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Chapter 9 – Determinist II
Chapter 9 – Determinist II
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Chapter 9 – Determinist II
In the past runs, I’ve visited China several times. It was close by, and I even went on a trip to Mount Hua because of my love for martial arts novels.
The destination of this trip, Beijing, is a bit beyond my usual territory, so to speak.
But who am I to be limited by impossibilities as a regressor?
Over the course of four runs from 82 to 85, after meticulous on-site inspections, I finally completed the “Guidebook for Hitchhikers Traveling to Beijing.”
“First, we’ll get a boat from Incheon to Tianjin Port.”
“Um, Doctor, I, um, it’s my first time riding a boat, so I feel a bit, um, nervous, uh-”
First, I played the soothing sounds of the waves in the refreshing waters of Incheon as ASMR (there was some noise in between) and then crossed the Yellow Sea.
“Next, we shouldn’t move on the surface like this. There are too many anomalies. We could force our way through, but that would attract too much attention, so it’s better to move underground.”
“Just a moment. Underground…?”
“Yes. Chinese Awakeneds have set up a base in the Beijing subway. What are you waiting for? Come over here.”
“Um, well, I actually have a bit of claustrophobia, Doctor, um, uh, uh-”
The Awakeneds who hadn’t escaped Beijing, which had been devastated by anomalies, formed what’s known as the “Beijing Liberation Assault Force.”
Among the historical sites they controlled, I took notice of Tsuzhi Station.
The stationmaster and 17th leader of the assault force at Tsuzhi Station was a remarkably articulate individual.
The stationmaster had a considerable fondness for a foreigner who spoke Beijing dialect so fluently.
At this point, my designation had already been upgraded from “this guy” to “you.”
When the anomaly that had been bothering him for a while was split into several pieces by my sword, his designation further upgraded to “teacher.”
Finally, when I gifted him the premium Bi Luo Chun tea I brought as a present, the stationmaster finally remembered us as brothers who, despite different nationalities, once served the same faith in the distant past.
“Brother Zhang!”
“Ow!”
The identification card issued to me by the 17th leader of the assault force was practically a free pass. We entered Beijing straight away.
“…Isn’t this just bribery?”
“Oh, come on.”
Bribery, you say? Who calls gifts exchanged between brothers bribery?
I simply presented a small tea leaf as a token of goodwill, and the other party graciously accepted it in the spirit it was offered.
Some may complain about China’s guanxi culture as their own league, but that’s because they’ve forgotten the good traditions of East Asia.
As someone who has eaten their fair share of humble rice meals, I found virtues beyond just tea ceremonies.
First, we couldn’t overlook the traditional East Asian game of Go. The 10th leader of the Liberation Assault Force, who preferred Go over three meals a day, shook hands with me after a game and exclaimed, “Now I understand that noodles have come from the East!”
Next was calligraphy. The 1st leader, who believed that a person’s character could be revealed through their handwriting, raised his cup after seeing my calligraphy of “Yu peng zi yuan fang lai” and praised it.
“See this resolute yet elegant handwriting! Truly a reincarnation of An Jinjing!”
Of course, I was a man who knew manners. After receiving such high praise, how could I possibly be arrogant?
During these events, we exchanged warm anecdotes while enjoying bingdou no chai (the first tea of the mountain), making each interaction meaningful.
Exactly 48 hours after arriving in Beijing, I was able to freely access the information network held by the Liberation Assault Force.
Throughout all of this, the observing Saintess seemed baffled, murmuring as if to herself.
“Doctor, you seem to have a knack for making friends within 10 minutes, even with strangers.”
She looked at me with eyes that seemed to ask, ‘Is this the life of an insider?’
“Oh, well, it’s not my first time. This was the shortest strategy route I’ve found after exploring for four runs.”
“Indeed. Then technically, this wouldn’t be your first overseas trip, considering there have been previous runs where I traveled with Doctor.”
“No? But it’s your first time?”
“Yes?”
“You may have crossed over into North Korean territory alone before, but this is your first overseas trip across the sea. Why would I invest in finding the shortest route for four runs? It’s to make your first trip as comfortable as possible.”
“Well, this is as comfortable as the world allows, but anyway. So, Saintess, what do you think? Do you see any signs of the anomaly we’re looking for?”
“…Just a moment.”
Phew. The Saintess took a moment to catch her breath.
“Just a little, please wait.”
And she closed her eyes.
