Infinite Regressor, Chapter 453 - I’m an Infinite Regressor, But I’ve Got Stories to Tell

8. The Undertaker found himself questioning his own ears in that moment. "You plan to kill Sim Ah-ryeon? ...You?" "Yes." "I can't understand this." He was taken aback. Up until now, the Undertaker believed he had a fair understanding of the being standing before him. Wasn't she a master of mind control, a creature who could manipulate even affections? Yet the words this pink-haired oddity was spouting were utterly useless for the Undertaker's purpose of 'raising likability.' Instead, his hostility had only intensified. 'Is she really Go Yuri?' Thus, he had no choice but to remain extremely cautious. The information the Undertaker originally had about Go Yuri was crude at best. Even that shabby information was now hard to trust. "If you truly intended to kill Sim Ah-ryeon, it would have been wiser to launch a surprise attack before revealing yourself. Go Yuri. Did you really think I would be persuaded by your sophistry?" "It's about trust, Guild Leader." A breeze blew between them. Even the sunlight scorching the asphalt couldn't disrupt the refreshment brought by the wind. Go Yuri gently motioned to settle her fluttering pink hair. "It's pointless trying to explain. There’s no chance you’d understand. Such attitudes are precisely what I find most dangerous." "No matter what you say, I will never agree to join in killing Sim Ah-ryeon." "Ahaha. They say it's fine to die in the evening if you gain wisdom in the morning. Haven't you changed too much over just a day?" "......." "I don't think it’s bad. Your honesty, your bold decisions, the way you can even abandon your old self. These are the parts I like. Compared to 'before,' you're much better now." "Before?" "Yes." Go Yuri flashed a gentle smile. But she did not earnestly clarify that question. She simply continued with her main point. "The problem lies with her. Sim Ah-ryeon. Ah, sorry, was that a bad way to phrase it? To be more precise, it’s Sim Ah-ryeon's ability that’s the issue." "What's wrong with Ah-ryeon's ability? That she grows stronger the more emotions she absorbs?" "There’s no limit." Go Yuri's smile subtly took on a shade of sadness. "I generally try not to interfere with you, Guild Leader. But if I let you and Sim Ah-ryeon continue your secluded life, the world will rush towards an unstoppable ruin." "Hah." He scoffed. It brought no relief. There’s a kind of articulation even in mockery. When breath snagged in his throat, his sneer broke for a moment. The Undertaker decided to ignore that break. "World extinction isn’t child's play. You really think it could happen because of Sim Ah-ryeon? At least fabricate more believable lies." "The flowers have bloomed." "...?" "Red, vibrant flowers. Beautiful flowering trees. If one didn’t realize the world’s beauty before, the blooming red flowers become so abundant that they engulf both earth and sky." "......." "These flowers tell you, in your entirety, that you are beautiful. There's no need to change. No need to strive. Just by existing, you are beautiful, they sing. So people shed their awakening abilities, their human facades, even their animal skins... Transforming into a single bloom, a singular tree." But why? The landscape Go Yuri murmured was one the Undertaker had never seen, nor even imagined. And yet. "In that flourishing garden, there was always one knight who guarded the World Tree." His heart pounded wildly. "Strangely enough, the fully bloomed tree never turned that knight into a flower." "......." "Because, compared to the beauty of the flowers it created, the inherent beauty of the knight was even more enchanting. It was the sole exception made." "...I don’t know what you’re talking about." "Guild Leader, you do know." Go Yuri placed a hand against her cheek. "Haa. Wasn’t it tough? The entire Eurasian continent being consumed by the World Tree. Yet, after gathering every remaining force and launching an all-out attack, just barely managing to sever the existence of you and Sim Ah-ryeon." "......." "Really. I almost got caught up in it as well. It’s been so long since I felt that kind of tension." Her head tilted gently. Go Yuri’s eyes crinkled in a smile. "No matter how much of a thrill addict I am, I’m not foolish enough to repeat that kind of danger twice. Guild Leader, once more, I urge you—Sim Ah-ryeon must die here." Naturally, the Undertaker wasn’t inclined to agree. He immediately prepared to enter battle mode. 