Chapter 98
Chapter 98
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 98
Chapter Title: Savior Α I
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Shin Noah
1
Mugan had been subjugated starting from the 117th round.
That signified the flashy debut of an Awakener who commanded the "Hundred Ghosts," sealed an "Outer God-class anomaly," and led hundreds of guild members as her subordinates. In other words, Cheon Yo-hwa.
From that point on, the Awakeners on the Korean Peninsula faced a slightly trickier choice.
-Goryeo Jang: Hmm... Honestly, isn't the strongest guild on the Korean Peninsula Baekhwa now, not Three Thousand...?
Public opinion on SG Net shifted immediately.
-Goryeo Jang: Baekhwa trait) The guild leader is stronger than all the other guild members combined. The guild members are all high school girls, so they walk around in uniforms. Not cosplay.
-Goryeo Jang: Three Thousand trait) The guild leader is stronger than all the other guild members combined. The guild members all have to wear witch hats. Every afternoon at 2 PM, there's a mandatory chore called "broom grooming time." Cosplay.
-Goryeo Jang: Just looking at this, I believe there's no need to explain which of the two guilds is superior...
└Anonymous: As expected, facts are god-tier Goryeo Jang lololol
└[Three Thousand]Witch Judge: Fuckin' bastard.
└Anonymous: I'm a Three Thousand guild member, and this is spot on.
-Anonymous: So, is the Baekhwa guild leader dating the Undertaker?
└dolLHoUse: Not easy.
-Anonymous: Why do they insist on witch cosplay regardless of age or gender? No idea.
-[Yuldo Nation]Sword Marquis: Oh, what a tragedy! These days, the young disciples of the East are obsessed only with demonic sorcery like magic, neglecting the tempering of body and mind. How lamentable is this?
└Anonymous: Get outta here.
└Anonymous: (The guy who would've died ages ago without skill cheese actually said this)
-[National Highway]Chronicler: Objectively comparing combat power, it does seem like Baekhwa is stronger than Three Thousand, factually speaking lol
-Cooking Queen: Interesting.
-Anonymous: So, is the Baekhwa guild leader dating the Undertaker?
└dolLHoUse: Not easy.
As you can see, Dang Seo-rin's position as the Korean Peninsula's top idol was shaken.
Coincidentally, Dang Seo-rin's headquarters was in Busan, while Cheon Yo-hwa's base was in Sejong. Ever since Seoul's land prices plummeted to unprecedented lows, the two cities had each become symbolic representatives of the Korean Peninsula.
"It really doesn't make sense."
Dang Seo-rin's stress index traced the same curve as consumer price indices before the apocalypse arrived.
"If she summons spirits, she's a necromancer. Even if it's black magic, she's still a proper mage, right? So why doesn't she wear mage-like robes and instead parades around in a school uniform?"
"It's a sign of belonging. Even if the world ends, we're still alumni from the same school—something like that."
"I don't like it."
"Hmm. If it bothers you that much, how about thinking of it as a Hogwarts uniform? They're mages too, and they wear uniforms."
I thought I'd offered perfectly tailored advice matching her tastes one hundred percent, but Dang Seo-rin turned dead serious.
"Are you insane, Undertaker? Hogwarts uniforms aren't sailor outfits. They're really—not at all. Sorry, but please never utter such nonsense in front of me again."
"......"
Even as fellow magic-type Awakeners, Dang Seo-rin and Cheon Yo-hwa were forging a new rivalry dynamic of "white mage versus black mage"... Well, that's a story for another time.
For now, let me pull out a tale from the 126th round.
2
One day at National Highway Management Corps headquarters, No Do-ha said,
"Undertaker Awakener. I don't usually say things like this..."
"Yes?"
"Aren't you two a bit too close...?"
As she spoke, No Do-ha stared at me with the default grimace etched into her facial muscles.
It was like looking at summer food waste left to fester.
No Do-ha had a talent for making anyone she gazed at question whether her species was Homo sapiens or liver flukes. If her talent for managing organizations and winning hearts hadn't been superior, she wouldn't have survived long.
But right now, even I had no rebuttal against her eye violence.
"Ehehe, Teacher..."
Because Cheon Yo-hwa was clinging to my left arm, fully devolved into a koala in spectacular fashion.
Sure, Cheon Yo-hwa was naturally affectionate and touchy, but this crossed the line.
"No, I'm dying of embarrassment here."
"Embarrassed my ass. You're loving it but pretending not to so you can rub it in everyone else's faces. Hmph. You can't fool my eyes even if you fool the heavens. Your insidious, depraved instincts are plain as day..."
"No Do-ha Corps Leader. I've told you countless times—it's time to replace those eyeballs."
"Oh. Like how your conscience flexibly swaps out...?"
"Oh, what a tragedy. Like Liu Bei failing to recognize talent in the face of depravity, my vision is clouded."
"Fuck, you old fart. I've told you dozens of times not to pull that shitty Three Kingdoms crap...?"
"What? You prefer Romance of the Three Kingdoms over Records of the Grand Historian?"
"You wanna die for real...?"
"This is an anomaly. A mental delusion-type anomaly."
Blink.
No Do-ha peered into my face, then glanced back at Cheon Yo-hwa.
"Ehehehe, Teeeeacher... Teacher saved me. Teacher. Light of my life, fire of my soul, my sin, my everything, my Lolita."
"Hmm."
No Do-ha pulled out her lens cloth and meticulously cleaned her glasses. Then she put them back on and nodded.
"Definitely an anomaly..."
"Right?"
"Yes, sorry about that, Undertaker Awakener. I thought you were pulling your usual trash move of helping people, establishing a power dynamic mentally, then twisting it into romance. My bad..."
