Click.
"You son of a bitch!"
……
"What kind of bullshit is that?"
"Ehh… yes?"
"You son of a bitch! If you suddenly bring in people, you should apologize first instead of flapping your mouth!"
"No, uh. It wasn't who did it. I'm just the person in charge…"
"You son of a bitch! Still, you said you're the person in charge, right? Huh? Aren't you going to apologize?"
"No… I was told by seniors that this kind of person is rare these days. Humans have gotten cunning, so provoking them doesn't work…"
"…"
[1. Anyway, just an extra. Soone who starts cursing recklessly can't have any hidden potential unknown to . I'm too busy saving the world to waste ti on minor characters. I leave him be.]
[2. There are no extras in this world. Who knows if he has so story about needing to see his family imdiately? There are still many things I don't know. I'll save him.]
Click.
[1. Anyway, just an extra. Soone who starts cursing recklessly can't have any hidden potential unknown to . I'm too busy saving the world to waste ti on minor characters. I leave him be.] ◀
Click.
"Ah. There you are."
"You son of a bitch! Are you mocking ?"
"Ho."
…….
"Is it done now? Okay! Everyone, follow my lead!"
"Screee! S-soone died…! A person! Eee, they're dead! Eeee! Soone's dead…!"
Click.
[End of Service Notice.]
Click.
[Hello, players. This is the Admin of the Infinite taga.]
[It seems we're about to embark on a new journey.]
[It might take a very long ti to reach our new destination, but we hope to et you again sowhere at the end of this Möbius loop.]
[Thank you.]
[We really hope to et you again.]
"……."
[1. As expected. Human relationships can't persist once tainted by the Void-Toxin of the Outer Gods. The void stains even the deepest of human emotions. Not even the Saintess and the Fury could stand against it. Humanity was only ever this much.]
[2. ■■■ appears before you.]
Click.
[1. As expected. Human relationships can't persist once tainted by the Void-Toxin of the Outer Gods. The void stains even the deepest of human emotions. Not even the Saintess and the Fury could stand against it. Humanity was only ever this much.] ◀
Click.
"Wait a mont."
…….
"Hold on. Admin of the Infinite taga. If you possess the intelligence and understanding to grasp human language, then don't close the server yet and hear my proposal."
…….
"As you can see, I'm not tainted by you. I assu the sa for you. Don’t you think a sort of compromise is needed here so we don’t endlessly repeat this stalemate?"
[The Admin of the Infinite taga is always dedicated to providing you with the best service possible.]
[Please leave your inquiry.]
"Let's collaborate."
…….
"I don't know how many formidable anomalies like you exist on Earth, but cooperate with in hunting them down. After all, they must be your competitors as well, aren't they?"
[The Admin of the Infinite taga is tirelessly working to fix bugs occurring in the ga.]
"anwhile, don’t try to ensnare indiscriminately. It's a non-aggression pact. As long as you don't betray , I won’t harm you."
[Waiting for response.]
"For your information, this is the first and last ti I'm making such a proposal. Admin of the Infinite taga."
[Waiting for response.]
"I could even eradicate all humans living on Earth, eliminating any potential ‘custors’ to infect you with."
[Waiting for response.]
…….
[Response completed.]
Click.
Click.
Click.
1.
[A new cycle has begun.]
A familiar chanical sound.
Listening to ssages that seed as if foreigners of different nationalities were struggling to pronounce Korean—The Undertaker lifted his eyelids.
A place more dreadful than the Primordial Village.
The scenery of the Departure Hall of Busan Station's Tutorial Dungeon entered his view.
"W-what is this? Where am I?"
"Huh? Busan Station? I was just at a park…"
"Master? Master, where are you?"
Murmuring.
The people who had similarly regained consciousness in the hall gradually raised the volu of their noise.
But the Undertaker paid no heed to their noise.
After all, it was just useless chatter that didn't help at all in his 'strategy'.
Amid the noisy crowd, there was only one sound he tuned into.
[The Admin of the Infinite taga is blessing you.]
It was a ssage from a constellation that could be heard by no one else but the Undertaker.
"Hmm."
The corners of the Undertaker's mouth curled up slightly.
He continued his monologue in his mind, as he had no need to outwardly reveal his conversation with his personal constellation.
"A blessing, is it. Alright, not bad. I'd appreciate it if you bestowed a sowhat useful blessing this ti."
In the last cycle.
The Undertaker had cooperated with the Infinite taga and successfully vanquished another Outer God, a monstrous entity known as 'Mastermind'.
It was a formidable adversary.
And from what the Undertaker had observed so far, every ti he defeated one of these anomalies, the quality of the 'service' provided by the Infinite taga seed to improve increntally.
"Now. Let's see what kind of blessing has been added this ti."
Even though he was starting the sa repetitive life again, his subtle anticipation was clear.
[The Admin of the Infinite taga is pleased to announce that you can now freely access the status display service from the start of server initiation.]
"Oh."
The Undertaker whistled unconsciously.
