Operation story: WR-6

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.

Previous WR-ST-2	Next WR-8
Characters
Kroos Lava Mr. Nothing Saga Dawn Storyteller Little Girl Villager Villager Ink Spirit
Backgrounds
1 2 3 4 5

Before operation

“

When they awaken, the group finds the world completely back to normal, as if the disastrous events of the previous day never happened. Lava and her cohorts go directly to Dawn the Shopkeeper, who over the course of a conversation explains the "rules" of this place.

”

<Background 1>
Lava	Mmm... Did I fall asleep?
[Lava gets up from the bed.]
Lava	Oh, now I remember... I was helping count the casualties till late last night, and I went straight to bed after I got back... Looks like the sunrise and sunset have gone back to normal...
<Background fades out and in>
Lava	Kroos, wake up!
Kroos	...Hfff...
Lava	Kr–oo–s–!
Kroos	Ngh... guh.
[Kroos wakes up.]
Kroos	*Yawn*... Morning, Lava...
Lava	I've been meaning to ask, but how do you manage to sleep so well with that crossbow as a hug pillow?
Kroos	Well, sleep is... important... yep~ Hnn– Okay, let me wash my face.
Lava	I wish you could be this stoked about getting up back at Rhodes Island.
Kroos	Not happening~ We're on the job right now. I don't do this on my days off~ We need to help them rebuild...
[Kroos looks outside and notices something.]
Kroos	Hey, Lava...? I'm not dreaming now, am I? Who's that outside the window?
Lava	Hm?
<Background 2>
[The little girl, now known as Ah Jan, runs off...]
Little Girl	Mommy, mommy! Hurry! We'll be late for story time!
[...with her mother who were supposedly killed during the previous Ink Spirits' attack.]
Villager	Okay, okay. Slow down now, or you'll hurt yourself.
Little Girl	I'll be fine! Hurry up!
[Ah Jan and her mother rushes off.]
<Background 1>
Lava	......
Kroos	......
Lava	I-Is that her mother...? Her mother's okay?
Kroos	Uh, maybe...? Look at the roof over there. I could swear the eaves were damaged by Arts yesterday.
Lava	You're kidding...?
<Background 3>
[At the village, everything seems to be lively as usual.]
Villager A	Rice cakes fresh out of the steamer! Packed with sesame filling!
Villager B	Sweet rice! Come get your fermented sweet rice right here!
Lava	What's going on...?
Kroos	Hmm... Everything's back to normal?
[Mr. Nothing rushes into Lava and Kroos' side.]
Mr. Nothing	My benefactors?! My benefactors, you remember me, do you not? Please tell me this is not a nightmare!
Lava	Slow down, what are you–
Mr. Nothing	Oh, thank goodness you two remember me! Please, hear me out. When I woke up, it was as though everything that had transpired yesterday had never occurred! Everything was in perfect order! The Ink Spirits attacked? Families devastated? None of it ever happened! Look, even Ah Jan's mother is walking around in one piece, hale and whole! Gave me quite a start, I tell you! I thought I'd come upon a ghost in broad daylight– –Right! Have you perchance seen the wandering monk, Saga? Where is she? Is she well?
Kroos	I haven't seen her yet– Oh, hello, Jan.
Mr. Nothing	Why, hello, Little Ah Jan~!
Little Girl	Hm? Who are you, Mister? How do you know my name?
Mr. Nothing	My benefactors, look! This is exactly what I meant!
Kroos	Hey, Ah Jan, we're here to listen to Mr. Umbrella-Boiler's stories. How come story time is over already?
Little Girl	Oh, I see. The storyteller is sick today. My mommy is staying to help take care of him. Most of the people who came for his stories are staying to help, too.
Kroos	That's a shame.
Little Girl	It really is!
Kroos	Ah Jan? This gentleman actually missed the session yesterday. Do you remember what the story was about?
Little Girl	I wasn't here yesterday. I was flying my kite with my mommy the whole day.
Kroos	That's too bad, then. It looks like you're out of luck.
Mr. Nothing	H-Haha... Little Ah Jan? You don't know me? You must be playing!
Little Girl	Who are you, Mister? Oh, you must be the one who just moved into the house down the street!
Mr. Nothing	N-Never you mind. Please, go on, frolic as you do...
Little Girl	Hm? Okay. See you, mister!
[Ah Jan runs off.]
Mr. Nothing	Why are we the only ones who remember anything...?
Kroos	No idea, but look at how cheerful she is. This isn't so bad.
Mr. Nothing	Well... *Sigh*... That I certainly have no qualms with, but, my benefactor, are you not being a little too... calm?
Lava	Is this what the clerk meant when she said that... fishing the moon in the water thing? Anyway, I think... I have a pretty good guess where Saga is.
<Background 4>
Saga	Oh my! This sesame soup is unlike anything I've ever tasted! Simply exquisite! Wouldst thou like some, shopkeep?
Dawn	I'll pass. I'm not too fond of sweets myself. Please, don't worry about me. Just enjoy it yourself.
Saga	I see. 'Tis a shame, but pray mind not if I do–
[Lava and her gang rush into the pawnshop.]
Lava	Saga!
Saga	Whoa– Lava, why the commotion? I well nigh spilled my sesame soup...
Lava	So... you remember who I am?
Saga	Beg pardon? Oh... I see. That must have left you quite flabbergasted.
Mr. Nothing	Master, do you know what's happened?
Saga	As I said before, I have spent many a moon inside this scroll. It can hardly be called an astute observation. For those not originally from the scroll, suppose we all have an eye each. With four of us, and that makes four eyes. As we fall asleep, we close our eyes. With that, there is no longer anyone gazing upon its scenery... and slowly it returns to the way it was. By the time we open our eyes and lay them upon it yet again, everything has gone back to its original shape and form. 'Tis what happens every time we awaken here. I have long grown accustomed to this anomaly.
