Chapter 1467 - IR 49

The Hypocrite II

After countless experiments, Yu Ji-won's type revealed itself to be "a man of power."

"No, that's somewhat incorrect information."

Surprised, I asked, "What?"

"To be precise, a woman of power would suffice as well. Even if Your Excellency, the Undertaker were to change your gender this very moment, my feelings for you would remain unaltered."

The gaze that stared at me expressionlessly sent chills down my spine.

...In any case, Yu Ji-won had a singular criterion when evaluating people.

Gender? Age? Build? Appearance? None of that mattered. Only one thing did:

"How capable are they of manipulating others?" Or, put another way, "How firmly can they impose their will?"

By coincidence, these conditions aligned perfectly with a regressor.

"If Your Excellency wished, you could turn Dang Seo-rin into a tyrant of unparalleled infamy or transform Cheon Yo-hwa into a devil incarnate. Of course, those are merely examples," Ji-won added. "If Your Excellency desired, you could mold Oh Dok-seo into a diligent serial author or turn Sim Ah-ryeon into a paragon of virtue."

"No, that's a bit—" But the sight of Ji-won quietly sipping away at drip coffee had me taking back my words before they could escape.

To the psychopath before me, I was nothing more than "the pinnacle of power." Everything else was secondary. It might be an unexpected analogy, but...

'In some ways, this person is like my mirror.'

Yu Ji-won had no fixed patterns. Her actions shifted every cycle, always contingent on me, the regressor. Every scenario was just a series of "what-ifs." Yet I could vividly imagine what her course might be in any given run.

If I pursued a society of endless competition and survival of the fittest, she would gladly race to the cutting edge of natural selection.

If I aimed for a community that coexisted with Anomalies like the residents of the Forsaken Village, she would immerse herself in Void poison more eagerly than anyone.

If I confessed that I wanted to take it easy and rest during any particular cycle, she would abandon all goals, even forsaking her ambitions with the National Road Management Corps, to join me in leisure.

In this way, Yu Ji-won was far from a typical psychopath. If anything, she had reached the extreme of such a limiting description.

Even her very life, something normal people get only one shot at, was a resource she used to the fullest for "the ultimate final cycle yet to come." She consumed and utilized herself, all of it to avoid elimination and ensure success in the regressor-shaped world as dictated by the Undertaker.

"Good morning, Lady Lee Ha-yul."

"...?"

"May this morning find you well. I hope you slept peacefully. Should you encounter any inconveniences in your daily life, especially ones you cannot bring to His Excellency, the Undertaker, please do not hesitate to inform me. I will assist immediately."

"...???"

And so, perhaps inevitably, Ji-won was always polite to my companions. Almost to the point of contradicting the stereotype that "psychopaths lack empathy." To Ha-yul, who was younger and weaker, she invariably addressed her as "Lady" or "Young Miss." She even respectfully called Dok-seo, someone whom others ignored, either "Author" or "Writer." However, once you understood her logic, it became clear that this too was calculated behavior.

"Aren't they all people cherished by Your Excellency?"

Her unwavering focus remained solely on me.

"Your Excellency treasures those around you. More precisely, you surround yourself with people you can cherish."

"Hmm."

"Your Excellency has referred to them as 'the keepers of your heart.' It is only natural for me to respect them."

By the 703rd cycle, it was almost terrifying.

Now, this isn't a tale from that same cycle, but once, there was an incident...

One day, while walking through the Inunaki Tunnel, I heard Ah-ryeon screaming.

"Ack! Aah!"

Startled, I hurried over. Soon, I discovered her with Ji-won in a café at a depth of 1,000 meters.

"You're recovering far too slowly," Ji-won, seemingly unaware of my presence, said coldly as she gazed down at Ah-ryeon. "Look at this. The wound on your finger healed in two seconds, yet the cut on mine took a full ten seconds. This disparity means your regenerative ability is biased toward yourself rather than others."

"B-but it hurts..."

"I'm not asking for the impossible. Experience has proven that this level of injury can heal within two seconds. The eight-second delay lies entirely in your mental fortitude."

"Ugh..."

"Believe in your potential. Push yourself. We won't stop training today until we reduce that eight-second gap to two seconds."

Then, without hesitation, Ji-won raised a blade and cut both her own and Ah-ryeon's fingers—a so-called "training session."

"What the hell are you doing?!" I shouted.

"Ah! G-Guild Leader...!" Ah-ryeon bolted toward me and hid behind my back. Sniffling and whimpering, she clung to me, tears threatening to spill, as she cried, "Team Leader Y-Yu Ji-won... She said I've been neglecting my t-training since I'm always holed up in the hideout... so she decided to personally tutor me... but it hurts... She's b-been torturing my fingers like this all morning!"

It is at this point I must confess something: I have a peculiar tendency to boil over whenever Sim Ah-ryeon genuinely says she's in pain. It's probably a proverbial turn of the tables caused by the constant expectation I place on her to act like the Saintess of the North.

Suppressing the heat of my rising fury, I demanded, "Explain yourself, Ji-won."

"I heard that plans are underway to establish the Eastern Holy State centered around Sim Ah-ryeon."

"So?"

"This project forms a critical part of Your Excellency's strategy for the Korean Peninsula. I deemed it essential for Sim Ah-ryeon to undergo rigorous preparation before deployment." Ji-won's expression betrayed no doubt, only absolute conviction in her actions as she concluded, "Even if it is just her healing abilities, maximizing their potential would surely alleviate some of Your Excellency's concerns."

A realization struck me then, firm and undeniable.

To most people, her reasoning might seem overly strict or perhaps even admirable. Some might argue that she was just being a little forceful to ensure everything goes smoothly for the regressor or that it was just a small wound, no big deal.

However, I understood the deeper truth.

'This is my fault.'

Why?

'Because I've treated Sim Ah-ryeon poorly in the past. Yu Ji-won must've concluded that she was someone who could be treated without consequence.'

That's right.

Every day, Ah-ryeon loved to play tricks on me. In the real world and especially on SG Net, where she delighted in teasing ZERO_SUGAR. And I, in turn, genuinely enjoyed teasing her back. When she acted outrageously, I'd react with a dramatic groan, and when she crossed the line, I'd scold her. She thrived on that dynamic.

But Ji-won had misunderstood.

To her, the essence of our interactions wasn't "closeness" but "contempt." She failed to distinguish between the two.

Yu Ji-won lacked the ability to comprehend relationships where affection manifested as mockery, or where someone took delight in being the subject of irreverence. And so, she treated Sim Ah-ryeon harshly, just as I had.

"Ji-won."

"Yes?"

"Ah-ryeon here... She's someone I hold very dear, just like Ha-yul. Not just because her abilities are rare, but because we've built countless bonds over many cycles. Those memories are precious to me."

Ji-won blinked. Her eyes, clearer than glass, briefly flickered.

I mustered my strength and continued, saying, "So... I don't dislike or look down on her. Ah-ryeon just has a different emotional framework from most people. For her, when someone treats others respectfully but acts rude toward her alone, she interprets that rudeness as a sign of friendship. That's just the way she is."

"Eeeek! G-Guild Leader, what are you saying?! How embarrassing!"

Behind me, Ah-ryeon flailed in protest, but I ignored her. She simply disliked having her feelings exposed like this.

At the end of the day, explanations like this were the only way to get through to Ji-won.

"So if you want to earn Ah-ryeon's favor, you'll need to act the exact opposite of how you've been acting."

"Hmm." Ji-won sheathed her dagger and asked, "Does that mean that, while I disregard others' feelings, I must be considerate of Sim Ah-ryeon's alone? And that such behavior would convince her of her unique status, causing her to feel goodwill toward me?"

"Exactly. Though it's less about liking you and more about cherishing the relationship itself."

"I find that difficult to understand."

"Ah-ryeon is naturally hard to understand."

"Yes, but still..."

She then turned to Ah-ryeon and bowed deeply. Startled, Ah-ryeon flinched and clung tighter to my arm.

"I apologize, Miss Sim Ah-ryeon." When she got no response, Ji-won carried on. "Although it was for the sake of the Korean Peninsula's future, I deeply regret forcing you to train without considering your perspective."

"N-no... It's fine... I-I understood the n-necessity of training..." Ah-ryeon stammered awkwardly, clearly flustered.

Ji-won's nationalistic rhetoric was undoubtedly her way of aligning with my goals as the regressor. After Ah-ryeon departed, Ji-won turned back to me and bowed again.

"Your Excellency, Undertaker. Since Pyongyang lies well beyond the National Road Management Corps' jurisdiction, I concluded that thoroughly preparating Sim Ah-ryeon was crucial to ensure the project's smooth execution."

Her words were precise, but the emotions she sought couldn't be expressed in mere syllables.

I kept my reply direct. "Don't worry. I'm neither disappointed nor upset with you. I won't judge or abandon you over something like this." She remained quiet as I said, "Instead, I should apologize for not clarifying this to you earlier. I'll make sure to warn you beforehand next time."

"Thank you, Your Excellency."

