Chapter 157

Episode 157. Break down (3)

"First, let's start with solidifying your image."

I sat still, cross-legged, for hours. What he said was simple. I had to endlessly study and examine myself until I could freely change my outer appearance. Following his directions, I kept contemplating 'myself'.

'I have to reach the minimum standard, at least.'

To deal with the boss that the Clown revered so much, and the Traveler, who was probably even stronger than him, I would need an airtight plan. And for the plan to work smoothly, I would need a minimal amount of force.

Even with the perfect strategy to topple a giant castle wall, you can't carry it out with nothing in your hands.

'I'll train for a few hours and then wander around Utopia for a few hours to collect information on the Clown's boss.'

The Clown was already breaking down. Any Transcendent that reached a certain level would soon notice the change that happened to him, and they would also know that something is going wrong. I didn't have much time. Before that happened, I needed to hold a weapon that was powerful enough.

Whew. I let out a breath.

And I emptied my mind. It was time to focus on my training. Following the Traveler's advice, I envisioned the parts that made up the living being Jeong Si-woo.

Analyst, hunter, a boy who experienced tragedy when he was young, a human that miraculously went back in time and lived life twice. I vividly thought of every trivial moment of my life. Every little memory.

'My talent helped me when I was an Analyst.'

My memories were denser than that of others. Unlike them, who remembered things like a photographed image, I held every sensation and thought I had at the moment in detail. This talent allowed me to be exceptionally observant and insightful, which saved me from countless dangers. Thinking back, it was a talent that was perfect for a Transcendent, as well.

'He said that the moment I lose my prejudice towards appearances, I'd be able to break away.'

My appearance that I was envisioning in my mind. My face, the fuzz on my face, every strand of hair, and the color of my eyes.

It wasn't easy. But it wasn't that difficult either. After all, I had never once been satisfied with my body.

'I always wished it was stronger and more perfect.'

There was even a time when I wondered if I needed a monster's body to fight against monsters. I also thought it wouldn't be so bad to have an alien body, like in science fiction novels, so that I could analyze better. Those wishes made numerous types of me inside my mind.

The tip of my finger twitched.

I opened my eyes slightly and glanced at it.

'...It's not that difficult.'

From the tip of my little finger, an inhuman, sharp, and pointed claw was sticking out.

* * *

How could I live a life that isn't boring?

He wondered this all his life.

In the very beginning, when there was only darkness, every moment felt like he was dead. Time painfully repeated itself, and the stillness was torture. His only joy was listening to the occasional sound of conversation and watching the movements of living beings similar to him.

"......!"

And an indeterminate amount of time passed that way. He repeated the same life over and over again until he noticed that a small change had happened in his daily life.

His large, hideous eye scanned over the area full of pure darkness. A very small light was sparkling in the darkness. It was a star. A planet. It was the first moment that the thing Transcendents called dimensions appeared.

Unlike the purposeless Transcendents floating around, the living beings that appeared in the dimensions moved with different purposes.

Since their bodies were inferior, they had to constantly look for food and water to survive. They had to kill others to stay alive, and sometimes they lived to protect things.

It was shocking. The creatures lived and thought in a completely different way from him. He became fascinated with them, and he wanted to have them first. He wanted to keep them for himself and hide them away from everyone else's sight.

"Ah......."

And his wish soon came true. He originated from the beginning of time, and his desire became power. The creatures living on the first star soon belonged to him. And he observed how they lived and died for hundreds of years. It was interesting. It was the first entertainment that he, who originated from the beginning of time, enjoyed.

"But... This is the same every day, as well."

However, he always sought new things and eventually became bored. He didn't abandon the planet. Instead, after watching the mortals' lives for some time, he brought about change in the residents of the first star. He instilled desire into the creatures that had only sought to survive.

What he did first was simple.

He increased basic urges, such as hunger and sexual desire, so much that they were above average. Then strange things began to happen. The creatures that used to fight each other to survive started to fight for other reasons, as well.

To win women, for abundant food, etc. He found it entertaining. It was something new. And that was the beginning.

They tried to steal others' spouses, used violence to assert superiority, and created certain drugs for pleasures they couldn't feel using normal methods.

The first star began to ruin rapidly.

As he watched them fall, he laughed. And then, he discovered many similar stars. destroyed the stars for no reason, or he ascended upon them as if he were some greater being and wielded all sorts of power.

