The Origin of the False World and the True Past

The conversation persisted while three individual portions of pork cutlet rested directly prior to each participant. The verbal exchange was primarily executed by Seo Mun-gyeong and Jung Eun-chan, while Kallios restricted his participation to mutely absorbing their dialogue, yet the baseline interaction remained established.

Throughout the course of the meal, Kallios acquired a massive volume of localized information he possessed zero genuine desire to learn. He discovered that Seo Mun-gyeong operated as a high school club junior to Jung Eun-chan, that he had achieved formal discharge from his mandatory military service exactly one month prior, that the current encounter constituted their first meeting in an immense duration, and that they sporadically smoked tobacco together whenever they met.

“I strictly refrain from smoking except during instances when I am meeting this fellow.”

Jung Eun-chan immediately offered the defensive explanation, to which Seo Mun-gyeong smoothly countered.

“Fundamentally speaking, my senior was the exact individual who introduced me to tobacco. Naturally, you are mandated to assume absolute responsibility for the habit. Surely you possess zero intention of leaving me to smoke entirely isolated and lonely?”

The thoroughly affable, silver-tongued Seo Mun-gyeong instantly reclaimed the conversational momentum. Kallios merely deposited a fragment of pork cutlet into his oral cavity to execute methodical chewing. Flashing a wide, radiant smile as if experiencing an immense volume of satisfaction, Seo Mun-gyeong directed a query toward his form.

“Do you possess absolute awareness regarding exactly when our senior initiated his very first tobacco smoke?”

Jung Eun-chan initially harbored an intention to interrupt Seo Mun-gyeong’s delivery, yet he ultimately chose to let the matter proceed, reasoning that this anecdote might serve as a structural bridge to initiate a fluid dialogue between his younger brother—who displayed a strangely pronounced avoidance toward the junior—and his friend. Because Jung Eun-ho constituted the single most precious younger sibling within Jung Eun-chan’s universe, and Seo Mun-gyeong operated as the solitary individual he possessed the capacity to comfortably address as a genuine ‘friend’ among his juniors, he deduced that facilitating a close bond between the two entities was a thoroughly positive trajectory. Especially considering they attended the identical academic institution.

However, completely diverging from the baseline parameters of Jung Eun-chan’s desire, Seo Mun-gyeong was absolutely not initiating this dialogue because he craved to establish a close relationship with Jung Eun-ho, with Kallios.

“Back when our senior was completing his third year of high school, he harbored an incredibly intense desire to secure admission into the Department of Creative Writing. However, because the structural reality of a creative writing career yields zero reliable income, he appeared to navigate an immense volume of deep, agonizing internal conflicts during that era.”

Kallios refrained from focusing his vision on the communicating Seo Mun-gyeong, choosing instead to lock his gaze onto Jung Eun-chan, who was currently displaying a thoroughly embarrassed, awkward smile.

“Even if I had attempted the formal practical examinations, securing admission would have been a structural impossibility. My baseline capability was simply insufficient.”

“That is entirely incorrect. I harbor a profound adoration for the poetic compositions our senior produces. Furthermore, did you not formally receive a prestigious literary accolade during that historical timeline?”

Within the archived memory matrix belonging to ‘Jung Eun-ho,’ Jung Eun-chan had consistently operated as an incredibly dependable, thoroughly mature eldest brother. A highly competent, magnificent sibling who effortlessly executed every single life responsibility without displaying a trace of internal hesitation.

‘Jung Eun-ho’ possessed zero historical awareness regarding the reality that Jung Eun-chan composed poetry, nor did he know that the elder had craved to enter the Department of Creative Writing. He remained entirely ignorant of the fact that the elder had initiated his very first tobacco smoke during his final year of high school. Because Jung Eun-ho lacked absolute comprehension of these elements, Kallios had naturally remained entirely blind to them.

As if deliberately executing a grand display of dominance, Seo Mun-gyeong methodically unveiled a sequence of personal narratives regarding Jung Eun-chan that exclusively existed within his private keeping. He thrust forward the imagery of a wandering, deeply conflicted high school senior rather than the image of the dependable eldest brother. He paraded a version of Jung Eun-chan that Kallios, operating inside the parameters of ‘Jung Eun-ho,’ possessed a zero percent probability of ever comprehending or experiencing firsthand. The behavior perfectly mirrored a carnivore establishing its territorial boundaries.

