The Mastermind X
"Listen closely, sunbae. The strategy I'm about to propose is going to be extremely tricky to pull off," Infinite Void said.
After the fall of the Mastermind and the destruction of the Laptop of the Infinite Metagame, it seemed that control of this Divine Realm had completely shifted to Infinite Void. The scenery changing at a mere snap of Infinite Void fingers was evidence enough.
I looked around. "This place..."
"This is a classroom in Baekhwa Girls' High. In a sense, it's my hometown. After all, it's where my ego, Cheon Yo-hwa, was born out of the Outer God called Infinite Void."
The folds of a brain transformed into the creaky wooden floorboards of the classroom, while tentacles morphed into desks and chairs.
Screeeech.
Infinite Void pulled over a chair and slid into the seat.
"First, let me ask. How were you planning to hunt down the Mastermind?"
"The Mastermind thrives in spaces beyond human perception—a seed that can only flourish amidst the fog of war," I explained reluctantly as I took a seat across from it. Infinite Void beamed with an unsettling grin.
Could I trust the same entity who had just tried to trap me in a normal ending?
Remaining vigilant, I replied, "If humanity were to save the world, the Mastermind would naturally be eradicated. From the Korean Peninsula to Asia, and eventually across all continents, it would be inevitable."
"Exactly."
Infinite Void stirred the air with a lazy wave. A piece of chalk flew up, floating in midair in front of the classroom blackboard, and began writing. The white letters forming on the board read:
[Strategy A: Natural Extermination]
* Gradually expand the Regressor's range of activity.
* Eventually, the Mastermind will lose all "Fog of War," rendering it unable of manipulating causality in reality.
Scritch, screeeech. Scritch.
The chalk scraped across the board with a piercing squeakiness as it wrote.
"A textbook example of a strategy. If carried to its logical conclusion, the Regressor always wins. But there's a problem. You know it too, right?"
I nodded. "Yes... The Mastermind isn't foolish enough to let it happen."
Just as Busan served as humanity's final line of defense, the Ural and Himalayan mountain ranges were the Mastermind's equivalent Maginot Line.[1] The moment that line was crossed, the Mastermind manipulated causality to trigger a "World Destruction Scenario."
"How did you intend to resolve that issue?" Infinite Void pressed.
"Because of that problem, I abandoned Strategy A. But once I arrived here in the Divine Realm, a new potential breakthrough became clear to me."
"A new breakthrough?"
I shared the final plan I had in mind. "It's simple. Extract versions of 'me' from other universe simulations and place them here as sentinels."
"Oh?" Infinite Void raised an eyebrow. "You mean to use simulations of yourself as allies?"
"That's right. As long as their settings remain unaltered, they'll think and act like Undertakers. This way, the Mastermind won't be able to manipulate simulations at will, and my avatars will meticulously monitor our real world."
"Like the Saintess?"
"Exactly. Like the Saintess."
"That's interesting. Clever, just like you, sunbae."
The chalk moved again, tapping away.
[Strategy B: Sentinels]
* Create Undertaker clones from simulated universes and appoint them as sentinels in the Divine Realm.
* The clones will continuously observe Universe 107 (our real world).
* With these clones monitoring the entire planet, the "Fog of War" won't occur, and thus, the Mastermind loses the opportunity to manipulate causality.
Crack!
The chalk snapped in half.
"Not bad. Not bad at all. A decent strategy."
It was a strange feeling, being evaluated and praised by an Outer God about a plan to defeat another of its kind. Who would have thought I'd see such a day?
Infinite Void leaned on the desk, resting its chin on one hand. Its crimson eyes stared up at me intently. "But the weaknesses of this strategy are also glaring, aren't they?"
"..."
"In the end, even the Undertaker clones are entities born from the Mastermind's simulations. It's akin to entrusting surveillance of the Mastermind to itself. Eventually, they'll betray you."
"Yes... I knew that. My plan was to return to the Divine Realm periodically at the end of each cycle to check on their status."
"No, there's a deeper issue, sunbae." Infinite Void grinned. "By choosing Strategy B, you're effectively acknowledging, 'This world is a simulated universe.' The only difference is that your clones, disguised as you, become the ruler of the Divine Realm."
"..."
"At first, the clones would act just like you. But as ink spreads across paper, they'd eventually become gods in disguise. The Mastermind could then impersonate your clones, much like how Outer Gods operate."
In other words, it was an inherently flawed strategy. Even I understood that Strategy B was merely a stopgap. But was there truly a cleaner solution?
"I also considered traveling across simulated universes to gather information on all Anomalies..."
"No good. The moment you use simulated universes, you place yourself under the Mastermind's authority. Be cautious. Your goal is to live in the one and only real world."
"Hmm." I furrowed my brow. "Infinite Void, the way you're speaking now... it almost sounds as if you're suggesting that the real solution is to uproot both the Mastermind and the Divine Realm itself."
"Exactly!"
"That's impossible..."
It wasn't feasible to eradicate Outer Gods. Looking back on my journey thus far made that abundantly clear.
Infinite Void, sealed within Cheon Yo-hwa's body. The Night Goddess Nut, frozen eternally by the Saintess using Time Stop. The Admin of the Infinite Metagame sealed within Oh Dok-seo's story.
Not once had an Outer God ever been completely annihilated. And the reason was simple.
"You aren't living creatures..."
They were collections of concepts, conceptual viruses. They were corrupted, distorted intelligences—phenomena. As such, they lacked what one could strictly call "life" and, consequently, the concept of "death."
"...so how would we eliminate you?" I concluded.
"..."
Wind blew through the classroom window, causing the white curtains fluttered in the midday breeze. Infinite Void closed its eyes as if savoring the contours of the wind.
That distinctly human gesture left me momentarily frozen.
Suddenly, they asked, "Isn't it strange?"
"What is?"
"Every Outer God has what you've named a Miko —an Apostle. Well, every Anomaly in an Outer God's domain serves as a kind of Miko. But among them, there's always one individual who stands out the most, whom we call a Miko."
"..."
"So why is it that the Mastermind has no Miko?"
The absence of a Miko. I'd considered that question before myself.
"Isn't Mo Gwang-seo, the False Christ, essentially the Mastermind's terminal? That cult leader was the first to inform me of 'paving the way.'"
"Perhaps. But my instinct tells me things aren't quite that straightforward."
"Your instinct?"
"You could call it the intuition of an Outer God. sunbae, I believe the Mastermind has been choosing a different Miko for each cycle."
I frowned at its suggestion. "Are you saying that my comrades who fell victim to Mastermind Syndrome were actually the Mikos?"
"Probably."
The breeze from the window stilled. Only then did Infinite Void open its eyes.
"A Miko is ultimately a pathway or terminal for an Outer God to interfere with reality. They are the Outer God's closest proxy."
Thus, a Miko was simultaneously the Outer God's sword that cleaved the world and the spear that pierced the Outer God itself. The moment a Miko defined themselves, that identity became both the source of their Anomaly's power and its weakness.
"It's a fascinating move. The Mastermind doesn't designate its Miko as Seo Gyu or Dang Seo-rin—specific individuals' names serving as coordinates. Instead, it defines its Miko as the 'last surviving human.' In some ways, that's a stronger anchor than a name, because it guarantees their emergence."
Infinite Void added with a smirk, "It's clever, don't you think? Fitting for their identity. After all, both the Savior and the False Savior appear at the very end of the world."[2]
"I see."
That explained it. Sometimes it was Seo Gyu. Other times it was Dang Seo-rin. At others, it was Yu Ji-won. The Mastermind's Miko had always appeared and delivered the same declaration to me: "This is all going according to my plan." And now―
"But, sunbae." Infinite Void's crimson gaze softened, oddly gentle. "In this cycle, who do you think is the Miko of the Mastermind?"
