NOVEL NEXT The Strategist IV
Let's take a moment to discuss Oh Dok-seo.
Oh Dok-seo was a literary girl. Like all literary girls, she believed in the existence of something special beyond the mundane human world. Of course, this was a vain hope. Many literary girls received about three hard punches of betrayal, conspiracy, and group selfishness between the ages of fifteen and twenty-five before quietly letting go of their expectations of the world.
There were no magical schools, no debutante balls for noble ladies, and no secret organizations holding regular meetings in dimly lit alley bars (although there were organizations selling mysterious white powders and fantasy gum). Reality was harsh. A normal literary girl in Korea had to be ready to replace the magical school with a university, the debutante ball with an MT (membership training), and the secret organization with social media activities. This wasn't difficult. Children who read the Harry Potter series typically experienced a stage of denial around the fifth or sixth grade, wondering, "Why is my Hogwarts acceptance letter arriving late?" This was a common growing pain.
Oh Dok-seo was not common.
"No. The world is wrong."
From a young age, Oh Dok-seo thought this way. At the school's sandy playground, which mimicked a desert, she preferred walking in the shade rather than under the sun.
"Wizards exist. Secret organizations exist. Forces of evil that threaten the world and champions of justice fighting against them also exist. And naturally, a god who watches over it all must exist too."
Oh Dok-seo willingly abandoned reality for fantasy. It was an easy choice for her. Why should she give up her fantasies just because they were deemed unrealistic? What did the so-called realistic human world offer that was so great? At best, it offered jealousy, selfish desires, contempt for others due to inferior talent, hatred for family, hunger, wordplay, and false friendships.
"No."
What disgusted Oh Dok-seo most was how easily people forgot their actions.
"You promised never to lie again. Why are you lying?"
"Promise? When?"
"Last time. We talked about it by the water cooler next to the restroom a few months ago."
Oh Dok-seo had an extraordinary memory from a young age. She rarely forgot the dialogues of characters in books she had read. She meticulously remembered every word and action of people in reality. Just as some brains are specialized in numbers and calculations, Oh Dok-seo's brain had an exceptional ability to remember human behavior.
"I never said that."
Others did not. Promises, vows, breaking promises, and forgetting them—this was the reality Oh Dok-seo saw, filled with people who forgot their actions in real-time. If she had the expressive power she had now, she might have said this as a child:
"Forgetting is no different from death. Forgotten things are as good as nonexistent."
"Then what are these people who forget everything?"
"They are like a carnival parade, killing parts of themselves bit by bit, yet unaware, and still claiming 'we are alive.'"
When Oh Dok-seo reached this realization, she felt a chill. It was terrifying. The entire world was engaged in a ritual sacrifice of itself. All humans were cannibals, consuming themselves.
"No."
Oh Dok-seo wanted to escape.
"I don't want to die."
So she fled. Compared to reality, fantasy was always brilliant. In creative works, people could always become greater. Characters in novels never forgot what they said or did. They remembered what they did in chapter 30 even in chapter 300. To Oh Dok-seo, these fictional characters felt more human. They were beings that remembered, could communicate, take responsibility, and offer forgiveness. Oh Dok-seo simply had higher standards for what it meant to be human.
"These people are alive."
The literary girl's heart split in two. On one side, there was endless hatred for humanity based on reality. On the other side, there was boundless affection for humanity based on creative works.
"The world is filthy."
"Characters are more human."
"As long as I don't give up my faith in these characters, they can exist, even if only in my heart."
With her heart torn in two, Oh Dok-seo indulged more and more in her belief in something 'other than reality.' Normally, human beliefs were not rewarded.
"Huh? What? Did I add this novel to my favorites list?"
About two weeks before being forcibly summoned to Busan Station.
"Let's see... the title is..."
A miracle happened to her.
『Omniscient Regressor’s Viewpoint』?
Returning to the present, on a night with a chirping nightingale, I looked at Oh Dok-seo and replied.
"That's right, Dok-seo. From the beginning, you were chosen as a apostle by the Admin of the Infinite Metaverse."
"Oh."
