Believer in Mysteries (3)

The space had become empty, it was like he was currently standing in the void.

Cale looked around him and noticed someone standing in front of him.

At one point, Xin Jian had stopped leaning against the wall and had stepped toward him.

He stared at her.

His childhood friend gave off a completely different vibe than at the orphanage.

The current Xian Jian now seemed like a stranger to him.

She spoke up.

"Hello, Cale. Did you miss me?"

However, she already knew the answer.

Cale remembered the period of time since the scenarios began and asked another question instead of answering her.

"Where were you at the beginning of the scenarios?"

Xin Jian thought about it then replied mysteriously.

"You will know soon enough."

Not satisfied, the crimson-haired teenager could only give up this question. What was important was that she was here now.

He added:

"…Why am I unable to remember your name?"

Xin Jian tilted her head and put her finger on her cheek, acting innocent.

"What are you saying? Loss of memories is a common thing. However, it makes me a bit hurt that you forgot my name after all the time we spent together."

Cale knew that she was faking to not understand what he meant.

He had 'record'. It was impossible for him to forget such an important thing in all of his memories.

Her name appeared like a blur, as if it had been erased and he was unable to recall it.

"What is your name then?"

Xin Jian simply continued to smile.

Cale felt that the space had begun to change a little. He couldn't tell what, but it was different from before.

Xin Jian looked to the side and her gaze suddenly turned serious.

"Listen, we don't have much time."

She hadn't come here for a tearful reunion.

"Although I'd sure like to talk about what happened since the beginning of this apocalypse, I'm not here for this. I only took advantage of the end of this round to come talk to you about things that would normally be censured."

Cale looked at her.

The person in front of him now felt so distant and unfamiliar…

"You know that that guy is a regressor, right?"

The crimson-haired teenager nodded.

"Nice. So, telling you the exact situation wouldn't benefit you now, so I'll only say that for some reason, this guy has to continue regressing while other people solve a certain problem. It may or may not take a long time."

Cale tried to gather information.

"Other people?"

Xin Jian knew what he was trying to do and shook her head.

"All the people who can repeat the scenarios, like Yoo Jonghyuk. You know most of them."

For example, Han Sooyoung.

"So, as I was saying… talking vaguely is annoying…"

"Don't talk vaguely then."

Xin Jian ignored him.

"To solve that problem, the scenarios have to continue. However, in the meantime, Yoo Jonghyuk also continues to regress again while losing his companions."

She sighed and went to the main point.

"But since it's only the 4th round, Yoo Jonghyuk is going to regress at least thousands of times, then repeat it again and maybe it'll continue for all of eternity."

This time, they were going to really reboot time when he regressed instead of creating other word lines to keep the current variables.

She smiled softly. It was a smile that didn't reach her eyes.

"That's why, I figured, as the person who had to kill Yoo Jonghyuk in this scenario…"

She seemed like a different existence altogether.

[The constellation 'Believer in Mysteries' is looking at you.]

Cale's eyes widened.

[The constellation 'Believer in Mysteries' reveals her true modifier.]

Xin Jian had always been there.

[The constellation 'Successor of the Most Ancient Dream' offers you a deal.]

She had been watching him as a constellation since the beginning, and even became his sponsor.

Cale didn't know who the 'Most Ancient Dream' was, however, he also didn't didn't how Xin Jian had become a constellation.

"Do you wish to regress with Yoo Jonghyuk or continue going through the world lines while losing your memories of the previous rounds again and again?"

It would be less painful to lose the records of the rounds again and again than to repeatedly go through the scenarios for eternity.

Would he help Yoo Jonghyuk to reach the end of the scenarios?

In the space where there was only an incarnation and a constellation, Cale looked at Xin Jian.

"Are you going to make this offer again at the end of the next round?"

Xin Jian kept silent.

Cale knew. It was surely his only opportunity to accept the deal. Xin Jian may not make this proposal a second time.

He asked another question.

"If I regress with Yoo Jonghyuk, will I be able to cancel my decision and stop

regressing?"

Xin Jian also didn't answer.

It seemed like it may not be possible either.

