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

Discord: https://dsc.gg/reapercomics

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

---

──────

The Inheritor II

Today, the Undertaker died. Or maybe yesterday, I don’t know.

The apocalypse at the turn of one century into another begins with the opening lines of a novel that few in this almost bygone era can still understand.[1]

Following the example of Admiral Yi Sun-sin, I initiated the meta of "Do not announce my death."[2] With exception to Dok-seo, the informant, and the Saintness, the recommender, no one knew that my death had been faked.

“I’ll be in your care for a while.”

“Of course. Please use this bed during your stay.”

This meant that I had to vacate the Inunaki Tunnel—where Ha-yul, Ah-ryeon, Ji-soo, and others resided—as soon as possible. The place chosen as my hideout was none other than the Saintess’s home: a 1.5-story single-family house built at an angle on a hillside in Dongbingo-dong, Yongsan.

There was, of course, a method to this particular madness. Several of them, in fact.

Would the accomplice hide me? YES

Are there few houses around, meaning fewer potential witnesses? YES

Ever since the “Bright Night” incident devastated the area south of the Han River, 99% of the residents north of the river had also fled. Even the Han River basin was infamously desolate. The population density in this area could rival that of Siberia, known as “home” only to oddballs like the Saintess.

Are very few friends dropping by to hang out, greatly reducing the chances of being discovered? YES

Surprisingly, the Saintess had even fewer friends than Ah-ryeon. While Ah-ryeon at least enjoyed her roommate life of bickering with Dok-seo, the Saintess...

Well, she had none.

She was a lone wolf. A solitary predator. A possessor of adamantium-level human strength— No, let’s stop there. It’s just getting sadder.

‘How can someone not have a single friend?!’

Doubly so since her personality wasn’t anywhere close to the shambles that passed for a personality in Do-hwa.

As I listened to the Saintess delve into a detailed explanation of the layout of her house, I suddenly felt a pang of sadness.

“There’s plenty of extra water in the rainwater tank, so feel free to use it... Mr. Undertaker? Are you listening?”

“Oh, yes. I am listening, but I’ve been to your house many times before, so you don’t need to explain.”

“...Right. No matter the timeline, we’ve held study sessions here every Wednesday, so from your perspective, this is a place you’ve visited thousands of times.”

The Saintess eyed me as if seeing me with fresh eyes. Though it was just a slight droop of her eyelids of approximately 3 degrees, I had maxed out my Saintess Expression Reading skill. I didn’t need Mind Reading to understand her.

“Of course, please refrain from accessing SG Net using your account,” she added eventually. “Seo Gyu will notice immediately.”

“Tch. This is ridiculous. Millions of readers are waiting for the sequel to my Romance of the Three Kingdoms: Gongsun Zan’s Story!”

“They’ll wait. Maybe even until the day the world ends.”

This was absurd. My masterpiece, which I had maintained at an average of 2,000 views per chapter by using multiple alt-accounts with Seo Gyu’s help, was now ranked in the top 3!

Main comments

- Why does this trash keep making it to the best list??

- Seriously, SG Net must be using bots. There’s no other explanation.

That day, my isolated life with the Saintess began. With, however, the added twist of hidden cameras of our fellow Awakeners.

“As expected—or perhaps I should say, unsurprisingly—Noh Do-hwa continues to perform her duties without any change despite hearing of your death.”

“Really, no reaction at all?”

“Yes. Among your colleagues, she’s the only one who hasn’t spoken to the memorial doll or shown any indication that she might in the future. Oh, though she did sip Château d’Yquem alone last night.”

The Saintess’s real-time updates had my chest brimming with a strange emotion, a fluttering in my heart.

‘This is more fun than I thought!’

I did feel some guilt over deceiving my colleagues about such a significant matter. But still, within that, like a lotus blooming from muddy water, I felt a faint but unmistakable pleasure.

‘Is this the view of the world that the Saintess usually sees?’

Newfound rediscovery of myself:

Humans are said to have three basic desires: sleep, sex, and hunger. If I were to add one more, it would be the desire to sneak glances at others’ reactions.

“Who’s the greatest risk?”

“Cheon Yo-hwa. The air around her is dangerous. Based solely on my intuition, I predict she’ll Fall within the next week.”

“Yikes.” Isn’t that too soon?

“Surprisingly, Dang Seo-rin is holding up well,” the Saintess continued. “She’s currently meeting with Do-hwa to discuss how to handle your funeral.”

“Oh...”

“Lee Ha-yul was also in quite the precarious condition until yesterday, but thanks to Sim Ah-ryeon, she’s improved.”