"In many novels, the protagonist is often possessed by a book or game character for no reason or explanation. But in this world, there's always an anomaly behind every 'reasonless' and 'explanationless' event."
In other words.
"The novel 『Omniscient Regressor's Viewpoint』 that you thought you read by chance is not just a novel. It’s not mere coincidence. It’s a gift from the Admin of the Infinite Metaverse, proving that you are his representative—a chosen human."
The anomaly's favorite apostle.
"And that novel itself is evidence that you were chosen as the anomaly's agent."
"......"
"The Admin of the Infinite Metaverse must have judged you to be the most suitable apostle on this earth. Strictly speaking, anomalies don't have the same judgment abilities as humans."
The nightingale fell silent.
Oh Dok-seo’s expression was truly complex. She didn't know whether to be happy or sad. After a few moments of pondering, she spoke.
"Does that mean the Admin of the Infinite Metaverse is eavesdropping on all our conversations?"
"Yes. But there's no need to worry."
"Why?"
"As I said before, anomalies don’t have human-like judgment. Their senses and value standards are different. Even the term 'eavesdropping' doesn't really apply."
I pointed to Oh Dok-seo’s backpack, which contained the laptop given by the Admin of the Infinite Metaverse.
"When we started this cycle, we defined this world as a 'game broadcast.' The time we spend chatting now corresponds to off-air rest periods. As long as we maintain this format, the anomaly won't categorize our private conversations as meaningful."
"Oh, I see..."
Oh Dok-seo muttered to herself, but it was clear that this wasn’t the topic she really wanted to discuss. Her lips had been twitching as if debating whether to say something.
"But Mister..."
"Hmm?"
"In 『Omniscient Regressor's Viewpoint』, it describes you as a regressor and details everything you've been through in each cycle. If the Admin of the Infinite Metaverse wrote that and showed it to me, then that means the anomaly knows you’re a regressor, right?"
"Yes, it probably does."
"...!"
Oh Dok-seo’s breath hitched.
"Then isn't that a big problem? The biggest advantage of a regressor is that the enemies don't know they are a regressor. But if the anomaly knows..."
"The Admin of the Infinite Metaverse has some resistance to my regressions. That’s why it left the laptop with me."
Since the 135th cycle, when the world was destroyed by the Logout Game, a laptop had been left by my side every time I regressed. This meant the Admin of the Infinite Metaverse was continually approaching me through the cycles.
"But the anomaly's power isn't complete. I am also resisting it."
"Resisting...? What do you mean?"
"In the novel you read, the updates are very slow. There's a gap of about 500 to 600 cycles between my 'reality' and that 'novel.'"
We were in the 593rd cycle. However, the stories Oh Dok-seo read in 『Omniscient Regressor's Viewpoint』 only covered up to the 33rd cycle.
"So, imagine the Admin of the Infinite Metaverse as a hacker trying to break into me. Its progress is only about 5%. No matter how hard it tries to decode me, it can only gather data up to the 33rd cycle. It can't understand the me of the 593rd cycle."
"Oh, thank goodness. That means we still have plenty of time..."
Oh Dok-seo sighed in relief.
"But we mustn't be complacent. The Admin of the Infinite Metaverse is slowly but surely extending its reach towards me."
"Yes, I understand that..."
"The fact that you began to awaken as a book possessor from the 555th cycle onward shows how close the anomaly has gotten to me."
"Really? I see..."
I nodded.
Why did Oh Dok-seo, a 'book possessor,' start to awaken in the 555th cycle instead of the first? Why were both the regressor and the book possessor summoned to the Busan Station Tutorial Dungeon?
A coincidence defying extreme odds? No, it was intentional. Everything was planned.
"Just as I am trying to defeat the anomaly, the Admin of the Infinite Metaverse is using every means to subdue me. One reason it chose you as its representative is because you and I started from the same point."
"...!"
"The anomaly wants to interfere with me as quickly and effectively as possible."
Oh Dok-seo was taken aback.
"Does that mean... that the anomaly intended for me, a book possessor, to hinder and oppose you, a regressor?"
"Exactly."
"So, we were meant to be adversaries, not allies?"
