Infinite Regressor, Chapter 472 - I’m an Infinite Regressor, But I’ve Got Stories to Tell

14. There were those who only knew to love themselves by taking the longest detours. “Sis! I actually managed to summon a nightmare! Wow. By gathering enough data, creatures that function just like AI truly emerge……” “Yes. In a few years, portals will start to simultaneously appear across the globe. Our mission will be to utilize them to designate as many voids as possible as ‘tutorial dungeons.’” “Um, right. You’ve said it will help people adapt more quickly to the new era?” Never in her life. Cheon Yo-hwa had never loved herself. “So then... What shall we name this nightmare, our very first summoning? Perhaps Succubus Queen or Fairy Number One?” “No.” Flawed. It was natural; there wasn’t a single part of herself she could find lovable. Lacking. There wasn’t, regrettably, a family so straightforward as to give the affection she craved. Incomplete. A sister who looked just like her. Even she was seen as nothing more than a cute pet to Cheon Yo-hwa. “This nightmare will be sealed by Go Yo-il’s [Time Seal]. It will vanish from this world for a while. And in some future happy ending cycle, only at the very end, will it be released.” “Okay. But?” “This is an extremely complex spell. Thus, one must exercise utmost care even in the naming process.” She had been born devoid of humanity. Unlike others who were fortunate enough to find shortcuts to self-love, no such path existed for her from the outset. Such a destiny. For humans like Cheon Yo-hwa who were tossed onto a circuitous route, a few choices presented themselves. “One that’s not Number One, but 404.” “...Like when the internet is down?” “Yes. After all, the nightmare originates from the deity we serve, whose power lies in the use of data. It's perfectly fitting.” One. Transmission. Just as she inherited hatred from her father, she too could pass down her lack of self-love to her offspring. This path was a "wide path," and countless people walked it. Two. Denial. She didn’t acknowledge self-love. To her, it was either a false concept from the start or an utterly useless emotion. This path was a steep cliff. Many tried to climb it and fell to their deaths. Yet, it wasn’t so narrow that anyone couldn’t risk their life scaling it. Finally, the third path. “Just naming it 404 isn’t enough.” “Then?” “Pandora's Box.” Proof. “Though the original was a jar, symbolism is more vital here than original intent. Yes. The 404 nightmare will be crafted not as a fairy but in the form of a ‘box.’” “A box… Oh, could it be?” “Exactly. A box. Just like a ‘time capsule.’” She acknowledged her imperfections. Her life had been filled only with drawbacks from the start. But no one was to blame. Claiming the world was wrong would be foolish, and being born in a world that was not wrong, she too was certainly blameless; thus, she too could undoubtedly reach beside you. “We’ll place all our hopes in this time capsule that a failed regressor has resolved to pass onto the next world... into Pandora’s Box that we’ve crafted.” “Hope…” “Yes, hope.” This path was a "narrow road." It didn’t matter if she was born with countless flaws. Even if she was designed as a maiden for the altar from birth, it was fine. In fact, precisely because of this, there was a unique form of love that was possible only for her. “But Yo-hwa, for this plan to succeed, our sisterly bond may need to be slightly, just a tad, sacrificed.” “...What sacrifice?” “We’ll have to part ways for a little while.” “And how long exactly is ‘a little while?’” “Hmm. Roughly ten thousand years?” “...” Cheon Yo-hwa smiled. “Sis, you trust me, don’t you?” 15. The end of the world was approaching. Though the media and the public hadn’t yet detected it, the cult, having been forewarned by a regressor, was receiving real-time reports through sensory networks extended worldwide. Bizarre disappearances. Mass hallucinations. Sightings of unidentified creatures. Abnormal contamination of reality and online records… These were tremors that descended before the vast entity raised its head. “If it’s a world bound for destruction, I’d prefer to be the one to bring it down first.” And so, Cheon Yo-hwa decided to become the earthquake herself. “Uh…” Go Yo-il blinked at her from across the way. “Apologies, High Priestess Cheon Yo-hwa. Have you perhaps