'Infinite Metagame. I need backup.' No response came. '...Infinite Metagame?' Still, there was silence. Cold sweat trickled down the Undertaker's neck. 'Don’t mess with me. Infinite Metagame. What are you doing at this critical moment? I’m about to engage――' "Ah, are you perhaps desperately calling out to your little Outer God?" The Undertaker’s body, always ready to attack, tensed with apprehension. Go Yuri watched him quietly. "Sorry, but your little Outer God won’t be responding." The Undertaker’s lips quivered. "You, how do you know about the Infinite Metagame...?" "Haha, as I mentioned before, Guild Leader, when I 'gathered the remaining forces' and launched an attack." At that moment. "The 'forces' I gathered included not just humans, but creatures as well." The old road's asphalt granules crumbled to bits. "......!" Upon closer examination, it wasn't that the asphalt fragments were merely shattered. The 'resolution' had diminished. "Infinite Metagame!" The Undertaker had witnessed the same phenomenon before. An Outer God he considered half a partner once reduced humanity to extinction, deteriorating the world's clarity to a pixelated screen. "Have you truly betrayed me?" The Infinite Metagame gave no reply. "Ohoho." Go Yuri's voice, filled with amusement even in this dire situation, felt foreign to the Undertaker. "Don't be too harsh, Guild Leader. The Infinite Metagame is designed to malfunction specifically when you and I are alone in the same space." "You—." "Have you prepared for farewell? I believe I've given you quite enough time." Snap. Go Yuri snapped her fingers. "Even after spending just a single day with the Guild Leader, her healing powers have grown this much. If left unchecked, it's only a matter of time before the World Tree germinates. I'll eliminate her before that happens." Splat. Red blood splattered. "......." The Undertaker, with blood splattered on his cheek, looked down in disbelief. The blood had erupted from where? "Uh, ahh... gasp, hoo, ah...?" Sim Ah-ryeon. Quiet since sensing the seriousness of the Guild Leader's conversation, blood was now pouring from her mouth, nose, eyes, and ears. "Ugh, haaaaaa..." Gushing splashes of blood slipped from her. "Ah." "Hic... hey? Guild Leader...?" "Ah-ryeon! Ah-ryeon, stay with me!" Why? What had Go Yuri done? He hadn't detected any hint of an attack—how was this possible? The Undertaker was bewildered, summoning his aura to form a protective barrier around Sim Ah-ryeon. Yet her coughing up blood did not cease. "Ugh. Pa-ha... ha, ugh, ah..." "Heal yourself. Ah-ryeon, don’t panic, okay? Calmly. You just need to heal yourself!" "No." Click. Go Yuri took a step closer. "I'm sorry, but Sim Ah-ryeon's capacity is limited. Well, spending more time with the Guild Leader will exponentially increase her capacity, but... for now, it's still shallow." "What did you do?!" "It's simple. I released the emotions of about one hundred million people." One hundred million? One hundred million?! "You mocked my choice not to attack by surprise, doubting my cunning, didn't you? But, Guild Leader, there are beings in this world for whom surprise attacks are unnecessary." "......." "I could obliterate someone like the current Sim Ah-ryeon at any moment. That's why I generously allowed time for conversation." Holding her. The Undertaker could feel it. From within his arms, life was quickly waning. Like a monitor displaying heartbeat lines, the thin thread of her life fell, rose slightly, and dropped again repeatedly. The mysterious attack by Go Yuri had struck Sim Ah-ryeon, and though her healing powers activated, the damage far exceeded her capacity to heal. Pain. Recovery. Greater pain. Recovery. Even greater pain. "Gu—Guild Leader..." Cough. That was Sim Ah-ryeon’s state. She barely managed to choke out words amidst her torment. With an overwhelming urge to draw his sword and charge toward Go Yuri, the Undertaker found himself restrained. The moment he settled her from his embrace, he instinctively knew—her tenuously sustained life would unravel. "Ah-ryeon. Ah-ryeon, you mustn't, Ah-ryeon." "Ah-haa. Gasp, whoo. Ah..." Sim Ah-ryeon attempted a clumsy smile. "I