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◈ I'm an Infinite Regressor, But I've Got Stories to Tell
Chapter 250
The Mastermind I
Did you know?
The title of any existing work in the world could be transformed into a "concealment" format.
Let's call it the Concealment Transformation Theory.
Needless to say, of course, the stories we've journeyed through so far could be concealed in the same way.
"City Bus Conceals a Chessboard," "Radio DJ Conceals a Musical Genius," "The Last Heir of a People Conceals a Signal Fire," "The Ice Age Conceals Humanity's Sincerity," "Earth Conceals the Sun," and so forth...
There's truly no end to the possibilities. All it takes is tacking on "conceals" somewhere in the middle.
The genius who first conceived these titles surely deserves some acclaim.
In fact, the sharp-witted among you may have already noticed that the Outer God we're about to target lends itself most fittingly to this concealment transformation. After all, the very term "Mastermind" implies a perpetrator concealing their identity.
Therefore, if we were to arbitrarily apply the Concealment Transformation Theory to this Outer God, who still lacks a proper name, we might describe it like this:
"The Anomaly Conceals the World."
The instant I crossed the rift, led by the Infinite Void's pointer finger, I briefly lost consciousness.
How long was I out? Maybe five seconds?
After blacking out for a short while, I opened my eyes again to find myself lying on the ground.
Someone was gazing down at me.
- Consciousness restoration: confirmed.
- Primary language set to Korean. Initiating dialogue.
- It has been a while, human.
It was an Anomaly.
A slime-like entity composed of bright red liquid bubbled up with a pop-pop, creating sounds that resembled a "human" voice. So the lines it had just spoken weren't really words. They were just intermittent bursts of effects like "I-t has-been-a-while, hu-man."
"A while...? And who might you be?"
- Name: Fairy King.
"Ah."
The Fairy King.
An Anomaly similar to an AI personality that governed all the fairies in the tutorial. To be precise, each Tutorial Fairy was essentially a terminal of the Fairy King.
Considering that fairies were actually Baku, one might also call the Fairy King a Succubus Queen.
Once, this Anomaly might have acted freely, but since the point at which I began to regress, it had already been enslaved by the Infinite Void. It didn't pose any real threat.
"And why are you here? And what's with that form?" I looked around. "Where's the Infinite Void?"
- Processing your questions in reverse order. First: You transferred your control of me to the Outer God known as the Infinite Void.
The bubbles popped again.
- The Infinite Void is currently engaged in a dispute with the Outer God in this place, which, according to your words, would be called the Great Void or the Void of Imageless Spirits.
"A dispute."
I clutched my head, quickly running through the Fairy King's answers. My head throbbed, probably because my Aura had drained.
"So, the Infinite Void is battling the Mastermind Outer God? To seize control?"
- Confirmation: That is correct.
"And where are they fighting? I was definitely pulled here by the Infinite Void's finger."
- They are fighting now, here, and in all places at all times.
"..."
- Because it is not a physical battle, but a contest of concepts, your senses cannot perceive it.
However, the Fairy King then murmured something else.
- Explanation: The Infinite Void has determined that without you, the outcome of this battle is meaningless.
- Reason: Even if it wins, the moment your life ends, all progress resets.
"Mm."
As expected.
The Infinite Void couldn't preserve data across cycles. Even if it regained some of its former powers, it would face serious problems if the regressor hit "reset." Whether it wanted to recruit, persuade, or imprison me, the Infinite Void had no choice but to focus on me, the regressor. The reason it pulled me in, even after the world had perished, lay in this.
"Then, is this really the Mastermind Outer God's domain?"
- Confirmation: Correct. I descended here to communicate with you on behalf of the Infinite Void.
"So you're something like a walkie-talkie."
As I prepared myself to leave the containment chamber, the Fairy King offered a suggestion.
- Explanation: I understand you intend to prove that this is merely an illusion, that this Great Void is nothing but a false reality.
- Supplementary note: However, as you know, the Great Void has its own rules.
"So... you're telling me to disguise myself as a researcher here, to pretend I'm one of the Void's personnel?"
- Confirmation: Precisely.
No further explanation was necessary.
- In fact, no human-shaped beings originally existed in this Great Void.
- The Infinite Void "hacked" this place to enforce physical forms. The white containment room, the simulation hologram, the researcher—they were all elements forced into existence by the Infinite Void.
"So this space would have been far more abstract otherwise?"
- Response unavailable: I do not know. I myself only came into existence after the Infinite Void began its invasion.
"Mmm."
The exact intention behind the Infinite Void's machinations remained unclear. Still, for now, it seemed willing to aid me. At least until we took down the Mastermind Outer God, our relationship could be considered one of cooperation.
"It's a setup so that I, an Anomaly from the simulation, can move freely without raising suspicion."
- Confirmation: Additionally, I am here as your guide and assistant.
- Self-evaluation: I have served both the Infinite Void and you as my masters in turn. I am a suitable choice.
"But... you're not human."
- Counterpoint: The confusion arises from the limitations of inferior human language. It is not your fault.
With a sigh, I stripped the corpse of its clothing, then incinerated the body with Aura.
Squirm!
As soon as I draped the white lab coat over my shoulders, the Fairy King's body wriggled, attaching itself to me.
"What the—?"
- Explanation: Transforming appearance.
The slime spread thinly across the contours of my body, even covering my face.
Then, it suddenly became transparent, reshaping my features!
'A silicone mask? A human skin mask?'
In any case, the slime adhered to me like an armor of tentacles, completely altering the appearance of me, the Undertaker.
Without a mirror, I couldn't see how I looked, but I could tell that a flat chest had appeared, among other subtle changes. One thing was certain: I now looked more feminine.
"You! What are you doing?!"
- Detected emotion: Anger.
- Explanation: This appearance replicates the former researcher (now a corpse) who managed this lab.
- Question: You are aware of the Great Void's rules. Adjusting your form to match the researcher's appearance is a given. Anger is unwarranted.
"Couldn't you at least show me a mirror so I can see what kind of surgery you've pulled off...?"
- Confirmation: I will comply with both the Infinite Void's instructions and your preferences to the fullest extent possible.
Squirm.
A section of the slime emerged from my sleeve and shaped itself into a mirror. This feat was so far outside the realm of human capabilities that I felt as if I had transformed into an Anomaly myself.
"..."
I glared at the reflection in the mirror.
Seeing myself transformed into a woman didn't shock me out of some silly, clichéd awe at my beauty—no, it was something else entirely.
The reason was much simpler. The face was... familiar.
"This is... the Undertakeress!"
- Question: What is "Undertakeress"?
The Fairy King, now back in its slime form, tilted its head in curiosity, but I couldn't answer.
Back in the 664th cycle, I had gone on a trip to the Uyuni Salt Flats with Dang Seo-rin. And on the airplane, which was supposed to facilitate a safe journey, I encountered Undertakers and Dang Seo-rins from parallel worlds.
One thing I found memorable was that in those other worlds, every version of Undertaker and Dang Seo-rin was a couple.
Among them was a female version of me, known as "the Undertakeress," a parallel universe's version of myself.
She and I even shared a similar level of martial prowess.
"This is impossible..."
I turned to stare blankly at the spot where the researcher's corpse had lain just moments before.
'So, the Undertakers from parallel worlds were Anomalies born in the Mastermind Outer God's domain?!'
This exploration of the Void was going to be anything but easy.
Footnotes: