Chapter 13
Chapter 13
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 13
Chapter Title: Enigmatic Figure I
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Shin Noah
1
Even regressors are human. Human.
I'm a far cry from an omniscient, omnipotent god.
Just look at the Sim A-ryeon incident. How was I supposed to know her story would unfold with a title like '【Manga Serialization Begins】The Pathetic Awakener I Thought I Was Turns Out to Be a Legendary Healer in This Arc~After Saving Patients from the Brink of Death, They Call Me Angel, But Hey, All You Fools Who Treated Me Like an Idiot, How Do You Feel Now?~【11/11 Release】', straight out of a Japanese web novel?
To reiterate, being a regressor doesn't mean I know every secret.
Every now and then, even I encounter unsolvable mysteries or incidents worthy of being called ghost stories.
Sipping Old Man Show's café au lait, I recall events that make me think, 'What the hell was that anyway?'
Today, I'd like to introduce one such mystery.
2
Do you believe balance exists in the world?
For example, if there are trash humans, there are also angels.
Even in internet communities, when villains appear, on the flip side, popular stars emerge whom everyone wants to befriend.
-[Satisfaction] Cooking Queen: Seeking peace of mind? Join Satisfaction Guild! Our main base is in Daejeon!
On SG Net, Cooking Queen was always hugely popular.
All I remembered hearing about her were good things.
"Cooking Queen? Yeah, I haven't observed her that closely for long periods, but she's no bad person. She takes great care of her guildmates and even does volunteer work every Sunday. Personally, I think she's the most trustworthy person among the Awakeners."
Witness 1. Saintess.
"Ah, Cooking Queen. I know her. She's an amazing member. I've seen all sorts of crap while running SG Net, but I've never once seen her cause trouble. And she's not boring either. She posts fun humor threads and doesn't act superior. Man, if all members were like Cooking Queen, I wouldn't have to go through this hassle..."
Witness 2. Seo-gyu.
-[Satisfaction] Cooking Queen: Goryeo Jang. I believe in the goodness seeded within your heart. Why do you keep hurting yourself like this? If you have worries, please consult with me.
-Goryeo Jang: Please... stop... I was wrong. I'm the bastard, I'm the bad guy, so just stop talking to me like that...
Witness 3. Sim A-ryeon.
Awakeners of all different personalities unanimously testified that Cooking Queen was a rare soul in these times.
Even the Saintess, famous for being picky about judging people, didn't hold back her praise. Her testimony carried extra weight since she could observe Awakeners directly through [Clairvoyance].
Of course, I—the one and only infinite regressor (the other one took a long vacation)—also had a favorable impression of Cooking Queen.
-Literary Girl: Zero Sugar, this guy's nose is impressive.
└[Satisfaction] Cooking Queen: Slandering others is ultimately lowering yourself. Every human is a mirror reflecting me, and I am a mirror for all humans. Please respect and care for each other.
When those卑鄙 wretches hiding in the shadows slandered me, Cooking Queen alone defended me.
I knew better than anyone how hard it is to cling to goodness when everyone else is doing evil.
And so, in the 89th regression.
Buoyed by the fact that 'unscratched lottery ticket' Seo-gyu hit the jackpot, I tried recruiting one different Awakener per regression as a companion. Cooking Queen, who had proven her integrity and resolve over past regressions, was one of my targets.
It wasn't because she took my side personally.
"Hello."
"Yes, hello."
Recruiting Cooking Queen wasn't hard. Like Seo-gyu, she was right there nearby.
Among the 399 summoned to the Busan Station concourse—the exact spot where my regressions began—was Cooking Queen's true identity.
"I feel safer moving in a group. I'm forming a party. If it's not too much trouble, how about traveling with me at least until we exit Busan Station?"
"Ah. Sure, sounds good."
She was a woman with pink-dyed hair.
Her hair color was flashy, but her vibe was serene in contrast. The quietude of someone who'd been through countless life experiences yet never lost herself.
There was an imbalance between her makeup and expression. But that awkwardness wasn't weird—it was her unique charm.
"Thank you. You can call me Undertaker, or just Doctor for short. May I have your name?"
"Go Yo-ri."
The woman who went by Cooking Queen on SG Net in past regressions smiled brightly, calmly, and politely.
"Please call me Yori casually. Doctor."
3
To cut to the chase, Go Yo-ri had zero combat abilities.
