The Tales of an Infinite Regressor

[Translator – Asura]

[Proofreader – Gun]

Chapter 76 – Invaders II

The Magical Girl’s Association’s pride and joy, the aircraft carrier (40 tons, equipped with kitchen and rest facilities, previously used as a fishing cleaning vessel before its commissioning as an aircraft carrier in 1996) arrived at the target sea area in less than two hours.

The Magical Girls immediately took their positions and started fishing with the skill of seasoned fishermen.

“Wow, I was just thinking it was time to go fishing since our food supplies were running low,” one of them remarked.

“By the way, Doctor Jang, I’ve heard rumors that there’s an awakened person in Korea with the ability to predict the future. Is that true? You seem so sure a monster would appear at sea this time,” another Magical Girl asked.

I shrugged.

“That’s a secret. But for this incident, at least, it wasn’t a prophet but the constellations who told me.”

“Constellations? Oh, those gods that only exist on the Korean Peninsula,” the Magical Girl said, nodding in understanding.

Interestingly, the Japanese awakened didn’t question why the constellations were so active only in Korea. They seemed to think of them as local deities.

Though they are now absorbed in Magical Girl cosplay, before the voids opened, they were all highly perceptive individuals—mediums or shrine maidens.

“…!”

In the middle of our fishing, a usually quiet Magical Girl perked up her ears and pointed to the sky.

“Meow? What’s up, Ciel?”

“Hmm?”

The people on the aircraft carrier looked up, and their eyes widened.

A UFO was falling from the sky.

“Meow?! What is that?”

“My goodness.”

The UFO tore through Earth’s fragile atmosphere with a deafening roar. But from 600 meters above the sea, its speed dramatically slowed down, as if it were being welcomed by the ocean’s furious waves.

With a thunderous splash, the UFO landed—or rather, water-landed.

The tsunami it created rocked our aircraft carrier violently.

“Meow! Save me!”

“Slow down—balance—defense.”

The ship, almost capsizing, regained its balance thanks to the magic of our group.

As the sea spray subsided, the massive body of the UFO gradually emerged on the water’s surface.

“My God, Doctor Jang was right. A monster really did come from the sky.”

“…! …!”

“Shocking. Evidence that the origin of the monsters might be space. Paper preparation needed.”

“Even if you prepare a paper, there’s no academic society to review it! Besides, are we even sure it’s a monster? Could it really be aliens?”

Wiping the seawater from my face, I spoke calmly, “Prepare for battle. Whether they are good aliens or bad ones, we’re about to find out.”

“Right.”

“Yeah, makes sense.”

After a brief moment of shock, we all quickly assumed our defensive positions.

“Warning. Detecting presence.”

The blind Magical Girl, specialized in reconnaissance and detection, muttered as steam hissed from the UFO.

Unlike the last turn, where all aliens inside were found dead, this time there was a clear sign of life.

“…”

“…”

Everyone held their breath at the possibility of making first contact with an intelligent life form from outer space.

From behind the steam and vapor, shadows loomed.

The smell of gasoline suddenly wafted in, clinging to our faces.

The blind Magical Girl muttered, “Approaching.”

Boom!

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As soon as she finished speaking, the figure beyond the steam leapt into the air and landed on the aircraft carrier.

An incredible jump. If the intention had been to communicate peacefully, it was a poor approach.

“It’s an enemy!”

“A bad alien!”

The alien-like creature extended its arms, causing the ship to sway violently.

– Screech!

Perhaps, in its own way, the alien was saying, “Hug me,” with its arms wide open. However, it had eight arms instead of two, each ending in a meter-long scythe instead of fingers. Not exactly inviting for an embrace.

Given the circumstances, my response was not an overreaction.

“Prepare for battle!”

Clang!

I carefully parried the alien’s eight scythe swings with my blade—or at least tried to.

‘What kind of strength is this?’

A heavy blow. I had expected the alien to be about as strong as a village-level monster, but my sword nearly flew from my grip with one strike.

It wasn’t just the strength that was surprising.

– Screech!

The alien’s eight scythes moved in a dazzling, rapid flurry of attacks. It was difficult to discern, but there was undoubtedly a highly developed martial art behind its swings.

One strike, two strikes, three. Just as I blocked one, another scythe would come from the side. I tried to sever its arm with an aura-infused attack, but it had no effect.

