Chapter 252

Editor: echo

Discord: https://dsc.gg/reapercomics

◈ I’m an Infinite Regressor, But I’ve Got Stories to Tell

Chapter 252

The Mastermind III

Sensing the ominous look on my face, Infinite Void flailed its arms desperately.

“Hold on, hold on, hold on! Can we not jump to bringing out the Aura without at least hearing an explanation?”

“No need to bother. Judging by your tone, it’s not a joke, and I’d sooner hit reset than have a child with you.”

“No, wait! Just listen! No suicide, stop it!”

Infinite Void leaped off the table and hugged me. I intended to shake it off lightly, but an unimaginable force constricted me from both sides.

Squeeeeze.

Stubborn as ever, it wasn’t the feeble creature it had been. Having regained some degree of its powers, Infinite Void was no longer a mere weakling. I was immobilized.

“Ugh,” I grunted.

“Aha! You’ve really grown weak, haven’t you, sun-ba-eee?”

“...”

“The sunbae who used to smack me around with Aura back when I was sealed is now this frail little human girl? Ohoho! Even a being like me, free from the emotions of the Eight Desires and Seven Feelings, feels an Awakening coming on!”

This was truly humiliating. To think the aftereffects of unleashing all my Aura in the Final Defense War would linger so long.

“Come on now, no need to glare at me so intensely. Anyway, there’s a perfectly reasonable justification for my proposal. You know me, right? Infinite Void, the Akashic Record whose essence and purpose is to gather the data of all things in the cosmos.”

“And?”

“Hold on, hear me out. Even though I’ve somewhat regained my powers, there’s still one piece of data I’ve utterly failed to obtain. Guess what it is?”

“I have no idea. Humanity, perhaps?”

“Oh, sharp guess. But honestly, I think I’m more human than that Ji-won girl, sunbae, who happened to be born a bona fide Homo sapien.”

I couldn’t argue with that. If Ji-Won had failed so spectacularly at being human that even an Outer God disqualified her from the running, just what kind of beast test did this being pass with flying colors...? R̃

Infinite Void clocked my sour mood and sneered at me.

“The one thing I’ve never been able to obtain. Ta-dah!. It’s your experience of childbirth and parenting!”

“What?”

“Sunbae, you’ve never once had a child, let alone raised one, have you? I don’t know all the specifics of the other runs, but I know that much—it’s obvious.”

“...”

“This gap in my data is, to put it in terms a human could understand... It’s like being one roll away from completing a gacha collection? It’s an urge that’s hard to resist on a primal level.”

“How absurd.”

I gave it a light push. This time, it didn’t resist or exert any strength to hold me back. It took a few playful steps back, making a silly ack-ack! sound.

“Why do you think I’d accept your proposal?” I grumbled. “Having a child just to satisfy a craving like that isn’t right, and what’s more, a proposal like ‘Work with me, and give me your child’ is the quintessential devil’s scheme.”

“Aw, but aren’t you at least a little curious? I mean, it’s a child between you and me—a child of the Outer God and the regressor.” Infinite Void put its hands behind its back. Its red eyes narrowed. “A being of extraordinary power might be born—a game-changer, a variable that could completely overturn the endless cycle of reincarnation you’re trapped in.”

“...”

“The moment when myth itself is created. A being half Outer God and half human... What do you think? Could this be the true route to the ‘True Ending?’”

“Impossible. Propose something else.”

“Aw.” Infinite Void pouted. “Boring. I bet you’re going to reject my request to call me the Hyakki Yagyo too, right?”

“Naturally.”

“This won’t do, that won’t do... Typical regressor, acting all high and mighty.”

I didn’t bother responding.

Right now, it was skillfully mimicking Cheon Yo-hwa’s voice and gestures. It had broken down and reproduced my loved one’s data with precision. The title had switched from “Teacher” to “Sunbae,” and its speech shifted to casual language, but otherwise, it was an impeccable replica of Yo-hwa.

An obvious trick meant to lull me into dropping my guard.

I had no reason to entertain such childish pranks.

“Hmm? Odd. Even though I layered multiple mental weakening effects in the room before you arrived, it’s having no effect on you.”

“...”

“A regular human would’ve lost their mind at the mere sight of me. I suppose Go Yuri really did mess with you, huh? Alright then, sunbae. Here’s my next proposal.”

“Go on.”

Infinite Void tilted its head. “Remember my goodwill.”

I furrowed my brow. “What does that mean?”

“It means just what it says. This time, I’ll cooperate free of charge, so later on, just call it a debt.”

“...”

“For this cycle only, I’ll actively assist you in defeating the Mastermind. No demands like transferring memories to my next reincarnation, passing on data, or even securing exclusive rights to the fairies.”

