Chapter 396
Operation Briefing. ON.
"Commonly, Awakened individuals perceive the Void as a sort of dungeon. However, the laws of physics don't apply in the Void, nor can it be defined as a physical location."
Tock! The chalk snapped in my hand.
Even so, it was fine. At least the chalk had valiantly fulfilled its duty, scrawling its purpose across the blackboard before meeting its demise heroically.
"Thus, the Void can manifest within a person's mind at any time."
"You're saying that's what my sister's current state is?"
"Probably."
On the blackboard, a chibi-style sketch of Yo-hwa had been drawn.
Right at the center of the rather well-done illustration, on Yo-hwa's chest, I boldly marked a large '□'—an 'empty square.'
"It's not just Yo-hwa. Anyone who lost the most precious person in their life due to the time seal. All of them."
"......"
"You could conjecture that in the deepest part of their psyche, a void has emerged. You might call it a hole in their heart."
"A hole in the heart…"
"And thus far, Yo-hwa's psychological void had been patched up in this manner."
Rub, scribble, tick.
With the broken chalk, I drew an arrow from the '□' and wrote a name adjacent. Like so.
□ → Undertaker
Blink. The eyes of Cheon-hwa, who sat in the front row, widened slightly.
"Ah."
"In Yo-hwa, there's a gaping hole in her heart. Then, right after, a person arrives who saves not only her life but also the students of Baekhwa High. That person was――."
"It was you, Senior."
"Correct."
I had long wondered about it.
'Even if someone saved your life, wouldn't her affection for me be growing too quickly—and too deeply?'
This suspicion arose around the time I encountered the anomaly known as 'Rescue Narrative Syndrome.'
'Of course, I approached those children when they truly needed someone, in the role they truly required. Yet, unlike me, who had reincarnated, to them, I still must have been an outsider they had only met not long ago.'
Why had she leaned on me so swiftly?
Why, as if waiting, did her heartbeat resonate with mine so earnestly?
I revisited the query and offhandedly proposed my own theory.
"It's simple. Assuming there's a void extending to hell itself within her heart, everything makes logical sense."
"......"
"For Yo-hwa, there exists a psychological void that is simply impossible to fill. Thus, to deny and seal off that hole, she positioned the figure of the 'Undertaker' at the very center of her heart."
"Are you trying to imply that the feelings my sister harbors for you aren't love, Senior?"
"No. I'm not discussing the hues of one's heart but rather its structure. In some sense, the emotion is far deeper than ordinary love."
"...I see. In the case where the gap, the void, isn't sealed."
"Then she'd become an anomaly."
A desperate act to remain human.
One cannot become human by oneself. As mentioned, a critical gap has already pierced through one's heart.
Thus, you seek a guarantor.
Unable to shoulder it alone, you borrow the presence of another to 'patch' the hole in your heart.
"Trust to entrust oneself to another. Love, to guarantee each other's humanity. Sacrifice, for entrusting what matters most to someone else. Obsession, for what cannot be let go. Call it what you will."
"......"
"The vital point right now is――."
Once again, my chalk danced.
Cheon-hwa (Sister) → □ → Undertaker
Drag, the trembling of the blackboard halted.
"The person originally slated for this position wasn't me."
"......"
"The reason we failed last cycle is that we overlooked this. Our thoughts were too simplistic. I simply assumed that meeting a lost family member would naturally elicit goodwill."
"...Because, in Yo-hwa's heart, you had already taken the place. I get it now."
Cheon-hwa's gaze lowered.
"Someone like me, wasn't just perceived as a threat to Yo-hwa herself, but as a threat to you as well, Senior."
"Yeah."
"I can bear being the sole threat. But if I seem like I'm going after the position you hold as well... Indeed. It would make her react sensitively."
Hence, a more nuanced approach.
A more sophisticated strategy was essential.
"In the end, it's a matter of timing. If the 'Undertaker' completely replaces the void after becoming Yo-hwa's mentor, then it's already too late."
"Yeah. I understand. I have to appear before Yo-hwa falls for you, as her 'lost sister.'"
"...Whatever you call it, yes. You've got the right direction."
"But it's impossible, isn't it?"
Cheon-hwa spoke.