My eyes widened in shock.
Startled, I leaped out of my chair and slammed my hands on the desk. The chair skidded backward with a loud screech.
"No way! Are you saying you're the Miko?"
"Correct." Infinite Void gazed up at me. "Isn't it obvious? I'm the one who survived alongside you until the very end of the world. And it was me who the Mastermind sought to descend upon at the last moment."
"No, but... can an Outer God become the Miko of another Outer God?"
"Surprising, isn't it?" A sly grin spread across Infinite Void's face. "Call it a kind of bug. You sealed me in human form, and I adapted to that humanity so thoroughly that even the Mastermind mistook me for one."
"..."
"That's how I was able to open the pathway freely. For a Miko to enter their shrine is only natural, after all."
The revelation left me stunned, yet in hindsight, the clues had been there all along.
"Even though we invaded the Mastermind's domain, it didn't actively try to destroy us... I assumed it was because you overpowered it."
"Well, that's part of it. But mainly, it's because I'm treated as the Mastermind's Miko. Think about it—what god would kill their most devout priest with their own hands?"
"Does that mean the reason you could manipulate this space so freely was―"
"Exactly. Because I held the authority to do so."
A chill ran down my spine.
'Ah. So that's how it was!'
The nape of my neck prickled with unease.
I swallowed hard before forcing the words out. "That's why Infinite Metagame proposed an alliance the moment it saw you."
Infinite Void's silent smile confirmed it.
Yes. Back then, Infinite Metagame had proposed a brazen alliance right in front of me.
The two Outer Gods exchanged these words:
[AOIM – Even in this sealed form, it is the first time I have encountered an Outer God so directly. Infinite Void. I propose an alliance.]
"Huh? Me?"
[AOIM – Correct. We are entities sealed and altered by the tyrant known as the Undertaker. If we collaborate, based on mutual understanding, we may regain our former authority.]
Why had Infinite Metagame proposed an alliance under my watchful eye? Out of idiocy? Arrogance? Or as a joke?
No. The answer was simple.
It did so because it was confident it could defeat me.
Had Infinite Void accepted its hand, they could have crushed the Regressor, no matter who was watching.
"Infinite Metagame must have..."
I chose my next words carefully.
I had to. Because if my hypothesis was correct, the being before me was both Infinite Void and simultaneously the Mastermind.
"...immediately realized that you could partially wield the Mastermind's powers. That's why it suggested betraying me."
"Correct."
Infinite Void confirmed it without hesitation. The chill at the base of my neck intensified.
"But you rejected the alliance. To Infinite Metagame, that must have been bewildering. Why hesitate when it was a golden opportunity to escape the Regressor's grasp?"
"Indeed. It did wonder that."
"So, when you tried to lure me into the normal ending, Infinite Metagame must have thought, 'Ah, this is it.' It believed you had been waiting for the decisive moment to tempt me."
"Pfft. Isn't that hilarious?" Infinite Void covered its mouth, snickering. "Acting all self-assured, it unleashed its full power at the most critical juncture, shouting, 'Now's the time!' What a miscalculation. A true embarrassment. That Miko and its Outer God were a perfect pair, weren't they?"
"..."
"Well, if you had chosen the normal ending, I would've gone along with it, just as it hoped."
After its laughter subsided, the atmosphere in the empty classroom shifted.
Infinite Void sighed, then gazed at me.
"It's amusing, isn't it? You humans always call me an Outer God, and yet the Outer Gods mistake me for a human being."
Footnotes:
[1] The Maginot Line was an impenetrable fortification built by France along its border with Germany during World War II. Although expensive, it was incredibly effective in deterring invasions. However, other countries adjacent to France protested the wall being built on their own borders, which was eventually used by the Germans to invade. As a result, mention of the wall eventually became a metaphor for expensive efforts that offer a false sense of security.
[2] Another reference to Revelations from the Bible.
-x-X-x-
The Mastermind XI
My hand jumped to my waist, only to grasp at nothing but thin air. Something that should have been there had vanished without me noticing.
"Hmm."
From across the room came a playful laugh.
"Looking for your cane-sword Do-hwa, sunbae?"
"..."
"A blade that transcends regression and always ends up in your hands. It's a god-slaying weapon specialized in killing me. But alas! That method—I've already seen it before, you know? A long, long time ago, when I collected the data."
"Infinite Void..."
"Don't be so tense, sunbae. Honestly, I'm overflowing with kindness right now and just wanted to give you a warning."
Infinite Void jumped to its feet with an exaggerated "Oooshyaa!" It walked between the desks in the classroom, its hands clasped behind its back. I readied myself for battle, watching its every move.
"You've been a little impatient lately, haven't you?"
Warily, I asked, "What are you talking about?"
"Oh, I get it. You and I both know the Mastermind is a tricky opponent. But using an Outer God like me for the hunt, and even going as far as to involve that pink entity... It's like you've got nothing left to lose."
"..."
"Ah, I suppose that's a virtue for regressors, though. Unlike regular humans, you can afford to experiment with everything. But sunbae, Outer Gods are dangerous."
Indeed. I thought I'd prepared for every eventuality, yet there were still gaps in my defenses.
I'd let my guard down. I'd made a mistake.
"You didn't let your guard down."
With unnerving ease, Infinite Void read my thoughts.
By now, it had gathered enough data about me. Countless simulations of the regressor Undertaker's simulation had given it mastery over the cosmos itself. My way of thinking, my behavior, my expressions, even the faintest breath or pose—I had been completely decoded.
"It wasn't carelessness... just a logical failure. Who would have imagined that a sealed Outer God could become the Miko of another Outer God? Neither I nor the Mastermind could have foreseen this."
"What are you planning to do with me?"
"Hehehe... Oh, that's simple! I'll use the powers of the Outer God to wreak havoc, scrambling everything into chaos until I turn you into a Miko who obeys only me!"
"..."
"Oh, relax. I'm kidding. Kidding! Sunbae, your face has been so stiff. You pretend to be human, but you don't seem to understand human emotions."
Something felt off.
'Why hasn't it attacked me yet?'
It was both an Outer God and the Miko of one—a being at the peak of monstrosity and transcendence.
Never before had I faced such a formidable adversary.
If it wanted, it could easily deal with me.
'If I kill myself now, will I move to the next cycle? No... the risk is too great.'
At this point, I had to assume Infinite Void could persist across cycles, given that it had already consumed the Mastermind.
Or was I wrong?
Could it be that Infinite Void's absorption of the Mastermind proved its superiority, meaning it couldn't enhance its essence any further? Or was it the opposite, that the Mastermind had become a part of its essence, inheriting all of its properties, including the inability to recognize regression?
I didn't know.
Nothing was certain. The only thing I was sure of was that pressing the reset button now would be extremely dangerous.
I had to assume the worst-case simulation. If the worst was true, Infinite Void might manipulate the causality of the "simulation" to summon a monster wave from beyond the Urals the moment the next cycle began.
Not just in the next cycle. Or the one after that. Forever.
'Checkmate? Is that why it's acting so smug, knowing it can't lose no matter what I do?'
"That's not it."
"..."
Infinite Void stopped walking. It didn't specify what it was refuting.
"Sunbae."
Its hands were still clasped behind its back. With the poise of a former basketball ace, it tilted slightly and glanced at me.
"Did you not have fun?"
What?
"What are you talking about?" I countered, baffled.
Cheon Yo-hwa (天寥化), named for the desolation of heaven itself, mimicked throwing punches into the air.
"When the world was obliterated by the monster wave. When I, Infinite Void, the joker card you played at the last moment, yanked the hair of the oh-so-elusive Outer God."
Jab, jab.
