why not take some time to reflect on yourself? Trust that there is good within you, brother.
Hers was a style devoid of any fun―only steadfast, correct, and upstanding.
In other words, it was the typical 'type of human' that I, the Undertaker, would like.
"Go Yuri."
"Yes?"
"Do you possess the ability to show someone 'the best version' of a person?"
"..."
To the ethically-minded Saintess, a moral human.
To Seo Gyu, who likes a bit of fun, a humorous human.
And ultimately, in front of me, who believes that a person's life depends on their mentality and attitude, an upright and steadfast human.
Appearing as a different person to different people.
Like a magic mirror.
This was Go Yuri's true identity.
The reason she was loved by all these twisted Awakeners was hidden in this truth.
"...As expected, Guild Leader. This time, I'm really surprised!"
Go Yuri clasped her hands and tilted her head.
But did she really take such a pose?
Was Go Yuri smiling when she smiled? Was she using formal language when she spoke? Did she have pink hair, and maintain a garden in the morning, and stick to a sincere attitude?
Everything about her could have been a lie.
Now that I could no longer trust my perception, I had no choice but to discard all the information I thought I knew about Go Yuri.
"But you don't just have the ability to manipulate perception," I said. "You made Seo Gyu commit suicide."
"Yes. I am a multi-ability user, you see."
"...I now understand why the fairies avoided you. How exactly did you wind up at the Busan Station concourse? The place has so many of these supposedly rare multi-ability users stockpiled there that you could practically trip over them."
"Ahaha, that's true. Sometimes, strange coincidences do happen."
"Why did you do this?"
"Um, I could tell you, but would you trust me if I did, Guild Leader?"
I wouldn't.
At that moment, a loud noise came from the direction of the guild dormitory. With a crash, the concrete outer walls shattered, and the building immediately crumbled to the ground.
Above the rubble, a massive fleshy body expanded to the height of the building in the blink of an eye.
Red and blue veins quivered with an incessant pulse, and the muscles, like tentacles or tails, lashed out into the air.
-Giiielduh leeeedaaarrrr.
-Hyeeeunnnggg.
-... ...
-Duuuoooc.
Each wriggle of the tentacles ripped through the air, producing eerie noises.
Those noises resembled the voices of the guild members.
The surface of the tentacles was etched with black stripes. As the voices of the guild members rang out, the black patterns undulated in endless ripples.
"..."
A phenomenon that had never appeared in the previous 88 cycles.
I stared at the being that had caused this difference.
"I'm sorry, Guild Leader."
Go Yuri stood up from the bench with an eutcha and dusted off her skirt, walked a few steps forward, and then, with her hands behind her back, turned to look at me.
Her pink hair slipped sideways.
"I think everyone being happy is better. I didn't want to make you sad, Guild Leader. Nor anyone else. So I tried very hard... But unlike the others, your mind is too strong. So you see, my ability was momentarily released."
"Let me ask you one thing."
I looked up at Go Yuri.
"Did I kill the guild members? Was I manipulated by you?"
Go Yuri stared back at me. "...No."
"That's a lie."
"Yes."
My sword drawn from its sheath slashed Go Yuri's neck.
A slash appeared. The pink hair fell down first. Shortly after, Go Yuri's head slid off.
Before her head completely slid off, her lips moved.
"Let's become one, Guild Leader."
Behind Go Yuri, the red flesh flexed and stretched until it covered the sky.
That's the last thing I remember from the 89th cycle.
After that day, I did not contact Go Yuri.
The number of times we met directly could be counted on one hand. We only interacted three, maybe four times over hundreds of cycles.
Go Yuri's ability remains unidentified. If I were to become stronger than I was in the 89th cycle, I might one day be capable of subduing her—that was the conclusion I reached.
Whether that conclusion was correct, I don't know.
One thing I do know is that, excluding the 89th cycle, there was never another cycle where the 'red flesh' appeared.
In the cycles where Go Yuri did not interact with me, she always managed not to cause any major issues until suddenly being killed by a monster or disappearing into thin air, an endlessly harmless Awakener.
"Let's become one, Guild Leader."
What did those words mean?
Was the red flesh a monster? Or a form of contamination? Perhaps the product of a corrupted Awakener, but there was a crucial difference that made the possibility unlikely. Then was the red flesh also a unique ability of Go Yuri?
What was the true appearance of Go Yuri, undistorted by the filter of [Perception Manipulation]?
On the odd occasion, curiosity welled within me. However, I felt no urgency to delve into this mystery.
I had no intention of approaching Go Yuri, at least not until I found a way to completely nullify [Perception Manipulation].
-[Satisfaction] CookingQueen: Seeking peace of mind? Join the Satisfaction Guild! Our main base is now in Daejeon!
From time to time, I would stealthily leave a comment when I saw the nickname CookingQueen on SG Net.
-ZERO_SUGAR: Your diligent attitude is always nice to see ^^...
Soon after, a notification appeared that a comment had been made.