It was a thoroughly pathetic, utterly ridiculous provocation.

The absolute microsecond the meal reached its formal conclusion, Kallios rose entirely from his seated posture. While he harbored an intense aversion toward expending the financial capital he had accumulated via private tutoring to cover Seo Mun-gyeong’s culinary expenses, he found the prospect of allowing Jung Eun-chan to execute the payment equally unpalatable, and the concept of accepting a free meal from Seo Mun-gyeong was an absolute impossibility, prompting him to personally finalize the financial transaction at the counter. Letting out a series of flustered exclamations like, “Hey, from what specific source do you even possess money,” Jung Eun-chan frantically retrieved his personal wallet from his attire, while Seo Mun-gyeong simply locked his eyes onto Kallios’s form to flash a cold smile.

Your structural positioning inside the senior’s hierarchy is that of a mere ‘younger brother,’ is it not? Conversely, my identity is entirely untethered to such limitations.

Beholding the precise smile that seemed to project that implicit message, Kallios experienced a sharp wave of internal revulsion, as if the pork cutlet he had forcefully jammed into his digestive tract was violently turning over.

“Since I have received the benefit of a free meal, I shall explicitly execute the financial settlement for our subsequent gathering. I am scheduled to formally return to campus next semester to resume my academic studies.”

Seo Mun-gyeong extended his mobile device forward. Tracking the older hardware with a completely static glare, Kallios manually inputted his personal digits across the interface. While he harbored zero genuine desire to surrender his contact information to the fellow, he simultaneously refused to inflict a wave of deep disappointment upon the contentedly smiling Jung Eun-chan, leaving him with zero alternative but to comply. Demanding the verbal confirmation of, “The name is Jung Eun-ho, correct?” Seo Mun-gyeong immediately triggered a formal outbound call. Tucked securely inside the interior of Kallios’s pocket, the mobile device initiated a sharp, continuous vibration sequence.

Kallios refrained from executing a formal save command to archive Seo Mun-gyeong’s contact information. Zero objective necessity existed to ever initiate communications with his identity, nor did he possess a single scenario where a private meeting would be required… fundamentally speaking, he simply loathed the fellow’s existence. However, it appeared Seo Mun-gyeong operated under a thoroughly alternative psychological matrix. While Kallios had assumed their interactions concluded the exact moment he migrated toward the university library while Jung Eun-chan and Seo Mun-gyeong departed to locate a café, reality shattered that expectation.

[ This is Seo Mun-gyeong. You explicitly refrained from saving my contact information, correct? ]

Prior to his capacity to even flip through a single handful of pages after securing a study desk inside the campus library, the mobile device resting beside him initiated an audio alert.

[ Because I operated under the absolute conviction that you would neglect to archive my identity, I shall append a reminder across every single text transmission. ] [ Writing to you now. The identity is Seo Mun-gyeong. ] [ I received word that you execute your academic studies with immense diligence. The transmitting entity is Seo Mun-gyeong. ] [ Our senior is currently unleashing an immense, endless torrent of praise regarding your magnificent attributes. ] [ He is continuing that exact verbal delivery at this current microsecond. Seo Mun-gyeong. ]

Should I execute an absolute block command against this device? Kallios evaluated the structural trajectory while reviewing the continuous cascade of incoming messages.

[ Then again, executing a state of total warfare is a structural impossibility within the parameters of this specific universe, correct? S-M-G. ] [ Your current positioning constitutes a remarkably wise, intelligent choice, Your Majesty. S-M-G. ]

Knitting his brows into a sharp, intense scowl, Kallios repeatedly reviewed the final pair of text transmissions alternatingly.

Despite the absolute absence of a single outbound response from his coordinate, Seo Mun-gyeong—Lamire Wever—maintained his aggressive communication sequence to deliver an additional transmission.

[ Secure a minor window of free time to meet my form during the evening timeline. S-M-G. ]

Within their historical reality, Lamire Wever had strictly refrained from projecting such an immensely irritating, grating persona. Was this behavioral divergence an absolute consequence of his altered social status within this domain? Or was his consciousness currently being warped by the psychological matrix inherited from ‘Seo Mun-gyeong’?

