WE TRIED TRANSLATIONS

Translator/Editor: Ryuu

Discord: https://dsc.gg/wetried

◈ I'm an Infinite Regressor, But I've Got Stories to Tell

Chapter 14

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The Unidentified One ⅠⅠ

As the uproar was expected, there was indeed commotion on SG Net.

-Anonymous: Suddenly, the Constellations have gone silent. Am I cut off?

-[Samcheon] WitchJudge: I asked my guild members, and they confirmed that they haven't received any messages from the Constellations since yesterday. The last contact anyone had was 28 hours ago. I hope other guilds will share their situations as well.

-dolLHoUse: oh no.

-Anonymous: Guys, I'm scared. What's happening...?

-OldManGoryeo: Idiots. Always singing praises to the Constellations, and now they whine like babies who lost their mother because there hasn't been contact for two days. What are you even keeping your balls for? To make egg soup? These guys probably don't even have yolks in their balls LOL.

└Anonymous: Fuck, this crazy bastard gets more annoying as the days pass. Where the hell do you live?

└[Yuldoguk] SwordMarquess: My sword cries out.

It was a typical day for Sim Ah-ryeon to be Sim Ah-ryeon, but the Awakeners were unusually restless.

I tried knocking on the door, but there was no response.

"Stay here and shout if you sense anyone spying or approaching."

"Yes, hyung."

I stepped into the townhouse, trying to hide his anxiety. I had known the front door's passcode for dozens of cycles.

The dark living room.

The Saintess lay dead in her sanctuary, surrounded by four monitors casting a bluish glow like a carpet of water, and dozens of aquariums like walls of a fortress.

"......"

My mind went cold.

'Strangled.'

The Saintess, always around the aquariums, had towels ready, and there was a towel rack in the living room. She had hanged herself with one.

'Suicide.'

There were no signs of struggle, but I knew that no matter what happened, it was impossible for the Saintess to commit suicide.

It was not simply because 'it wasn't her character.' It was the truth he had discovered through observing dozens of cycles.

'It’s murder disguised as suicide.'

The Saintess was central to my goal.

Suddenly, the Constellations had vanished. The inner bindings of the Awakeners, not the external ones, had snapped.

And it was not only that. The network of communications that had been non-stop with other guilds using the Constellations as messengers had also disappeared.

When they needed to gain someone's trust, saying 'the Constellation vouches for our identity' was now impossible.

'No traces of the security devices being activated.'

I had always been extremely careful about the Saintess's safety.

The meticulously prepared securities had been disabled all at once.

'Without even a moment to send me a message?'

I approached one of the aquariums. When I pushed the fish tank aside, there was a hidden compartment beneath the steel bookshelf with a USB inside.

It was a contingency plan they had agreed upon.

I plugged the USB into the computer and opened Notepad.

──────────

Hello, Mr. Z.

If you are reading this, I must be dead.

My death came without any forewarning. From all the observations I've made as [CLA], there were no factors that could have led to my death.

There might be something on the CCTV, but expecting meaningful evidence from someone who killed me this secretly is difficult.

As you know, the most pressing issue now is the disappearance of the Transcendents, which has unleashed the intangible reins that were held on the Awakeners.

The only Transcendent we can currently mobilize is the anonymous one known as the creator of N.

Using this name, we must post a notice on N, claiming 'an entity obstructing the activities of the Transcendents has been born,' adding a scene where N is attacked and temporarily goes offline to increase credibility.

But containing the chaos among the Awakeners is impossible.

I am truly sorry that my power was insufficient.

I hope you will find strength again.

- S.

──────────

It was the Saintess's will.

To avoid detection by others, she had referred to me not as 'Undertaker' but as 'Mr. Z.'

Clairvoyance was indicated as 'CLA,' and SG Net was abbreviated as 'N.' Instead of Constellation, she used the term Transcendent.

'The next time' in 'I hope you will find strength again' undoubtedly meant 'the next cycle.'

It couldn't be anything but the Saintess's style of a will.

The creation date of the Notepad file was 1 year and 6 months ago.

'It was indeed a sudden attack that led to her death.'

If it had been suicide, she would have revised the will.

And if it wasn't suicide, there were only two suspects.

The first suspect was me.

"Ah, hyung. Is the Saintess doing well?"

And then there was Seo Gyu.

After leaving the townhouse, I quietly observed Seo Gyu.

"Seo Gyu."

"Yes."

"Did you ever tell anyone where the Saintess lives?"

Seo Gyu was startled.

"Excuse me? No, I wouldn't! You told me never to tell anyone!"

Could he really be trusted?

Although he had been accompanying Seo Gyu for quite some time, if asked whether he could trust him with his life like the Saintess, it was still appropriate to say their relationship was light.

"Did you go out briefly after filing an outing report two days ago?"

"Yes, yes... But why..."