Such incidents made it clear: Yu Ji-won was my mirror. Through her, I saw whether I was living correctly, how I treated others. Her behavior faithfully replicated my attitudes.

How could I not cherish her?

Even if she never grasped the concept of "pure goodwill" or experienced "unconditional love," she had her own way of forming bonds.

And that's why, in this regressor's journey, I could never leave Yu Ji-won behind. After all, there wasn't a single human in this world who wasn't a "defective product" in some way.

And so, in the 703rd cycle—

"Your Excellency."

Despite my efforts to guide Yu Ji-won toward a better path, despite her own best attempts to follow me—

The combination of our efforts produced the worst outcome.

"I think I'm beginning to understand what 'goodness' is."

It all began with the death of the Saintess.

-x-X-x-

The Hypocrite III

After subjugating the Mastermind and venturing beyond the Ural Mountains, I traveled overseas multiple times with Ji-won.

The reason was simple.

"Ji-won, did you get a good look at New Delhi?"

"Yes, it's now visible on the Mini-Map."

"Good. Next, let's visit Naryan-Mar."

The goal was to familiarize Ji-won with the cities beyond the mountains and the key figures living within them.

As you may already know, once Ji-won fulfills certain conditions, she can mark targets on her Mini-Map. This allowed the Command Center of the National Road Management Corps to have a map of not only the Korean Peninsula but also the Japanese Archipelago and the entire Eurasian continent as well. Thanks to this, I was able to grasp international affairs remotely, at least to a certain extent.

For someone like me, who planned to establish a multinational coalition that would surpass the Korean Awakener Alliance someday, traveling abroad with Ji-won wasn't optional—it was essential.

The same went for the 703rd cycle.

"Hmm?"

However, the moment we hastily made our return to the Korean Peninsula after marking down Naryan-Mar, I felt an unsettling sense of dissonance.

Something was different.

'...Why isn't the Saintess welcoming me?'

Usually, upon my return to the Korean Peninsula, the Saintess's telepathy would soon greet me warmly.

[Have you returned, Mr. Undertaker?] or [Nothing unusual happened here while you were away, Mr. Undertaker.] Alternatively, [Mr. Undertaker, there's trouble! A strange Void appeared while you were gone!]

My travels with Ji-won weren't vacations but, instead, missions with clear objectives. Thus, our departure and return dates were always predetermined. It was evident when and where I would return. Yet, strangely, the Saintess's voice was absent that day.

"G-Guild Leader, you're back?"

Instead, Ah-ryeon awaited me at the rendezvous point.

She dismissed her escort team and sent them far away, then turned to me and hesitated, looking nervous—a rare expression for someone acting as the Saintess of the North. It was as though she had done something wrong.

"Ah-ryeon, why are you here?"

"Well... The Saintess..."

She glanced at Ji-won briefly. Whatever understanding passed between their exchanged glances had Ji-won taking a few steps back in response.

Then Ah-ryeon covered her mouth with the back of her hand and whispered softly, "The Saintess... has passed away."

The Saintess had always boasted an overwhelming survival rate compared to my other allies, including those of the Regressor Alliance.

Not 100%, of course. Like anyone else, the Saintess occasionally died.

In the 670th cycle, she slipped and fell to her death while strolling on the Seongsu Bridge. In another, she was mistakenly killed by an ally. During the 687th cycle, an Outer God directly caused an earthquake in Seoul, annihilating her.

"She was found near Sinuiju..." Do-hwa muttered at the Saintess's funeral as she cleaned her monocle. "My guess is that she went out to greet you on the day you returned..."

"The Saintess, who was a hardcore homebody."

"Well, it's not like I know myself. Maybe she ventured into unfamiliar territory around Sinuiju and encountered a strange Anomaly."

Such incidents had occurred before, after all.

I thoroughly retraced the Saintess's path, examining every detail. However, there was no evidence of interference from an Outer God or the Mastermind.

It was a simple accident. The Saintess had ventured further than usual to welcome me after my long-distance mission. During this rare excursion, an unexpected Anomaly claimed her life.

"You should've insisted on warning her, telling her to stay put and never wander outside." When I didn't respond, she pushed, "I'll ask directly. Undertaker, why didn't you?"

True, if I had persistently indoctrinated her with warnings about the dangers of the world outside, prohibited even her occasional strolls, and earnestly begged her to remain inside, especially since she could freeze time to monitor the entire peninsula without leaving her home, then she might have agreed.

"Yes, I understand," she likely would have agreed with her usual emotionless expression, accepting my logic that it was safer.

This "what if" scenario surfaced vividly in my mind, so vivid that I had to shake my head to dispel the thought.

"Noh Do-hwa, Chief of the National Road Management Corps. I see regression not as a method to limit possibilities but to explore numerous alternatives."

"Hmm...?"

"Imagine I kidnap the elderly patients under your care and coerce you into following my commands with threats to their well-being. Now know that day will never come."

Do-hwa's eyes, including the one magnified by her monocle, widened slightly. Her flawless, obsidian-like pupils reflected my face.

We didn't speak after that.

The Saintess's funeral was modest. The mourners consisted solely of members of the Regressor Alliance. Thus, in the nearly empty mortuary, Do-hwa's subdued voice carried effortlessly.

"This is surprising. I didn't expect you to be capable of conjuring up such scenarios..."

Was it just my imagination? Despite my harsh words, Do-hwa didn't seem displeased. If anything, she appeared slightly amused.

Her gloved fingers, thin as fins, stirred the air deliberately.

"Would you like to try?" She drew her finger slowly along the line from my cheekbone to my jaw. A faint leathery scent, mingled with her body's natural aroma, wafted past me. "If you always wore such an expression, I might find it more entertaining."

"Noh Do-hwa."

"Yes, I apologize. It's improper to revel too much at someone else's funeral. Learning how you behave when the lady from Yongsan dies made today worthwhile."

Shall we discuss business now?

Her words ended with an unmistakable smirk.

With the Saintess gone, the collapse of law and order across the Korean Peninsula—and the ultimate defense line—was inevitable.

Several cycles passed after that. From my perspective as a regressor, I had ample time to prepare countermeasures.

"Seo Gyu, how's public sentiment?"

"Hmm. On SG Net, people seem mostly convinced."

I had long prepared "what if" scenarios for the Saintess's disappearance.

Replacing her role entirely was impossible. No one could match her irreplaceable value. However, while extending her presence wasn't feasible, I could mask her absence.

Author: Collector of All Anomalies

Greetings, Awakeners of the Korean Peninsula.

You must have been taken aback by the disappearance of the starlit voices that have nurtured you like infants until now.

Rejoice!

The vile Constellations that treated you like immature children have been imprisoned by me, the Collector of All Anomalies!

You are all capable of growing and standing tall as fully-fledged humans, yet these insidious Constellations kept you confined within their shallow boundaries. How pitiful of them, don't you agree?

Just like a child with overbearing parents, you must have felt suffocated. Well, they weren't even your parents to begin with. Laughs.

Even now, I can sense their wrathful cries from where I have them imprisoned.

Rest assured, I've secretly captured and confined these wicked Constellations, so there's no need for concern.

May you recognize me, the Collector of All Anomalies, as your true and sole guardian. With this, I take my leave.

Farewell. Closes with a flourish.

This deception was branded as the "Constellations' Abduction Plot."

To support the lie, SG Net underwent a drastic redesign. Its formerly white-dominated interface was transformed into a sinister red-and-black theme that oozed an ominous aura.

Seo Gyu sighed after locking his smartphone screen. "At first, I figured everyone would see through it as a cover-up attempt, but surprisingly, it's working really well."

"From the beginning, SG Net was framed as a community created by Constellations, not humans."

"Wow. You're always two steps ahead, aren't you, boss?"

Perhaps.

Though I spoke confidently, this was the first time I'd tested this plan, which had only existed as a theoretical scenario, during the 703rd cycle.

The Collector of All Anomalies was a villain who had consistently attracted the ire of Awakeners. Many mistakenly believed that the Anomalies, such as the Ten Legs and Meteor Shower, were all her subordinates.

"The key phrase here is that the Constellations were abducted, not annihilated. If they had simply disappeared, their faith would have evaporated too. But with the hope of their eventual return, belief can become even more entrenched."

This gamble of mine worked partially.

- With the pesky Constellations gone, I'll now live solely for myself!

- The Constellations are dead, and for 20 days, the Korean Awakeners endured unparalleled agony...!

Some people declared their newfound freedom and acted recklessly. However, most remained faithful.

- The Constellations are being held by that damned Collector! They're watching us even if they can't speak for now.

- Live however you want, but when the Constellations return, they'll punish lawbreakers first!

- The Constellations are watching you!

The overwhelming majority clung to their connection with the Constellations. This steadfastness resulted in a favorable ratio of 1:9, where only one out of ten acted out. Still, even this small percentage led to crimes that hadn't occurred while the Saintess was present.

"This cycle leaves us no choice but to fortify our foundations..."

"Pardon? What was that, boss?"

