I was gazing at the landscape of a city from a high hill.
The ghost city looked lonely even from a distance.
It was a place that had slowly fallen into ruin after being uninhabited for a long time.
It felt ominous, and I didn’t like it one bit.
Still, I took slow steps forward.
…No, it wasn’t me.
I was merely experiencing the past through someone else’s perspective.
‘It must be Kim Ji-yeon.’
This must be the memory of that mentally unstable robot.
It seemed that she was using “Card Materialization Mode” to activate the card’s effects in reality.
Who knew such a thing was possible?
Kim Ji-yeon was a far more competent Returnee than I expected. I had to reevaluate my assessment of her combat abilities.
But why hadn’t she used such ability in the Void?
‘Are there activation conditions?’
Or maybe the energy consumed was just too great.
At the very least, it didn’t seem like she could use it freely whenever she wanted.
Just as I was lost in thought for a moment.
-Pope.
Suddenly, Kim Ji-yeon’s mechanical voice echoed in my head.
But it wasn’t her usual odd manner of speaking, where she separated her words into four-letter segments.
-This is when I first possessed the body. More precisely, it’s a point in the past, earlier than the main storyline of the game.
Her speech was similar to mine, but it had a somewhat stiff and unnatural tone.
It felt like the speech of an AI that hadn’t fully learned language.
Yet her voice was smooth and clear, so I didn’t feel any discomfort.
‘Are you perhaps female?’
As I conversed through my thoughts, Kim Ji-yeon immediately denied it.
-I have often been misunderstood because my name is “Kim Ji-yeon.” However, my original gender is male.
‘Then why did you become a female robot?’
The Kim Ji-yeon from the past that I was experiencing was clearly a male robot.
With a muscular physique and a body as big as a bear.
Her movements were reminiscent of a soldier.
Even I, who wasn’t interested in science fiction, could tell from her appearance that she was made for combat.
She looked drastically different from her slender and pretty current form.
I’m generally open-minded about gender changes, but I still wanted to know the reason behind her transformation. It felt like there was some kind of story behind it.
-That’s because…
Kim Ji-yeon hesitated for a moment before explaining in an awkward voice.
-I don’t particularly prefer a female body. However, after a long regression, I became bored with life and needed new stimulation and excitement.
‘Is that stimulation and excitement…?’
-Currently, I’m using a humanoid body designed for sexual gratification. It’s an entity equipped with features that allow for sensations of pleasure.
‘……’
That certainly seemed like a feature that could add a new vibrancy and liveliness to life.
-But since all the functions are focused on sexual gratification, my language abilities are gradually deteriorating.
‘Is that so? Your mind is still intact, then.’
-My consciousness has merged with the AI of the humanoid. There is no concept of madness.
I thought she was speaking strangely from going insane after such a long regression, but that wasn’t the case.
‘So, are you trying to show me your past?’
-Yes. This is my inner self, and I thought it would be the optimal means of explanation since I can smoothly convey my intentions.
Kim Ji-yeon fell silent for a moment before quietly making a request.
-Actually, my AI is becoming increasingly faulty. Would you be able to help me, Your Holiness?
‘I will look for a technician.’
With so many Returnees in the world, there must be someone who has visited a science fiction world. Maybe I could bring that person over to fix her.
And unlike those who become irreversibly insane, it wasn’t an extremely urgent situation since it could be repaired after it was broken.
Perhaps that’s why Kim Ji-yeon didn’t urgently plead for help.
-Then I will quickly rewind time a bit.
Suddenly, the slow passage of time began to accelerate, and before I knew it, we had entered the city.
The ghost city I saw up close was completely enveloped in silence.
But for some reason, everything seemed more intact than I had expected.
A clean car sitting alone on the road, buildings boasting beautiful curves, and various holographic advertisements floating in the sky.
Nothing appeared damaged.
The city was utterly normal, except for the fact that not a single person was visible.
‘Why did this city become a ghost city?’
-They all went insane and died.
‘…Is that so.’
-You will soon find out why they went insane. But this might be a bit…
Kim Ji-yeon trailed off, and after a moment, she finished her sentence.
-It might be uncomfortable for you. Please pay attention to what you see.
What exactly would I witness that warranted such a warning in advance?
As I waited nervously, the sky suddenly darkened.
It wasn’t just a small cloud covering the sun.
It was as if it had become night; everything was completely enveloped in darkness.
Past Kim Ji-yeon seemed startled as she looked left and right, then slowly gazed upward.
And soon.
She witnessed it.
An existence so vast that it made the sky feel infinitely small.
‘…Who is that?’
The size was beyond what could be described with the word “gigantic.”
The universe.
The body itself was made of the endlessly expanding cosmos.
It was something that couldn’t be thought of in any other way.
-The Harbinger of Celestial Bodies. That’s what it was called in the game I played.
Kim Ji-yeon continued to speak in a vague voice reminiscent of recalling the past.
-It appeared only as a setting, but it serves as the catalyst for the story. The memory you just saw is the moment a military humanoid dispatched to explore the ghost city becomes a “Witness.”
