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How much time had passed?

In the night sky devoid of the ticking of clocks, the only measure of silence was the periodic and splendid explosions of the fireworks.

“An anomaly… Me? Me, Tang Seorin?”

Only after the fourth burst of fireworks dyed the sky red did Tang Seorin open her lips.

“That can’t be. What are you saying, Doctor Jang? I’m the same. I haven’t changed at all. I can’t be an anomaly…”

“Right. Nothing has changed. But our abilities themselves are a form of anomaly. Awakening, transcending, ascending—no matter how you dress it up with fancy words, it remains something utterly alien in the real world. You must have had some inkling.”

“…”

I took a sip of my coffee. While handing Tang Seorin the affogato, I made myself a café au lait.

“I don’t particularly like the habit of likening a person to a microcosm, but it’s true that a person is also a small space. Awakening one’s abilities doesn’t turn one into a complete anomaly immediately. Slowly, like the void eroding the earth, the process of becoming an anomaly occurs through various procedures and stages.”

“…What kind of freezing cold procedures and stages?”

“I don’t claim to know everything. But for you, Tang Seorin, it’s clear. Your rapid transformation into an anomaly accelerated when your golden scale started to govern other people’s personalities.”

“So, what does that mean…”

“Let’s talk in a bit more abstract terms.”

Imagine an anomaly as a force.

Just as water falls downwards, a coffee can spills on the floor, and a ball drops from the Leaning Tower of Pisa—all these events are attributed to the force of gravity.

Anomalies or the void are similar.

‘Why does one drown when walking to the right in the Inunaki Tunnel?’ ‘Why does an area turn into a gray zone when a meteor shower occurs there?’ ‘Why do all objects and spaces lose their boundaries and degrade into mere qualia in the Abyss?’

The answers are simple.

‘Because it’s the Inunaki Tunnel.’

‘Because it’s a meteor shower.’

‘Because it’s the Abyss.’

Each anomaly has the power to create its own events.

Just as objects are drawn to gravity, a meteor shower has the property of turning its surroundings to ashes.

Anomalies are causes that bring about strange results in this world.

We can only say, ‘This strange event happened because of that anomaly.’

Conversely—subduing an anomaly follows this kind of analysis.

‘The reason part of the Inunaki Tunnel is submerged is because it is mixed with the myth of Sanzu River.’

‘The myth of a river in the afterlife is found not only in the Sanzu River but also in the River Styx.’

‘Therefore, carrying coins to pay the ferryman of the underworld should prevent drowning in the Inunaki Tunnel.’

Analyze the anomaly.

Disassemble the anomaly, which was identified as the ultimate cause of the event, to interpret it as ‘an anomaly is also merely the result of other causes.’

This is how anomalies are brought back into the causal relationships of reality.

This is the method of dealing with anomalies that I declared certain around the 100th turn.

To restore this world to the correct chain of causality. Thus, eliminating the voids punctured throughout the world.

This is the essence of my method of fighting anomalies.

“Tang Seorin, is there a single person living in this city, on this land, who does not owe you?”

“…”

“A young man named Yoo Cheolwon lives on the top floor of that four-story villa. He used to suffer from insomnia. Five years ago, he was tried by you and has since enjoyed every night, every morning, and thus every day’s life. The cause of ‘Yoo Cheolwon’s daily life’ is you, Tang Seorin.”

“…”

“What’s the reason Yoo Jiwon, a psychopath, can genuinely care for others, enjoy their company, and hold small parties with friends every week? Tang Seorin, it’s you.”

“…”

“Every person in this city wakes up happy in the morning, works diligently throughout the day, spends fulfilling evenings with loved ones, and goes to bed without a care at night—not just a few, but the entire population. This is solely because of you, Tang Seorin.”

“…”

“Simply ruling a city doesn’t turn one into an anomaly. But this city is now inseparable from you, Tang Seorin.”

Why is this city so happy?

Why do such and such events happen in this city?

The answer to these questions.

――Because it’s Tang Seorin.

“This place is Utopia.”

“…”

“A land ruled by a witch who can deliver perfect judgments in any trial and forever send beautiful songs through the city. The void most friendly to humans in the world. If my words aren’t convincing enough… you can test it. Your law of equivalent exchange magic will now apply to anomalies too.”

“Such…”

“You can grant anomalies self-awareness, a past, and the form of humans. Of course, it will take many trials and even more time… But with some luck, you could turn the whole world into your domain, the void called Utopia.”

“…”

Silence settled.

The fireworks had stopped.

It became as silent as if the entire city held its breath. The pleasant hum of drunken revelers and the cackling laughter of witches faded into the distance.

