Chapter 42

Observer IV

For reference, the proper nouns I use in the text are mostly of my own creation.

I didn’t fancy myself a creator afflicted with a delusion that I alone had the right to name everything. Rather, it was simply because I was often the first to witness these wondrous phenomena.

Think about it. Who else but me has watched in real time as an Awakener transformed into a grotesquery?

Thus, I alone had to come up with terms for phenomena like ‘corruption’ and for entities known as ‘Corruptors.’

What I had to create wasn’t limited to terminology. Every time a formidable boss-level grotesquery appeared, I had to write the ‘strategy guide’ for defeating it.

I hope others will not have to make the same mistakes I did.

Therefore, here and now, I will write down a strategy guide to prepare for the Executioner—the grotesquery that the Saintess, one of the strongest Awakeners, turned into upon her corruption.

──────────

[Saintess Corruption]

[Executioner Route: Route Activation Conditions]

1. At least 15 years have passed while the Saintess is still alive.

2. The number of civilian casualties the Saintess has witnessed exceeds ‘at least’ one million. Especially if she has observed powerless elders and children dying or being tortured over 100,000 times.

3. When the Saintess masters the use of aura.

──────────

This is known as the ‘Executioner Route.’

None of these conditions being met means the Executioner Route does not activate.

This is knowledge I've gained through numerous regressions. In fact, conditions 1 and 2 are almost identical, so it is fine to consider them as one.

The existence of SG Net is irrelevant here. Even if SG Net, which allows the spreading of videos, disappears, the Saintess does not stop her ‘executions.’ Only the locations of the executions change.

If the pathway to disseminate videos online is blocked, the Saintess would not just use underground parking lots; she would hang the bodies of villains directly in city squares. If she managed to obtain a cassette of the villain confessing their sins, she would play it, or if that wasn’t feasible, she would use paper, attaching it to the corpse’s body as if posting a notice.

Has anyone ever witnessed bodies being hung simultaneously in 12 cities across the nation on the same day and at the same hour?

Let me reiterate, the Saintess is a multi-ability Awakener almost to the point of cheating. She should never be underestimated.

The best strategy is never to enter the Executioner Route in the first place. But if you do enter it, you must subdue the Saintess as quickly as possible.

──────────

[Executioner's Abilities]

1. Time Stop

2. Telepathy

3. Clairvoyance

──────────

Let’s start with an explanation of Time Stop.

Our time is not the same as the Saintess’s time.

From my perspective, I might have only delayed a day, but to the Saintess, it could have been two days, a week, a month, or perhaps even a year. Each second that passes might give the Saintess an opportunity close to eternity.

Take, for example, right now.

“Damn it...!”

It was impossible to dodge thousands of bullets and dozens of axes. I ran with all my might, but like a light drizzle soaking clothes, or rather a torrential downpour during the monsoon, I was barraged.

I surrounded my body with aura to block the damage, but aura is not infinite. My mental energy was continuously depleted in real time.

[I think Mr. Undertaker’s combat prowess is impressive.]

As the battle continued, hundreds of footprints appeared on the snow-covered ground.

In front of me. Behind me. All around.

Footprints I hadn’t stepped in or seen tightened around me.

[But how long can you hold out?]

The Saintess’s aura was infinite.

Despite having just unleashed countless attacks, the Saintess seemed not to tire, sending dozens of axes, each meticulously infused with aura, flying towards me again.

It was an absurd manipulation of aura.

“You’re not telling me you’re charging up aura while stopping time?”

It wasn’t just explosion sounds and screeching that tormented me.

[Undertaker! I’ve come to help!]

That was Dang Seo-rin’s voice.

Even though my head knew Dang Seo-rin wasn’t actually here, my body couldn’t help but react. I hesitated, and yet another barrage of bullets cascaded down on the aura barrier. It was maddening.

[Hyung!]

That was Seo Gyu. I gritted my teeth and ignored it.

But the next moment, when I heard a whispering voice right next to my ear, I thought I was going crazy.

[Is that the guild master?]

It was none other than Go Yuri’s voice. Chills ran down my entire body.

‘I’m going mad.’

Such maliciousness was unmatched. As much as I knew the Saintess, she knew me too well.

Closing off my senses was useless. How could I dodge telepathy that was being hammered directly into my brain?

Eventually, I couldn’t even trust my own hearing. My senses muddled, I continued the battle.

[No matter how much you run, it’s meaningless, Mr. Undertaker. Have you forgotten that I am still revered as a constellation by others?]

I widened my eyes. Could it be?

[As soon as the battle started, I designated Mr. Undertaker as a ‘target for subjugation’ to Awakeners across the nation. I’ve notified them of your location as well. Looking through Clairvoyance, hundreds of Awakeners are converging here.]

“All the Awakeners like me!”

[No, only 50% of the Awakeners like you. It’s just that many of the strong ones are among that 50%. Many others have been eyeing you eagerly, like the SwordMarquess of Yuldoguk. Now that I’ve declared under the name of Constellation that ‘the Undertaker has fallen,’ even if only temporarily, they’ve been given a reason.]

“Dang Seo-rin...”

[Of course, I haven’t implanted any messages to the guild master of Samcheon World or the leader of the National Road Management Corps. But since I didn’t want you to be disappointed that they weren’t invited, I prepared a surprise gift for you without Mr. Undertaker knowing.]

This is insane.

“Please tell me it’s not Go Yuri!”

[You know me well, Mr. Undertaker.]

My head felt faint. Dealing with the Saintess turned Corruptor was deathly enough, but now Go Yuri joining the fight too? Was she planning to turn the regressor into a minced regressor salad?

[You have three hours left.]

A time attack had been added to the bullet hell game. It might have been just bluffing to make me anxious, but.

In conclusion, the Saintess’s abilities were as follows:

──────────

[Executioner's Abilities]

1. Time Stop: An ability that allows for an almost infinite number of attacks while always being able to dodge an opponent’s attacks. However, it is presumed that time stop is canceled ‘in cases of direct contact’ with an opponent.

2. Telepathy: Initially, it transmitted only the Saintess’s voice, but as the ability upgraded, it transformed into ‘sound playback.’ She could reproduce not only other people’s voices but also noises such as explosions.

3. Clairvoyance

──────────

How was one to defeat this?

Honestly, it wouldn’t be out of line to declare her unbeatable.

“......”

But there is always a way to win.

Whether it was Ten Legs, Udumbara, or Milky Way, when I first faced them, it always seemed like there was no answer, but as could be seen from the case of the Udumbara, sometimes the problem was solved in an entirely unexpected way.

I gave up.

More precisely, I gave up on defeating the Saintess.

Instead, I suddenly wiped out all the aura that was wrapped around my entire body.

“......!”

From a distance, I saw the Saintess’s eyes widen.

Footnotes:

Join our discord at https://dsc.gg/wetried