[Translator - Jjescus]
[Proofreader - Gun]
Chapter 127 - Victim I
1
Let’s talk about the end of our world once again today.
2
Whenever 15 years pass after the start of the regression, peace and stability slowly begin to arrive on the Korean Peninsula.
Of course, the phrase "peace on the Korean Peninsula" has long been known to evoke different reactions from foreigners and locals alike.
"Siren? What is this? An air raid? Has the Korean War broken out?"
"No, it's just daily life."
"What?"
While other countries peacefully harvest mackerel or herring from the sea, the specialty of the East Sea was missile parts.
Even in the apocalyptic world where everything was steeped in void, things weren't much different. In Busan, the largest city on the Korean Peninsula, blackouts occurred almost daily, and strange entities gathered both inside and outside the city.
The experienced people of the Korean Peninsula were prepared to humbly accept reality, thinking, ‘Well, it seems peaceful enough, doesn’t it?’
But foreigners felt differently.
In most regions, the ‘15th year’ marked the point where the end of civilization beca inevitable.
[Doctor Jang.]
"Yes?"
[A monster wave has been detected in the North Korean region. It's currently speculated to be moving southward toward the inland areas of the Korean Peninsula from the Gando region.]
Monster waves.
A phenonon where all the strange entities gather together and surge like a tidal wave.
It was this phenonon that led to the destruction of countless countries and societies: Russia, Turkey, Iran, Pakistan, India, Mongolia, China…
The Korean Peninsula was no exception.
[16 hours since the monster wave was detected. The Eastern Holy Kingdom is still resisting in the North Korean region, but the final defense line is in danger.]
[The final defense line has collapsed. Urban warfare has begun in Pyongyang.]
[The Cathedral of Jesus the Saviour has collapsed. It has now been engulfed by the monster wave. The number of awakened beings in Pyongyang is rapidly decreasing.]
[Ah. There's a light coming from the cathedral. The light... it keeps flashing. It’s suspected that the repeated deaths of Mokwangseo are causing it.]
[The Resurrection Church believers in Pyongyang have launched their final charge. Soon, all the awakened beings observable by 'Clairvoycane' will be annihilated. Six, five, four, three, two... one.]
[Pyongyang, annihilated.]
[The monster wave continues to move southward.]
Even if humanity overca the rounds where they were torn apart by the Ten Clans and swept away by teor Shower, they could not escape annihilation in the end.
Danger level: 4. Oceanic scale.
The monster wave was not a unique phenonon like a teor shower or hell, nor was it a strange entity with a peculiar gimmick.
As the na suggests, the monster wave was more fitting as a 'monster' rather than an enigmatic 'entity.'
The reason why these creatures—no, why this phenonon was so formidable was simple.
[The monster wave is about to enter Seoul. The number of entities engulfed by the wave is estimated to be around 500,000.]
[Blowing up the Jamsu Bridge.]
It was because of their overwhelming 'numbers.'
3
"100,000. 200,000. 500,000. In severe cases, it’s like facing a literal million-strong army. There's simply no strategy against these entities."
"Hmm..."
Of course, I shared this information with my blood allies whenever I held secret etings.
In every regression, Noh Doha, who would eventually be recruited into my "Regression Alliance," let out an annoyed sigh.
"Is there no specific strategy for dealing with them?"
"There is. According to the information I've gathered so far, the monster wave first appears here, in Istanbul, Turkey. It appears exactly one day after I regress."
"Oh...?"
"When the monster wave first starts appearing in Istanbul, it’s not that troubleso. Only about 1,000 entities gather together."
"A thousand, huh? So, isn’t that within the range where a single awakened like Doctor Jang could barely manage to fend them off...?"
"Exactly. So, in the next round, I plan to head straight to Istanbul as soon as I drop into Busan Station, taking only the saintess with ."
The saintess, who had been quietly sipping from a convenience store coffee bag beside , looked up in surprise.
"What?"
Noh Doha and I glanced at the saintess, then back at each other.
"Is it really necessary to bring the saintess? The longer the Constellations remain silent, the more the awakened ones will act out..."
"I have to turn on the map and fight too. I could take so support along, but honestly, traveling across Eurasia with a high-intelligence psychopath isn’t really my thing. I’ll defeat them as quickly as possible and return."
"Hmm. Well, all right. Then I’ll prepare a 'protocol that can withstand at least a month at the start, even without Doctor Jang and the saintess' for the next round."
The saintess cautiously raised her hand.
"Um. Excuse . I’m not really into long-distance travel. Doctor Jang? Captain Noh Doha. My opinion is――."
The end tis were too harsh for the opinions of a reclusive hobody to be respected.
I carried the saintess on my back in the next round and crossed the Eurasian continent.
It was as if the endless aura training was ant for this very mont; my steps were literally different from the rest.
"Please let know if you’re feeling tired at any ti."
"...! Just, a bit, Doctor Jang, slow down a bit—"
"I'm glad to see you're doing fine."