No, not just combat—she didn't have any useful abilities at all. The best she managed was [Presence Blocking].
If Go Yo-ri had sniper or assassin talent, [Presence Blocking] could've been great. But she truly had no talent for fighting.
"Ugh. Ack! Oof! Sorry! I'm sorry!"
She was getting pummeled by slimes—the weakest monsters—and making a tearful face.
Sim A-ryeon (whom I also recruited around the 51st regression) approached and roughly tore the slimes apart.
"Uh, sis... you're really freaking lame..."
"Yeah. Seems I have no talent."
"I-it's okay! I'll protect you!"
"Thanks, A-ryeon..."
It was heartwarming to see the camaraderie between companions. If you ignored the fact that Sim A-ryeon herself was at the bottom of the combat totem pole.
Even so, we didn't kick Go Yo-ri out of the party.
It wasn't out of fear that the story genre would shift to #regret #obsession #despair expulsion tale. There were perfectly rational reasons.
"Ah. Guild Leader."
5 a.m. The quiet blue hour before daily life began. As I drank café au lait in the guild dorm kitchen, Go Yo-ri came down from upstairs with quick steps.
Even after living so long as a regressor, I still wasn't used to being called 'Guild Leader'. The title felt a bit special to me.
But I accepted the greeting naturally without showing it.
"You're up early."
"Yes. My eyes just open at this time."
Go Yo-ri scratched her cheek with a hehe.
Plus 10 points.
Early to bed, early to rise is the foundation of a healthy, wholesome life. This held true in the 100th regression and the 1000th.
Go Yo-ri poked around the kitchen.
"Guild Leader always brews coffee fresh in the morning? Our guild name even has 'café' in it. Is it a hobby?"
"Yeah. Wasn't originally, but an old friend was deep into it. Got me into it too."
"That's cool!"
Go Yo-ri clasped her hands into a slanted triangle, tilted her head slightly, and beamed.
"I think performing a set routine early in the morning is proof of diligence. What is it? A declaration of will not to let time just flow by unchecked? And yet Guild Leader drinks warm coffee. It relaxes body and mind. Great pattern!"
A smile spread across my lips.
I had my own reasons for liking dawn, but Go Yo-ri wasn't wrong.
"We get along. Going to water the flower beds now?"
"Yes. The hydrangeas bloomed so prettily! I was worried about the soil, but the blue came out so vibrant. Made me happy!"
Plus 30 points.
Lazy people spread laziness-virus around them, while diligent people radiate effort-vitamins.
Tending the flower beds unprompted was already excellent. She spoke so coherently and prettily that watching her warmed my heart.
Though when I said this in front of the party, reactions were lukewarm for some reason.
"Uh, bro."
"What's up, Seo-gyu."
"You're not that much older than me, but listening to you makes you sound like some company manager..."
Tch.
I frowned, and Seo-gyu averted his gaze.
The Saintess, receiving the brewed coffee (a masterpiece mimicking bagged coffee as closely as possible), nodded.
"I agree with Doctor. All virtues stem from habits, and habits from diligence. Without diligence, any virtue devolves into dilettante self-display."
"Right? See, Seo-gyu. Learn from Go Yo-ri or the Saintess."
Seo-gyu made a strange face.
"...Weird. Our guild has the lowest average age in the industry, so why's the vibe like this...?"
He grumbled like that, but the fondness for Go Yo-ri wasn't just mine—it applied to the entire party.
"Go Yo-ri! After training, let's grab a beer! Our usual spot got stock this week!"
"Hey, Go Yo-ri sis. About SG Net operations..."
"G-Go Yo-ri unnie. Wanna have lunch together today...?"
Party members notorious for wild-horse personalities turned donkey-tame in front of Go Yo-ri.
Truth be told, this was exactly why I decided to keep her around.
Awakeners generally have rotten personalities. Not 100% inevitable, but twisted minds often correlate with stronger powers.
Our guild consisted of S-ranks and A-rank prospects. Emotional instability was extreme. Even Seo-gyu, meek in front of me, had no-pantsu screamed "You fucking bastard!" at the Tutorial Fairy.
The Saintess... I trust her with my life, but hardly normal personality. She mostly just chatted with Seo-gyu about SG Net ops. She sent more messages than anyone but paradoxically hated socializing.
In a guild full of troublemakers, getting along with everyone wasn't easy.
'Mentals are way more stable than in previous regressions.'
Plus 200 points.
Favorability Lv.7 breakthrough.
