Chapter 145 |
The Lucky One VII
“…Go Yuri?”
Noh Do-hwa furrowed her brow.
“…Oh, the person I repeatedly warned you about? But how did it become that huge…?”
“The physical size doesn't matter much. That red tower is likely visible from anywhere on Earth.”
I stared at the horizon.
“You know how there are orbital elevators in science fiction? It's manifesting such a scene. That's the kind of anomaly we're dealing with.”
“Sigh…”
I had heard that Go Yuri crossed over to the Japanese archipelago.
“There are ocean-level anomalies called 'Ya-o-yorozu no kami' in the Japanese archipelago. Just like Baekhwa High School's ghost stories are composed of 100 ghosts, Ya-o-yorozu no kami is literally composed of eight million anomalies.”
“That's a hell of a lot…”
“Yes. I don't know the details, but it seems Go Yuri took on the role of a 'calamity god' passed down from across the sea. Presumably, Go Yuri consumed Ya-o-yorozu no kami.”
This was not good.
Especially since the concept that 'anything can become a god' in the archipelago favored Go Yuri immensely. In fact, the only opponent who might match her was Yoo Ji-won.
“Are you saying she has become a god…?”
“At the very least, she can call herself a minor god. If she devours Ganges in India, who knows what might happen next.”
Perhaps, by actively bringing misfortune through the 'Hate Pill,' I managed to limit the disaster to 'only' this extent.
The neighboring region turned pink, so it was unlikely the Korean Peninsula would remain unscathed.
“Noh Do-hwa, I'm going to scout the Korean Peninsula.”
“…Sure. You'll probably come back in one piece this time since there's nothing left to cut off.”
“I'll try my best.”
I boarded the Savoia S-21 seaplane and set off for the Korean Peninsula.
This plane was modeled after the one in Studio Ghibli's Porco Rosso and was a kind of anomaly itself. It was sturdier in the void than in reality.
It even had some resistance to 'brainwashing' and 'hypnosis,' reminiscent of scenes from the original animation.
Vroom—
Unlike the original, this biplane flew with a hum of its engine.
Despite the 50% chance of the engine stalling mid-flight, it was still much safer than staying on the ground.
“…It's over.”
The Korean Peninsula was also devastated.
The 'Black Wall' that expanded from Manchuria had now consumed all of North Korea.
The alien structures spewed black sludge continuously, covering everything around. From there, anomalies poured out incessantly.
-Creeeeak.
-Craaak, craak.
The aliens that had numbered 120 upon arrival had multiplied like zerglings.
Their forms had changed too. Once resembling armored beings, they now looked more like grotesque 'alien lifeforms,' akin to Ultralisk or Hydralisk from StarCraft.
It seemed the Monster Wave and aliens had fused.
Considering how clichés often end with giants breaking walls and soldiers defending them, a fusion of DNA was almost expected.
‘Busan is... barely recognizable.’
Busan Station, the stronghold of the Samsin World, and the headquarters of the National Road Management Corps were all destroyed, emitting ominous smoke.
I wondered what had happened to Yoo Ji-won.
In case of emergencies, we had established a protocol to evacuate to Inunaki Tunnel. The Saintess, Lee Ha-yul, Sim Ah-ryeon, and Seo Gyu knew the protocol.
“Saintess? Are you watching?”
No response.
There was no answer.
“……”
I couldn't tell if the Saintess was dead or just pretending to wait for me to land and ambush me. Given the ongoing misfortune brought by the 'Hate Pill,' nothing was certain. I had to consider the worst-case scenario that she had fallen as an executor.
Boom!
A sound of gunfire erupted from somewhere.
I tensed, thinking it was anti-aircraft fire, but no weapon firing the shots was visible.
It was just like the cannon sounds that echoed from Saipan's beach. The sound existed, but not the source.
Boom! Boom!
The bombardment sounds peaked near the Nakdong River. It took me a moment to realize it was a reenactment of a war.
The 'Korean War' was unfolding across the Korean Peninsula. Under the guise of ideology, people hunted each other with the cold edge of an axe, distinguishing between 'us' and 'them.'
But just like the cliffs of Saipan, the hunters and the hunted were all part of the anomalies' play. No truly living humans were found.
Even the connection to the Undertaker's gossip network was severed.
‘Perhaps, to others, the existence of a regressor like me was a massive stroke of luck.’
Such a thought crossed my mind.
‘If so, Old Man Scho's repeated deaths would be equally immense misfortune for others. Perhaps the ‘Total Luck Law’ balanced things without us realizing it.’
-Craaak?
The aliens spotted me and began scanning the skies.
Even though this plane was an anomaly, it couldn't withstand UFOs from an SF universe.
Before the aliens could shoot me down, I altered my course and returned to Saipan.
“Hmm…”
Noh Do-hwa was sitting in the beach hut.
She glanced at me.
“Well, you came back in one piece.”