"Nothing. I was just thinking I'll have to work even harder."

"Geez, you're the most diligent person I've ever seen. Even earlier, you worked your legs off with me during training."

"Exercise is necessary, no matter how busy you are."

Time passed in a blur.

The schedule of a regressor was already grueling, but filling in for the Saintess made it all the more demanding. I was so busy that upon returning to the Inunaki Tunnel, Dok-seo and Ha-yul would rush over in concern.

"Whoa, are you okay, mister? Your under-eye circles look like Do-hwa's now."

"I'm fine. It's manageable."

"..."

"You've gotten really good at shoulder massages, Ha-yul. I don't feel any tension at all."

Through relentless effort, I managed to maintain the Korean Peninsula's security and unity. Thankfully, my advanced Awakeners physique allowed me to function even after over a week without sleep. Otherwise, my mind would have crumbled long ago.

"Welcome back, Your Excellency."

Oh, right.

In the 703rd cycle, Ji-won ended up staying in the Inunaki Tunnel instead of the National Road Management Corps' headquarters.

With the Saintess gone, the strategic value of Ji-won's Mini-Map had become critical. It allowed us to track Awakeners' movements, establish alibis, and monitor disappearances.

Without the Mini-Map, my schedule would have exceeded its limits.

"Well done today, Your Excellency."

"Thanks, Ji-won. But why are you still in uniform even here? You can dress casually where you live, you know?"

"I find this uniform to be the most comfortable attire."

Ji-won always wore her National Road Management Corps uniform, even when off-duty.

"That's fair," I conceded. "Anyway, no major disappearances while I was gone, right?"

"There were six disappearances in total."

"Oh no. Were they due to Anomalies?"

"Various causes. They're individual cases rather than group disappearances."

Regrettably, I couldn't personally investigate every missing person. Even when the Saintess was alive, such a task was impossible.

The following years were a whirlwind of activity. Ji-won's role grew closer to that of my personal secretary than of a team leader. She spent as much time waiting in the Inunaki Tunnel as she did reporting to the Corps.

'...It feels like the 5th cycle again.'

Back then, Ji-won was my direct underling before she began building her career as a key figure within the Corps.

It was a natural fit for us, and not just in my eyes either—her gaze toward me occasionally carried a hint of camaraderie that had been absent in earlier cycles.

"Undertaker, it's been a while since you brewed me coffee..."

"Hmm? Oh, sure."

One day, Do-hwa called for a private meeting. Her off-handed comment caught me off guard.

"Team Leader Yu has been abducting people lately. Any idea why...?"

-x-X-x-

The Hypocrite IV

"Well, at first, it was just a suspicion..."

"Team Leader Yu. You know how elusive she is—always quick, always thorough with cleanup. Most importantly, they can track Awakeners' routes in real-time with her Mini-Map."

"It's almost impossible to catch someone like that by the tail..."

I stared blankly at the ceiling.

Thanks to my Complete Memory, what Do-hwa told me yesterday replayed in perfect detail on the dark ceiling above me. In my mind's eye, it was recreated with such clarity that it felt indistinguishable from reality.

In this vividly imagined scene, Do-hwa murmured to me softly.

"So, I nurtured her..."

Nurtured? I had asked, puzzled.

"Not as an Awakener, but an ordinary troop member."

Do-hwa's half-lidded eyes gleamed.

"You see, even if someone lacks Awakening abilities, they can still master stealth and tracking skills..."

"Why are you so surprised? Surely, you know this. Plenty of civilians join the National Road Management Corps with aspirations to serve humanity and slay Anomalies."

"After training them for two years on the field, they became reasonably competent. I filtered and refined them, then assigned them to track Team Leader Yu. I deliberately recruited civilians whom that person wouldn't recognize, so they wouldn't appear on the Mini-Map."

"Wouldn't you know it? Reports came in of Team Leader Yu dragging helpless civilians late at night toward the entrance of the Inunaki Tunnel. Covertly."

Evidence?

"Here, I've got photos."

Do-hwa's white lab coat billowed loosely as she handed me the evidence.

"Remember when I asked to borrow that spirit camera? I rented it just to take these photos. The quality isn't the best, but..."

"..."

"You trust that device implicitly, don't you? I figured this would be the fastest way to convince you."

"..."

"So."

Do-hwa interlocked her fingers and rested her chin on them. Despite the gravity of our discussion, amusement seemed to dance within her eyes.

"Did you know?"

Her pitch-black eyes gazed at me—a void of flowing emotions, a dark pit waiting for me to fall into it. Her eyes made no pretense of hiding their intent: to topple me and trap me in the abyss of her stare.

"Ah, so you didn't..."

"I suppose even someone like you can't know or predict everything. Was it a few years ago? Like you said yourself, regression isn't about limiting possibilities but rather about blooming all of them."

"The fact that you were unaware of something—even about a colleague so close to you—makes today worthwhile."

Do-hwa stood up. Even though the coffee she had asked me to make sat untouched on the table, she didn't so much as glance at it. Only the faint steam from the now-cold cup lingered, existing halfway between presence and absence.

"Your Excellency?"

The illusion shattered.

When I lowered my gaze, I saw Ji-won placing a coffee cup on the table.

"You seemed deep in thought, so I brought some coffee. It can't compare to Your Excellency's barista skills, but I hope it lightens the weight of your concerns."

For a moment, I only stared at the cup. "Thank you."

"It's my pleasure."

I sipped the coffee Ji-won had prepared. It was delicious—perfectly suited to my taste. Uncannily so. "It's very good..."

"Thank you."

As I let the café au lait linger on my tongue, I glanced at Ji-won. She had always had a keen appreciation for coffee. After discovering my passion for being a barista, she had transitioned from a mere admirer of coffee to a creator herself.

Ji-won was, at her core, capable.

Had she chosen to be a politician, artist, entrepreneur, NGO activist, stock trader, journalist, cocktail bartender, or chef, she would still have risen to the top 0.1%. While others stumbled through failures and groped toward success by converting those failures into experiences, Ji-won always calculated the optimal route. She distinguished who to ally with and who to discard, pouring her full effort into building networks and seizing power with earnest dedication.

"But I still have much to learn. I've only mastered the basics of making café au lait. I can't yet create the variety of coffees Your Excellency can. Your guidance will be invaluable."

Behold. Despite her natural inclination toward malice, she had successfully positioned herself as the ally of a regressor like me.

Once again, I'll say this seriously: If I hadn't been the protagonist of this regression, Ji-won would have made for a far more fitting lead.

"Yesterday."

"Hm?" I hummed, still deep in thought.

"I heard you met with Do-hwa, the Corps leader. You seem particularly deep in thought today, did your conversation touch on anything serious?"

She had already deduced my movements.

It was to be expected. If I were her, I too would have made monitoring a regressor's route my top priority.

Setting my coffee cup down, I donned a casual expression. "We discussed a few topics. Among them was you, Ji-won."

"Me, Your Excellency?"

"Indeed. She said she's confused about whether you're the Operations Team Leader for the National Road Management Corps or my personal secretary. She asked how long I plan to keep you detained."

"Ah." Ji-won blinked slowly. "I've handed over most duties to the deputy team leader. While I must occasionally use my Mini-Map to assist with special operations, for the majority of tasks, administrative efficiency remains at about 60% of its usual level."

"Do you think Do-hwa would be satisfied with 60%?"

"Probably not. But right now, working closely with Your Excellency is far more efficient."

"Oh? Are you planning to change jobs outright?"

"If Your Excellency permits, I would gladly do so." When I didn't respond, she continued, saying, "I genuinely believe this place is humanity's final line of defense."

It had been nearly four years since we established the Inunaki Tunnel as our home base, and Ji-won's attire had changed significantly since then. In the early days, she exclusively wore the National Road Management Corps' uniform. Over time, her outfits became more relaxed. First, she abandoned the cloak, then transitioned from a formal uniform to business attire, from business attire to casual business wear, then to sportswear. Eventually, she began dressing in what could only be described as loungewear when in private spaces.

At this moment, the clothes she wore while serving me coffee were practically indistinguishable from pajamas—loose sweatpants paired with an oversized long-sleeved shirt.

'Have I made her too comfortable?'

I wondered whether this newfound "comfort" between us stemmed from her experiencing a genuinely relaxed relationship for the first time, or whether she had misinterpreted my preference for "ease" as a directive to diminish her individuality, leaving her a hollowed-out shell.

For Ji-won, would there even be a difference between the two?

"Thank you for the coffee."

"It's an honor, Your Excellency."

"Ji-won."

"Yes, Your Excellency?"

"Why did you kidnap those people?"

The question was undoubtedly a sudden ambush from her perspective.

In moments of such surprise, people's reactions usually fell into predictable categories: denial, outrage, counter-questioning, or demands for proof.

"I deemed it necessary."

Ji-won's response fell into none of the above.

After dismembering her family and abandoning the remains in the Minari Pond of Seoul's Dobong Mountain as a middle schooler at the age of 14, Ji-won had always prepared for the possibility of her actions being discovered. Thus, when confronted with a situation she had invariably already anticipated, she never faltered.