"...Still, this is the most interesting."

of entertainment, he finally chose to watch. He caused the numerous stars he owned to collide with each other, and he watched the countless wars and desperate screams that occurred in the process.

It was fun. Those tiny creatures acted like they were some sort of heroes and headed towards destruction, blinded by greed. It was amusing.

"I'd like to... show it off to others."

It felt like a pity to watch alone. He once wanted to keep all of it to himself, but now he wanted to share this fun with the other beings like him that were just stupidly floating around.

To be exact, he wanted to feel superior by sharing this pleasure. He was the first to discover it. He was the one who created this great entertainment and got rid of their boredom.

The results weren't bad. His world games gained the favor of many Transcendents, and he became instantly famous.

He felt the biggest thrill of his entire life. It was the first time he stood above others and gained recognition for being outstanding. He wanted to climb even higher. He wanted to create even more interesting worlds, and he wanted everyone to praise him. And he could make that happen. It wasn't that far from happening.

"So you're the guy that became famous recently."

If only he hadn't shown up, he would have succeeded.

Far away from where he stayed, someone came to see him—someone who emitted an aura that was much more enormous and overwhelming than himself. Someone who looked down upon everything, whose eyes were so fearsome that no one could dare look him in the eye.

"I heard you play some entertaining games. I'm also quite interested in observing worlds and playing games with mortals. I'm too bored with ripping apart and absorbing Transcendents now."

Hearing the frightening voice, he felt defeated for the first time in his life, and he knew how humiliating it was. But he couldn't say anything. He showed him his games as he was told and acted submissively like he was his subordinate. And that ripped apart part of the image he had built up over the years.

"Interesting. It's a well-constructed game. Call me from now on whenever you hold these world games. If you ask for the 'Faceless King', my subordinate will contact me."

Meeting him was the worst moment in his life.

So much that even now, thinking of it caused his blood to boil.

.

.

.

"...Please focus, your magnificence."

"Oh, sorry."

"What did you think about so much? At a glance, I thought you fell asleep."

"Haha... I was just thinking about old times."

The one who was called his magnificence laughed casually.

"So, what were you saying?"

"I was talking about the worlds to use for the upcoming Game. We don't have any right now, so I had the underlings obtain some. I was explaining which ones would be interesting to pit against in certain ways."

"Oh, go again, please. I was distracted......."

"Yes. And... there's something you need to know before that."

Said the bearded man in a suit that resembled something a butler would wear. His boss raised his brows in a gesture asking what he meant.

The man nodded and spoke.

"There are reports that the Clown is acting strangely. He abandoned the Game he was supposed to host... And suddenly disappeared. Furthermore, all of his major clients have gone missing. All of them, from the minor ones to the regular clients that had been quite lucrative."

"......."

"It seems like someone is after us. Judging by the traces left at the transaction scene, they say it's someone who can't even change their appearance. Someone who just recently transcended....... Could it be one of those who hold a grudge against us?"

"...Someone who just recently transcended; who has a grudge against us."

Hearing the two criteria, the boss took his time. Then he put his hand on his chin and clicked his tongue. The sharp-eyed boss slowly spoke, looking at the man.

"I think I know who it is."

* * *

After finishing my long training, I came out to Utopia, pretending I wanted to take a walk. The air was no different, but the atmosphere of Utopia felt strangely more comfortable. The Traveler's world kind of felt like it was pressing down on me.

"I should come here often to rest and gather information."

I grabbed the purse inside my inner pocket. The Traveler gave me a handsome amount of money again when I said I was going to Utopia.

Looking around, I sat at an empty table and ordered a drink. This time, I ordered a slightly sweet juice instead of alcohol. The Transcendents were immersed in conversation as usual. Listening to their small talk, I cleared my head.

"Excuse me......."

And someone spoke to me, poking me in the back.

I turned my head to look and discovered a familiar face.

"You came earlier than I thought. I knew you could do it."

A face that was painted white. Funny make-up.

"Of, of course. It wasn't difficult."

The Clown, looking a lot more haggard than before, haltingly handed me a piece of paper.

"H-here's the ticket for watching my boss's Games. This should get you in with no problem. Y-you can decide after watching. And you'll see that this Clown's Games... are much more interesting and original than his!"

I smiled widely and nodded.

'Idiot.'

As I swore on the inside.