With its hands behind its back, Infinite Void leaned in close. Its crimson eyes peered straight into mine.

“In other words, a debt.”

Just as I was about to answer, it reached out, pressing a finger to my lips.

“Sorry. Before you reject my final offer, give it a little more thought, sunbae. I’m crafty, you know. I might just turn against you and side with the Mastermind, swallowing you whole.”

I kept quiet.

We stood there, a silence stretching between us.

After a long pause, Infinite Void, still gazing into my eyes, smiled faintly. Withdrawing its hand, it held out its own for a handshake.

“Alright, a deal is made! Love you, sunbae. Let’s work well together from now on!”

“Go to hell...”

“Huh? How’s that an insult? Did you forget that Infernal Hell is also a name you gave me?”

Arguing with an Anomaly was pointless.

Translator: ZERO_SUGAR

Editor: echo

https://dsc.gg/reapercomics

Surprisingly, Infinite Void seemed to understand concepts like “promise,” “faith,” and “loyalty” after all.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om

“Here in the vast emptiness of the Great Void, or as you call it, the Divine Realm, there’s a reason why I specifically set the background to be a ‘Research Facility.’”

Draped in the guise of Yo-hwa, Infinite Void was genuinely doing its best to assist me.

“There are restricted areas within the research lab. Access varies depending on the level of the researcher.”

“So clear rules exist, then?”

“Exactly!” Infinite Void said, giggling. “In a research facility handling Anomalies, rules run rampant. And the Anomalies generally follow these rules—just like now.”

With a snap, Infinite Void’s fingers clicked, and static crackled over the speakers embedded in the lab ceiling.

[Attention, all researchers in Section C.]

[It is mealtime. Researchers in Section C should stop their tasks and gather in the cafeteria.]

[Repeating, all Section C researchers, please cease work and proceed to the cafeteria. Over.]

A hint of surprise snuck over me. It was almost identical to the announcement from a few hours ago.

“Did you control that speaker too?”

“Who am I? The ruler of Hyakki Yagyo. I bet you’ve seen something similar before.”

“Oh.”

Suddenly, I recalled the time I’d served as a security guard at Baekhwa Girls’ High, subduing spirits. Back then, the school’s spirits would possess “speakers” or “radios” to deceive students too.

“All of Hyakki Yagyo under my command has been set loose in the Divine Realm. The Fairy King you’re wearing isn’t my only pawn!”

“So you’re using Hyakki Yagyo to manipulate the Mastermind’s Anomalies, ordering them to gather in the cafeteria or move elsewhere.”

“Exactly. Thanks to that, I could arrange this little rendezvous with you.”

Truly a power worthy of an Outer God.

While Yo-hwa’s abilities allowed for NPC Creation to influence behavior, Infinite Void went a step further, imposing entire backgrounds and rules onto the Void itself. This was its so-called Data Input, a power that was likewise responsible for creating tutorial dungeons across the world, with survival as the reward for passing each test.

“Well, as you saw, the Mastermind is putting up one hell of a fight, so I’m running into some snags here and there... But after I’ve done all this to help, you can handle the rest, right?”

I accepted the provocation.

Over the next few days, I settled into life in the research lab. As far as research work went, it mostly consisted of observing a “simulated universe,” eating, and sleeping—a routine that was easy to adapt to. Occasionally, we researchers gathered for simulation tests, where the group pretended to exchange expert opinions.

“Maybe we should raise the Saintess’s power levels to slow down the world’s end.”

“No, no, it’s better to give the Sword Marquess some social skills. If he fully realizes his potential, he can do anything on his own.”

“Am I the only one betting on the Sword Marquess?”

“Reaching Rejuvenation mode requires such specific conditions... You have to befriend Undertaker, right? A bit much, no?”

The researchers constantly ran simulations, each round in the simulated universe lasting roughly 20 years until it reached destruction. However, those years were only perceived within the simulated universe itself. Outside the simulation, things were different. By simply adjusting the time dilation setting, the researchers could make ten years flash by in an instant.

“Oh, look at this! The Saintess has fallen into Corruption again.”

“Wow, it’s always a sight to see the entire universe just come to a standstill.”

“We were just about to build a strong alliance between the Sword Marquess and Undertaker, but then she crossed over to China and got herself killed...”

“A natural death.”

“Hey, no matter how many simulations I run, the results keep coming out the same. What am I supposed to do with this?”

“Idiot. You’re just tinkering with the settings within Korea. Try adjusting variables in places outside the Saintess’s field of vision!”

For the researchers, the end of the world in the simulated universe was merely a point of academic curiosity.

Instead of getting angry at the Anomalies’ behavior, I focused on a different aspect.

‘Some of these simulated scenarios mirror real events almost exactly.’