It took exactly 113 hours to cross the void, teeming with terrifying anomalies and occasionally bombarded by tactical nukes, to arrive in Istanbul, Turkey.
It was truly fortunate that the Saint had mastered the [Ti Stop] ability. Even the basic human need for sleep could be instantly fulfilled by simply ‘clicking’ ti to a halt.
? I could go for up to six days without sleep and still be fine.
“Saintess, I’m sorry to ask this of you right after we’ve arrived, but please keep an eye out for any remaining monster waves using the Awakened’s vision, and let know imdiately if you spot anything.”
“…I’ve just decided that I’ll never travel with you again, Doctor Jang.”
“Don’t worry. When we return to Korea, I’ll get you there even faster!”
“……”
One of the most historically significant cities in the world, Istanbul, was now facing an era of overtourism due to the ‘Monster Wave.’
Monsters of varying types and personalities mixed together like sewage, forming a tsunami. This was not just a taphor; from a distance, it really looked like a ‘black wave.’
However, getting our travel tickets early was worth it, as the black wave was still only looming in the west of Istanbul.
At this point, I could handle it all by myself.
My na is Kangrim.
“What? How is this possible…? Who are you…?”
“Thank you! Thank you, my friend, for coming all this way to help us! We will never, ever forget what you’ve done for us!”
The locals who were planning a reclamation operation on the other side of the Bosphorus Strait couldn’t contain their gratitude.
The Monster Wave was successfully subdued. Although both of our governnts had collapsed, a renewed sense of ‘brotherhood’ was forged between the Turkish and Korean people.
After filming a brief patriotic drama, I returned to my companions.
“Thank you for your hard work, Saintess. But isn’t it aningful that we’ve defeated a monster that could have grown to oceanic proportions in the future? Let’s return ho quickly and deliver this joyful news.”
“A… ah…”
“Seeing you so happy, Saintess, truly fills my heart with joy.”
“A… ah… a…”
We safely returned ho.
Everyone was happy.
And exactly 17 years later, the entire Korean Peninsula, including Busan, was subrged by the black wave of the Monster Wave, leading to its complete destruction.
“Hey. Damn, you crazy regressor. You said you’d exterminated them…”
“Oh, I’m sorry.”
That was both Noh Doha’s and my final words.
4
What went wrong?
To conclude, the ‘Monster Wave’ was not a phenonon exclusive to Istanbul.
It just happened to appear in Istanbul first. Under certain conditions, the ‘Monster Wave’ could occur anywhere at any ti.
“What conditions…?”
“Well, it turns out that when a void reaches a certain size, the Monster Wave inevitably occurs.”
A void had appeared right in the heart of Istanbul. It was similar to the situation in Seoul.
However, unlike Seoul, which was completely swept away by the void, the size of the void within Istanbul was abnormally large.
Even roughly estimating, the void inside, known as ‘Constantinople,’ spanned an area as vast as the diterranean Sea. It was filled with fictional Crusader monsters.
“No matter how well we defend Turkey, it’s pointless. When civilization begins to break down truly, voids start appearing everywhere. In Germany, India, Russia, Mongolia—Monster Waves can occur in any of these places.”
“Hah…? Then, how are we supposed to exterminate them…?”
“To be honest, it’s practically impossible to eradicate them.”
That’s right.
Even as a regressor, there was nothing I could do. The sheer power of ‘overwhelming numbers’ was that formidable.
“We’re struggling just to defend the Korean Peninsula; there’s no way we can manage all of Eurasia.”
“Well, that’s true…”
“Yes. Of course, if we manage to defend against the hordes of monsters pouring in from Manchuria, survival is technically possible.”
The problem is.
“But the Monster Wave doesn’t happen just once; it keeps recurring, sotis monthly, sotis weekly. As you defend against waves of tens of thousands of monsters, no matter how much I lead the charge, the damage accumulates.”
“……”
“Awakened ones are not invincible, after all.”
As our forces slowly get whittled down, a point inevitably cos when we can no longer hold back the southern advance of the Monster Wave.
We can delay it. We can postpone it.
But one day, we will reach that ‘end point,’ whether we want to or not.
The National Highway Managent Agency eting room fell silent.
[Translator - Jjescus]
[Proofreader - Gun]
Noh Doha let out a dry laugh.
“Isn’t this a bit of a scam…?”
At least Noh Doha managed to brush it off with a laugh.
We kept this information to ourselves. Many would have fallen into despair if people knew that such a ‘guaranteed bad ending’ awaited humanity.
The Ten Clans or teor Shower were at least individual entities. They could be killed.
But a collective entity—a phenonon that occurs naturally? How could anyone possibly handle sothing like that?
“Is there any way we can use the Ressurection Church of Mo Gwangseo…?”
The idea of using the Eastern Holy Kingdom as a puppet state was proposed with this background in mind.
