I’m an Infinite Regressor, But I’ve Got Stories to Tell

Translator: ZERO_SUGAR

Chapter 242

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The Experimenter I

“Nooo! No way! I’m not fighting an Outer God with a weak body like this! At the very least, let me regain control over the nightmares! Otherwise, I’ll never cooperate—never!”

“To put it plainly, no matter how much you throw a tantrum, it won’t change a thing.”

“You bastard! You regressor! Devil!”

“My ears aren’t bleeding.”

The world was already falling apart at full speed. Amid this chaos, I chose not to exit early and instead kept Infinite Void as my partner.

Perhaps it’s time to share the strategy I, the Undertaker, employ when the end of the world draws near.

“Ah-ryeon, abandon the Saintess work and then retreat.”

“Uh, excuse me? But, Guild Leader, if we do that, the Manchurian Defense Line will collapse, and New York will fall soon after, leading to the downfall of the Eastern Holy State...?”

“Yes, precisely. Soon, the Monster Wave will grow out of control. Let’s retreat to Busan with only your devoted fanatics.”

“Aha! Got it!”

With that, the Eastern Holy State was effectively closed for business.

Without Seoul’s true Saintess, who had already died, it was impossible to continue the brainwashing operations that involved sending fanatics messages under the alias [Morning Star of the Second Coming].

- Oh, my Lord Mo Gwang-seo Christ!

- Are you truly abandoning us?

- The end has come upon us!

Mo Gwang-seo was still very much alive. Even so, the mere cessation of the Constellation’s messages convinced many fanatics that their apparent “connection to God” had been severed, leading them to fall into hysteria. ℞áΝɵ𝐛Ěʂ

I didn’t blame them. For those who had lost family, friends, homelands, countries, and ethnic ties, the so-called “heavenly voice” that always responded to their prayers had been their last pillar of support.

Collapse was inevitable.

Not long ago, the Eastern Holy State Crusaders had been a well-organized force, repelling Anomalies as one, and yet they were dismantled in an instant.

“How many are following us?”

“Hehe. I scraped together the strongest Awakeners. If I bring too many, it’ll be hard for grandpa Sword Marquess to feed them all... Around, uh, six hundred...!”

Not all fanatics worshiped Mo Gwang-seo.

In her role as the Saintess of the North and the Healing Angel, Sim Ah-ryeon was able to save most of the wounded on the battlefield, so long as the injuries weren’t fatal. Naturally, the combat units frequently engaged with Anomalies had immense faith in her, as she had saved their lives countless times.

These units were called the “Saintess’s Guard.”

The name sounded silly, but they were the elite forces of northern Korea. If their mistress commanded them to die, they would obey. If she asked them to survive, they would return even from hell itself as the fierce revenants of Ah-ryeon.

With the northern front withdrawn, the next step was...

“Yo-hwa. Baekhwa Girls’ High School is now officially a branch campus in Sejong, with its main campus in Busan.”

“Oh, well... I’m a bit sad to leave behind all the kids buried on the school grounds here, but it can’t be helped!”

Even Cheon Yo-hwa, as herself rather than as Infinite Void, received her orders.

With New York and Pyongyang about to fall, there was no longer any reason to defend Sejong.

Northern Seoul? As mentioned in the previous story, a massive earthquake had struck, reducing it to rubble. Incheon also suffered devastating damage.

The central front was withdrawn.

Retreat, retreat. Endless retreat.

Until the Nakdong River became the final defense line.

The Librarian of the Great Library: Announcing on SG Net.

An Outer God-class Anomaly has appeared, severing the voices of the constellations. Until we eliminate this Anomaly, it will be impossible for the Constellations to assist you.

Awakeners residing on the Korean Peninsula are requested to retreat southward and form the final line of defense.

The current status of the refugee zones, centered around Busan, is as follows...

The retreat wasn’t easy.

As you well know, no matter how often the National Road Management Corps sent caravans to clear paths, the world was fundamentally tainted by the Void. If one misstepped while walking on a road under broad daylight, they might stumble into a ‘strange place.’

