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◈ I'm an Infinite Regressor, But I've Got Stories to Tell
The Mastermind X
"Listen closely, sunbae. The strategy I'm about to propose is going to be extremely tricky to pull off," Infinite Void said.
After the fall of the Mastermind and the destruction of the Laptop of the Infinite Metagame, it seemed that control of this Divine Realm had completely shifted to Infinite Void. The scenery changing at a mere snap of Infinite Void fingers was evidence enough.
I looked around. "This place..."
"This is a classroom in Baekhwa Girls' High. In a sense, it's my hometown. After all, it's where my ego, Cheon Yo-hwa, was born out of the Outer God called Infinite Void."
The folds of a brain transformed into the creaky wooden floorboards of the classroom, while tentacles morphed into desks and chairs.
Screeeech.
Infinite Void pulled over a chair and slid into the seat.
"First, let me ask. How were you planning to hunt down the Mastermind?"
"The Mastermind thrives in spaces beyond human perception—a seed that can only flourish amidst the fog of war," I explained reluctantly as I took a seat across from it. Infinite Void beamed with an unsettling grin.
Could I trust the same entity who had just tried to trap me in a normal ending?
Remaining vigilant, I replied, "If humanity were to save the world, the Mastermind would naturally be eradicated. From the Korean Peninsula to Asia, and eventually across all continents, it would be inevitable."
"Exactly."
Infinite Void stirred the air with a lazy wave. A piece of chalk flew up, floating in midair in front of the classroom blackboard, and began writing. The white letters forming on the board read:
[Strategy A: Natural Extermination]
* Gradually expand the Regressor's range of activity.
* Eventually, the Mastermind will lose all "Fog of War," rendering it unable of manipulating causality in reality.
Scritch, screeeech. Scritch.
The chalk scraped across the board with a piercing squeakiness as it wrote.
"A textbook example of a strategy. If carried to its logical conclusion, the Regressor always wins. But there's a problem. You know it too, right?"
I nodded. "Yes... The Mastermind isn't foolish enough to let it happen."
Just as Busan served as humanity's final line of defense, the Ural and Himalayan mountain ranges were the Mastermind's equivalent Maginot Line.[1] The moment that line was crossed, the Mastermind manipulated causality to trigger a "World Destruction Scenario."
"How did you intend to resolve that issue?" Infinite Void pressed.
"Because of that problem, I abandoned Strategy A. But once I arrived here in the Divine Realm, a new potential breakthrough became clear to me."
"A new breakthrough?"
I shared the final plan I had in mind. "It's simple. Extract versions of 'me' from other universe simulations and place them here as sentinels."
"Oh?" Infinite Void raised an eyebrow. "You mean to use simulations of yourself as allies?"
"That's right. As long as their settings remain unaltered, they'll think and act like Undertakers. This way, the Mastermind won't be able to manipulate simulations at will, and my avatars will meticulously monitor our real world."
"Like the Saintess?"
"Exactly. Like the Saintess."
"That's interesting. Clever, just like you, sunbae."
The chalk moved again, tapping away.
[Strategy B: Sentinels]
* Create Undertaker clones from simulated universes and appoint them as sentinels in the Divine Realm.
* The clones will continuously observe Universe 107 (our real world).
* With these clones monitoring the entire planet, the "Fog of War" won't occur, and thus, the Mastermind loses the opportunity to manipulate causality.
Crack!
The chalk snapped in half.
"Not bad. Not bad at all. A decent strategy."
It was a strange feeling, being evaluated and praised by an Outer God about a plan to defeat another of its kind. Who would have thought I'd see such a day?
Infinite Void leaned on the desk, resting its chin on one hand. Its crimson eyes stared up at me intently. "But the weaknesses of this strategy are also glaring, aren't they?"
"......"
"No way! Are you saying you're the Miko?"
"Correct." Infinite Void gazed up at me. "Isn't it obvious? I'm the one who survived alongside you until the very end of the world. And it was me who the Mastermind sought to descend upon at the last moment."
"No, but... can an Outer God become the Miko of another Outer God?"
"Surprising, isn't it?" A sly grin spread across Infinite Void's face. "Call it a kind of bug. You sealed me in human form, and I adapted to that humanity so thoroughly that even the Mastermind mistook me for one."
"......"
"That's how I was able to open the pathway freely. For a Miko to enter their shrine is only natural, after all."
The revelation left me stunned, yet in hindsight, the clues had been there all along.
"Even though we invaded the Mastermind's domain, it didn't actively try to destroy us... I assumed it was because you overpowered it."
"Well, that's part of it. But mainly, it's because I'm treated as the Mastermind's Miko. Think about it—what god would kill their most devout priest with their own hands?"
"Does that mean the reason you could manipulate this space so freely was―"
"Exactly. Because I held the authority to do so."
A chill ran down my spine.
'Ah. So that's how it was!'
The nape of my neck prickled with unease.
I swallowed hard before forcing the words out. "That's why Infinite Metagame proposed an alliance the moment it saw you."
Infinite Void's silent smile confirmed it.
Yes. Back then, Infinite Metagame had proposed a brazen alliance right in front of me.
The two Outer Gods exchanged these words:
[AOIM – Even in this sealed form, it is the first time I have encountered an Outer God so directly. Infinite Void. I propose an alliance.]
"Huh? Me?"
[AOIM – Correct. We are entities sealed and altered by the tyrant known as the Undertaker. If we collaborate, based on mutual understanding, we may regain our former authority.]
Why had Infinite Metagame proposed an alliance under my watchful eye? Out of idiocy? Arrogance? Or as a joke?
No. The answer was simple.
It did so because it was confident it could defeat me.
Had Infinite Void accepted its hand, they could have crushed the Regressor, no matter who was watching.
"Infinite Metagame must have..."
I chose my next words carefully.
I had to. Because if my hypothesis was correct, the being before me was both Infinite Void and simultaneously the Mastermind.
"...immediately realized that you could partially wield the Mastermind's powers. That's why it suggested betraying me."
"Correct."
Infinite Void confirmed it without hesitation. The chill at the base of my neck intensified.
"But you rejected the alliance. To Infinite Metagame, that must have been bewildering. Why hesitate when it was a golden opportunity to escape the Regressor's grasp?"
"Indeed. It did wonder that."
"So, when you tried to lure me into the normal ending, Infinite Metagame must have thought, 'Ah, this is it.' It believed you had been waiting for the decisive moment to tempt me."
"Pfft. Isn't that hilarious?" Infinite Void covered its mouth, snickering. "Acting all self-assured, it unleashed its full power at the most critical juncture, shouting, 'Now's the time!' What a miscalculation. A true embarrassment. That Miko and its Outer God were a perfect pair, weren't they?"
"......"
"Well, if you had chosen the normal ending, I would've gone along with it, just as it hoped."
After its laughter subsided, the atmosphere in the empty classroom shifted.
Infinite Void sighed, then gazed at me.
"It's amusing, isn't it? You humans always call me an Outer God, and yet the Outer Gods mistake me for a human being."
Footnotes:
[1] The Maginot Line was an impenetrable fortification built by France along its border with Germany during World War II. Although expensive, it was incredibly effective in deterring invasions. However, other countries adjacent to France protested the wall being built on their own borders, which was eventually used by the Germans to invade. As a result, mention of the wall eventually became a metaphor for expensive efforts that offer a false sense of security.
[2] Another reference to Revelations from the Bible.