# Chapter 108
──────
## Resident II
### Shin No-a
#### 3
As everyone knows, walking through the Inunaki Tunnel is extremely difficult.
Even I, a regressor, only managed to clear it after 5 iterations, sacrificing hundreds of lives in the process.
That's when it occurred to me.
'...Isn't this the ultimate security facility?'
A complete paradigm shift.
From an intruder's perspective, the Inunaki Tunnel boasted tremendous difficulty, but from a defender's perspective, there was no fortress more impregnable.
Moreover, this ironclad security applied only to intruders. For those who already knew the 'clearance method,' the Inunaki Tunnel was nothing more than a slightly troublesome detour.
Therefore, starting from the 197th iteration, I did not publicly release the tunnel clearance method on SG Net.
Instead, I posted all sorts of warnings: 'Tunnel where entry means certain death,' 'No Entry,' 'Even the most skilled Void explorers cannot survive.' Pangs of conscience? None whatsoever. It wasn't a lie, after all.
After single-handedly subjugating Inunaki, I established a guild hideout in the undersea tunnel. And I sent 'invitations' only to a select few trustworthy acquaintances.
The invitations, of course, contained detailed instructions on how to traverse the Inunaki Tunnel.
Now, without an invitation, no one could visit my cafe hideout.
"Wait, so you're saying you're only letting in invited guests? What is this, some VIP golf course...?"
Noh Do-ha turned the invitation over in his hands, wearing a sour expression.
"Sure, the insane idea of privatizing anomalies for personal use—I figure it's just the filth dripping from your brain, so whatever... But this means you're not planning to do business with ordinary people from the start, doesn't it...?"
Noh Do-ha waved the invitation back and forth.
"Now I see our undertaker awakener has become quite the aristocrat. Give it a little more time and you'll be trying to become king, won't you? Shall I hand over the National Road Management Bureau Director position? Heh, that works out perfectly. I wanted to quit this shitty job anyway. Allow me to offer my early congratulations, Your Majesty..."
"Ah, don't worry too much about that. Director, do you see the number written at the top of the invitation?"
"Hmm...?"
Noh Do-ha examined the invitation again.
[Invitation - Cafe Hideout]
[Depth 1200m]
Noh Do-ha tilted his head.
"Depth? 1200 meters? What is this...?"
"It's the invitation's grade."
"Gradde...?"
"Yes. I've prepared invitations for each section: 100 meters, 200 meters, 300 meters, and so on. For example, the 100-meter invitation contains only enough clearance instructions to safely traverse 100 meters into the Inunaki Tunnel."
"Hmm..."
"The 1200-meter is the highest grade. In other words, an invitation with 100% of the Inunaki Tunnel clearance method written on it. The 100-meter is the lowest grade. And I'll release all the 100-meter invitations publicly on SG Net."
I took Noh Do-ha into the Inunaki Tunnel and showed him directly.
"Here we are at the 100-meter mark."
"Oh my...?"
Noh Do-ha looked around.
"This is... a cafe."
Noh Do-ha's words were absolutely correct.
From now on, I ask that you read all my descriptions in the voice of a gentle home shopping host.
Trickle, trickle— Where mold once grew from the constantly damp cracks in the walls, a miniature artificial waterfall had been installed, becoming a focal point of the interior.
Where moss had once bloomed, colorful aquatic plants now grew in their place. These weren't ordinary plants but mutated flora from the Void, thriving even without sunlight.
Between the artificial waterfall and potted plants, antique-style sofas and chairs were arranged here and there.
Most importantly, chairs designed for comfort. Tables at just the right height to accommodate a seated person. Small lamps on the tables added a touch of atmosphere.
The 19th-century Victorian-style tables were kept to a minimum, while the remaining tables were designed to showcase the natural beauty of raw wood.
The lighting was, naturally, indirect. The space was wrapped in cozy darkness overall, but the faintly visible outlines of tables and the elegant lines of chairs added edges even to the shadows.
True space begins with vision and concludes with hearing.
From this side to the far reaches of darkness, the sound of the artificial waterfall flowed gently. If sunlight is the mirror of the eyes, darkness is the mirror of the ears. The sound of water flowing beyond the darkness completed this space as the pinnacle of baroque aesthetics.
