전생검신 Volume 87, Chapter 15

Cheat key…?

What are you talking about?

I asked the White Mask in confusion.

“What’s a cheat key?”

The White Mask seemed displeased and replied,

“You don’t know what a cheat key is? Well, a guy who doesn’t know games would obviously have no clue.”

“Damn it. Stop acting all high and mighty and just explain. You wanna hear my answer, right?”

“A hundred hearsay is not as good as one sight. Why don’t you play a game?”

A game?

Clap!

Suddenly, my field of vision changed completely to a different landscape. A large map of the continent appeared like a hologram, and I found myself standing on top of a castle wall. Below me were countless humans, and as I looked at them, I instinctively grasped the rules of this game.

‘Strategy… simulation…? Cultivating the power of this castle… going to war… subduing other castles… It’s a game to unify the continent!!’

Though I’d never done anything like this, I understood it intuitively, realizing what situation this resembled.

‘…It’s just like Romance of the Three Kingdoms.’

Anyways, it seemed that I had to conquer this game to get out. I started familiarizing myself with the controls on the translucent window that appeared and diligently began cultivating my estate and expanding my influence.

I secured my internal affairs, recruited talents, and strategically placed them, building my army.

Essentially, all I had to do was repeat this, and my power would grow stronger.

I focused hard on expanding my castle. After building an army of over 20,000, I kept attacking small castles to make them my territory, and gradually my troops increased until I had a massive army of 100,000.

However, just then, I saw a powerful force of 200,000 troops approaching from a great distance, and I almost panicked.

“Oh no!!”

I couldn’t win in a head-on confrontation!!

Realizing I had to make strategic use of my recruited talents, I built up a defensive line and held on until the enemy left a gap, then Strike! I seized their capital and successfully assassinated their lord. After going through this process, the enemy’s power weakened, and I absorbed their power, growing my troops again.

How long had it been? I had now become the most powerful force and unified the continent. At the moment of my success, I clenched my fist and shouted.

“Awesome!!”

Shuah!

At that moment, the scenery of the game I had been enjoying vanished, and the White Mask was sitting there without a castle.

“……”

As I fumbled awkwardly in embarrassment, the White Mask seemed to smirk.

“How was it? It’s just a light game I made, but isn’t it fun?”

“It’s fun, but…”

“The reason you found it fun was that I adjusted the difficulty to match your level. Just now, it was normal difficulty. This time, try the super hard difficulty.”

“Hey, wait…”

Shuah!

Once again, I was sucked into the simulation game world, and I felt the initial screen pop up like before.

‘Ugh. Do I have to clear it again to get out? Then, I better start gathering talents and troops again…’

And just as I instinctively tried to gather troops,

“WOW!!”

Suddenly, an army of 100,000 invaded my castle from outside. I panicked since I only had 5,000 troops at the moment.

“What?! Where did this 100,000 army come from at the start…”

I tried everything I could think of to defend, but I couldn’t hold them back. Moments later, the castle walls I stood upon collapsed, and all my estates burned in flames.

Whoosh!

Then, my vision turned dark, and again the White Mask appeared before me.

The White Mask said,

“How is it? Your brain can’t comprehend it, can it?”

I exploded in anger.

“Damn it!! What’s the point of making something this hard? How am I supposed to clear this when a 100,000 army attacks at the start?”

“Right? It’s tough, isn’t it?”

Then, suddenly, the White Mask started typing something in the air.

“Okay, I’ve entered a cheat key just for you, so try again.”

Woom!

When the game started again, I quickly checked the status of my estate and opened my eyes wide.

“……!!”

What the?! All my castles’ stats are at 99999, and I have 9.99 million troops?!

And all my troops had reached the ultimate level-up state. I, entranced, sent my troops against the invading enemy, and with 9,999,999 soldiers, I easily annihilated the 100,000 invading troops. Not even a single ally was lost.

I cleared the game in a blink and, upon clearing it, the White Mask revealed itself. The White Mask said to me,

“It’s easy when you use cheat keys, huh? I’ve put invincibility on you too. Oh, and I boosted the speed of internal affairs by ten times.”

“……It’s not just easy.”

“Well, as long as your intelligence isn’t at the ameba level, you should be able to clear it. Now, let me ask you again, Baek Woong.”

The White Mask stared intensely at me and asked,

“If you could play the most fun game in the world, would you use cheat keys or not? Just answer whether you would or wouldn’t.”

“……”

I looked suspiciously at the White Mask.

‘Why is this guy asking me that?’