From Noh Doha’s perspective, erecting a ‘human barrier’ in the north was better to delay the Monster Wave's southern advance by any ans.
While it was an effective thod, it wasn’t a perfect solution.
I, too, fell deep into thought.
“Hmmm.”
A dilemma on all sides.
With each turn, I accumulated strategies for dealing with various anomalies and continually pondered the ultimate solution for the Monster Wave. Yet, no brilliant idea seed to co to mind.
As I sat on the sofa in our café hideout, mimicking Rodin’s ‘The Thinker,’ I suddenly noticed Sim Aryeon, with her green hair, approaching .
“G-Guild Leader…”
“Hm? What is it?”
“Y-You know that teor shower anomaly you ntioned before? Well, I’ve finished the illustrations for it today… I was thinking of posting them on the SGNet forum under the na [Librarian of the Great Library]. Is that okay…?”
My dear Aryeon wanted to play at being a Constellation again.
I nodded generously. Ever since I witnessed her reduced to a 16-bit sprite in the ga “Logout,” I couldn’t help but be a bit soft on this girl.
“Go ahead.”
“Wow! You’re the best, Guild Leader! Hehe, it’s so much fun to act like a Constellation and make prophecies about anomalies that haven’t even appeared yet…!”
Just as Sim Aryeon rolled away, eagerly running back to her holand (the world of the net), a sudden inspiration struck .
“...!”
It was a truly monuntal revelation.
If I had majored in art, I would’ve slapped Picasso across the face right then and there. If I had been a Buddhist, I would’ve placed a lotus cushion beside Buddha on the spot.
“Aryeon, wait a mont!”
“Y-Yes?”
“Just out of curiosity—how would you feel if every human being on this Earth, at least everyone on the Korean Peninsula, started hating you?”
“What…?”
“Of course, they wouldn’t actually hate you. For instance, imagine they all despise a villain, like the ‘Villain of Goryeo’ or the ‘Librarian of the Great Library,’ soone you’re portraying.”
“G-Guild Leader… have you been calling ‘Villain of Goryeo’ in your head?”
“That’s not important right now. Just answer my question! Quickly.”
“Hmmm…”
Sim Aryeon pressed her index finger to her chin.
“I-I’d obviously hate it if they despised directly as a person…”
“But?”
“But if sothing I’m portraying were to be the target of such intense hatred and contempt… I don’t think I’d mind it. Why do you ask?”
“Nothing. Got it. Thanks for answering. Now, go ahead and continue with your villainous activities.”
“I’m not a villain!”
In the next turn, which would be the 217th, I decided to put my unprecedented idea into action.
After regressing, I gathered my usual allies—Seo Gyu, Sim Aryeon, the Saintess—just like in previous turns.
But just as the Solitary Epicure Ten Clans were about to run rampant across the Korean Peninsula…
[‘The Saintess of Salvation’ is in mourning, signaling that darkness has descended upon the people of this land.]
The Awakened on the Korean Peninsula received a ssage they had never seen before.
[‘The Saintess of Salvation’ strongly recomnds that all Awakened check ConstellationlNet imdiately.]
Curious but puzzled, the Awakened logged into SGNet.
And.
As soon as they connected, they saw a post on the site as a ‘popup window.’
――――――――――
Author: ‘Collector of All Anomalies’
Greetings, human Awakened of the Korean Peninsula.
I am a Constellation who has been closely observing your activities.
Given your relatively aningful achievents compared to other regions, I’ve decided that a little more… ‘challenging selection’ is necessary for you. (😀)
Starting today, an apostle of mine, known as the ‘Ten Clans,’ will appear in the Korean Peninsula.
The Ten Clans possess countless tentacles. If these tentacles pierce you, it will be difficult to avoid death.
Moreover, these tentacles regenerate continuously in real ti, so even if you manage to cut one off, others will simply grow in its place.
I wonder if you’ll be able to withstand this trial as well.
I must say, even though I ca up with it, this seems like it will be quite an interesting ‘experint.’ (🙂)
I wish you the best of luck.
――――――――――
And not long after, the Ten Clans really did appear, causing significant damage.
“Kyyaaaah!”
Sim Aryeon, who had been logged into SGNet under the na [Collector of All Anomalies], exclaid in joy. Yes, it wasn’t a scream but a shout of excitent.
“G-Guild Leader! This is amazing! Absolutely amazing! The power! The voices and curses of the people who hate … They’re all flooding into … so abundantly…!”
“Hm.”
“I feel like I can do anything right now! Oh my god! Guild Leader! I feel so incredibly strong…!”
Indeed.
There was no point in hiding it.
The project was to make all the major anomalies that would appear on the Korean Peninsula seem like they were caused by a specific Constellation.
Thus, the hatred and resentnt toward those anomalies would naturally be directed at this ‘villain.’
The operation was nad Project Zero Requiem.
[Translator - Jjescus]
[Proofreader - Gun]
Reviews
All reviews (0)