There were no alternatives than the two choices proposed here.

Or maybe there was, but Xin Jian didn't seem inclined to let him take them.

Cale made a bitter smile.

"How long will it take to reach the end of the scenarios? Will these regressions stop if I reach it?"

[The constellation 'Successor of the Most Ancient Dream' is silent.]

Xin Jian finally nodded.

"Yes."

It was an empty promise.

"Do you promise it?"

As always, Xin Jian smiled, and lied to him.

"Of course."

She was only able to tell him this lie because she was sure he wouldn't succeed.

They would never be able to complete the scenarios without the last piece of the Final Wall.

However, Kim Dokja had only existed in the 3rd regression. Thus, it was impossible for them to go through the Final Wall.

"I promise."

She could nearly hear the voice of the Fourth Wall in her head.

「X in Ji an is a lia r.」

She returned to her usual stoic expression.

"So, what do you decide?"

[The constellation 'Successor of the Most Ancient Dream' is waiting for your choice.]

Xin Jian didn't know since when, however, she had become a real constellation.

She was now sending messages by using her own probability.

Cale felt the unnoticeable changes in the space.

He knew that they didn't have much time left.

He now had to make a decision.

The crimson-haired teenager lowered his gaze.

Actually, he didn't have to think about it. He had already made up his mind.

Being passive didn't suit his personality.

"I…"

He raised his head and met Xin Jian's eyes.

"…want to regress."

Xin Jian wasn't surprised. She had already expected this answer.

"Even though you may have to continue going through the scenarios and losing people for eternity?"

Cale scoffed.

"Wouldn't not remembering what happened be even worse?"

Xin Jian stared at him.

Her friend looked determined.

"…Fine."

[Your constellation transmits you their stigma.]

[The stigma 'Group Regression' has been acquired.]

[Stigma 'Group Regression Lv.1' is activated.]

He would now always follow Yoo Jonghyuk whenever the latter regressed.

The deactivation of the space accelerated.

Then, as Cale went on to the next round, his body slowly began to disintegrate.

Xin Jian's expression softened.

First his feet, then his legs…

"About my name, you only have one thing to remember."

[The constellation 'Believer in Mysteries' looks at you.]

Her modifier had gone back to how it was before.

As Cale's fingers and arms gradually disappeared, he listened to her last words.

"…Even though you're going to forget that I was the one who had this conversation with you."

His chest also disintegrated, then his neck.

Now only his head was left.

[Your personal attribute the 'The Forgotten One' is activated.]

Looking at the system window, she made a bitter smile.

Then, she took advantage of this moment when things wouldn't be censured to try something and yelled to Cale.

"My name is-"

Before completely disappearing, the teenager saw her lips move but didn't hear the end of her sentence.

He could read: 'Xin-'

'Xin what?'

However, he didn't have time to ponder over this.

Xin Jian closed her mouth and stared at the spot where he had been standing with a sad smile.

'I hope the day will come when your record will be stronger than the force making you forget me.'

However, this time, Cale would only remember making a deal with his constellation.

He would forget that Xin Jian was 'Believer in Mysteries'.

"I'll still be your constellation in the next round…"

She looked up to the sky before turning her gaze to Zhou Mingrui.

As the space where she and Cale were standing broke, she saw the Lord of Mysteries staring at her.

"Wha-"

Did he listen to their deal?

Or did he maybe notice the special space just now?

It's true that Klein was a Great Old One in charge of time and space.

Xin Jian made a playful expression and answered the shocked Pillar.

"I told you."

She smiled.

"I trust you, Mysteries."

Maybe all the previous moments had only occurred for her to be able to say that.

Klein's eyes widened.

He should have realized her identity by now.

[The constellation 'Believer in Mysteries' smiles at you.]

His eyes shook.

Xin Jian had always been there from the beginning.

As she disappeared to go to the next round, Klein desperately reached out for her.

There were also a lot of things he wanted to ask.

How did she become a constellation? Why did he forget her name? Why didn't anyone recall her? What was she doing here? And so on…

However, Xin Jian vanished and time was rewound.