Chapter 458: Episode 86 – The square circle (5)
Yu Jung-Hyeok was prepared to swing his [Dark Heavenly Demon Sword] if the ‘Secretive Plotter’ tried to do something foolish, but rather unexpectedly, the latter easily answered back. He didn’t even use his true voice, either.
“You’re right. I am trapped in here.”
His real, pure voice was heard for the first time.
That prompted Yu Mi-Ah to reply with a bright smile. “Ask my oppa to free you. He’s super strong, you see?”
She spoke in an innocent voice, but he replied with a slow shake of his head. “....I can’t leave this thing.”
“What? Why not?”
The ‘Secretive Plotter’ didn’t reply.
“Wait, did my oppa do something to you? He threatened you with scary words, didn’t he??”
“....No, that’s not it.”
“It’s not? What then?”
The Plotter didn’t reply again. Without saying anything, he stared at Yu Mi-Ah. He stared for a long time at the one person that no longer existed for him.
And for the first time ever, a faint smile formed on his lips.
“It’s because I chose to be in here.”
Yu Jung-Hyeok saw that smile and couldn’t say anything. Yu Mi-Ah was busy asking what he meant, and meanwhile, the Plotter quietly stared back at her.
The latter slowly raised his hand, and his palm overlapped with hers through the thin transparent layer. Their hand sizes were fairly similar. These two palms may have overlapped after transcending time and space, but they could never truly meet.
“Uh? Uhm...”
It was then, Yu Mi-Ah blinked slowly and began faltering a little.
“Why am I so sleepy....?”
Her body slowly fell to the ground. Yu Jung-Hyeok quickly dashed to her side and embraced her.
“You bastard, what have you done....?!”
[[....I only helped her dream of nice things.]]
Yu Jung-Hyeok studied his little sister. For sure, her Incarnation Body showed no signs of any strange symptoms. No, she simply was in a deep slumber, softly murmuring indecipherable sleep-talk like “beach volleyball” and “squid party”, etc.
He glared at the ‘Secretive Plotter’ with a complicated expression. No matter how weakened he was, by using Yu Mi-Ah he would have been able to escape from this situation pretty easily. However, he didn’t do that.
He simply stared longingly at the sleeping face of the girl, instead.
“....What happened to Mi-Ah in your world?”
[[She survived.]]
He answered immediately.
[[And also died.]]
That too was immediate.
“What does that even.....”
Just as Yu Jung-Hyeok opened his lips, he understood what those answers meant. So, he shut his mouth right away.
Seemingly-crying sparks ever so faintly danced around. Under the pretext of the [Disconnected Film Theory], the memories of these two beings trembled and their Fables shifted.
⸢In one world-line, Yu Mi-Ah survived for a long time. Even after he died.⸥
The world of a man who lived 1864 lifetimes – just what kind of a world would that be?
⸢However, in another world-line, she died.⸥
A Regressor might have lived far more ‘presents’ than anyone out there, but in reality, he was nothing more than a ghost of the past. He was an existence that had to move onto the next turn because he failed to alter the past.
0th turn, 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th..... and 1863rd.
This being was not a ‘Yu Jung-Hyeok’ from any of those regression turns. But, he was the ‘Yu Jung-Hyeok’ that belonged to all the worlds, the man who carried all the worlds as his burden.
And that was why he was more Yu Jung-Hyeok than any other Yu Jung-Hyeoks.
[[You’re pitying me.]]
“Who would do that to a.....”
[[Do you believe that my life was a misery?]]
Yu Jung-Hyeok couldn’t tell if that was a form of sympathy directed at himself. The blade of the [Dark Heavenly Demon Sword] he held tightly was faintly trembling.
Why was he hesitating now? He had come this far already, so what was left to hesitate? Just because he heard a bit of this bastard’s past history....
The ‘Secretive Plotter’ opened his lips. [[Did you know? There was this young boy in the front-most subway car that always died during every regression turn.]]
That question came out of nowhere. Yu Jung-Hyeok naturally recalled the events of the subway train. The very first scenario, the very first encounter with Hell that he had to experience every single time.
However, Yu Jung-Hyeok didn’t know anything about such a boy. Because, there were simply too many people who died in that manner back then.
[[While regressing several times, I tried to prevent his death, but it was impossible.]]
“.....”
[[He was really a young boy. Younger even than Yi Gil-Yeong. However, even such a child had to ‘prove his credentials’. For all of the 1863 lives, that child couldn’t even put up a proper fight and had to die. He died, and died, and died over and over again.]]
