The World Behind the Veil: Keepers and Apostles

“Ding! Your side quest has been updated.”

“Quest Name: First Job.”

“Quest Description: Young lady, are you still enjoying yourself? In any case, your corporate s*ave life has begun. Here’s a gift for your first job: ‘Work yourself to death rather than let your competitors thrive.’ Good luck!”

“Quest Rewards: Experience points, a random skill book, faith value.”

“Completion Condition: Exorcise wandering spirits.”

After reading the updated quest details, my mouth twitched involuntarily.

‘Work yourself to death rather than let your competitors thrive’?

Has the “involution” phenomenon even reached the supernatural realm? And do Apostles even have “competitors”? What in the world are “wandering spirits” anyway?

Seeing my questioning gaze land upon him, Ling Chen nodded, explaining with a serious expression:

“It seems it’s time to educate Sister about the world’s true nature.”

“Sister, do you believe in ghosts and gods?”

Through Ling Chen’s narrative, I heard for the first time the astonishing secret hidden behind this “ordinary” world.

This world is divided into two layers: the surface world and the inner world.

The surface world appears normal, devoid of supernatural phenomena, adhering to a materialistic worldview. However, the inner world is its polar opposite, brimming with the bizarre, the monstrous, the inexplicable, and the unspeakable.

The truth is, the inner world is the real one; the world we inhabit is merely a fabricated illusion we’ve meticulously painted over.

To overcome the terror brought by supernatural entities, humanity, during its evolution, intentionally disabled certain functions within itself. This rendered them incapable of perceiving or challenging the supernatural, effectively severing their connection to it and artificially creating a “normal” world.

While humanity’s actions might seem like an act of evasion, this approach has proven remarkably effective. Simply put, if these incomprehensible supernatural entities are likened to viruses, then humanity has effectively “vaccinated” itself in this manner, achieving a form of herd immunity.

Materialism stands as the ultimate vaccine against these supernatural existences, using science to combat the unscientific. It has endowed humanity with a collective supernatural phenomenon: a barrier that erases the supernatural’s influence on reality.

A staunch materialist will never perceive the inner world. Should the inner world’s existence pull them into its depths, their materialistic faith will generate a formidable resistance against supernatural beings.

“Taste my Materialist Hokuto Shinken!”

“Nani!”

“You are already dead!”

Thus, humanity conquered the fear of the unknown, rapidly developed, and dominated both the world and nature, ultimately becoming the masters of Earth.

As for why some people possess special abilities, or why some infants and children can perceive “unclean” things? This is, in fact, a form of atavism. Such a regression allows them to return to a primitive state, regaining the sensory capabilities of ancient humans, thereby catching a glimpse of the inner world’s proverbial iceberg tip.

“However, humanity’s actions are akin to burying their heads in the sand. Ultimately, some supernatural entities still manage to affect humans. Therefore, certain individuals capable of perceiving the inner world have taken on the grave responsibility of protecting humanity from the intrusion of fear. Though their titles may vary, these individuals share a common identity—”

Ling Chen emphasized, his voice growing heavier:

“Keepers.”

I suddenly felt a sense of detachment. Could the GMs from my old tabletop role-playing games have truly encountered such malevolent beings? So, when they ad-libbed and tore up character sheets, were they actually recounting real experiences?

“So, are Onmyoji, exorcists, and Taoist priests genuinely capable of slaying demons and monsters? They’re not just frauds?”

Ling Chen shook his head. “Since it’s the inner world, Sister, do you truly believe those individuals exposed in the news are real? They are all charlatans masquerading under false titles. Concealing the existence of the inner world is a shared understanding among Keepers; should the inner world be fully revealed to the public, the consequences would be catastrophic. Once humanity collectively reawakens to the inner world’s existence, the collective barrier against supernatural phenomena will fail, leaving humanity directly exposed to immense danger.”

I suddenly understood why so much information is suppressed. If certain unscrupulous media outlets were to uncover the inner world’s secret, humanity could very well face utter annihilation.

“Can ordinary people get caught up in the inner world?”

