Chapter 230

[Translator - Jjescus]

[Proofreader - Gun]

w

Chapter 230

──────

The Four Seasons IV

6

By now, you can probably guess: the anomalies inherently have the traits of hardcore otakus.

They cannot distinguish between "reality" and "fiction."

To be more precise, for these beings, everything is essentially no different from reality. In this sense, they are like otakus.

Just as otakus believe in a genuine 2D world beyond their monitor that contains the true idea, to the eyes of these beings, all objects are perceived as being equivalent to or even more valuable than reality.

‘Of course, each being has objects they prefer more or less.’

I used this "otaku test" on the Ice Age anomaly.

Since when? Right from the beginning, when I first encountered the Ice Age anomaly.

“Saintess, please communicate telepathically with the prisoners, but make it look like you're using a walkie-talkie.”

“Huh? Why is that?”

“There’s a reason. Also, it’d be great if you could act as though there’s static, just like with a real walkie-talkie.”

The walkie-talkies the prisoners took had no actual functionality, and the Saintess had never actually used a walkie-talkie.

Even so, the Ice Age anomaly recognized the "communication" as reality.

Without hesitation, the anomaly interfered with the walkie-talkie signal and even added noise that the Saintess hadn’t imitated.

By this point, I was sure.

"As expected. This thing isn't the type of anomaly that insists on the physical reality of the world."

Actually, I had a feeling from the moment the anomaly was lured to New-New York by the Statue of Liberty replica.

The more these beings lacked sensory organs like sight or smell, the more common this type was.

They perceive the world purely through concepts.

It’s like how, in old rituals to appease spirits, they would burn a piece of paper with the words “one million dollars” instead of actual money.

For the same reason――.

"Doctor Jang, forgive me, but what exactly are you doing right now...?"

"Isn't it obvious? I’m editing a video."

A real-life massacre.

A tragedy in a fictional world.

The Ice Age anomaly probably couldn’t distinguish the difference between the two at all.

"A video? What kind of video...?"

"A movie."

Click, click-click-click—click.

I continued editing the video, moving the mouse cursor around.

Though my editing skills weren't quite at the level of a seasoned pro, they were still fitting for someone who had gone through hundreds of regressions.

The footage, of course, was the video we had just shot inside the Statue of Liberty.

"Let's go! For our comrades!"

"Let's do this! We’ll save humanity!"

"Ooooooooh!"

Just then, a scene played of the ten brainwashed individuals leaving the bunker, ignoring the pleas of their comrades.

I reorganized the footage from different angles and added sound effects.

There was no cinematic artistry since I didn’t employ a professional director, but I didn't care in the slightest.

"Let's go! For our comrades!"

"Hehehe, hehehe, hehehehehe!"

"Let's do this! We’ll save humanity!"

In any case, I didn’t even need to try hard because the anomaly itself kept inserting itself into the video, enhancing the horror by adding its own touches here and there.

The edited video was entirely different from reality.

In the video, the ten brainwashed individuals had frozen corpses clinging to their backs.

The brainwashed were not moving on their own. The frozen ghosts were dragging their wrists and ankles, leading them out of the bunker.

“......”

Noh Doha, who had been watching the laptop next to me, wore a stunned expression.

It wasn’t just the brainwashed, though.

Even the surviving humans, who the anomaly’s influence hadn't fully consumed, had ghosts clinging to them.

Ghosts sitting on people's shoulders, wrapping their hands around their heads.

A ghost gnawing on Noh Doha’s leg with its gaping mouth.

Ghosts bashing their heads against the bunker door—bang, bang, bang-bang.

"..."

"In another timeline, you told me――."

Click.

Without anyone having to prompt the other, we clicked the laptop mouse.

Since I was quicker, I clicked on my left hand with the cursor. Noh Doha 's palm was resting on the back of that hand.

Silence lingered.

Strangely enough, the real Noh Doha was looking up at me at an angle. Just like in the frozen frame of the video.

Maybe that’s why. I felt as if time itself had stopped in reality.

Despite being an Awakener, Noh Doha 's hair was black. Just like mine. His pupils were also black, with no tint alteration. Just like mine.

Black reflected in black.

With both of us obscuring each other’s gaze with our pupils, once again, without anyone prompting, a Morse code of silent (ink sound) signals began to resonate.

"Shall we pretend this never happened?"

"..."

"Or?"

The silence stretched on.

Noh Doha parted his lips.

"I."

"..."

"No matter how many timelines change, your gaze on Tang Seorin as Tang Seorin, Yoo Jiwon as Yoo Jiwon, and Lee Hayul as Lee Hayul, sometimes pisses me off, but I don't think it's wrong. After all, that’s how you can consider yourself the same person, whether it's the 10th or 100th turn of yourself."

"Yes. I know."

"What pisses me off is that while you remember everything, I do not."

"I know."

"So, if I can't know everything, I'd rather not hear anything at all. No matter what I bring up, to you with your [Perfect Memory], it’s no different from replaying a recorded tape, and that pisses me off. Heh. I wonder how others feel about this? Are they having fun every time, feeling something new...?"

"I know."

"Bastard."

Noh Doha grabbed my necktie. Rather than pulling it, his gesture resembled clawing at it.

It was at that moment.

"Do you want to hear my voice?"

Click.

Even though no one clicked the cursor, the video started playing on its own.

"Then first, save this damn world."

"Or, heh. Lose your regression ability. Or learn how to forget."

But I couldn’t turn my gaze to the laptop screen. Noh Doha , right in front of me, was forcing me to maintain eye contact.

More than that, there was no need to.

"Shall I tell you the truth?"

Whether it was Noh Doha on the screen or Noh Doha right in front of me, they would have been in the exact same position.

"I don’t expect you to save the world."

"It’s quite the opposite."

"Doctor Jang. I’m the only person who expects you to 'fail.'”

"Because from what I see, that’s far more likely. I’m not the type to bet my life on false hope..."

Noh Doha smiled with his eyes.

"The day you stand on equal footing with me will only come when you give up on regression. When you are living your final life."

"That will be hell for you."

"In that final hell of your last life, yes, I will gladly join you at the very bottom..."

"I look forward to that day... How about you? Are you also looking forward to the hell that will be your one and only funeral and your one and only life?"

"You can even thank me for it... saying it’s all thanks to me..."

"It’s just a shame that this turn isn’t the one where you fall into hell..."

Noh Doha placed his palm over my eyes.

Because of that, I couldn’t tell if the final words came from Noh Doha ’s lips or leaked from the laptop speakers.

"Don’t forget..."

Cold, black temperature.

Like a snow-covered midnight wilderness where nothing is visible, the music’s final lingering notes softly whispered before fading away.

"I’ll be waiting for you at your true bad ending."

7.

The next day.

We began the full-fledged process of exterminating the anomaly.

[Translator - Jjescus]

[Proofreader - Gun]

w