It was such a random question. But somehow, it felt like an extremely important topic for him, so I hesitated to avoid it. After pondering for a moment, I replied to the White Mask.

“Of course, it’s right not to use cheat keys, isn’t it?”

“Why do you think that?”

“Because I play games to feel fun. But using cheat keys takes away the fun. If it’s the most fun game in the world, then it makes sense not to use cheat keys.”

“Ha ha ha ha. Right. If you’re normal, you’d think that way.”

For some reason, the White Mask chuckled at this.

“But… what if the outcome of the most fun game in the world determines the conclusion of your life?”

“……?!”

“Would you still choose not to use cheat keys?”

What the hell?

I was flustered by this unexpected statement.

‘The outcome of the game determining my life…?’

I never even imagined such a premise. I thought seriously and then eventually said,

“…Then I would.”

“Why?”

“What kind of weird question is that? Life is reality. If I don’t use a cheat key and mess it all up, that’s game over. Why wouldn’t I use it?”

Then, the White Mask spoke in a voice devoid of emotion.

“Is it okay if using a cheat key makes the game boring?”

“Well… I guess it’s disappointing, but… If I care about fun and my life goes to ruins, that’s a big problem, isn’t it? Of course, I’d choose the more important option.”

“Ha ha ha. That’s why I’m not Baek Woong.”

Swish!!

Suddenly, the size of the White Mask changed greatly, becoming a muscular giant. He leaned toward me, imposing presence, and said,

“I can’t recognize someone who would use a cheat key in that situation.”

“……”

What… now…?

As I panicked, he continued to loom over me.

“It’s the most fun game in the world. Right? You foolish fool.”

“……”

“If your life goes to hell, who cares? Even if you lived hundreds or thousands of times over, would you ever get a chance to play such a fun game? So isn’t the fun of the game far more important?”

“Ugh, get out of my face!”

I shoved the White Mask’s face away roughly with my hand.

“You crazy bastard!! Obviously, life is more important than a game, isn’t it? If I die, that’s it, what nonsensical…”

“No. Not for someone else, but you can’t say that.”

At that moment, the White Mask’s eyes got uncomfortably close. I could see a hellishly dark abyss in the whites of his eyes, and I felt a strange, flickering flame beyond that abyss. The odd fear that emanated from that flame caused me to instinctively shrink back.

“You still reincarnate even if you die, right? So isn’t it saying you don’t have to care about the ending? Aren’t you the only existence that can only pursue fun?”

“……!!”

“Am I wrong? Plus, you’ve been saying that since before you came here.”

The White Mask continued with a mocking tone.

“You said what’s important in life is not the result, but the process… didn’t you? Then, isn’t it right that you should enjoy the process, even if the most fun game correlates with the outcome of your life?”

“……”

This… damn it…

I couldn’t gather my thoughts due to the opponent’s logical reasoning. When I tried to counter with something I had said, I had no idea how to respond. Though I’d been called out by logical opponents before, there was something particularly disturbing about the presence in front of me, making it tough to figure out how to fight back.

Then, I suddenly got back to my senses and said,

“…Fun is great, but I want to end my life normally and average! Do you think I want to endlessly go through this infinite reincarnation? Once I achieve what I want, I will eventually wrap things up in a happy life! So saying I can use cheat keys, what’s with all these questions!!”

“Ha ha ha. Yes… that’s right…”

The White Mask seemed to be chuckling,

“Because you’re that kind of person, the Heavenly Secret chose you…”

“…What?”

“Not just you, but most people are like that… they say the game must be fun, yet when it connects to reality, they pick up cheat keys without hesitation… denying that this is their reality… wanting to live easy with a stroke of luck… That’s what the Heavenly Secret wanted…”

“……”

“Weak… the embodiment of desires that cannot transcend reality…”

The White Mask gazed into the distance as if reminiscing about the far past.

“Did you think I wouldn’t know that you want an easy life? But… you wanting an easy life, whether lofty ideals or not, doesn’t change the fate that you were chosen by the Heavenly Secret… in the end, everyone is just an offering.”

Hearing the Mask’s words, I stood there in a daze, finally breaking the silence after a long pause.

“…Who are you?”

“Now you’re curious about that?”

“You say I’m not ‘me’, but how does something else manifest as a representation of my unconscious? Who the hell are you?!”

It’s really strange.

Is there something that’s not me but is sleeping separately in my unconscious?

I didn’t have a clue until now?!

Then, the White Mask lightly tapped its mask and said,

“Can’t you see it? It’s a mask.”

