Chapter 9
Chapter 9
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 9
Chapter Title: Determinist II
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Shin Noah
4
I'd visited China multiple times in past regressions. It was close by, and there was that martial arts-obsessed old coot who once dragged me to Mount Hua.
Beijing, the destination of this trip, was just a slight detour from my territory, in layman's terms.
But who am I? To an infinite regressor, nothing is impossible.
From the 82nd to the 85th cycle—a total of four cycles—I conducted meticulous on-site surveys and finally completed "The Hitchhiker's Guide to Beijing."
"First, secure a boat from Incheon and head to Tianjin Port."
"Um, Mr. Undertaker, this is my first time on a boat, and my stomach feels a bit... Ah, danger—"
I first played some ASMR of the refreshing waves off Incheon's coast (there was some noise in between), then crossed the Yellow Sea just like that.
"Next, we can't go overland from here. Too many anomalies. I could force my way through, but that would draw too much attention, so it's better to go underground."
"Wait a second. Underground...?"
"Yes. The Chinese Awakened have set up a base in the Beijing Subway. What are you doing? Come over here already."
"Um, actually, I have a bit of claustrophobia, Mr. Undertaker, ah, um, ah, danger—"
The Awakened who hadn't yet escaped the anomaly-ravaged Beijing had formed a group called the "Beijing Liberation Assault Team."
Among the stations they controlled, the one I had my eye on was Ciqi Station.
The station master there, who also served as the 17th Assault Team Leader, was a very reasonable fellow.
The Ciqi Station master took a liking to this foreigner who spoke Beijing dialect so fluently.
By this point, his way of addressing me had already upgraded from "this bastard" to "you."
When an anomaly that had been plaguing him for a while got sliced into egg-roll-like pieces with one swing of my blade, it leveled up further to "sir."
Finally, when I gifted him the top-grade Pu'er tea I'd brought as a present, the station master finally remembered that we were brothers in faith, worshiping the way of Confucius and Mencius together, regardless of our nationalities.
"Brother Zhang!"
"Brother!"
The ID the 17th Assault Team Leader issued me was basically a free pass. We entered Beijing right away.
"...Isn't that just a bribe?"
"Tsk tsk."
A bribe? Who calls a gift exchanged between brothers a bribe?
I merely offered a small token of goodwill in the form of tea leaves, and he graciously accepted it in kind.
Some complain about China's guanxi culture as their own league, but that's just because they've forgotten the fine traditions of East Asia.
As someone with plenty of regressor experience, I was versed not only in the tea ceremony but in many other virtues.
First and foremost, the traditional East Asian game of Go. The 10th Assault Team Leader, who loved Go more than his three meals a day, played a game with me and exclaimed, "Now I know the master of the Eastern Kitchen has come!" before shaking my hand firmly.
Next was calligraphy. The 1st Team Leader, who believed a person's character was revealed entirely in their handwriting, saw my bold strokes on rice paper—"Friends come from distant quarters"—and immediately bowed in respect right there.
"Behold this majestic yet refined brushwork! Truly the reincarnation of Wang Xizhi!"
Of course, I knew my place as a human. How could I grow arrogant after such high praise?
At each of these events, we shared some Pu'er tea (Bingdao Laozhai first flush) and exchanged warm words of virtue.
Exactly 48 hours after arriving in Beijing, I gained free access to the Assault Team's intelligence network.
The Saintess, who had witnessed the whole process firsthand, muttered in disbelief.
"Mr. Undertaker... you have a talent for befriending anyone, even strangers, within 10 minutes."
She looked at me with eyes that said, "Is this the life of a social butterfly?"
"Tsk tsk, strangers? This is the shortest攻略 route I developed after scouting for a full four cycles."
"I see. Then, strictly speaking, this isn't even my first overseas trip. In some previous cycle, I must have traveled with you."
"No? It's your first time."
"Pardon?"
"You've crossed into North Korea alone before, Saintess, but this is your first time crossing the sea. Why do you think I invested four whole cycles to find the shortest route? To make your first trip as comfortable as possible."
"......"
"Well, with the world like this, 'comfortable' only goes so far. So, Saintess, how about it? See our target anomaly anywhere?"
