Chapter 159
Chapter 159
Translator Penny
chapter 159
Chapter 13
Have you ever heard of the word "Sixth Sense"? Sixth Sense. Literally, a sixth sensation. Something other than the five senses—sight, hearing, smell, taste, and touch—that all humans possess. Normally, one might ask where such a sense exists, but for me, there truly was a sensation worthy of being called a sixth sense. Shall I call it a premonition of fate?
Perhaps it was because I had lived far too long as a Regressor and experienced far too many events. My ability to grasp the cause and effect of events had developed excessively. It wasn't always the case, but sometimes, with just a single word or a single gesture, I would sense what events were about to unfold. Anyone who has fallen in love, especially love at first sight, will understand what I am saying. A human life is like a norigae (traditional Korean ornament) made of many strands of thread. The sensation that one strand among them is connecting with the human in front of you right now.
“――I will write your novel, Mister.”
This was one of those moments. O Dok-seo had her eyes only half-open. Just as narrow as the opening of her eyes, the line of my breath became somewhat thin.
“A novel?” “Yeah.” “Do you mean you intend to seal the Alienated God by adopting the format of a novel instead of a broadcast?” “Yeah.”
My voice was no different from usual. But with every word exchanged with O Dok-seo, my consciousness, located far back in my mind, wound closer and closer to the forefront. I opened my mouth.
“Why?” “Look. In the ‘broadcast’ you chose, Mister, I only take on the role of a character inside a game who moves according to your instructions. Everyone else, except for the Saintess Unnie, is nothing more than an NPC. So.”
O Dok-seo pointed downward. There, the [Operator of the Play of All Things], reduced to a white girl, was clinging to O Dok-seo's instep.
“The warning that Alienated God spat out has a point. If you set yourself up as a ‘higher existence’ compared to other humans too much, Mister, then maybe someday—no. You will definitely become an Alienated God-class Anomaly.” “...” “...The same goes for me.”
O Dok-seo smiled bitterly.
“I’ve felt it all along while talking to you, Mister, but if I had opposed you just as the Alienated God planned... If the ‘Book Possessor’ and the ‘Regressor’ had fought. And if I had finally snatched the protagonist’s seat. I think I would have become an Anomaly too.”
I remained silent. Because that situation was indeed one of the world-ending scenarios I had assumed in advance. The [Protagonist] Anomaly. O Dok-seo defeats me and ascends to the position of protagonist. Then, becoming one with the Alienated God, she receives all sorts of clichés and ‘protagonist buffs’ that only a protagonist can enjoy.
“Neither you nor I can hold excessive dominance, Mister. We are too strong. I'm not talking about something like the level of Aura. From the starting line, we received the positions of Book Possessor and Regressor.” “...” “Just by existing, we hold the possibility of defining the world... We have potential no different from an Anomaly.”
That is correct.
—Whoever fights with Anomalies should take care lest he thereby become an Anomaly. And if you gaze for long into an abyss, the abyss also gazes into you.
This sentence, merely tweaking a few words from Nietzsche's aphorism, suited us perfectly. Therefore.
“...I will become the author who writes your story, Mister. You know, that thing. Isn't there a genre called reportage literature? Reconstructing true stories that actually happened into a novel.” “Hm.” “If your biography is recorded by my hands, at least you won't fall into an Anomaly of a higher dimension than me. Since I become your ‘Author’.”
And.
“And since I become a narrator who merely follows your biography to the end... Yeah. Good. I think it will be a reasonably balanced relationship.” “So you mean for us to place shackles on each other.” “Ah, yeah. That's right! That's it!”
O Dok-seo laughed, Ahaha. The sound of human laughter was as brilliant as when water droplets from a fountain, soaring in a plaza and falling back down, catch a sip of sunlight for a moment. I spoke.
“Not a bad idea. But if we do that, wouldn't your power as the author become a bit too strong?” “Hm? Is that so? A novel is ultimately evaluated by readers, and since an author is bound by that evaluation, I don't think it's particularly a great position. Isn't it rather closer to a shaman who offers themselves as a sacrifice to people? But if you're still worried... Ah.”
Tok, O Dok-seo lightly tapped the laptop with her palm.
“How about this? I'll write the novel about you, Mister. But in the parts where I am mentioned, you write it instead.” “...” “No matter who it is, if you tell me to type about myself... Eueeck. I absolutely hate it! It's insanely embarrassing.”
