The Tales of an Infinite Regressor

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Chapter 105

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The Pedestrian III

6

The Inunaki Tunnel was cursed in every imaginable way.

The inherent fear of tunnels, ghost stories, the vengeful spirits of workers buried during construction, murders, and disappearances that occurred in the tunnel…

We had underestimated the difficulty of the anomaly that extended its claws across the Korea Strait. We retreated from the tunnel entrance to resume our strategy meeting.

“Is it impossible to destroy that tunnel from the outside?”

“Probably impossible, nya.”

Manyo Neko sighed.

“Our alliance also tried to destroy the tunnel physically when we first decided to tackle it. We used old bombs from the Self-Defense Forces to blow up 72 locations of the tunnel simultaneously, nya.”

“And the result?”

“It was observed that the Inunaki Tunnel restored itself within 4 minutes at the earliest, and 4 days at the latest, nya. We speculate that it can’t be defeated by physical force alone; you have to walk through the tunnel from the entrance to the exit, nya.”

“I see.”

There were occasionally such anomalies—ones that couldn’t be defeated by physical force alone.

The isolated god ‘Endless’ was also in that category. To briefly describe how to defeat Endless:

1. Seal the 99th ghost of the Hyakki Yagyo at Baekhwa High School.

2. Place 100 candles at the spot reached by taking 4,444 steps to the 4th basement floor.

3. Exchange the stories of the sealed ghosts, the hundred tales, with at least two people.

4. Walk 4 steps towards the summoned Endless and have the party member performing the role of the priestess seal it.

5. Help the priestess by delivering an unpredictable blow to Endless, possibly using the famous sword ‘Doha’ crafted by Noh Doha.

… A strategy that could drive anyone insane.

Any non-regressor would likely exclaim, ‘Was this designed to be beatable?’ Even the Saintess, upon seeing this strategy later, frowned and muttered, ‘…That’s really something.’

But on the flip side, even an anomaly of the isolated god level, which mocks the world’s rules, could be defeated with ‘that much’ effort.

So, for an anomaly like the Inunaki Tunnel, there was no need to even mention it.

Even if physical force didn’t work, there was always a vulnerability in any anomaly.

“I roughly understand.”

“…? Nya, then why are you standing up with your staff sword, Doctor Jang?”

“I have a habit of questioning whether the anomaly isn’t defeated by physical force because the firepower was insufficient.”

From that day, the Inunaki Tunnel faced a harsh season of trials.

“Special move: Tunnel Destruction.”

*Rumble*

I poured out my aura and collapsed the tunnel entrance.

It seemed Manyo Neko was right, as the tunnel structure restored itself within 40 seconds (perhaps it had become stronger and its restoration ability had improved since the old days). But my blade wasn’t concerned with such trivial tantrums.

“Special move: Tunnel Destruction. Continue.”

*Boom! Crash! Boom!*

I continuously bombarded the Inunaki Tunnel each time it restored itself. Not just the entrance, but I even blew away the entire mountain ridge where the tunnel ran through.

“Nyaaah! What are you doing! This mountain is dedicated to our god, nya!”

“Calm down. It’s just collateral damage.”

“This is our shrine’s property you’re blowing up! How is that collateral damage, nya?”

Manyo Neko was jumping up and down, but there was a result.

After 40 seconds, the tunnel stood alone in the wasteland where the mountain had been blown away. The external structure of the tunnel was exposed as if the scalp had completely lost its hair.

“As expected.”

As I had anticipated, the Inunaki Tunnel was an anomaly that parasitized the ‘tunnel’. The emptiness it managed did not cover the mountain beyond the tunnel.

Void Blade marveled as she looked at the exposed tunnel structure.

[Oh, indeed, Doctor Jang, your power is impressive. The tunnel is completely exposed.]

“The fear a tunnel holds is concentrated in its darkness. ‘The uncertainty of not knowing how far you have to walk to find the exit’ and ‘the despair of being surrounded by cement on all sides, unable to escape in an emergency.’ But look.”

I climbed the outer wall of the tunnel and walked to the middle point. Then, I sliced through the tunnel’s midsection as if it were tofu.