At that mont, the tutorial fairy appeared in the departure hall and was fiercely berated by a man exclaiming nonsense.
With all the attention focused there, nobody seed to notice the Undertaker's whistling as peculiar.
"Nice, isn't it? The status display always unlocked a bit later, which was inconvenient. Now, I can even check the statuses of those who fall at Busan Station."
[Announcing additional updates.]
[The status display will now provide players with more detailed information.]
[Skill tree! A detailed roadmap on how to develop certain skills and the potential of NPCs will be provided.]
NPC.
It was a word that always made him feel uncomfortable.
However, the Undertaker chose not to point it out.
He had long realized that pointing it out wouldn't change the way the Admin of the Infinite taga thought.
The Infinite taga wasn’t human. Just because the ssage was displayed in human language didn’t an one could expect any humanity.
"Alright. Let's try using it promptly."
Without revealing his discomfort at all, the Undertaker surveyed his surroundings.
"Let's see. Where's a suitable candidate… ah, there."
At that mont, blood splattered across the waiting room.
Unable to withstand the verbal assault from the man shouting nonsense, the fairy had exploded his head.
A typical WWE... no, UFC mont, causing the Undertaker to chuckle inwardly.
"Well, I guess I can’t check that human’s potential anymore. Not that it mattered since he was just an extra and probably useless."
[The Admin of the Infinite taga agrees with your opinion.]
"Ti to scout for so talent."
The Undertaker road the Tutorial Dungeon, examining the abilities of the NPCs.
Of course, he was careful not to exhibit behavior that was overly conspicuous or could be mistaken for a cold-blooded deanor.
Was it because the Undertaker was inherently kind-hearted? Hardly. If it ca to erasing anomalies from this world, the Undertaker was willing to sacrifice anything.
That list of sacrifices naturally included commoners and even the awakened. Most of humanity would probably hesitate when asked, "Is the Undertaker a benevolent figure?"
Thus, the reason he hid his ruthless side was for a different reason.
"Infinite taga."
[Awaiting response.]
"The Saintess watching from Seoul must be observing us even now, right?"
ID: Saintess. Location: Yongsan, Seoul.
The awakened known as the Saintess, whom the Undertaker was well familiar with, possessed remarkably powerful abilities. Clairvoyance was one of them.
[Response: Affirmative.]
[The current engagent of 'Saintess' includes monitoring the status of the Busan Station Tutorial Dungeon every 120 seconds on average.]
Of course, being powerful didn’t an she was immune to the Void-Toxin of the Outer Gods.
She was not blessed by a true constellation like him but was instead dealing with usurpers.
Still, to avoid lowering her favorability, it was necessary to keep his cold-blooded nature concealed.
"Nothing out of the ordinary, then… inform promptly when there's a lapse in surveillance. That's when I need to take care of Lee Baek."
[Response: Affirmative.]
Monts later.
[The Admin of the Infinite taga informs you that the Saintess's surveillance has ceased montarily.]
[Remaining ti: 118 seconds.]
Dash!
Without hesitation, the Undertaker began his stride. There was no hesitation in his steps.
After all, he was well aware of where Lee Baek's group holed themselves up in this hunting ground around this ti.
Crash!
With explosive montum, the Undertaker burst through the entrance of the underground restaurant occupied by Lee Baek's gang.
"Eh?"
The flying debris from the shattered door struck the two awakened guards, sending them sprawling. Instant death.
Lee Baek and his gang were bullying soone in the middle of the restaurant.
With a quick glance.
The Undertaker swiftly confird that a woman with green hair was crouched down. Her clothes bore the marks of having been kicked, and in front of her lay a squashed sandwich.
Perhaps they crushed the sandwich, mocking her that to eat she’d have to lick their boots?
"Typical antics of worthless extras."
Resource monopolization. Enforced hierarchy in distribution. Proving one's rank through violence. A painfully predictable repertoire.
In this world, the Undertaker was the one existence free from the pull of the 'ordinary'. A player.
While the extras all gaped at the wreckage of the door, which the player had destroyed, with incredulous expressions.
"Hey, what are you doing right n—"
And that beca their last expression.
Bang! Even at a considerable distance away, as the Undertaker swung his fist, Lee Baek's head exploded.
Even if it was a group of extras, he didn’t randomly attack the small fry needlessly.
In fact, because they were a group of extras, it made all the more sense to target the leader first.
See how it turned out.
"Eek, screeee!"
"Run! It's a monster! A monster!"
With the leader gone, it was only then the rest grasped reality and started to flee in panic.
But there was nowhere to run. The exit to the restaurant was already blocked by the Undertaker.
They rely served to prove that the Busan Station Tutorial Dungeon was an infamous 'head-bursting' spot.
"Whew."
The Undertaker flexed his fist.
"How much ti?"
[Remaining ti: 63 seconds.]
"Plenty."
Having dealt with the last extra hiding in the restaurant refrigerator, the Undertaker returned to his original location.
"..., ..."
There lay a survivor.
The green-haired woman, previously subjected to the violence of Lee Baek’s gang, was still crouched and huddled.