Considering the reality that Kallios’s personal, traditionally taciturn disposition had achieved a significantly rounded, softened baseline due to the continuous psychological influence of ‘Jung Eun-ho,’ a high probability existed that Lamire Wever was navigating an identical structural mutation.

[ 07:30 PM. ] [ Understood. I shall maintain a vigil awaiting your arrival inside the Delta Café. S-M-G. ]

The mobile hardware finally lapsed into absolute silence. Sweeping his vision across the literal text characters constituting the messages transmitted by Seo Mun-gyeong, Kallios elected to temporarily realign his cognitive focus onto the academic textbook resting directly before his eyes.

“Over here.”

The absolute microsecond Kallios crossed the threshold into the interior of the café, Seo Mun-gyeong delivered a clear vocalization to guide his advance.

“Senior, do you share a personal acquaintance alongside that individual?”

A female student occupying the seat directly opposite Seo Mun-gyeong’s coordinate delivered the query utilizing an intensely muffled, low voice. Rendering her attempts at hushed discretion entirely redundant, Seo Mun-gyeong let out a loud, ringing laugh before responding.

“For what explicit reason do you inquire? Is his persona remarkably famous?”

“His identity is immensely renowned across the entire College of Business Administration.”

“He operates as the younger biological sibling of an older brother I share an incredibly close bond with.”

“Absolute madness.”

Lifting the entirety of the service tray laden with empty beverage cups, Seo Mun-gyeong stood up from his seat. Emulating his physical movement, the female student rose in tandem to deliver a polite, deep bow toward Kallios’s coordinate. Kallios strictly refrained from returning the social gesture, keeping his eyes locked seamlessly onto Seo Mun-gyeong’s form. The psychological habit of refusing to acknowledge the greetings of common individuals remains entirely unaltered. Operating under that internal assessment, Seo Mun-gyeong let out an additional chuckle.

“Regarding the identity present before us, does it constitute Jung Eun… soo, or does it represent Eun-ho?”

Diverging from the expected trajectory, the female student manually supplied the definitive response prior to Kallios’s capacity to speak.

“Your identity is explicitly Jung Eun-ho, correct? My name is Kim In-ah. Enrolled within the Department of Physics!”

Kallios maintained his gaze fixed flatly upon Seo Mun-gyeong for a brief moment before turning his countenance to address Kim In-ah.

“My identity is Jung Eun-ho. Experiencing your acquaintance generates satisfaction. However.”

While he possessed zero definitive knowledge regarding the precise motive that had prompted Seo Mun-gyeong to command this evening gathering, Kallios harbored an immense volume of critical queries he was mandated to direct toward his form. Furthermore, the absolute majority of the questions Kallios required to articulate constituted data entirely unsuited for exposure to external third parties. He utilized his eyes to project a silent, sharp inquiry demanding to know the exact reason Kim In-ah was current occupying their immediate spatial perimeter. Letting out a loud, completely uninhibited laugh, Kim In-ah deposited a single five-thousand-won currency note directly over the surface of the tray resting inside Seo Mun-gyeong’s grip.

“I merely noticed our senior sitting completely isolated here while executing a total blank stare, prompting me to temporarily occupy this seat. I simply felt a wave of deep pity witnessing an old uncle lingering entirely alone.”

“Hey, utilizing a term like ‘old uncle’ to address my form is…”

“The absolute microsecond an individual achieves formal discharge from the military, their identity transitions into an old uncle.”

“Listen here.”

“Under those parameters, I shall execute my formal departure. Ensure you extend a proper greeting the subsequent time our paths cross.”

Flashing a bright, cheerful smile, Kim In-ah exited the perimeter of the café first. Returning the empty beverage cups to the service counter, Seo Mun-gyeong adopted a thoroughly pleasant expression to inquire.

“Do you possess the biological capacity to consume intoxicating alcohol?”

“To a reasonable degree.”

Kallios once again executed a razor-sharp analytical scan of Seo Mun-gyeong’s facial architecture, replicating the evaluation sequence he had conducted during the midday timeline. Completely diverging from the structural reality defining Kaian or his personal vessel, Seo Mun-gyeong’s face was entirely devoid of a single physical trace belonging to Lamire Wever. The historical Lamire Wever had consistently projected a blatantly gentle, thoroughly soft countenance; conversely, Seo Mun-gyeong possessed a pair of intensely sharp, single-lidded eyes.