become entirely contaminated by external forces?” “No, Go Yo-il. In fact, to reach MAX contamination of 100 percent, I must first bring about the world's end.” “What?” “The more my heart is imbued with our deity, the more I wield divine powers freely. Ultimately, to maximize the completeness of the time capsule, I must elevate my contamination to the utmost.” “...” Go Yo-il closed his lips and glanced at his neighbor, Yu Ji-won, seeking her thoughts with his eyes. There was a time when such an exchange of gazes between the two made Cheon Yo-hwa feel painfully excluded. But those days were gone. Yu Ji-won’s transparent gaze meeting hers now didn’t stir her heart in the least. Yu Ji-won spoke up. “What exactly do you mean by destroying the world, High Priestess?” “First, I’ll unite entirely with our deity. Then I’ll collapse the boundary between reality and dreams, summon the deity, and harvest all of humanity.” “And this harvest is for what purpose?” “For data collection. And to secure a ‘brain’ to process that data.” “…” “After running simulations indistinguishable from reality, we’ll store the data in ‘Pandora's Box.’ Of course, Mr. Go Yo-il and Miss Yu Ji-won’s love story will also be in the box.” Go Yo-il seemed slightly embarrassed by this, though Yu Ji-won appeared unfazed. “The transformation of humanity’s collective brain into a computer. Makes sense. But for the time capsule, it’s just Matiz’s and my information. Do we really need all that extensive data?” “Oh, it’s not necessary.” Cheon Yo-hwa smiled brightly. “But I… plan to stuff Pandora’s Box with many other people's stories as well.” “Other people?” “Noh Do-hwa.” “...” “Sim Ah-ryeon, Jeong Ye-ji, Dang Seo-rin, and so on. Just like you, Yu Ji-won. And like our world.” Cheon Yo-hwa clasped her hands. As if in prayer. “All the endings that concluded as bad endings, that no one remembers—I'll capture every single one of those endings in Pandora's Box.” “Worlds that failed…” “Yes, and the entities that have become flawed.” Capturing the times that have perished. “Each one of those things is an end unto itself. They’re despair. Therefore, a time capsule that collects all the despair of the world will inevitably become Pandora’s Box.” “...” “But in that very place, filled with all despair, what you and I hope for will be born.” “Hope, you say.” “Yes.” Cheon Yo-hwa smiled. Reversing a disadvantage into an advantage. That was her path. “Someday, Mr. Go Yo-il… no, all of us will reach a happy ending. The hope that we will reach such a path. To deliver that hope, paradoxically, we must collect all the despair.” “...” “But as you know, for me to simulate the despair from other timelines, my powers are still insufficient.” “Thus, you need to be consumed by the external forces…” Yu Ji-won closed her eyes for a moment. Then a murmur escaped her lips. “A rational conclusion.” “Thank you for understanding, Ji-won. No, eventually, you will be Pandora who opens the time capsule.” “...” “The one who opens the box of despair and hope shall be the most beautiful woman in this world. You too are a part of my plan.” “Is that so.” Yu Ji-won, a girl destined to play the role of Pandora in the distant future, nodded slightly. “Indeed. According to mythology, opening Pandora’s Box led to a flood that submerged the earth, right? Is that something the High Priestess has taken into account?” “Naturally!” “A brilliant scheme.” Yu Ji-won extended her hand. With a light handshake, she asked. “High Priestess, when do you plan to initiate the world’s end?” “In a week.” That day was April 4th. Under the High Priestess's command, the congregation gathered at the main headquarters. As dusk approached, signaling the end of their daily routine, the devotees kneeled and didn’t budge. Because, for them, this was the promised moment. “It’s fascinating, Sis.” “Hm? What is?” In the very center of the main headquarters. Twins, one donned in white, the other in black, sat facing each other. The white-clad twin, the younger sister, scratched her cheek bashfully. “Well, we’ve always been born as sacrifices destined to be offered to the deity of this world, right? But after going round and round… it really ended up like that, and it feels so strange to me.” “Hahaha, it is strange.” The twins formed the central point. Around them, dozens of elders sat in a circle. A larger circle encircled