The Tales of an Infinite Regressor

[Translator - Jjescus]

[Proofreader - Gun]

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Chapter 212

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The Opposite IX

15

If someone asked, "Who is the easiest Korean to find in the world?" I would choose Yoo Jiwon without hesitation.

If the civilization on the Korean Peninsula were still functioning normally and the presidential system was still in place? Then Yoo Jiwon would live near the Blue House.

If the Eastern Holy Kingdom had gone completely crazy, marched south, and established the New Sacred Korean Empire? Then Yoo Jiwon would be standing next to Christ Mo Gwangseo, giving a congratulatory speech.

If former Busan Mayor Jung Sangguk somehow miraculously apologized sincerely to Lee Hayul, gathered the Zainichi Koreans, formed a multinational coalition, and successfully returned to Busan? Fine. Then Yoo Jiwon would be standing at the bow of the first ship to arrive in Busan's waters, her silver hair fluttering in the wind.

In the end, Yoo Jiwon can be considered a living Yeouido weather vane.

Where Yoo Jiwon lives is modern-day Yeouido, Bukaksan, and Yongsan.

If Yoo Jiwon packs up and moves somewhere, it can be taken as a sign that something major has shifted in the power structure of the Korean Peninsula. You know how animals sense earthquakes before they happen and run away? She's an animal of power.

"This is the magic mirror."

Therefore, I naturally found Yoo Jiwon's residence with ease.

It was precisely 11 meters away from National Highway Chief Noh Doha's private room.

"Oh. Have you been here before? You've been alone for 2,000 years, so I assume you've visited here and there."

"No. I've seen it with [Clairvoyance], but this is my first time actually coming here."

The Saintess shook her head.

It was a rather bleak interior.

Maps of the Korean Peninsula and the Japanese archipelago of various sizes were plastered on the walls, handmade chess pieces, and an empty armchair by the window.

Apart from the [Romance of the Three Kingdoms] books lined up on the bookshelf, the room had almost no decorations.

For the record, if you looked through those [Romance of the Three Kingdoms] books, you'd find yellow underlines under the names of the characters I like.

At this point, it was scary. I sincerely hope that none of you ever get involved with a super-intelligent psychopath like Yoo Jiwon in your lives.

"Actually, I still don't feel like I'm seeing this in person."

"Pardon? What do you mean?"

"About 1,000 years ago, my perspective became fixed in a 'third-person omniscient' view."

Ah.

Come to think of it...

"Do you mean you see things from above, like controlling units in Starcraft?"

"Hold on."

The Saintess let go of my hand and then took it again. In other words, during the brief moment I was petrified by [Time Stop], she went somewhere far away and came back.

"Yes, something like that."

"...Did you just pause time because you didn't know what Starcraft was, and secretly looked it up?"

"Doctor Jang."

The Saintess said calmly.

"Expecting me to understand a reference to a game released in 1998 is a bit much."

"......"

You said we're around the same age!

You said you're now about the same age as me!

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A deep sense of betrayal overcame me.

How did Starcraft become known as Korea's traditional game? Why don't you mock Yut Nori by calling it an old game too?

A nation that forgets its history and traditions has no future. There's a reason why the civilization on the Korean Peninsula perished.

"And I'm not as good at remembering things as you, Doctor Jang, so I forgot the name of that game over a thousand years ago."

"Oh. I'm sorry. Sometimes I forget to consider others' perspectives because of my memory."

"It's okay. Anyway, that's why it's still a bit difficult to make eye contact with you, Doctor Jang."

"......"

"I don't think I'll ever get used to it."

Back in the 107th turn.

When the Saintess had fallen as Executioner, she had said the same thing.

‘…So you didn't make eye contact and instead tried to keep physical contact by holding hands.’

Unable to determine her own position visually, seeing everyone, including herself, from an omniscient perspective.

Thus, the Saintess clung even more to her sense of touch.

Only the sensation on her skin was tangible proof that she was still alive in this world.

‘Hmm. I'm glad I decided to hold her.’

Still holding the Saintess in a princess carry, I used my aura to tear off the blanket that covered the magic mirror.

A smooth full-length mirror was revealed.

If this were a normal turn, the mirror would have immediately greeted me with, "Why don't you die right now?" upon seeing my face.

"You're thinking this mirror is a passage to the ‘world beyond,’ right?"

"Yes. But it seems to be frozen in time and doesn't recognize us."

Surprisingly, neither the Saintess nor I were reflected in the mirror's surface.

It was like suddenly becoming a vampire.

I pressed my palm against the mirror as a test, but nothing happened. My hand didn't pass through, and nothing unusual occurred.

"Could you briefly release the time stop? Two seconds should be enough. Please press your hand against the mirror with me."

"Okay."

The moment the Saintess closed her eyes.

-Die right now.

As soon as time resumed, the mirror's automatic response popped up. Our reflections were properly displayed on the surface.

However, even after pressing our palms against the mirror together, our bodies didn't pass through to the other side of the glass.

‘Did it fail?’

After two seconds, time stopped again.

It seemed like nothing had been achieved, but I wasn't disappointed. When dealing with the anomalies, it's essential to explore all possibilities.

"Saintess, could you bring the fairy from Tutorial 264 and Yoo Jiwon here?"

"Sure."

In the next moment, the Saintess briefly let go of my hand, and suddenly, the fairy from Tutorial 264 and Yoo Jiwon were lying at my feet.

"I'm back."

"Good work..."

And it was at that moment that I noticed something obvious.