Noh Do-hwa brewed coffee with beans she had brought from Busan and handed me a cup.
And she asked nothing.
I always appreciated her silence.
Incidentally, Noh Do-hwa made terrible coffee despite appearances.
Though I had tried to keep a cheerful tone, I must confess honestly.
In the 590th cycle, my mental state was quite shaken.
No, ‘quite’ was too mild. It was considerably shaken.
‘Did I use the Monkey's Paw too hastily?’
Of course, I had a goal that necessitated testing the Monkey's Paw.
As will be revealed in the next stories, there was an anomaly I could only defeat with the Monkey's Paw.
But at that point, it was a future matter. Until my experiment's significance was proven, my mind was inevitably cornered in the 590th cycle.
‘Yes. This anxiety itself is one of the emotions bringing me misfortune.’
So I let go.
Under normal circumstances, I would have used various methods to restore my mental state. I might have guided the aliens to the Japanese archipelago to enjoy a Go Yuri vs. aliens matchup.
But in the 590th cycle, I aimed to become as unfortunate as possible.
Thus, I tormented myself.
‘Even though I sought a way to counter the god, relying on the Total Luck Law was foolish. The disaster was my choice.’
‘I should have warned my comrades in advance. But no, Dok-seo's mind was corrupted anyway. The result would have been the same.’
‘Really? The Saintess has a much stronger mental state than Dok-seo. If I had explained my purpose and intentions...’
‘How could the Saintess have countered the interference of three anomalies: the Savior, the Monkey's Paw, and the Hate Pill?’
‘I shouldn't have done it.’
Regret. Self-reproach. Fantasizing about IFs.
The thoughts that constantly drove humans to misfortune were always ‘I shouldn't have done that.’
A master of mental management is also a genius of mental destruction. I expertly tortured myself.
I frequently flew around the ruined world, reminding myself, 'This is all due to my wrong choices.'
“...…”
Noh Do-hwa quietly watched me.
Honestly, if I truly wanted to be unfortunate, I should have driven her away.
But I couldn't bring myself to expel Noh Do-hwa from the beach hut.
In the 590th cycle, I realized that my psyche unknowingly relied on Noh Do-hwa.
‘Even in my subconscious, I never saw a corrupted Noh Do-hwa.’
The uncorruptible.
Perhaps Noh Do-hwa had such a characteristic?
Maybe that's why she was immune to the Hate Pill's effects?
—Rationally, that was impossible.
If Noh Do-hwa had true [mental immunity], she should have resisted Go Yuri's brainwashing. Over many cycles, such behavior was not observed.
‘Still, she might be more resistant to the Hated Pill than others.’
At that time, I indulged in such fantasies.
‘Maybe the Hate Pill has an effect I didn't know about. Perhaps the more Noh Do-hwa hated me, the more she felt a twisted sense of friendship?’
‘Otherwise, why would she suggest leaving with me right after resigning from the National Road Management Corps? Was Noh Do-hwa the type to make such a proposal voluntarily?’
Fantasies. Fantasies. More fantasies.
Somewhere deep in my heart, a part of me yearned to rely on someone, indulging that desire.
The saying by Native Americans was true. The human mind is like a hungry wolf; the more you feed it, the stronger it grows.
My heart grew into a miserable wolf.
‘The Savior anomaly's usage, the validation of the Monkey's Paw and the Hate Pill, and Noh Do-hwa's characteristics.’
‘I've gained enough from the 590th cycle.’
‘From the start, I intended this to be a semi-vacation cycle.’
I grew kinder to Noh Do-hwa.
Using our limited resources, I made delicious meals. As Noh Do-hwa once said in the 100th cycle, my cooking skills were Michelin 4-star chef level.
Even amidst the cannon sounds and screams in Saipan, I found charming paths for walks with Noh Do-hwa.
In short, I used various means to gain Noh Do-hwa's favor.
“Hmm…”
Despite my desperate mental efforts, Noh Do-hwa said little.
No.
“Today's coffee is good.”
She grew kinder.
Her sharp remarks softened, and her usual sneer turned into a more gentle smile.
She even expressed interest in learning to cook, asking me for lessons, and chatted during our walks.
Simple daily life. Ordinary joys.
With no place to attach myself, my mind clung to Noh Do-hwa's small kindnesses.
A year passed.
Noh Do-hwa became my sole source of happiness.
“Good night, Undertaker…”
“Ah, yes. You too, good night, Craftsmaster.”
As usual, I fell asleep in the hut's bedroom.
And when I woke up.
“Ah.”
Noh Do-hwa's voice was close.
“Oh dear, you woke up…?”
A bit too close.
Noh Do-hwa was on top of me, her weight pressing down.
“You can go back to sleep if you want…”
But I couldn't.
Thud.
The main pressure point was my neck.
The former public servant, Craftsmaster, and manager who once called herself my accomplice, was now strangling me with a faint smile.
“...…”
I opened my mouth but no words came out.
