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Chapter 168

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Traveler III

3

-...

-...

It was cold.

A dagger pierced my chest.

It wasn\'t just a metaphor. Most of Doctor Jangs here had reached the state of mental swordsmanship.

Invisible blades clashed and crossed in all directions, guided by their gazes.

Of course, none of the people present were the type to die from a few sword strikes. The weak Doctor Jangs had long since turned into bowling balls rolling down the airplane aisle.

These masters, who couldn\'t guarantee victory if they fought, were about to draw their swords.

They had all confirmed that their skills were not to be underestimated. Doctor Jangs placed their hands on their sword hilts.

"We can no longer rely on the method of verifying the truth through the Saintess."

"What a shame."

"It\'s about to get even more unfortunate. I\'m sorry, but I can\'t live in a world with 51 duplicates of Koyori."

"No, I\'m more afraid of a world with 51 Chief Noh Dohas. Do you understand? Even if they only strangle you once, you\'re immediately choked to death."

"51 of Sim Aryeon would be no joke either. SGNet would be destroyed that day."

Tension filled the air.

The regressors exchanged fierce glares and engaged in a psychological battle.

If anyone drew their sword, a life-and-death struggle would immediately ensue.

"Everyone, stop your swords."

At that moment, I, the original Doctor Jang who was more just, proper, and upright than anyone else, spoke up.

The fake Doctor Jangs all turned to look at me. Among them were a mustached fake Doctor Jang and a female fake Doctor Jang.

"What\'s this? Are you asking to be killed first?"

"No, after thinking more deeply, killing each other isn\'t the best option."

"Why?"

"Are you chickening out?"

"You know that such provocations won\'t work. Anyway, this is a well-crafted trap. If we start a slaughter, a great calamity will befall us."

Some Doctor Jangs tilted their heads.

"A great calamity?"

"Yes. Let me ask you this first. Are you all familiar with the \'Jar of Solitude\'?"

Solitude.

It\'s a very famous curse. Think of it as an ancient Pokémon game.

First, the sorcerer carefully selects poisonous insects and places them in a jar.

Then, they close the lid and declare that the battle royale has begun.

The competition continues until only one bug is left alive.

The final champion, who has hunted down all the other insects, becomes a legendary poisonous insect.

"Who here wouldn\'t know about that?"

"Listen. If we start killing each other, what do you think will happen? Naturally, only the strongest Doctor Jang will survive."

I spoke under the concentrated gazes.

"At that moment, we will have defined this airplane as a \'Jar of Solitude\'."

-...!

"The last survivor will naturally gain the attributes of a \'bug\' or a \'poisonous insect.\' One day, you might wake up to find you\'ve turned into a bug."

Sighs escaped from various parts of the airplane.

"Indeed, that makes sense."

"It\'s a dilemma!"

"If this airplane lands, the anomalies will multiply. But if we start killing each other, we\'ll define ourselves as bugs. What should we do?"

"Wait."

A female Doctor Jang raised her hand.

She had her hair tied back, and her appearance was like a mix of Tang Seorin, Noh Doha, and the Saintess in equal parts. She was also one of the few Doctor Jangs dressed as a barista like me.

For the record, she had single-handedly cut down about 20 other Doctor Jangs.

Her combat level was probably similar to mine. She was a person to be wary of in many ways.

"I understand the logic that if we kill each other, it becomes a Jar of Solitude. But is gaining the attribute of a bug really that dangerous?"

"What a foolish question. How can you not know the danger of bugs? Has a giant potato robot statue ever been built in Busan in your timeline?"

"Huh? A giant potato... what?"

Ah, you don\'t know.

I looked around with a disdainful gaze.

All around me were half-baked Doctor Jangs.

"Let me explain. A potato robot statue is――."

A FEW MOMENTS LATER...

A few moments later...

"Stop lying!!"

"My goodness. Did that really happen?"

"My Saintess would never do that!"

Chaos erupted on the airplane.

Of course, it was a hellish scene only for Doctor Jangs. The Tang Seorins were making faces like, "Saintess? Who\'s that?" "Who dared to build such a blasphemous statue in my territory of Busan?"

Ignorance is bliss.

"Anyway, bugs are dangerous. The entity that crafted such a cunning trap on this airplane is most likely a massive ocean-level or even an alien god-level anomaly."

