Operation story: WR-1

Operation

Story

Because the original Chinese texts of Who is Real use Classical/Literary Chinese with wordplays that are impossible to be translated into English, some of the following texts may not be necessarily true to the context.

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Characters
Kroos Lava Mr. Nothing Saga Shopkeeper Storyteller Child Villager
Backgrounds
1 2 3

Before operation

“

Listening to a storyteller's tale, Lava and her cohorts find themselves in a strange town. All manner of strange happenings lead them to understand they may be in a difficult situation.

”

[A storyteller starts his tale with a clap.]
Let us continue where we left off. We tell of the lame scholar's disappointment and return, and henceforth, his melancholy of lost hope. From whence does his story come? Naturally, a painting. What painting? The scholar's loss of an old friend, his heart like unto ashes, and his decade of footing astray, before their minds once again moved in concert — he made his resolve, and devoted his mind in full, vowing to finish that lifetime's work. To paint what? To paint that never before seen. How would he paint it? He would think thoughts never before thought. Ah, now that we're here, this has gotten quite interesting. As you all know, the limits of one's imagination are set at what one has seen, known, experienced. Relying on imagination to trick those, outlining that which is yet unknown, is simple enough. But to do so and trick yourself, that is hard as scaling the heavens. After all, under our heavens, where can you find one capable of thinking something as yet unseen? The scholar faced the blank paper and strained his mind for about ten days, losing more than thirty jin of weight. He had already been lame, and his appearance grew ever more fearful. Come the deep winter, the scholar's house had long run out of food. His neighbors feared him, and none dared to approach him. Until one day, the lame scholar again woke in a haze, his limbs powerless, yet his mind clear.
<Background white>
He knew well his limits were soon coming. He looked around him, his home a bare four walls and a dim room, and felt only that all around him was void, that he truly had become alone in the world. The scholar gradually became unable to see the floor before him wet and frozen by the snowstorm, unable to hear the biting wind coming through his door and window. He opened his eyes and blinked, fallen into primal chaos, and felt that the walls were wandering far away, his desk dissipating, his brush, paper, ink and stone all ephemeral as smoke. At a certain moment, he suddenly came to know the exact number of snowflakes in the flurry outside his window, came to know the angle of the moonlight and the truth of the clouds. He reached out fumbling for the curtain of night, and crashed to the floor in carelessness, but the floor was no longer a hindrance to his legs. He fell underground, and then flew into the empty depths. He could not see with his open eyes, could not hear with his rapt attention, the darkness surrounding him whole — he suddenly went into an ecstasy, as if only in this boundary where naught existed to disturb him, he could seek his true work, rather than copy or desecrate that which already existed. He continued to wait, wait until all had faded to null, until he could not feel even his own withered flesh, before he began to think — only when all creation and all beings had ceased to exist, and his consciousness was alone in clarity, had he briefly become master of his soul.
His imagination would never again be restricted, creating works of that which simultaneously existed and did not exist — on his territory of thought, all strangeness arose equal, and enveloped reality. It was deep in the night, and as a teacher awoke next door, he saw the lame scholar's thatched cottage overflowing in brilliant light, spectral and dazzling, letting out all manner of sounds never before heard in life, defying description. The teacher summoned his courage, and stole a look through the wall. With just that one glimpse, he dared not investigate further. He hurried himself back indoors, and for a very long time could not fall asleep. The next day, neighbors thronged before the thatched cottage. They forced the door and entered, discovering the scholar's remains, and naught else inside. All thought he had died of cold, and as the village headman stepped forth to look, he saw sprawled before the scholar a blank scroll of paper, covered full in frost, and nothing drawn on it. Afterwards, the people lamented that the scholar could not leave his past, dying obsessed in front of his scroll. Others said the scholar had long since contracted some strange disease, could not control his own Arts, and only thus did this strange case unfold. The teacher, who alone had glimpsed the truth, never talked of the matter with anyone else. It was only in his final moments he told his son; that the disdained lame scholar, even his name forgotten, was a true master of all eternity.
