The World After the Fall

Jaehwan couldn't hear anymore. Both his arms were numb and his legs didn't feel like standing. Rather, he was floating in the air. He wasn't certain if what he was seeing was real and he couldn't trust his sense of smell. There was the debris of exploded dimensions floating around him.

[He's amazing.]

[I didn't expect him to withstand all of our power…]

The Transcended ones that took control of Jaehwan's body seemed tired as well. They used Jaehwan's spirit to the point where they squeezed every drop out of it and in the end, it made them extremely tired. Jaehwan couldn't even stand by himself if it wasn't for them.

[Kek. We'll all die in this case.]

8741 from Jaehwan's left hand cackled and 3751 from the right hand answered,

[You don't know that. He is not in good condition either.]

Mulack's body was almost destroyed. His spirit was like a torn rag right now. His left hand was replaced with Daeus' [Parts] and his legs had been replaced with Parts created by former Big Brothers. Something kept seeping out from the ripped stomach and his one eye was blinded.

But Mulack was still powerful.

There were still hundreds of former Big Brother weapons floating behind him, and the power surrounding him was still prominent. He even had a smile on his face. Mulack raised his mech arm slowly. Was it the start of the 'space bomb' again? Jaehwan tried to bring up his power again, but Mulack spoke.

[Jaehwan. Why don't we make a truce?]

It was an unexpected offer.

[I think you've unleashed enough anger now. I've also experienced enough of your power.]

"What are you saying?"

[I will accept you as a new Big Brother. You, and all the Transcended ones within you.]

Silence fell. It was the first silence after the fight began. Jaehwan became shocked when all of his Transcended ones became quiet. Maybe they were agreeing to Mulack's words. If they were to both perish, it was better to agree with Mulack. But Jaehwan's thought didn't last long.

"No."

And the voices exploded within him.

[I KNEW IT!]

[God-dammit! Again?!]

[I told you. See?]

[I thought it would be different this time…]

[10 billion years! You still don't know what kind of 'clothes' the original is?]

And they even…

[Hey, if you lost the bet, change places with me! YOU take control of this 'hard' place!]

[Ugh, dammit…]

[HAHAHA! Good for you! You really look hard!]

They seemed to have made bets. Were they all 'Jaehwan'? Jaehwan shook his head. He saw Mulack's lips moving in the distance.

[…and why is that?]

"Because I don't like it."

[You haven't become a Big Brother yet. You don't even know what Big Brother does. You can refuse it after you try it at least…]

"No."

[Just saying no doesn't make sense.]

Mulack's eyes began to be filled with rage.

[Let me ask you again. Why?]

Jaehwan did not answer. He couldn't. He had many reasons, and it was too complicated to explain. And Jaehwan now had the answer to all those reasons.

[Just because you want to destroy the System? Is that it? Are you still holding on to such childish and violent thoughts?]

"…"

[Listen to me. If you Transcended, it would've been different. You don't understand anything. You don't know what Big Brother is, what Panopticon is, and the purpose of the System!]

"But I know one thing. If I Transcend, I will be like you."

He heard Transcended ones saying, "Whoa, he owned it!' within his head. Mulack became silent for a while. Maybe it had touched a part of his 'being' deep inside his spirit.

[…You don't know anything about Transcendence. If you don't know anything, you shouldn't speak like that.]

It was a voice full of deep rage. Jaehwan felt his voice was real this time. He 'truly' was thinking in that way.

[It's the same for the System. This world that was created to efficiently 'Cultivate Big Brothers'. They are created after countless former Big Brothers were created and changed it to achieve greatness. It is more stable than any other world and has no chance of being destroyed. All beings are well adapted to this System and they live happily. Destroy the System? What you are trying to do is trample on all their achievements!]

Jaehwan thought for a bit and answered, "Maybe."

['Maybe'? You don't know a thing! Do you know what happens if the System is destroyed?!]

And in the next moment, voices spread across Jaehwan's head at once.

[Fall.]

[Fall.]

[Fall.]

[Fall.]

Jaehwan said, 'Shut up,' in his mind. Mulack also spoke.

[The world will fall!]

It was a voice that sounded like it came from a drama.

[And you still will destroy the System?]

"Yeah."