Yu Jung-Hyeok couldn’t say a single word.
The Plotter asked him again. [[Between a man who regressed 1863 times, and a child who has to repeatedly die for 1863 times with no recollections of it, which one do you think is actually more miserable?]]
“That is....”
The Plotter was implying this – that your pity had no meaning, no value whatsoever.
Even then, Yu Jung-Hyeok couldn’t readily accept that. Indeed, there was no meaning in comparing the importance of different miseries. However, that also didn’t mean that ‘misery’ didn’t exist.
[[The <Star Stream> tries to make the lives of everyone into ‘Gi-Seung-Jeon-Gyeol’. However, a life was never supposed to be that. No, it’s an unreasonable thing that can end at any time, whether it’s ‘Gi(beginning)’, ‘Seung(development)’, or even during ‘Jeon(climax)’. And that’s why, even if my life comes to an end here, it shouldn’t come as a surprise.]]
Did the boy from the subway make the same expression as this man? Yu Jung-Hyeok couldn’t tell.
The ‘Secretive Plotter’ stared back at him with a pair of quiet, still eyes.
Yu Jung-Hyeok stared back into those eyes for the longest time, before averting his gaze away while lowering the [Dark Heavenly Demon Sword].
“.....You’ll end up seeing that boy’s death for the 1864th time if you regress again.”
In the end, he returned his sword back to its scabbard. This could be the wrong decision. Even then, Yu Jung-Hyeok had made up his mind.
Maybe he too didn’t expect such a choice, because the ‘Secretive Plotter’ remained speechless for a long while.
[[You’ve been greatly influenced by Kim Dok-Ja, it seems.]]
“Shut your mouth. I can kill someone like you at any....”
Multiple presences were drawing near. Voices were calling out to him. They were Kim Dok-Ja and Han Su-Yeong, plus those of the <Kim Dok-Ja Company>’s people.
[[Although it irks me to admit this, let me say that one thing is for certain. This world-line is different from any that I have lived through so far. It’s possible that you and your group can truly witness what’s beyond that ‘Wall’.]]
“...”
[[However, do not keep your hopes up, thinking that you’ll see the Conclusion you desire. And also – even if that Conclusion wasn’t what you initially wanted....]]
The Plotter’s true voice suddenly grew fainter. His eyelids were slowly closing up. He was falling into another bout of deep slumber.
Just as Kim Dok-Ja emerged out from the thicket, the Plotter finished what he wanted to say.
[[....Do not think of this world as a failed turn.]]
*
“We played beach volleyball.”
That was Yu Mi-Ah’s answer after I asked her about what happened here.
“I’m telling you, we grilled squids, and I played beach volleyball with my oppa. Could it be that one’s power of comprehension is lower if you’re ugly?”
I wanted to tell her that there were three things wrong in her statement. One, we were not near an ocean. Two, I wasn’t ugly, and my power of comprehension was....
“....Well, I guess nothing serious has happened here.”
Han Su-Yeong muttered in relief.
Indeed, we couldn’t see any traces of Yu Jung-Hyeok causing an accident, and the ‘Secretive Plotter’ was still stuck in a deep slumber.
I put the Plotter back inside the [X-grade Ferrarghini]. There were a few things that didn’t sit well with me, but now wasn’t the time to grill the one responsible.
“Okay, everyone, please gather around! Let’s start the campfire!”
The flames rose up thickly and brightened the darkness of the campsite. Time was approaching closer to midnight. Only then did I remember something important.
“H-hang on! My scenario hasn’t....!”
Dammit, I forgot all about it because of Yu Jung-Hyeok.
I could hear Biyu humming “Ba-aht, ba-aht” just above my head.
[Scenario time limit has elapsed!]
Would I really get killed like this?
[Sub Scenario – ‘Workers’ Off-day’ has ended!]
[You need to resolve a total of 5 complaints.]
[You have currently resolved 1 complaint.]
[You have resolved all of your employees’ complaints.]
[New Fable related to the <Kim Dok-Ja Company> is being generated.]
....Uh?
“Seriously, man. It’s like you forgot your wits somewhere or some such....” muttered Han Su-Yeong, as she stared at the side of my face.
Companions were giggling to themselves while looking at me.
It was then, I recalled their replies whenever I tried to talk to them.
– I don’t have any particular complaints.
That was for real?
“No one here will blame you, you know.”
Han Su-Yeong’s disinterested voice spread out. We sat around soaking in the bonfire without saying anything else. I thought I could sense their hearts contained in this silence and that caused my emotions to well up for some reason.