"And after that? A grand search of the Great Void! Oh, the hidden research facility of mad scientists mimicking you and your comrades' appearances! You infiltrated it, pretending to be one of their researchers, taking them out one by one. But alas! Destroying the lab only led to another lab cropping up somewhere else?! Truly tragic!"
"...Infinite Void."
"Destruction wasn't the answer. That cunning Outer God even simulated Infinite Regression, creating a simulation beyond simulations. What now? Shall humanity be left to have its minds devoured by an Outer God?"
"..."
"But then! In the Regressor's mind emerged the final trump card—an ace to be used only at the absolute last moment! A truly devilish idea to replicate that horrifying pink entity five thousand times and drop them into the fray...!"
I didn't understand. What was Infinite Void even talking about?
"A party of Outer Gods wreaking havoc! The foe taking critical damage! And just when the finishing blow is within reach, the comrades who had fought alongside you suddenly turn to tempt you...! They tell you to become the Demon King! To seize power near omnipotent!"
I couldn't decipher what Infinite Void was trying to convey.
"But sunbae, you refused the offer."
Infinite Void's exaggerated gestures froze.
Its arms lowered, and the air grew still.
"Fascinating. Is that what it means to be human?"
The desks in the classroom still held their bags, hanging from hooks. Notebooks sat open. Indoor shoes were slung over racks.
The sunlight and wind filtering through the windows, however, were the same as ever.
"Probably not."
I had no answer.
"Because someone like you, sunbae, exists as the only volume in my library."
Infinite Void spread its arms. The twilight filtered through the curtains cast a slanting glow on its closed eyes.
"Humans are coordinates, fixed points, entities defined within specific traits. When someone mentions a name, we instinctively think of the domain they occupy. And that domain is already at rest—it doesn't move. But."
But, said Infinite Void. But.
Its lips repeated the word in a hum.
"But you, sunbae, carve out your direction with every iteration, every moment. At the same time, you embody what it means to be human."
The curtains fluttered. Infinite Void glanced toward the window, as if to greet the wind. Its drifting words lacked a clear target but instead floated on the gusts, eventually settling at my feet like a shipwrecked piece of flotsam.
"That's why I don't love humanity."
"..."
"It's simply that I think you're beautiful."
From the depths of my recollection, a memory suddenly surfaced.
The fourth basement of Baekhwa Girls' High School.
In the past, in that demonic lair where the first Outer God, Infinite Void, had slumbered, I had wielded Do-hwa.
The Outer God crumbled under Do-hwa's strike. And just before its collapse, it muttered an incomplete final statement.
- Ah. Oh, how beautiful this is―
That had been the moment Cheon Yo-hwa of heaven's desolation (天寥化) was born and Infinite Void met its end. A contradiction—and yet, within the being before me, birth and death overlapped. It felt as though the silenced continuation of that ancient exclamation now reached my ears.
"This is my third strategy."
The two pieces of chalk I had broken earlier began writing from opposite ends of the board. One piece started from the beginning of a sentence, the other from the end, converging toward the middle.
[Strategy C: Miko's Seal]
* Use the Miko to fully consume the Mastermind. The Miko will become an entity indistinguishable from the Mastermind.
* Apply the Regressor's Time Seal to the Miko.
What?
For a moment, my breath stopped.
The two fragments of chalk, indifferent to me, carved words into the blackboard.
From afar, their movements mimicked the steps of human feet.
* A being under Time Seal vanishes from the world. While the seal requires the target's consent, making it ineffective against Anomalies, the Miko can both understand and express consent in the Regressor's language.
* By sealing the Miko, the overlapping Outer God is sealed simultaneously.
* Thus, the Mastermind is erased from existence, as though it had never been.
I opened my mouth to speak.
Infinite Void placed a finger on my lips, silencing me.
"Shh."
Even as I moved my lips and tongue, no sound emerged.
This had always been a divine realm. Sound and speech required air as their medium. Yet the air permitted to me seemed to vanish under Infinite Void's command.
In other words, every word I had spoken here was granted only by Infinite Void's permission.
"Don't raise your voice, sunbae."
"...!"
"Ahaha. I've always wanted to say that line. But really, there's no need for shouting." Infinite Void smiled. "You know that I understand everything you want to say."
"...!"
"Silent comprehension. A truth that transcends words. You, who embody such principles, could be said to have reached the realm of gods."
I couldn't move.
Of course I couldn't. This was Infinite Void's playground.
Ordinarily, it wouldn't have been able to exercise such dominion, but having reduced five thousand simulated universes to 666, it had taken full control―
Ah. Ah!
"Yes, that's right."
The reason the Mastermind's divine realm, the self-proclaimed Heavenly Kingdom, had transformed into 666 Hells!
I had ridiculed it, saying it was proof the Outer God's power had diminished and its true nature was exposed. Infinite Void had countered, claiming, "This is the result of your actions, sunbae."
And Infinite Void had been right.
"Do you remember? The name you gave me was Infernal Hell."
The transformation of the so-called heaven into hell was definitive proof that control over this divine realm had passed from the Mastermind to Infinite Void!
Yet despite this glaring evidence, I had failed to notice.
"Aha! I was so nervous back then, worrying that you'd figure it out. Lucky for me, your overflowing hatred toward the Mastermind worked in my favor."
"...!"
"I'm sorry, sunbae."
The wind blew.
Infinite Void untied its hair. The ponytail that had symbolized Cheon Yo-hwa scattered, loose strands fluttering in the breeze.
"I'm not here to debate strategy. This is right, and it's perfect. You can't logically refute it."
"..."
"Oh, don't worry too much. I'm not planning to sacrifice my 'younger sibling.' I intend to seal myself in time. This is the best simulation for you, sunbae. And honestly... it's the best for me too."
I didn't understand.
"You'll understand soon."
The wind stopped.
A globe rested on the desk between us.
I immediately recognized it as the model of Universe 107, our one and only reality.
"So, sunbae."
Cheon Yo-hwa of heaven's desolation (天寥化) smiled.
"Make me... a happy human."
My vision darkened.
.
.
.
.
.
.
Simulation.
Set Undertaker's perspective to the 1st cycle.
.
.
.
Cheon Yo-hwa of heaven's desolation (天寥化) set as the twin sister of Cheon Yo-hwa of the hundred tales (千謠話).
Searching for the most natural connection between Undertaker and the twin sisters... Connection established.
Causality in progress.
.
.
.
Starting point set as Gangnam Void Incident, Gangnam White Night, or one year before Seoul's Summer.
Causality established.
.
.
.
Simulation, commence.
-x-X-x-
The Mastermind XII
I was dreaming.
Surprisingly, the world in the dream was still intact.
There were no Anomalies, no Voids. South of the Han River in Seoul was not blanketed in white ash. The sky and the moon remained endlessly peaceful. I could walk through the night to a 24-hour convenience store, or head to work alone without hesitation. The sighs of yawning workers at dawn carried a quiet assurance: "The world will still be the same tomorrow." At noon, the stiff arms of a laborer tossing a garbage bag into the back of a truck reflected hardened muscle.
My job was a bit unusual.
"Teacher, I've finished all the problems!"
"You're solving them much faster now."
In the dream, I was Cheon Yo-hwa's private tutor.
I wasn't merely a tutor focused on academic subjects, but a study manager fully assisting my client, Yo-hwa, in every aspect of her learning. I'd even moved from where I usually lived in Seoul, taking temporary leave from school, and was staying in Sejong City.
Some might think it absurd to go to such lengths for a single student. However, when I looked at the amount deposited into my account every month, both the dream-version of myself and the "me" watching the dream could accept it without question.
"Sunbae, is my sister's lesson over?"
The Cheon Yo-hwa I was tutoring wasn't just one person.
The younger twin sister: Cheon Yo-hwa of the hundred tales (千謠話).