Answering the wrong voice or looking at forbidden objects yielded the same effect.

- Lee_Hyun-su: We’re stranded halfway between Iksan and Jeonju. There are 16 of us. We’ll offer 50% of our supplies in exchange for rescue. Please, save us.

- Parl_Ha-byul: We were moving along the coast from Gangneung, but now we’re on a snowy mountain. Location unknown. We’re marking our position with regular Aura signals. We’ll definitely repay you if you help us. Here’s our supply list...

- Anonymous: I think I’m the only one left alive.

Casualties were mounting everywhere.

The National Road Management Corps was going all out to send rescue teams in every direction, and both Samcheon World and Baekhwa Girls’ High School offered their support. I too did my utmost. Yet countless people were left behind.

There was no other choice.

‘The Saintess’s death was a severe blow.’

If Ji-won had survived, she could’ve tracked the stranded individuals using Mini-Map. But in this cycle, Ji-won had died in the Inunaki Tunnel.

Both the right and left eyes that had once observed the Korean Peninsula on my behalf had essentially gone blind.

Even so, would I give up?

“Captain Noh Do-hwa. How’s the refugee intake going?”

“Somehow, it’s holding up. At this point, just reaching us alive is enough to put these folks in the top 1% of humanity...”

In Busan, we had always prepared for such endgame scenarios.

The shantytowns had rapidly expanded, but each village was organized with strict planning and zoning.

Samcheon World’s witches, capable of aerial movement, patrolled the skies to maintain security. The rights to judge and enforce laws were exclusively held by Samcheon World.

Naturally, there were frequent conflicts between the original residents and the refugees, but―

“Yo-hwa, if you would.”

“Yes.”

In case it’s slipped your mind, Cheon Yo-hwa’s original profession was a necromancer. She had a brainwashing skill called NPC Creation. This forbidden technique controlled people’s thought patterns and behavior, turning them into zombies who could only think and act according to set instructions.

“Oh, huh? What are you doing to me―?”

“Shush.”

“―For the survival of humanity, everyone must unite! Yes, indeed! Naturally!”

Yo-hwa purified the few troublemakers, turning them docile. To avoid being reassembled into an NPC, those who caused problems would have to keep a low profile. Fortunately, this level of tact was already present in most survivors of the apocalypse.

Through blood and sweat, we imposed order.

In the areas surrounding Busan, fortifications went up quickly and efficiently.

“Pyongyang refugees have been accepted.”

“Refugees from Nampo, Sariwon, Kaesong, and Wonsan—all who made it have arrived!”

“There’s no one left to come from Sejong.”

“From Iksan, Jeonju, Gwangju, Mokpo, Haenam, and Suncheon—those who wanted to stay did, and the rest have crossed over.”

“There are still two guilds from Gangneung we haven’t heard from.”

“We estimate that the first line of defense along the Nakdong River will be complete within a week!”

The National Road Management Corps worked through countless all-nighters, spearheading the coordination of every operation.

“Hmm...”

At headquarters, Noh Do-hwa was practically always present, making it doubtful if she ever slept. Same face as always, same exhausted look in her eyes, sipping coffee with a deadpan expression.

“I’d say we’ve saved all those we could. It’s a relief that the Sword Marquess rejuvenated, otherwise, he’d have collapsed while stomping through fields...”

“The Magical Girls also promised to send reinforcements if necessary.”

“Huh. I used to wonder why you always mingled with that bunch, but now I see they’re proving quite useful...”

I nodded. Then, I turned to a member of the National Road Management Corps and asked, “Still no response from Daejeon?”

“Oh, no, sir. They only said they would manage their refugees independently and asked us not to worry.”

Go Yuri.

In this cycle, as in others, Daejeon had remained outside the flow of refugees. The Anomalies likely wouldn’t touch Daejeon either.

I nodded slowly. “Alright. Moving on to the next phase of the operation.”

That day, SG Net was hacked.

――――――――――

Author: Collector of All Anomalies

Greetings to all human Awakeners active on the Korean Peninsula. Hehe.