This moment was no exception.

Ji-won had already pieced together all the relevant information:

♙ Yesterday, the Undertaker met with Noh Do-hwa.

♟ Noh Do-hwa likely shared information about the "kidnappings" with the Undertaker.

♙ Noh Do-hwa, being the methodical type, would have used irrefutable evidence rather than subjective reasoning to convince the Undertaker.

♟ The Undertaker therefore likely possesses undeniable proof.

♙ Denying the allegations would be an act of foolishness.

Just as one would move pieces on a chessboard, Ji-won treated my sudden question as just another move in the game. Her response was calculated, part of the ongoing exchange.

"Necessary?" I echoed. "For what purpose?"

"Seeing is believing, Your Excellency. Could you wait for a moment?"

Had I been an ordinary investigator, allowing a suspect who had just admitted to their crime to leave would have been unthinkable.

"Fine. I'll wait here."

"Thank you, Your Excellency."

But my relationship with Ji-won was neither that of a criminal and a cop nor a counselor and a patient. Her being a psychopath and serial killer, devoid of human emotion, was irrelevant.

We walked the thin line separating life and death together in many a situation. We had stumbled and risen together.

That was all that mattered.

"Thank you for waiting, Your Excellency."

I drained the last of my coffee as I waited, and Ji-won eventually returned, dressed in her full National Road Management Corps uniform.

It had been years since I'd seen her in it. The black-and-white attire symbolized paving paths through the Void. It was clear she had maintained it meticulously, always ready for reuse.

"Allow me to escort you."

"To where?"

"To the location where the abducted individuals are being held."

We exited the café base through the emergency door, which led directly into the dark expanse of the original Inunaki Tunnel.

Though I had transformed it into the "Underwater Tunnel," Inunaki Tunnel remained, at its core, an Anomaly that had once severed the Japanese archipelago. Beneath the veneer of my modifications lay its true, ominous form.

"It's been quite some time. I still vividly remember watching Your Excellency tame the Inunaki Tunnel and reshape it at will."

Ji-won's footsteps echoed loudly in the tunnel.

Mud splashed as we walked, but somehow her shoes and trousers remained pristine.

Even on battlefields, she had been like this. No matter the filth around her, she always maintained her immaculate appearance, earning both mockery and fear from others. While some dismissed her as if she were on a fashion runway rather than a battlefield, deep down, they were terrified of her precise Aura manipulation.

"Anomalies and Voids can be altered by human will—or at least, the Inunaki Tunnel can. That's why Your Excellency chose this as your stronghold, is it not?"

I didn't respond.

"That's what I thought. If Your Excellency can do it, then surely I can too."

We came to a fork in the tunnel. Ji-won didn't take either path. Instead, she pressed against a section of the wall, knocking on it lightly.

Suddenly, without sound or warning, a staircase appeared.

"Of course, I wouldn't dare place my abilities on the same level as yours. It's simply a matter of potential."

Ji-won descended the emergency stairs as if it were the most natural thing in the world. I followed silently.

"It wasn't difficult. Thanks to Your Excellency's prior work taming this place, all I had to do was add a little DLC."

The staircase was pitch dark, but Ji-won moved with unwavering confidence, as though she had memorized every step.

"Did you know, Your Excellency? When constructing underwater tunnels, emergency spaces are always built below to prepare for flooding."

"I did."

"As expected of Your Excellency. Yes. The moment you gave the Inunaki Tunnel its new identity as the 'Underwater Tunnel,' it opened up the potential to insert such emergency spaces." She paused briefly before adding, "The most challenging part was designing the space itself. It made me marvel once again at Your Excellency's skill in transforming this tunnel into a café."

Again, she waited to see if I would respond.

"I don't have such artistic talent, but after a year of work, I managed to create something passable."

Ji-won reached the bottom of the stairs.

In the depths of this underwater abyss, dim lights flickered to life, illuminating the scene before us.

"Allow me to introduce it to you, though it is an embarrassing effort."

The yellow-tinged light revealed an unmistakable sight—a prison. Iron bars lined the space, holding countless people.

However, even "prison" felt inadequate to describe what I saw. Inside each cell, an array of torture devices was on display, with people restrained in grotesque positions.

"This is a laboratory designed to artificially create Awakeners from ordinary civilians."

As groans of half-dead souls echoed around us, Ji-won turned toward me with her expression as cold as ever.

"I call it the 'Misfortune Workshop.'"

-x-X-x-

The Hypocrite V

Is it possible for a psychopath to love?

Allow me to rephrase that. The question as it stands is overly broad and provocative, so let us narrow it down for clarity:

Is it possible for a psychopath to hold something in as high esteem as they hold themselves, with exactly the same weight of importance?

Most would likely think it impossible. After all, if psychopaths could allow another human being to hold equal importance to themselves, they wouldn't be considered psychopaths to begin with.

We refer to such people as normal.

But if you think about it, aren't psychopaths inherently far removed from the realm of normality?

Those who obsessively crave power to the point of dismantling life's balance and society's morality.

Those who recklessly pursue their personal desires at the cost of destroying daily life.

Those who deviate from the natural course, fanatically yearning for a faith to the point of being called zealots.

People who reshape the world to fit their contours, rather than conforming to the outlines the world offers.

"I trust without a shadow of a doubt that Your Excellency is already aware."

And thus, imagine a scenario in which the "what if" became what is.

"The boundary between regular humans and Awakeners is blurrier than one might think. Why is it that someone who was just an ordinary human being suddenly becomes enlightened and gains extraordinary powers? What is the cause? What is the principle?"

If a psychopath came to know good...

If they pursued the "salvation of the world" with the same absolute dedication they reserved for themselves alone...

What would happen?

"I was curious, and I have hence sufficiently satisfied my curiosity."

The answer stood before my eyes.

"Misery. Wounds. Trauma."

Not the correct answer, nor a solution. Instead, it was closer to a wrong answer or a fallacy. Yet, however undeniably, it served as an answer to one question.

Yu Ji-won of the 703rd cycle existed.

"Ordinary people Awaken through these emotions and events. In other words, both natural and artificial misfortunes yield the same results... Your Excellency. This Misfortune Workshop I've established is the ultimate 'Awakener Factory.' It is the frontline that will ultimately overcome humanity's crisis."

Indeed.

By the 3rd regression, the South Korean Branch Chief of the Church of Unhappiness—a founding member of my party—had already grasped the information I had worked so hard to conceal as a regressor.

Even if I had gone to great lengths to hide it, it was inevitable that Ji-won would one day uncover the truth herself.

Back when the Saintess was still alive, she and I had once planned out my route for this regression. It was a conversation we always had, even in other cycles, to ensure that this particular piece of information was passed on.

"Saintess, you must act as a proxy for the Constellations and actively share information with the Awakeners. However, the opposite role is also necessary."

"Opposite, you say. May I ask what you mean?"

"The distortion and concealment of information is also essential."

We plotted in the temple—a giant aquarium with fish shadows floating across its walls.

"If we leave someone like Jung So-hee unchecked, the pseudo-religion known as the Church of Unhappiness will spread widely across the Korean Peninsula. The problem lies in the fact that part of the Church's doctrine contains truths."

The secret that powerful misfortune Awakens immense abilities.

The Saintess, upon hearing this, nodded slowly. "That is dangerous information, indeed."

"Yes. Those engrossed in the Church of Unhappiness randomly abduct people or, in extreme cases, manufacture infants in factories to offer as sacrifices at their altars."

"Calling them altars is... certainly generous. They're essentially torture chambers."

"Precisely," I said with a bitter laugh. "Ordinary people grow accustomed to misfortune. However, there are rare kinds of misfortunes one cannot grow accustomed to, the type that feels like a wound etched into one's skin, bones, or heart. If we do nothing, there will always be rulers or zealots who farm and harvest this seed of evil."

Quietly, the Saintess looked over my face. Across her expressionless gaze rippled shadows of water. "Understood. But why have you not adopted this methodology, Mr. Undertaker? The more Awakeners we have, the more allies of humanity we'll gain."

"Are they truly allies of humanity?"

"Pardon?"

"Deliberately subjecting individuals to constant, life-long suffering in order to mass-produce Awakeners. Inflicting unrelenting misfortunes that one can never adapt to, ensuring misery at every moment... Would these Awakeners truly side with humanity?"

She didn't respond.

"It's self-defeating. A suicidal move."

It might sound absurd, but this is where the fundamental difference between "natural-born" and "farm-raised" Awakeners lies.

Is their hatred directed at Anomalies? Or do they despise humanity itself?

"Even some natural-born Awakeners scorn humanity, of course," I answered, "but most harbor deeper hatred for Anomalies."

"We lost our daily lives to Anomalies, had our civilization and reason mocked, and lost our loved ones..."

"Exactly." I met the Saintess's eyes directly and said, "The deeper the wounds inflicted by Anomalies, the deeper the hatred for them. Even individuals like Dang Seo-rin or Cheon Yo-hwa, who may clash on a personal level, unite seamlessly against Anomalies."