Her role here was singular. She was the radar.
Even though the assault forces had infiltrated Beijing’s underground, there was manpower watching above ground everywhere.
The 17th leader had a good relationship with the 1st to 10th leaders, the 10th leader with the 6th, 8th, and 9th leaders, and the 1st leader with the 2nd, 4th, and 5th leaders.
Their ‘goodwill’ and my ‘good intentions’ merged, and now, at this moment, the surface observation mission, usually neglected by the assault team members, was executed with utmost importance.
And the Saintess’s ability was [Telescopy].
For exactly the next 10 minutes, the Saintess gained a comprehensive observation point covering the entire Beijing downtown area.
“….”
1 minute.
“….”
2 minutes.
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“….”
3 minutes.
“I found it.”
The Saintess opened her eyes.
Even 10 minutes weren’t necessary. The remaining 7 minutes of leeway marked the competence of our duo in terms of time.
“Where is it?”
“Tian Tan Park.”
Luck was on our side. It was close.
“Understood. Then, Saintess, wait here in the underground and keep sending messages to me. I’ll quickly finish and come back…”
“Take me with you.”
The Saintess grabbed my forearm firmly.
“I want to see you fight with my own eyes, not just through Telescopy.”
“…Well. It might be dangerous.”
“You said it’s the most comfortable and safest shortest route. I’ll trust you. And…”
The Saintess breathed faintly. That was her way of smiling.
“After coming on my first overseas trip in my entire life, if all I see with my own eyes is the sea and the underground, not only me but also the future versions of me in later runs might feel a bit unfair, don’t you think?”
It was an undeniable reason.
5
As we stepped up the stairs of Tian Tan Dongmen Station and rushed out, a storm was raging above ground.
The noise was deafening.
The storm spared no location. Tornadoes were raging across Beijing.
“A bit too intense for a welcoming greeting. Saintess, hold on tight.”
[Yes.]
Perhaps due to the noisy storm from all directions. The Saintess communicated not through her voice, but through telepathy.
I ran towards Tian Tan Park while embracing the Saintess. Her arms around my neck felt heavy.
The world was covered in dark clouds.
Once a neatly maintained central avenue of the park, now the Songbai trees, boxwood, and plane trees from the surrounding forests had infiltrated. It looked as if rust had corroded an ancient sword.
I sprinted straight through the center of the blades.
– Kr ҉r ҈͎̙̟̰̔̽̚҉҉r ҉? ҈͎̙̟̰̔̽̚Ge ҉҉r ҉҉҉r ҉҉҉?
– Ga ҉҉҉r ҉r ҉҉҉r ҉҉҉?
As many as the trees, there were countless entities.
Lightning struck. The forest cast shadows.
Now they were the custodians of all things on Earth.
They tread on tree roots, hung from branches, twisted on vines, and fearlessly leaped into the domain of the surface they were conquering.
[Proofreader – Gun]
Their gaze didn’t stay fixed for long.
“It might shake a bit.”
[Yes.]
In one stroke, I swiftly felled the towering trees.
A dark aura symbolizing me swept along the streets like a tidal wave. The entities that parasitized on trees descended to the ground in an instant.
Though the entities that occupied one of humanity’s major cities landed without losing balance, it wasn’t particularly significant.
Another strike. I simultaneously severed the necks of the entities, whose heights were now similar.
Two strikes were enough until humanity’s roads became clear again.
[Incredible.]
The Saintess murmured softly.
[Indeed, it’s completely different from what I saw through Telescopy. You’re amazing.]
“You’re too kind. Despite appearances, I’ve received a lot of criticism for being talentless in martial arts.”
[That’s impossible. Are you joking, Doctor?]
I chuckled softly.
“I’m serious.”
Indeed, I had no martial prowess.
But the missing talent was not the only thing. I didn’t know the difference between black and green tea without the color, I didn’t know the tactical moves in Go, and I didn’t know the brush techniques for grinding food.
And there was still much lacking. I never had, and never would have, the talent to borrow the perspectives of others.
The reason I always needed companions.
A comrade whispered to me.
[Oh, to the left there-]
[To the right. Yes, further to the right.]
[Yes. Just keep going straight, and you’ll reach.]
Following the Saintess’s guidance, we arrived at the place where we cleared the forest path and entities, the Qiniandian Tower, towering north of the Tian Tan.
