The One Who Rang the False Dawn

Seolya Route Unlocked: (2/?)

“……”

I pressed hard against my brow.

As if things weren’t complicated enough already, what is this now.

Just then, the text window blurred slightly.

That flicker only appeared when it refreshed.

My nerves snapped tight.

“What now—?!”

[Good morning, darling∼]

The tension drained from me instantly, and I let out a long sigh.

“I thought it was something serious.”

I muttered and rubbed my face dry.

The text window blinked like an eye.

[Darling? Why aren’t you answering? Darling! Should I file a missing person report? Where do I even do that? Police! Oh, right, we have to excavate the police organization from the ruins first, don’t we?]

“You’re giving me a headache.”

[To dig up ruins, what do we need? An archaeology set? Where would that be—]

“I said you’re giving me a headache, you lunatic!”

I smacked the text window.

[Hahaha, darling. You can’t actually touch that.]

Of course, all I got was mockery.

[Are you the type who wants to touch what can’t be touched? The kind who falls asleep wishing to ride a fairy and fly through the sky?]

“Cut it at verse one.”

[Ahahaha, so if you start dating, are you the type to say, ‘Honeyyy, for this anniversary I want that star as my gift’? I’ll try my best!]

“Just. Stop.”

[Darling, darling. Are you grinding your teeth right now? That’s bad for your gums, you know. People’s gums are weak—]

“If I die of stress, I’m putting your name on my tombstone. Got it?”

Only then did Caliban shut up.

“By the way, why are you using the text window? Where are your butterflies?”

[Hwahonhyeop (華魂蝶)? Hahaha, I sent them on summer vacation.]

My mood soured instantly.

Even I don’t get a summer vacation, and butterflies do?

[Kidding. They’re under maintenance for a bit.]

“Is something wrong?”

[Ahahaha, are you worried about me? I’m so touched. What should I do? On the day I reopen for business, shall we get married—]

“I was wrong! I take it back!”

Why did I even ask?

“Why did you contact me?”

[Hahaha, because you disappeared. Where did you run off to at dawn?]

I didn’t answer right away.

Instead, I rubbed the back of my neck and looked up at the text window.

『Title List Owned

Virtuous Rule/Advocate

Wanderer

Lord (Jungbaek–Item Bound Title)

Of the Frozen Earth/Mole

Model Garden/Manufacturer

Of the Abandoned Land/Pioneer』

The text window flickered.

[Collected quite a few titles, haven’t you?]

“Don’t switch channels without permission. And stop peeking at my screen.”

[Hahaha, did you work hard to gather those? I thought you said something else was urgent.]

I knew what Caliban was implying.

DAY 3 was close.

“…I tried. You can buy items with points, but not stats.”

It wasn’t even listed.

“And the old method probably has limits.”

[The other candidates aren’t idiots either.]

“Exactly.”

Exploiting quest loopholes only works early on.

“So I prepared something in advance.”

[Is this it, darling?]

The window flipped back to the title list.

A little staff-shaped icon poked at it.

What is that, a mouse cursor?

“Stop looking at my screen. Anyway, each title comes with stats, and they seem to apply to me too. Some items even carry titles themselves, like the snake-hide.”

[Ah, so—discover, excavate, manufacture?]

“If I can’t upgrade myself directly, I’ll stack equipment effects.”

Not exactly the same, but close enough.

“Luckily, I roughly know what triggers certain titles.”

[What happened?]

I resumed walking, continuing the ‘search’ I’d paused earlier.

[Weren’t you planning to form an alliance on DAY 3?]

I half-ignored him as usual—then froze.

“How do you know that? Did I ever say?”

He was right.

Originally, I had planned to ally with someone on DAY 3.

The strategy depended on who accepted.

‘Best route was Seolya.’

Imok or Bencel meant risking betrayal.

Which means this morning…

‘Was actually a golden opportunity.’

I sighed.

Not out of self-pity.

Seolya Route Unlocked: (2/?)

It just left a bitter taste.

“Caliban. Ever heard of possession aftereffects?”

[Hmm?]

“In novels, you know. Regressor depression. Regressor aftereffects. When you can rewind time, you start treating lives like flies. Or you reset at the slightest inconvenience.”

So maybe possession has side effects too.

[Are you unwell, darling?]

“Just… my mood swings.”

[When?]

I couldn’t answer clearly.

[There aren’t enough cases to even classify it. And besides, the world ended. Hard to research.]

He didn’t press further.

Strangely, I felt relieved when he backed off like a distant stranger.

[If I give my personal opinion, your instability might be systemic.]

“Systemic?”

I paused.

“You mean my possession is unstable?”

[Could be.]

“Now?”

I searched my memory.

Then he said—

[The gap.]

“Because I fell into it?”

[Possibly.]

“……”

[Just a possibility.]

I nodded slowly.

“That’s the only thing that makes sense.”

Technically, I had been data inside the system that briefly fell outside and returned.

“A bug wouldn’t be strange.”

[If there are minor issues, I’ll adjust them on my side. No need to worry.]

“Oh? The great neutral overseer stepping in?”

