Chapter 257
Chapter 257
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 257
Chapter Title: Operation Go Yo-ri Virus
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12
The next operation was simple.
Pull Go Yo-ris out from the simulation universes and dump them en masse into this divine realm!
No matter how much computational power the black curtain had amassed by devouring almost all of humanity's brains, how could it withstand that without collapsing?
Q. Predict how Infinite would react upon hearing this plan. (3 points)
"Sunbae, are you insane?"
Correct.
I, the Undertaker, became the first human in history to be told "Are you crazy?" by an exiled god.
"There's a reason they say not to pluck whiskers off a sleeping tiger! Just! Leave the pink entity alone!"
"Calm down. I'm not talking about summoning the real Go Yo-ri from actual reality—that is, World 107. Do you think I'm insane? I'm just saying we bring fake Go Yo-ris from the other simulation universes."
"Agh! Sunbae, are you an idiot? To a pink entity, there's no such thing as fake or real!"
Infinite stomped her feet.
From my perspective, it was somewhat absurd. Wasn't this girl the one whose grasp on fake and real was growing blurry, to the point she was turning into an illegal bootleg Cheon Yo-hwa?
"Well. While we're at it, I want to ask clearly. What exactly is Go Yo-ri to you exiled gods?"
"......"
-......
Infinite and All Phenomena Amusement glanced at each other.
Infinite spoke first.
"A walking lump of humanity."
"What?"
"Hmm. Hard to explain. You know all these brains scattered around here were pieced together from grilling and frying 800 million humans, right? It's a human brain and at the same time something you could call the Absolute Spirit. In a similar sense, the pink entity is... like a human brain that's grown limbs and walks around on its own."
At least to me.
Infinite muttered softly.
"But actually, calling it a human brain is inaccurate. The pink entity has not just humans but all sorts of things overlapped inside it."
"...I don't get it."
"Right? I don't get it either. Think about it, sunbae. From my perspective, it's like an 'entity' possessing the exact same data as the universe is wandering around."
Infinite shuddered, her shoulders trembling.
Then, as if passing a baton, All Phenomena Amusement's speaker crackled. The fairy lord-slime was still neutralizing the grimy mechanical noise with its smooth tone.
-Explanation: From this entity's perspective, it's recognized a bit more simply.
"In what way?"
-Explanation: It's the Undertaker.
?
-Addendum: In other words, 'Go Yo-ri' and the 'pink entity' are recognized as perfectly identical to the Undertaker right in front of the screen. At least to this entity.
???
Neither Infinite nor I could comprehend it, blinking in confusion. Infinite, rich in various vitamins, reacted quickly.
"No no. Hold on! Recognized as sunbae?"
-Affirmative: Yes. That's correct.
"Huh? That doesn't make sense! The pink entity is mostly in the main hall, but sunbae is always wandering around. So what, does that mean in your eyes, sunbae appears as two people every day?"
-Negative and Affirmative: This entity has no eyes. Please check if yours are properly attached. However, if referring to eyes symbolically for perception, then yes. That's correct.
"......"
Infinite's mouth gaped open.
I hadn't checked in a mirror, but I would bet my entire regressor's fortune that my expression wasn't much different.
This time, I continued the questioning.
"Then how do you distinguish between the 'Undertaker of the main hall' and the 'true Undertaker'?"
-Answer: Cannot distinguish. However, the latter's vicinity almost always has this entity's shaman (traitor) present, so the one closer to the shaman is designated the 'true Undertaker.'
"Oh......"
Hearing that answer suddenly brought something to mind.
Turn 555. The point where O Dok-seo, who had been nearly powerless, suddenly acquired the identity of a 'novel possessor.'
In that very turn, when All Phenomena Amusement had selected the shaman as a means to oppose me, there had been something slightly odd, come to think of it.
'O Dok-seo... pulled not just me but Go Yo-ri into her party.'
At the time, I'd chalked it up to O Dok-seo falling victim to Go Yo-ri's brainwashing ability.
Was the truth perhaps different?
"All Phenomena Amusement. When you implanted the suggestion in O Dok-seo of Turn 555 to monitor the 'Undertaker' up close... were you referring to both me and Go Yo-ri?"
-Affirmative: Of course.
An emoticon like
(˃ω˂)
appeared on the laptop screen.
-Explanation: To this entity, there have always been two Undertakers.
"......"
It was astonishing.
What was more astonishing was—I had already asked the exiled gods about 'Go Yo-ri's true nature' in previous turns.
Yes. At that time, whether Infinite or All Phenomena Amusement, they had dodged the answer.
More precisely, they had answered, but it was closer to me failing to properly recognize it.
So why were completely different answers emerging this time? Because we were in the black curtain's divine realm?
"...No point discussing it now."
I shook my head to clear the thoughts.