"Look, Senior. Because of the time seal, I've been stuck on the rooftop of the Tower of Babel, unable to move an inch. Meanwhile, for Yo-hwa to reach here, she has to clear the 'Baekhwa High Tutorial Dungeon' first. However, clearing that dungeon requires your presence, Senior. So how... ah."
Cheon-hwa's eyes widened.
Suddenly, she pushed her chair back and stood up.
"A fairy!"
I smiled.
"Exactly."
---
9
---
The Tutorial Fairy.
Or, 'the First Anomaly.'
It was the anomaly most Awakened encountered first. It was only natural. Isn't that why they're called the 'Tutorial' fairy?
Though that's just a convenient nickname.
The true name of the anomaly, its authentic identity, had a separate appellation.
I lamented.
"In our world, you end up being both a succubus and an incubus..."
"Heheh."
Fairy No. 264 stuffed sausages into its cheeks with the contentment of a happy hamster.
For the record, it was a bribe I gave. Why, I didn't know, but its kind absolutely lost their minds over sausages of this particular brand.
Previously, I wondered, 'Would they like gourmet sausages even more?' and procured some Johnsonville products, but oddly, it waggled its head in distaste, refusing to even try them.
Such peculiar beings they were.
And if you hadn't realized from my using the term 'beings' to refer to them—
"The taste is so sweet...!"
"Hehe. Understanding how comrades sometimes fall for the bourgeoisie's seduction and transform into the hounds of power—this dish is even more counter-revolutionary than I unwittingly realized."
---
"The taste is akin to abandoning world revolution and regressing into nationalist revisionism, caring only about Russia?"
Before me was a gathering of numerous fairies huddled together.
"All of you seem strangely lacking enthusiasm."
"Oh dear... it's because..."
"We ambitiously commenced the tutorial dungeon, but the Fairy Lord guiding us suddenly disappeared…"
"It's like being praised as a revolutionary fighter in the jungles of South America, only to find out that you were just purged from back home…"
"The wall of reality is like the freezing North Sea Palace..."
Indeed.
Originally, the Tutorial Fairies were under the dominion of the obscure god Infinite void or the Infinite hell.
But Infinite void had degenerated into a mere mass of power, stripped of intellect, and the shadow had been sealed by someone on the rooftop of Babel Tower.
In short, the current situation of the fairies was that they were:
"Like dogs abandoned by their masters."
"Heeek! What a cruel choice of words!"
"Even though we opened the tutorial dungeon as an inertial procedure, somehow we're just not feeling it…"
"If you think about it, why should we care about mere humans? Whether they fall to other anomalies, it's just their fate…"
Much like humans engulfed by depression, the fairies were collectively enveloped in a dark cloud.
I grasped a peculiar sense of déjà vu.
'In a sense, could this also be a manifestation of a void appearing suddenly within their hearts?'
...A perspective I would never have considered in my former self.
An unquenchable hatred toward anomalies still burned within me, preserved by my perfect memory ability, endlessly fueling my heart.
Yet, at the same time, I could observe dispassionately—at least towards the Tutorial Fairies.
'Perhaps there's not much difference.'
One day they woke up, and Infinite void had changed, and the shadow had vanished.
This was due to the exploits of my reincarnated self.
The pattern was always similar.
"I shall become your new patron. Specifically, I'll distribute one sausage of this brand to you each day."
"Ooh! Comrade Secretary!"
"You are gracing us with your rule!"
"At the forefront of the revolution!"
"Comrade Secretary, hooray! Hooray! Hooray!"
After all, what is an anomaly?
Why do such entities exist?
"Almost every Awakened person inevitably encounters the Tutorial Fairies first."
"And the true identity of the fairies is dream demons. Monsters of dreams."
"In other words, the void that people face first isn't anything other than... a dream."
Human dreams. The initial void.
"In some sense, a more fitting title for the Tutorial Fairies might be [The Fairies of Beginnings]."
Tutorial. Starting point. Dreams.
All the puzzle pieces seemed to tease their meaning, eluding full comprehension just beyond grasp.
'Is all of this merely coincidence?'
A single step.
If the last puzzle piece could be acquired, it felt as though the destination these images indicated would come into view, yet it was still shrouded in mystery.
Pushing aside the puzzles in my mind, I adopted a solemn expression and spoke.