<Background 1>
[The storyteller finishes his tale.]
Villager	Why?
[The villager asks the storyteller.]
Storyteller	Because that night, the lame scholar had in reality fulfilled his promise. He had, in reality, painted "that which had never before been in this world."
Villager	Why do I feel like the books told it pretty differently?
Storyteller	The teacher had not the time to explain, or perhaps he simply swallowed the words he did not have. Thus in the narrative heard on the streets, there is only the lame scholar's sails billowing with success, up to the fall of his senses. As for the truth of things, I fear not a single soul now knows.
Villager	See, though, what's so hard about drawing something you've never seen before? I could head back, smear up a scroll, and none of you would've ever seen that.
Storyteller	Ah, you can't put it like that. You've never seen a vast lake before, but you've seen the ponded waters after the rains. Let me tell you, lakes are ponded waters made vast. In the end, you've seen them before. If the lame scholar had strength, then this is where it lay.
Villager	Well if all that's true, then what in the world did he paint?
Storyteller	Who knows.
Villager	Look, could you give the contrived stories a rest? They're not exactly the most fun. Are you gonna tell any others?
Child	I want to hear the ending to the one with "a lone soul ventures forth to Heaven, twin blade lovers that split the lands!"
Storyteller	I'll tell in due time, all of it. It is not possible to tell all under heaven in totality, and I use my scarce predestined hundred or so years of life to tell what I might. If I yet pursued thoroughness on top of it, that would be quite greedy. As you'd like to hear it, then next time, we'll tell of something else.
Child	Alright!
[After the villager and the child leave...]
Storyteller	By custom, my mouth is worth no money. But when you've paid your tea, see what you might have for an old man's story. It seems we've got a few new faces today. Three mysterious visitors; I hope these strange tales of mine were to your satisfaction?
[Kroos and Lava, who had listened to the story, can't seem to answer.]
Lava	......
Kroos	......
Mr. Nothing	Was that fiction?
Storyteller	If someone told me a scholar caught Oripathy, and met his end in melancholy before his wishes were complete, then I'd certainly believe it was true. Add some spice and flourish, and the story tastes all the better.
Mr. Nothing	Quite sensible!
Storyteller	My thanks. However, I'm not sure myself how many really are true, out of all these anecdotal legends... I just have some interest in the field, nothing more. That said, while I might not be any kind of formal storyteller, I've spent a long time in the village doing it, though only the few you saw are actually willing to hear me spout my nonsense. I see three unfamiliar faces. What brings you here?
Lava	Ahem– (Gives a meaningful look)
Mr. Nothing	Ah– right, right, these two friends of mine came from far away, in search of someone. But neither of them are quite as aware of Yan as those of us born here, so I'm giving them some small assistance, acting as their guide. How should I address you, sir?
Storyteller	It's been many years since I left home; I long since abandoned my old name to disuse. I fancied myself literary in younger years, calling myself the "Umbrella-Boiling Hermit," and though it's somewhat shameless of a title, I still use it to this day.
Mr. Nothing	How artistic! How artistic indeed! By damned luck, I too was given no option but to leave home, and nowadays go by "No" and "thing" in lieu of names sur and given. You can call me Brother No, how about that?
Lava	(I told you that was a made-up name, didn't I–?!)
Kroos	(Shh...)
Lava	(Kroos? You catch something?)
Kroos	(Eh? Uh, nothing, I just reckon it's really fun to watch how he lies himself a new layer every time.)
Lava	(......)
Storyteller	So we are both men fallen to the other side of the world. Then who's the person you three mysteries are searching for?
Mr. Nothing	Hah, just as the proverb goes, chance meetings are predestiny; it truly couldn't be more opportune if we tried. The one we're searching for is also a painter, like in the story we just heard.
Storyteller	...A painter? This village is modestly sized, and I've never heard of any painter here. What manner of man is this?
Mr. Nothing	Er... benefactor? May you describe?
Lava	A woman. Uh, she should have big, weird horns on her head. And she can use some weird Arts. Also... also... she's a painter.
Storyteller	And that's it?
Lava	That's it.
Storyteller	I admit, with that, I have even less of an idea.
Mr. Nothing	Oh, this is a strange turn indeed... could it be that the one you benefactors seek left this place before we came?
Storyteller	This village entertains very few guests. If it's as you all say, that strange person would have to have left an impression on us. I can get someone to help you ask around.
Mr. Nothing	Good, good, then we'll leave you to it, sir, and for the time being– We'll...?
Storyteller	Mr. Nothing?