"Miss Go Yuri stayed at the dorm all day that day."

"Did she?"

"But using [Stealth], you can sneak out without the other party members knowing. If I followed you, the risk of being detected would have been much less."

"Hyung, what are you trying to say..."

"There are countless security measures unknown to you spread throughout the Saintess's residence. One of them scans and saves the shoe prints of anyone who enters the home. This data is refreshed weekly."

It was a lie.

But my expression and tone did not waver.

"Why are your shoe prints in the Saintess's residence?"

"......"

Silence.

"That's strange?"

A strange voice came from Seo Gyu's mouth.

"I didn't know about such information."

A gunshot rang out.

Seo Gyu's body fell like a reed.

He had quickly drawn a pistol and aimed it at his palate, firing instantly.

On the cracked asphalt road, as if suffering from untreated atopic dermatitis, red blood seeped out.

"......"

I clenched my fist.

After calming my heart again, I tried to connect to SG Net.

[Unable to connect to the site.]

The Seo Gyu who died in front of me was the real Seo Gyu.

The possibility that he was a marionette controlled by the Puppeteer, an apostle of the Alienation God, or another entity had drastically reduced.

The two pillars that could influence the nation's Awakeners―the Saintess and Seo Gyu―had collapsed in an instant.

At that moment, my mindset had already shifted to 'gather as much information as possible for the next cycle.'

It was a familiar task for me.

I drew my sword and headed to the guild's lodging.

The duo that should always be on guard was nowhere to be seen.

"......"

It was quiet.

The training ground, where members should have been, was empty. Instead, Sim Ah-ryeon lay dead.

In the dining hall, untouched meals were left. The wheelchair that a beloved guild member usually rode was rolling around alone, lost without its owner.

No sign of life was felt in the hallways or dormitories. Only German phrases were scrawled here and there on the pillars and walls.

[Do not trust the one with pink hair.]

I came out to the training ground and heavily sat down on a bench.

Summer. The alarm sounds of the cicadas fiercely resonated.

Before I knew it, Go Yuri was sitting politely next to me on the bench.

"Have you returned, Guild leader?"

"......"

"Whew. This summer is really hot."

Go Yuri flapped her outer garment to create a breeze. Behind her, the sound of cicadas faded out like a whiteout.

"Your ability, it wasn't [Stealth]."

"Yeah."

Go Yuri simply affirmed.

I muttered to myself.

"[Stealth] was just the surface. When your ability activates, it essentially just weakens the presence. Considering the current situation... The true ability must be [Perception Inhibition]. No, perhaps [Perception Manipulation]?"

"Ah, that's right."

Go Yuri smiled broadly.

"Guild leader, you are really amazing! I thought so the first time I met you, but you are truly impressive."

"...I should have realized something was off sooner."

I thought back again to the last cycle, what evaluations Go Yuri, that is, CookingQueen, had received from those around her.

-CookingQueen? I haven’t observed her for long, but she’s not a bad person. She takes good care of her guild members and even volunteers on Sundays. Personally, I believe there’s no one as trustworthy among Awakeners as CookingQueen.

Witness 1. The Saintess.

The mere fact that she left a will on a secret USB reveals how cautious the Saintess was. She was the one who arranged our meeting, thinking 'perhaps there might be a returner in this world.'

That such a person would call someone she admitted she 'hadn't observed long' as 'the most trustworthy personality'?

This was suspicious from the start.

-Ah, CookingQueen. Do I know her? She’s a really good member. I’ve seen all sorts of things managing SG Net, but I’ve never seen CookingQueen cause trouble. Boring? Not at all. She writes a lot of funny posts and doesn’t act all high and mighty. Ugh. If all members were like CookingQueen, I wouldn’t have to suffer like this...

Witness 2. Seo Gyu.

Seo Gyu testified that Go Yuri wrote 'a lot of funny posts.'

But isn't that strange?

I have never once witnessed CookingQueen writing anything amusing.

-[Satisfaction] CookingQueen: Do you seek peace of mind? Join the Satisfaction Guild! Our main hub is in Seoul!

-[Satisfaction] CookingQueen: Words are a reflection of thoughts, and thoughts are like mist on a cloudy day, concealing oneself. Why not try using clearer and brighter language?

-[Satisfaction] CookingQueen: Brother, if you ever have a secret you can't tell anyone, feel free to consult me anytime. People kill, but they also live through others.

-[Satisfaction] CookingQueen: The curses you pour onto others will eventually return to you. Why not take some time to reflect on yourself? You surely possess a bright nature, brother.

A style devoid of any fun.

Only upright, correct, and straight posture.

In other words―the typical 'type of human' that I, the Undertaker, would like.

"Go Yuri."

"Yes?"

"Do you possess the ability to show 'the best version' that a person likes?"

"......"