"Anyway, the black curtain takes priority over Go Yo-ri right now. Whether Go Yo-ri is hostile to us is unknown, but the black curtain is definitely our enemy."
"Ah, yeah. That's true."
"So we'll perfectly complete preparations to move to the next layer immediately, then summon the Go Yo-ris. We just leave the bombs behind and escape ourselves."
-Affirmative: Understood.
We dove back into the hacking work.
Wires wriggled out from All Phenomena Amusement's laptop body. Since we'd done it once before, the work speed was markedly faster.
Watching Infinite intercept the brain tentacles, a sudden question arose.
"By the way. Infinite."
"Hm? What, sunbae?"
"As far as I know, Go Yo-ri reflects the ideal type desired by the other person. Blonde to some, black-haired to others. So how did you perceive Go Yo-ri as a 'pink'-haired entity?"
Infinite tilted her head.
"Pink is pink, what do you mean?"
"......?"
Now it was my turn to tilt my head.
Like a decalcomania across a mirror, Infinite and I looked utterly ridiculous.
"No. You call Go Yo-ri a pink entity. Because of the hair color."
"Yeah."
"You just testified that Go Yo-ri looks like the universe to you. So how can you speak of the universe as having pink hair?"
Infinite furrowed her brow. As if she had no idea what I was saying.
"That's what I said, sunbae. It's pink."
"Yes, pink."
"Right. Pink."
"?"
"?"
An awkward silence descended.
Then, a lightning-like realization—no, a static like an ill omen—flashed through my mind.
No way.
It seemed impossible.
But if this were true, it would explain why Infinite and my conversation hadn't meshed oddly since earlier.
I slowly parted my lips.
"...She has universe-colored hair. Go Yo-ri does."
Infinite replied all too readily.
"Yeah.
Pink
hair."
"......"
"So—what you've been asking since earlier, I have no idea. Sunbae. I've been saying the hair is
pink
the whole time. It's just that the indescribable color gets called
pink,
not that actual
pink
exists. Really. Someone at your level should understand poetic metaphors, so why?"
Infinite grumbled and turned away. To intercept the brain-tentacles rampaging from the black curtain's divine realm.
"......"
I couldn't continue the conversation.
13
Go Yo-ri was dangerous.
However, bombs were fair to everyone by nature. To the black curtain, the owner of this divine realm, Go Yo-ri was equally perilous.
-Report: Compared to the layer below, the number of simulation universes in this layer has decreased by over 200.
-Explanation: This is a significant blow. Analysis shows it's due to the Dang Seo-rins casting Song Enchantment below fulfilling their roles.
"Good. Dropping Go Yo-ris will overload it even more."
-Affirmative: Agreed.
Whew.
I steadied my breath.
"...We're perfectly prepared."
-Affirmative: Indeed.
"Infinite!"
I shouted, looking up.
Unlike before, Infinite had already torn open the ceiling of the universe. All Phenomena Amusement and I had climbed onto her enlarged palm early.
Ready to head to the upper layer at any moment!
"Remember the plan! Not even a single second of hesitation. The moment Go Yo-ri makes eye contact—no, immediately, right away, instantly get me out!"
-Sunbae, I'm really anxious here.
Infinite's voice boomed from beyond the gap in the universe.
-Can't we just give up some efficiency now and fill it with Dang Seo-rins instead of pink entities?
"You idiot!"
I roared back like a lion.
"Didn't I explain it a hundred times! Unifying the virus into one type is like begging the enemy to hurry up and make a vaccine. Go Yo-ri isn't optional—she's essential!"
-But nooo, not one but five thousand pink entities is a biiiit much. The moment I recognize them, my head feels like it'll explode......
"That's why close your eyes tight and lift me up the second I signal! Is moving your palm that hard! If it's hard, quit being an exiled god!"
-Fuck. No one accepts quitters, that's why I'm stuck like this, sunbae.
"Go! Shut up! Who asked a monster!"
-Hieeeng. Sunbae's bullying me......
Infinite squeezed her eyes shut.
Whoosh! Her galactic eyelids closed, sending an ether gale that brushed over us.
The wires connected to All Phenomena Amusement's laptop swayed in the wind.
Just like last time, they were linked to about 5,000 brains.
"All Phenomena Amusement!"
-Report: All simulation universes have met world-ending doom, with only the Undertaker and Go Yo-ri remaining. Time is frozen.
"Pull them! Got it! The one smiling vacantly is Go Yo-ri, the other is the real Undertaker. Don't mix them up!"
-Affirmative: Virus extraction, commencing.
Psssh!
Hooks formed at the wire tips and plunged straight into the brains. All Phenomena Amusement was pulling the Go Yo-ris directly in Infinite's stead.
From the outside, it looked just like a claw machine. The crane pulling, the dolls being snatched, even the machine holding the prizes—all monsters, of course.