“Damn it.”

It’s not easy to make me, with my 99 turns, curse in awe.

This alien was clearly stronger than a tenth-level monster. Not just stronger—six or seven times stronger, maybe even beyond calculation.

“Uh, Doctor Jang? Are you okay?”

“Not really! This bastard is strong!”

“This is serious. Ciel, turn the ship around. We need to retreat and call for reinforcements. I’ll assist Doctor Jang—”

The Magical Girls’ decisions were sound, but reality doesn’t always follow reason.

Boom! Boom, boom!

Aliens rained down from the UFO onto the aircraft carrier. The ship shook uncontrollably, waves crashing from all sides.

– Screech! Screech!

Seven aliens came into my view. Their skin was melting like candle wax, emitting a stench similar to gasoline.

“Shit.”

A cold sweat ran down my neck. Facing just one of them was tough enough, but now there were seven more?

Cold sweat alone wasn’t enough to convey the urgency. The image of the corridor inside the UFO from the 98th turn flashed through my mind.

Corridors filled with corpses.

‘So, there are at least 120 of these bastards?’

Screams erupted from the Magical Girls.

“Aaaaaah!”

In a quick glance, I saw the Magical Girls being overwhelmed by the aliens’ attacks.

A flurry of scythe strikes. The girl who always ended her sentences with “meow” had her limbs severed, flying through the air along with her black umbrella.

“Damn it.”

“……!”

Despite their comrade’s death, the Magical Girls tried to remain calm. Sparks flew, and magic surged everywhere. But every three, five, seven seconds, another body was severed, splattering blood.

[Doctor Jang, run—]

Thunk!

The blind Magical Girl, who was about to send a telepathic message, had a tail protrude from her chest. Blood gushed from the sharp tail of the alien.

Total annihilation in just 11 seconds.

It wasn’t due to negligence or lack of skill.

These girls were seasoned veterans who had survived in Japan, one of the most dangerous places. But they were wiped out in 11 seconds.

[Translator – Asura]

[Proofreader – Gun]

“Goddamn it—”

It had been a while since I cursed so profusely. The familiar feeling of anger spread from my capillaries, filling my mouth with bitterness.

“Bastards!”

I gathered my aura and swung my sword. With my team wiped out, staying here any longer would lead to being surrounded. I had to at least take down the one in front of me.

– Screech!

I poured all my aura into my blade and struck with all my might. Boom! The alien exploded into chunks of flesh.

– Screech?

– Screech!

Seeing their comrade killed, the numerous aliens on the deck, now numbering in the dozens, all turned to face me.

The aliens were clearly on guard.

Slowly… very slowly, they began to encircle me, as if driving their prey into a corner.

I also began to back away, trying to keep the encirclement angle under 180 degrees.

Though they screeched and hissed, they didn’t immediately rush me. It was as if they were granting me a moment’s reprieve.

-…..

The sound of the waves echoed quietly. A tense silence fell, with the bodies of four Magical Girls and one alien lying between us.

“……”

I could retreat from here.

The aliens were certainly strong and fast. But I doubted they could keep up with my speed. Perhaps the Magical Girls had sensed this difference and told me to “run” in their final moments.

However.

‘I can’t let 120 of these monstrous creatures loose in the world.’

I gripped my sword hilt tightly. Adjusted my stance. Only one word repeated in my mind.

Mutual destruction.

‘I’ll gather as much information as possible in this turn and aim for the next.’

Moreover, the decisive reason I couldn’t decide to retreat was the existence of a being capable of “massacring” these 120 powerful aliens.

‘I need to see that being’s face. Identify its features and abilities!’

Whether it was the queen of these aliens or an entirely different entity, I had no information at the moment.

Realizing that such a powerful entity existed was a relief. In previous turns, it had crashed into the East Sea and disappeared, lying in wait somewhere unknown to me.

This monster must have at least a continent-level, if not a global-level, threat rating.

How many civilians and awakened ones had it killed in places I couldn’t see? The thought was unimaginable.

‘No matter how many turns it takes, no matter if it takes decades or centuries, I’ll annihilate them for sure!’

Just as I steeled myself for a desperate struggle.

– Screech……

– Screech, screech. Screech…?