If one were to push through the darkness and approach the tunnel walls, well would you look at that.
Graffiti completely mismatched with the cafe's interior spread across the concrete surface. Thanks to not hanging mundane framed pictures, hadn't it even added a unique charm?
The tactile sensation of comfortable chairs and smooth wooden tables. The auditory experience of a baroque space. And the visual element of hidden artwork.
If we add the antique fragrance of coffee to stimulate smell and taste—behold, a cafe satisfying all five senses, complete.
The fact that this was an exotic landscape in the middle of an undersea tunnel stimulated guests' imaginations.
Me, an undertaker. Even if it weren't the end times, I was confident this place could easily aim for the top cafe spot in all of Korea.
End of home shopping broadcast.
"...There's no natural light at all, but it doesn't feel cramped."
Noh Do-ha touched the table.
He seemed quite shocked.
"Are you saying this was really an anomaly that consumed hundreds of people...?"
"Heh heh."
"Even that shitty regressor laugh sounds different now. It's unexpected. To think you had this kind of talent, undertaker awakener..."
For Noh Do-ha's personality, this was extremely high praise, but he was still surprised too early.
"Director Noh Do-ha."
"Ah, yes...?"
"Look next to the bookshelf and you'll see thin threads attached. Puppet strings that extend to the deepest part of the tunnel. I asked Ha Yul to install them. If you gently pull this..."
Twang— The puppet string snapped pleasantly like a cello string.
"Just infusing it with aura transmits vibrations to my private room located at the tunnel's deepest point."
"Oh..."
"Then I know a guest has arrived and can respond immediately. Even though the distance from here to the deepest part is considerable, I can traverse it in an instant if I use my feet."
"Indeed. This is certainly..."
"The treatment of 100-meter and 200-meter grades isn't the same. As the depth increases, the interior changes and the menu becomes more extensive. In other words..."
"Yes. Though minor, it could serve as motivation for awakeners. There aren't many forms of entertainment in today's world... Hmm. Being cut off from the outside world might actually be a good thing. If one can briefly forget how fucked up the outside world is and enjoy a cup of coffee..."
"Exactly. Speaking of which, Director Noh Do-ha, I have a proposal."
"Hm? What is it...?"
"You see, as you can tell, running a cafe properly requires quite a lot of coffee beans. My reserves will run out quickly. So I'm thinking of asking the Sword Empress to create and walk through some coffee plantations..."
"..."
"Can nothing be done?"
Noh Do-ha's face clouded with worry.
The Sword Empress was, after all, an awakener essential for farming in these times. She was too busy treading on land for growing food crops.
Proposing to invest part of precious farmland in a luxury item like coffee—Noh Do-ha, the embodiment of pragmatism, couldn't help but agonize.
Of course, without Noh Do-ha's consent, I could persuade the Sword Empress myself to grow coffee. But in that case, I'd be facing his resignation letter.
"But given that farmland is already extremely scarce, there's no room to plant coffee trees..."
"The world needs luxury goods too."
I whispered.
"Think about it. Adding another attraction to Busan means the National Road Management Bureau's standing rises compared to large guilds in other regions..."
"But isn't the Korean peninsula unsuitable for coffee cultivation? It seems inefficient..."
"That's not something you need to worry about either. I'll plant various coffee trees from the Void and ultimately create varieties suited to the Korean peninsula's climate. I am a Void expert, am I not?"
"Hmm..."
"There's also the matter of security. Wouldn't you feel much more at ease having me manage the undersea tunnel rather than leaving it alone?"
"Hmmmm..."
"Most importantly, Master Noh Do-ha, you'll be able to start your day with a cup of coffee every morning. The Management Headquarters is practically next door, isn't it? Just think of it as a 30-minute walk every dawn."
"..."
"It will also help boost morale and improve welfare for the management staff."
"..."
Contemplation. Deep thought. Agony. Deliberation.
Finally, Noh Do-ha mumbled in a barely audible voice.
"...Well, if it's just a small garden plot..."
"Excellent thinking, Director! As expected, I can communicate with you. Now that you've agreed, I'll build the cafe without worry starting next iteration."
"..."
"Don't worry. You won't regret this decision. Really now. The Director always grumbles but ends up agreeing when I sincerely ask, doesn't he? I know how deeply the Director cares about me..."