"No worries. You're already an affront to the world just by existing—no need to apologize now."
We exchanged heartwarming compliments before diving into a serious strategy meeting.
"When did the Baekhwa Guild Leader start acting like this...?"
"Exactly a week ago. She barged into my hideout alone, without her guild members, and latched on."
"Hmm. She treats the Hundred Ghosts like Pokémon, right? No sane human could control anomalies, so maybe her mind got corrupted and she snapped...?"
"If it were just Yo-hwa, I'd agree..."
"......?"
No Do-ha tilted her head sideways.
"You've got not one, but two clinging to you? Where? I don't see them...?"
"Ah, you can't hear it—the voice of that one."
"Fuck. This guy's starting his bullshit again..."
"Can't help it if lesser mortals can't hear. Only I, the Undertaker, can converse with her, so I'll translate personally."
"Why does this lunatic act normal around others but turn into a total asshole only with me...?"
Ignoring her, I scribbled on a piece of paper.
[Undertaker. It's hard to imagine a world without you.]
[Undertaker. Ethics are societal norms, and society requires at least two people.]
[Undertaker. In that sense, you became a bridge to me, alone as I was—not an exaggeration.]
The words kept coming.
"Huh? What the...?"
No Do-ha's initial bemused gaze darkened progressively.
[Undertaker. Without regressors in this world, countless lives would have been lost to the Ten Tribes.]
[Undertaker. Even if no one else knows, I do.]
[Undertaker. Sorry for always burdening you with such heavy loads.]
[Undertaker. I, the world—we are being saved by you.]
"......"
No Do-ha's jaw dropped. If turned into a gacha game skin, it'd be at least UR rarity.
"No way... this is from Saintess...?"
"Yep."
"Haaaaah...?"
"Surprised?"
"Most shocked I've ever been."
"She's sending these in real-time like KakaoTalk messages. Once every 10 seconds."
"......"
"I begged her to cut it down. A week ago, it was every second. Who knew telepathy could become infinite KakaoTalk? My mental state is melted chocolate now."
"Hmm..."
No Do-ha groaned. Silence settled over the meeting room (though not silent for me, with Saintess messages pouring in).
Cheon Yo-hwa beside me kept giggling "hehe" like endless BGM.
"Got it. So... any guesses on what this fucked-up anomaly is...?"
"Yes. Just pinpoint the common factor in the two showing symptoms."
Cheon Yo-hwa clung because I "saved" her. Saintess sent endless praise because I'm "saving" the world.
'Savior Syndrome.'
Or 'Savior Narrative Syndrome.'
That was the name of this absurd anomaly.
3
Salvation.
A narrative trope common in genre fiction: amid universal persecution where everyone piles on, only the protagonist dramatically appears—ta-da!—to rescue the character.
Naturally, the rescued character feels infinite affection and gratitude toward the protagonist.
Why natural? Try handing 1 million won to a gambler who lost everything at Kangwon Land without question.
The difference: the gambler's life exists in reality and barely changes, while the fictional character's does—escaping rock bottom thanks to that 1 million won worth of help.
Simple example highlighting savior narrative points:
'Ahh! I was a noble lady, but wicked schemes ruined my family, and I was sold to a slave trader.'
'Without your help, I'd have despised all humanity, become a demon, led the demon king's army, and triggered the worst bad end. (Point 1)'
'But you saved me from that bad end route, awakening a hidden talent that made me far stronger. (Point 2)'
'You sacrificed and bled for a mere slave. You could have ignored me like others, passed by. Why go so far for someone like me? (Point 3)'
'Spending time with you, I realized: you're the type who saves others at personal cost. So, I'll support you from behind, with everything I have. (Point 4)'
Of course, endless variations exist—like copycat "originals" sprouting next to a hit restaurant.
Point 4 could become: 'Spending time with you, I realized: you're only kind to me. You treat only me special. So, I'll devote everything to you.'
The core: To the character, the protagonist holds value rivaling "the world itself," or shoulders "the world's weight" alone in place of others.
Thus, the protagonist "deserves praise."
No, even endless praise falls short. Worldly misery is infinite, yet the protagonist bears it endlessly, eternally "wounded." (Point 5)
"—That's the summary from our genre-lit otaku staff well-versed in the grammar..."
"Excellent."
If I'd met O Dok-seo (Awakened version) by then, I'd have figured it out myself, but 119th-round me was distant from genre lit.
No Do-ha? Forget it—she hasn't even seen Lord of the Rings or Harry Potter movies.
We two ordinary folk were thrilled by the Management Corps staff's perfect [Analysis of Savior Narratives] report.
In short, like office bosses—laymen in the field—glancing at subordinates' tidy reports and feeling, "Okay, with my brilliant brain and vast experience, I've mastered an expert domain I've never touched before."
"Then the solution's simple."
"Oh? What is it...?"
"The savior just needs to be an 'ungodly human.' Like secretly tormenting cute fairies behind others' backs, or general scummy behavior. Savior Syndrome won't hold."
"Oh..."
"Starting today, let's abuse some fairies. Views sanctifying me will crumble, and the anomaly will lose power and vanish."
"As expected of the Undertaker Awakener. Vile personality, but no one grasps anomalies better, you human scum..."
"Thanks. Still a long way from the Corps Leader."
"Hmm..."
We basked in self-praise, convinced of victory.
I reiterate: No Do-ha and I were no genre experts.
Yet we held power overseeing the Korean Peninsula's yin and yang—decision-makers. The Saintess, who'd normally audit us properly, was utterly broken.
History repeats.
Lack of expertise + unchecked absolute power. Humanity's proven for millennia what clusterfuck that births.
Tragedy was inevitable from here.