Chapter 42
Chapter 42
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 42
Chapter Title: The Former Watcher IV
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Shin Noah
6
For reference, the proper nouns I use in the main text were mostly coined by me directly.
It wasn't that I was afflicted with some mental illness where I fancied myself the creator of all things, believing only I had the right to name everything. Simply put, it was because I'd been the first to witness most of these bizarre phenomena.
Think about it. Who else but me has watched an Awakener transform into a monster in real time?
Thus, the phenomenon known as "falling" and the term "Fallen One" had no choice but to be named by me.
What I had to create wasn't limited to terminology, either. Every time a powerful boss-level monster appeared, I had to write the "攻略 guide" for defeating it.
I hoped others wouldn't make the same mistakes as me.
Therefore, right here and now, I shall pen a strategy guide to prepare for the Executor—the monster born when the Saintess, one of the strongest Awakeners, falls.
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[Saintess' Fall]
[Executor Route: Route Unlock Conditions]
1. When at least 15 years have passed with the Saintess still alive.
2. When the number of civilian casualties the Saintess has witnessed reaches "at least" 1 million. Especially if the instances where she observed helpless elderly people or children dying or being tortured exceed 100,000.
3. When the Saintess masters aura operation techniques.
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Dubbed the "Executor Route."
The route won't trigger unless at least one of these conditions is met.
This is knowledge I've gained through countless regressions. In fact, conditions 1 and 2 are practically identical, so you can treat them as one.
The existence of SG Net is irrelevant at this point. Even if SG Net vanishes and video uploads become impossible, the Saintess won't stop her "executions." The only difference is the location.
If she can't spread videos online, instead of underground parking lots, she'll hang the bodies of evildoers in city squares outright. She'll dig up cassette tapes to play recordings of the sinners confessing their crimes, or if that's not feasible, attach paper notes to the corpses like flyers.
Have you ever seen corpses hung simultaneously in 12 cities across the nation, all on the same day at the same time?
Let me say it again: the Saintess is an Awakener with deceptively versatile powers. Never underestimate her.
The best outcome is avoiding the Executor Route altogether. But if it does trigger, subdue the Saintess as quickly as possible.
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[Executor's Abilities]
1. Time Stop
2. Telepathy
3. Clairvoyance
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Let's start with Time Stop.
Our time and the Saintess's time aren't the same.
From my perspective, it might just be a day's delay, but for her, it could be two days, a week, a month, or even a year. Every second that passes grants her an eternity-like opportunity.
Like right now.
"This...!"
Dodging thousands of bullets and dozens of axes at once was impossible. I leaped with all my might, but like getting soaked in a drizzle—no, drenched in a downpour during monsoon season—I was pummeled by the barrage.
I wrapped my body in aura to mitigate the damage, but aura isn't infinite. My mental strength was draining in real time.
[I think Undertaker's combat prowess is impressive.]
As the fight dragged on, hundreds of footprints accumulated in the snow.
In front of me. Behind me. All around.
Footprints I hadn't stepped in or seen were closing in tighter and tighter.
[But how long can you hold out?]
The Saintess's aura was infinite.
Just moments ago, she'd unleashed a flurry of attacks, yet she showed no signs of fatigue as she infused dozens more hand axes with aura and hurled them my way.
Aura operation that defied all common sense.
"No way... you're stopping time to recharge your aura?"
[Yes.]
Her indifferent tone pierced directly into my mind. It sounded exactly like her usual voice, yet for some reason, it grated on my ears.
[After resting for ten days, it recharged. While you were frozen, I got plenty of sleep.]
I cursed inwardly. It was practically like fighting someone with infinite HP and MP cheats enabled.
'This must be how the Ten Tribes felt against me.'
I couldn't remember from the Ten Tribes' perspective, but to them, I was an existence that revived no matter how many times they killed me, screaming for a rematch. They must have begged me to stop cheating.
That's exactly how I felt now. Unintentionally, my monster sensibilities were surging.
But just as my regressions weren't perfect, the Executor's [Time Stop] had its flaws. There was definitely a weakness.
'If she'd kept striking me while time was stopped, she could've subdued me easily, but she didn't.'
The fact that she didn't meant she couldn't.
Moreover, instead of direct weapons like swords or spears, the Saintess used "hand axes" as projectiles. She stubbornly stuck to ranged combat over close quarters.
The implication was clear.
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[Executor's Abilities]
1. Time Stop: Allows near-infinite attacks while always evading the enemy's strikes. However, presumed to break upon "direct contact with the opponent."
2. Telepathy
3. Clairvoyance
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This was likely the gap in her Time Stop ability.
And though she'd just spoken as if she'd "rested for ten days," it was probably a bluff.
In this era, firearms and ammo weren't exactly abundant. Even gathering those rare resources, transporting them here, and firing them at me would've taken considerable time.