"Shut your mouth."
"Sir."
Cafe hideout, grand opening success!
#### 4
Naturally, the cafe hideout received an enthusiastic response.
Despite the creepiness of having to physically enter a continental-level anomaly's maw, brave challengers never ceased coming for a single cup of delicious caffeine.
Above all, the access levels distinguished by 100 meters, 200 meters, and so on sparked a peculiar competitive spirit among awakeners.
-Anonymous: (300m) At 100 meters you can only drink espresso and Americano, but here you can have cafe lattes too lol
-Anonymous: (400m) True coffee lovers should at least come this far. The owner says iced coffee is available starting from 400 meters.
└Anonymous: I'm fine with espresso though?
└Anonymous: (400m) Sure buddy lololol
└Anonymous: Espresso is actually for sophisticated palates, but this kid is acting so pretentious.
└CookingQueen: (100m) Everyone, please don't fight over this. Shouldn't we just be happy that a cafe exists at all?
-dolLHoUse: Pathetic.
-Anonymous: (100m) By the way, I heard Baekhwa Girls' High School guild members start at 200 meters by default. Is that true? If so, isn't that special treatment?
└5thYearHighSchooler: (1200m) ㅗ >_<);;
In various subculture worlds, awakeners are given grades like A-rank or S-rank, but such things didn't exist on the Korean peninsula.
In truth, I found it hard to agree with the very terms S-rank and A-rank. How much stronger is S-rank than A-rank, anyway?
Wouldn't evaluation criteria based on precise numerical values be far more intuitive than playing with alphabets?
This was why my invitations were easily perceived as a kind of 'grade' or 'level' by awakeners.
-[Samcheon]WitchJudge: Depth 1,200 meters, the deep sea. The voice of waves transmitted through tunnel walls. In an era where nature has fallen to mere danger, a time to feel the preciousness of 'nature as something to admire.'
(Verification shot. A photo of a coffee cup placed on a table with the invitation marked 'Depth 1200m' subtly visible)
The vast majority of awakeners were assigned 'Depth 100-meter grade,' and only those verified in both skill and character gradually updated their depth.
The criteria for grade assignment was entirely at my discretion.
However, when accumulated over hundreds of iterations, thousands of years, even subjective judgment becomes no less reliable than objective data.
I prided myself that this 'Depth' system was more trustworthy than any other standard.
-Goryeojang: (1000m) Watch these dirt-poor kids comparing themselves, how cute lol
-Goryeojang: (1000m) I tried this affogato thing for the first time, what is this, ice cream on coffee? You kids enjoy your cafeteria food lol
-Goryeojang: (1000m) I actually respect the 100-meter depth crowd... only getting to use the cafe once a week. Those guys would probably survive wriggling like earthworms no matter how harsh a world they're thrown into. This older sibling would rather commit suicide without daily coffee fr fr...
Hmm.
Let's ignore some exceptions.
Sim A-ryeon periodically whined to raise her grade from 1000 meters to 1200 meters, or at least 1100 meters, but I firmly refused.
It wasn't that I was discriminating against A-ryeon. The soul of a mountain climber wriggled in her heart—once you gave an inch, she'd think the other person was Mount Everest and climb endlessly.
The story regarding these 'awakener grades' will be covered separately in the episode after next.
Anyway, around the time cafe operations had settled in somewhat.
I sent an invitation message to the Saintess via Constellation Chat.
[An invitation... you say?]
"Yes, Saintess. I asked you before to absolutely not observe the depth 1200-meter landscape through 'Clairvoyance' no matter what happens, remember?"
[Ah, yes. So I haven't accessed any information related to that place at all.]
"That's because I wanted to show you directly. You're always staying at your home in Yongsan, aren't you? Think of it as a brief outing and come out."
The Saintess fell silent for a moment. From that silence, powerful INTJ-type waves of an eternal hikikomori syndrome were detected.
[...But isn't it too far from my house to Busan? If you carry me on your back, we'd arrive quickly, but that's a bit...]
"Ah. It's fine. I've tunneled through over there as well."
[What?]
This too was a paradigm shift.
As is well known, the Korea-Japan Undersea Tunnel was merely a virtual structure, yet it was swallowed whole by Inunaki.