-[Satisfaction] CookingQueen: Thank you! Although this is the world we must live in, if we live without losing faith in ourselves and our hope in others, good things are sure to happen. I hope today is a happy day for you, ZeroSugar!
"..."
Hmm.
I nodded to myself in secret.
Indeed, that was an excellent attitude.
-x-X-x-
There is hardly anything as crucial as one's mental state.
This has already been emphasized in the anecdotes of Old Man Scho. Even if one knows how to slice the heavens with a single sword, once one's mental state collapses, there are no answers.
I, the Undertaker, have also poured my heart into mental management.
My unique method of management goes as follows:
For about 100 years, or roughly five to seven cycles, I work diligently. I rush about to prevent the destruction of the world.
Then, for the next cycle, I enjoy life.
'World destruction? Why should I care?' I simply abandon such thoughts.
I turn away from the lives I could save. I don't step into the fates I could change. I prioritize only my life, my peace, and my fun.
For about 20 years in one cycle, I focus entirely on healing my mental state and enjoy a pleasant vacation.
It's a brief deviation from the main storyline. A sort of side story, if you will.
Even if I'm accused of being a coward, there is no helping it. The human mind has its limits. If I hadn't employed such a method, I wouldn't have been able to endure the long life of a regressor who reached his 1183rd cycle.
It just so happened that the 90th cycle was one of these 'vacation cycles'.
It was truly good timing. Even if it was only to ascertain where I was mentally, meaning blown away to Mars by Go Yuri, a break was absolutely necessary.
"So I wanted to ask your opinion. How should I take a break if I'm looking to earn lavish praise for resting spectacularly well?"
"Why are you asking this fairy that...?"
The fairy trembled in my grasp.
It was the Tutorial Fairy.
If it had been a normal cycle, she might have quickly dispatched Seo Gyu before he could decimate her. But this 90th cycle was a sabbatical, so to speak, and I could act however I pleased and go wherever my heart's compass pointed.
Well, since I had confined all of the fairies together during the previous 89th cycle and made them participate in a hellish survival program, some long-held grudges of mine had been somewhat washed away... Anyway.
I captured the Tutorial Fairy and dragged her to one side of the hall.
At first, the fairy resisted, but after folding her elf ears twice to make them half-elf ears, she quieted down quite a bit.
"Well, I'm just asking to ask," I answered. "I've barely ever conversed with you seriously before."
"Eurgh, why is there such a lunatic in this assigned area...? Fairy Number 264 is the most unfortunate fairy in the universe..."
"Now now, someone who tries to blow up civilian heads without hesitation could hardly call themselves misfortunate."
"But, but, if we can't make people understand that this is no joke, it will lead to much greater harm and tragedy, you know? From a utilitarian perspective, this fairy's way of handling the situation is not wrong."
"So you were a utilitarian."
I realized something new.
This, too, was the charm of regression.
"Anyway, tell me about your idea of a holiday. You fairies all mortgaged your lives to the Fairy King, correct? You all must spend your days thinking how little you would desire if only you just got to take a holiday."
"Eeep, c-could it be?!" The fairy was startled in my grasp. "Hey! Surely you're not talking about the notorious RePoRe?"[1]
"RePoRe?"
"Regression, possession, reincarnation! Damned protagonists! Them and those blasted prophets throwing a wrench in such a straightforward exam! In our literature, we fairies are treated like early-stage mobs!"
"Oh, do RePoRe people actually exist in the fairy realm?"
"No? They just frequently appear in classic fairy literature."
So it was something special between Old Man Scho and me.
I felt a bit deflated, my hope that there might be others squashed.
"I see. Anyway, don't worry about it. You're not really antagonizing the Fairy King. You just need to give me some advice on my 20-year vacation plan. And if I don't find it satisfactory, I'll turn your head into fairy juice."
"Hiiieeek! What a horrible thing to say! This fairy is confident enough to file with the Fairy Rights Commission and win!"
"There's no such thing on Earth."
"What a barbaric civilization..."
In the end, Fairy Number 264 raised a white flag.
"Um, ummm. So anyway, you're saying you've been given 20 years of free time? And you're feeling like going a bit wild during that period?"
"Yes."
Then the fairy's expression turned determined. "If Number 264 were given freedom and as much power as you, she'd like to plunge a spear of revolution into the belly of the Fairy King!"
"..."
A utilitarian anda revolutionary fighter, I realized.
Whether that, too, was another charm of regression... I'm not quite sure.
I'll mention it later, but the fairies were, in fact, divided into republicans and royalists.
Well, that wasn't important right now.
"Plunge a spear through him? How? Isn't your heart rigged with an explosion engraving? If you rebel against the Fairy King, your heart will burst immediately and your body will melt."
"Uh, how did you know that...? Um, no. Since you already know, that will make the conversation easier. Anyway! The Fairy King is much more terrible than the bourgeoisie! Even if it costs Fairy Number 264 her heart bursting, the Fairy King must be overthrown for the progress of history and the innovation of civilization!"
