WeTried Translations

Translator/Editor: ZERO_SUGAR

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◈ The World After the Fall ◈

Chapter 232: Episode 30. Only One World (7)

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After a moment of silence, Jaehwan spoke.

“Do you really mean that?”

[Of course I do.]

Maiad shrugged, then spread both arms wide in an exaggerated gesture.

[I know. To your eyes, you can truly see 《Big Brother》. That must be why you are still clinging to such stubbornness. But does seeing something prove that it truly exists? How can you be certain that ‘eye’ is 《Big Brother》?]

“Enough wordplay.”

[It is not wordplay. It is a logical conclusion. As you know, an Unique World does not reflect reality. It is a systematic delusion created by a single being.]

A systematic delusion.

[An Unique World is nothing more than a world of 「Hypothesis」. It is an imaginary world with no proof that would justify calling it real.]

Jaehwan fell silent for a moment. Dragging out a conversation so tediously in the middle of a fight was not his style. Even so, he could not keep quiet.

Maybe it was a childish urge not to concede anything to someone like Maiad. Maybe he wanted to speak for the victims who had died because of Maiad’s sophistry.

Either way, Jaehwan opened his mouth.

“Even if what you say is true, there is a contradiction in it.”

[A contradiction?]

“If 《Big Brother》 is false, why did you go around talking about 《Big Brother》 so much?”

[...]

“You even staged a scene where you defeated 《Big Brother》 before every being in the 《Abyss》. If 《Big Brother》 truly does not exist, what was the point of staging that?”

This time, Maiad was silent.

It was not a flustered silence.

[At times, what does not exist holds greater power.]

It felt as though Maiad had been waiting to say those words all along.

[You must know there are many rumors about 《Big Brother》.]

The voice sounded like someone explaining an old maxim.

[Some call 《Big Brother》 a hidden organization that controls the world, while others describe it as the sole god ruling over all dimensions. Some claim they were harmed by 《Big Brother》, while others point to 《Big Brother》 as the source of every catastrophe. It is not as if there is some ‘Big Brother Theory of Everything.’ It is ridiculous, as though 《Big Brother》 were the cause of everything in this world.]

“So?”

[Yet, amusingly enough, not a single god in the 《Abyss》, including myself, has ever confirmed 《Big Brother》’s existence.]

Come to think of it, Jaehwan had heard something similar before. Had Jerome, said to be the strongest among the Great Lords, not said the same thing?

That he had never seen Big Brother even once.

[Every so-called fact about 《Big Brother》 is nothing but a groundless rumor. That 《Big Brother》 threatens the Abyss, that it owns the 《System》, that it is the god of the Adapters... all of it is unverified hearsay.]

“So you are saying 《Big Brother》 does not exist.”

[Put simply, yes.]

“As I recall, you also helped create those rumors.”

[I did. There is no better target for stoking hostility than 《Big Brother》.]

Jaehwan’s expression twisted.

“So you created the illusion of 《Big Brother》 to maintain your organization?”

[《Big Brother》. The root of all evil in the world. A convenient and obvious enemy.]

Maiad’s calm voice made it clear that Maiad was telling the truth.

Thinking about it, it was not an absurd claim. Since ancient times, defining an external enemy had been an effective strategy for strengthening unity among allies. Nothing was more dangerous to safety than an enemy that threatened “us.” Better still if that enemy was everlasting, powerful, and impossible to clearly identify.

[So, Jaehwan-ssi, wake from your illusion. 《Big Brother》 does not exist. Everything is a lie agreed upon by the gods. Now is the time for the world to wake from that lie. And what I defeated was that very lie.]

Those were the words of the man who had defeated 《Big Brother》 for the first time in the Abyss.

Instead of responding, Jaehwan quietly studied the Unique World rippling behind Maiad.

An empty sky with nothing in it.

It was a sky where something must have hung for thousands, perhaps tens of thousands, of years.

That was when 「Deus Ex Machina」 moved cleverly to block Jaehwan’s view. The timing was too perfect to be a coincidence.

It was a gesture that seemed unwilling to let anyone see its sky.

For an instant, Jaehwan felt something like sorrow.

“Can you bear it?”

[What are you referring to?]

A strange silence settled over them. No words passed between them, yet Jaehwan knew that Maiad had been wounded in that instant. Of course, Maiad would never acknowledge that wound. The moment Maiad did, Maiad would no longer be able to endure who Maiad was now.

That wound would fester, just as it had with Buddha and Nameless.

“You are denying every year you have lived.”

Buddha, Nameless, and Maiad.

The three who had started 「Rift」.

The story of their ideal, of dreaming of hunting 《Big Brother》.

Jaehwan found traces of that time in Maiad’s Unique World. Perhaps what had truly fallen from Maiad’s world that day was not 《Big Brother》.

How many years did it take for a single star to fall?

Jaehwan did not know.

[Nameless told you unnecessary things.]

Maiad laughed quietly.

[Jaehwan-ssi, there is a proverb in your world, is there not? ‘When three people gather, they can make up a tiger that never existed.’ Back then, we merely made up a tiger that never existed.]

“I do not know. To me, it looks like you turned away from a tiger that truly existed.”