The elder twin sister: Cheon Yo-hwa of heaven's desolation (天寥化).
"If the lesson's over, let's go hang out."
"No, it's your turn for class now..."
"Heroes don't study. In this modern capitalist society, my status is practically that of a hero."
If the younger sister had a personality that spread Vitamin D-like sunshine wherever she went, the elder sister, though composed in appearance, had an unpredictable nature that made her a constant source of anxiety.
"Why do you call me 'sunbae' instead of 'Teacher,' anyway?"
"It's simple. I'm going to enroll in your university someday, so I might as well get used to calling you sunbae in advance."
"With your attitude, getting into our school is impossible."
"I scored 0, 100, 0, and 100 in Korean history and the other core subjects on my last mock exam."
"..."
"And for the exams where I got zeros, I still picked the correct answers for every question."
It was sheer madness.
At the time, my life was mortgaged to these mirror-image twins. As the elder sister had pointed out, in a capitalist society, the person who controls your bank account effectively controls your life.
I was dreaming.
"Did you know, sunbae? Our family is actually a cult."
One evening, beneath a night sky brightly adorned with the Milky Way, Cheon Yo-hwa murmured this to me.
"My sister and I were destined to be possessed by gods from birth. My sister serves the god Infinite Void. I serve the god Mastermind."
"Those are some peculiar names for gods..."
"Infinite Void signifies the absence of time. Mastermind is a god that denies and degrades the fabric of space. Our cult's goal is to reduce all of existence—both time and space—back to nothingness."
Perhaps because we had grown close as tutor and student, she sometimes confided secrets in me that she couldn't share with others. It seemed she had correctly judged my discretion and trusted me not to repeat her words.
"Have you ever wondered why my sister and I share the same name? It's not an ordinary cult. Then again, I suppose no cult is truly ordinary."
"Do you want to escape from it?"
"I can't."
"..."
"My sister gets to live a relatively free life, blending in with the general public. Even the adults approve. After all, when we inherit the position of head of the family and leader of the cult, someone will need to handle external affairs. You know, like how a temple has both an abbot and a chief monk?"
"So your sister is the abbot, and you're the chief monk?"
"Our cult isn't limited to Sejong City, its influence stretches across the entire Korean Peninsula. This little 'student play' of mine won't last long. Someday, I'll rise to a status you can't even imagine."
"Ah, yes, I'll be sure to serve you well, Chief Monk."
"Hahaha." Cheon Yo-hwa hugged her knees and leaned sideways to look at me. "If my sister and I ever change... If we turn strange..."
"...?"
"Promise you'll come to help us, sunbae."
I was dreaming.
The peaceful world crumbled in an instant.
While traveling to Busan on the KTX train, I was suddenly summoned to a tutorial dungeon.
Though I worried about the safety of those I left behind—particularly the twins—I quickly lost the luxury of such concerns. My own survival was hanging by a thread.
Fortunately, I soon discovered that mortal peril was rarely urgent for me.
I, the Undertaker, was a regressor.
The 1st cycle. The 2nd cycle. The 3rd.
Barely escaping the hellhole known as Busan Station, I was left so gravely injured that death seemed inevitable. Yet I made my way to Sejong City, dragging my battered body.
Despite the endless cycles, my concern for my cherished students never waned.
"Hmm? Who are you?"
But by then, the twins had already become "strange."
The younger sister didn't recognize me. Though her face and demeanor were identical, I instinctively knew the person before me was no longer my student.
It was later revealed that the younger sister had been unable to cope with the tragedy at Baekhwa Girls' High School and had placed herself under a form of self-induced NPC-brainwashing.
"Yo-hwa, where is your sister...?"
"Oh! You must be one of my sister's acquaintances!"
The younger sister, Cheon Yo-hwa of the hundred tales (千謠話), smiled brightly and led me to the basement of Baekhwa Girls' High School. The students she had brainwashed stared at me with blank expressions as I followed her.
"Here we are!"
"..."
"Unnie! You have a visitor!"
There was no response.
Her elder sister had become an entirely hollow shell.
No matter how much anyone called to her, poked her arm to tease her, or tried to make her react, the girl kneeling in the center of the basement remained utterly unresponsive.
She was like a vegetative patient.
"Haha, seriously, unnie. People get scared when you keep saying weird things like that. We have a guest today, so maybe try behaving for once?"
The younger sister chattered endlessly, as though she were carrying on a cheerful conversation with her sister.
Her perception of reality had already warped. To her, Baekhwa Girls' High School was still intact, civilization hadn't collapsed, and the dependable yet playful elder sister was still alive in her world.
"..."
I was too late.
In this cycle, I had failed to save them.
Once more.
I was dreaming.
As the cycles repeated, I grew stronger. I met a companion named Emit Schopenhauer.
Old Man Scho and I shared much in common. Not only were we both regressors, but we also each had someone we needed to save from the Void as quickly as possible.
"Still, you're better off than me, you damn quack!"
Old Man Scho called me by all sorts of nicknames. From Undertaker to Doc, from Doc to Quack, and since undertakers embalm corpses, from Embalmer to "you damn pest."
Considering Old Man Scho was German, his creative talent for nicknaming bordered on acrobatics. Then again, Germans would probably never guess that Adolf Hitler's nickname in a certain East Asian country was "Single Nut."[1]
Perhaps humanity shares a universal love of childish humor.
"I only have one minute after regression to save my wife! It's fucking impossible! But your students? Hah! You've got ten days, or is it a hundred? That's plenty of time!"
"They're enthralled by incomprehensibly powerful Anomalies... I don't even know if I can save them."
"At least it's not physically impossible. Damn, kid, you've got it easy."
Ironically, Old Man Scho was the first to break. Overcome by despair at his inability to save his wife, he eventually withdrew from the regression cycles. I lost one of my most dependable allies.
I had no time to wallow in despair.
Old Man Scho was right. Saving the Cheon Yo-hwa twins wasn't physically impossible.
I was dreaming.
Countless events passed through the haze of my dream.
I hunted the Ten Legs. I hunted the Meteor Shower. I met Dang Seo-rin, Yu Ji-won, Lee Ha-yul, the Saintess, Sim Ah-ryeon, and Noh Do-hwa.
I established a base in Busan. I founded the National Road Management Corps. Slowly, ever so slowly, I expanded human territory across the Void-stained lands.
Humanity's feeble reconquista.
Resistance fighters still lived across the Korean Peninsula—and the world—battling the Void in scattered pockets. These resistance groups, called guilds, were gradually united by the National Road Management Corps, connecting them into a cohesive front.
With each regression, human dominion extended further northward. The front line of the Korean Peninsula's reclamation campaign eventually reached Sejong City.
"Sunbae..."
On the 100th day of the Great Void's arrival, I headed for Baekhwa Girls' High School once more.
This time, I was as prepared as I could be. I couldn't face the school alone, not yet—not in my fragile state during those early cycles.
Thankfully, the elder sister was still herself. Together with the last surviving students of Baekhwa Girls' High School, she had managed to hold on.
When she saw me, her eyes welled with tears. For the first time, the student who had always seemed so mature for her age let her vulnerability show.
"Sunbae, Yo-hwa... My sister..."
"It's all right," I said, patting her on the shoulder. "I'm sorry I was late. Don't worry. Even if it's not today, even if it takes time, I'll bring your sister back."
"..."
"Let's go."
"Okay..."
The wheel of cycles turned again.
I was dreaming.
The elder sister, Cheon Yo-hwa, wasn't physically strong, but she had a brilliant mind. Even when encountering Anomalies for the first time, she quickly deduced their weak points and devised strategies for us.
In the Regressor Alliance, Noh Do-hwa handled logistics and operations from the rear, like a chancellor in the Three Kingdoms. In contrast, Cheon Yo-hwa accompanied me directly to battlefields, offering timely advice like a strategist—more akin to Guo Jia.[2]
"You never used to talk about The Three Kingdoms so much. What happened?"