Lava	So... we're really inside a... painting?
Saga	Hm? Have I not said as much?
Kroos	Saga, is this going to affect our thought process... the way we think?
Saga	Hm, now I wonder? Naught has ever seemed particularly strange to me...?
Dawn	That's just how you've always been. Thanks to your monastery's head priest, you're no less familiar with world affairs despite your isolation from the outside world. On the contrary. Since you left Higashi, each step you've taken helped broaden your horizons, and though you may be directionless, you have never let that dampen your spirits. When life gives you lemons, if you then proceed to make lemonade, you would of course think nothing of them. To most people, this is nothing but a dream. The longer you're here, the easier it is to forget the things that should have been natural. The longer you're here, the more you come to accept the place as natural. In the end, you come to know the painting, and the painting comes to know you. You have become one with the painting, never to leave again.
Saga	Oh! So this is what you meant when you had me look for Lava! My, my. How dimwitted of me.
Kroos	Hey, Lava? I noticed it yesterday, but... there's no Originium here.
Lava	......
Kroos	I can't imagine building a village of this size without any Originium at all. Not even villages without any kind of mobility, in the most remote parts of Yan where Catastrophes rarely happen, can get by without any.
Lava	Right... Hold on, Dawn, what about you?
Dawn	I am but a local shopkeeper.
Lava	But you remember everything that happened yesterday...
Dawn	To me, yesterday is today, and today is still tomorrow. I promised her as much, after all... I know that I am not the real "me," but does it matter? That doesn't change who I am.
Mr. Nothing	My apologies, but I'm afraid... you've lost me.
Dawn	Out of the goodness of your hearts, you gave this village the helping hand it needed in its time of need, but... it was all futile and pointless. Sorry for not being more forthcoming before. At the time, we still had a guest in P'o-shan. It looks like she is already gone, though. I'm sorry you had to go through such a fright yesterday. It must have been a disaster.
Saga	Hm? That guest thou speakest of... It cannot be...?
Dawn	That's all I can say, I'm afraid.
Saga	Very well. Methinks I know who it is.
Lava	Let's stop it with the riddles– Okay, let's say this is really just a painting. How did we get here?
Dawn	I'm afraid I can't give you the answer to that either.
Mr. Nothing	My goodness. What are we meant to do with all this secrecy?
Lava	Is that because... the people you've mentioned... are one and the same?
Dawn	Excellent deduction.
Lava	Where is she?
Dawn	Not here.
Lava	Who is she...?
Dawn	You know her.
Lava	You mean...
Dawn	Shh. Do not speak her name, please.
Lava	......
Dawn	She's not one to do something like this without cause. Actually, she usually tries to avoid trouble when she can. I suppose you've crossed paths with her before...?
Lava	Yes... And if it's her, then it all makes sense...
Dawn	This P'o-shan is the moon in the water.
[The bell tolls.]
Saga	Well, even if I do not ring the bell myself, there is bound to be someone else in town who would take on that responsibility. 'Tis a shame... I quite enjoy ringing bells myself.
Lava	Is this... the signal that the Ink Spirits are about to attack?
Dawn	Yes, and it might have been because I told you the truth... But now that you know the residents here can't be harmed, this should be much easier than it was yesterday. Just find somewhere to hide. You could also go east. to the Tung-shêng River. There is nothing there. It's a safe place for you to hide. Be extra careful, though. If you go any further east past the easternmost part of the river, you will reach Mt. Hung-tung to the west of here. The Ink Spirits should calm down before long.
Kroos	So what are these monsters?
Dawn	They are the brushstrokes she sprawls when she is in a bad mood. You could say they are her musings.
Mr. Nothing	F-Find a place to hide? I'd rather not sit back and watch that all happen again... You saw Little Ah Jan crying her eyes out. It was heartbreaking, I tell you...
Dawn	Just remember this is all fake.
Mr. Nothing	But...
Lava	What if it's not?
Dawn	You have seen it with your own eyes that it is.
Lava	Still though...
Kroos	Still though, I don't want to have to hear those screams again. I'm sick of it. We just need to go west and take care of all those monsters over there, right?
Saga	Exactly! If it puts our minds at ease, why does it matter if we fish the moon in the water? I shall go with you!
[Saga goes on ahead to hunt down the Ink Spirits...]
Lava	W-Wait!
[...with Lava hurriedly tagging along with her.]
Kroos	Calm down~ If we just take it slow, this actually isn't all that hard~ Right, Nothing, mate?
[Kroos leaves...]
Mr. Nothing	H-Haha, I'll be sure to lend my assistance this time... Wait! Hold on, my benefactor! You forgot your crossbow!
[...with Mr. Nothing following her.]
Dawn	She has the right of it. I just can't imagine why you have to keep these good people in here...