Perhaps just imagining it was terrible, O Dok-seo shuddered.
“So... I describe you, and you describe me. Just speak honestly about roughly what mindset we acted with at that time so we can refer to it.” “Indeed. Two people being protagonists and authors at the same time. Is it like mountaineers tying a lifeline together to avoid falling into the Anomaly of the Void?” “Yeah. Isn't it good?” “...”
I watched O Dok-seo for a long time.
Does this child truly understand how much weight her words carry? Excited by the thought that she can define the Alienated God as she pleases, did she perhaps blabber too rashly about the course of her life? Is there really no danger that she might contaminate me under the pretext of interpreting me? Can she keep her promise?
Caw... caw... caw... Several doubts echoed in the valley of my heart. However, I felt those winds of suspicion were rather fresh and nodded my head. What does it matter if the promise isn't kept? This child is walking towards somewhere, and she is even smiling while walking. That was enough.
“Alright. Dok-seo. I will entrust my interpretation to you.” “Yeah. I'll entrust mine to you too, Mister. ...Ugh. This is kinda embarrassing...”
O Dok-seo cleared her throat, ahem ahem, and squatted on the floor. Then she looked down at the [Operator of the Play of All Things].
“Hey, God. You heard us, right?” —... “I'll keep Mister Undertaker in check as you wish. But, if you are my God too, try responding to my answer.”
O Dok-seo thrust the laptop screen in front of the Alienated God's eyes.
[ WHAT IS THIS WORLD? ][ This world is a novel containing the story of the ‘Undertaker’ written by ‘O Dok-seo’. ]
Tok tok. O Dok-seo tapped the screen with her long finger.
“Here. This is the world I define.” —... “Well, I haven't written anything right now, but I can just start writing from tomorrow. With this laptop. Anyway, since it took the form of a novel, it's a creative work too, right? It shouldn't be a compromise you'd be that dissatisfied with.” —..., ... “So if you don't want to retire as an old man in the back room, shut up and just write <All-Seeing View> or something for me every regression. Dear God.”
Chijijijik—! At that moment, the white girl's form distorted and was sucked into the laptop screen. O Dok-seo flinched in surprise but did not drop the laptop from her hands. First the white girl, next the black filth spilled by the Alienated God, and finally the stark white space itself. Everything mixed together, creating a whirlwind as it was swept inside O Dok-seo's laptop. A short while later. As if dark clouds in the sky had cleared, the Alienated God's domain vanished completely from the world. Just as Cheon Yo-hwa imprisoned Mugan inside an hourglass, O Dok-seo had sealed the [Operator of the Play of All Things] in her laptop.
“Huh?” “Where is this...?”
In the hotel garden that had been scorched to the ground, the Magical Girls began to open their eyes one by one. Looking around at that sight, O Dok-seo muttered, Ugh.
“If the time comes for me to write today's story as a novel, I will absolutely never describe the appearance of those Magical Girls...” “What a coincidence. I feel the same. I already feel like I have served a magnificent author.” “In the first place, half of them aren't even girls. Aren't the Japanese Awakeners a bit twisted in the head?” “To speak limited to this regression, the Magical Girl population is actually slightly higher in the Korean Peninsula than the Japanese archipelago.” “The worst...”
O Dok-seo shook her head side to side and slipped the laptop into her backpack. Then she reached out her hand toward me.
“Anyway... Take care of me from now on, Mister.” “I look forward to working with you too. By the way, if you're going to write it as a novel, I have a good idea.” “Huh? What is it?” “I'll tell you later.”
That idea was to introduce a 600-chapter Romance of the Three Kingdoms parody in the middle of the novel, which was later rejected by O Dok-seo, who knew nothing about the Three Kingdoms. We shook hands.
“By the way. I've read plenty of novels, but this is my first time writing one. You have to help me a lot, okay Mister?”
O Dok-seo, holding my hand—the existence who was the very first reader and the very last author of my story—was smiling brightly.
Anomaly: Operator of the Play of All Things ()Aliases: Logout Game, Cliché, Muse, Hello-I-Am-God, Omniscient Regressor's Viewpoint, The Fourth Wall, Author's Disease Danger Level: Lv.5 Alienated God-class (Alienation) Subjugation Complete.