“Huh?” Ah-ryeon did that?

“‘The guild leader hasn’t disappeared. He’s just gone ahead and is waiting for us.’ If you ignore the missing stuttering, that’s how she explained it to Ha-yul.”

I gasped.

“‘Whether you meet the guild leader again with a dejected face or in good health is up to you, Ha-yul.’ Hearing that was what pushed Ha-yul to pull herself together and regain her composure.”

Ah-ryeon...! I knew I could count on you, Ah-ryeon! When it comes to tenacity, you’re truly the best in the Three Kingdoms! Your Guild Leader is proud of you!

“However.”

“However?”

“I’m a bit worried that her words stem from genuine belief. She seems to truly, literally, believe that ‘the guild leader isn’t dead.’ She’s completely ignoring anyone who talks about your death. Hmm. It seems she’ll refuse to attend the funeral itself.”

Well, how can anyone be perfect? Let’s just gloss over it.

“As for Yu Ji-won―”

“Ah, you don’t need to tell me about her. It’s pretty obvious.”

“Okay.”

---

https://dsc.gg/reapercomics

---

I thought up a comprehensive evaluation a week after Undertaker’s (fake) death.

‘Surprisingly, it’s not bad.’

It wasn’t terrible.

Sure, some groups of people collectively lost their minds and wrought havoc over the disappearance of one regressor, but overall, it was passable.

‘As expected, Do-hwa and Seo-rin are working together to hold the center. Since Busan is running smoothly, the ripple effects on other cities aren’t as severe as I thought.’

To pat myself on the back a bit, my eye for talent was spot on.

‘Of course, I have to consider that I’ve been running around putting out fires without being noticed by others...’

Though I was in hiding at the Saintess’s home, I continued to roam the desolate areas, stomping out Anomalies. The Saintess would immediately notify me via Telepathy if I were at any risk of encountering other Awakeners. As for ordinary people, I avoided them on my own.

‘All the effort I put into building the system is paying off!’

Indeed. The Korean Peninsula was creaking along, but somehow managing to sail smoothly.

“Yo-hwa has started to go berserk.”

Except for one place. Sejong City.

“Currently, the Awakeners on the Korean Peninsula are divided into two factions. First, the south. The faction that organized your funeral, Mr. Undertaker.”

Entry Number 1: The Funeral Faction

Members: Noh Do-hwa, Dang Seo-rin, Yu Ji-won, Seo Gyu

“Next, the north. Yo-hwa’s Sejong City and Ah-ryeon’s Pyongyang City are rapidly growing closer. Naturally, they view Mr. Undertaker’s funeral as invalid.”

Entry Number 2: The Anti-Funeral Faction

Members: Cheon Yo-hwa, Sim Ah-ryeon, Lee Ha-yul, Oh Dok-seo

“Wait, why is Dok-seo involved with...?”

“Hmm. Maybe because the north is a coalition of more mentally unstable people? Considering Dok-seo’s preferences... Besides, all of Dok-seo’s close friends are in the north. She doesn’t have many friends, aside from Ah-ryeon and Ha-yul,.”

Why do most of my colleagues struggle with human relationships? I couldn’t wrap my brain around it.

In any case, the conflict over my funeral was intensifying. It was worthy of being called the modern-day revival of the Yeongnam and Honam debate.

“And there’s a neutral faction. Though it doesn’t hold much significance in terms of the power balance.”

Final Entry Number 3: The Neutral Faction

Members: Saintess, Sword Marquess, Kim Ji-soo. That’s it.

“Actually, if the Saintess were to side with either faction, the balance would shift significantly. The same goes for the old grandpa, Sword Marquess.”

“Isn’t calling Sword Marquess an old man a bit of a stretch now since he underwent rejuvenation?”

“Just as I shouldn’t be called an old man,” I acknowledgely sagely. “That’s a reasonable point.”

“I’ll revise my statement. Sword Marquess is younger than you, Mr. Undertaker, so it should be hard for you to call him an old man.”

“There’s a path we must take, no matter how difficult.”

“That path seems nonexistent for me. Perhaps the two of us can’t be grouped together as ‘we.’”

I was hurt.

“Anyway, I’m not easily swayed.”

“Is that so?” I asked hollowly.

“Yes. Ah-ryeon and others are well aware that I am the true identity of many Constellations. If I were to side with the Funeral Faction, the Anti-Funeral Faction wouldn’t hesitate to expose the truth about the Constellations.”

“Ah.”