“Directly adjacent to this specific alleyway, an incredibly magnificent traditional pancake establishment exists. Have you previously evaluated its culinary quality?”

The exact commercial establishment Seo Mun-gyeong was currently referencing constituted a venue Kallios routinely frequented. The absolute majority of his academic department’s formal drinking sessions were systematically anchored at that coordinate. While he intensely disliked the venue due to the reality that the massive density of patrons consistently generated a deafening, thoroughly chaotic environment… executing a petty dispute regarding the localized coordinate at this current juncture was an inefficient use of resources.

Refraining from uttering a single line of protest, Kallios silently migrated alongside Seo Mun-gyeong to cross into the interior of the pancake establishment. Because the current timeline aligned precisely with the peak evening dining hour, the venue had achieved near-total capacity. Seo Mun-gyeong and Kallios managed to claim the single remaining table tucked deeply into a distant corner of the room.

“Historical analysis reveals that the absolute ideal environment to conduct a disclosure of critical secrets is explicitly a loud, densely populated coordinate.”

Seo Mun-gyeong delivered a highly playful, joking justification to explain his culinary choice. While Kallios reasoned that zero structural necessity existed to intentionally plunge their dialogue into such an intensely deafening environment, he simply supplied a muted nod of agreement. Though the clock indicated a metric of merely seven-thirty PM, an adjacent table had already achieved a state of advanced, absolute intoxication, causing a torrent of roaring, slurred vocalizations to blast across the immediate airspace. The simple reality of being forced to sit directly opposite Seo Mun-gyeong was already generating a continuous wave of irritation within his mind, meaning the supplementary acoustic chaos surrounding his form caused his internal disposition to sink into a far darker state.

Entirely unbothered by the reality of Kallios’s rapidly deteriorating mood, Seo Mun-gyeong engaged in a series of lighthearted jokes alongside the elderly female proprietor who arrived to document their order, while continuously waving his hands to exchange boisterous greetings with assorted academic peers and department juniors who recognized his presence. Kallios, whose psychological matrix possessed zero capacity to comprehend or validate the lifestyle of a thoroughly hyper-social individual, remained completely stationary, watching the display with a frozen countenance.

The formal commencement of their critical dialogue manifested only after an immense duration had transpired following the arrival of their food.

Having single-handedly consumed the near-absolute entirety of the massive assorted pancake platter, Seo Mun-gyeong rhythmically patted his thoroughly bloated stomach before unleashing a loud order toward the counter: “Auntie, deploy an additional kettle of rice wine to this coordinate!” Turning his heavily flushed face back to confront his companion, he uttered a single name.

“Eun-ho.”

Kallios refrained from supplying a verbal acknowledgment, maintaining a cold, unmoving glare directed flatly at Seo Mun-gyeong’s features. Letting out a low, mocking snicker, Seo Mun-gyeong articulated an alternative title.

“Your Majesty.”

“…”

“Would it not be a remarkably magnificent outcome if you simply elected to permanently anchor your existence inside this specific reality?”

The single, absolute reason Kallios had consented to this evening gathering was to extract critical data regarding their structural reality. It was a absolute certainty that the fellow possessed full awareness of that baseline fact, yet Seo Mun-gyeong was intentionally withholding the specific data Kallios craved to deliver a thoroughly divergent commentary.

“This specific universe constitutes a remarkably secure, profoundly safe environment. Naturally, it lacks an absolute parameter of flawless safety, yet compared to the historical domain ‘we’ were mandated to inhabit, this realm is infinitely more peaceful.”

“…”

“Furthermore, our senior will undeniably experience a vastly superior baseline of pure happiness so long as he remains anchored inside this coordinate, correct?”

The absolute first visual asset that surfaced within the theater of Kallios’s mind was the precise microsecond of his arrival into this world—the sight of a completely shattered, violently sobbing Jung Eun-chan. The elder had wept with an intensity that suggested the absolute heavens had collapsed over his frame, projecting a raw, full-body manifestation of pure agony that possessed the capacity to inflict a deep, matching sorrow upon any onlooker.