"Classics are classics for a reason."
"You're acting weird. I look away for one second, and suddenly you've turned into an old man..."
"Quiet."
Cheon Yo-hwa provided invaluable intel on the Anomalies haunting Baekhwa Girls' High School and strategies to counter them.
The Hundred Ghosts' Night Parade.
Ghosts that crawled upside-down, bouncing as they moved. The Red-and-Blue Toilet Paper Ghosts that cursed users in bathrooms. Voices of ghosts emanating from speakers or radios.
White flowers lurking on the fourth basement floor...
"This cycle won't be enough."
After sharing all the information she had, Cheon Yo-hwa smiled faintly.
"Save my sister. Save Yo-hwa. Save us, sunbae."
I did.
Finally, on the 117th cycle, I recruited the Tutorial Fairy and forged a shortcut straight into Baekhwa Girls' High School. With the help of Cheon Yo-hwa of heaven's desolation (天寥化), I secured the identity of the Baekhwa Girls' High School Guard, allowing me to infiltrate early and swiftly.
Never before had I breached the Great Void this early in a cycle.
Yet even in this uncharted attempt, I skillfully subdued the ghosts of the Hundred Ghosts' Night Parade. It was as though I had already memorized their weaknesses and behavior patterns.
And of course I had. Cheon Yo-hwa had told me everything about them in prior cycles.
"Sunbae!"
"T-Teacher?! How... How did you...?"
The twin sisters, not yet consumed by the Void, were shocked to see me.
In this isolated space, cut off entirely from the outside world, where only students had survived under extreme conditions, my arrival provided them with a brief respite.
Together, we hunted the Hyakki Yagyo.
Together, we descended to the fourth basement floor.
Together, we carried out the ritual to summon Baekhwa, finally coming face-to-face with an Outer God.
"It's hopeless... The Outer God possessing my sister is far too powerful. Of course, it's only natural—we were both created from birth as vessels to serve such entities."
"Isn't there any way?"
"There is," the elder sister answered grimly, her eyes clouded with determination. "We have to rewrite her memory and identity."
"Rewrite? How would you even do that?"
"By reducing her memories and identity—everything that has defined her since birth—into 'false memories.' Then, she must awaken to a new self, one forged by her own will."
"That's easy to say, but how could something like that even be possible...?"
"It's possible. With my sister's ability."
NPC Creation. An ultimate brainwashing technique that forces the target to think and act exactly as programmed.
"She needs to start over. A new life."
"..."
"Of course, if we change too much, my sister's entire identity could collapse. That's why we'll focus on removing only the parts tied to the Outer God."
"Do you think that kind of precision is even feasible?"
"It might be hard. Human memories are fragile, after all. There's a chance she might also lose her memories of me, her twin sister... and even you, sunbae." Cheon Yo-hwa paused, then conviction steeled her voice as she declared, "But if we can exorcise the Outer God from Yo-hwa's soul, it'll be worth the cost."
"I don't understand. Even memories of you might vanish. How can you be so confident in this plan when it means losing the time you've spent together with your sister?"
"You're here, aren't you, sunbae?"
I was momentarily at a loss for words. "What?"
"We've only known each other for a year or two, as tutor and student. Yet here you are, crossing a hundred cycles just to save us. Even if my sister forgets me, it's okay. She'll have far more time to build memories with you in the future."
"..."
"And I'll feel the same. Right now, the priority is defeating Infinite Void. But someday, when the time comes to conquer the Mastermind... At that moment..." Cheon Yo-hwa's confident tone wavered and her words trailed off, her parted lips closing. She grew quiet.
Then, her red eyes fixed on me, her gaze unreadable.
"Why are you staring like that?"
"..."
"Is there a problem with the strategy?"
"No, there's nothing wrong with that."
Her murmur was soft, almost inaudible. Her eyes remained fixed on me.
Somehow, I didn't feel awkward under her gaze.
People often spoke of intense eye contact. A powerful gaze could make anyone flinch. But Cheon Yo-hwa's eyes weren't sharp—they were shaded, more like "eye shadows" than blinding light.
Just as a person might seek the relief of shade on a scorching summer day, her gaze brought only comfort. Almost as if she had spent her entire life preparing to be someone's shade.
Her god, the Mastermind, was known as the "Black Veil." Perhaps she had begun to resemble the god she served.
"Sunbae, I have one question."
"Ask me anything."
"You won't give up, will you?"
There was no need to ask, "Give up on what?"
Sometimes, even when a sentence lacked its context, people could still understand each other. Gaps in speech could be filled by the shared experiences of two lives.
I could answer easily.
"I won't give up."
"There may be other Anomalies even stronger and more cunning than the ones we've faced. There may be enemies so insurmountable that no amount of struggle will overcome them."
"..."
"Moreover, we don't even know if it's possible to bring those erased by Time Seal back to reality. Yet despite all that, you'll never abandon the world, will you? You won't let go, like the regressor who gave up before you?"
"Never," I said, taking Cheon Yo-hwa's hand. "No matter what happens, I won't give up. And if the day ever comes when I do give up, it'll only be because there's a reason so compelling that even I can't deny it."
"A... A reason?"
"Yes. A reason everyone can accept. One that even I—whether it's the me of the 1st cycle, the 100th, or any cycle—can agree with."
"..."
"Unless such a reason exists, I will never give up."
Cheon Yo-hwa fell silent. Then her lips parted, revealing the darkness within that spoke one word:
"Okay."
A faint smile spread across those lips.
Even shadows, I realized, could carry thin cracks of light.
"I feel the same way, sunbae."
On the 117th cycle, we defeated Infinite Void. One sister lost a part of her memory, including fragments of her elder sister and me.
I was dreaming.
"Sunbae."
Yet no one despaired.
Cheon Yo-hwa's words had been true. There were far more days ahead for us to spend together.
For humanity, this might have been a tragedy. But for the twin sisters, it was a small happiness.
Through hundreds of cycles, we occasionally spent time together. We drank coffee, marveled at the submerged Inunaki Tunnel, and grew close enough for Cheon Yo-hwa of the hundred tales (千謠話) to call her sister unnie once again.
Together, we defeated the Admin of the Infinite Metagame. We were shocked by Yu Ji-won's inhumanity. And finally, by the 685th cycle, we had grown strong enough to confront the Mastermind.
We asked the elder Cheon Yo-hwa to conduct the ritual to summon the Outer God.
And so, time passed.
Time passed.
"Sunbae."
I was dreaming.
"Sunbae?"
I was dreaming.
"Sunbae."
And then.
"Yes. Thank you."
A shadow whispered.
"I think I'm finally happy now."
I awoke from the dream.
Footnotes:
[1] There is a fringe theory with a cult following that Adolf Hilter had monorchism, the condition of only having one testicle for one reason or another.
[2] Guo Jia is a character from The Romance of the Three Kingdoms. He is characterized by his skill in administrative work and as an excellent judge of character.
-x-X-x-
The Mastermind XIII
I opened my eyes.
The moment I did, I realized I was in a divine realm. At first glance, it resembled an ordinary classroom, but this was the domain created by Infinite Void, which had consumed the Mastermind.
This was the alpha and the omega, the beginning and the end.
"It's been a while, sunbae."
Infinite Void sat with its back against the chalkboard.
"Or should I say, we've met again after only a fleeting moment? How are you feeling right now?"
It took me a moment to respond. "It feels like I've relived my life from the 1st cycle all the way to the 688th."
"Hahaha. That's not a feeling. That's just a factual description."