“If the structure is exposed, even if an explorer gets lost, we can rescue them from the outside like this. Of course, the outer wall will restore itself after 40 seconds, but if we save them within that time, there’s no problem.”

[Ah… Indeed. Thinking like that, it doesn’t seem that scary.]

“Anomalies consume not just the void of reality but also the gaps in our hearts. If we can eliminate even a bit of unconscious fear, we should use any means necessary.”

[Hmm. That’s truly golden advice.]

“Of course, it’s golden because it cost a fortune, nya! Oh, dear, oh dear!”

*Click*

I took the spirit camera from Manyo Neko and took another picture of the tunnel entrance.

Now, we had responded to the anomaly’s provocation with our own provocation. Let’s see how it reacts.

The photo developed shortly. Last time, the bodies were hung on the cedar trees. Since the forest was completely logged now, the bodies were nailed to the stone wall at the tunnel entrance.

But this time, it was just the heads.

The severed heads had their lips and eyelids fixed with small nails, forcing the corpses to wear artificial ‘smiles.’

The words ‘Welcome back’ were still there, now written in the blood flowing from the magical girls’ heads.

“…It seems it’s still confident.”

But it’s futile.

“Nyaa?”

“I was just talking to myself. You don’t need to look at the photo. It’s just playing with the corpses of your fellow magical girls.”

“…”

Manyo Neko nodded slightly.

I picked up the radio. Although this radio had no actual function, I had disguised it as an ‘anomaly radio’ so that it wouldn’t seem strange to others.

“Saintess.”

[Yes.]

“Please contact Commander Noh Doha and tell him to start the operation.”

[Understood.]

A moment later.

“Sir, the chess pieces are moving.”

Yoo Jiwon spoke from the table at the tunnel entrance.

“The first group is currently entering the Busan Undersea Tunnel in order.”

“Good, keep reporting. Saintess? Please monitor the prisoners’ vision consistently. Share their reactions, dialogue, and detailed actions with me. It’s essential for drafting the strategy.”

[Yes.]

*Shh, shh*

The 72 chess pieces on the table were slowly moving. The prisoners we lost in the previous round.

I, Noh Doha, the Saintess, and Yoo Jiwon—the strongest support team—started manipulating numerous chess pieces.

This time, the prisoners’ lives would be used more valuably.

7

A real tunnel is a ‘passage you can walk through from the entrance to the exit.’

On the other hand, a void tunnel is a ‘labyrinth where you can never exit once you enter.’

Therefore, to defeat the anomaly of the tunnel, one simply has to enter and emerge unscathed. By doing so, it proves that ‘this place is no longer void but reality.’

Now, I’ll include the communication records of our team while we established the guidelines for safely navigating through the Inunaki Tunnel. These records are almost identical to the strategy that will later be registered in the SG Net’s [Library Society’s Anomaly Encyclopedia].

Although the survival rate of humans entering the tunnel is never high, if you keep your mind straight and follow the ‘strategy’ steadfastly, you can definitely return safely.

On the record.

[Doctor Jang, all the exploration teams have been given radios. I introduced myself as the team leader of the National Highway Management Team, ensuring the explorers follow my instructions.]

[The first team has entered.]

[It was judged that breaking the stone wall would attract undue attention from the ‘Inunaki Tunnel.’ The explorers climbed over the stone wall instead.]

[Proofreader – Gun]

1. Once the convicts climb over the stone wall, they will immediately smell a severe ‘garbage stench.’

It is akin to the rotting smell of leaves that have decayed throughout the season after a summer rain.

The damp cave’s breath will cling to their entire body like mites, but they must not panic.

Rather, the place where that smell is felt is the ‘safe zone.’

[Two of the explorers reported an unbearable stench.]

[Prisoner number 6 reported that it was not just a cave smell but the stench of decomposing corpses. What should we do?]

“Instruct them to look for the corpses.”

[Yes.]

1-1. If, instead of the garbage smell or moss smell, they smell ‘blood’ or ‘decaying flesh,’ they must immediately turn back and climb over the stone wall to return.

However, if they have taken ‘more than 7 steps’ after entering the tunnel, they must not return. In this case, their waist will be cut as soon as they climb over the stone wall.

