Chapter 388

Invasion (9)

"You need us to gather these people? Well... alright, understood."

"If the higher-ups say jump, we jump."

Earth's seasoned administrative workforce didn't fully understand my instructions, but they carried them out smoothly regardless. They made calls, sent letters, dispatched staff to conduct "interviews."

"I'm... I'm sorry, what?"

"A monster's going to show up? Something insanely strong?"

"You want me to go there...? To help? Me?"

Since Floor 15's catastrophe had already hit Earth, there was no filtering in place, so the information could be delivered in full. A tremendously powerful monster was expected to appear soon. Help was needed. All they had to do was show up and use their buffs. Everyone else was being called in too, and they'd be completely safe. Every necessary line got delivered, word for word.

"Ha, no way... I'm an office worker. How am I supposed to fight a monster."

"Actually, I developed PTSD after the Tutorial... I've been seeing a doctor. I can submit my medical records if you need them. I'm sorry. I don't think I can do this."

"I signed a contract with a company this year... I'm not allowed to leave my post. I can't go. Do you have any idea what the penalty clause costs?"

The overwhelming majority of buffers and debuffers expressed refusal during these "interviews." Frankly, how many people would happily agree to "a global crisis is coming, we need your help"?

"Ah, yes. We'll handle the contract on our end. Just come in for now."

"I see you have your reasons... why don't you come explain in person?"

"Hm, in a case like this... shall we go review the regulations together?"

"W, wait a second!!!"

Of course, none of that pushback held any weight. Earth was about to end, and there was no room to accommodate every individual circumstance one by one. There were even cases of people dragged in the very next day after their parents had died.

"I'm suing. I'm suing every last one of you."

"I posted this on YouTube. I'm making this public."

Naturally, people bristled and thrashed with everything they had.

"Go ahead."

"...Excuse me?"

"Go ahead, I said. File a report, do whatever you want."

The Association's standing, currently the force holding back monsters across the entire world, had risen sky-high, so none of it worked. Part of the reason was that Michael Zetter had someone under him capable of controlling the internet.

Regardless, there was some pushback, but my plan moved along smoothly. Gather the buffers and debuffers in one place, then run them through training to use their traits in sequence. Some people came around once they heard about the massive compensation and support waiting down the line, while others resisted to the very end. A few refused to cooperate purely out of spite.

"This should be resolved soon enough. A single nation can do more than people think."

Michael Zetter said this in a flat, emotionless voice, looking at the assembled players.

"That's what democracy is. It places extreme limits on the power of a single individual. Even if something is unjust to one person, it can still be pushed through if the rest of the majority agrees. You could call it violence carried out in the name of everyone, in the name of the collective. From a minority's standpoint, there's no system more unreasonable than this."

He trailed off, turned his head, and glanced my way.

"But if a single individual is stronger than the collective, democracy collapses. What does everyone's opinion matter then? One person's power outweighs it."

Groups and systems are things humans built because they couldn't survive alone. But what if someone could survive alone? What if they were strong enough that they needed no one else's help at all?

"May I ask you something? It's the question I said I'd ask before."

"...What is it?"

"The Book of Truth. Do you remember it?"

"Of course. How's Ronald doing?"

"He's doing well. As for how..."

Ronald, owner of the Book of Truth. Apparently the kid gave up climbing the Tower after Zetter talked him out of it. From what I'd heard, he was using the book for small things, peeking at exam answers ahead of time, or dabbling in the stock market. Living like an ordinary citizen, unbelievably so for an ex-grade ability holder like me.

"I think that no matter how remarkable a trait is, without the will to make use of it, a person ends up like Ronald. Jun-ho-nim, you could have given up climbing the Tower too, couldn't you have."

"Well... I figured someone had to do it."

"Doesn't it feel like a waste?"

"What does?"

"Ronald's ability, I mean. You're the one who could make the best use of it, after all."

"..."

What Zetter was saying now touched on something I'd thought about before. No, honestly, maybe something I'd considered pretty seriously.

If I'd gone through a dark evolution, would I have used that book more aggressively? If I hadn't cared what anyone else thought, if all I cared about was clearing the Tower?

Apparently, the afterlife disappears for people offered to the book. Once they die, their soul becomes bound to the book. The reason Americans were acting more on edge, more destructive these days, that was entirely because Zetter had offered his soul to the book. (Had that soul come back? Probably not. That was a fact I'd been deliberately avoiding, since checking wouldn't change anything.)