A mere instant to me, but during that, she'd probably scoured the nation preparing her assault.
Of course, if she could freeze time for a year—or ten years—none of that would matter. But even the Saintess couldn't pull that off easily.
Living for years in a world where no one moves or speaks would wear anyone down.
She undoubtedly had to release time periodically—at least every ten days or so—or her mental strength would crumble.
Thus, fighting the Saintess resembled playing a shoot 'em up. Or maybe a bullet hell game.
Even blinking filled your vision with a hail of bullets. Somehow dodge the bullet barrages and axe showers, then close in and "touch" her to clear.
The win condition seemed absurdly tough, but unfortunately, her gimmick wasn't over yet.
[Kwaaaaaang!]
I flinched—
A sudden explosion roared in my left ear. Had the Saintess finally tired of guns and resorted to bombs?
But something was off. I whipped my gaze around, but no explosion in sight anywhere.
Naturally, hesitating mid-battle was fatal. In that split second, countless bullets rained down on me.
My body shuddered. My head spun. I could feel my remaining aura dip sharply from that one hit.
'What the hell? What was that explosion just now?'
I pondered nonstop while dodging frantically. Before I could deduce the source, a new noise tore through my brain like a banshee.
[Kiiiiiiiiiiik—!]
My face twisted. The sound of a metal awl screeching across steel plating. My senses, already sharper than a normal person's, amplified the discomfort tenfold.
An explosion, I could've understood, but amid the bullet storm from all sides, there was no way a scraping metal sound could blare that loud.
'Telepathy ability!'
I ground my teeth. This was noise the Saintess was shoving straight into my head.
"I thought Telepathy could only transmit voices originally!"
[As I mentioned, my abilities evolve with time. I can replay any sound I've memorized anytime. Shall I play a song for you?]
Damn it.
If the Saintess wanted to moonlight as a radio DJ, I'd gladly tune in and send fan letters. The problem was her blasting noise pollution at me nonstop.
It wasn't just explosions and screeches tormenting me.
[Undertaker! I'm here to help!]
Dang Seo-rin's voice.
Even knowing full well she wasn't here, my body reacted instinctively. Seizing my hesitation, another torrent of bullets hammered my aura barrier. Infuriating.
[Big bro!]
Seo-gyu this time. I gritted my teeth and ignored it.
But the next moment, a whisper right in my ear nearly drove me insane.
[Guildmaster?]
Go Yo-ri's voice, no less. Goosebumps erupted across my skin.
'I'll lose my mind.'
This was evil beyond evil. I knew the Saintess well, but she knew me just as intimately.
Shutting off my senses was useless. How do you dodge Telepathy hammered directly into your brain?
In the end, I couldn't even trust my own hearing. Fighting on with my senses in total disarray.
[No matter how you run, it's pointless, Undertaker. Have you forgotten? To others, I'm still revered as a Constellation.]
My eyes widened. No way?
[The moment the battle started, I designated you as a "subjugation target" to Awakeners nationwide. I even announced your location. Clairvoyance shows hundreds heading this way already.]
"Awakeners all love me!"
[No, only 50% do. The strong ones make up most of that 50%, but plenty among the rest have been eyeing you hungrily. Like Yuldo Nation's Sword Marquis. Now that I've declared as a Constellation that "the Undertaker has fallen," they've got justification, at least temporarily.]
"Dang Seo-rin..."
[I naturally skipped sending messages to the Three Thousand Worlds Guildmaster and her circle. Same for the National Highway Management Corps Leader. But I didn't want to disappoint you by not inviting them, so I prepared a surprise gift behind your back.]
This madwoman.
"Please, just tell me it's not Go Yo-ri!"
[You really do know me well, Undertaker.]
My head reeled. Dealing with the fallen Saintess was ordeal enough, but Go Yo-ri joining in? Was she planning to grind me into Regressor stir-fry?
[3 hours left.]
Bullet hell plus time attack. Maybe a bluff to rush me, but still.
Summing up the Saintess's abilities:
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[Executor's Abilities]
1. Time Stop: Allows near-infinite attacks while always evading the enemy's strikes. However, presumed to break upon "direct contact with the opponent."
2. Telepathy: Originally transmitted only the Saintess's own voice, but upon upgrading, evolves into full "sound reproduction." Can recreate others' voices as well as noises like explosions.
3. Clairvoyance
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How the hell do you beat this?
Honestly, calling it impossible to攻略 wouldn't be unfair.
"......"
But there's always a攻略 method.
The Ten Tribes, Udumbara, Meteor Shower—every time I first faced them, they seemed unbeatable. Yet as with Udumbara, solutions sometimes came in utterly unexpected ways.
I gave up.
More precisely, I gave up on beating the Saintess.
Instead, I erased the aura enveloping my entire body all at once.
"......!"
From afar, I saw the Saintess's eyes fly wide open.