[Small sparks can grow into wildfires. Let’s call it preventive maintenance.]

“Of course.”

Frankly, I deserved that service.

The gap existed because of him.

[But be careful about one thing.]

“What?”

I lowered myself quietly.

I’d finally found what I’d been searching for.

[I don’t know which part is unstable. But avoid stimulating it for now.]

“Stimulating?”

I answered absentmindedly.

My focus was elsewhere.

[There must be something that shakes you. A switch, perhaps?]

“That’s fine.”

[Avoid it as much as possible. Out of sight, out of mind. Will that be hard?]

“No.”

I swallowed.

Eyes wide.

‘Found it.’

“I was planning to anyway.”

I reached out.

At the same time, a shrill alarm tore through the air.

🙁

Someone has awakened a sleeping god.

The third day has been forcibly dawned.

Closing the box.

A translucent barrier rose from the ground.

The Box.

An unbreakable wall during quests.

🙂

If you have objections to halting a dawn once risen, please submit them.

……

……

……

No objections received.

Commencing Artificial Day.

DAY 3 arrived ahead of schedule.

The object I had been searching for—

The Sun Stone (太陽石).

[R: Bran was a peculiar place. Hidden beneath perpetual blizzards were strange relics. The Sun Stone was one of them.]

I slowly withdrew my hand from the massive circular slab.

[R: It resembled a relic of a ruined ancient age. Intricate carvings covered its surface. Images of a fallen era surrounded it. At the center, a sun god.]

What I found was only a fragment.

[R: …In the 7th loop, someone from Imok’s faction stepped on the Sun Stone. The quest collapsed into chaos… The offender was exiled.]

That was Loop 7.

[R: In the 12th loop, OZ shattered the Sun Stone. Time inside the Box unraveled. Night fell instantly.]

And Loop 12.

[R: “You want to know?” OZ tapped his ear mockingly. “I just told you. Listen properly, idiots.”]

The pattern carved into the fragment I touched—

An ear.

In Bran, time is usually obscured by blizzards.

But during quests, day and night are clear.

I suspected something inside Bran controlled that.

Both Loop 7 and 12 proved interfering with the Sun Stone disrupted time.

‘The Sun Stone can manipulate time.’

But recklessness leads to disaster.

‘If I want the time I need—’

Then I must let it hear.

Just like OZ did.

Item: Bamboo Alarm Cylinder.

The cultivated Pillow-Rooster (枕中鷄) awakens.

A tiny rooster-like creature that lives in a wooden tube, acting as an alarm clock.

Inspired by an old conversation with Caliban.

A crow rings out.

The Sun God is within hearing range.

The Sun God recognizes the sound.

In countless edited tales, the rooster announces morning.

Twisted slightly—

A rooster’s cry can create the illusion of dawn.

You have summoned a False Morning.

🙂

Someone has awakened a sleeping god.

The third day has been forcibly dawned.

Closing the box.

The Box sealed.

The flare signaling a new Day.

You have acquired the title:

‘The One Who/Called a False Morning.’

Commencing Artificial Day.

The third day has, regardless, dawned.

DAY 3 has begun.

[R: From DAY 3 onward, territorial war began. Invasions were permitted. Paths between walls opened at specific times under specific conditions…]

[N/S: Caliban appeared above the script.]

“Haha, seems we have an impatient candidate.”

He stood beneath the script.

No jeweled butterflies.

“Was planning to relax a bit, but oh well. No photos, please. Skin brightening isn’t done yet.”

Same nonsense.

Probably just whimsical.

“The dome is complete. Until conditions are met, it won’t break. A loophole? No. An accident. A small one. You wouldn’t quit an exam over a few alarms, would you?”

Apparently someone protested.

“How strange. You live in a chaotic era where people die daily. I offer a chance at reversal, and you complain over this?”

He crossed his legs atop the dome.

“If you don’t like it, leave.”

Silence fell.

[R: Prophet. Savior. Hope. That’s what the world called Caliban.]

[N/S: But here, they realized—he was no savior. If anything, an observer.]

He flicked his finger.

“Approved.”

🙂

You secured land on Day 2 and built walls. Congratulations.

🙁

Full-scale territorial war begins.

Seize land to upgrade yours. Lose it, and lose status.

Maintain resources or risk rebellion.

Travel only via designated paths.

🙂

However, as the day has begun early, the plan will be modified.

‘Good.’

If DAY 3 had begun normally, OZ’s territory would have been overwhelmed.

That’s why I needed the False Morning.

And now—

I clenched my fist.

『Title List Owned

Virtuous Rule/Advocate

Wanderer

Lord (Jungbaek–Item Bound)

Of the Frozen Earth/Mole

Model Garden/Manufacturer

Of the Abandoned Land/Pioneer

The One Who/Called a False Morning』

『Title Details:

Granted to one who achieved the feat of summoning a false dawn.

Temporarily adjusts surrounding light and darkness.

※Effect scales with Intelligence (non-living targets).

※Effect scales with Authority (living targets).

※Stacks with other titles.』

I was already prepared.

Ready to swallow the meat about to fall.