The fairy flapped her arms.
"Human! Although physically primitive and weak, your kind has made commendable linear progress spiritually! When we learned your histories of beheading absolute monarchs hundreds of years ago, Number 264, no, all of us in the [Fairy Revolution Club] were deeply impressed!"
That club did actually exist.
"Unfortunately, our fairy society is facing desperate times and is unlikely to recover... But if you help us, strong human that you are, salvation through external force might be possible! Human! Join us and lend us your support until the flag is fluttering in the Fairy King's navel!"
If this had been a game, a dingnotification would have sounded, and the message "A new route has been unlocked. Will you help the fairies achieve revolution?" would have appeared.
"Hmm."
I was intrigued.
I had once fought against the Fairy King. This time, I could recreate that episode—not alone, but with a fairy coalition.
But I shook my head. "Sorry, but I must decline that offer."
"What...? Why, human?!"
"Right now, I'm a bit worn out, so combat routes aren't appealing. I'm feeling drawn to support routes. What I need is a warm cup of coffee as a lonely, urban man, not the tears and blood of a revolutionary waving a red flag and charging towards victory."
"What a petit-bourgeois thought! Even now, fairies are killing humans under the evil orders of the King, despite not wanting to! Do you not see them? Do you not feel the blood, sweat, and tears of your kin? Are you not afraid of Marx's rebuke?"
"I'm sorry, but my country is fundamentally anti-communist in its national spirit..."
"Capitalist dog! Traitor of the people! This fairy shall curse you!"
"However, I might consider hiring just you separately."
"Fairy Number 264 swears her undying loyalty, master."
Of course, around cycle 210, I actually did become a guest member of the [Fairy Revolution Club] and sparked the beginning of the revolution, but that's another cycle's story.
I succeeded in employing the Tutorial Fairy.
"Uh, excuse me… hyung?"
Ah. Right.
By the way, Seo Gyu had been eavesdropping on our conversation the whole time. After all, I had saved him from getting his head almost blown off by the fairy.
For some reason, Seo Gyu stared at me as if he were looking at a madman.
"What should I do from now on…?"
"Your ability is to operate an internet community, and anyone who is an Awakener can access this community even without a network."
"Huh?"
"I think 'SG Net' would be a good name for the community. Good luck."
"Huh?"
I parted ways with Seo Gyu.
I then farmed some Silver Bells at a souvenir shop and piggybacked the fairy. I could feel the fairy tilting her head in confusion behind me.
"But what are you planning to use Number 264 for after hiring her, human master? World domination? Revolution? Dictatorship? Are you planning to 'ice pick' this fairy? After successfully revolutionizing your own country, do you plan to export the overly credited second-in-command under the pretext of internationalism?"
I have no idea what kind of distorted research on Earth Fairy Number 264 had read to have such skewed prejudices.
But as the fairy said, I am indeed a dog of capitalism.
I was thinking of dipping my toes into the forefront of modern consumer culture.
"No."
"Then?"
"We're going to open a convenience store."
24-hour convenience store.
Before the Gate catastrophe, these small shops were easy to find across Korea.
Though it didn't evoke as much nostalgia as the neighborhood corner stores, in a world accelerating toward destruction, convenience stores fell proudly under the list of 'items of nostalgia'.
-Newbie, go to the convenience store and buy some Dunhill.
-Huh?
It was a common joke among Awakeners used to tease the youngest.
Based on my regression experiences, there were a surprising number of Awakeners who did not discard their wallets even when the value of currency collapsed. Paradoxically, people who used to only use debit cards found themselves carrying cash after civilization went to ruin—partly because the cards had stopped working, but also because to them, money was like a talisman.
A stubborn belief that the world hadn't yet ended. Or a hope that it wouldn't.
It was quite the strange thing, but when multinational Awakeners gathered to carry out operations, there was even a custom of exchanging currencies from their respective countries. Koreans exchanged won, and Americans exchanged dollars, like soccer players swapping jerseys after a match.
Thus, at one point in time, more than 30 types of bills had been collected in my wallet.
Why am I saying this all of a sudden?
To emphasize the point that in a world bound for destruction, people not only hold on to money but also assign tremendous value to 'memories'.
"We are going to create the only convenience store in the world that operates normally."
"Hoeh."
An ambition full of grandeur!
So I proclaimed as I forcibly occupied a convenience store in Seoul (the owner had fled anyway), the very same convenience store where I first met the Saintess.
Fairy Number 264, no— Our Store Employee Number 1 blinked upon hearing my plan, one as heart-stirring as conquering the world itself.
"What kind of dog-grass-eating talk is that?"
"What's dog-grass?"
"If this fairy had to choose the most appropriate term on Earth, it would be 'puppy'."
Ah, it was total nonsense.
But I was someone who has lived life nearly 100 times. I had become skilled at persuading others.
"264, there is a major flaw in your world revolution theory."