Come to think of it, the character Kim Ji-yeon possessed was indeed the Witness.
I had wondered why it had that strange name, but it simply meant that the robot had witnessed something.
-The Harbinger of Celestial Bodies is an existence that ordinary people should not even perceive. Simply realizing it’s there can drive one insane, just like the people of this city did.
Fortunately, Kim Ji-yeon’s consciousness had merged with the AI, which kept her safe.
That was a relief, but one problem arose.
-From that moment on, a curse took residence within my body.
‘No way… is it the Curse of Infinite Regression?’
-That’s correct.
A tone of bitterness resonated in her mechanical voice, reverberating strongly in my mind.
-From that moment on, I began to live in an endlessly repeating cycle of time, returning to the past every three days. At first, I thought it was a wonderful thing. Time went back even after I died.
Infinite regression that allowed for revival.
At first glance, it seemed like a great ability, but it likely wasn’t the case.
-The true horror of the curse hit me for the first time after defeating the final boss. Even after struggling to defeat the boss, the regression didn’t end.
I could finally understand the deep emotions that Kim Ji-yeon had felt.
-When the 294th “first day” began, I realized the infinitely granted time was no different from eternal hell.
Even after taking down the final enemy, the regression continues as time rewinds every three days.
Even choosing death doesn’t change that.
An eternal loop where I can’t reach the end no matter how hard I try and can’t even die.
It was truly hell.
-As you already know, I suffered for two thousand years in that repeating time. Until I met a Taoist who gave me a talisman to ease the curse upon my forehead, I was lost.
Suddenly, who was this Taoist?
That appearance seemed rather suspicious.
‘Isn’t this world supposed to be a highly developed technological place like those in science fiction?’
-It is, but Eastern mysticism plays a central role here. I even learned a bit from the Taoist who saved me, albeit weakly.
‘So that’s how you were able to materialize cards.’
-That’s right.
Mysticism.
It seems a bit out of place for a robot, but it was an interesting power.
Just as I was about to ask for more details, the surrounding scenery suddenly began to fade away.
-Oh no, a turn has passed. It’s time to return to reality.
The moment Kim Ji-yeon said that, I found myself back in reality out of nowhere.
“Your Holiness, are you alright?”
Reeve asked while pulling me into her embrace.
Had I been about to faint?
Well, it did say in the card effect description that it would hinder actions for one turn.
“Thank you.”
After giving Reeve a gentle smile for catching me, I looked at Kim Ji-yeon.
The Witness who had invited me into her past was perched on the table once again.
For some reason, she had one hand resting on her chin while crossing her knees.
“Your Holiness, Your Holiness. Now I look… a bit different?”
“…Yes.”
She had definitely been serious earlier, but now she just seemed attention-seeking. It certainly felt like the AI had gone haywire.
“Whew, whew. It’s been tough. Infinite regression, trying to lose my mind. But I held on. What about Wip? Don’t I look cool?”
“Impressive.”
As the nice Wip reluctantly complimented her, I furrowed my brow.
It was indeed an impressive experience, but one question came to mind.
“Was it really necessary to show the past? You could have showcased the card materialization ability in other ways.”
“I acknowledge, I acknowledge. That’s right.”
Nodding along, Kim Ji-yeon suddenly got up from the table and confidently declared.
“But I just wanted to show it! It seemed cooler that way! Okay, okay?”
“……”
So she made me experience that just to look cool.
Suddenly, my thoughts from the Void regarding Kim Ji-yeon resurfaced.
‘Her specialty is showing off…’
My judgment was indeed not wrong.
Holding back a sigh, I waited until Kim Ji-yeon cautiously stepped down from the table before speaking.
“Now that we have a rough plan, let’s start setting a detailed schedule.”
After that, the discussion proceeded smoothly.
By brainstorming together, we managed to devise a rather efficient and plausible demon-hunting plan.
Truly, the power of collective intelligence is something remarkable.
Of course, it only felt remarkable because I had gathered a team of good personalities.
If we had even Liam or Hekatrith among us, I don’t think we would have reached a conclusion even after days.
‘It feels better than I expected.’
Being able to supplement each other’s shortcomings meant that with these companions, we could probably resolve most issues.
Even now, everyone banding together made the daunting Demon World expedition plan come together smoothly.
Individually capable, but together they exert even greater powers as a team.
In the world I came from, we called such a team.
‘Hero Party.’
The composition was just right.
The clergy-type “Saint” was none other than Priestess Reeve, who we planned to appoint as our church’s saint.
The “Guardian” who handles spirits was the Dark Elks Wip, fighting alongside Void Monsters.
The “Great Warrior” boldly facing enemies was the top Holy Knight Yao, skilled in close combat.
The “Sage” wielding various spells was the humanoid Kim Ji-yeon, who could employ a variety of abilities through cards.
And.
The final hero was, of course….
‘I must take that role myself.’
An opportunity had arisen for me to perform the most important and splendid role directly.
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