“It’s possible. Those drawn into the inner world are typically reported as missing. Amidst the vast numbers of missing persons, it’s impossible to ascertain precisely how many have been ensned by the inner world.”

“Then how do ordinary people become entangled in the inner world?”

Ling Chen stared into my eyes, and a spark of insight flashed, making me realize a certain possibility.

“They form a connection with certain entities, just like me?”

“Bingo!” Ling Chen snapped his fingers, nodding. “Those who don’t seek death won’t die. Take the protagonists in horror films who insist on provoking unclean things, only to bring disaster upon themselves—such scenarios exist in reality too. If a supernatural entity emerges that directly threatens ordinary people, Keepers will be dispatched to resolve the issue.”

“So, am I a Keeper too?”

Ling Chen pointed to himself, then to me.

“Sister, don’t you think you’ve become a supernatural entity yourself? If Keepers are the defenders of the surface world, then Sister is the supervisor of the inner world.”

“Am I good or bad, then? I always feel like someone with my identity is more likely to be a villain.”

“It depends on how Sister interprets it,” Ling Chen shrugged. “To put it in terms you’ll understand, Sister is the lackey of the vested interests, and Keepers are the proletariat. Sister’s mission is to maintain order in the inner world, while the Keepers’ ultimate goal is to completely destroy the inner world, making the surface world the true reality.”

I immediately grasped my identity. Since no deities exist in the surface world, God must exist within the inner world. As His Apostle, I could not possibly oppose the inner world’s existence.

“Then aren’t I the villain? Ling Chen, kill me! I cannot collude with evil forces. I must sacrifice myself to save the world.”

At that moment, a complex expression flickered across Ling Chen’s face, but in the next instant, he replaced it with a smile, whispering softly, “Sister… no matter what choice you make, I will stand by your side. However, Sister, you must understand that the Keepers’ power is limited; they are already doing everything they can just to protect the surface world. Destroying the inner world is simply impossible.”

“Sister, sometimes maintaining peace is far more difficult than destroying it. The Keepers believe the inner world is a truth they’ve discovered, treating it as a wound on the surface world that they wish to heal. Yet, they don’t realize that humanity is merely a transient visitor in this world, and concealing the inner world was a choice humanity itself made.”

“Sister, as an Apostle, you are still working for humanity. You are different from the Keepers. The Keepers guard the door connecting the surface world and the main world, while Sister is the brave warrior fighting monsters inside that door.”

“Most Keepers merely open a crack in the grand door, peer inside, and are immediately overwhelmed by fear. They then pretend nothing happened and continue guarding the door. But the door only serves to prevent them from seeing the fear and despair in the dark abyss behind it; it cannot stop the monsters. The true protector of the world is Sister, who fights the monsters beyond the door.”

“I see. So, I’m a hero then.”

As I spoke, a chill ran through me.

How terrifying! Am I to be an investigator who faces ancient gods and loses all Sanity points? I’m afraid of ghosts even in horror games; now I have to deal with those mythical, ghostly things. This is going to be the death of me!

I raised my hand, asking, “Excuse me, can I quit this job?”

Ling Chen said sympathetically, “The contract Sister signed with the deity cannot be torn up. Quitting the job is equivalent to being a deserter in reality. Sister should understand the consequences, shouldn’t you?”

Realizing I had boarded a pirate ship, I couldn’t help but shed sorrowful tears:

“I was wrong. I’ll never make random wishes again. What’s the difference between me and a magical girl now? Forget normal magical girls; the crucial point is that my scriptwriter is Urobuchi Gen! My future is that of Mami Tomoe!”

“Mami is a bit too gruesome. If Sister insists on being a magical girl, then Yuuki Yuuna would be a better fit.”

“Going from one tragedy to another, is there really a difference?”

How truly delightful. Look at me; I’ve now completely accepted these terrifying settings that my former self would never have tolerated. Anyway, the moment my brother transformed into “my brother,” Ling Jiu ceased to exist. Now, I am Magical Girl Ling Jiu, Da☆Ze!

Friendship is magic! In any case, take this Starlight Breaker!