"Gah?"
"The world is wide and filled with many people. Going to each person and asking them to join the cause of revolution is what novices do." I declared solemnly, "A true master doesn't seek out people. He makes them come to him."
"...!"
"We will create a convenience store that the workers of all nations will visit on their own. This place will be the revolutionary base of the Sixth International! You are the first flag of this avant-garde, and our proud store clerk. The rise and fall of our International depends on how earnestly you serve the customers."
"Comrade Manager...!"
The fairy lay on the floor of the store, which had yet to be fully cleaned, and wept great, big tears. Her tears smelled of flowers, making the store suddenly fragrantly sweet.
We'd save on air fresheners.
"This fairy had greatly misunderstood you, Comrade Manager! She swears eternal loyalty!"
"Good. As this is a business for the revolution, I hope you'll commit to 365 days of unpaid work managing customer service at the headquarters."
"Yes! Unpaid!"
Though Fairy Number 264 had merely switched from being a slave of the Fairy King to my slave, she seemed happy.
Isn't that what matters?
I stole a political banner from a nearby intersection, flipped the banner upside down, and, with calligraphic painting skills, wrote the proper letters.
Then I hung it in front of the store.
[Our store is open for regular business.]
It was a historic moment when The Sixth International, humanity's last convenience store, opened at the Jamsu Bridge in Seoul.
-x-X-x-
Footnotes:
[1] A play on words using the letters used in regressor, possessor and reincarnator since these genres are so oversaturated in Korea.
-x-X-x-
First, I made light work of plundering the logistics centers of convenience stores across the nation.
Not to say it was a simple task that could be summed up in that single line. With the National Assembly having been blown away, the political scene was practically paralyzed, so the quick-witted survivors had already sought refuge in these centers.
"Who's there?!"
"Stop! Do not approach!"
Who am I, they ask? At that point, a regressor who had lived through 90 cycles.
Screams erupted from the entrance barricade of the logistics center. Before long, I had established friendly relations with the center's managers.
"Understand this," I said pleasantly. "If the trucks don't arrive by this Friday, your time here will be a story for the ages."
"Y-yes, sir! Understood!"
Soon after, a parade of trucks were pouring out of logistics centers in the northern and eastern parts of Gyeonggi Province. Their destination was, of course, our store—The Sixth International Convenience Store.
There was interference from the military and the police along the way, but I easily brushed them aside. I had experience collaborating with the National Intelligence Service and the government in previous cycles. The very first thing Old Man Scho and I did together was to collect the personal weaknesses of government officials.
Ultimately, our store became a black hole that sucked in convenience store-related goods and logistics in no time.
"Huff... Comrade Manager! The boxes are piled up like a mountain! Thinking about how this is all the product of the blood and sweat of the workers makes this fairy so sad!"
"Now, it's ours."
"The laughter! This fairy just cannot help it...!"
The typical signs of a revolutionary falling into corruption were beginning to show.
A massive warehouse was constructed underground at the convenience store. It would have been impossible to promise a completion date if we relied on manual labor, but the power of fairies made many things possible.
After completing our gigantic, underground facilities, the fairies neatly arranged the goods.
"Hmm?"
Yes, not one fairy, but several fairies.
Before I knew it, three fairies were buzzing around, moving products.
"Fairy Number 264," I called.
The fairy snapped to attention. "Yes, Comrade Manager!"
"Answer me. Why have the fairies suddenly multiplied?"
"Sir! Number 264 requested support from the [Fairy Revolution Club]! Club comrades inspired by your great revolutionary legacy are joining our cause one after another!"
What.
"Are you telling me that the number of fairies here will grow even more?"
"Possibly? The cause of the revolution swells like a river flowing downstream, except for the filthy reactionaries!"
"Hmm…"
This was an unforeseen situation. Originally, it was supposed to be just one capable yet unpaid slave that I was carting around with Fairy Number 264.
But I had no problem with it. Actually, it was even better.
As is customary in a 'vacation cycle', the more unplanned events, the merrier.
"Hoh, has this fairy's unilateral decision led to overly adventurous consequences?"
"No, you did well."
I looked around. Anything else?
Just then, a pile of green Saemaul hats heaped in a logistics box caught my eye. I tore open the plastic and put a Saemaul hat on the Tutorial Fairy.
The fairy tilted her head in confusion under the hat much larger than her head. "What is this?"
"All fairies are equal, but some fairies are more equal than others! Comrade Number 264, your fervent passion has moved me. From now on, you will command all fairies participating in The Sixth International."
"...! Comrade Manager...!"
Staff secured.
The fairies knew how to use magic and even had the ability to separate certain areas from reality. This ability meant that the underground warehouse was isolated from the outside world.
"Deploy the territory in the underground warehouse."
"Yes, sir!"
Using this ability and ice magic, they indefinitely extended the shelf life of the stored products.
After procuring some generators, the wiring and installation work was completed, and the convenience store was up and running 24 hours a day.
