Han Su-Yeong’s demanding tone prompted Yu Jung-Hyeok to start with his story. However, his tale sounded incoherent and he repeated himself over and over again. Ten minutes passed by like that – she eventually stopped listening quietly and spoke up.
“Okay, that’s enough. I think you’re not in the right frame of mind here, so let me organise everything you said for you. You just indicate to me if I got it right.”
Now normally, such a one-sided declaration would’ve elicited a strong reaction from him, but Yu Jung-Hyeok simply chose to nod his head, his expression dark, gloomy.
Han Su-Yeong immediately began her job. “You went to rescue Kim Dok-Ja. But then, someone else showed up first to snatch him up. And that someone was whom we all know, the ‘Secretive Plotter’.”
Yu Jung-Hyeok nodded again.
“However, that guy had the exact same face as you and was wearing a white coat.”
“Correct.”
“What are the odds of that being a fake? I mean, that guy’s so hard to believe, right? It’s possible that the ‘Secretive Plotter’ disguised himself to look like you.”
“No, it couldn’t have been a fake.”
“How come?”
“He used the Fable that the me from the 1863rd regression turn possessed.”
“….You mean, that Immortal whatever chuuni-sounding Fable?”
Han Su-Yeong went “Thought as much,” and nodded her head. Her irises expanded ever so slightly as her Fable kicked into gear once more.
[Fable, ‘Predictive Plagiarism’, has begun its storytelling!]
The only one left out of the loop, Jeong Hui-Won, tried to say something, her voice sounding confused. “What are you two talking about? Are you saying that the ‘Secretive Plotter’ looks like Jung-Hyeok-ssi?”
Han Su-Yeong glanced at her for a bit, before replying with a long sigh. “Simply put, there are two Yu Jung-Hyeoks in this world-line.”
“….Is that even possible?”
“No reason why it can’t be, if Yu Jung-Hyeok from another world-line has crossed over to this one.”
“You can do that?”
“Well, Kim Dok-Ja went to another world-line through a similar method, didn’t he? Now, the problem here is, just how powerful a being is he, when he’s capable of doing something like this….?”
Even the highest-ranked Constellations from either <Eden> or <Papyrus> couldn’t cross to another world-line with their own powers. However, this ‘Secretive Plotter’ was powerful enough to deal with the requisite Probability all by himself.
Jeong Hui-Won’s jaw dropped slightly as she muttered. “Just from which world-line could he….”
“There is only one with the highest possibility, actually. The one Kim Dok-Ja went to, the 1863rd world-line.”
The 1863rd regression turn. The final world-line for Yu Jung-Hyeok as it was written in the ‘Three Ways to Survive a Ruined World’.
Yu Jung-Hyeok looked at Han Su-Yeong and asked a question. “How much do you know about that world-line?”
“A bit.”
“At the end of that world, the me of the 1863rd turn divided into two and fought against each other. One of them died, and the other regressed.”
“I know. I saw it in my dreams several times already.”
“….Your dream?”
As if she was sick and tired of the whole thing, she vigorously waved her hands about. “We don’t have the time to get into the details. In any case, you think the current ‘Secretive Plotter’ is you from the 1863rd regression turn. Am I right?”
Yu Jung-Hyeok spoke up, his face full of dissatisfaction. “It’s not a definite thing. There are a few points that don’t add up.”
“Such as?”
“The strength of the ‘Secretive Plotter’ far exceeded that of ‘me from the 1863rd turn’ that I read about.”
“And then?”
“Then….” Yu Jung-Hyeok chewed on his lips for a while. “….I also got the feeling that he was hiding something from me. Such as, his white coat.”
“The white coat?”
“My Stigma, ‘Regression’, doesn’t send the items I possess alongside me when I regress. Meaning, there’s no reason for him to be wearing that coat.”
“Maybe, he likes the white colour?”
“I detest the colour white.”
“Isn’t it possible that your taste might change?”
“This matter can’t be answered as easily as that. This….”
“Are you saying that it’s an issue with your gut feeling?”
Yu Jung-Hyeok nodded his head. “It was as if that bastard was mocking me.”
“Mocking you?”
“It was as if he deliberately wore that coat.”
He massaged his forehead and the words left behind by the ‘Secretive Plotter’ flitted in and out of his mind.
[….The 3rd turn. You don’t remember anyth….]
A weighty silence descended in the room.
Han Su-Yeong was deeply immersed in her thoughts as she rubbed her chin, while Jeong Hui-Won could only smack her lips, not fully getting what was going on.
A while later, the former opened her lips to speak. “Alright, fine. Let’s sum it all up. Logically speaking, the ‘Secretive Plotter’ must be the ‘Yu Jung-Hyeok from the 1863rd turn’, but your gut feeling says otherwise. That’s it, right?”
“….”
“In that case, let’s begin with this assumption first. ‘The Yu Jung-Hyeok from the 1863rd turn is not the Secretive Plotter’. Meaning, the Plotter is lying to you.”
Yu Jung-Hyeok’s eyes trembled. “….It’s just my feeling, yet you are willing to believe it?”