The scenery outside the classroom windows was surreal. Each window showed a different scene. Through one, a vivid blue sky stretched out endlessly while another revealed a galaxy swirling across the darkness. In some windows, it was summer, and in others, autumn or winter.
"Facts? Don't be ridiculous," I scoffed. "What you've shown me is nothing more than an illusion."
"Hmm." Infinite Void smiled faintly as it asked, "Are you so sure?"
"..."
"You, sunbae, remember two timelines. One where Infinite Void was merely an Outer God, a target to be hunted and destroyed."
A piece of chalk moved on its own, drawing a screeching line across the chalkboard. Soon, a second, parallel white line followed.
"And another where the elder twin, Cheon Yo-hwa, existed as your companion and strategist, always by your side. In this timeline, I was both Infinite Void, the Outer God, and Cheon Yo-hwa, the human."
Timeline A.
Timeline B.
Either way, both led to the scene I was witnessing now.
"Now you remember both. Why not ask your Complete Memory to figure out which one is real?"
"Of course, the timeline where you are an Outer God is the real one..."
My chest tightened painfully.
"You seized the power of the simulated universes in the 688th cycle. That's how you were able to show me this false illusion."
Even as I spoke, my heart ached.
The figure before me—the mischievous, cunning elder twin—was undoubtedly the same person I had spent countless cycles with.
My soul, which retained every memory, whispered this truth to me.
"Perhaps. But that's not a settled matter, sunbae," Infinite Void said with a smile. It was the exact same expression I had seen on my student's face countless times across the cycles. "This is a matter to be decided from now on."
What nonsense was it spouting?
"I told you, didn't I? Once you Time Sealed me, the Mastermind's perfect Miko, I'd be erased from the world."
Ah.
"That's right. If I, the elder twin of Timeline B, am sealed in time, the world will revert to Timeline A."
"..."
"People will forget me. Even my younger sister, Yo-hwa, won't be able to remember me. The events I participated in will transform into events that occurred without me."
Just as it had been for others who were sealed.
Even if a son forgot his soccer-player father, his life would continue without disruption. Similarly, even if Cheon Yo-hwa ceased to exist in this world, nothing would change.
Her achievements would become someone else's accomplishments. Her words attributed to someone else's whispers.
"The distinction between past and future is meaningless, sunbae. The choice you make now will loop back through the wheel of cycles, shaping both your past and the present moment."
The timelines would merge.
The gaps would be filled.
The story would be rewritten.
"Didn't you ever find it strange? Why, as soon as you established the foundation for the Regressor Alliance, you always rushed to Baekhwa Girls' High School?"
It's because, originally, you were the twins' tutor. The bond you shared with them made it natural for you to try and rescue them.
―So said Infinite Void.
"How did you manage to subdue me, Infinite Void, in your first-ever attempt at infiltrating Baekhwa Girls' High School? Was it because I was a weak Outer God? Or..."
Or because you had already uncovered my weaknesses through some means. As a regressor, you had an ally who was deeply familiar with the school's secrets. You waited until you were strong enough, until you wielded the blade Do-hwa, until you had enlisted the fairies. Then, you struck at the perfect moment.
An excellent strategy. A testament to your patience.
As a result, Infinite Void, the Outer God, was defeated so easily it bordered on being absurd.
―Or so the girl before me claimed.
"That is my story."
The girl placed her hands over her heart.
"The one who lived as a priestess in a cult, who stood faithfully beside the Regressor, who worked harder than anyone to help you hunt Outer Gods... This is where it ends, sunbae."
My heart pounded ominously.
"This is the end, sunbae."
"Infinite Void..."
"If you see me as an Outer God, it's only natural to use Time Seal here to eliminate me. After all, I'm a threat. This is the perfect opportunity to erase the one responsible for this broken world. You're not going to refuse, are you? Or... do you see me as human?"
My heart wouldn't stop racing.
"If I seem human to you... please respect my will. Accept that this is the only way to conquer the Mastermind, sunbae."
"..."
"Haha. Don't look so down. In a way, I've bet everything on you."
A bet?
"What? Did you already forget? You promised me, sunbae. You said you wouldn't give up, no matter what."
"You..."
"Yes. I believe it too. Someday, you'll find the key to undo the challenge of the Time Seal. No matter how many hundreds of cycles it takes, or how many thousands of wheels must turn, I know you'll succeed."
Infinite Void gave a shadow of a smile.
"When that day comes, you'll treat me as human. You won't have any other choice."
"..."
"So this is my final move."
Somewhere, I thought I heard the sound of chains clinking.
The source of the noise—it was my own chest.
Every word the figure before me spoke felt as though it was being etched into my soul until that promise became a shackle, binding my heart.
"Not another Anomaly. Not an Outer God. I believe the one who will ultimately claim victory in this world is you, sunbae. I have unwavering faith in that."
"..."
"That's why I won't betray you. I won't stab you in the back. I won't pull some foolish stunt like the Admin of the Infinite Metagame. I'll simply create a final destination, just for you. When everything ends, I'll remain as a human who contributed to your victory."
I realized it then.
It really was checkmate.
No matter what I did, I couldn't help but see the figure before me as human. It didn't matter whether she had been born as an Outer God or as the elder sister in a cult. She had claimed the title of "human," the proof of kinship with me, not through anyone else's acknowledgment but by her own hand.
What kind of human could devise such a strategy? How could anyone make it a reality?
And yet, the girl standing before me had done exactly that. She had conquered the Mastermind. She had broken the seal confining her in Cheon Yo-hwa's body. She had deceived even herself and conquered Infinite Void.
She had conquered the Regressor.
She was an Awakener.
"Don't be too sad," she said again.
With an exaggerated "Oooshyaa!" she jumped up from the desk.
"I'll always be here. Even if I'm sealed away and everyone forgets me, you'll still remember, won't you? You can come visit me every now and then."
She took a step toward me. Then, with the same boldness she had shown as my student during tutoring sessions, she reached out and grabbed my trembling hand.
"Do it."
"..."
"Seal me. Save the world. Find a way to break the seal. And someday, bring me back from here."
I trust you.
The moment I heard those words, I had already begun casting Time Seal.
The galaxy and the seasons visible outside the windows began to freeze. The curtains billowing in the breeze, the strands of the girl's hair—everything slowed.
"Remember this, sunbae."
Through her hand, I could feel her heartbeat. Even that steady rhythm began to slow.
"From the next cycle onward, Infinite Void will no longer have 'me' as its personality. The possibility of me ever existing will be completely eradicated. The only thing left on the fourth basement floor of Baekhwa Girls' High School will be a mindless husk of an Anomaly..."
"I understand."
"My disappearance might destabilize my sister's mind a bit. Please take care of her..."
"I will."
I knew instinctively even then. She was offering me her final words of advice.
"Even if I disappear, there might still be contradictions. It's unavoidable. Think of it as the ache after a wisdom tooth is removed."
"..."
"I'm sorry... I couldn't figure out why you can't remember anything before the 4th cycle."
Her red eyes met mine directly. Even on the brink of annihilation, her gaze was infinitely calm and composed, calculating every possibility for what would come next.
"But every effect has a cause."
"..."
"Maybe your memory loss from the 1st to the 4th cycle isn't a curse but a blessing."
"A blessing?"
"Yes. From the 1st to the 4th cycle, you've created something called 'four spaces of sealed time.'"
My eyes widened.
"Maybe you've already experienced the 688th cycle hundreds, thousands, even tens of thousands of times. And maybe, in this very moment, you realized that the only way to defeat the Mastermind, an unbeatable Outer God, was to create gaps in your memory."
"...!"
"Using those gaps, you forged a causality where the elder twin Cheon Yo-hwa could become the Mastermind's Miko. Do you understand? Because your canvas was blank, you could paint anything on it."
The girl squeezed my hand tightly, steadying its tremors.