Now, there was nothing left to do at all but receive customers.
On the sixth day since the grand opening, the first customer visited.
"Welcome!"
"..."
A tinkle later, the glass door was open, and in walked a woman with heavy clothes and a ponytail.
There was nothing to hide. Our illustrious first customer was none other than the Saintess. She lived nearby and had probably spied on my antics through her Clairvoyance.
She glanced at me where I stood at the cash register. "...Are you open for business?"
"Yes. Our store operates 24 hours a day."
"What is that?" The Saintess pointed behind me.
Hanging there was a poster that read "Store Rules."
──────────
1. Please be kind to our employees here at the head office. Despite looking different from us, all of them are valuable humanoid capital and the private property of us here.
2. The head office handles not only Korean won but also Japanese yen, US dollars, and other foreign currencies.
3. Smoking inside and under the parasols of the store is strictly prohibited.
4. There is a limit on the number of purchases permissible at the head office. The number of items each customer can purchase is limited to what they can "reasonably" consume in a day. The standard of reasonableness is at the discretion of the store manager. (Example: You cannot buy 100 sandwiches at once)
5. No physical disputes of any kind are allowed within 300 meters of the store.
6. Failure to comply with these rules will result in unlimited sanctions. We appreciate your understanding.
7. Happy shopping!
──────────
I flashed a business smile. "Exactly as written, dear customer. Just follow the rules, and the head office will always sincerely welcome you."
"..."
The expression on the Saintess's face was hard to describe.
She wandered around the store like a highly cautious cat, and when she reached a certain corner, she paused.
It was the pet products corner.
"Oh. Fish food..."
"We maintain a special corner for pets even as the world comes to an end, for customers who refuse to give up on their pets."
"...Aquariums with driftwood, filter media, soil, adhesive, aquatic plants, oil film removers, and filters..." the Saintess mumbled absently. "Professional... This would make managing the aquariums much..."
"Do you like it, dear customer?"
"...Just a moment, please."
The Saintess left the convenience store.
A short while later, she re-entered with a wad of 50,000-won bills clutched in hand and hurriedly began to stuff aquarium management supplies into her bag.
At the counter, I faced the Saintess, whose eyes glowed with the light of a shopping spree. "All of this, please..." she mumbled.
"Thank you, dear customer! This coffee is on the house to celebrate our store just opened. Please tell others in your area to come by."
"...Alright. I'll stop by often."
Regular customer acquired.
With all the proper marketing tools now completely gone, ensnaring the Saintess as a regular customer was a point in my favor. The Constellations would do the advertising agent's job anyway.
Sure enough, not long after, the number of customers visiting the convenience store began to increase substantially.
"Can't I buy a carton of cigarettes? Please!"
"I came all the way from Chungju to get to this store."
"Sir, I'll give you as much money as you want. Just cooperate with our unit..."
It was a grand success.
As the number of customers increased, so did the number of troublemakers. The balance of the world was always exacting.
"Fuck, come out here, you bastard owner!"
"Yes. I'm here, you bastard customer."
"Huh?"
Every one of the troublemakers got beaten like a dog by me.
A guy who got greedy and tried to buy too much at once, someone who smoked while sitting under a parasol, and even those who were okay with drinking soju but went a step further and started brawling…
They all received their punishment.
"Spies planted by imperialists to destroy the International! There's not a shred of mercy for you guys! It's the gulag for everyone!"
"Fuck... Why are the fairies...?"
"Shut up! Reactionaries!"
Under the supervision of Fairy Number 264, the troublemakers were put to work cleaning up along the Han River. Thanks to that, the area around our convenience store was as clean as if it had sidestepped the end of the world.
By then, the internet was also abuzz.
-xx: Seriously, why is the International store owner so strong?
-xx: I saw yesterday that even six Awakeners attacking at once couldn't last a few seconds. Even the guild leader got wiped out in one hit. Is this a convenience store owner or a swordmaster? Isn't this guy just the strongest?
-xx: That guy is really strong.
-xx: There are still people making a fuss at the International? Crazy.
-xx: It's a fairy den there...
-xx: But why are the fairies there wearing Che Guevara t-shirts?
-xx: I don't know.
-xx: I asked last time, and they said it's their uniform.
-xx: Seriously, why are fairies wearing Che Guevara t-shirts as uniforms?
-xx: I really don't know.
Ah, right. This site wasn't SG Net. Originally, the name SG Net was my idea anyway.
When Seo Gyu acted alone, it was called 'Hunter Community', abbreviated as HunCo. It wasn't a membership-based site, meaning anyone could freely access it and write anonymously.
Given my reputation, occasionally Awakeners came to the convenience store not to buy anything but to see me.
"I am known as the Sword of the Mount Hwa Sect. I have often heard rumors of the International store owner's formidable martial prowess. May I request a lesson?"
"..."