After operation

“

After repelling the Ink Spirits once more, the group slowly comes to accept the situation as it is. Mr. Nothing opens up and explains why he has been hiding his martial arts. Faced with the reality of the unreal world, our operators are at a loss.

”

<Background 5>
Ink Spirit	Gkhaa–!
[Lava and her gang dispatch all the Ink Spirits in the area, but their numbers are fewer than before, leaving them wandering what is going on.]
Lava	Is it just me or there are fewer of them?
Kroos	It does look that way, and they don't seem that scary any more.
Mr. Nothing	Could they have forgotten about us? Day after day, year after year, all that they ever do is attack the village for naught... it's wretched, and heartwrenching!
Lava	How would you know? They don't talk–
Mr. Nothing	They–I suppose they just might be able to speak.
Saga	What? The head priest always said we must forever be compassionate. If that really is the case, then we are in quite a pickle...
Lava	But if this is really just a painting... Maybe we've already found the right place. I should've figured this out sooner. Damn it, Nian... She didn't tell us about this on purpose...
Kroos	She's probably worried we'd let something slip that would tip Dusk off and let her get away.
Lava	Would someone that powerful even run? To be honest with you, I'm a little scared of her... Let's not talk about how all of this works for now. She's keeping us live humans hostage in this little world she created for herself. What's this supposed to mean? Anything we eat might as well be real, and not only that, the people here can actually hold a conversation. Is this supposed to mean anything? If she's able to do all this with just Arts, then this sister of Nian's–
Kroos	You're right about that... I've seen lots of weird Originium Arts before, but this is maybe a little too out there.
Mr. Nothing	My... Never in a thousand moons would I have imagined the person you are looking for could be so... extraordinary.
Saga	Is that so? Here I was thinking that, of all the places I've visited, this P'o-shan has to be one of the simplest, most unassuming towns.
Lava	Where have you been...?
Saga	Why, I could go all morning about this. During my travels, I have come across many an odd character. I have met someone who would use ale as a blade and betake herself like lightning. I have also seen someone fight with the most peculiar style, able to swim up a waterfall. I have met one so sagacious, he could write a poem in eight steps. Alas, he offended the wrong men, and practically had to bring with him his own coffin to his final audience with his liege. I have seen the famed Boulder of Pei-Hsüan. According to legend, in eras past, the boulder sprang up from the ground, suspending in midair when an emperor of the past ascended to his throne. At first, it was thought to portend the country's prosperous future under his rule, but it was also thought to mean he had a heavy load to bear, and was thus seen as an omen by many. I have visited a mountain that scraped the skies, where, amidst the clusters of Originium left behind by Catastrophes, there stood solemnly a towering pine tree, reaching upwards, as though splitting the sea of clouds in twain. I have seen many a blade piercing chessboards, books sauteed in woks. I have also met a woman of Yan performing the most extraordinary feat, forging a city all on her own. Yet, strangely, it was hazy in appearance, and she would only allow us to view the city from afar, not in its vicinity. I would be remiss to forget the Yan emperor's close friend from faraway lands. He told the Lung of his journey to the west, and of the countless towns and cities his travels took him. Each and every time he spoke, I could see the townscapes before my eyes! –Anyway, I know a thing or two because I've seen a thing or two.
Mr. Nothing	Uhh, I know of this Boulder of Pei-Hsüan. I was under the impression it was destroyed years ago during a Catastrophe?
Saga	Exactly the one. I saw it float with my own eyes–
Mr. Nothing	How many years ago was that?!
<Background 3>
Saga	I just want to make sure. The person you speak of... That's her sister?
Lava	That's right.
Saga	How is their relationship...?
Lava	......
Kroos	Oh~ Getting right to the meat of it.
Mr. Nothing	Could it be the sisters are not on the best of terms?
Lava	Remember the thing I showed you? Nian gave me that. At first, I thought she gave it to us to prove our identities to Dusk...