Each time Tang Seorin breathed, the lights throughout the city flickered. When the yellow lights blinked off simultaneously, she smiled a peculiar smile.

“So, now… am I to be subdued by you?”

“…”

“It sounds like such a common story. The hero defeats the demon king, only to find out that the true mastermind was the king who supported him all along, leading the hero to the final stage… The greatest ally turns out to be the ultimate final boss. Isn’t that a worn-out cliché?”

“…”

“You’re right, Doctor Jang. Come to think of it, I can’t remember the last time you properly called this place Busan. You’ve always referred to it as ‘this city’ or ‘here.’ You’ve known for a while, haven’t you? That I would become an anomaly and Busan would turn into a void.”

“Yes.”

“You really are a bad guy. But- well. You did warn me. You said you couldn’t predict what would happen. This situation is my doing.”

Tang Seorin stood up. Kkamangi leaped down to the floor.

Thud—a broom flew from the terrace and landed in her grip. Tang Seorin donned the pointed hat she had set on the table.

“How perfect. If news spread that the monster wave had been subdued, the whole city would naturally celebrate. Even if I took a break, I’d drink with you. My personal guards have scattered, most of them probably drunk. It’s the perfect timing, isn’t it? Perhaps you’ve already recruited Tian Yuhua to your side? …Ah. That explains why she left the meeting so quietly today.”

“…”

“But, Doctor Jang, I cannot abandon my city. It’s an oasis in this wretched world. No matter what, my citizens are human. Or, from now on, they will be the only true humans. So if you plan to subdue me and this place—be prepared for death.”

I stood up as well.

“No.”

Unlike Tang Seorin, I held no weapon. The sword cane made by a blacksmith who no longer existed remained leaning against my side.

Because this story doesn’t end that way.

“I won’t subdue you.”

“…What?”

I lightly grasped Tang Seorin’s hand.

There was a slight tremor, but I ignored it and pulled her closer.

In the opposite direction from a thousand years ago.

8

-Your eyes are full of venom.

-…

-You’re that person, aren’t you? The one who survived almost alone at Busan Station. The one who goes around asking strange questions.

A long time ago. The fourth turn.

I first met Tang Seorin before I gained the [Complete Memory Ability].

I can’t guarantee that our meeting was exactly like that, whether it was raining around us, or whether we actually had that conversation.

-Your name?

-…Undertaker. It’s a nickname.

-Someone who buries people? Not bad. The depth of a person depends on how many corpses they have buried in their heart.

But one thing I remember with certainty, even if the light fades, is an undeniable truth.

-How about it?

Back then, Tang Seorin extended her hand to me.

It might have been intuition built up as a regressor. A black-haired witch holding a broom and wearing a pointed hat. The moment I looked up at her, I already knew that a continuous line had intertwined with my endless life.

-Why not join our guild?

I took that hand.

Just like now.

Only the direction had changed.

“No matter what, I will never harm you.”

“…”

“It doesn’t matter if you become an anomaly. Even if you turn this city, and beyond, the entire world into a void. Even if you burn everything to the ground, Tang Seorin. I will always be on your side.”

“…Ah.”

We were similar.

My ability as the Doctor Jang, [Time Seal], ultimately only handed people eternally happy days.

Even if they were counterfeit and forgeries, as long as no one noticed, they were no different from the real thing.

The utopia Tang Seorin had created was the same. Even if people’s happiness was obtained through a deal with a witch, perhaps it was the best happy ending this world could achieve.

This route was never a bad ending.

A world where Tang Seorin lived until the end, a city where her dream came true, could never be recorded as a bad ending for me.

“If you ever get tired of ruling the city and want to leave, we can leave together anytime.”

“…”

“If you want to turn the entire world into your utopia, I’ll gladly be your sword and lead the way.”

Her hand trembled.

Tang Seorin.

My guild leader.

“You allowed me to stay by your side even as you became an anomaly. Whether that was a conscious decision or not doesn’t matter. It’s a trivial issue. You are my reason for living.”

You are the cause of my existence.

To pass on each other’s places and still be together—that is the only difference between an anomaly and a human.

No matter how deep into the void we fall, it will not turn into hell.

“So, don’t worry.”

“…”

“We can go anywhere.”

Tang Seorin leaned into my arms.

The city lights came on. Witches flew across the night sky. The noise of drunkards and the songs from speakers mingled together.

Fireworks exploded.

“I want to travel.”

“Yes.”

“Maybe I shouldn’t have given up on the national road. No, the railroad. I should have created something like a train fortress, like Snowpiercer, traveling all over the country instead of being stuck in Busan. It would have been much more fun.”

