Chapter 283

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

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The Hypocrite II

After countless experiments, Yu Ji-won’s type revealed itself to be “a man of power.”

“No, that’s somewhat incorrect information.”

Surprised, I asked, “What?”

“To be precise, a woman of power would suffice as well. Even if Your Excellency, the Undertaker were to change your gender this very moment, my feelings for you would remain unaltered.”

The gaze that stared at me expressionlessly sent chills down my spine.

...In any case, Yu Ji-won had a singular criterion when evaluating people.

Gender? Age? Build? Appearance? None of that mattered. Only one thing did:

“How capable are they of manipulating others?” Or, put another way, “How firmly can they impose their will?”

By coincidence, these conditions aligned perfectly with a regressor.

“If Your Excellency wished, you could turn Dang Seo-rin into a tyrant of unparalleled infamy or transform Cheon Yo-hwa into a devil incarnate. Of course, those are merely examples,” Ji-won added. “If Your Excellency desired, you could mold Oh Dok-seo into a diligent serial author or turn Sim Ah-ryeon into a paragon of virtue.”

“No, that’s a bit—” But the sight of Ji-won quietly sipping away at drip coffee had me taking back my words before they could escape.

To the psychopath before me, I was nothing more than “the pinnacle of power.” Everything else was secondary. It might be an unexpected analogy, but...

‘In some ways, this person is like my mirror.’

Yu Ji-won had no fixed patterns. Her actions shifted every cycle, always contingent on me, the regressor. Every scenario was just a series of “what-ifs.” Yet I could vividly imagine what her course might be in any given run.

If I pursued a society of endless competition and survival of the fittest, she would gladly race to the cutting edge of natural selection.

If I aimed for a community that coexisted with Anomalies like the residents of the Forsaken Village, she would immerse herself in Void poison more eagerly than anyone.

If I confessed that I wanted to take it easy and rest during any particular cycle, she would abandon all goals, even forsaking her ambitions with the National Road Management Corps, to join me in leisure. ꭆἈΝ𝙤βЕṦ

In this way, Yu Ji-won was far from a typical psychopath. If anything, she had reached the extreme of such a limiting description.

Even her very life, something normal people get only one shot at, was a resource she used to the fullest for “the ultimate final cycle yet to come.” She consumed and utilized herself, all of it to avoid elimination and ensure success in the regressor-shaped world as dictated by the Undertaker.

“Good morning, Lady Lee Ha-yul.”

“...?”

“May this morning find you well. I hope you slept peacefully. Should you encounter any inconveniences in your daily life, especially ones you cannot bring to His Excellency, the Undertaker, please do not hesitate to inform me. I will assist immediately.”

“......???”

And so, perhaps inevitably, Ji-won was always polite to my companions. Almost to the point of contradicting the stereotype that “psychopaths lack empathy.” To Ha-yul, who was younger and weaker, she invariably addressed her as “Lady” or “Young Miss.” She even respectfully called Dok-seo, someone whom others ignored, either “Author” or “Writer.” However, once you understood her logic, it became clear that this too was calculated behavior.

“Aren’t they all people cherished by Your Excellency?”

Her unwavering focus remained solely on me.

“Your Excellency treasures those around you. More precisely, you surround yourself with people you can cherish.”

“Hmm.”

“Your Excellency has referred to them as ‘the keepers of your heart.’ It is only natural for me to respect them.”

By the 703rd cycle, it was almost terrifying.

https://dsc.gg/reapercomics

Now, this isn’t a tale from that same cycle, but once, there was an incident...

One day, while walking through the Inunaki Tunnel, I heard Ah-ryeon screaming.

“Ack! Aah!”

Startled, I hurried over. Soon, I discovered her with Ji-won in a café at a depth of 1,000 meters.

“You’re recovering far too slowly,” Ji-won, seemingly unaware of my presence, said coldly as she gazed down at Ah-ryeon. “Look at this. The wound on your finger healed in two seconds, yet the cut on mine took a full ten seconds. This disparity means your regenerative ability is biased toward yourself rather than others.”

“B-but it hurts...”

“I’m not asking for the impossible. Experience has proven that this level of injury can heal within two seconds. The eight-second delay lies entirely in your mental fortitude.”

“Ugh...”

“Believe in your potential. Push yourself. We won’t stop training today until we reduce that eight-second gap to two seconds.”

Then, without hesitation, Ji-won raised a blade and cut both her own and Ah-ryeon’s fingers—a so-called “training session.”

“What the hell are you doing?!” I shouted.

“Ah! G-Guild Leader...!” Ah-ryeon bolted toward me and hid behind my back. Sniffling and whimpering, she clung to me, tears threatening to spill, as she cried, “Team Leader Y-Yu Ji-won... She said I’ve been neglecting my t-training since I’m always holed up in the hideout... so she decided to personally tutor me... but it hurts... She’s b-been torturing my fingers like this all morning!”

It is at this point I must confess something: I have a peculiar tendency to boil over whenever Sim Ah-ryeon genuinely says she’s in pain. It’s probably a proverbial turn of the tables caused by the constant expectation I place on her to act like the Saintess of the North.