“It’s not just anyone’s gut but yours. Isn’t it supposed to be, you know yourself the best?”
Han Su-Yeong grinned refreshingly. He then addressed her with a suspicion-filled expression. “Speak your hypothesis, Han Su-Yeong.”
“Mm? What do you mean?”
“You already suspect who the ‘Secretive Plotter’ might be. Am I wrong?”
This time, it was Han-Su-Yeong’s eyes to narrow to a slit. “Hmm, since when did you become this quick on the uptake?”
“….It’s impossible for you to believe what I say, that’s why.”
For a short moment there, their glares collided in mid-air. And through that exchange, both of them came to realise just what kind of images were floating up in the heads of the other.
Not too long ago, they had discussed the possible identity of the ‘Secretive Plotter’. Back then, Yu Jung-Hyeok opined that the Plotter was ‘Kim Dok-Ja from the future’, while Han Su-Yeong, she….
“Argh, just how long are you two going to talk among yourselves?! Just who is this ‘Secretive Plotter’??”
Jeong Hui-Won’s pressing words prompted Han Su-Yeong to cautiously open her lips. “What I’m about to say is just a hypothesis, nothing more.”
“I don’t care whether it’s a hypothesis or not. I just want to know!”
“I have been curious about something for a really long time, you know?”
“Curious about what?”
“What if, the novel ‘Ways of Survival’ didn’t become reality?”
“….What are you talking about out of the blue?”
“So, like, what if, somewhere out there in the universe, there is a world of ‘Ways of Survival’, as pure as intended and not been affected by either me or Kim Dok-Ja?” Han Su-Yeong continued on with her explanation. “In that world where neither <Han Su-Yeong Corporation> nor <Kim Dok-Ja Company> exist, let’s say there is this dumbass ‘Yu Jung-Hyeok’ who repeatedly goes through countless regressions while losing his comrades over and over again.”
“…..Wait, you bastard…”
“What if that Yu Jung-Hyeok managed to reach the Conclusion (結) through innumerable losses…. What if a version of Yu Jung-Hyeok that saw the end of <Star Stream> through his own powers alone existed somewhere in the universe?”
Han Su-Yeong waited for a beat before shifting her gaze over to Yu Jung-Hyeok.
In his violently-rocking eyes, her reflection could be seen.
“And what would a guy like that be thinking about when he’s looking at the current ‘3rd turn’?”
*
The ‘Secretive Plotter’.
The Constellation that didn’t appear within the original ‘Ways of Survival’. Even then, a being that possessed more power than any other Constellations I’ve met so far.
– ‘Secretive Plotter’. Are you someone who knows the epilogue of that novel?
That was the reason why I decided to ask this question. I was sure of guessing the Plotter’s true identity correctly as long as he provided me with the ‘right’ answer.
Eventually, the Secretive Plotter opened his lips. [I am refusing to answer that question.]
“What? No, hang on….”
– Constellation, ‘Secretive Plotter’, has used the ‘right to refuse’ on the third question.
God damn it, I forgot about that. Both sides could exercise the ‘right to refuse’ once during this ‘Three Divine Questions and Answers’.
The Plotter was looking down at me with a pair of eyes that couldn’t be read. For a brief moment there, I witnessed the Probability’s sparks envelop his coat.
[I feel tired. Enough. Now, go back.]
“Hang on! The Q&A isn’t ove…..”
Before I could finish, I was overcome with the sensation of space folding around me, and soon, found myself standing outside the hall.
The sense of dejection rushed in as I stared at the firmly-shut door to the hall.
– ‘Three Divine Questions and Answers’ has been temporarily suspended.
– You still have one more right to ask a question remaining.
Normally, the ‘Three Divine Questions and Answers’ wasn’t a ceremony that one side could wilfully delay like this. However, this ‘Secretive Plotter’ managed to do exactly that. I couldn’t even estimate how powerful a Status he must’ve possessed in order to make something this unbelievable happen.
I pounded on the hall’s door and shouted out. “Open the door! This is not what we agreed upon! I need to get back to my comrades!”
In that instant, a powerful Status rocked the door and my Incarnation Body was flung away. I staggered back up to my feet and got ready to unleash my own Status.
Unexpectedly, it was the kkoma Yu Jung-Hyeok number [999] who dissuaded me from doing that. “It’ll be better if you don’t.”
I sensed the ominous flow of air beyond the doorway and urgently withdrew my Status. Indeed, this kkoma Yu Jung-Hyeok was right. My Incarnation Body was still gravely injured, and the other party was a being so strong that the current me couldn’t even guess his actual power level.
“You’ll have another chance, Kim Dok-Ja.”
“….And when will that be?”
Kkoma Yu Jung-Hyeoks began looking at me with eyes reserved for when looking at a dumb fool, before one of them spoke up. “Follow us. We’re going back to your lodging.”
I felt hopelessly lost by the prospect of returning to that circular room again, but as I was now, I didn’t have much of a choice.
I could sense the multiple presences of ‘Outer Gods’ looking at this way from all corners of the corridor. Thankfully, I was a guest of the ‘Secretive Plotter’.