Recall the 555th cycle. When Oh Dok-seo first encountered me as a book possessor, she didn’t have a good impression of me.
[Oh Dok-seo: There he is, the protagonist of this world. Codename: Undertaker.]
[Oh Dok-seo: The Undertaker is a protagonist who has experienced regression multiple times. He’s ruthless.]
She was wary of me.
[Oh Dok-seo: He lives only with hatred for monsters, a typical regressor living out of pure spite.]
[Oh Dok-seo: He’s just a madman. He might kill me if he suspects anything. Better be cautious.]
Oh Dok-seo genuinely believed I might kill her. She was prepared to betray me and strike from behind if necessary. Why? The reason was simple.
"Dok-seo, the Admin of the Infinite Metaverse made 『Omniscient Regressor's Viewpoint』 to make you wary of me."
"Oh..."
"To be precise, the anomaly could only hack up to the 4th cycle version of me. It judged my character based on that and influenced you accordingly."
Even the anomaly couldn’t predict that the murderous maniac from the 4th cycle would evolve into someone different by the 500th cycle.
The Admin of the Infinite Metaverse analyzed me from the past and acted based on that. It expected conflict and distrust between the book possessor and the regressor, leading to destruction. But from the start, I disrupted the anomaly’s grand plan.
"So, you and I becoming allies was entirely unexpected for the anomaly?"
"Yes. It never imagined I would so easily lower my guard around you."
"Wow."
"It must be quite bewildered."
I chuckled. The Admin of the Infinite Metaverse was smart. If you were in the anomaly's shoes, how would you deal with a regressor resetting the world each time he was about to lose?
Q) How can you eliminate the troublesome regressor?
A) Turn his life into a novel and create a book possessor. The regressor loses his advantage as the 'protagonist,' and the book possessor, now the new protagonist, eventually wins.
This was the genius strategy devised by the Admin of the Infinite Metaverse. It was clever. Using clichés to strip the regressor of his advantages. If it weren’t for me, the anomaly would have succeeded. The book possessor, Oh Dok-seo, looked at me with anxious eyes.
"Did you always know I was chosen by the anomaly?"
"To some extent."
I shrugged.
"I became certain when I noticed that the updates to 『Omniscient Regressor's Viewpoint』 increased with each cycle. Such phenomena are extremely rare."
"And you still didn't kill me?"
"Hmm?"
"Why not just kill me every time you regressed? That would remove any potential threat I posed."
"......"
"Why didn’t you choose the simplest solution? Even now, we’ve taken the Hate Pill, making us naturally dislike each other. Aren’t you worried I might betray you at a crucial moment?"
Hmm. I stroked my chin, pondering how to respond before deciding on honesty.
"Betrayal isn’t a big deal for a regressor."
"What?"
"It's fine. I'm mentally strong. I haven’t told you, but every one of my allies has betrayed me at least once. Do you want to hear about the time the Saintess tried to kill me? It was pretty epic."
"...? ...?"
In the distance, I faintly heard the Saintess coughing. I smiled and patted Oh Dok-seo’s shoulder.
"Dok-seo, do as you wish."
"......"
"I have near-infinite opportunities. Even if you betray me ten or twenty times, I still remember the cycles where you trusted me a hundred or two hundred times. How could I forget that?"
"......"
"If we fail this time, we’ll do better next time. I know you too well to be disappointed."
For a while, Oh Dok-seo remained silent.
"Okay."
As the nightingale started singing again in the forest, Oh Dok-seo raised her hand to grasp mine on her shoulder.
"I wish I could read these words in 『Omniscient Regressor's Viewpoint』 too."
"You will someday."
"Yeah... Maybe."
Oh Dok-seo smiled brightly.
"It doesn’t matter if the anomaly has its eyes on me. Remember this, Mister. This is a promise."
Her grip on my hand tightened.
"I will be the one to save you. I will definitely rescue you from this damned world."
I chuckled. Kiddo, you’re the 26th person to say that to me. And I gave her the same answer for the 26th time.
"Alright. I trust you."
"Yes!"
The next day, we began our full-scale operation to bring the Admin of the Infinite Metaverse down to the surface.
Footnotes:
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