"Ah, ah."

"I understand the danger of bugs now..."

Yes. If you don\'t want to wake up as \'Gregor\' someday, avoid the bug attribute at all costs.

"Then, what should we do?"

A female Doctor Jang, barely regaining her composure, asked.

"107. If what you\'re saying is true, that we\'re doomed whether we land or kill each other... Isn\'t it over already?"

I shook my head.

"No. There\'s one way."

"What way?"

"Solitude becomes a curse because the bugs trapped in the jar start slaughtering each other."

I infused my voice with power so that everyone could understand.

"So, if the bugs don\'t fight each other, if even one bug remains, the curse of the anomaly won\'t take effect. The premise will be broken."

-...?

-Oh.

Some of Doctor Jangs blinked. It made me question how these bird-brains managed to be regressors.

On the other hand, there were some \'me\' who were quick to catch on.

The female Doctor Jang was among the latter.

"We should commit suicide until only one is left."

"What?"

Tang Seorin, who had been quietly listening, was startled.

"Commit suicide? You all?"

"Yes. That’s the solution we, Doctor Jangs, have come up with. A way to avoid killing each other while still determining the final survivor."

"Ah, I see!"

"A brilliant move!"

"A good strategy. This way, we can avoid both the \'51-fold Stillness\' and the \'Jar of Solitude.\'"

"Are you...serious? What nonsense is this?"

Tang Seorin, and the other Tang Seorins, looked baffled.

In contrast, Doctor Jangs exchanged furtive glances with me. Their faces were full of understanding.

Though they had walked different paths in life, had different appearances, and even different levels of intelligence—there was one possibility that every Doctor Jang was always aware of.

That there might come a day when they themselves would turn into something monstrous.

The worst possible route.

And if that route were to be taken, Doctor Jang would be willing to obliterate not just their life but their very existence.

"From now on, we’ll determine who among us is the most capable Doctor Jang. Whether through strength, intelligence, or storytelling, it doesn’t matter. And the losers..."

"Will recognize their shortcomings and step aside, leaving the role of Doctor Jang to the victor?"

"Exactly."

"Fair enough."

Doctor Jangs spoke.

"But there’s one issue."

"It’s a problem."

"I don’t mind leaving everything in the hands of another Doctor Jang and stepping aside. After all, there’s always the next round waiting after death."

"But what about Tang Seorin?"

Doctor Jangs’ gazes all turned toward their partners.

"What do you plan to do about Tang Seorin?"

"If you’re thinking of killing Tang Seorin after we die, there’s no way, under any circumstances, that I’m going to kill myself."

The atmosphere turned tense immediately.

But I lightly shook my head.

"No need to worry about that."

"…?"

"Because once you’re gone, Tang Seorin will be left alone."

I firmly held Tang Seorin’s hand. I could feel Tang Seorin looking at my profile, but I focused on Doctor Jangs.

"But Tang Seorin didn’t just want to go on a trip. Tang Seorin wanted to go on a trip \'with me.\'"

"…."

"So, if you’re gone, Tang Seorin will naturally disappear as well. Trust me."

A silence followed.

Then someone spoke.

"I’ll trust you, 107."

That someone was also me.

___

Parallel worlds. Possible worlds. Multiverses.

The philosopher who first introduced these concepts is known to be Leibniz. Yes, the same person who argued with Newton over who invented calculus first (which exam-takers probably don’t care about).

[PR/N: Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz was a German polymath active as a mathematician, philosopher, scientist and diplomat who invented calculus in addition to many other branches of mathematics, such as binary arithmetic, and statistics.]

Leibniz also proposed a concept less known than calculus: the \'best of all possible worlds.\'

"Our world is the best of all possible worlds, and therefore, it is the only one that exists."

Why are we living in this world and not in another possible world?

In other words, why does our world look \'like this\'?

"Because our universe is better than all the other possible worlds."

The best of all possible worlds.

All other worlds are flawed in some way. Their physical laws might collapse, or unimaginable evils could occur.

Even if our world feels like hell, it is the only one where \'the failure of the universe\' hasn’t happened.

"I lost."

And so we, Doctor Jangs, began the work of determining the \'best of all possible worlds.\'

"You’re one step ahead of me. You were the one who suggested using the Saintess’s telepathy, and the one who first recognized the possibility of falling into the trap of solitude. It’s right that I step back."