-Report: 5,427 'Go Yo-ris' are approaching. They will soon pass through the universe into this divine realm.
-Countdown: 5, 4, 3, 2......
Pssh! Psh! Psst!
Thousands of brains spewed blood in unison. Then the blood came alive, shaping into human forms.
Into people with appearances unforgettable even in dreams—no, especially in dreams.
Over five thousand of them!
-1.
"Infiiniite!"
Just before the Go Yo-ris opened their eyes, Infinite unhesitatingly raised her palm-track-elevator.
The altitude shot up sharply.
I hurriedly swung my aura.
Bang! Bababang! Boom!
The wires connected to the laptop snapped all at once. Severing the link between the Go Yo-ris and All Phenomena Amusement.
And I immediately flattened myself on Infinite's palm.
-Huh.
-Oh my.
-Huh.
-Huh huh.
From far below, in the hellishly distant depths, 'voices' echoed.
-Hello there?
-Yes, hello.
-Nice to meet you.
-Yeah. First time.
-Huh. You too?
-Yes. You too.
Voices of magic that burrowed into ears whether wanted or not. A phenomenon predetermined to be 'heard.'
A sensation like sweet syrup melting and slowly pouring into the cochlea.
-But isn't this impossible?
-Yes. Something intervened.
-Amazing. I remember the devil promising not to touch us.
-Lately, the devil's presence has grown denser. Might have broken the name.
-Was that possible?
-But it happened.
-Interesting.
-But how are we talking?
-Perhaps?
-Perhaps.
0.1 seconds of silence.
-Guild leader?
I sucked in a breath.
They were looking up.
Blocked by Infinite's hand back, I couldn't see with my eyes, but right now, without doubt, thousands of Go Yo-ris had simultaneously raised their heads to gaze 'this way.'
I, the Undertaker, declared there had never been a moment of such terror in my life.
'Infinite! Infinite! Infiiiinite!'
Screw regressor pride—I pounded and pinched Infinite's palm. A signal to hurry to the upper layer.
Of course, Infinite would feel wronged. Subjectively, not even 3 seconds had passed.
Before 4 seconds, Infinite successfully pulled me to the upper layer.
It was swift. The ether wind-riding gesture faster than light.
Common sense dictated our surprise 'bomb drop airstrike' was flawlessly exquisite.
Huh huh huh huh huh huh huh-
The moment we crossed into the next layer's simulation universe, as the gap began to close, one last voice leaked from below.
The voices, split into five thousand strands, converged into a single thread as if by promise.
And whispered softly.
-Truly.
-The guild leader.
-Is fascinating.
Kuuuung.
The universe's gap sealed shut.
"Hiaaaah!"
"Kyaaah?"
I tumbled to the floor. Infinite toppled from the recoil of yanking me too fast. All Phenomena Amusement's laptop bounced and slid.
No onomatopoeia fit 'thud crash bang' better than this moment.
"Hng. Hoo—Haa. Haa! D-Did we... survive?"
"Hiaaaang! I said I hated this plan, sunbae!"
"Shut up! More importantly, who do I look like to you? Am I recognized as the Undertaker?"
-Request: Everyone, be quiet please.
"Don't let your guard down! It's a monster that turns 'universe color' into 'pink' and implants it in exiled gods—what can't it do!"
"Then just unseal them all and order it! Why pick on me! Without the tutorial, humanity would've struggled more! I collected data, awakeners practiced in advance—win-win! I did everything, so why just me, you evil regressor!"
"Cheon Yo-hwa....... Yes. Cheon Yo-hwa's face and voice. Memory intact. No signs of perception distortion or brainwashing yet......"
-Request: Everyone, be quiet please.
"...Did we really succeed? Oh my god. We did it. My goodness. Am I a genius after all?"
"I'm worried how long my feelings for you will last now, sunbae!"
"You sneak in honorifics too! Stop imitating Yo-hwa! It's confusing!"
-Request: Everyone, be quiet please.
Ziiiiiing!
An unpleasant noise blared from All Phenomena Amusement's speaker. Like max volume.
Naturally, Infinite and I, with human bodies, had to plug our ears.
Silencing us both instantly, All Phenomena Amusement raised its sleazy robot arm to point yonder.
-Attention: Even without us touching them, the 'brains' are bursting.
"......"
It was true.
Tanks intact up to the previous layer were shattered here and there, brains oozing blood and necrotizing.
-Report: Scan results. Simulation universes, previously 5,651, have plummeted to 722. Currently destroying in real time.
In other words.
-Analysis: Operation <Virus> successful.
-Explanation: The regressor Undertaker's proposed 'Go Yo-ri drop' landed a solid hit on the black curtain.
Use barbarians to control barbarians.
My plan to topple exiled gods with exiled gods had achieved perfect results.