Then couldn't one similarly create a virtual tunnel 'artificially' and have Inunaki infect it?
The result of my idea was located on the south end of the Hangang Submerged Bridge. I took the Saintess and headed there.
"...My goodness."
The Saintess, wrapped in a white coat, opened her mouth slightly.
"Why is there a tunnel here...?"
Indeed.
The ruins of the convenience store where we first met. Beyond it, a small tunnel leading down into the Han River's waters.
Otherwise known as the 'Hangang Undersea Tunnel.'
"I'll lead the way. Please follow me."
"...Wait a moment, undertaker. You didn't artificially create an anomaly, did you?"
"No. There were originally several tunnels in the Han River. Some had construction plans but were never completed. I simply overlapped several of them and 'asked' the Inunaki Tunnel to infect them."
"Asked..."
"We communicate well. Still, it's a kind of loophole, so I couldn't recklessly expand these 'portals.' Creating emergency exits at just three locations was the limit."
One was in Gangnam. Right here. Another at the coffee farm in Kyushu, Japan. I'll mention where the third was used in another episode.
Hearing my words, the Saintess was dumbfounded.
"The limit? That alone is remarkable, isn't it?"
We entered the undersea tunnel.
All Inunaki Tunnels were connected.
However, to move from the 'Hangang Undersea Tunnel' to the 'Korea-Japan Undersea Tunnel,' one simply had to perform a few specific procedures correctly.
I won't write down the details for security reasons, but for the Saintess, it would only take 5 minutes of investment to walk over as easily as a stroll.
And so, walking out of the tunnel—
"..."
Halt. The Saintess's feet stopped.
"...This is."
"Depth 1200 meters. My hideout and the cafe's deepest point. Welcome, Saintess."
An undersea tunnel stretched out before us.
However, not a tunnel made of concrete walls, but of glass walls.
The tunnel's length was a full 400 meters. From depth 1200 meters to 1600 meters, everything was an aquarium-style undersea tunnel.
Colorful fish were swishing their tails in the deep blue seawater.
"..."
The Saintess's eyes widened. She stared blankly, endlessly at the glass tunnel.
Water shadows flickered their tails gently, draping over the Saintess's hair.
Her hobby had always been raising fish in an aquarium. Right now, this place must look like El Dorado in her eyes.
"Undertaker, how on earth...?"
"The Inunaki Tunnel is connected to the Sanzu River as well. The concept of water flowing in the underworld, the subterranean world. That's why you drown when walking incorrectly. It's also the same reason it pairs well with undersea and underwater tunnels. It was somewhat tricky, but as you can see, it was possible to manifest it in the form of an aquarium tunnel."
"..."
Iteration 117.
When I subjugated the Foreign God-level anomaly Mugeun, I faced the Saintess. Though it was merely an illusion.
On the silver moon of the night sky, the Saintess looked down at Earth. She said this:
-Just one layer beneath that planet has been completely turned into hell.
Those words of the Saintess had remained in a corner of my heart like soot stains.
And now, in the 197th iteration—the Saintess was looking up at the sea from the deep sea, one 'layer' beneath the Earth's surface.
Beyond the tunnel, starlight jellyfish were drifting. They were Void creatures, making the deep sea look exactly like the Milky Way.
An inverted universe.
"How is it?"
I asked for her impression of the landscape of hell.
"Do you like it?"
"..."
The Saintess fell silent.
All fish tanks were lonely structures.
But if a glass tunnel crossing through a sea, perhaps that alone could be an aquarium where one could observe fish without imprisoning them.
That one can have a home in the world and still remain free.
Well. I don't know if my metaphor resonated silently with the Saintess.
But when the Saintess, who had kept her lips sealed for a long while, finally nodded, I wanted to believe the meaning of this fishbowl-tunnel had been fully conveyed.
"...Yes. Very much so."
"I'm glad."
"Thank you, undertaker. ...I will probably never forget this scenery for the rest of my life."
I smiled.
"Neither will I."
There are many, many episodes related to this 'Cafe Hideout.'
But today, I'll conclude the story here without any afterword.
Let me simply add that after this day, one more stop was added to the Saintess's morning walking route.
- Resident. End.
An infinite regressor telling stories.