Doctor Jang who claimed to have boarded the plane 56th accepted his defeat with grace.

He held the hand of the 56th Tang Seorin.

"I’m sorry, Tang Seorin. It seems we’ll have to postpone our trip. I’m truly sorry."

"It’s okay. Just being together was enough."

And then, an astonishing scene unfolded.

The 56th Doctor Jang and Tang Seorin embraced each other and naturally shared a kiss.

"Ew."

"Hmm."

The original Tang Seorin and I were both taken aback. What on earth was this inappropriate act in broad daylight?

Seeing someone who looked exactly like me locking lips with someone who looked exactly like Tang Seorin evoked an extremely, extremely strange feeling.

"Uh?"

But an even more shocking fact awaited us.

Among over a hundred passengers, the only ones who were surprised were the two of us.

"Why are you surprised?"

"Yeah, it’s just a kiss."

Indeed. The rest of Doctor Jangs and Tang Seorins didn’t seem to feel any particular way about it.

But the most shocking revelation was still to come.

"What’s wrong with a kiss between people who are dating?"

"Exactly. While it’s best to refrain from doing it in front of others, you two are \'us\' after all."

"Considering all that you’ve been through together, isn’t it just a kiss?"

All Doctor Jangs and Tang Seorins here were dating each other.

Except for us two.

"My goodness."

"Oh my god."

In a nutshell, this plane was a special charter for a group couple’s trip.

The other Doctor Jangs and Tang Seorins had planned their overseas trip to celebrate anniversaries—1 year, 3 years, 10 years.

Except for us two.

A tingling sensation ran through the top of my skull. How could this be happening?

"If anything, we’re the ones who are surprised…"

"Are you seriously not dating? You and your Doctor Jang?"

"Why? Why on earth wouldn’t you be dating?"

The other couples reacted as if they couldn’t understand us.

"If you’re not dating, then what’s the reason you two are traveling together?"

"Well…"

"I just said I wanted to travel."

The original Tang Seorin spoke.

"I brought up the idea of traveling, and we left just two days later. That’s it."

"Two days? You went to that terrifying Uyuni Salt Flat just because you wanted to? And you’re not even dating?"

"Yeah. Is there a problem?"

"Unbelievable..."

“Sigh…”

Doctor Jangs and the Tang Seorins were looking at us with eyes that said they had seen all sorts of strange people.

“Aren\'t you the ones who are abnormal?”

I didn’t bother to answer that question.

Although there were these minor incidents, the process of selecting the "best world" proceeded steadily.

The testing methods were varied.

“I’ll settle this with a sword. Number 107. If you are stronger than me, I\'ll graciously hand over this life to you.”

Sometimes it was through force.

“Ultimately, the most important thing for a regressor is knowledge. Among that, the key is how to grow allies and how to defeat anomalies. Number 107. Let’s test our knowledge against each other.”

Sometimes it was through intelligence.

“Even if one possesses a sword that can split the earth or a mind that can mock the heavens, in the end, the moment their mental state crumbles, they are destined to be devoured by an anomaly. Number 107. How long can you maintain yourself?”

Sometimes it was through mental strength.

“I don’t intend to drag this out like the others. Luck. It’s all about luck. Let’s simply flip a coin to decide. Number 107. Heads or tails?”

Sometimes it was just pure luck.

“Was Jiang Wei of the Three Kingdoms right to continuously launch northern expeditions?”

Sometimes it was just the Three Kingdoms... Wait, are you seriously okay with that? The Tang Seorin next to you looks like she’s about to kill you.

Anyway.

The fifty or so Doctor Jangs each requested a competition in a way they could accept.

I won all those challenges.

In the end, there was no "me" stronger than myself. That fact was both somewhat disappointing and also a source of pride.

“…So, in the end, the decision of which world is the best rests with the regressor, me.”

Doctor Jang woman smiled bitterly.

All the other regressors accepted their end. She was the last remaining “me.”

“I thought I lived my life as best as I could, but even that wasn’t my best, it seems.”

Unusually, Doctor Jang woman requested to compete with me in "Go."

A human game that has already ceded the title of the strongest to AI. A genre where one\'s skill is assessed based on how well they can mimic AI’s moves.

Therefore, evaluating perfect memory abilities was a more than suitable stage.