"...Just a moment."
Whew. The Saintess steadied her breathing.
"Please wait just a bit."
Then she closed her eyes.
Her role here was singular: radar.
Even if the Assault Team had hunkered down underground in Beijing, they had surveillance personnel scattered across the surface.
The 17th Leader was on brotherly terms with the 1st through 10th Leaders, the 10th with the 6th-8th-9th, and the 1st with the 2nd-4th-5th.
Their "generosity" combined with my "goodwill" meant that surface observation duties, usually neglected by the team, were now being carried out with utmost importance.
And the Saintess's ability was [Clairvoyance].
For the next exactly 10 minutes, she gained an omniscient viewpoint to observe every inch of downtown Beijing without gaps.
"......"
1 minute.
"......"
2 minutes.
"......"
3 minutes.
"Found it."
The Saintess opened her eyes.
She didn't even need 10 minutes. The remaining 7 minutes were a numerical testament to our duo's competence.
"Where?"
"Temple of Heaven Park."
Lucky break. It was close.
"Got it. Then, Saintess, stay here underground and keep messaging me. I'll finish it quick and come back..."
"Take me with you."
Grip. The Saintess clutched my forearm.
"I want to see you fight not through Clairvoyance, but with my own eyes."
"...It'll be dangerous."
"You said this was the most comfortable and safe shortest route. I trust you. And..."
The Saintess let out a faint breath. That was her way of smiling.
"I've come all this way for my first overseas trip in life, and if all I see with my own eyes is seawater and the underground, I think not just the current me, but all future mes would feel a bit cheated. Don't you think?"
Irrefutable logic.
5
As I bounded up the stairs from the Temple of Heaven East Gate Station, a thunderstorm raged on the surface.
Noise battered my ears.
The storm spared no place. Whirlwinds tore through all of Beijing.
"Quite the aggressive welcome. Saintess, hold on tight."
[Yes.]
Was it the racket from the storm all around? The Saintess spoke not aloud, but via telepathy.
Carrying the Saintess, I dashed toward Temple of Heaven Park. Her arms, slung around my neck like a swing, tightened.
The sky was choked with storm clouds.
The park's once-neat central boulevard was infiltrated from the flanking woods by green pine, locust, and ginkgo trees. Like rust creeping over an ancient iron sword.
I sprinted straight down the blade's center.
-Gruk?
-Grrkgruk?
There were as many anomalies as trees.
Lightning flashed. The woods cast shadows.
On Earth now, they were the lords of creation.
They trampled roots, hung from branches, coiled in treetops, looking down fearlessly at the outdated species invading their reclaimed surface domain.
Those gazes didn't last long.
"It'll be bumpy."
[Yes.]
One slash. I cleaved the obstructive trees in a single stroke.
My signature dark aura swept along the boulevard like a tsunami. The anomalies parasitizing the trees plummeted to the ground.
As expected of those occupying one of humanity's premier metropolises, they landed without losing balance—but it hardly mattered.
One strike. I severed the necks of the now eye-level anomalies in unison.
Two swings of the sword were enough to reclaim humanity's boulevard.
[...Amazing.]
The Saintess murmured softly.
[It's completely different from peeking through Clairvoyance. You're incredible.]
"You're too kind. Even I got scolded plenty for having no talent in martial arts."
[No way. You? That's got to be a joke.]
I chuckled faintly.
"It's true."
In fact, I truly had no martial talent.
Nor was that the only talent I lacked. I couldn't tell Pu'er from green tea aside from the color, knew nothing of Go openings, and had no clue about ink grinding or brush grips.
And I still lacked much more. I had no knack for borrowing others' vision, nor would I ever.
That was why I always needed comrades.
My comrade whispered to me.
[Ah, turn left there—]
[Right. Yes, further right.]
[Yes. Straight ahead like this, and...]
Following the Saintess's guidance, slicing through woods and anomalies, we arrived at the tower looming north of the Temple of Heaven: the Circular Mound Altar.
Lightning had already reduced the buildings to rubble. Yet the pillars stood precariously, reaching for the sky like praying hands.