It was all too clear to see what would happen if I try to escape and become an ‘uninvited guest’ in the process.
Go-ooooh…..
….Yup, not making a rash decision would be for the best, after all.
Also, it wasn’t as if I walked away with nothing from the current situation, anyway.
[‘The 4th Wall’ is faintly vibrating.]
⸢(There are quite a few faces I haven’t seen in awhile. Looks like a group of Shantaks.)⸥
I was startled by the sudden voice coming from my inside. It was coming through the [The 4th Wall]’s messaging system.
Judging from the way it spoke…
‘….The Devourer of Dreams?’
⸢(It is indeed I.)⸥
Now that I thought about it, I had an ‘Outer God’ residing inside me, didn’t I? I completely forgot about it somehow. I began thinking that maybe I could ask for his help in my current predicament.
⸢(Looks like they are being friendly towards you.)⸥
‘Being friendly? You mean, that?!’
I stared at the ‘Outer Gods’ raising their tentacles up threateningly in my direction. The moment our gazes met, the end of one of the tentacles suddenly bloomed open to resemble a horrifying-looking flower.
⸢(They are curious about you. Now that is a rather uncommon event among Outer Gods.)⸥
I looked at that ‘flower’ bud swaying this way and that as if to win me over and shook my head in helplessness.
‘….It’ll be hard to become friends with those guys.’
⸢(Hard? Why?)⸥
‘You must know why by now after reading this and that in the Library.’
I walked past the Outer Gods emitting gloomy, foreboding aura and began recalling the final episode of the ‘Ways of Survival’.
⸢(The final battle of the <Star Stream> is related to those ‘Outer Gods’.)⸥
In the original story, Yu Jung-Hyeok lost everything still remaining with him by that point. Every single Incarnation that helped him up until then all died in that war. Died, because of those monsters of Chaos that brought the destruction of the world.
But then, the ‘Devourer of Dreams’ said something rather unexpected to me. ⸢(Do you know why Outer Gods have become the Calamities?)⸥
‘That is….’
I seriously pondered it for a moment, only to fall into this strange, inexplicable chain of thoughts.
Indeed, it sure was a strange thing; even a novel as brimming-full of detailed explanations as the ‘Ways of Survival’ failed to mention the origins of the Outer Gods.
It was at that moment a certain theory popped up in my head.
The true identity of the ‘Secretive Plotter’ and the origins of the ‘Outer Gods’. Could there be some kind of a connection between the two?
Before I could throw out a question regarding that theory, someone engaged me for a chat first.
“I heard that you like reading novels.”
It was the kkoma Yu Jung-Hyeok number [999].
I nodded my head. “Sure, I do. What about it?”
“If you want, I can tell you a short story.”
“A story?”
It was then the kkoma Yu Jung-Hyeoks number [666], [777], and [888] all looked at [999] with baffled expressions. It seemed that this wasn’t a part of the plan.
Not even waiting for my reply, the kkoma Yu Jung-Hyeok number [999] began telling his story. “There was a wolf that continued to fight a lonely battle for a very long time. He had a goal he was chasing after, and there was a question he wanted to ask. For the answer to that question, he continued to fight.”
“Is it an allegory?”
“The wolf kept fighting. Hundreds of years, thousands, and maybe even for tens of thousands of years.”
I wanted to say that a wolf couldn’t possibly live for that long, but regardless, the story continued on.
“The wolf eventually reached the end of the battle and became the ‘wolf king’. And he managed to find the answer in his own way. He had to pay the price of losing his entire pack in the process, but in the end, he came to accept that answer. Because, it was the best possible answer that the world could provide him with. Now with that answer, the king began roaming the world.”
This was a rather vaguely abstract story, yet….
“But then, one day, the king learned that there was yet another ‘pack’ existing somewhere.”
….Even then, this story sounded undoubtedly familiar, too.
“In that pack, he found the exact same wolf as himself. That wolf possessed the exact same goal as him, and was surviving for the same purpose as him, as well.”
I listened to the tale as if I had been entranced by it.
“But then, something was different. The ‘wolf’ of this pack hadn’t lost anything.”
Right now, this guy was telling me the story that the ‘Secretive Plotter’ didn’t want to tell me earlier.
“Finding his prey, protecting his pack, the distant goals he longed for – this wolf was achieving all those with the minimal amount of pain. Without losing anything in the process. The king watched this spectacle, and suddenly thought to himself.”
Slowly, so very slowly, a chill crept down on my back.
“If this story is brought to its conclusion as it was, then what was the purpose of the life I’ve lived so far?”
Yu Jung-Hyeok was now asking straight at me.
“Kim Dok-Ja. Have you ever thought about a life like that before?”
<Episode 79. The Secretive Plotter (3)> Fin.
TL: Since the TL note section isn’t working, I’ll revert to leaving the notes here. The ‘Conclusion/結’ is the last letter of the ‘kishotenketsu/gi-seung-jeon-gyeol’ that I mentioned in the chapter 409.