Reading too many martial arts novels had gone to his head, to the point where he called monsters 'demons' and Awakeners 'martial artists', and referred to employees as 'store warriors', like a certain crazy 60-year-old with a bizarre concept.
I'll have another opportunity to talk about this old man later. He was a fellow I wandered around with during another vacation cycle, not the 90th.
Anyway, the Sixth International was a success.
A gate had burst open, turning the once-desolate Han River area into a gathering place for minor guilds and even lone Awakeners who stubbornly played the lone wolf game without joining a guild.
This so-called 'convenience store zone' had formed.
Before the world ended, it might have been one thing, but currently in Korea, this was the only convenience store zone. It might have been the only one on Earth.
And so it was one day, when 12 years had passed.
"You are quite something, Mr. Manager."
The one who spoke was a guild leader who had brought her entire guild for a party in the convenience store's front yard. She was from Samcheon, one of the two major guilds in Korea.
The guild leader grinned, wearing a cone-shaped hat that sat atop her head—the signature style of the Samcheon guild.
"What are you talking about?" I asked.
"Whenever I come here, it feels like the world is the same as it's always been. You know, today, I was startled when I saw the price of potato chips was over 3,500 won. I wondered if the price was correct."
She looked very happy.
"The fact that I can still worry about such things isn't so bad," she concluded. "You are a good person. Though I don't know exactly how you pulled it off."
"Thank you, dear customer."
"And, thanks to your store, sir, this area is relatively safe, you know. Do you know what we call your store in our group?"
"The convenience store?"
"No, the police station. No matter what dispute arises, if you just come to this store, it will be resolved with an even hand. Even if you're seeing red with rage, seeing fairies wearing T-shirts and Saemaul hats can't help but calm you down just purely for the sheer absurdity of it."
"Hmm."
Seo Gyu probably wouldn't agree considering how he always started with the words "this fucking asshole" even at the Busan Station terminal.
"Anyway... our guild is going to deploy to seal a gate that opened yesterday. The execution day is the day after tomorrow at 1100 hours. If you're interested, let me know. I'll even give you the position of Vice-Guild Leader. Our guild is a bit closed off to outsiders, but you're always welcome."
"Thank you for the kind words, but I have no intention of getting directly involved in the fighting."
"Is that so? I figured."
"Don't push yourself too hard in the fighting, dear customer."
"What are you talking about?"
The Samcheon guild leader chuckled as she placed a bag of money on the counter, presumably for the party expenses. She then pulled out an additional thousand-won bill and handed it to Fairy Number 264.
Surprisingly, it wasn't the blue thousand-won bill but a rare red one. Nowadays, it's something you can't find anywhere.
"Dear customer, this is...?"
"A tip." The Samcheon guild leader chuckled. "I wrote my signature on the back."
I flipped the bill over.
This coffee shop has great coffee.
—Samcheon, Dang Seo-rin
The handwriting, appearing to have been written with a brush pen, was very elegant. It was clear she had formally studied calligraphy.
She must have been in a very good mood to write something with a brush pen.
"What a precious item."
"Why, they hang up celebrities' autographs at popular places, right? Mr. Manager, if you feel like it, you might as well act like I'm a celebrity... It's embarrassing, but... Anyway, there aren't many Awakeners left in Korea. That should make me qualified, right?"
The Samcheon guild leader walked away.
Then, tossing a lighthearted wave back to me, she said, "Bye-bye! I'll come visit again after closing the gate. Please make me an affogato when I do, Mr. Manager."
A few days later, the coffee beans and vanilla ice cream I had prepared in advance went unused. The Samcheon guild failed in their gate raid, and all 301 guild members died.
-x-X-x-
The heart is often likened to fire, burning with passion. But in my case, 'water' was more often a suitable metaphor. Ever since the 89th cycle was severed by the red flash caused by Go Yuri, my inner well had dried up. This is commonly referred to as burnout—a slump invariably faced by every regressor at some point.
"Annihilation, huh..."
"If Samcheon is gone, doesn't that leave only Baekhwa as the top guild in Korea?"
"No, those body stackers are a bit... Well, it's even questionable whether they are a guild."
"After all, the void suppression failed. I looked up at the night sky yesterday, and it was chilling."
Upon collecting and cremating Dang Seo-rin's remains and scattering them at the beach, I returned to find Awakeners whispering under the parasols outside the convenience store. For some reason, their murmuring sounded to me like the trickling of water.
The sound of water led to one object.
This coffee shop has great coffee.
—Samcheon, Dang Seo-rin
A wine-colored thousand-won bill.
I transferred the bill signed by the Samcheon guild leader into an acrylic case and displayed it at the convenience store counter, where the cigarettes were usually displayed. Our underground warehouse had recently started bottoming out on its supplies. Alcohol and cigarettes were the first resources to become scarce, so there was plenty of space to display the bill.
Naturally, customers could view the exhibit each time they passed the counter.
One day, the Mount Hwa old man pointed out, "Sir, what in the world is that ominous item? I can feel an unusual energy from it."