If I used the book, sacrificed people to it... the backlash would be enormous. I'd get branded a mass murderer on par with Hitler, and everyone would find me disgusting.

But so what? If I regress, nobody would ever know. It'd become something that never happened. Most people probably wouldn't even realize their own afterlife had vanished. There's no risk for me, but the returns would be endless.

Or I could gather every precious object on Earth, offer them to the book, and regress, over and over. The items come back once I regress anyway. I might not be able to ask about the great truths of the universe, but it'd still be useful for setting direction before regressing.

Right. I'm the one who could make the best use of the Book of Truth. The book isn't mine? Fine, I could regress repeatedly, learn Ronald's personal information, his tastes, his values, and win him over just enough. Acting is something I've gotten good at through regression. Winning over one high schooler would be easy.

"That's just... not something I think I should do."

The reason I didn't is simple. It didn't feel right. It felt like crossing a line. I didn't want to do it.

How is that any different from getting close to Choi Ji-won? If someone asked me that, I'd have nothing to say. With Ji-won too, I'd tried to get close to her by repeating regressions.

But back then, I was desperate, genuinely trying to survive. Now, it would just be sacrificing other people to make my own life more comfortable. The weight of it is different.

"I see."

Hearing my vague, noncommittal answer, Michael Zetter gave a small nod.

"That really does sound like a poor excuse for an answer."

Right after, he added this.

"But I think it might be the most human answer there is."

One month left. Two weeks. One week. Three days. One day. Half a day. And then...

I checked my watch. Fifteen minutes left. I turned to look toward the bunker.

"I, uh, need to use the bathroom... bathroom..."

"We already handed out diapers. Just go in those."

"Ah, seriously..."

Buffers and debuffers trembled with tension, and Association staff rushed back and forth between them.

"Everyone remembers their turn number, right? You need to use your trait in order!"

"We'll call your number, but you all need to remember it yourselves!"

"Stay calm no matter what shows up! The player with the best skill in protective barriers is guarding this location!"

"Look at the thickness of this reinforced glass. You're safe here."

Outside the temporary bunker built to house the buffers, some of the most renowned players were warming up their bodies. Every one of them S-grade to A-grade, carrying substantial mana. My eyes met Kang Chan's in the middle of it, and I gave him a small nod.

Ten minutes earlier.

"Jun-ho-nim! Are the other players all..."

"Yes, we're fine."

I was standing here under the cover story that I was Ji-won's collaborator and a member of Michael Zetter's team. Most of Zetter's team members had concealed identities anyway, so adding one more raised no eyebrows. (Not counting Dok Su-hee, who'd joined Zetter's team much like she had in the previous history, and who kept giving me strange looks.)

Five minutes earlier.

"Where's the Empress?"

"Over there."

I looked where Michael Zetter pointed. Far off, almost too far to see.

A white-haired woman sat on a golden throne, spear gripped tight, glaring in our direction. So that's the Empress. Seems she caught wind of things and came anyway. Guess she shows her face when it counts.

"This is the right spot, I take it?"

"Probably."

According to Mahesh, this was exactly where the catastrophe would strike. Right in the middle of the western American desert. Even if he was wrong, it wouldn't matter. Once I regressed, I could just correct the location.

Three minutes earlier.

The chatter gradually died down. The buffers' legs shook, trembling, and Association staff kept swallowing dry.

Even the top-tier players, the ones who should've been used to combat, were fussing over their weapons for no real reason. Nobody let it show outright, but the tension was palpable.

One minute earlier.

Only the sound of wind roared. It felt like you could almost hear eyeballs rolling in their sockets. Someone stared at the sky, someone at the distant, shimmering mountains, someone at the ground.

Nobody knew what would appear, or from where. All anyone understood was that something was coming.

What would they be fighting? How strong would it be? They'd find out soon enough.

Ten seconds. Nine. Eight.

Mana rising off the players' bodies shimmered the air around them like heat haze. The killing intent taking physical shape was so vivid it looked like you could reach out and touch it.

"Everyone."

Five seconds. Four. Three.

"Get ready."

Two seconds. One.

"It's coming."

Right after Choi Ji-won's quiet declaration.

"That thing" appeared.

It was... the thing was...

Something I'd never imagined. Something no one had ever expected.

"...Ah?"

"...Huh?"

"...Wha..."

Truly, in the most literal sense of the word.

It was a catastrophe.