"But if humans themselves exploit misfortune, inflicting suffering on others to create Awakeners... those Awakeners wouldn't support humanity. They'd spearhead its annihilation."

I nodded, remaining silent for the length of time it took an angelfish to swim from one end of the tank to the other. Then finally, I spoke.

"He who gazes into the void must be careful not to become the Void. If we lose our humanity, we become no different from Anomalies."

"I must say... This presents a significant problem," the Saintess murmured. "Even when civilization was intact, few upheld their humanity with pure-hearted intent. Now, in a world poisoned by the Void, we're expected to polish our humanity..."

"That's why we need your strength, Saintess. Even if you must play the role of the Constellations, even if you must instill the notion that someone is watching them, it is necessary to prevent people from straying."

"Quite the burden on my shoulders."

To an outsider, her face might have appeared devoid of expression. To me, however, her tone of voice declared in no uncertain terms that my words deeply resonated with her.

"But it's something I must do. Only I can do it. So I will."

That was our promise.

However, to confess the truth, I withheld one final secret from the Saintess.

"I fully understand Your Excellency's concerns."

And so we return to the voice of Yu Ji-won.

"Aah, aaaaaah. Ugh, ugh..."

"I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I'm sorry. For being comfortable, for not being in pain, I'm sorry. I'm sorry."

"Is anyone there?! I... I'm Kim Jae-gu, born in Gimhae and heading to Busan's Yeonsan-dong! Please, let my family know I'm alive!"

"Ahhhhh!"

The Misfortune Workshop constructed below in the Inunaki Tunnel was a meticulously designed prison of solitary confinement cells. It imprisoned not only the bodies but even the sounds of its captives.

But I could hear it.

And while perhaps not as keenly as I, Ji-won, among the top five in the Korean Peninsula for Aura mastery, could undoubtedly hear it too.

"Even if you mass-produce Awakeners this way, you can't brainwash them into believing in some grand cause for humanity. Isn't that your concern? There is a solution."

Even though I hadn't said a word, she followed my line of thought as if it were obvious.

The two of us were overly familiar with each other's logic. For Yu Ji-won, I, as a regressor, was the key to the world's rise or fall. She studied me as a physicist would study the laws of physics.

"First. Using Baekhwa High's Student Council President's NPC Creation, we can brainwash them into becoming a united force fueled by hatred for Anomalies."

"But Yo-hwa wouldn't do that."

"Indeed. More precisely, the orange-haired student council president would never act in a way that Your Excellency doesn't desire or request. No matter the means, I could never hold equal weight to Your Excellency in her heart."

A truly unfortunate matter...

Ji-won lamented in her usual tone, "Thus, the second method. Can you guess what it is, Your Excellency?"

"Role division..."

"Exactly." She gave a deep bow of her head as a nod. "As expected of Your Excellency. Precisely. There's no need for these mass-produced Awakeners to 'love all of humanity.'"

Just one person.

"Someone who saved them from this hellish torment... It's a simple principle. Think of it as a variation of the good cop, bad cop dynamic. Bad Cop A imprisons people and subjects them to misery and suffering. Conversely, Good Cop B defeats the wicked A and rescues them."

I sighed in exasperation. "You're right. As you said, if one person embodies misfortune while another embodies salvation, we wouldn't even need to use Yo-hwa's brainwashing techniques. It would naturally attract the mass-produced Awakeners to their side."

This was the information I hadn't shared with the Saintess. Perhaps she had subconsciously realized it, but neither of us ever dared to voice it.

"Yes."

However, Ji-won was different. The silver-haired psychopath not only conceived of this possibility but actively, earnestly, and willingly brought it to life.

"I volunteer to play the role of the bad cop, Your Excellency. Please, become the savior... No one is better suited for the role of the bad cop than I am."

She took a step closer to me.

"The Saintess is too gentle. She empathizes too deeply with others' pain. Dang Seo-rin, Sim Ah-ryeon, Lee Ha-yul, Seo Gyu, and Oh Dok-seo all have their own reasons for being unfit... Cheon Yo-hwa and Chief Noh Do-hwa might be suitable, but Your Excellency holds those two in great esteem. You wouldn't use them as disposable tools for the bad cop role, would you?"

Yu Ji-won placed a hand over her heart.

"I am different from them... I am as competent as they are, if not more so. The fact that I constructed the Misfortune Workshop without detection already proves my capabilities."

Even Do-hwa, who was by no means incompetent, only witnessed Ji-won's "abduction" but failed to detect this massive prison's construction.

"Furthermore, even if Your Excellency used me as a disposable piece, I would harbor no resentment—no negative emotions or any trivial sentiments whatsoever."

I didn't answer.

"Cheon Yo-hwa? She would gladly align with Your Excellency's intentions but would simultaneously seek reassurance that she holds a unique place in Your Excellency's heart."

Ji-won drew even closer.

"Chief Noh Do-hwa? Likewise, though she would cooperate with Your Excellency's plans, she would also attempt to assert her significance in Your Excellency's mind."

Even closer.

"But as I said, I am different."

Under the dim lighting, her silver hair glimmered with a dark sheen.

"I am a psychopath. I do not crave Your Excellency's love. I have no need for affection or attention, nor do I seek hatred or indifference... Simply keeping me alive and utilizing me fulfills the capacity I aimed to occupy in Your Excellency's heart. Your Excellency, even psychopaths have their uses."

Ji-won took one final step, then stopped.

She was now directly in front of me.

Somewhere, deeper than 1,200 meters below the surface, the faint, earthy scent of freshly washed strawberries wafted.

"Even if Your Excellency discards me as a mere tool, I have no regrets. You understand this, don't you?"

Finally, I spoke.

"Yes."

"Then our meeting can be called fate. Your Excellency has led me, a psychopath, toward good. I can perform roles that others cannot for Your Excellency's greater good."

Ji-won gazed at me with unwavering eyes, her head tilted up to meet mine.

"Use me, Your Excellency... Save them. Embrace and guide the Awakeners who have come to hate me. Lead them to side with humanity... And then discard me."

Ji-won.

Personal color: silver.

My first confidant and secretary.

She spoke.

"I was undoubtedly born to take on this role."

-x-X-x-

The Hypocrite VI

When people hear the name "Schopenhauer," they often think of the philosopher—the ancestor of Old Man Scho—who once left behind an analogy:

Each person is akin to a distinct species.

It is a wonderfully simple truth that dogs and cats are different species. On a similar level, the Saintess and Yu Ji-won are practically different species altogether.

Let's use an example.

[Good morning, Mr. Undertaker. How are you today?]

A simple greeting. However, even if the exact same phrase is spoken, it holds slightly different meanings between the Saintess and me.

― Mr. Undertaker does not sleep.

― And neither do I. I pause time, sleep, and awaken within a second.

― In our days, "morning" holds little significance.

― For others, morning marks a beginning, but for us, it's merely a segment in an unending continuum.

― Still, I greet you with a "Good morning" when sunlight touches the sky.

― Because, for that brief moment, I want to share the start of a day with you as a fellow human being living in this world.

Layers upon layers of meaning. Wishes and hopes hidden beneath the words. Context and subtext interwoven into strata of understanding.

And thus:

[Good morning, Mr. Undertaker. How are you today?]

Standing atop these many layers, we find common ground at last, like old friends exchanging a single phrase loaded with unspoken sentiments.

The Saintess and I, having shared the longest time together on Earth, hardly needed words between us. In that sense, she and I were likely a unique species of our own. After all, who else could use the simple phrases "Good morning" and "How are you?" to convey so much?

"Good morning, Your Excellency."

Even Yu Ji-won belonged to her own species. For the silver-haired leader of the National Road Management Corps' operations team, the phrase "Good morning" carried an entirely different weight.

― Nothing unusual happened overnight.

― As of this morning, there are no observable signs of threats to our forces.

― Internally, the National Road Management Corps remains stable. As you may already know, I will immediately report any significant developments.

― I am also in peak condition. I am prepared to commence any operation at your command.

― My readiness is demonstrated by my perfectly adjusted attire, my clear and unwavering voice, and my immaculate salute that anyone would admire.

Thus:

"Good morning, Your Excellency."

When dealing with the species known as Yu Ji-won, I had to abandon conventional language in favor of the unique dialect of Yu Ji-wonese.

"Use me, Your Excellency."

"I was undoubtedly born to take on this role."

"And then discard me."

These were her words.

For years, she had evaded both me and Noh Do-hwa, kidnapping civilians, incarcerating them in the Misfortune Workshop, subjecting them to relentless torture, and artificially producing Awakeners—all with an expression devoid of emotion.

My response to such a Ji-won was simple.

"Ji-won."

"Yes, Your Excellency?"

"Let's start with a beating."

As ancient humanity demonstrated, fists have always been the ultimate universal language.

I planted my back foot and grabbed Ji-won's arm, pulling her forward.

"Hm."