‘Wait. The Saintess is still in my arms. So... Did she get down from my arms, wander around outside, bring back the fairy and Yoo Jiwon, and then climb back up to my arm before taking my hand?’

"...?"

The Saintess tilted her head, looking puzzled (though she always did), as if she had no idea what I was thinking.

In my mind, an animated short from the 1920s, in classic Disney style, began playing.

The Saintess, expressionless, letting go of my hand, hopping down from my arm, returning with the fairy and Yoo Jiwon, climbing back up my arm like a ladder, and then taking my hand again.

"Why do you look like that, Doctor Jang?"

"...It's nothing. Anyway, please grab the fairy's hand and release the [Time Stop]."

"Okay."

0.1 seconds later.

"Whaaaaaa!"

The fairy, who had just been freed from the petrification of time, started screaming and convulsing.

“W-What is happening?! I can’t breathe…! No, it’s like my very existence is being painted over with a chalky white feeling…! Ugh! A truly blasphemous taste! Blasphemous pressure! The fairy is dying! Agh! I’m dying! I’m dead…!”

“Here, let me protect you with my aura.”

“Oh. Suddenly, I feel better. The fairy has survived.”

The fairy, who had looked like her eyes were about to pop out, nodded her head shakily.

“Yikes. Comrade Secretary, what is this counter-revolutionary being? Just being in the same space makes me feel like I’m going to get squashed into a fairy pancake...”

[Translator - Jjescus]

[Proofreader - Gun]

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“Despite appearances, they are an ally. Show them proper respect.”

“Whoa, are you serious, comrade? I feel like a loyal party member who just found out that the Steel Secretary signed a non-aggression pact with some art student.”

“Then you must know what the Secretary’s specialty is. Should I call someone else?”

“Eep! Anything but purging…! I pledge eternal loyalty to Comrade Secretary!”

I explained the situation to the fairy.

“So, you need to set up a dream. Do you see this silver-haired human here? We’re going to enter their dream.”

“Okay.”

“The background of the dream needs to be the same as this room we’re in now. Especially that mirror over there, make sure that appears.”

“Got it… But, will you enter a dream with this being?”

The fairy glanced nervously at the Saintess, sweating profusely. If this were a comic, the word “nervous…” would be written in the speech bubble.

“Yes.”

“But comrade, the moment this being enters the dream, my mental state will be toasted to a crisp 120% charcoal scent?”

“I’ll protect you as much as I can. Finish the job well, and I’ll give you 100 heavenly sausages.”

“Only the brave win the beauty!”

We listened to the lullaby and entered Yoo Jiwon’s dream.

In the dream, Yoo Jiwon was frozen, sitting by the window. The Saintess’s [Time Stop] had worked even within the dream.

The Saintess released her power.

“…Huh?”

Blink. Yoo Jiwon opened her eyes.

“Doctor Jang, Your Excellency? And even the Saintess? What brings you to my private quarters?”

“This is a dream, Jiwon.”

“Pardon?”

“Look over there, see the tutorial fairy? We’ve entered your dream, riding on a lullaby from the succubus.”

“Hm? Oh? Hm? …Oh-ho.”

Yoo Jiwon looked around curiously.

“As expected of Your Excellency, Doctor Jang. With your level of awakening, it’s no surprise you can freely enter anyone’s dream. No matter how deceitful someone may be in reality, they cannot pursue lies within a dream. In your clear-sighted wisdom's presence, who could hide their true nature?”

“You better start hiding yours.”

“If Your Excellency has visited my dream, there must be a reason, and an urgent one at that. How may I assist you?”

This one was way too good at twisting words when talking to me.

“First, let’s take a look at the magic mirror together.”

“Understood.”

The power-hungry psychopath didn’t question anything and walked over to the mirror’s veil, flipping it aside with a flick.

With me, the Saintess, Yoo Jiwon, and the fairy all reflected on its surface, the mirror suddenly felt cramped.

-Please die immediately.

-Please die immediately.

The mirror chanted like a malfunctioning ARS system with its trigger stuck.

“It’s time.”

“Yes.”

As the Saintess and I reached out simultaneously...

-Please die imme…

Clink.

With a light sound of glass breaking, our wrists passed “through the inside” of the mirror.

We hadn’t shattered the glass. The surface was intact.

It had just made a breaking sound.

“…!”

The Saintess’s transparent aura flared up momentarily.

A sign of surprise.

She had lost the ability to express emotions with her eyes or facial muscles long ago. This was her unique language.

A delicate and transparent expression through an aura that was invisible to others, a lonely foreign tongue that only I could understand.

So instead of speaking to the Saintess with words, I extended my aura to draw hers closer. I matched my sentence to her grammar.

‘Shall we proceed, Saintess?’

‘Yes, Doctor Jang.’

A silent language.

Hand in hand, I took the first step into the mirror, and the Saintess followed, taking half a step more.

Clink.

Clink.

Clink!

The sound of glass breaking echoed countless times as we crossed the mirror, barely the width of an eyelid.

It was probably the noise of the alien god wailing as it sensed intruders invading its domain.

But when the Saintess followed me inside and froze time again...

Clink――

Even the sound of the mirror breaking was silenced.

Lifting our heads, we found ourselves standing side by side, hand in hand, in the middle of Seoul Station.

Hundreds of passersby were petrified. The world was painted in shades of gray, like an old black-and-white film.

The Saintess’s power had enveloped the hidden world.

I smiled.

“We’ve succeeded.”

In the middle of the sky, there was the alien god.

Where the sun should have been, the goddess of night, Nut, was frozen in place, her eyes wide open.

[Translator - Jjescus]

[Proofreader - Gun]

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