To the ethically-minded Saintess, a moral human.

To Seo Gyu, who likes a bit of fun, a humorous human.

Ultimately, a person's life changes depending on their mental and attitudinal makeup. In front of me, a solid and steadfast human.

Appearing as a different person to different people.

Like a magic mirror.

This was Go Yuri's true identity.

The reason she was loved by all these twisted Awakeners was hidden here.

"...As expected, Guild leader. This time I'm really surprised!"

Go Yuri clasped her hands and tilted her head.

But did she really take such a pose?

Was Go Yuri smiling when she smiled? Was she using formal language? Did she have pink hair, and maintain a garden in the morning, sticking to a sincere attitude?

Everything could have been a lie.

Now that I could no longer trust my perception, I had no choice but to discard all the information I thought I knew about Go Yuri.

"But you don't just have the ability to manipulate perception. You made Seo Gyu commit suicide."

"Yes. I, you see, am a multi-ability user."

"...I now understand why the fairies avoided you. How exactly did you devour the Busan Station concourse? It's so rare to find a multi-ability user to the extent that it's worth stepping on."

"Ahaha. That's right. Sometimes, strange coincidences do happen."

"Why did you do this?"

"Uhm, I can tell you, but would you trust me, Guild ;eader?"

I wouldn't.

At that moment, a loud noise came from the direction of the guild dormitory.

With a crash, the concrete outer walls shattered, and the building collapsed in an instant.

Above the rubble, a massive flesh expanded to the height of the building in the blink of an eye.

Red and blue veins incessantly quivered, and the muscles, like tentacles or tails, lashed out into the air.

-Giiieldz leeeedaaa, Sirrrrr.

-Hyeeeungggg.

-......, ......

-Ueeeuuusaa.

With every wriggle of the tentacles, the air ripped open, producing eerie noises.

That noise resembled the voices of the guild members.

The tentacles' surfaces were engraved with black stripes. As the voices of the guild members echoed, the black patterns undulated endlessly.

"......"

A phenomenon that had never appeared in the previous 88 cycles.

I looked at the being that had caused this difference.

"I'm sorry, Guild leader."

Go Yuri stood up from the bench with an "Eutcha," dusted off her skirt, walked a few steps forward, and then, with her hands behind her back, turned to look at me.

Her pink hair slipped sideways.

"I think everyone being happy is better. I didn't want to make you sad, Guild leader. Nor anyone else. So I tried very hard... but unlike others, your mind is too strong. That's why, my ability was momentarily released."

"Let me ask you one thing."

I looked up at Go Yuri.

"Did I kill the guild members? Was I manipulated by you?"

"......"

Go Yuri stared back at me.

"No."

"That's a lie."

"Yes."

My sword drawn from its sheath slashed Go Yuri's neck.

A slash appeared. The pink hair fell down first. Shortly after, Go Yuri's head slid off.

Before her head completely slid off, her lips moved.

"Let's become one, Guild leader."

Behind Go Yuri, the red flesh spread out enough to cover the sky.

That was the last scene I remember from the 89th cycle.

After that day, I did not contact Go Yuri.

The number of times we met directly could be counted on one hand. Perhaps we only interacted a few times over hundreds of cycles.

Go Yuri's ability remains unidentified. If I become stronger than I was in the 89th cycle, maybe I could subdue her— this was my judgment.

Whether that judgment was correct, I don't know.

One certain fact is, excluding the 89th cycle, there was never a cycle where the 'red flesh' appeared.

In cycles where Go Yuri did not act with me, she always managed not to cause any major issues until suddenly being killed by a monster or disappearing somewhere, an endlessly harmless Awakener.

-Let's become one, Guild leader.

What did those words mean?

Was the red flesh a monster? Or a contamination phenomenon? Was it the result of a corrupted Awakener?

There was a decisive difference. Then, was the red flesh also a unique ability of Go Yuri?

Was the true appearance of Go Yuri, not distorted by the filter of [Perception Manipulation], something else?

Occasionally, curiosity welled up. However, I felt no urgency to delve into this mystery.

At least not until a way to completely nullify [Perception Manipulation] was found, I had no intention of approaching Go Yuri.

-[Satisfaction] CookingQueen: Do you seek peace of mind? Join the Satisfaction Guild! Our main hub is now Daejeon!

From time to time, I would stealthily leave a comment when I saw the nickname CookingQueen on SG Net.

-ZERO_SUGAR: Your diligent attitude is always nice to see ^^...

Soon after, a notification appeared that a comment had been made.

-[Satisfaction] CookingQueen: Thank you! Although the world has turned out this way, if we live without losing faith in ourselves and hope in others, surely good things will happen. I hope today is a happy day for you, ZeroSugar!

"......"

Hmm.

I nodded to myself secretly.

Indeed, that was an excellent attitude.

Footnotes:

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