She showed no surprise, nor did she resist. As if she had always anticipated a sudden ambush, she calmly extended her forearm to me.

I lifted her effortlessly and slammed her into the ground.

Boom!

The underwater tunnel shook. The cries and groans of the prisoners still restrained in the torture devices trembled along with it.

A crater formed in the ground where, as the dust cleared, Ji-won lay at the bottom, sprawled but unflinching as she stared up at me.

"My apologies, Your Excellency."

"For what?"

"I couldn't decide whether to use my Aura to defend myself or to deactivate it and endure Your Excellency's violence. Which would you have preferred?"

"Turn off your Aura."

"Understood."

Szzzzzt.

A faint blue-tinged gray Aura dissipated around her. Interestingly, Ji-won's Aura color bore a slight resemblance to my own inky-black hue.

"However, without using Aura to block a strike of this magnitude, my survival cannot be guaranteed. Perhaps we should summon Sim Ah-ryeon?"

"No need to worry about that." I took off my coat and set my ever-present cane-sword, Do-hwa, neatly atop it. Then, I loosened my wrists. "I won't be using Aura either."

Ji-won tilted her head, taking a moment to formulate her response. "Your Excellency, are you angry?"

"Wouldn't you be?"

"Hm."

A soft hum.

"That's... troubling."

"I trust you haven't neglected your training by relying solely on Aura," I said. "Come at me with everything you've got, Operations Team Leader Ji-won. If you don't want to feel hellish pain."

Before she could reply, I lunged at her again. Though my speed was noticeably slower without Aura, the same held true for her. With conditions now equal, Ji-won's movements were just as sluggish.

I feinted an uppercut toward her abdomen—

Bam!

—before slamming my fist into her left shoulder instead.

"Urgh."

A short groan.

The fact that it was brief was almost miraculous. I had clearly felt her bone fracture slightly beneath my knuckles.

Ji-won staggered back a step and threw a punch of her own. I dodged it with a simple tilt of my head.

"How did—? Your punching strength, it's—"

"If you don't come at me with full force, this will end quickly, Team Leader."

My warning barely finished when she retrieved something from her pocket—a hatchet. Ji-won gripped the hatchet in one hand and hurled it, while her other hand swung another hatchet directly at me.

Clang!

I caught the flying hatchet's handle mid-air, countering her strike. Ji-won's typically stoic eyes widened for once.

"Incredible."

"You're using real weapons in a spar? Still no trace of sportsmanship, I see."

"How did you...? Without Aura to enhance your reflexes, how could you possibly catch a flying hatchet...?"

"Your legs are open."

I pressed the hatchet down, disrupting her posture, and swung my leg like a whip to strike her shin.

Crack!

This time, the bone broke definitively. Ji-won bit her lip, releasing a muffled groan of pain.

"You need to work on your lower body strength, Team Leader."

"Ugh, huff, urgh...!"

Even in such a state, she reached for another hidden weapon and pulled out a device resembling an electronic cigarette. She exhaled sharply into it, causing a sharp spike to come shooting out, piercing my forearm.

"Tch."

Caught off guard by the unconventional weapon, I failed to evade in time. Had I not moved, it would've embedded itself in my throat.

"That's not from the Tang Sect.[1] What is this?"

"I can't exactly carry firearms openly. This is my secret weapon."

"Secret, huh? Did you get Do-hwa to make it? She has a curious knack for crafting things like this." I pulled the spike out, blood trickling down my arm as I toyed with it, twisting it between my fingers. "Let's hope she didn't coat it with some obscure poison I'm unfamiliar with."

No response.

"Just so you know, I achieved near-complete poison immunity roughly 800 years ago."

"Monster."

Ji-won spat and wiped the corner of her mouth. Her fractured arm and leg must have been agonizing, yet her voice carried an odd excitement—a joy almost akin to glee.

"You truly are a human toi— weapon, Your Excellency."

"Your pronunciation just slurred enough for that to sound like 'human toilet.' Am I mistaken?"

"Baseless slander, Your Excellency. Your hearing must be going in your old age."

At that moment, Ji-won pressed her palm onto a specific section of the tiled floor. The ceiling above me collapsed, sending debris crashing down. I jerked in surprise at the sight.

"Apologies, but this is my domain."

I dodged the falling rubble by a hair's breadth, but Ji-won used the distraction to gain distance.

Click. Click. Click.

She began pulling various levers and triggers embedded into the walls and floors, retreating as she went.

Her broken leg caused her movements to look almost spider-like—distorted, yet eerily effective.

"If we are to continue forgoing the use of Aura, Your Excellency, the odds naturally shift in my favor."

"Running away when challenged to a fight?!"

"This is my full strength, after all."

The underwater tunnel began shifting with a rumble. A series of traps sprang to life: volleys of arrows shot from the walls, sections of the floor crumbled away, and partitions descended, releasing clouds of strange, opaque gas.

'Knowing her, she probably released the prisoners only to lure them into these traps, giving them false hope before crushing them.'

Classic Ji-won, with her twisted hobbies.

Just as I evaded one set of traps, a burst of flames came fwooshing out, erupting from the wall. I rolled to avoid it, but not before my forearm got singed. The seared skin smoldered painfully.

"Argh! You think these petty tricks will stop me, Ji-won?!"

"I have no such confidence. But you ordered me to put up a fight, didn't you? Unless you rescind that command, I'll continue obeying."

"Like hell I'd take that back!"

"As expected."

As the gas cleared, Ji-won reappeared, now supported by a crutch. The absurdity left me speechless. Where had she even gotten a crutch in this place?

'She probably broke the prisoners' limbs and handed out crutches afterward, didn't she? Typical Ji-won.'

"My apologies for resorting to such measures."

Her meticulous preparation didn't stop there.

By now, she had donned a gas mask—a must-have accessory for any apocalypse enthusiast. Her breathing echoed ominously, like a budget Darth Vader.

"Since you refuse to succumb to my traps, I have no choice. To meet Your Excellency's expectations, I will now deploy my final measure."

"Final measure?"

"As you deduced, my hidden weapons were indeed laced with poison. While a normal person would succumb to paralysis in 40 seconds, Your Excellency appears unaffected. Thus, I'll escalate."

Ji-won tapped her crutch against the floor, activating another mechanism with a double tap then a press of its length. Vents in the ceiling began to hiss, releasing a peculiar mixture of brown and pink gas.

"What's this now?"

"A cocktail of stimulants, narcotics, and aphrodisiacs. Though calling it that is a disservice," she remarked, her filtered voice carried a chilling calm. "This substance, developed with assistance from Uehara Shino, unveils the deepest desires and rawest instincts of the human psyche."

For a moment, I was speechless.

"Extensive trials on the prisoners proved it effective. The average subject loses rationality in 15 seconds and transforms into a mindless freak within a minute. Naturally, Your Excellency won't succumb so easily."

Her voice echoed from all directions, amplified by a hidden microphone system.

"I'll see you in 20 minutes, Your Excellency. In the meantime, I'll freshen up and return in cleaner attire."

That damn woman.

Footnotes:

[1] Tang Sect in from martial art stories is famous for using unconventional hidden methods to win battles by any means possible, including poisons.

-x-X-x-

The Hypocrite VII

Ji-won lied as naturally as a bodybuilder gulping down high-quality carbohydrates whole-grain pasta made from 100% durum wheat—akin to eating brown rice—during a bulking phase. Despite promising to return in "20 minutes," after leaving behind a pink gas thick enough to suffocate an elephant, she reappeared only after 40 minutes.

"Reporting my return."

The click-clackof polished shoe soles echoed briskly as Ji-won entered the tunnel.

"Can you hear me, Your Excellency? Hmm... I see your entire body is trembling," Ji-won muttered to herself. "If you had circulated your Aura even once, you wouldn't have suffered any adverse effects. As expected of Your Excellency, the Undertaker. You possess a will that far surpasses the patience of any ordinary human."

One step.

"I acknowledge that I returned later than the previously promised time. I ask for your understanding. This, too, was part of your command to resist with all my strength... Twenty minutes. It is the time frame given to those tasked to endure this hell before it can end. The despair that strikes when such hope is severed without warning... That is when a person's mental fortitude truly begins to crumble."

Ji-won took another step, drawing nearer by the sound of it. Judging by the muffled quality of her voice, she was still wearing her gas mask. It made sense—the gas lingering in the area was potent enough to warrant caution. While its release had stopped five minutes prior, it had yet to be properly ventilated out.

"But don't worry." My vision dimmed slightly as Ji-won's shadow fell over my closed eyelids. "I have no intention of subduing Your Excellency by force in your current state. What I'm planning now is psychological pressure. It's not too late to release your anger and—"

My eyes flashed open and my arm shot out like lightning, gripping Ji-won's wrist. I tugged, flipping her over, and she lost her balance and collapsed beneath me with a thud.

There was no escape now. It was time for some wrestling.

Ji-won stared up at my face, her pupils dilated with surprise as I pinned her down so she was unable to move.