"Oh, that? It's a signature left by the Samcheon guild leader before she went off to strike down a meteor shower."
"Hmm..."
The old man grunted and left the convenience store.
The next day, he placed a ten-thousand-won bill on the counter to buy his usual bottle of green makgeolli.
"Sir, this is an orchid I drew myself."
"Orchid? What about an orchid?"
"Look closely at the drawing."
I did.
Beyond King Sejong's sturdy shoulders, an actual orchid was depicted.
"...?"
Frankly, the drawing was terrible. If Heungseon Daewongun had seen it, he might have mistaken it for pineapple leaves.
However, the old man had put some effort into it, as a tiny signature that read 'Sword Marquess of Yuldoguk' was squeezed into a corner of a cabbage leaf. Sword Marquess seemed quite proud of his work, hmph-ing out of his nose. The only feature of his that was worthy of commendation was his fluttering mustache.
"Please, hang it in your store like a banner."
"..."
Well, it didn't really matter.
I displayed Sword Marquess's bill alongside the other without much thought, but that, apparently, set a precedent.
Visitors to my convenience store began indiscriminately offering bills with their signatures scribbled across them.
"Excuse me, sir. I'm heading out with the raid team, if it's not too much trouble, could you...?"
"I'll come again next time! Please give a 2+1 discount then!"
"Really, c'mon, can't I buy a carton of cigarettes? Please?"
When all I had was the relic of the Samcheon guild leader, it had been handled with the utmost care, but with the addition of Sword Marquess's bill, the display suddenly felt more casual.
The currencies left by Awakeners varied widely. Old five-thousand-won bills, two-dollar bills, East German marks (these were the most fascinating), yen, euros, pounds, Mongolian tugrik, Hong Kong dollars, Vietnamese dong, Philippine pesos, North Korean won, Indian and Nepalese rupees...
Before I knew it, the area behind my counter was filled with bills.
Occasionally, when I had time, I would quietly observe the exhibition.
Every time a bill filled the gaping holes in the cigarette display like new bricks in a crumbling wall, I felt as if my inner well was slightly replenishing.
If life is ultimately a journey to leave behind a single photograph, perhaps my 90th portrait would look like that sight.
"Comrade Manager..."
"Hm?"
Fairy Number 264 set down a box of Zero Drinks. Under the Saemaul hat, her expression looked utterly deflated. "This is the last box of Zero Drinks," she said with a huff.
"I see. What about the alcohol?"
"Beer, soju, whiskey, wine, makgeolli, sake... After scraping everything we have together, there are only 50 bottles left, and that's not accounting for the scarcity of type. This fairy is ashamed to say that the funding for alcohol has dried up..."
It wasn't just alcohol; the supply of nearly all of our stocked items had been depleted. There was no such thing as an eternally flowing oasis, after all. But what of it? Have you ever seen a tree that refuses to cast shade because it fears the day it will rot?
"Here." I took out a Heaven's Champion sausage, causing Fairy Number 264's ears to perk up at the sight. For some reason unknown to me, fairies swooned over this particular sausage.
"Ah! This fairy thought all the sausages were gone!"
"Eat it away from the others where they can't see."
"You're the only one who thinks of Number 264...!"
I patted Fairy Number 264 on the head. "Call everyone together and let's clear out all the remaining alcohol."
"Yes, comrade!"
I gathered the customers.
I could have easily invited Awakeners through an internet community, but unfortunately, that was no longer possible.
[Unable to connect to the site.]
Seo Gyu's 'Hunter Community' had been shut down some time ago. He had likely died somewhere unknown to me.
Go Yuri probably died as well. After all, she was an entity that couldn't survive without mimicking others.
The fairies walked door to door gathering people, and still, only about a hundred participants turned up for the party. Not quite satisfying, but enough people to enjoy the 50 bottles of alcohol.
'Isn't the Saintess coming?'
Awakeners laughed, chatted, sang, and enjoyed themselves.
They also had their own stashes of supplies, so the party wasn't a dud. Surprisingly, an Awakener who brought 11 bottles of Château d'Yquem from 1990 became an instant hero in human history.
The mood reached its peak.
"I say we form a guild with everyone gathered here!"
"Oh!"
"The Last Guild! To commemorate its formation, let's set off for the meteor shower gate after tonight's party!"
"This isn't a guild, it's a final gathering..."
The Awakeners who had survived without dying or being kicked out of their guilds were either stubborn loners or outcasts with social issues. However, as the final moments approached, they united for the party. Well, the influence of 11 bottles of Château d'Yquem might have played a significant role.
"Manager! Aren't you coming with us?"
I shook my head. "There's still one customer I haven't said goodbye to. I'll hang around here for a bit after you all leave."
"Ah, if only you were there, we could last another 30 seconds."
"Maybe even three minutes?"
"Come on, let's sign up quickly!"
People chuckled.
The high ceiling of the sky seemed to echo even louder than usual that night.