Jeong Hui-Won added something on top. “Well, if you want me to find something to talk to you about, then I can think of one, but it’s not a complaint, so....”
Even though the warm bonfire was before me, why did a chill creep down my back just then?
“In any case, we rested really well today. Someone didn’t seem to have gotten any rest, though.”
Yu Sang-Ah spoke, and Yi Ji-Hye followed her up on that.
“But, is it over like this? Aren’t we going to, like, light candles and start sobbing, or write stuff on a ‘rolling paper’?”
“This ain’t even a real school trip, so why should we? Besides, the paper....”
While listening to Han Su-Yeong’s retort, I began thinking.
‘Rolling paper’ written by her, was it.... That might be quite interesting, indeed.
Han Su-Yeong suddenly stopped talking there and looked at me before asking a question. “You want me to write one for you?”
“Not really. We aren’t little kids anyway.”
“Wait a minute. Didn’t you say you never had any friends and didn’t even go to ‘membership trainings’ either? I guess you’ve never received one before, then.”
If the total reserve of my mental energy declined during this trip, then it was all Han Su-Yeong’s fault.
A few members of <Kim Dok-Ja Company> blessed with strong drive had already purchased pens and large papers from the [Dokkaebi Bundle]. Seriously, though, these greedy Dokkaebis even charged Coins for something like that....?
Yu Jung-Hyeok sitting across me on the other side of the campfire seemed to be angry as well.
“I won’t participate in something like this.”
....Although, his reason for anger seemed to be different from mine.
Nevertheless, seeing my companions gathered around closely and scribbling on their papers gave me this fresh perspective on things. It’s like this was a writing get-together for the poor, friend-less Kim Dok-Ja.
While everyone was writing their names on the papers and passing it along, Yi Gil-Yeong suddenly raised his hand up. “Hyung, I bought this off the [Dokkaebi Bundle], so can I fire it?”
Shin Yu-Seung discovered the toy in the boy’s hand and her expression brightened up instantly. “Uh? Isn’t that the same thing people were firing around the Han River?”
“Yeah, I remembered that so I bought it.”
“Let me try it, too!”
“No way. You buy your own. It’s 2000 Coins, you know.”
Yi Gil-Yeong was currently holding onto a ‘Parachute Helicopter’. I had seen that a couple of times before, too. It was a toy that, when you pulled hard at the attached string and then let go, it’d fly up into the sky while emitting bright light.
His toy seemed a bit special though, as it featured four large wings shaped like a square.
....Besides all that, though, that thing cost 2000 Coins??
“Okay, I’m gonna fire it!”
Yi Gil-Yeong fired the ‘parachute helicopter’ into the air. The toy flew up and while spinning around vigorously, dyed the surroundings with bright light. The light scattered as if it was fireworks going off. Even though they should’ve been familiar with far more spectacular sights than this, the group still looked on genuinely impressed.
The square-shaped wings of the helicopter spun around quickly and formed a circle.
I thought it looked like a portal. A portal, that led to the world we used to live in. We might not be able to go back anymore, but still, I felt the nostalgia of that world from it.
It was around then that a system message resounded out.
[Incarnation, ‘Yi Gil-Yeong’, has used the item ‘Parachute Helicopter (Extra-large optical screen)’!]
The spinning wings of the helicopter grew larger and larger, and eventually, changed shape to that of a huge screen.
Yi Ji-Hye frowned deeply. “What the heck. It was a hologram panel? We now have to watch a scenario even in this place?”
“Yi Gil-Yeong, did you even read the user’s manual before....”
“N-no, I thought it was just a helicopter, so I....”
Just as the boy tried to make his excuse, a small earthquake suddenly rocked the vicinity. The expressions on the companions hardened instantly.
“What kind of crap is it this time....?”
Accompanying Han Su-Yeong’s words, we all focused our attention on the screen in the air. And when we did, we understood the reason for the earthquake. First of all, it didn’t belong to the Korean peninsula.
The ‘optical screen’ was now displaying the American continent. And right before our eyes, that large continent was disappearing in its entirety.
Because of a gigantic island rising up from the deepest part of the Earth.
Along with the entrance of that island, the American continent was being erased from the map itself.
[The applicable world-line has reached its critical point!]
[Elevation of the forgotten islands has begun!]
Yu Jung-Hyeok, his expression hardened, quietly muttered out.
“The end has begun.”
<Episode 86. The square circle (5)> Fin.