"Hmm."
He was aware of her na. Sim Ah-ryeon.
A fairly decent healer but with a very clear growth ceiling, not quite the talent fit for joining any aningful party.
In literal terms, a third-rate awakened.
Occasionally showed up when a coalition of awakened fighters was assembled from all over the nation, but otherwise, he hadn’t encountered her after the Busan Station Tutorial Dungeon.
"Hey."
The Undertaker crouched down.
"Let ask you sothing."
"…"
"You must have sensed people dying and general chaos around you, yet you haven’t once raised your head. Why are you still keeping it down?"
"…"
Amidst disheveled hair and the bloodstained floor, a voice squeezed its way out.
"Because if I look, you might kill ."
"Kill you? Who would?"
"You."
"…"
"I didn’t see anything."
The Undertaker's eyes widened.
[Remaining ti: 40 seconds.]
For the first ti in a long ti, he felt a spark of interest.
"I won’t kill you."
She still didn’t lift her head.
"I promise. On my life."
Even then, she did not raise her head.
"If needed, I’d rather sew your eyes shut and cut off your tongue, or take you as a slave and drag you around, but I won’t take your life here and now."
Only then did she look up.
Their eyes t.
At that intense connection, an eerie chill ran down the Undertaker's neck.
Those eyes. They were not human eyes. They belonged to a beast.
Eyes that deed everything else inferior, re animals compared to itself, pure beastly eyes looked back at him.
Her eyebrows were anxious, and her gaze seed weak. Her eyelids hung as if burdened with sentint, and the corners of her lips were set in a nervous, herbivore's survival strategy smile.
Yet the Undertaker discerned all these intricate disguises, seeing through only to her essence.
Because―― he was of the sa kind.
"……."
"……."
Her gaze suddenly settled into a calm steadiness.
Her lips no longer ford an awkward or silly smile. She stopped the act she had perford for everyone but the Undertaker until now.
[Remaining ti: 20 seconds.]
The Undertaker spoke.
"We don't have much ti."
"Why?"
"Soone is watching us."
"Yes."
"My na is the Undertaker. What's yours?"
"Sim Ah-ryeon."
"Your ability?"
"I can feel emotions and consu them."
"If you consu them?"
"I beco stronger."
"Good."
[Remaining ti: 4 seconds.]
The Undertaker extended his hand. Sim Ah-ryeon took it. There was no hesitation in the motion of him pulling her up and her standing.
"I find you interesting."
"So do I."
"Will you co with ?"
"Yes."
The Undertaker lightly tapped the back of Sim Ah-ryeon's hand twice. Then, Sim Ah-ryon firmly squeezed his hand twice in response.
The Undertaker was impressed inwardly.
"She judges situations with astonishing swiftness."
The Undertaker ntioned that they were under surveillance.
If he communicated through 'gestures' instead of 'words,' Sim Ah-ryeon might have realized it was a way to avoid being detected.
However, he didn’t explain this. He simply tapped the back of her hand.
Yet Sim Ah-ryeon understood the signals, 'current surveillance is resud' and 'communicate through gestures from now on' all of it within nearly an instant.
"A genius."
Why hadn't he realized Sim Ah-ryeon possessed such intelligence through hundreds of cycles?
"……She hid it."
From him, from them, from everyone.
Sim Ah-ryeon had hidden it. There was no benefit to revealing her distinctiveness, so she concealed it.
Thus, he hadn’t recognized it.
Now, intuiting that the Undertaker was a kindred spirit, she rely ceased hiding.
[Would you like to reveal the status display of NPC Sim Ah-ryeon?]
'No.'
The Undertaker responded imdiately.
'I will discover it on my own.'
The constellation fell silent again.
The Undertaker scanned the area. He was looking for sothing to cover Sim Ah-ryeon with, as her clothes were nothing but tatters.
Conveniently, a pristine white doctor's lab coat was hanging on a chair. Probably a costu looted by the gangsters for fun.
"Here, put this on for now."
"Oh, okay."
The Undertaker brought the lab coat over to put on Sim Ah-ryeon――.
In that mont.
Involuntarily, his hand briefly paused.
"……?"
The Undertaker frowned.
'Why did I just hesitate?'
It was inexplicable.
Imdiately, the Undertaker began logically deducing the cause.
"Infinite taga. Did any unidentified anomaly appear near ?"
[The Admin of the Infinite taga assures you there are no significant phenona in the underground restaurant besides Player Undertaker and NPC Sim Ah-ryeon.]
"……."
If so, it was truly peculiar.
Why would he feel an unsettling sensation from the simple act of fetching a lab coat to drape over soone?
Unable to comprehend it, the words that escaped the Undertaker's mouth were equally incomprehensible to himself.
"……Handle with care."
Thump.
Finally, the lab coat was draped over Sim Ah-ryeon's shoulders. The Undertaker's hand applied more force than intended as it completed the gesture.
"……? Um, okay……?"
Standing in front of him.
A green-haired woman blinked, bewildered, not comprehending the implication of that gesture.
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