“Yes.”

I hugged Tang Seorin’s shoulders and patted her back.

“Tang Seorin.”

“…?”

“The truth is, I’m a regressor.”

Tang Seorin looked up at me.

“A regressor…?”

“Yes. I’ve been repeating the world endlessly. My life has already met its end more than a hundred times. When I open my eyes, it’s always the Busan Station tutorial dungeon.”

“…”

I told her.

The spell called “Song of Eternal Youth” burns one’s life to spread the song, but in truth, that lifespan is accumulated with each turn.

“But in my tenth life, you told me. Never to tell you the secret that I am a returnee. You said you were greedy and if you knew such a secret, you’d use up all your remaining lifespan to create a happy ending in the current turn.”

“Ah… I see. That makes sense.”

Even knowing that I was a regressor, Tang Seorin quickly accepted it. She must have had her own thoughts about my identity.

Soon, Tang Seorin smiled.

“You’re foolish.”

“Who? You in the tenth turn?”

“No, you.”

She looked at me with a slightly puzzled expression, and her smile deepened.

“Why didn’t you kill me as soon as the turn started?”

“What…?”

“Idiot. The sooner I die, the longer my ‘original lifespan’ would be passed on to the next turn. If my original lifespan was 60 years, you could have transferred those 60 years to the next turn each time… Why didn’t you kill me?”

“Wait, what. How can you say that now—.”

I couldn’t continue my rebuttal.

Tang Seorin’s face was right in front of me. A slight breath. The scent of ice cream from the coffee I made earlier.

The smell of grass freshly beaten by summer rain.

Tang Seorin slowly pulled away.

“…”

“Was that your first kiss?”

“Well…”

“Ah. No. Don’t answer that.”

Tang Seorin opened her lips and sang. A small golden scale appeared above us.

Tang Seorin whispered playfully.

“Doctor Jang, put all your memories of kissing on the scale. Whether you have such memories or not. Not just from this turn, but from all of them.”

“…”

“Hurry.”

I did so.

What Tang Seorin put on the right side of the scale in exchange for my memories on the left, I could not know.

Nor could I mention what memories I had lost. The golden scale judged it balanced, glowing brightly in the air.

“Yes. Now close your eyes.”

In the old night sky, as the golden light embroidered it like fireworks, Tang Seorin pulled my arm.

“—This is now our first kiss.”

Our shadows overlapped.

As fireworks scattered in the distance, a thought occurred to me.

Just as Tang Seorin is the cause of my existence, perhaps I had become the cause of Tang Seorin’s existence.

If so, tonight would be the moment when the most gentle ‘strategy’ against anomalies existed briefly.

And though I would never remember it again, the memory that Tang Seorin erased with the golden scale must have been just like the person now before my eyes.

9

There is an epilogue.

When I opened my eyes, I wasn’t on the terrace of Utopia but staring at the ceiling of the Busan Station tutorial dungeon.

The 173rd turn had ended.

“…”

Why?

What led to my death?

I hypothesize the reasons for my death as follows:

The first hypothesis is that, upon hearing that her lifespan accumulates across turns, Tang Seorin resolved to die with me.

‘Utopia’ Busan didn’t come without a cost. The songs from the speakers, the equivalent exchange of the golden scales, everything stemmed from Tang Seorin’s ‘Song of Eternal Youth.’

The price of the Song of Eternal Youth is lifespan.

No matter how small, the magic of Utopia was fueled by Tang Seorin’s life.

Of course, she had secured resources for thousands of years. But it was also certain that an end would come someday.

Perhaps Tang Seorin decided to conserve that fuel.

For none other than me.

For an ultimate true ending, a destination we had yet to reach.

…But there is a second hypothesis, entirely different from the first.

In truth, Tang Seorin might not have died with me the moment we finished our kiss.

We might have lived through the 173rd turn as if nothing had happened, spreading ‘Utopia’ not only in Busan but across the entire Korean Peninsula and the world.

After experiencing countless moments of happiness and misfortune, luck and misfortune, completing a grand epic, Tang Seorin’s lifespan might have finally burned out.

For a reason I cannot imagine now, Tang Seorin might have asked me to forget everything from the moment of our kiss until now.

As a result, I returned only with the memory up to the moment of the kiss with Tang Seorin.

Both interpretations can be true simultaneously.

I have no intention of digging to find out which hypothesis is correct. After all, neither outcome is a bad ending for me.

I choose to leave that moment’s blank space, the ‘incomplete memory,’ the night sky of the fireworks, as a cherished void within me for Tang Seorin.

Forever.

– The One Who Was a Companion. End.