Attempting to confirm where the corpse smell is coming from is also strictly forbidden.

Ultimately, they will realize that the smell is coming from inside their own body.

Five convicts were needed to establish Strategy 1.

[An explorer has died.]

[The remaining members were somewhat confused but continued with the operation without issue.]

[I will request Commander Noh Doha to send in the next group as planned.]

[Over.]

[Advance.]

2. Never walk past the center of the tunnel to the right side. Always and only use the left side to move.

[Doctor Jang, I have conveyed this instruction to all explorers, but why must they use only the left side of the passage?]

“Ah, in the previous turn, the four of us walked side by side in the passage. Suddenly, Void Blade, who was walking on the far right, and Yoo Jiwon, who was walking in the center, died suddenly.”

[What?]

“Ah, Jiwon, you don’t need to look at this. Just focus on the minimap. Anyway… they suddenly choked as if they were completely submerged in deep water and collapsed shortly after.”

[…]

“Upon checking their bodies, we found their esophagi and lungs filled with filthy water. The cause of death was drowning.”

2-1. If you smell ‘water’ or ‘sewer’ while walking, it means you are leaning too far to the right.

Immediately move a bit more to the left.

If you feel strangely breathless or find it difficult to walk, also move to the left. In this case, take ‘swimming motions’ instead of ‘walking motions.’

To be prepared for emergencies, wear a life jacket from the moment you enter the tunnel.

No convicts were needed to establish Strategy 2.

[Over. I will instruct them to continue advancing.]

“Yes, please.”

3. The Inunaki Tunnel is covered with various graffiti and scribbles in a myriad of colors.

The walls on both sides of the passage are painted entirely. The graffiti is as dense as shell fragments clinging to coastal rock faces.

Although the scribbles may appear to be in Latin characters, they resemble no language on Earth.

If you feel like the scribbles are wriggling or if you smell ‘blood’ from the red parts of the graffiti, immediately look away.

The deeper you go into the tunnel, the denser and more complex the graffiti becomes.

As long as the graffiti still looks like ‘scribbles,’ the area is safe. However, if the graffiti starts to look like beautiful ‘artworks,’ especially ‘beautiful living beings,’ immediately avert your gaze.

This phenomenon is thought to result from the void effect confusing the tunnel’s ‘corridor’ with an art gallery’s ‘hallway.’

[Doctor Jang, some explorers are showing excessive interest in the graffiti.]

“Have any unusual behaviors been detected?”

[Yes. They are approaching and moving away from the graffiti as if admiring artworks in a museum, murmuring phrases like ‘beautiful,’ ‘pretty,’ ‘stunning.’]

[Ah.]

[Prisoner 14 has shown abnormal behavior, repeatedly muttering, ‘If only this color were a bit darker.’]

[Although other explorers are trying to restrain him, it seems ineffective.]

[We confirm self-harm from Prisoner 14. He is cutting his abdomen and painting the graffiti with his blood.]

“Indeed. Saintess, please be careful not to look at the scribbles.”

[Yes, I am periodically shifting my gaze. Prisoner 14 has gouged out his own eyes and smeared them onto the tunnel wall’s graffiti.]

[Confirmed dead.]

3-1. If someone is standing in the middle of the tunnel, admiring the graffiti without any reaction, immediately kill them.

If you notice a ‘tattoo’ clearly appearing on their arms or neck, it is too late to kill them. Try to get as far away from that person as possible.

Infected individuals in this manner will henceforth be referred to as ‘spectators.’

You will know you have entered a safe zone when the smell of blood dissipates and you smell moss, basement, or cave odors.

3-2. If you feel that a spectator is pursuing you, use a knife to sever a finger or toe, draw a tattoo-like pattern on your face, and hold the severed part in your mouth.

Stick to the tunnel wall as closely as possible and make no noise.

Even if you hear footsteps, do not look in the direction of the tunnel passage. Do not make any sound. Remain pressed against the tunnel wall until the footsteps completely fade away. Holding your breath for at least 30 seconds is recommended.

Eleven convicts were needed to establish Strategy 3.

[An explorer has died.]

[Over.]

[Advance.]

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