Suppressing the heat of my rising fury, I demanded, “Explain yourself, Ji-won.”

“I heard that plans are underway to establish the Eastern Holy State centered around Sim Ah-ryeon.”

“So?”

“This project forms a critical part of Your Excellency’s strategy for the Korean Peninsula. I deemed it essential for Sim Ah-ryeon to undergo rigorous preparation before deployment.” Ji-won’s expression betrayed no doubt, only absolute conviction in her actions as she concluded, “Even if it is just her healing abilities, maximizing their potential would surely alleviate some of Your Excellency’s concerns.”

A realization struck me then, firm and undeniable.

To most people, her reasoning might seem overly strict or perhaps even admirable. Some might argue that she was just being a little forceful to ensure everything goes smoothly for the regressor or that it was just a small wound, no big deal.

However, I understood the deeper truth.

‘This is my fault.’

Why?

‘Because I’ve treated Sim Ah-ryeon poorly in the past. Yu Ji-won must’ve concluded that she was someone who could be treated without consequence.’

That’s right.

Every day, Ah-ryeon loved to play tricks on me. In the real world and especially on SG Net, where she delighted in teasing ZERO_SUGAR. And I, in turn, genuinely enjoyed teasing her back. When she acted outrageously, I’d react with a dramatic groan, and when she crossed the line, I’d scold her. She thrived on that dynamic.

But Ji-won had misunderstood.

To her, the essence of our interactions wasn’t “closeness” but “contempt.” She failed to distinguish between the two.

Yu Ji-won lacked the ability to comprehend relationships where affection manifested as mockery, or where someone took delight in being the subject of irreverence. And so, she treated Sim Ah-ryeon harshly, just as I had.

“Ji-won.”

“Yes?”

“Ah-ryeon here... She’s someone I hold very dear, just like Ha-yul. Not just because her abilities are rare, but because we’ve built countless bonds over many cycles. Those memories are precious to me.”@@novelbin@@

Ji-won blinked. Her eyes, clearer than glass, briefly flickered.

I mustered my strength and continued, saying, “So... I don’t dislike or look down on her. Ah-ryeon just has a different emotional framework from most people. For her, when someone treats others respectfully but acts rude toward her alone, she interprets that rudeness as a sign of friendship. That’s just the way she is.”

“Eeeek! G-Guild Leader, what are you saying?! How embarrassing!”

Behind me, Ah-ryeon flailed in protest, but I ignored her. She simply disliked having her feelings exposed like this.

At the end of the day, explanations like this were the only way to get through to Ji-won.

“So if you want to earn Ah-ryeon’s favor, you’ll need to act the exact opposite of how you’ve been acting.”

“Hmm.” Ji-won sheathed her dagger and asked, “Does that mean that, while I disregard others’ feelings, I must be considerate of Sim Ah-ryeon’s alone? And that such behavior would convince her of her unique status, causing her to feel goodwill toward me?”

“Exactly. Though it’s less about liking you and more about cherishing the relationship itself.”

“I find that difficult to understand.”

“Ah-ryeon is naturally hard to understand.”

“Yes, but still...”

She then turned to Ah-ryeon and bowed deeply. Startled, Ah-ryeon flinched and clung tighter to my arm.

“I apologize, Miss Sim Ah-ryeon.” When she got no response, Ji-won carried on. “Although it was for the sake of the Korean Peninsula’s future, I deeply regret forcing you to train without considering your perspective.”

“N-no... It’s fine... I-I understood the n-necessity of training...” Ah-ryeon stammered awkwardly, clearly flustered.

Ji-won’s nationalistic rhetoric was undoubtedly her way of aligning with my goals as the regressor. After Ah-ryeon departed, Ji-won turned back to me and bowed again.

“Your Excellency, Undertaker. Since Pyongyang lies well beyond the National Road Management Corps’ jurisdiction, I concluded that thoroughly preparating Sim Ah-ryeon was crucial to ensure the project’s smooth execution.”

Her words were precise, but the emotions she sought couldn’t be expressed in mere syllables.

I kept my reply direct. “Don’t worry. I’m neither disappointed nor upset with you. I won’t judge or abandon you over something like this.” She remained quiet as I said, “Instead, I should apologize for not clarifying this to you earlier. I’ll make sure to warn you beforehand next time.”

“Thank you, Your Excellency.”

Such incidents made it clear: Yu Ji-won was my mirror. Through her, I saw whether I was living correctly, how I treated others. Her behavior faithfully replicated my attitudes.

How could I not cherish her?

Even if she never grasped the concept of “pure goodwill” or experienced “unconditional love,” she had her own way of forming bonds.

And that’s why, in this regressor’s journey, I could never leave Yu Ji-won behind. After all, there wasn’t a single human in this world who wasn’t a “defective product” in some way.

And so, in the 703rd cycle—

“Your Excellency.”

Despite my efforts to guide Yu Ji-won toward a better path, despite her own best attempts to follow me—

The combination of our efforts produced the worst outcome.

“I think I’m beginning to understand what ‘goodness’ is.”

It all began with the death of the Saintess.

Footnotes:

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