"You have four blank canvases. I can't be sure, but I believe those canvases are your ultimate weapon against the Outer Gods."
"Through these gaps, you can rewrite reality, inventing a causality that allows you to defeat even the undefeatable."
"Exactly."
It was a terrifying realization.
Sensing my shock, she carefully chose her next words.
"You've used one canvas to seal me, the Mastermind. By rewriting your past. Well, technically, I made the choice for you."
"..."
"But there are still blank spaces in your memory. Who left you the Silver Bells? What is Go Yuri? And most importantly, who advised you to intentionally create this amnesia between the 1st and 4th cycles?"
"You—"
"It wasn't me." She took my other hand in hers as well, clasping it even tighter in her grip, and she said, "There's someone else. Another entity."
That was true.
Thanks to her, I now remembered being the twin sisters' tutor, but most of my memories were still shrouded in mist.
For instance, I might not have been the only one on that KTX train heading to Busan. In the tutorial dungeon at Busan Station, it felt like a certain someone else had been there with me.
Her brow furrowed slightly. "I'm sorry. I really wanted to save Old Man Schopenhauer for you too, but messing with the causality so drastically would've been too much."
"Ah..."
"It already took a miracle to weave together a timeline that could coexist with your footsteps up through the 688th cycle without negating them."
To deny the Mastermind's existence was to manipulate the universe as if it were a simulation. Yet, to erase an Outer God like the Mastermind, I had to honor the singular reality of my universe.
"That's why the only picture you can paint on this canvas is your shadow."
"My... shadow?"
"Yes. Don't forget. This blank canvas, this shadow—it's your divine realm."
The girl, who had been serious until now, suddenly smiled brightly.
"Oh! I've said everything!"
"..."
"Honestly, you don't have enough strategist characters by your side, sunbae. Phew, now I can finally relax."
"..."
"Aha-ha. Sorry for dropping out early like Grandpa Swordmaster, yeah? Good luck living the rest of your life, sunbae. Work hard for my share, okay? After all, that's the fate of a regressor."
Time began to freeze.
This classroom, this divine realm, and the girl's domain were becoming eternally severed from reality.
To create the most beautiful hell imaginable.
"Ah."
The girl looked up, gazing at her galaxy above, and sighed.
"Yo-hwa. My name."
Yo (寥). Desolate.
Hwa (化). Transformation.
"To grow lonely and desolate."
From the galaxy, a voice seemed to emerge. Perhaps it was nothing more than the sensation of her heartbeat, transmitted through our joined hands, that I simply interpreted as words.
Something beyond sound resonated, carrying the girl's final testament as if singing her last poem:
Here lies the loneliest place in the universe of all creation.
The most desolate place.
The most colorless void.
A world outside the world, thus emptiness.
A time beyond time, thus absence.
Yet still the pinnacle humans endlessly imagine, dream of, and long to reach—thus karma.
I, born as Infinite Void, have come to know time.
Here, all things cease.
Even the infinite regress of logic that thinks of itself, and then of itself again, will stop breathing here.
I, having known time, now return to Infinite Void.
To the moment, the time, the void,
I can now finally say these words:
Be still. You are truly beautiful.
It might have been nothing but a sound I hallucinated.
The girl before me might also have been nothing more than an illusion or a shadow. Forgotten by the world, her existence was something even I could easily dismiss.
"Yo-hwa."
But I didn't deny her.
To remember—that was my life.
Hearing my voice, hearing me call her name, Cheon Yo-hwa looked at me. Her crimson eyes widened.
"Yes."
Cheon Yo-hwa smiled.
"Thank you for teaching me what it means to be human, sunbae. In the past, in the future, and here in this place―"
And thus,
"I love you in this very moment."
Time stopped.
Anomaly: The Mastermind
Aliases:Simulated Universe, Heavenly Kingdom, Infinite Labyrinth, Fog of War, Soul Harvester, Brain in a Vat, Hollow Earth Hypothesis, IF Scenario, Descartes' Demon
Threat Level: Lv.5 Outer God-class
Subjugation complete.
-x-X-x-
The Mastermind XIV
There is an epilogue.
The cycle had moved forward. Infinite Void— Or more precisely, Cheon Yo-hwa of heaven's desolation (天寥化), the personality within Infinite Void, had disappeared from the flow of time.
But what changed, you may ask?
Almost nothing.
"Ah, hello there, everyone! You must have been quite surprised to be summoned here so out of the blue, right?"
At the Busan Station Tutorial, the fairy still appeared and tested people.
And why wouldn't it? Infinite Void, even at this point, had always been a mindless Outer God. The removal of the personality known as "Cheon Yo-hwa" didn't fundamentally alter the Anomaly's principles of behavior. Blind, thoughtless Outer Gods remained as they always were: tirelessly collecting data from the world even in the 689th cycle.
Or perhaps the elder twin, Cheon Yo-hwa, was never truly connected to Infinite Void at all. She might have simply been the Mastermind's Miko, and her disappearance had no bearing on the Anomaly.
I kept my mouth shut.
In my mind, two parallel timelines and their memories coexisted, perfectly aligned.
The same was true for the younger twin.
"Ow, ow, ow... Hold on a second. Are you a real adult? Oh, I mean... Mister, are you human? Ahh! You've come to rescue us, haven't you?!"
Cheon Yo-hwa of the hundred tales (千謠話), the student council president of Baekhwa Girls' High School, was the same as she had always been in other cycles. Although her elder sister had left behind a final request for me to look after her, there was nothing much to do. Cheon Yo-hwa already exhibited minor signs of mental instability.
Her tendency to be excessively cold toward outsiders.
Her difficulty controlling her anger.
And after Infinite Void was subjugated, occasional symptoms of a split personality.
These were flaws inherent to her personality. The disappearance of the elder twin—a fictional existence—wouldn't make them any worse.
Or perhaps, unknowingly, she was grappling with the fallout of losing the elder sister she had relied on more than anyone.
Sudden distortions in memory could have profound effects on people. After all, hadn't the son of the former soccer player Kim Joo-chul set off on a journey through this perilous world to search for "something," despite the danger?
It was a world unchanged— No. It was a world in which only one thing had changed.
"Yo-hwa..."
"Yes, Teacher?"
"Are you still experiencing... instances with another personality?"
"Well... Yes, haha. It's something I can't control."
"..."
Cheon Yo-hwa's soul no longer bore the personality we once called Infinite Void. Her occasional personality shifts were no longer manifestations of an Outer God's descent but rather purely psychological symptoms.
'Ah.'
Outer Gods couldn't speak like humans, and they couldn't perfectly mimic humans either.
It was only natural, after all. How could an Anomaly possess human intelligence? How could an Anomaly possibly love a human?
When had I, the Undertaker, started entertaining the delusion that such an Outer God might exist? Had I been bewitched by an Anomaly without even realizing it?
"Remember this, sunbae."
"From the next cycle onward, Infinite Void will no longer have 'me' as its personality. The possibility of me ever existing will be completely eradicated."
"My disappearance might destabilize my sister's mind a bit. Please take care of her..."
Cheon Yo-hwa tilted her head as she looked at me. "Teacher?"
"..."
"Is something wrong? You look... a little sad."
"It's nothing. Sorry to worry you. I just... suddenly remembered something from the past."
"Oh no! Did someone make you sad, Teacher? Tell me! I'll take care of it so no one even notices!"
I smiled and patted Cheon Yo-hwa's shoulder. Noticing that I was feeling better, she smiled brightly back at me.
"Please take care of her."
Yes, she was right.
To be human wasn't to merely be alive. Even a thing that only existed in people's memories could be human. After all, how many beings, no longer seen or heard, do we bury in our hearts and carry with us through life?
Presence through absence.
Sometimes, someone's existence was felt more strongly not because they were near but because they were not.