――――――――――

The website turned a deep shade of red, cracks running across it like shattered glass.

An unprecedented event.

The Awakeners were all shocked.

――――――――――

Author: Collector of All Anomalies

Watching you all struggle to survive warms some desolate corner of my heart.

How does it feel to have your days of leeching off the kindness of other constellations abruptly cut off?

The constellations you adored and revered are now all in my grasp. While there are still a few I haven’t captured, they can no longer interfere with you in any way.

Can you survive even through this hardship?

――――――――――

Announcements like these appeared everywhere, and general Awakeners couldn’t post or comment.

Naturally, this was our handiwork.

The one behind the Collector of All Anomalies notice was Ah-ryeon. As expected, it immediately captured everyone’s attention and drew countless people’s resentment her way.

“...I’m sorry, Ah-ryeon. I’m always forcing you into the villain’s role.”

“Hmm? Haha, no, no! I’m totally fine with it! Actually, I’m thrilled to be such a big target!”

The problem was that she was drawing too much attention. If a situation like this dragged on for too long, Ah-ryeon would undoubtedly become a Corrupted. That’s why the tactic of painting Ah-ryeon as the source of all the world’s evils was only used right before humanity was truly on the brink of extinction.

Just like now.

“Oh, mister!”

Bang.

Oh Dok-seo burst through my door. Being the youngest in our guild, along with Lee Ha-yul, she seemed to have completely forgotten the concept of knocking.

Since I had just gotten out of the shower, Dok-seo ended up staring right at my bare torso. She froze for a second.

“Oh. Wow. Those abs are insane...”

“Is this harassment?”

“You should walk around shirtless more often. Normally, I can’t stand the muscle-man type, but for you, I’d make an exception and let you wear a tank top. Oh, but not too often, or it wouldn’t fit your image.”

“Definitely harassment.”

“In this messed-up world, who cares about manners... Ah! Anyway! Mister! Come out to the terrace!”

I sighed.

‘Usually, the Saintess would telepathically tell Dok-seo, [Wait a bit, Undertaker just got out of the shower,] to tip her off.’

Even in these small, everyday moments, the Saintess’ absence was painfully clear.

I donned my barista attire and stepped outside. I wasn’t in the Inunaki Tunnel anymore—my current lodging was at the National Road Management Corps headquarters.

Stepping out onto the communal terrace, I took in the view beyond Busan.

Already on the terrace were Dok-seo, Ha-yul, Yo-hwa, Ah-ryeon, Seo-rin, and Do-hwa, all waiting for me.

“You’re here...” Noh Do-hwa murmured, sipping her coffee.

Following her gaze, I looked up at the sky.

“......”

Smoke signals.

Dark pillars of smoke were rising in the distance. Those vertical smoke columns were the very triggers that had incited the ‘mysterious Outer God.’

The columns rose, reaching straight for the sky. This wasn’t ordinary smoke. It was a Sacred Fire, designed to be visible from up to a 1,000-kilometer radius.

And now that Sacred Fire was blazing.

From the horizon―

One, two, three, four.

Five, six, seven, eight.

Nine, ten, eleven, twelve, thirteen.

Fourteen, fifteen, sixteen, seventeen, eighteen.

From the horizon―

Nineteen, twenty, twenty-one, twenty-two, twenty-three, twenty-four, twenty-five, twenty-six, twenty-seven, twenty-eight, twenty-nine, thirty, thirty-one, thirty-two, thirty-three, thirty-four, thirty-five, thirty-six, thirty-seven, thirty-eight, thirty-nine, forty, forty-one, forty-two, forty-three, forty-four.

The witches monitoring the skies, the refugees working tirelessly to establish settlements, and the citizens faithfully carrying out their tasks—all of them stopped to gaze at the sky.

Silently. Unendingly.

From every direction, columns of smoke rose, one after another, into the heavens.

“......”

“......”

The entire leadership team gathered on the terrace held their tongues.

The only sounds were of Do-hwa sipping her coffee, and Ha-yul clutching my sleeve tightly.

This was the scene that marked the end of our era.

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