Jaehwan’s voice was drowned out by a roar. Deus Ex Machina’s figure had risen into the sky, pouring out World Power. It was practically a declaration that the conversation was over.

[I heard you acquired 「Gestalt’s Eye」. I think it is time you showed it. Otherwise, this battle will end rather blandly.]

「Deus Ex Machina」’s wings spread wide.

[Ex Machina, Phase 1.]

[System 「Deus」 activated.]

The entire 《Abyss》 writhed in pain as the ground shook.

The first Innate Setting possessed by 「Deus Ex Machina」, 「Deus」.

Jaehwan activated 「Gestalt’s Eye」 without hesitation.

Innate Setting, 「Cognitive Dissonance」.

Nine billion, ten billion, eleven billion...

It looked like a contest of World Power, but the situation was unfortunately turning against Jaehwan.

If 「Cognitive Dissonance」 of Gestalt’s Eye was a Setting that increased base World Power, then 「Deus」 of Deus Ex Machina was a Setting that multiplied the user’s World Power.

Maiad’s World Power had already soared well past fifty billion.

A vast amount of World Power condensed, and the entire Eighth Site began to fall into a vacuum of World Power.

Power like that of the Ancient Three Gods in their prime.

World Power that even all Eight Divine Thrones together would not dare oppose.

Jaehwan’s World Power, on the other hand, had stopped rising at around fourteen billion.

The cries of the Clothes echoed in his head.

「How do you intend to beat that? This is too much.」

「Body, sorry, but this may be as far as we can go.」

The World Power 「Cognitive Dissonance」 could raise had reached its limit.

Yet Jaehwan did not look flustered in the slightest. He had a trump card Setting that could overcome the immense gap in World Power.

Once upon a time, long, long ago,

There lived a Naked God.

He hated Clothes,

So he lived naked all his life.

Maiad realized what Jaehwan was trying to do and sneered.

[That no longer works.]

The control-type Setting extending from 「Deus Ex Machina」, 「Augmented Reality」, activated.

Virtual Clothes that could not be removed were soon placed on Jaehwan’s body.

The only weakness of the 「Naked」 Setting. Its effect could not manifest unless Clothes were removed.

Yet Jaehwan did not stop singing.

At last, the Naked God was wrapped in Clothes.

The lonely Naked God said,

The reason this world is so unhappy.

That is,

Because we are all wearing Clothes.

Because none of us can take off Clothes.

Though he had not taken off his Clothes, golden light bloomed across Jaehwan’s entire body. It meant the 「Naked」 Setting was taking effect.

Maiad’s 「Deus Ex Machina」 began to creak in shock.

No one can take off Clothes.

That alone is the truth.

Then Jaehwan moved.

Maiad doubted Maiad’s eyes.

Jaehwan was clearly wearing Clothes. So why did he look naked? It was an obvious contradiction.

Was it because thousands of Jaehwans were supplying World Power through 「Cognitive Dissonance」?

To Maiad, it looked as if thousands of naked Jaehwans were charging toward Maiad.

A dazzling wave of gold.

The Naked Gods affected by 「Cognitive Dissonance」 were personally realizing their ideal.

Jaehwan’s lips moved slightly.

“Ouroboros.”

I wore Clothes.

I did not wear Clothes.

* * *

The tremor that shook the 《Abyss》 traveled through the Branches and reached the Trunk.

World Power powerful enough to make the entire 《Phantasmal Tree》 recoil.

[It has begun.]

Sole King Catastrophe spoke as they looked up into the darkness of the 〈Palace of the Dead〉.

Catastrophe wanted to cross that void at once and help, but could not. There were the restrictions of the seal, and more than anything, Catastrophe could not be of much help to Jaehwan in their current state. The aftereffects of the battle against the Great Lords remained.

Catastrophe turned to La-Hamad, who sat cross-legged with golden eyes shining.

[Who is he fighting? The Rift Lord?]

[That is correct.]

[So that bastard knew about what happened two hundred and ten thousand years ago too. Who told him? That little monk bastard you raised? Or that writer bastard?]

[Are you referring to Buddha and Nameless?]

[I do not care what their names are.]

Catastrophe continued in an irritated voice.

[You should have left them alone. Was it not because you started doing useless things to create successors that the 《Abyss》 ended up like this?]

[Ouroboros.]

[Ouroboros, Ouroboros. Damn it.]

Maiad’s figure, shared through Jaehwan’s sight, appeared in the darkness of the 〈Palace of the Dead〉.

Fragments of Jaehwan and Maiad’s conversation could be heard now and then.

After watching for a long time, Catastrophe spoke in a distorted voice.

[They said three people can make up a tiger that never existed, yet he intends to become the tiger himself.]

[...]

[That bastard is no ordinary one. I heard he was always going on about Big Brother, but I never imagined he was plotting to recreate what happened two hundred and ten thousand years ago.]

What happened two hundred and ten thousand years ago.

In the silence that fell softly, La-Hamad and Catastrophe recalled the same memory.

The Three God War.

The day Deus died, Gestalt’s existence was torn apart, and Catastrophe’s power was sealed.

That day’s tragedy, when they devised 「Only One World」 to stop the war among the gods.

Catastrophe spoke in a self-mocking voice.

[Whether human or god, when three gather, they all do the same things.]

Footnotes:

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