The aliens, who seemed ready to pounce at any moment, hesitated. It wasn’t because they were suddenly scared of my aura… or so it seemed.

Their eight arms trembled, and their tails swished erratically.

They craned their necks upward, screeching “Screech! Screech!” while twisting their limbs and scratching at their own melting skin.

It was almost as if they were… in pain?

One of the aliens flipped onto its back and started writhing on the deck like a bear scratching its back against a tree. But unlike a bear, it screamed in agony as it did so.

– Screech!

– Screech! Screech, screech!

Other aliens began to flail about. One crashed into the control room, while another sliced its own skin with its scythe-like limbs.

“What the hell is this…?”

Just moments ago, they were exuding the aura of the strongest lifeforms. Now, why were they acting like this?

I lowered my sword in confusion. Approaching one of them, I stabbed its belly, and it simply collapsed without resistance.

“Ugh…”

Upon closer inspection, the aliens’ skin, which had been melting like candle wax, had now evolved into something more like a chocolate fountain.

Their flesh was oozing. Their skin, muscles, and bones, which seemed four times thicker than a human’s, were all dissolving, revealing their grotesque innards, which also began to melt.

– Screech, screech…!

Despite their frantic thrashing, the aliens’ chocolate fountain show only accelerated. Their muscles and bones, which were thicker than those of humans, were laid bare, along with their bizarre organs.

And then, all of it melted away.

After just two minutes, all that remained on the aircraft carrier’s deck were black, slime-like masses.

“Ugh…”

I ventured into the UFO, but there was no twist to the story. Though the numbers were fewer, the corridors were still littered with alien corpses, just like in the 98th turn.

These creatures, potentially the strongest in the universe… were all dead.

And humanity hadn’t even done anything yet.

“……”

I scooped up some seawater in my hand and poured it on one of the more intact corpses.

To my surprise, the alien’s skin dissolved instantly.

“Ugh…”

I tested it again, this time using fresh water from the aircraft carrier. The result was the same: the alien’s skin, bones, and organs turned into a sticky liquid.

“Oh…”

I realized why these formidable creatures had perished. Why they hadn’t shown up in any of the previous turns.

“These bastards are weak to ‘water’…?”

Then they shouldn’t have come to Earth.

Idiots.

5

I named those alien beings the “Warrior Race.” After the 99th turn, I stopped paying attention to UFOs and the Warrior Race crashing into the East Sea altogether.

No matter how powerful the Warrior Race was, no matter how difficult they were to deal with—even for a time-rewinder like me—it didn’t matter at all.

Their weakness was water.

As simple as it sounds, 71% of Earth’s surface is covered in water. And, surprisingly enough for the aliens, Earth has many days when H₂O falls from the sky. Sometimes it even lasts for days.

Oh, aliens, you might not know this, but it’s called “summer monsoon.”

‘How can a creature’s weakness be water?’

It’s quite strange, but considering that water is a rare substance in the vast universe, it might be the lifeforms on Earth that are the odd ones.

“Look, Guild Leader! A shooting star…!”

“Mm.”

Occasionally, in turns when I was near the East Sea, I witnessed meteor showers. I often found myself gazing at the night sky with a sense of unease.

The fact that these creatures, who might have been my greatest foes, were diving into the East Sea and getting wiped out every turn was, well, it was strange.

‘…But what if the Warrior Race aren’t just monsters, but actual aliens?’

What if the UFO was just a small scout ship and their main force was still out there?

What if they realized their weakness was water and developed high-tech suits to cover themselves completely before invading again?

What if humanity and the monsters on Earth were annihilated together by the Warrior Race’s invasion?

“Quick, make a wish, Guild Leader! If you wish before it falls, it will come true!”

Faced with Sim Aryeon’s special skill of pestering, I raised my hands in surrender.

“Alright, fine. I’ll make a wish.”

If a full-scale alien invasion happens, what can I do? I’ll just have to rewind time again and fight a space war this time.

Hoping that such a disaster wouldn’t occur, I clasped my hands together in prayer.

‘Just give up on Earth, alien friends. I don’t know what your home planet is like, but I guarantee it’s less messed up than our place.’

Twinkle—

As if acknowledging my wish, a shooting star glittered over the East Sea in my ninth year.

– Invaders. End.

[Translator – Asura]

[Proofreader – Gun]