them, followed by an even greater one, and an even larger one still… Thousands of inner members formed concentric circles. Among the outer members, those with profound faith served as the final barriers at the periphery. “But you know, the sacrifice our father originally planned and the one we resolved now are different.” “Are they?” “Yeah. Before, it was a sacrifice to abandon us… Now, we offer ourselves to preserve us. To return to ourselves.” “...” “Yo-hwa.” Their hands intertwined tightly. While surrounding them, elders, inner members, and outer members filled the air with incessant prayers, draping the scarlet dusk in melodious chants. “My beloved sister.” “...” “But the love I referred to in ‘beloved sister’ may have been slightly different from the love you’d hoped for from me.” “...Sis.” “I’m sorry for not being able to give any other love. And thank you for staying by my side despite knowing this all along.” “...” “Sis, starting today, I’ll make an effort.” Cheon Yo-hwa smiled. “To not be an older sister who would be embarrassing to you.” “You’ve never once been an embarrassment to me.” “Aww, that’s an exaggeration. Wasn’t I a bit embarrassing when I snuck Mr. Go Yo-il in with the Eight Trigrams’ help?” “Oh noooo—” As her sister flailed, Cheon Yo-hwa enjoyed their joined hands, grinning wide. “And… um. Sorry for not introducing Go Yo-il sooner! Honestly, dealing with Yu Ji-won was overwhelming enough, and I feared I’d go mad if you got tangled up too.” “Ah, I thought so?” “Frankly, I even imagined bringing Mr. Go Yo-il in as a live-in husband for us sisters. But no matter how I think about it, it seems like he'll cherish you more than me.” “What, my brother-in-law?” Her sister laughed. “No way, no way! Brother-in-law has never looked at me that way, not even once. Aren’t you overreacting?” “Haaa…” “?” “Really, this is why conversations don’t work with ordinary people who lack the ability to simulate multiple worlds…” “??” “Oh well. An understanding and pretty me should just acknowledge and move on, geez.” “???” An abiding feeling of apology and gratitude. Things they’d never have the chance to share again in this life, and maybe not even in the next, or the one after that—a near eternal instant would have to pass before they could be shared again. “Oh.” Then, the sun set. It was the twilight permitted as the last in this world. “Sis.” Turning her face to receive the twilight glow, her sister showed a seriousness previously unseen, a stark contrast to her earlier levity. “Yes.” Cheon Yo-hwa nodded. “Let’s pray.” Even amidst the evening glow, her words rang clear as a bell. The elders, already reciting their prayers, were the first to hear the solemn bell tone of the High Priestess and reverently spread it with the ringing of their own bodies. “Spirit amalgamation, innate birth of heaven and earth...” “I do not know its name...” “Crimson favor and grace, standing alone without deviation—” The total headquarters of the cult, designed and built for this very ceremony from the start, melded together with the sunset and night sky, the death of the sun and the birth of the moon, the meeting of yang and yin. ‘Spirit Bomb... no, perhaps a sacrificial burial.’ Tightly clasping her sister’s hands, Cheon Yo-hwa softly chanted alongside her, clear as the night sky. “To live is to die. If destruction was ordained from the beginning, is not every human then a living corpse?” “Just as closing one’s eyes does not stop life; dreaming does not cease reality.” “Each moment contains both dream and wakefulness. The destruction at the beginning is but a fleeting dream, no different from the fleeting reality of destruction’s onset.” “Thus, even if confined to this moment here and now, how could one not intuit the intermingling of destruction and beginning?” “Great is your fleeting presence to us.” “Small is your eternity to us.” The two Cheon Yo-hwas closed their eyes. Everything up to this point was a prayer instilled by their father, memorized effortlessly since childhood. Now for the highlight. Only the final prayer remained. But――. “Please die with me.” The sequence shifted. The sister spoke first with the prayer that was supposed to be uttered last by the elder sister. “Please live with me.” The elder sister concluded with the prayer initially meant for the younger. And then. The deity answered their prayer.