Saga	Ohh, the fascinating little trinket? What is its purpose, then?
Lava	No idea...
Mr. Nothing	Allow me? Oh, have you shown this to the storyteller?
Saga	Hm, has he seen it already? Did... Did he say anything about it?
Lava	He said he's never seen it.
Saga	I think... we should still have him take a look.
Mr. Nothing	Err, if I may, there is actually one other thing that has left me quite perplexed...
Lava	What's up?
Mr. Nothing	Well, I mean, my benefactor, you saw me take on one of the fiends, did you not?
Lava	Oh... You mean how it took you forever and a half just to get away from one of the Ink Spirits?
Mr. Nothing	Precisely!
Saga	I saw it too, but why that all of a sudden?
Mr. Nothing	Well... I am but a defenseless layman in the martial arts. Be that as it may, I cracked an entire canister of whoop-ass on the fiend. Surely you too must find that strange!
Kroos	Uh... You call that a can of whoop-ass?
Mr. Nothing	–*Cough* *cough*! Umm, well, I have a few tricks up my sleeve– Now, I implore you, don't get the wrong idea. It's not that I don't want to do my part in our battle against the monsters. I just have my reasons–
Lava	So, your point is...?
Mr. Nothing	Um, my benefactor, certainly you believe me?
Lava	I certainly believe you not. You may be good at tricking people, but definitely not me. If I couldn't figure this much out, I wouldn't be any use out here on a mission.
Saga	Oh, I had my doubts about that too! I saw Master Nothing dart away with the little girl on his back in no time and without a breaking a sweat. I am certain he is no less formidable than my fellow disciples back at the temple!
Mr. Nothing	H-Haha, please, don't give me that look. I'm trying my best now, am I not? Right! It's getting late! Let's make our way to the storyteller and check on him! He is ill, is he not?
<Background 2>
[The storyteller seems to be ill.]
Storyteller	*cough*... Are you here for my tales? My apologies, but I'm afraid I won't have any stories to tell today with the shape I'm in.
Villager	Please, you must get more rest. Just leave everything to us.
Storyteller	You need not worry. I'm fine... *cough*... This is the first time we've met, is it not? Where are you from, my friends?
Mr. Nothing	Why, uh... I'm from quite far away. I'm merely passing through, but with all the men in the village singing the praises of your storytelling, I had to come hear for myself! But if you're indisposed, then we could... pay you a visit another day. Yes, we shall return, haha.
Storyteller	A moment, please. *cough* I cannot fault you for not knowing, but we rarely have any visitors here in P'o-shan, and I am not one to turn away those who wish to hear my stories. I have a guest room in my garden. Perhaps you would be so kind as to stay the night?
Lava	Are you feeling okay?
Storyteller	I'm not sure myself. It might just be a cold... though it certainly doesn't seem that way. The doctor wasn't sure of the cause either. I suppose it's a sign my body's gotten weaker because I've been neglecting my training. Please, don't pay it any mind. I-Ch'uan, take them there.
Villager	Of course.
Lava	Well... We'll take you up on the offer, then.
Villager	Please, this way.
[The villager takes Mr. Nothing to the guest room.]
<Background 1>
[Mr. Nothing felt a deja vu as he enters the guest room.]
Mr. Nothing	Why, this is peculiar. I walked out of this very house in the morning and went on a stroll, and now I'm being invited to stay here anew... This really makes no sense! Well, my benefactors...
[Kroos and Lava enters the guest room.]
Kroos	Nothing.
Mr. Nothing	Uh... Haha... *Ahem*. I am not getting out of this one, am I? I understand. Well... Where should I begin...? After all, I've been deceiving the two of you right from the start.
Lava	That I've more or less figured out.
Mr. Nothing	Please accept my apologies.
Lava	You sure know how to switch up your attitude quick, don't you? Oh well, whatever. I understand. You can't just completely trust a person you come across out in the wastes.
Mr. Nothing	You have my thanks.
Lava	Are you from Kou-wu?