Had that entity operated as the true Kaian… he would have strictly resisted displaying such an unrefined torrent of emotion even if Kallios or Sierra suffered an absolute demise. Putting aside the secondary reality that the act of constant emotional suppression constituted his baseline daily routine, if he ever unleashed a weeping fit of that magnitude, his broken physical vessel would have instantly collapsed under the structural strain. Conversely, the Kaian occupying this specific world—the persona of Jung Eun-chan—faced zero requirement to suppress his emotional fluctuations or endure physical agony. Whenever sorrow gripped his mind, he unleashed loud, uninhibited weeping, and whenever joy touched his soul, he let out roaring, ecstatic laughter that caused genuine tears to spill across his cheeks. The absolute variety of his pouty, disgruntled countenances and mischievous, petty expressions were visual assets Kallios had witnessed for the absolute first time in his existence exclusively upon arriving in this domain.

Evaluated through that specific lens, perhaps the elder truly achieved a vastly superior state of absolute well-being by remaining permanently anchored within this universe.

However.

“The immediate domain fails to constitute absolute reality.”

This realm was a mere artificial, fabricated universe—a ‘dream state’ engineered exclusively via the structural convergence of Kallios’s remaining heart, the residual pool of Dragon’s Blood lingering within Kaian’s shattered heart, and the magnificent dragon authority possessed by Lamire.

Locking his eyes onto Kallios while wearing a remarkably complex, unreadable facial expression, Seo Mun-gyeong intercepted the dented brass kettle handed forward by the proprietor, unleashing a loud exclamation of, “My absolute gratitude!” Reaching down to wrap his fingers around the rim of his personal brass bowl, Kallios briefly hovered his hand over the item before withdrawing his grip entirely, leaving the vessel resting untouched.

“The potential explicitly exists for this domain to transition into absolute reality.”

“What did you say?”

Refraining from supplying an immediate verbal clarification, Seo Mun-gyeong simply deposited an additional fragment of pancake into his oral cavity. Kallios articulated his query a second time, hardening his tone.

“Identify the exact meaning underlying that statement.”

Only after methodically chewing and swallowing the entirety of the king oyster mushroom pancake, and subsequently devouring a small handful of pollack pancake fragments, did Seo Mun-gyeong finally deliver his definitive feedback.

“I am announcing that the structural capacity exists for this universe to transform into absolute reality. Provided our senior genuinely desires that final outcome.”

“…”

“To be entirely precise, the requirement demands that the elder, my personal identity, and your core self must simultaneously harbor that exact desire… regardless, if our senior projects that wish, I shall personally deploy the entirety of my capability to realize the outcome for his keeping.”

Utilizing his chopsticks to lazily roll a ginkgo nut across the surface of the plate, Seo Mun-gyeong appended an additional query.

“Do you possess absolute comprehension regarding the precise reason why your consciousness, alongside our personal identities, was forcefully drawn into this thoroughly unfamiliar reality?”

Kallios remained perfectly silent. Operating under the assumption that a verbal response was entirely unnecessary, Seo Mun-gyeong instantly supplied the definitive conclusion.

“Because this specific universe constitutes the original, authentic realm where our senior historically resided prior to his migration.”

The original world of his residence.

Kallios maintained an absolute, unbroken silence as he absorbed the subsequent sequence of Seo Mun-gyeong’s structural explanation.

“This immediate timeline represents the historical past belonging to our senior. The exact universe… he inhabited during his prior existence, before he underwent reincarnation to emerge as Kaian.”

While Kallios received the absolute verification that his personal working hypothesis was flawlessly accurate, the revelation generated zero genuine joy within his soul.

Jung Eun-chan—Kaian—had genuinely suffered an absolute, historical demise during a prior life cycle. He had already navigated the agonizing threshold of death. Entirely isolated, completely detached from any coordinate where Kallios possessed the capacity to deploy his strength to preserve his life force.

Reaching down to grasp his personal brass bowl, Kallios completely drained the entirety of the rice wine that had sat undisturbed until it transitioned into a cold, flat state. Seo Mun-gyeong instantly initiated an ecstatic, boisterous sequence of applause while cheering loudly.

“A magnificent display of consumption!”