Lightning poured down, and the building had already collapsed. But the pillars stood precarious, like hands raised in prayer, towards the sky.
In the center of it all, a vortex was erupting.
[There it is, Doctor. All the other tornadoes covering the city are originating from that one.]
“Yes, it seems so.”
Cheondan translates to Temple of Heaven in English.
Throughout history, humanity has asserted its power by offering sacrifices and prayers to the heavens. Therefore, the tornado erupting towards the sky from there could be nothing less than a victory banner for the entities.
I enhanced my vision with Aura. After observing the presence detected at the center of the storm, I couldn’t help but smile faintly.
“As expected.”
[Why are you smiling?]
“Oh, it’s nothing. Just thinking how peculiar these entities truly are.”
In the midst of the tornado… a small sapphire-colored ‘butterfly’ fluttered.
Blue wings. Morpho Butterfly.
That was the true form of the Vortex.
A peculiar entity masquerading as a celestial being of the modern era.
Perhaps on days when storms rage like this, some of the tornadoes spawned by that ‘butterfly’ would reach beyond Beijing, even to the opposite side of the Earth.
“…Literally the Butterfly Effect.”
I grasped my staff-sword.
It was my preferred weapon, a staff when walking around, but a sword when necessary, with the blade pulled out by twisting the handle.
I’ll have a chance to explain why I ended up using such an unusual sword someday.
For now, I’ll briefly mention the target this sword is striking.
Whether it sensed my presence or not, the butterfly smirked and fluttered its wings.
– Can you kill the King’s Order in one blow?
The wind howled.
I swung the sword.
Amidst the thunderous roar, the dark blade sliced through the air silently, brushing past the world.
The blade tore through the air, cutting down a solitary butterfly that symbolized a new decree on Earth.
– We’ll avenge the betrayed!
A scream echoed.
In human terms, it might be something like ‘That’s cheating, you damn regressor.’ But tasting the bitterness of reverse revolution was also part of the order of history. I only wished to welcome them to Earth.
As the storm and thunder raged, the noise of the world suddenly subsided, as if it were a lie.
[Oh.]
As the dark clouds cleared, a final downpour poured down. Sunlight filtered through the raindrops like transparent shadows.
[Beautiful.]
Despite the calm I spread around me, I still sensed countless entities lurking nearby. Perhaps, realizing their leader’s demise, they would flock here in a frenzy.
But they weren’t faster than sunlight.
During the brief period of rest given to us, the Saintess looked around from my embrace.
“You made the right choice to go on this journey.”
Beneath the Saintess’s feet, the sound of water rippled, resembling the sound of a small fish flapping its fins as it emerged from an aquarium into a stream.
The Saintess runed back, moved her lips, and then, silently — in a voice only audible to me — said:
“The Saintess of Salvation praises your achievements.”
I remained stunned for a moment before bursting into laughter.
Surprisingly, it was the first joke I heard from the Saintess, spanning all the way to the 86th iteration.
5
An anecdote follows.
As a determinist, the Butterfly Effect was an unacceptable anomaly in my philosophical beliefs.
However, I’m also human. Occasionally, amidst the repetitiveness of life, I grew weary.
At such times, twisting the course of cause and effect to create random variables, even if it meant resorting to the Butterfly Effect, wasn’t always so bad.
After all, why not make use of the anomalies?
I aimed to quell the Beijing anomalies as soon as possible in any iteration, preferably within six months before the Butterfly Effect truly began to unfold. Yet, sometimes I deliberately let things be.
…My indifferent attitude ultimately triggered an irreversible ‘Butterfly Effect’ in the 173rd run.
[Undertaker?]
“Yes?”
[Perhaps I’ve been too biased against the Constellation all this time. Shouldn’t we reform the image of the Constellation into something more familiar and friendly?]
“Oh, yes. Please feel free to do as you wish.”
[I had a great idea last night.]
“That sounds like a fantastic idea.”
Though it was the first time I had heard such a suggestion, I trusted the Saintess implicitly and agreed without hesitation.
And the next day.
[Hello, hello! Greetings to all the Awakeneds of the Korean Peninsula! Nice to meet you-mung!]
[I am now the Constellation, the vigilant observer for all of you-mung!]
[Myoong! I look forward to working together-mung!]
“……”
Oh. My. God.
I dropped the coffee cup.
…Indeed, entities like the anomalies and humanity cannot coexist under the same sky.
[Proofreader – Gun]