wanted to see more... hi..." The Undertaker couldn't comprehend it. Why did the child before him have to suffer endlessly throughout her life? For being unlike other humans? For excessive talent? For ignoring other talents? Being mocked? Turning pain into pleasure and measuring it as ability? He had accepted that he had been the one to force this fate of torment upon her. He had pledged to live a life taking responsibility, forever apologizing to her. And yet, indifferent to his resolve, Sim Ah-ryeon now faced enforced death. Why? How come? She could smile. The reasons for her laughter were just different. She could feel sorrow. Her sadness had distinct reasons as well. She loved. Only her reasons for love were different. Is that enough to warrant death? Is there such a thing as a mistakenly born person? "I promise, Ah-ryeon. Never again, never, will I let you suffer. So you won’t have to, so you can just... continuously smile. For me to make sure." "Puppy..." With eyes now stained red, Sim Ah-ryeon looked up at the Undertaker, her smile tinged in scarlet. His vow no longer reached her ears. She could cough out the blood, but she found no means to expel the blood floating through her ears. "Puppy... I raised it. It was very sick." Yet she managed to lift her hand. Even the shock that freed her from control over her body didn't prevent her from raising her right hand somehow. Pain was a familiar sensation for her. "It looked in pain... it was in pain, but when the puppy saw me, it stuck out its tongue, it must have been hurting, must have been in pain, but wagged, and my hand, the puppy..." "......." "So pitiful... pitiful, everyone... it’s okay. It’s all okay... it's getting better, but so pitiful..." The Undertaker. Still holding Sim Ah-ryeon close, he lifted one hand to gently—pressing down on her neck. "Ah." Sim Ah-ryeon smiled once more. Perhaps it leaned more towards a whimper than a smile. As she expelled the last of her blood, she was able to release her final breath into his embrace. "I like... you. Guild Leader..." He applied a bit more pressure to the hand on her neck, and the underside of the Undertaker's cheek traced a red mark as it cradled softly to the ground. The descent of death fell as lightly. Cicadas ceased their cries, and their calls rippled down the road. "Did you end it yourself?" Go Yuri murmured softly. "Truly befitting of someone who bears the title 'Undertaker.' Always so merciless. To yourself. To Sim Ah-ryeon, to everyone." "Not a single part of her will be handed over to you." "A noble sentiment. Please, don't forget that determination next time." Click. Go Yuri took another step forward. The Undertaker, Sim Ah-ryeon's body still cradled in his arms, looked on at his opponent. He didn’t draw his sword. This was an opponent he couldn’t defeat. No matter how much he struggled now, he was certain he would never reach her. So he looked straight ahead. To not forget. To eternally remember this moment, ensuring he never repeated the same mistakes. "You probably won't remember this," Go Yuri said, holding a red flower in her hand. It was Udumbara. "There’s no way to make Sim Ah-ryeon happy and still stay by her side all the time, Guild Leader. I hope you'll keep a reasonable distance." "I will never, under any circumstances, let Sim Ah-ryeon go from my life." "You're such a stubborn, willful child." Pluck— Go Yuri tore a petal off the Udumbara. "That's precisely why I chose you, Guild Leader." The Undertaker's vision was painted red. It was strange. It should have only been a single petal plucked by his opponent. It felt as if a burst of roses had overwhelmed his sight with crimson. Perhaps blood tears were flowing from his eyes. The Undertaker couldn’t be certain. He only knew that he could distinctly feel the weight of the withered flower in his arms, even in this moment. "...Ah-ryeon." He hugged her more tightly. If there existed a weight too vast for his arms to encircle or his body to bear. He hoped his soul could embrace her entirely. "This Guild Leader, one day, will surely, make you happy――." That was where it ended. The vow could not fully unfold. But perhaps, for both of them, pledges were never meant to be merely words. For him and her, there was still much time ahead, a summer that would not end in this place. -The Woman S. Conclusion.