Using my many long years of experience living through regressions, I sensed that the apocalypse was now upon us.
Thus, the day after the Last Supper, I called all the fairy clerks together, until forty little ones wearing Che Guevara T-shirts were crowded into a room.
I stood in front of them and declared, "Today is a holiday."
There was a gasp.
The fairies blinked.
"Does a holiday mean no work?"
"Work reflects human value, but a holiday is an act of abandoning one's value. It's an utterly foreign concept."
"Excuse this fairy for saying, but doesn't it depend on whether it's a paid or unpaid holiday?"
I chuckled and handed each fairy a fifty-thousand-won bill. "Don't worry. It's a paid holiday."
The bills all bore my signature.
Secretary-General and Chairman and Manager of the Sixth International.
The fairies' eyes sparkled.
"Wow! Comrade Manager's handwritten signature!"
"How deeply moving!"
"This should be legislated to hang in frames in every public office!"
"Sure, do as you like," I said. "Anyway, I'll be watching the store alone today, so take a good rest and come back."
"Yes!"
The fairies, raising their red flags, scurried off somewhere. And so, I was left alone.
As I was mopping the floor in the now-quiet store, the glass door opened with a tinkle.
"Welcome, dear customer."
"..."
It was the Saintess, the last customer I had been waiting for.
She quietly looked around the store. Several shelves were empty, as if teeth had been plucked out. Signs reading "Temporarily out of stock—Please wait for a restock" were attached to those shelves.
The Saintess murmured, "Restocking is taking a long time."
"Yes. I've been pressing the headquarters continuously, but it seems to be a difficult ask."
"...I see." The Saintess did not argue with my words and simply nodded.
The apocalypse had surged right up to us, and yet, the Saintess had not died. Not just this cycle. She had almost 'always' survived until the last day.
Her attachment to life was a bit different. She had imposed a duty on herself to live.
"Could you make me a cup of coffee?" she asked.
"Understood."
I took the last remaining coffee beans, milk, and sugar and then made a coffee as close to filter coffee as possible.
This was how we at the Sixth International treated our regular customers.
Naturally, I could afford to offer such a service to our very first regular customer.
"..."
"..."
As she drank the coffee, the Saintess said nothing. She just looked with her deep, black eyes at the counter behind me, the shelves inside the store, and outside the window.
Her gaze lingered especially long on the cases of bills.
"Thank you for the coffee, it was delicious. Here, the bill." The Saintess offered a fifty-thousand-won bill. "No need for change. I'll come again."
The back of the bill read, Your first customer.
That day was the last time an Awakener visited the convenience store.
In the middle of the night, I locked up the store and went out to the Han River.
The expanse of the night sky was filled to the brim with the Milky Way. Red light. Green light. Purple light. The Milky Way seemed like a long-torn lip, and within its gaping maw, countless stars twinkled as if they would pour down at any moment.
And then, they did.
The gate that Samcheon and the guild coalition had tried to seal at the cost of their lives had now completely opened, releasing a disaster made of starlight onto the earth.
It was a guaranteed event in Gyeongsangnam-do during the 7th year of regression, and in Seoul during the 12th year.
It was known as the Meteor Stream.
"So this cycle ends with the Meteor Ending."
I sat on the riverbank, gazing up at the sky. Someone could survive if they avoided it. Still, there was nothing left to do in this cycle if they did.
But there were countless things to do in the next cycle.
'Not a bad vacation.'
I opened my smartphone.
While waiting for the stars to fall, I flipped through the photos saved on my phone.
Originally, I wasn't in the habit of taking pictures. More precisely, as a regressor, I had lost that habit. Although photos were items meant for preservation, they had failed to serve that role for me. However, even knowing they would disappear, I couldn't help but take these photos.
This coffee shop has great coffee. —Samcheon, Dang Seo-rin
Sword Marquess of Yuldoguk.
Thanks for the fun. Lee Ju-ho.
My sincere gratitude. But no matter how I think about it, the store's name and the clerks' shirts are strange. Are you a member of the Red Army? Posted by Uehara Shino.
Visiting on a school trip! Baekhwa Girls' High♡ May our love last a thousand miles forever — by 天寥化.
The way here is too inconvenient. Thought I'd die carrying wine bottles. —NDH
Go Sixth International, fight on! —Sim Ah-ryeon
If you had just sold one carton of cigarettes, it would have been the GOAT... Y
...
Your first customer.
Unbeknownst to me, the corners of my mouth lifted.
Why I had accepted the life of a regressor, who I wanted to help, why I wanted to help them—the reasons now came flooding back to me more clearly than ever before.
Twelve years had been enough to supply the water necessary for a regressor's life. Even if in a hundred years' time, I'd have to take another vacation.
'Hold on. Isn't the Meteor Ending a bit old-fashioned?'
The whole world was flooded with starlight.
It was time to regress.
That day, I retired as the 12-year convenience store manager and rejoined the fray as a regressor.