"My demand is straightforward. I will disguise myself as a security guard and infiltrate Baekhwa High. There, whenever the student council president falls asleep――."
---
10
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"――Manipulate the dreams using the fairies. Keep showcasing the image of an 'older sister' to Yo-hwa in her dreams."
"......"
"Yo-hwa hasn't long since lost her sister. Even seeing a similar illusion of her sister in her dreams will likely stir the void within Yo-hwa's heart."
"......"
"So, Cheon-hwa."
I spoke as I regarded the child before me.
"I need your help in creating dreams as close to reality as possible. What events transpired between you and your sister during your childhood? Please share the details as vividly as you can."
A lengthy silence followed.
Cheon-hwa's expression was complex.
The gratitude towards someone striving so hard for her sisters. The guilt of feeling indebted to someone to such an extent.
The awe of being accepted not as an anomaly, but as a human. Trust. Love. Sacrifice. Obsession.
"But there's a problem, Senior."
Leaving unsaid feelings behind, Cheon-hwa, true to her role as the strategist of the self-proclaimed regression alliance, pointed out the realistic issues first.
"No matter how hard the fairies try, they can't perfectly recreate the real 'me' from my childhood. They're basically puppets acting only on pre-input commands."
"That's true."
"My sister has incredible intuition. Her ability to discern real from fake is almost genius-level. Would her heart really move at the sight of a 'sister puppet' clumsily imitated by the fairies?"
A very astute observation indeed.
"What do you take me for? Even though I may not seem it, I've orchestrated a reincarnation project using scriptwriters and fairies."
I puffed out my chest.
"It's no exaggeration to say few know the fairies' strengths and weaknesses as intricately as I do. Naturally, I've prepared measures for this."
"Heh, as expected, Senior! What measures?"
"Very effective measures. Cheon-hwa, isn't the world's best actor standing right before your eyes?"
Blink.
"?"
"?"
Cheon-hwa tilted her head. I mirrored her, tilting mine in the opposite direction.
About ten seconds passed like that.
"Uh..."
Cheon-hwa hesitantly opened her lips.
"Sorry, Senior. I think I might have misunderstood something. If I did, please correct me without hesitation."
"Hmm."
"So... based on the stories I tell you, since your memory is exceptionally good, like memorizing a script down to every detail."
"Hmm."
"And then... are you saying you'll act as 'me'? You, Senior? Transforming, with the help of the dream demons, into someone like me, like a Ditto, like a girl in a black sailor uniform… you're saying you'll act as the sister for my younger sibling, aren't you? I didn’t understand incorrectly, did I?"
"No, you understood perfectly."
"......"
"Don't worry. Although it's not quite at the level of the voice-acting ability of those who create virtual streams, as a reincarnate who has lived for tens of thousands of years, I boast the strongest acting skills among modern humans. I will portray a 'Cheon Yo-hwa' more like you than you yourself."
"......"
---
"So, come on, tell me the chronicles of you and your sister's life. How you conversed at home, the habits and quirks you both had, input every last one into my perfect memory――."
"This feels disgusting!!"
Why indeed.
---
11
Regardless of the strategist's complaints, the operation proceeded as planned.
The Baekhwa High Tutorial Dungeon was a death trap, where victims multiplied exponentially if left unattended for even a moment. Realistically, at this juncture, aside from myself, there was no one better suited to infiltrate Baekhwa High and portray "Cheon-hwa" in dreams.
Thus, the plan moved forward.
"…Mister Security Guard."
Once I had established a reasonable level of trust as in past cycles, Yo-hwa approached me cautiously.
The fact that she still referred to me as "Mister Security Guard" instead of "Teacher" indicated that only a few days had passed.
"Yes? What's the matter?"
"I have something I want to discuss... Could you spare a little time to listen?"
Finally! I mentally pumped my fist in triumph.
Yet outwardly, I maintained a composed demeanor.
"Of course. You're the student council president, so it must be hard to show vulnerability in front of the others. You can always rely on an adult."
"Haha. Thank you."
"So, what's on your mind?"
"Lately, every time I fall asleep, I have this really, truly, seriously disturbing dream... It's an incredibly unsettling dream. Could it be due to the influence of some ghosts?"
"......"
Why indeed.