Mr. Nothing	No... my hometown is farther north. Just your regular small town. I had resigned myself to live a normal, uninteresting life as a plowboy. That summer, a few men from the cities came to our town, led by a fine, magnificent lady. She said I was the one they sought. I was just thirteen at the time. They brought me to Kou-wu to a martial arts school, the Liens, and she was its master. That's how I met my master, and all there was to it. I had room and board, and when I had the time, I could help out at construction sites and earn some coin to send to my family back home. I remained diligent over the past ten years, but never once did I think my master did me a favor for taking me in. I made it a point to rely on none but myself. I would rather go without a meal than be looked down upon by my master. But... she was getting on in years. I once thought her formidable, matchless, even. But she was seriously ill. Couldn't even get a decent night's sleep. That was when I came to realize I could stay there no longer. All my fellow disciples had left, and it was my time to do so as well. But... last year, I killed someone by accident. Someone whom I should not have killed. I thought it was a friendly match between dojos. It wasn't until much later that I found out the man had sold his life. He was meant to die by my hands. The Lien style's reputation was already on its last legs, but they wanted to defame our name nonetheless. It was all a ploy to bring my master to swallow her pride and get her down on her knees. –And then– My master, her hair white as ash and braided just like my mother's, stood before all and spilled her own blood as the rules dictated!
Saga	...My goodness!
Mr. Nothing	"Rules!" It's murder, I tell you! I brought my unconscious master back, but they had our school completely surrounded. I could not call for an ambulance, let alone my fellow disciples! All I could do was watch her body turn cold. Their men stood outside, unmoving until they saw my poor master buried. My master left me with this fan. I don't have the courage to use it, and certainly not the moves she taught me. The school was lost, and I had no way to get in touch with my fellow disciples. So I concealed my identity, masquerading as a fortune teller, a Messenger. But no matter the case, I did whatever it took to leave that city, and I will make my way to the capital or Lungmen, wherever. The more people there, the better– –Then, one day, I shall return to Kou-wu City and make things right. That is the story... my benefactor, Kroos, what you said on the day of the rescue. You had the right of it. All those years I spent in Kou-wu City... I wasted.
Saga	I heard stories of the Yan martial artists' sense of honor, yet never would I have imagined such a tale...
Lava	So it wasn't just a traffic accident...
Mr. Nothing	Correct... the villains had men in every corner of Kou-wu City! I watched in hiding from a nearby village, but luck was not on my side. In the end, my only choice was to find myself a car and skip town–
Kroos	Your master had gone that far, and they still wouldn't leave you alone?
Mr. Nothing	Leave me alone? If they had their minds set on leaving anyone alone, I doubt they would bend the rules to kill!
Saga	To think that there are rules this rotten and unreasonable... 'Twould seem there is yet much for me to learn about this world.
[Though upset, Lava understands the reason why Mr. Nothing has been keeping them in the dark about his background.]
Lava	Alright then... This all sounds like something out of a martial arts novel, but well... I believe you.
Mr. Nothing	*sobs*, my benefactor! Your reason moves me! As your stalwart underling, rest assured I'll do all that it takes to return the favor, come hell or high water!
Lava	*Sigh*...
Mr. Nothing	My benefactor... you wouldn't think I'm still lying, would you?
Lava	Well, you'd be one hell of a liar if that was a lie.
[Someone knocks the door.]
Lava	Please, come in.
[The storyteller enters the guest room.]
Storyteller	*cough*... Full glad am I to find you here, my guests. I thought you would be resting in your room. Could you find our hospitality wanting, perchance...?
Lava	Uh, no, not at all. We are just talking about something among ourselves.
Storyteller	*cough*, I see... Pray accept my humblest apologies for interrupting. I merely wished to caution you against visiting Mt. Hung-tung. It is abound with monsters ahead of the New Year.
Lava	Okay, thanks for the reminder.
Storyteller	Most certainly. I shall take my leave now... *cough*–
Lava	Hope you get better soon.
[The storyteller leaves.]
Lava	......
Kroos	What's up?
Lava	The Umbrella-Boiler guy... You think he's from inside the painting? If even this is part of the painting... what about us?