"Is that so? I understand now," said the Saintess.
I hadn't made the mistake of silently brooding over my inner turmoil. I shared my thoughts with the Saintess instead.
"An Outer God worships a human and willingly falls to humanity's level... Or perhaps this story itself is a historical distortion caused by Time Seal."
"Indeed."
"Let me confirm one thing. Mr. Undertaker, are the Anomalies related to the Outer God called the Mastermind truly gone now?"
"Yes, that part is certain."
In the 689th cycle, I could at last distribute the "Sacred Flames" given to me by the Nenet of Naryan Mar to the point that most cities where humans survived now had beacon towers. Smoke rose beyond the Himalayas and the Urals as well.
Humanity's enemy, the Mastermind, had truly been subjugated.
"On the other hand, Infinite Void still leaves traces of itself in this world, doesn't it? The Hundred Ghosts' Night Parade, for example. Anomalies clearly tied to Infinite Void still linger."
"That's correct."
The Saintess quietly rested her chin on her hand. The shadows of fish moved slowly among the aquariums in the Yongsan estate.
"Mr. Undertaker, this might sound like a radical interpretation, but..."
"Please, speak freely."
"You might have taken the place of Infinite Void and the Mastermind's apostles."
I paused, blinking as I poured hot water into a packet of instant coffee. "Pardon?"
"Think about it. Whether we consider Timeline A or Timeline B, the result is the same. The only human who knows about Infinite Void, complete with Cheon Yo-hwa's personality, is you, Mr. Undertaker. You alone, across the entire surface of the Earth."
At first, I didn't understand what the Saintess was suggesting.
"That's true," I agreed slowly. "But how does that designate me as the Miko of the Outer Gods?"
"Because no one but you witnessed Infinite Void's true form when it revealed its full power."
"..."
"In essence, you are the only one who understands the true nature of these Outer Gods. An Apostle communes with a god and acts as its exclusive intermediary. Isn't that essentially what you are?"
My eyes widened.
"That's because I subjugated the Outer God..."
"But apart from you, Mr. Undertaker, no one even knows these Anomalies existed, let alone that they were defeated."
"..."
"Whether you like it or not, Infinite Void and the Mastermind are dependent on you. Only you—and your memories—serve as evidence that they ever existed."
The back of my neck pricked with unease. Instinctively, I knew that the Saintess had touched on something profoundly significant.
Before I realized it, my mouth moved on its own to say, "Authority."
"Pardon?"
"The abilities I possess... For instance, Complete Memory. It might be an authority granted to me as Infinite Void's Miko."
Infinite Void collected the data of all things in existence. Didn't it liken itself to the Akashic Records? If so, my ability to remember everything without fail might very well be the proof of my role as Infinite Void's Miko!
At my explanation, the Saintess's expression grew serious.
"Hold on. Let me list out your abilities, Mr. Undertaker."
With a quick motion, she pulled out a pen that seemed to appear from nowhere—likely fetched by briefly stopping time—and began jotting down notes.
1. Complete Memory – Infinite Void
2. Resume (Physical Strength Preservation?) – ?
3. Time Seal – ?
4. Enormous Aura – ?
The Saintess looked back at me.
"These are your abilities, correct?"
"Yeah. Though you can probably leave Aura off that list. Other people can develop it with enough training, so it's not exclusive to me."
"Fair enough. I'll cross it out, then."
"Oh, by the way, I also have Mind Reading."
The Saintess blinked like a startled rabbit, her wide eyes practically asking,"Why am I only learning about this now?"
"I apologize. I thought it might make people uncomfortable to know I could read their thoughts."
After a beat of hesitation, she asked, "Are you reading my mind right now?"
"No, not at all. I stopped using that ability around the 555th cycle. I didn't want to rely on such a mysterious power to intrude on people's private thoughts."
"Can you swear to that?"
"Yes, I'll swear on anything."
"Even on the Three Kingdoms and Liu Bei's name?"[1]
"Er... yes. Of course."
The Saintess's expression visibly relaxed. "All right. As expected, you're quite trustworthy, Undertaker. Let me revise the list."
1. Complete Memory – Infinite Void
2. Resume (Physical Strength Preservation?) – ?
3. Time Seal – ?
4. Enormous Aura – ?
5. Mind Reading – Infinite Metagame? Mastermind?
"How's this?"
"Well... Looking at it now, I can't help but notice how scattered and miscellaneous my abilities are. It must be my fate to be a supporter."
"The real supporter here is me, but let's not get into that. Do you really think these abilities being so miscellaneous is just a coincidence?"
A faint voice echoed in my mind.
"Every effect has a cause."
It was something Cheon Yo-hwa had whispered in the classroom.
Though the Saintess had taken a different path to reach her conclusions, it seemed she had arrived at the same understanding.
"Think carefully, Mr. Undertaker. You're smarter than this."
"You flatter me..."
"I'm not trying to flatter you. What I mean is, if you truly have been reborn as the Miko of various Outer Gods, and if you've become aware of this... But then lost your memories because of Time Seal or some other reason." Her sky-blue eyes locked onto mine with an unflinching intensity, as she asked, "Wouldn't you have left behind a clue for yourself? Something subtle that only you could recognize later?"
"..."
"A hint. Nothing too obvious, to avoid disrupting the timeline. Just small, shadowy traces. Something that could exist without affecting anything else."
"...A hint left for myself."
I let my thoughts wander.
The elder sister, Cheon Yo-hwa, had reshaped the traces of her existence into the form of "Infinite Void's personality" and "the younger sister's split personality." She had only altered memories to the extent that they preserved the reality of what had occurred.
Was there a similar distortion within me?
A shadow where I had quietly planted a clue, hoping I'd uncover it someday.
"A shadow..."
In that moment,
"A fragment. A shadow of the self..."
I felt a static charge ripple through my body.
The tremor within me translated into words that spilled from my lips.
"Of course. How did I not realize this sooner?"
"Did something come to mind?"
"Yes. My nickname!"
The Saintess tilted her head. "Your nickname?"
"My SG Net username. My alias. The name I used as a shadow of my real self in the virtual space of the internet!"
I borrowed the Saintess's pen and quickly scrawled the name.
ZERO_SUGAR
That was my SG Net username.
The meaning of "zero sugar" was straightforward: sugar-free. Translating it into Korean yielded mudang, 무당 (無糖).
A Miko who serves as an intermediary for gods. A pillar connecting an Outer God's influence to the earthly realm.
The Saintess glanced down at the notebook, her face filled with astonishment.
"When did you choose this nickname? And why?"
"It's... been my nickname ever since I learned SG Net existed. Honestly, there wasn't much thought behind it. I just liked zero-sugar cola, so I used it without thinking."
"So it was something trivial enough that it didn't raise suspicion."
"That seems to be the case."
We both fell silent.
Our silences carried different weights. Though I wasn't using Mind-Reading, I could almost grasp the Saintess's line of thought.
She must have been wondering how the "Undertaker from before memory modification" had left this clue for his current self. What purpose did it serve? And what were the identities of the other Outer Gods?
My own thoughts, however, were slightly different.
'I already knew.'
The reason it hadn't taken me long to deduce the clue of my SG Net username stemmed from an entirely different cause because...
'Go Yuri knew.'
Someone had directly given me this hint.
In the distant past, during the 91st cycle, while I was casually browsing the community forums, Go Yuri had once left a comment.
- [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!
No one else on SG Net had ever used mudang to call me "ZeroSugar" before. Not even had I had called myself that.
So then how...?
How had the Go Yuri of back then already known something we only now realized in the 689th cycle?
Footnotes:
[1] Liu Bei was made famous for being the ideal ruler for his benevolent leadership and smart choice in advisors by Romance of the Three Kingdoms.
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