I "remembered" countless Go records from countless regressions. To me, Go was just a game of utilizing memory.

In other words, Doctor Jang woman challenged me to see who among us could better process memories.

In a certain sense, this is the most important field and virtue for a regressor.

Our skills were hard to distinguish.

The result was...

“Well played.”

“Well learned.”

A win by half a point with white.

It was a narrow victory for me.

“Sorry, Tang Seorin. It seems we’ll have to postpone our trip to Oxford.”

“It’s okay. We can just go “next time.”

Doctor Jang woman’s partner, Tang Seorin, chuckled.

“But are you really okay with this?”

“I’m fine. It’s a result I can accept. More than anything, it was a great discovery to realize that another version of myself in a different possible world is also working just as hard. I can’t lose to myself.”

“You just lost, though?”

“I mean, from now on.”

Doctor Jang woman held hands with her Tang Seorin.

Then she turned to me and smiled faintly.

“I entrust this world to you, Number 107. We probably won’t meet again, not ever. If I were a real human, not an anomaly, I would definitely go back to my world and gift a pair of sunglasses to the saintess.”

Doctor Jang woman’s entire body was covered in aura.

That was the last of the "Doctor Jang."

5

There is an epilogue.

Originally, according to our travel plan, we were supposed to go to South America via Spain.

But somehow, not long after all Doctor Jangs had left, the plane arrived at its destination.

The Uyuni Salt Flats.

The most brilliant mirror on Earth.

“Ah.”

The plane gently landed on the water’s surface.

There was no vibration at all.

The wings of the plane sliced through the transparent surface of the salt flat, getting wet. A long trail of water stretched behind the tail of the plane.

At that moment, a fair number of Tang Seorins were still around. Some followed Doctor Jangs to their deaths, while others stayed by the corpses of Doctor Jangs.

The door of the plane, which had no crew or pilot, opened. Then, the sunset reflected in the water of the salt flat seeped into the cabin.

“It’s beautiful.”

“Yeah. It’s beautiful.”

“I think I understand why I wanted to come here.”

“Why is it that the world can be so beautiful just from being reflected…”

Swish.

The Tang Seorins couldn’t finish their sentences.

The moment the outside world’s sunset touched them, their bodies turned into white salt and crumbled away in an instant.

The white powder was scattered into the desert wind, blown apart into tiny specks.

It wasn’t just the Tang Seorins. The corpses of Doctor Jangs, the shattered plane seats, and eventually even the massive skeleton of the plane—all crumbled into white dust.

Like flower petals.

Before long, in the middle of the desert lake, only the Tang Seorin and I remained.

“...”

“...”

The Tang Seorin stared blankly at the swirling white petals.

Each petal reflected the red of the sunset, and the reflected shadow was again mirrored on the horizon.

In a world where everything repeats, the only warmth was the touch of our two hands.

Only much later did the Tang Seorin mutter,

“Really, what was that anomaly? Doctor Jang?”

“That kind of...”

“I don’t want to hear that the ability to elicit such a reaction is what makes it an anomaly.”

“Hmm.”

I looked out at the salt desert, made up of the remains of the Tang Seorin and Doctor Jangs.

“There could be several complex reasons, but I suspect the most immediate one might stem from the terrain of the Uyuni Salt Flats themselves.”

The Tang Seorin tilted her head. Her reflection on the water below also tilted its head.

“Here? Why?”

“When the surface fills with water, it turns into one massive mirror. As you know, mirrors are the most dangerous objects in the void. We intended to come to the Uyuni Salt Flats, but in a way, we ended up going to the \'mirror world.\'”

“Oh.”

“The plane is a means of travel to \'somewhere other than here.\' The plane we were on briefly traveled to the mirror world.”

“That makes sense... Yeah, that sounds plausible.”

Splash.

The Tang Seorin swirled the water with her foot. Her smile rippled on the surface of the water.

“Anyway, it means that my Doctor Jang was the best Doctor Jang, right? Right?”

I didn’t bother to answer that question.

“This place is really amazing. Thank you, Doctor Jang.”

“You’re welcome.”

“Oh, by the way, how do we get back to Korea from here? The plane just melted.”

“...”

I couldn’t bring myself to answer that question.

But I will note that I realized it would take at least three months to cross the Pacific Ocean on foot.

- Traveler. The End.