"Incomprehensible. I used a drug newly concocted by Uehara Shino using her Awakener abilities. I confirmed that even a bear would become incapacitated within two minutes of administration—and yet... Oh, I see. You've been using your Aura all along, haven't you?"

"Do you think I'd use it?"

My fingers trembled as I twisted her wrist.

Even now, it felt like my brain was being scorched, my nerves snapping like brittle twigs. My pulse hammered at 175 bpm. Each breath brought no relief—my lungs were filled with residual pink gas that clung to every breath, leaving an unshakable sensation of suffocation as the pink slime filling my body radiated an unbearable heat.

Indeed, Uehara Shino was an alchemist so brilliant in the early cycles that she made Sim Ah-ryeon seem insignificant by comparison.

Even so, I endured.

I gritted my teeth and exhaled harshly. "The only issue here is that you made the wrong request of Shino. A drug that reveals the depths of human desire and nature?"

I let out a ragged breath, yet even that wasn't enough to calm the turmoil in my chest. It felt like I needed to rip open my ribcage to expose my heart and lungs.

"It's flawed—seriously flawed. If you had instead requested a drug that abnormally amplifies desires or suppresses rationality, you might've achieved better results... This is my true nature—my essence—Ji-won. Since at least the 42nd cycle, I have never lived against my true nature."

Ji-won, who had been silently gazing up at me, finally spoke. "Indeed. It seems I made an uncharacteristic mistake."

"That's right. You should surrender—"

"Then I shall resist to the bitter end." She whipped her body around, thrashing desperately to escape my hold.

"Hey! Now of all times?!"

"I am merely following orders."

What followed was less a fight and more an outright brawl.

The operations team—the National Road Management Corps—was a force of elite Awakeners, tasked with suppressing conflicts across the Korean Peninsula. They were essentially the strongest among the strong. In every cycle, Ji-won retained her position as its team leader. Not only was she skilled in weapons like axes and swords, but she was also a formidable wrestler.

Crash! Bam!

Ji-won and I rolled across the floor of the underwater tunnel, grappling in a chaotic melee.

"Give up! Or else I'll actually break your arm!"

"One's already broken... If you don't release me... I'll drive a knife into your side..."

"You lunatic! How can you not scream when your broken arm is being twisted?!"

"I am... screaming..."

In the end, the deciding factor was raw strength and experience.

Despite Ji-won's immense talent, her overreliance on Aura had left her lacking in physical training. I, on the other hand, had been relentlessly drilled in the hellish training regimen of Old Man Scho before I'd ever mastered Aura. Even after becoming an Aura master, I never neglected physical exercise or martial arts training.

There was no way I'd lose to some silver-haired prodigy psychopath wielding poisons brewed by the Tang Sect.

"That's it! Hahaha! You're completely immobilized now!"

"Urgh..."

"I've dislocated every joint in your limbs, shattered your wrists and ankles! Try resisting now if you can!"

With a sickening crunch, Ji-won tried to lift her head and bite my hand. Her spine bent with flexibility that even the ancestors of Joseon would have envied.

Startled, I pulled my hand back. "What are you, a dog?!"

"Hah..." Ji-won sighed in disappointment. Despite her shoulders, elbows, hips, knees, and Achilles tendons being utterly destroyed, she still attempted to resist. Yet her strength had finally been exhausted. "I... surrender."

"Aaaaagh!"

"Hah. It seems my failure to account for Your Excellency's mental fortitude was my gravest mistake..."

I slumped down next to the fallen Ji-won, sprawling out on the floor.

After enduring psychological pressure, brawling without Aura, and inhaling toxic gas for forty minutes straight, the subsequent fight had drained me completely. I was utterly spent.

The plain gray concrete ceiling of the tunnel loomed above us.

For a while, only the sound of our labored breathing echoed in the space. We were both drenched in sweat, covered in dust, and smeared with blood. My eyes stung, likely from lingering traces of gas.

Several minutes passed. Our breathing began to stabilize, and the erratic rise and fall of our chests slowed.

As my mind cleared, the pain became more pronounced. While I suffered lingering effects from the gas, Ji-won must have been in excruciating agony throughout her entire body.

"A pity."

There was barely any trace of pain in Ji-won's voice. She spoke as if we were having an ordinary conversation.

"I had hoped to persuade you, Your Excellency."

"What part of the Misfortune Workshop could you possibly think would persuade me? That confidence of yours is the true mystery."

"The potential to create a teleporter."

All that answered that particular revelation was a faint stumble of breath.

"I know why you're constantly wandering, never staying confined to the Korean Peninsula," she continued. "To expand humanity's survival zones. To establish stronghold cities capable of suppressing the Void's influence and preventing future monster waves. These are valid reasons, but the primary one... is to find a teleporter."

I turned my head. Our eyes met.

There, lying right by my side, was Ji-won gazing silently at me. "Am I wrong, Your Excellency?"

"That... is part of it."

"At present, the odds of finding a teleporter are exceedingly low. However, there's a chance that among those artificially Awakened by the Misfortune Workshop, a teleporter might emerge... Of course, even if a teleporter is found, saving Schopenhauer's wife, Adele, remains a distant dream."

Indeed.

Whether or not a teleporter existed, it would have been impossible to evacuate Seoul's citizens within one minute after the regression began. Adele's death was inevitable. And that was why Old Man Scho brewed me coffee with the ever-present resignation, to continue living, only to commit suicide again and again.

If I can live long enough to brew coffee for you after regressing, then that is the most I can do.

If even my death cannot be prevented, how could you possibly save my wife?

Doc, you're far too slow.

He expressed all this through the steam rising from a cup of café au lait.

"Even so, I wanted to create a variable for you, Your Excellency."

Though she had never met Emit Schopenhauer, she had deduced the truth behind my actions. Just as I had gradually understood the psychopathic tendencies and principles driving Yu Ji-won, she had dissected the structure of my existence as a regressor.

"The suffering inflicted on ordinary people in this cycle will disappear in the next. It will all be reset," she argued. "If we can identify someone with the potential for teleportation, there will be no need to resort to such pain in subsequent cycles. More delicate methods can be employed. Don't you agree, Your Excellency?"

I shook my head slightly. "No."

"Why not?"

"The world doesn't reset entirely, Ji-won. My memories and existence as a regressor always persist."

"Are you saying your conscience suffers as a result?"

"It's far worse than that. I would turn into an Anomaly."

She went quiet.

"If I began justifying torment, torture, and betrayal by claiming they wouldn't carry over to the next cycle... If I deliberately chose such actions... then I wouldn't be the Undertaker anymore. I would be nothing but a mere Corrupted."

A Corrupted.

A regressor.

"I refuse to let all the meaning in my life culminate in such a fate."

"I see." Ji-won rested part of the weight of her head against my outstretched hand. "You've been fighting not only the world but also a constant battle against yourself."

"That's one way to put it."

"I'm the same. I, too, constantly suppress my rising urges to kill."

"No, this cycle seems like the one where you've given in completely..."

"Since we're on the topic, let me ask: in all the cycles, have I ever killed the National Road Management Corps's leader, Noh Do-hwa?"

I blinked. "Uh..."

"Not due to possession by an Anomaly or wartime necessity, but a deliberate act of murder. Have I ever committed such an evil deed?"

"No, you haven't."

"Hmm." She nodded slightly. "Indeed, it's just as I thought. I must commend my restraint."

"You wanted... to kill Noh Do-hwa?"

"Of course. What self-respecting murderer wouldn't want to target such a prime figure?"

I was utterly taken aback.

Just as I struggled to process that shocking confession, Ji-won dealt another blow.

"Dang Seo-rin, Cheon Yo-hwa, and even Lee Ha-yul all qualify as tantalizing prey. Oh Dok-seo and Sim Ah-ryeon? Not bad—like indulging in junk food. It's unfortunate that the Saintess is dead. I would have loved to savor that experience."

"You lunatic."

"But the crown jewel, of course, is none other than Your Excellency."

Ji-won smiled faintly.

"Please live long, Your Excellency."

That smile shocked me more than all her prior revelations. I could only stare blankly.

"You are the sole reason I haven't operated as a murderer, Your Excellency."

-x-X-x-

The Hypocrite VIII

There is an epilogue.

"Ah, oh my! How did you end up with such injuries?! My goodness, not a single part of your body is unscathed!"

We quietly went to receive treatment from Ah-ryeon.

For the record, every joint in Ji-won's body was broken and she couldn't move on her own. I had to carry her all the way back to the hideout.

"Honestly! With injuries this severe, not even my abilities can heal them all at once. Here, does this hurt?"

"Guh."

"Ah! Oh no, it does hurt, doesn't it? I'm so sorry... Then what about here?"

"Grgh!"

"Oh dear, this hurts too... Poor thing. Oh no, our poor Operations Team Leader. What ever shall we do with you?"

Ah-ryeon was tough on the weak but subservient to the strong. She didn't miss the chance to tease Ji-won, who had temporarily become one of the "weak." Under the guise of treatment, she poked at wounds and pressed them firmly with her bare hands. It was so blatant that even I, lying on the adjacent bed, was left speechless.