Lava	Hey, what's up with you?
Mr. Nothing	Ah, heheh, where... where did we come in from?
Lava	What are you talking about? Didn't we–
Storyteller	–Follow this pathway, and you can leave the landscape garden. Presumably you arrived following a crowd, and erred here? Haha, my garden isn't that big or small, but it's tough to find your way through it. Ask a servant for help.
Mr. Nothing	Heh... Look at me, all befuddled. How is it I can't remember, now?
Storyteller	If you find any trace of that painter, and you need the help, don't hesitate to ask me. I have some business for now, so, everyone, farewell.
Mr. Nothing	Here, thank you, thank you, farewell now, farewell. Benefactors, shall we go?
[Mr. Nothing leaves on ahead of Kroos and Lava, leaving them alone...]
Lava	Wait–
[...and both move on to catch up with him as the storyteller excuses himself.]
<Background 2>
[As Kroos, Lava, and Mr. Nothing walk down the streets.]
Mr. Nothing	And that said, where should we take a look at? We've visited the teahouse, the stage station and the gardens. Where else could there be any clues?
Lava	How long has it been since we got here?
Mr. Nothing	Oh, why do you ask? I'd say about... two or three days?
Lava	Are you sure?
Mr. Nothing	Ahahah, heh, most likely I slept awful last night. I'm a little out of kilter.
Kroos	Lavaaa.
Lava	Nnng... I can sense it now... but it's so indistinct... it's like...
Kroos	Times like these, you've gotta go with your intuition.
Lava	My intuition's telling me that right now, the situation's extremely messed up.
Kroos	Is it some kind of mind-level Originium Arts...?
Lava	Nngh... if it's Arts...
Mr. Nothing	Benefactors, why the muttering? If we don't hurry up soon, it'll get dark on us.
Lava	What are you talking about? It's still so light–
Lava	— –The sky... the color?
Kroos	Did we never look at the sky before...? We should've noticed any moment we lifted our heads... now that's odd.
Mr. Nothing	B... benefactors, what's going on? Look over there, is that... is that a moon, now?! And it's broad daylight right now, isn't it? Why have they lit lanterns on the other end of the bridge?
Lava	Look behind you...
Mr. Nothing	Er?
Lava	The horizon on the other side. Is that... is that the sun?
Kroos	Hey. You think us coming back from there to here counted as 'going' one full day and night?
Lava	This is really... new to me. Nian always told me that Yan was full of weird, unseen wonders... and landscapes like this too? Uh, hold on, I think there's something in my pocket... Is this – the charm Nian gave me...?
[After holding the charm, Lava realizes something.]
<Background 2>
Lava	Wait a minute... hold on! No, that's not right! What the hell do I mean "landscapes like this?" What was I just thinking?!
Kroos	Ah...
Lava	Mr. Nothing!
Mr. Nothing	Er–? I'm here, I'm here!
Lava	Is this Ni-weng Village or not!?
Mr. Nothing	Does... does it need to be said... er... P–paying close attention, it seems a little off! But there isn't another village anywhere around!
Lava	This isn't right. It's not right. Kroos, we left Rhodes Island, reached Kou-wu City first, stocked up, and then left the next morning.
Kroos	We were heading across the wastes for Mount Hui-ch'i, and we saw a crashed car–
Mr. Nothing	–and then you two benefactors dealt with the beasts and saved me?
Kroos	Just took 'em to a nice new pit to build their nest in, that's all.
Lava	And then?
Mr. Nothing	And then, we...?
Kroos	Hmmmgh. Then we went straight up Mount Hui-ch'i, and found a thatched cottage.
Lava	I pushed open its... ...door?
[A bell can be heard tolling.]
Lava	Bells? Where are they coming from?
[Lava noticed several villagers who panicked after hearing the bell that tolls.]
Villager	The bells are sounding? The bells are sounding! Hey, everyone call your families out! Move quickly!
Villager	What's happening!? It's been so long! Why is it happening today?!
Lava	Excuse me! Can I ask what's happening?
Villager	Are you– are you outsiders? The bells mean monsters are coming from the west mountains! Those monsters can't stand light! Just run to where the sun is and you'll be safe!
Mr. Nothing	M– Monsters? What monsters?
Villager	Look, I've got no time to chat with you! Get out of my way, I need to bring my wife over here!
[The villager rushes off as the bell tolls.]
Child	Mama! Mama!
Villager	Is everyone here? We're still missing someone! Start looking, fast!
Mr. Nothing	Benefactors, benefactors, let us hurry and take shelter! They said we'll be fine if we run somewhere where the sun is? Then let us hurry– benefactors?
[Kroos and Lava are not panic and instead have prepared themselves for the worst.]
Lava	...Kroos.
Kroos	Ready.
Lava	Good.
[The two, ready for combat, go on to face the monsters mentioned by the villagers, leaving Mr. Nothing bewildered...]
Mr. Nothing	–Benefactors!? This is no time for jokes, we're no better than paste on our own! Let's hide before we do anything else! Here! Here, here! Why are you charging them! Alas! My good benefactors, you– wait for me, wait for me a moment!
[...but he goes to catch up with them regardless.]