The opponent was Noh Do-hwa, the last person you'd expect to be mentioned purely based on combat power among the awakened.
If I wanted, I could immediately shake off her hands.
But looking into her black eyes up close, I saw they were saying something else.
“Please don't resist…”
Her lips spoke as well.
“It would be troublesome. The moment you activate your aura, I'll take my own life. You wouldn't want that, would you?”
“...…”
“Of course, you could cut off my limbs and prevent me from doing so… But I doubt you'd go that far.”
Noh Do-hwa's grip tightened on my neck.
I choked, bubbles forming in my throat.
I tried moving my limbs, but my prosthetic arms and legs, installed by Noh Do-hwa, didn't budge.
“Wh-Why…?”
“Ah, sorry. I tampered with them a bit during assembly.”
“……”
“Oh. You’re wondering since when? Well, considering your limited remaining lifespan, I'll tell you. From the moment the awakened went berserk in the Busan bunker… I started thinking right away…”
Noh Do-hwa smirked.
Her smile was darker than ever before, like poison.
Her venom seeped from her eyes to her hands, strangling my breath.
“Your choice to embrace misfortune made me worry. Was it possible for you, who finds happiness in small things, to become truly unfortunate…?”
Squeeze.
“You're a person who can find joy in anything. You must have worked hard to become like that. I can only imagine how awful the life of a regressor must have been…”
Press.
“Your mental barriers are sturdy. If breaking them was my goal, staying in Korea as the head of the National Road Management Corps was counterproductive…”
Pressure.
“So, I quit…”
Yu Ji-won was capable.
But her capabilities shone most as a deputy. As the leader of a large organization, her tendency to view everything and everyone as tools would cause problems.
Managing the National Road Management Corps, which required negotiating with numerous guilds, would spiral out of control under Yoo Ji-won's leadership.
Cheon Yo-hwa, the guild master of Baekhwa, braving the sea alone and getting stranded, was a sign of the upcoming chaos.
Noh Do-hwa had been waiting for this.
“You planned the organization so meticulously, raised it, and now the Korean Peninsula is in shambles, bringing you significant misfortune…”
It didn’t end there.
“While others tried to beat you up, I saw that such straightforward attacks wouldn’t deal a decisive blow. It was a golden opportunity for me.”
Opportunity. What kind?
“Undertaker.”
Noh Do-hwa leaned closer.
Her pitch-black eyes, as dark as a well.
Her eyes, devoid of any light, stared down at me.
“You ruined my life.”
She whispered in my ear.
“You dragged me into the National Road Management Corps when I only wanted to live quietly. You claimed you wanted to save the world... 500 times? 600 times? How many more times do you plan to make me suffer…?”
“...…”
“Bastard.”
Her poison seeped into me.
“Undertaker. I hate you. I always have, and I always will. If you feel guilty, even a little, for ruining my life…”
“……”
“Please, die here and now.”
My body trembled.
It was hard to tell if it was due to the diminishing oxygen or Noh Do-hwa’s venomous intent.
-Huikikikkik.
The Monkey's Paw wailed in the void.
The roof beams of the hut collapsed, aiming to crush Noh Do-hwa. The Monkey's Paw, trying to eradicate the source of my misfortune, was thrashing.
I summoned my aura and shattered the beam. It disintegrated without a sound, and Noh Do-hwa smiled softly.
My vision blurred.
Through the haze, I saw Noh Do-hwa lowering her head further.
“How is it…?”
She whispered.
“Is my killing you sufficient misfortune for you…?”
I wanted to laugh.
Of course.
But I couldn’t move my lips, so in the blackened vision, I met my end.
It was my 590th death.
There is a small epilogue.
To summarize, the Monkey's Paw didn't pursue me beyond the regression to collect its debt.
The final 'misfortune' gifted by Noh Do-hwa was significant enough even for the Monkey's Paw.
Yes.
The [Total Luck Law], which might have grown into an ocean-class threat, was safely dealt with.
“...? What are you staring at?”
“Nothing.”
I debated whether to tell Noh Do-hwa about the previous cycle but decided against it.
If I did, she might genuinely despise me.
There was no need to invite misfortune this cycle too.
“Hm?”
Noh Do-hwa, sitting far away at her desk, tilted her head.
She got up, walked over, and frowned as she looked up at me.
“What's this all of a sudden?”
“…Hmm. Undertaker, it seems you're starting to go bald.”
“What?”
What nonsense was that?
“Bald? In my 591 regressions, I've never lost a single hair. My hair is very healthy.”
“Really? Well, I must be mistaken. Still, it’s better to be cautious…”
Ten years later.
When I looked in the mirror, I saw that Noh Do-hwa’s warning was accurate. My hair was thinning in an M-shaped pattern.
“...…”
As if it were the final payment for the misfortune I owed.
-Uikiikik.
I must emphasize once more.
Anomalies were truly dangerous.
Footnotes:
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