Take, for instance, the scenario that had just unfolded in one of the simulations before me, comparing it to a particular run in my life.

A. Simulated Universe: The Undertaker builds a Regression Alliance > The Undertaker establishes a ranch to develop dinosaurs > UFO lands in Manchuria and crushes the Monster Wave > Cheon Yo-hwa is devoured by Infinite Void > World destroyed by UFO and Infinite Void

B. Undertaker’s 340th run: Regression Alliance is built > A ranch is established to develop dinosaurs for use in managing national highways > Attempt made to use a UFO as a barrier, but balance issues caused it to fail > Cheon Yo-hwa goes berserk fighting aliens from the UFO > World destroyed

As you can see, they were almost identical.

Why, then, was the Outer God running more than a thousand simulations like this, continuously and tirelessly?

‘It’s to render me, a regressor, powerless.’

Yes.

I, the Undertaker, categorized the world where the above events took place as the “340th run,” so according to my memory, it was the 340th world, naturally.

But the Outer God Mastermind was interpreting the same events in a different way.

[No.]

[This is merely a scenario produced by the 655th simulated universe for the 13,290,578,935th time.]

[You are not a regressor.]

[You are simply a puppet in the simulated universe.]

A chill ran down my spine.

‘To think that an Outer God-class Anomaly would go to such great lengths to degrade me as a Regressor.’

Being a regressor was a cheat code in itself. My very existence was nothing short of a calamity for the Anomalies.

If there was ever a living testament to this, it was the weakling Infinite Void fighting the Mastermind here in this domain. Even if one managed to subdue all the fairies in the tutorial and barricade themselves in Baekhwa High’s underground bunker, what good would it do? A regressor could simply “click” and tear it all down.

From the moment a regressor Awakened on Earth—and as it happened, one whose mental fortitude was forged of steel, capable of declaring, “I can do this forever”—the Anomalies, no matter how powerful, were inevitably bound to fall to ruin.

For the Anomalies to escape the regressor’s grasp, a more complex strategy was required.

‘And that strategy... is these simulated universes.’

The Mastermind’s strategy was remarkably effective. It didn’t try to defeat the regressor in battle, not when stepping into the ring would only guarantee its loss. No, it chose to control the match from outside the ring.

“Fairy King. How many simulated universes have we identified so far?”

- Answer: As of now, 3,505 simulated universes have been catalogued.

- Supplementary Information: Each simulation takes approximately one hour to complete. The researchers work an average of twelve hours a day.

- Conclusion: Thus, over 42,100 simulation scenarios are generated per day.

“Good grief.”

I complete one run every twenty years. This Outer God completes over 40,000 simulations in a single day, and even that was likely a conservative estimate.

In a sheer numbers game, there was no winning.

“So if we were to aggregate all the simulations the Mastermind has run, and isolate only those that match the events of my life...”

- Affirmative: All the paths you’ve walked can be explained by the simulated universe scenarios.

- Additional Information: From the 4th run to the 687th, even if there are thousands or tens of thousands of iterations, the Mastermind can explain all of them as outputs from the simulated universe.

- Explanation: Infinite Void’s suggestion to produce a child with you wasn’t merely to satisfy its curiosity. It was to introduce an absolute variable into the simulation.

“......”

Watching the researchers, who had taken on the appearance of various Anomalies, chatter and bicker, I recalled moments from my past.

Those times, at the brink of each world-ending crisis, when the “Mastermind” would speak to me, channeling voices through people like Seo Gyu and the Saintess.

“I’ve set up countless stratagems behind the scenes. Hyung, I was the one who brought about the world’s end.”

“Mr. Undertaker, I orchestrated every bit of destruction.”

It hadn’t been a joke, nor an exaggeration.

Mastermind Syndrome had never lied to me. The Outer God had truly woven “countless stratagems” “behind the scenes,” and had “orchestrated every bit of destruction.”

Even at this very moment.

No matter how much I resisted, my regression would always be reduced to just one of the simulated universe’s scenarios.

“107?”

At that moment, the researchers all turned to me.

“Researcher 107, what’s your take?”

“Yeah. What variable should we add to derive a new apocalyptic scenario?”

“India or Europe sounds good, right? Or outer space?”

“Actually, as long as it’s outside the range of Clairvoyance and the Mini-Map, anywhere is fine. Whether it’s deep within the Earth or even beyond it.”

“What’s 107’s idea?”

The researchers, who had taken on the forms of Old Man Scho, Dang Seo-rin, Oh Dok-seo, and Sim Ah-ryeon, had hollow, vacant eyes.

Blending in to avoid suspicion, I replied, “Yes, my suggestion is...”

I chose my words carefully, all the while thinking this:

This vast Divine Realm was, in essence, nothing more than a murder factory meticulously designed by the Outer God to kill me.

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