After operation

<Background 3>
[Kroos and Lava have dealt with monsters with strange appearances which have turned into black patches upon death.]
Lava	What are... these things? Infected creatures?
Kroos	Haven't noticed any signs of infection, though... and you say creatures, but whenever I shoot them, they just turn into black stains and disappear.
Lava	Some kind of Arts?
Kroos	Could be.
Lava	This can't go on. There's too many of them... we need to find the source. Which direction did they enter the village from?
Kroos	Horizon's getting darker, Lava.
Lava	I know.
Kroos	Still gonna chase 'em? We're still not sure how we even got here... things are a little weird. I'm not a fan of getting in too deep right now. Even if it's a lead, we don't need to rush that hard.
Lava	......
[Mr. Nothing catches up with Kroos and Lava after everything is over.]
Mr. Nothing	B-Benefactors!
Lava	Uh, why'd you come with?
Mr. Nothing	What nonsense! How could I abandon my benefactors and flee alone?
Lava	Do you know what those things are?
Mr. Nothing	I– I've never seen them before either... Look at how my legs are trembling...
Lava	They're not some kind of... Yan specialty, right?
Mr. Nothing	As if they could be! If this gallery of oddities were crawling all the lands, they would've long since broken national news!
Lava	Kroos, Mr. Nothing, listen to me. I "can't remember at all" what happened after I pushed open that wooden cottage door. When I came back to my senses, I was already in that garden listening to the...
Mr. Nothing	Umbrella-Boiling Hermit.
Lava	Right, listening to the Umbrella-Boiling Hermit tell stories. I have absolutely no impression of how I came to be here. Also, I don't know where "here" is either.
Kroos	We're all the same.
Mr. Nothing	Benefactor, there's one thing I know for certain. This isn't Ni-weng... Though I haven't visited Ni-weng in a few years, the way of the land is fashioned quite old. I ran all the way here just now, and I saw not a single electric cable!
Lava	That makes things even tougher...
Kroos	It's just like we're dreaming, eh.
Lava	......
Kroos	I know what you're thinking, but right now, we've got no other way. We can only trust each other.
Mr. Nothing	Ho? Benefactors! You shouldn't doubt me now! I'm not the sort of lout that flouts others' graces to him! I'd hardly even be able!
Lava	That's not what I meant... I'm just taking in the situation. Everything's been too strange.
Kroos	We're not saying we don't trust you, Nothing, mate, it's just we need to be cool and think about all the possibilities here. Baseline is it's some kind of trap. Whether everything in front of us is real or not.. is a tough question.
Mr. Nothing	Now, benefactor, don't treat me like I'm young. I may be carefree as the wind, but I'd still wager I'm older than you...
Lava	Originium Arts... the possibility's there. But the difficulty's beyond. Is it connected to some specific place? Or did they conjure an outright illusion for us...
Mr. Nothing	You're quite the eccentrics, my benefactors. Any normal person would never be capable of this line of thought under these pressing circumstances.
Lava	"Any normal person," yeah. Even if we don't know where we are, the geography here is way off. The sun and moon are fixed in opposite places, most of the houses are built towards the night side here, while the farms and market are on the other end... but the locals seem totally used to it, and just now, those things... We need information. The faster, the better.
[The bell from before tolls again.]
Lava	The bells are ringing again...?
Kroos	You only hear bells that sound like this in Yan and Higashi.
<Background 1>
Rough Villager	The bells! The bells! Everyone, it's alright! We're safe now!
[The villagers leave their homes.]
Vigilant Villager	So soon?
Rough Villager	I didn't notice a hint of those things! I saw those outsiders pushing back those monsters for us!
Vigilant Villager	They're not even scared of the things?
Rough Villager	As I see it, we should do this in one go! Charge in the mountains and wipe them at the root! I've had it with how they just come whenever they want!
[The storyteller approaches the villagers.]
Storyteller	Don't be like that. You can't be too difficult.
Rough Villager	Oh, sir... you're back!
Storyteller	I-Ch'uan, go now and find those three heroes, and tell them I insist they come to my place for a chat. Lest we neglect them, we must properly convey our thanks.
Rough Villager	Got it!
[The villager leaves to search for Kroos, Lava, and Mr. Nothing, who have driven the monsters out of the village.]
<Background 2>
[A Perro nun can be seen begging for alms in the streets.]
???	Hark, I am most at home when I work this bell! If the old head priest of my monastery knew I were still so diligent in foreign lands, he would surely be comforted severalfold.
[Someone calls for the nun...]
???	Saga!
[...who is revealed to be a female shopkeeper.]
Saga	Oh, the Shopkeeper! What is the matter?
Shopkeeper	I heard the bell; that means it's all over, right? I heard from Mister I-Ch'uan that some guests from afar helped defend the village. Have you seen them?
Saga	Nay, I have been posted at the bell all this time, have I not? Yet if I had a belltower like unto the one in my monastery, mayhaps I could have seen them from afar. To speak of which, I have been here for some time now. This is the first time I have seen the Ink Spirits come in such great waves. Is it mere happenstance?
Shopkeeper	That's why I wanted to ask if you could go meet those strangers.
Saga	Oh?