“Then it would be difficult to prevent the collapse of public order on the Korean Peninsula. Once lost, the trust of the Constellations is impossible to regain. From my perspective, it’s better to remain neutral.”

My god. Is this how a perfectly balanced game is made?

“Honestly, in terms of fighting force, the Funeral Faction, a coalition of the National Road Management Corps and Samcheon World, is overwhelming...”

“But in terms of cohesion, the Anti-Funeral Faction is far superior. Cheon Yo-hwa, the student council president. Sim Ah-ryeon, the Saintess of the North. Both have absolute support and act like the leaders of a fanatical group.”

Not to mention, the Anti-Funeral Faction functioned like the northern frontier lords. They served as the first line of defense against monster waves descending from the north or various Anomalies invading the Korean Peninsula.

‘Of course, the role of the National Road Management Corps in stomping out Anomalies within the peninsula is equally important...’

Which faction is more necessary for the Korean Peninsula?

In this battle of legitimacy, neither side was willing to back down.

“Ah-ryeon’s influence is especially enormous.”

“...To that extent?”

“Yes. Unlike other Awakeners, Ah-ryeon visibly and directly heals the wounded. All Awakeners within the Anti-Funeral Faction’s sphere believe they owe their lives to Ah-ryeon.”

As for Do-hwa? She was a typical bureaucratic talent. She didn’t engage in propaganda. Compared to Ah-ryeon, who made flowers bloom wherever she stepped on the battlefield, she inevitably fell short in terms of “splendor.”

“At least Seo-rin enjoys overwhelming recognition and popularity in the Busan area, so she can hold her own. The further you get from Busan, the more Ah-ryeon’s reputation dominates.”

“The world is truly messed up...”

“Huh?”

“It’s nothing.”

The signs of division were clear. The problem was the lack of a mediator to resolve the situation.

Just look at Seo-rin and Yo-hwa—their personalities were polar opposites.

Do-hwa was even more extreme. The only members who liked Do-hwa on a personal level were Dok-seo and Ha-yul.

The one who had gathered all these diverse personalities, built connections through regression, and somehow brought them together under the banner of the “Korean Peninsula Awakeners Alliance” was none other than me.

‘If Ji-soo becomes more established as a psychological counselor, she might be able to act as a mediator...’

But that was still far off. She lacked experience and know-how. We would need dozens of regression cycles to gather enough data at least.

In the end...

“Yo-hwa has made her move.”

Of all times, on Christmas Eve.

Even in the apocalypse, where the meaning of holidays had almost vanished, people’s guard was slightly lowered during this time.

“She led elite troops out of the Inunaki Tunnel and launched a surprise attack on Busan. She’s secured Sword Marquess.”

Yo-hwa...!

In a situation with no mediator, the balance would tip based on who controlled the food supply, and thus, by the very act of securing Sword Marquess, victory was assured. Even in my absence, she had calculated this perfectly...!

On top of that, having Ah-ryeon, Ha-yul, and Dok-seo, all of whom knew the secret passages of the Inunaki Tunnel, on her side made for the perfect setup for a surprise attack...!

Why does your mind work at a cheetah’s speed for things like this, Yo-hwa?!

You’re already the boldest among us, however unnecessary that distinction is, with how you jump into action once a decision is made...!

This Teacher is sad!

“Oh. Just now, Seo-rin declared war on Baekhwa Girls’ High in the name of the Samcheon World guild leader. The declaration of war has been posted on SG Net.”

“...”

“The Eastern Holy State, which was allied with Baekhwa Girls’ High, immediately declared war on Samcheon World. Samcheon World has issued a mobilization order to all guilds under the Korean Peninsula Awakeners Alliance.”

“...”

“The National Road Management Corps, which acted as the sponsor of the Korean Peninsula Awakeners Alliance, naturally declared war on the Eastern Holy State.”

“...”

“Oh. Ji-won had prepared a declaration of war in advance for this situation. Should I read it? It’s been translated into Korean, Japanese, English, French, and Latin. It’s quite a masterpiece.”

Breaking News. Here to you live on Christmas Eve, 3 seconds before the collapse of the Korean Peninsula!

---

Footnotes:

[1] This is in reference to the opening lines of Albert Camus’s L’Étranger or The Stranger, a novel which centers around the protagonist finding peace and happiness in the indifference of the universe following his mother’s death: “Today, Maman died. Or maybe yesterday, I don’t know.”

[2] Another reference to a quote, this time Admiral Yi’s final, dying words: “The battle is at its height. Beat my war drums. Do not announce my death.”