[Hah… and why are you still thinking of that!]

"It's because I am human."

Human. The Transcended ones began to speak to themselves noisily again. Good, Crazy, Stupid, He's mad, etc, etc…

[Human… is it?]

Mulack's expression turned complicated. It seemed like he was scoffing at Jaehwan, or he also seemed to pity him.

[Human… do you really consider yourself human still?]

His narrowed eyes pierced into Jaehwan's mind.

[Even if you didn't go through Transcendence, you lived over million years alone. How can a man do such a thing? There's no human who could've withstood that time while still being 'human'.]

"…"

[You are already a 'System' yourself. You created your mind to be one of the 'Systems' to withstand all that time. There is a power that is equivalent to a universe within you. Why are you trying to act as if you are still a human? What is a human anyway?]

That question pierced Jaehwan's heart. He too had been asking himself the same question thousands of times. Was he really still human? And what was a human anyway?

Jaehwan thought about this question in the darkness many times. Many hours. He first tried to answer it with scientific knowledge he had.

Human. A highly intelligent animal who uses language and tools. Part of homo sapiens that walk on two legs and…

However, that wasn't a good answer. So Jaehwan changed his perspective.

Many philosophies came through him. The Fall of time gave him enough time to think about all the possible ways of thinking that existed within all of mankind. Jaehwan even went over the philosophy and replaced it with his language and thoughts to answer it.

Yet he couldn't find the answer. And with the empty answer, the answer came suddenly.

"I don't know what humans are."

It was the truth.

"But I am thinking of what humans are."

At the end of those words, Jaehwan realized he was 'human'.

"That is why I am human."

Humans are the ones who question what human is. That was the answer that Jaehwan had gotten to after living 10 billion years with his clothes. Mulack burst into laughter.

[Hahahaha! …Was that the answer you got after 10 billion years? In your words, even the 'Transcended' can become humans! It's foolish!]

But it was only Mulack who laughed. All other Jaehwan's clothes only spoke ill of Jaehwan's answer, let alone laugh at it.

[Thank you.]

A short answer came back after a short and heavy silence. Jaehwan felt emotion from his 'clothes'. Mulack then gritted his teeth after realizing what happened.

[I see. That's why you made such an answer. You…]

And a fight erupted again.

Mulack now was doing all he could to unleash everything in his power. The Transcended ones tried their best to fight back, but the attack was too powerful now. One of the Transcended ones spoke.

[Hey original, there's one way we can possibly win. It might kill us all but…]

[Wait, you can't-]

[Let's just tell him! He considers us as human.]

[Don't be fooled by…]

People kept on talking, but the voice continued.

[There is one who doesn't have control over your body yet. We didn't want to tell you until the end… but this is our way of thanking you.]

Jaehwan tried to ask who it was, but before he can ask, a voice came. It sounded like that of a young boy.

-If you want, I can help you.

Unlike the other Transcended ones, that voice seemed like it was shaking up the entire brain.

[D-dammit! He's here!]

[WAAAAAGH!]

[66666!]

Jaehwan felt the Transcended ones shaking frantically. Were there ranks between them? Why were they so afraid? And at that point, Jaehwan felt memories rushing in.

It was a memory that lasted over 3 billion years.

'I felt there were lots of parts missing throughout the 10 billion years… it was him.'

Jaehwan felt becoming dizzy due to the length of the memory coming in.

66666.

That was the name of the Jaehwan that lived for 3 billion years. He lived for 3 billion years alone. How was that possible? Just like the other Jaehwans, 66666 also trained in only one thing for all of the 3 billion years. It was easy to see what [Setting] he trained. In fact, Jaehwan thought it strange that there was no one who trained that [Setting] after all.

'He probably can…'

Jaehwan was certain that if he helped, they might win. No. They will actually…

-Let me ask you. You want help?

'I do. Can you help me?'

-There is a price.'

It wasn't expected. Jaehwan then felt an eerie feeling as he experienced 3 billion years worth of loneliness. What was he like if he endured 3 billion years by himself? What would be the price he would have to pay?

'What is it?'

-I want your spirit.

Spirit? Jaehwan became confused. Was it some kind of a devilish pact from a book?

'What do you mean?'

66666 then answered,

-I want to be you.