Ji-won endured it for about five minutes before finally speaking out.

"Ah-ryeon..."

"Hm?"

"To confess the truth, I am a psychopath."

"Huh?"

"I committed my first murder in middle school. It was my family—two people. After killing one, I framed the other and made it look like they had fled during the night, then I killed them in turn."

No response.

"Looking at you now, Ah-ryeon, I'm reminded of my family. I must feel some instinctive kinship with you... If you'll allow it, I'd like to treat you as my little sister from now on. Would you be willing to call me your elder sister?"

"Ah, n-no... I'm fine..."

"I see. That's unfortunate."

Ah-ryeon clamped her mouth shut and focused on the treatment.

When dawn next broke, an SG Net user called OldManGoryeo posted a thread titled "That Silver-Haired Jinx from the National Road Management Corps." It probably had nothing to do with the earlier incident.

Ji-won and I met again once our bodies had fully healed.

"Your Excellency, I apologize for the trouble I've caused you thus far. I will take full responsibility for cleaning up the Misfortune Workshop, so please rest assured."

"Just to check, how exactly do you plan to handle the cleanup?"

"Certainly. I intend to—"

She detailed various methods, ranging from memory erasure, brainwashing, evidence destruction, media manipulation, witness intimidation, confinement, and silencing, all through Cheon Yo-hwa. Naturally, she showed no sign of remorse.

"I see," I said when she had gone through her list. "That's very you."

"Thank you. I will begin the follow-up immediately."

"That wasn't a compliment. Stay out of it."

"Pardon?"

"Do-hwa and I will handle it. You just stay put."

Ji-won tilted her head in confusion. "I don't wish to trouble you further. May I ask how you intend to proceed?"

Like so.

Notice

From: Noh Do-hwa

It has been confirmed that Yu Ji-won, the operations team leader of the National Road Management Corps, has abducted 173 civilians across the Korean Peninsula, including Busan, over the past two years and seven months. Of the 173 civilians, 13 have died. The remaining 160 are reporting severe psychological trauma.

The National Road Management Corps immediately arrested Ji-won upon obtaining this information and confined her in the headquarters' underground prison.

I, Noh Do-hwa, take full responsibility for this incident as the leader of the National Road Management Corps. As such, I am resigning from my position as Corps Leader and passing the role to Dang Seo-rin of the Samcheon Guild.

Additionally, the Undertaker, who recommended Yu Ji-won as team leader, will also be removed from his post and reassigned to the penal unit.

For the remaining 160 victims, secure housing with thorough protection will be provided in Busan, and dedicated Tutorial Fairies will be assigned to help them recover from their trauma.

This concludes my statement.

SG Net exploded.

- Anonymous: ? Noh Do-hwa—the actual corps leader?

- Anonymous: But the corps leader doesn't use SG Net.

└ ForbiddenBooksDepartment17: This is legit. Posters with the same announcement were plastered all over the National Road Management Corps headquarters this morning.

└ Anonymous: ???

└ [Baekhwa] NewspaperDepartment2: So does this mean the Great Witch is now officially the corps leader?

- [Samcheon] MeteorIsIceMagic: lol I'm at the guild headquarters, and they're handing out corps uniforms here

- [Samcheon] MeteorIsIceMagic: everyone including the witches are totally confused lol

└ Anonymous: This guy went from guild member to corps slave. Why is he laughing?

└ Anonymous: Because now he doesn't need to cosplay as a witch anymore... oops

└ Anonymous: Ah.

- OldManGoryeo: These people are always boasting about protecting humanity, but their operations team leader was kidnapping civilians. Morons.

- 趙泳洙: "The people's will is the heavens' will. The corps must thoroughly investigate this matter and ensure justice is served."

- Anonymous: But if Noh Do-hwa steps down, doesn't that screw us over? With the Constellations already failing, can the corps even hold up?

The public was in uproar.

"Why?"

Even Ji-won seemed startled.

"Your Excellency, why make such a reckless move?"

"Reckless?"

"Yes. I specifically targeted civilians with no close ties. No one would miss them. A little effort, and we could have easily erased this incident from existence."

I silently looked at Ji-won. She paused.

"Ah. So it's the same logic as before—when you said you refused to become Corrupted. Even if the events are erased, they'll remain in your memory as the Undertaker."

"Exactly."

"But it's still a foolish choice. With the Saintess gone and now Noh Do-hwa stepping down, the system will collapse."

It didn't.

The National Road Management Corps experienced some turmoil, but Do-hwa had often joked about quitting her "crappy job" any day. Many within the corps had mentally prepared for such a scenario. Plus, I had already made contingency plans, ensuring Seo-rin would immediately inherit power if Do-hwa died or resigned. The overlapping locations of the Samcheon Guild's stronghold and the National Road Management Corps headquarters in Busan were deliberate—precisely for moments like these.

"Thanks, Undertaker. Without the manual you gave me, I would've died of overwork," said Seo-rin as she pointed to a black, untitled notebook. It contained 600 meticulously detailed pieces of advice for her.

"I'm glad it helped even a little."

"I never expected you to anticipate this outcome. Reading the notes, it feels like I wrote them myself. It's almost unsettling how well you know me."

I chuckled dryly.

The notebook compiled insights accumulated over countless cycles, with its core guidance inspired by the 173rd cycle, when Seo-rin had created a dystopian utopia in Busan after falling into Corruption.

"By the way, I've been considering replacing the corps uniforms with witch robes. What do you think, Undertaker?"

Fortunately, we managed to preserve some dignity for the corps members.

Ji-won and I were assigned to the penal unit. Ha-yul and Dok-seo also joined, under the pretext of disguising their crimes. The existing prisoners scowled at the new arrivals.

"Huh? Who's this brat?"

"..."

"Oh? Glaring at me, huh? You think I'll go easy on you because you're a kid? Huh? Oh? Owwww!"

The existing prisoners quickly fell in line after encountering Ha-yul.

In hindsight, Ha-yul and Ji-won had similar backgrounds—both had first spilled the blood of family members. When left unchecked, Ha-yul would go on to massacre her father and even members of the Second Provisional Government.

When it came to their designation as serial killers, Ha-yul's potential rivaled Ji-won's.

"Ah, this is heaven..."

Do-hwa retired and opened a personal rehabilitation center and forge. Occasionally, she visited the underground prison to mock me. Her well-rested appearance practically glowed.

"If I'd known it'd be this easy, I'd have quit ages ago and dumped the job on the Samcheon guild leader."

"This arrangement won't last long. The system will likely collapse within seven years."

"Not my problem."

I didn't grace that with a response.

"By the way, tell Ji-won thanks. And if possible, I hope she pulls a similar stunt next cycle. Who'd have guessed my retirement would be all thanks to her?"

Although the Saintess's death and Do-hwa's resignation didn't destabilize the system entirely, they accelerated its decline. Where it might have lasted a few more years, its collapse now loomed closer.

My world travel plans also fell through, as I spent every day responding to crises as the ace of the penal unit, though that also meant we managed to mitigate the damage.

I wanted Ji-won to see it—a battlefield littered with defeated Anomalies and shattered caravans, where our swift intervention minimized casualties.

After the battle, Ji-won stood silently, gazing at the world.

I patted her shoulder. "What do you think? It's bearable, isn't it?"

Ji-won looked back at the unit.

The setting sun bathed the carnage in an orange glow. Yesterday's battle had been grueling, leaving Dok-seo whining and Ha-yul methodically retrieving puppet strings. It was a twisted but undeniable routine.

"Yes," Ji-won acknowledged with a nod. "It's exhausting and overwhelming, but the world won't end tomorrow."

"You're not alone, Ji-won." When she didn't reply, I continued. "No one is. For every step you take, others are supporting you. And no matter what you've done, I at least am ready to share the responsibility with you."

"Responsibility."

"Yes, responsibility."

Again, she went quiet.

"Can you keep your promises? Can you bear the consequences? For me, that's the measure of humanity. And Ji-won, you're as human as anyone else."

Ji-won stayed silent. The silver-haired girl, who had learned to kill before she could connect with others, flexed and curled her fingers repeatedly.

Without thinking, I reached out and held her hovering hand.

"Promise me one thing."

"What kind of promise?"

"I won't ask you to stop killing." I smiled, then said, "But if you do, tell me first. Convince me. If you can, I'll help you kill them."

"There's no way I could convince you." A faint breeze of laughter touched her lips. "But fine. I promise."

"Even binding the next cycle's version of you?"

"Hm. I suppose that depends on her opinion, but she'll likely agree."

Then, Ji-won gently squeezed my hand.

"I was born without a heart... For every beat my heart doesn't make, let yours beat in its place. For every good deed I fail to do, let yours make up for it."

She lowered her head.

"I will simply follow in your footsteps."

Softly, she placed a light kiss on my middle finger. The setting sun slid gently between us.

"Let this hypocrite strive for goodness, Your Excellency."

I thought that was the sound of human Ji-won's heart.