Chapter 14
There is an epilogue. By now, it must have been revealed clearly to you all as well. Yes. This story itself, which I am unraveling as a yarn and O Dok-seo is editing into a novel, is the ‘Artifact that seals the Alienated God’. At the same time, it is a paperweight pressing down on me, the Undertaker, and O Dok-seo.
This very real-time action of you reading and evaluating is suppressing various Anomalous phenomena. Since I, the Undertaker, consider all humans who subjugate Anomalies as comrades (even the Great Priestess of the Magical Girl Council is a comrade), naturally, you are all my comrades as well. I am simply inwardly grateful for O Dok-seo's existence which connected us like this.
“Mister, we're in big trouble...”
Thus, a happy ending like—O Dok-seo realized her genius literary talent descending like a dance from the sky and shouted 'God made me write this novel' 'But the author O Dok-seo herself became God!'—did not happen. Rather, it was close to the exact opposite.
“I, I can't write...” “You can't write? Why?” “I just feel like all my writing is trash.”
Oh dear. When she was a reader, O Dok-seo used to look down on all creative works in the world as ridiculous, but once she actually started typing on the laptop, she transformed into the weakest creature. Sipping the coffee I brewed, O Dok-seo muttered gloomily.
“Before sleeping, I vow that I'll definitely write tomorrow, definitely write, but as soon as I wake up in the morning, turn on the laptop, and see the stark white screen, my fingertips turn white too...” “Can't you just write exactly as you expressed it just now? You're quite articulate.” “Ugh! That doesn't woooork!”
It wasn't solely O Dok-seo's fault. It was a fact revealed later, but as O Dok-seo defined herself as an ‘Author’, the [Operator of the Play of All Things] treated her as an author as well. In short, all sorts of chronic diseases of authors clung to O Dok-seo.
[My Writing is Trash Disease], [Remake Disease], [Infinite Revision Disease], [Drift Disease], [Everything Isn't Being Written Because of Lack of Experience Disease], [Somehow Keep Changing the Desktop Wallpaper Disease], [Taking a Break Today Because of Family Matters Disease], [Uploaded Late Due to Editor's Mistake Disease], [Simple Depression Disease], [Repeatedly Clicking SG Net Instead of Writing the Novel Disease]...
Truly the Lord of Diseases! The Idea of an ‘Author’, which carries all the plagues of the world just by existing, was forced upon O Dok-seo too.
“This isn't it—!”
Bang! O Dok-seo threw the laptop onto the floor whenever she had the chance. Despite that, since it was an Alienated God's Artifact, not a single scratch appeared on the laptop.
“No, Dok-seo. You declared so confidently that you would write a novel last time, yet you haven't been able to write a single prologue even after 60 days passed...” “What does a Mister know about the agony of a creator!”
I knew very well. Because at this point, I had already stockpiled 100 chapters of the Three Kingdoms parody (I simply wrote about 2 chapters a day). Fortunately, the ‘Notebook of the Play of All Things’ was preserved even across regressions. Meaning, even if only 6 chapters were completed in this regression, those 6 chapters would be carried over intact to the next regression. Of course, from O Dok-seo's perspective, where the Alienated God's curse triggered every time she typed, she was furious, asking if I was giving the disease and then the medicine.
“Being an author is... painful...” “Discussing pain in front of an Infinite Regressor?” “I can't live like this alone. Aaah! Right! Mister! I'm going to ask the Alienated God to infect all other authors with these diseases too!” “What.” “When we die, we must all die together... That way, the world is fair and just, right?”
I expressed a dissenting opinion, but O Dok-seo steadfastly pushed forward with the spread of the plague. That day, a storm of blood blew through the Novel Serialization Board of SG Net. Readers vomited blood as the novels they were enjoying suddenly declared hiatuses one after another. If there is an author among you who feels ‘Fuck, why do I hate writing so much?’ as soon as you turn on the computer, please blame O Dok-seo. That is the Alienated God's curse.
“Mister! Finally, I finished Chapter 1!”
Still, thanks to O Dok-seo's tireless efforts, she showed me the first prologue a whopping 2 years after the Alienated God was subjugated.
“Look at this! Ah, don't mind me! I'll just watch from behind while you read it!” “Hm.”
Let's see. I drank café au lait with one hand and moved the mouse cursor with the other. Click. In the stark white Notepad file, the first sentence began like this.
Infinite Regression. There is a genre by that name.
—Subjugator. End.