Even if Go Yo-ri only awakened [Presence Blocking]—a pathetic level where a normal person's nose hair poked out—it didn't matter.
I've said it before: nothing's more important to humans than mental fortitude. What's the point of top-tier combat if your mind breaks? You'd just go from Old Man Show to No-Show.
"Yes, everyone. Let's have lunch together then."
Go Yo-ri bridged all the guild members.
In past regressions, feuding Awakeners now got mediated by her in the middle, lightening my load.
Watching from afar, I whispered to the Saintess.
"Go Yo-ri's like a bowl of hearty soup. Makes guild management a breeze. You know Ha-yul? The quiet one. Even she follows Go Yo-ri. With this, we could expand to 20, 30 members without issue."
"..."
"Hm?"
No reply. I turned to see the Saintess's expression oddly blank. Her usually sharp eyes were slightly clouded.
"Saintess?"
"Ah. Yes. Sorry. What did you say?"
"Nothing important. You feeling hot? Want some cold water?"
"...No, I'm fine."
The Saintess murmured.
"Just... amazing how she gets close to everyone. As you know, I'm the opposite."
"Personalities have pros and cons, right? Go Yo-ri might have stresses she can't share with others."
"True. Well said."
All in all, the 89th regression felt great.
SG Net ops smooth sailing. Villain-turned Sim A-ryeon job-changed from aggro-magnet to safe A-rank healer.
Saintess's backup flawless as always. With Go Yo-ri's max charm boosting cohesion, guild bonds were tighter than ever. Captured all Fairies, gained nationwide Awakener support.
Power solidified overtly and covertly.
'Maybe... this time I can prevent world destruction?'
In hindsight, bullshit. But back then, I seriously believed it.
After a satisfying day, I went to bed.
Next day, I woke and tried to get up.
My iron rule: no lounging in bed upon waking—rise immediately.
"......?"
But that day, I fumbled in bed for the first time in ages.
Not because I suddenly grasped laziness.
I just blankly stared upward.
At the ceiling, which had been spotless before sleep.
[Don't trust the pink hair.]
A familiar ceiling bore an unfamiliar sentence.
4
Infinite regression gifted me countless lessons.
One was named 'doubt'.
Old Man Show, my fellow regressor, was the same. Didn't he once say?
-Don't trust those constellation bastards too much.
Everyone took Constellations at face value. But Old Man Show pointed out they favored Koreans and never let go of suspicion.
He was right in the end. Constellations were the Saintess's nationwide masquerade.
'German.'
Eating breakfast with guildmates, I pondered the sentence from my room.
'Not written with a pen—carved with a blade tip. So then.'
Drew the dagger from my bosom.
My self-defense weapon, never parted from even in sleep.
The blade had faint dust and specks. Detailed analysis needed Uebara Shino, but visually, it matched the ceiling material.
In other words.
'Someone took my dagger, carved that German sentence only I could read on the ceiling. Dodged detection throughout, breached all my bedroom security.'
Possible?
'Impossible.'
My guild hideout had 'Puppeteer'—a serious fortress builder—string micro 'webs' across the ceiling.
Rivaled only by Dang Seo-rin's guild train in security. No guildmate could pierce it for tricks.
Old Man Show could... but no. Confirmed his corpse at 89th start.
Suspect: one person.
'Me.'
Myself.
If I were the culprit, I'd bypass all those conditions easily.
Problem: no memory of carving that crap, no matter how I racked my brain.
'Brainwashing? Sleepwalking? Split personality? Amnesia? Hypnosis?'
Possibilities swirled.
Either way, two options.
'Aim to sow discord between me and Go Yo-ri, or a genuine warning about her.'
Glanced sideways.
Go Yo-ri, munching a sandwich in both hands, met my eyes.
"......?"
She smiled sweetly and kept eating.
...My heart settled calmly.
I ate normally, as if nothing happened.
'Who'd have thought this bullshit event in what I saw as a jackpot 89th.'
In crisis, only one confidant: Saintess. She knew I'm a regressor and viewed things objectively.
"By the way, Constellations not talking lately?"
"Huh? You too? Mine stopped yesterday."
"Suddenly going quiet after constant chatter feels unsettling, right?"
Freeze.
I glanced at the guildmates' table chatter.
"Constellation messages not appearing?"
"Yeah, Guild Leader."
"Probably buzzing on SG Net too?"
Bad premonition.