“Y… you aren’t saying you’re the mask of Nyarlathotep, are you!!”

Finally panicking, I screamed, but the White Mask shook its head vigorously.

“No. I am absolutely not that trivial thing. I am definitely not the mask of Nyarlathotep.”

“What?”

“Just so you know, I’m also not the mask of [Coming Chaos]. That much is certain.”

“Then… what in the world are you?”

The White Mask tilted its head and said.

“Hmmm. Before that, why do you think Coming Chaos created a mask?”

“…How would I know?”

“That’s the most crucial point, but you’re still far from solving the problem. This is why they call you an evil god from the starting line… damn it.”

The grumbling White Mask continued,

“Let’s change the subject. The fellow known as Coming Chaos can only do entertaining things. So if they had the most fun game in the world, would they use a cheat key or not?”

“Of course not. Why would that fellow use a cheat key? They act irrationally for fun.”

I retorted harshly, and the White Mask replied.

“Right? But surprisingly… they might use it.”

“…What?!”

“You didn’t consider the duality of fun.”

The White Mask’s next words caught me completely off guard, leaving me at a loss for words.

“Not everyone enjoys games by following the perfect path. Isn’t it human nature to want to feel the moment’s fun of using a cheat key as well? If so, they might prepare cheat keys for that reason.”

“……”

“What’s with that expression?”

I was so incredulous that I nearly shouted, my veins bulging.

“No shit! There’s a limit to being reckless… What fun is there in that? It’s just absurd!!”

“Ha ha ha ha! Why is your reaction so funny?”

The White Mask suddenly burst into laughter. It felt more like pure amusement rather than mockery, so I didn’t find it unpleasant. Yet, I couldn’t help but feel an odd sense of discomfort.

‘…What is this? This one feels so different from the encounter with Nyarlathotep…’

While I initially thought he was a subordinate or avatar of Nyarlathotep, something in my gut told me he was fundamentally different.

Just what is this [White Mask]?

As confusion settled in my mind, the White Mask spoke.

“Do you know? No matter how much you face death due to the energy of isolation, reaching [here] violates the rules. However, due to the special circumstances surrounding the [Great Cycle], the Heavenly Secret decided to recognize this exceptional situation. So, it seems I’m feeling something called ‘fun’ after a long time.”

“What are you talking about?”

“It means you won’t be able to come find me like this next time. You’ll need to see the ending at least once before you can meet me.”

The White Mask extended its index finger forward.

“Therefore… I’ll give you a cheat key that can easily solve your complicated situation. Whether to use it or not is your choice.”

“……!!”

A cheat key?!

I couldn’t help but flinch in surprise. It wasn’t just a metaphor; there really was a cheat key?

The White Mask appeared to smile as it slowly approached me,

“I’ll say it just once, so listen carefully… you foolish clown…”

A moment later, the White Mask whispered something in my ear.

*

Whoosh!

Suddenly, I regained consciousness.

And as I sat up straight, the Wheel King stood before me, saying,

“I destroyed your mind with isolation, then restored it with my power. It truly was a gamble; it seems your mind has been successfully reverted back to normal.”

“……”

“Did you meet your unconscious?”

I nodded silently.

The Wheel King, intrigued, remarked,

“Good… Then I’ll send energy into your consciousness through isolation once more. Let’s see if you can endure this time.”

Swish!

In the next moment, a strange energy burst forth from the Wheel King’s hand, enveloping my entire being. It was that energy of isolation from before!

However, unlike before, it felt as though some peculiar energy within me was preventing the isolation from invading.

Flicker!

With the aid of this energy, I swiftly kicked back the isolation and fell back. The Wheel King, observing me, stated,

“It seems you’ve indeed gained something from your unconscious.”

“Did you know you’d gain such power?”

“Facing your own unconscious deepens your connection with yourself. When the energy of isolation exerts its power to sever someone else’s bond, your bond becomes stronger, making it easier to resist.”

“…I see.”

“What did you see in your unconscious?”

“……”

After a moment, I lied.

“Nothing at all.”

The Wheel King didn’t seem aware of what I saw in my unconscious. Perhaps it meant he couldn’t read the memory of my encounter with the [White Mask].

And I believed it was necessary to hide that temporary existence from the Wheel King.

Even a being that the Wheel King couldn’t perceive could be hidden from the Obsidian and others in the future. There was no need to casually leak it out.

‘From now on… anything could happen.’

For some reason, I felt it was important to keep this secret.

In my mind, the words the White Mask had told me echoed.

[Wear the mask.]