And at the center, a dragon ascension spiraled upward.
[That's the spot, Mr. Undertaker. All the other tornadoes blanketing the city stem from that one.]
"Yes. Seems so."
The Temple of Heaven translates to "Temple of Heaven" in English.
Since ancient times, humanity proved its authority by who offered sacrifices and prayers to the heavens. Thus, that tornado surging toward the sky now was tantamount to the anomalies' victory proclamation.
I enhanced my vision with aura. Then, gazing at the presence in the storm's heart, I couldn't help but chuckle softly.
"As expected."
[Why are you laughing?]
"Oh, nothing. Just thinking anomalies really are anomalous."
At the tornado's core...
A tiny sapphire-blue "butterfly" was fluttering its wings.
Blue wings. Morpho butterfly.
That was the true nature of the dragon ascension.
The anomaly proclaiming itself emperor of the age.
On a day like this with raging storms, some of those tornadoes spawned by that "butterfly" must have crossed Beijing to the opposite side of the globe.
'...The butterfly effect, literally.'
I gripped my cane-sword.
Normally used as a cane, but twist the handle in a pinch to draw the blade—a weapon I favored.
The story of how I came to use such an unusual sword would come another time.
For now, suffice to say what this sword was currently cutting.
Sensing my presence, the butterfly tilted its wings curiously.
-Can a single human in this vast realm be killed by wingbeats alone?
The wind whipped into a frenzy.
I swung my sword.
Amid the deafening thunder, a streak of dark sword-strike silently grazed the world.
The blade tore apart a single butterfly daring to claim supremacy on Earth.
-This is cheating, you regressor bastard!
A scream echoed.
In human terms, something like "This is against the rules, regressor punk."
But claiming to be emperor meant tasting the bitterness of revolution against the stars—a law of history. I only wished to welcome it properly to Earth.
The storm, thunder, and dragon ascension howled, then in one instant, the world's din faded like a lie.
[...Ah.]
As the storm clouds parted, a final shower poured down. Sunlight clung to the raindrops like transparent shadows.
[...Pretty.]
My senses, spread far and wide, still detected countless anomaly presences. They'd likely swarm here upon realizing their boss was dead.
But they weren't faster than the sunlight.
During our brief respite, the Saintess slipped from my arms and looked around.
"I'm glad we came on this trip."
Water sloshed under the Saintess's shoes. It sounded just like a little fish flopping its fins from an aquarium into a stream.
The Saintess turned back, her lips moving. Silently—with only her voice reaching me—she spoke.
[The Saintess of National Salvation praises your feat.]
I stood blankly for a moment, then burst out laughing.
Surprisingly, in all 86 cycles up to now, it was the first joke I'd heard from the Saintess.
5
Postscript.
As a determinist, my philosophical conviction deemed the Butterfly Effect an intolerable anomaly.
Yet I too was human. Occasionally, I grew weary of the endlessly repeating life.
In such times, the Butterfly Effect—wildly twisting causality to spawn variables—wasn't so bad.
Anomalies too could be useful, depending on how you used them.
In most cycles, I subjugated Beijing's anomaly within the first 6 months, before the Butterfly Effect truly stretched its legs.
But now and then, I deliberately left it alone.
...My such complacent attitude ultimately triggered an irreversible "butterfly effect" in the 173rd cycle.
[Mr. Undertaker.]
"Yes."
[Maybe I've been operating with preconceptions about Constellations all this time. Perhaps we should rebrand their image in a more friendly, approachable direction?]
"Ah, yes. Whatever you wish."
[A great idea hit me last night.]
"Must be a brilliant one."
It was a proposal I'd never heard before, but I trusted the Saintess fundamentally. I approved without a second thought.
And the next day.
[Hello hello! Greetings to all Awakened on the Korean Peninsula! Nice to mew-t you!]
[From now on, I'll be always watching over you as your Constellation, the Saintess of National Salvation mew!]
[Mewoong! Please take care of mew!]
".........."
Oh. God.
I dropped my coffee mug.
...Indeed, anomalies and humanity cannot live under the same sky.
- Determinist. End.
Infinite Regressor Telling Tales