Chapter 160
Chapter 160
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 160
Chapter Title: You're Back
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It's over.
The truly long, endless time of the past.
"…Ah."
A ceiling made of wood.
Feeling the fresh voice emerging from my throat, I let out a sigh at the emptiness in one corner of my heart.
It didn't feel real.
Was I really in the past?
When I opened my eyes, I was lying on a soft bed.
[…Have you woken up?]
"This feels kinda weird. Like dreaming and then getting cut off right at the end."
In short, it sucked.
But contrary to that feeling, my mind was calm and clear.
It seemed Baekyang had done something while I was unconscious.
I raised my hand and looked at my previously mangled arm.
I wiggled my fingers one by one. Perfectly fine.
'Mana capacity… unchanged. At least that's a relief.'
I sat up in bed.
Feeling stiff all over like I'd slept a full day, I stretched my shoulders and yawned.
"Kuh… ugh…."
I stretched once. Rubbed my eyes once.
Let out a bored yawn and smacked my lips.
Time to get my head straight.
"Let's sort this out."
I turned my head and asked her.
[….]
Baekyang, now completely blackened.
Even the faint blue was gone. She looked like a dying old tree with cracked bark.
She'd probably wither and die soon. A World Tree that had lived for ages facing death.
A chill tugged at my chest, but I swallowed it down easily.
"Dying is one thing, but I need to know what I need to know. First off, how much time do you have left?"
[Not much. That's the first thing you say when you wake up?]
"Yeah. But I can still wish you peace in death."
[Huhu….]
Baekyang laughed mockingly and began her explanation.
[I couldn't say anything against the timeline… so in the past, I was silent. First, yes, the past you were in was real.]
"What does that mean?"
[Endless repetition without origin.]
Past, present, future.
My knowledge couldn't match a World Tree's.
No matter how I theorized, I had no way to prove it.
Until now, I'd acted on naive guesses and hunches tucked in one corner of my heart, like 'maybe it's this.'
Going back in time? Sounds easy, but in my old world, it was pure fantasy.
Entropy can't decrease, so practically impossible. I vaguely knew that, but I wasn't an expert.
Creativity and gut feelings were my limits.
"More details."
[I don't fully know the essence of my own power. Only something beyond World Trees… an absolute being would. If such a thing exists.]
Still, she had some grasp of it. Baekyang continued.
[Your guess is correct. What you did in the past is this world's history now.]
From the start, I'd gone to the past from this point.
Events there became history, looping back to me.
A single loop, essentially.
I got that far.
The problem was the rest. Too much I didn't understand.
"Going to the past wasn't to change the future…?"
[That's what I was told. But I don't know everything.]
Went back to change the future, but my actions there had nothing to do with it.
[Not entirely unrelated.]
Yeah, could see it that way.
I crossed my arms and pondered deeply again.
'Growth in power, forming connections….'
Baekyang sent me to the past on a revelation from the future.
She didn't know why, and vaguely knew future events.
But… she'd shown me the future?
Se-young's death still haunted my eyes.
Vomited over it multiple times.
Now saying it wouldn't happen?
[As power develops, its applications grow. The future I showed you… in a sense, it is the future.]
"What sense? Stop beating around the bush."
[Sorry. Even with power left, I can't fully grasp it.]
What good arguing with a half-dead tree.
I clicked my tongue roughly at Baekyang's words.
Recalling what she'd said before, the future where Se-young dies was preventable.
Variable future and immutable future.
Stopping Do-won's destruction was beyond my power.
I pondered long, then spoke.
"Listen carefully."
Calm hypothesis after deliberation.
Point by point.
"First… your power is bizarre. It created a link between now and the past, Do-won and me."
[Correct.]
"Then, similarly, a link formed between the future and now, someone intentionally sent me to the past?"
[…Probably high likelihood.]
"Why so uncertain?"
Assuming that's right, let's summarize.
Past, present, future. Something with power like Baekyang's intricately connected these timelines.
Purpose: change the future.
Baekyang, receiving future signal, hastened our meeting, sent me back.
Baekyang on first meeting didn't know what I'd gain in the past.
[At first, yes.]
"You know now?"
[Somewhat. I can sense intuitively what links to now and aids the future.]
Baekyang's role was solely sending me to the past from the start.
She'd said so herself.
So, watching my actions beside me, she intuitively grasped what I needed to do.
"…Seriously?"
[Living a millennium, you gain such insights naturally.]
"So what was I supposed to do?"
[Hard to pinpoint. But without you, those sisters would've died there. That was first.]
Power growth.
Delayed Do-won's fall, saved the peaches.
[Also, reminding Cheonma of his dream.]
Referring to the old man conversation during training.
[Developing Do-won… forming bonds with certain people. All that was your task.]
Do-won activities.
[From experience, small actions cause big changes. Your past memories… will help greatly ahead.]
Helpful somehow.
I'd formed many connections.
And if my actions apply to now…
Cheon-do, Baek-do, Hwang-do.
What about their memories?
[Unchanged.]
"…Why this?"
[Now includes your past actions in history. Nothing changes. Just you regained past memories.]
"So, something else made them forget me?"
[Exactly. Probably… a World Tree curse related.]
"Millennium World Tree's hunch?"
[Huhu… not hunch, certainty. After Cheonma's death, that family was branded. Forgot all World Tree traces. You're one too.]
"I'm a World Tree trace?"
[You came via me. But… World Tree curses aren't fully revealed. I know how to break it, though.]
Break World Tree curse.
…Curse?
-The Copycat Tree, yeah. Not exactly honorable.
Cheon-do's first meeting words resurfaced.
-Past sins carry to future. If called curse, it is.
Born from one body at one time.
Likely half-fabricated. Casual remark. Mix of truth and lie.
That curse from World Tree.
Do-won fell, curse hit.
"Hey."
[Yes.]
"When World Tree curse erodes family, can three bodies merge into one?"
Baekyang replied indifferently to my guess.
[Not impossible. Such curses exist.]
"…Why curse instead of kill?"
More to think about.
Why didn't World Tree kill Cheon-do?
Why did Baek-do cooperate with Association?
'Jeong Ho-moon.'
If that man helped them settle as three, latter resolved.
To survive, some compromises necessary. Joining Association inevitable.
[Maybe couldn't kill.]
"Why?"
[…Why Cheonma treated like Mokryeongwang now. Beyond what I saw. Maybe something before death.]
Best prediction now.
Dramatic negotiation between World Tree and Cheonma possible.
How to break curse?
Reading my eyes, Time World Tree spoke without pause.
[Kill the World Tree that cast it. Once-cast curse… doesn't break unless caster dies.]
"Which one?"
[Don't know that far.]
Kill it, memories return.
I closed my eyes. Tasks taking shape.
"So… the kids remember nothing about me?"
[…Vaguely. Know facts. Like what you taught them.]
Hwang-do has magic talent. That sort.
Not memory, but instinctually ingrained.
"Then, their weird familiarity on sight… from that?"
Baekyang silent. Maybe speculation.
Couldn't confirm my memory, no definite answer.
Still possible. Real goodwill from Master.
"Got it roughly."
I sorted memories in head.
First, Do-won ultimately fell.
Cheon-do survived. Cursed, bodies merged.
I came to past to change future. Past actions' memories hugely influential.
Teacher's death future possible, stay vigilant.
This path leads to ruin.
Forced to know past Master never told.
Knew unspeakable past too. Big gain.
Can't trust Association.
More World Trees to kill.
"But if future point exists, can't I change it? It's fate."
[Only you can.]
"Why so sure?"
[He did it.]
Mokryeongwang.
More I hear, more monstrous.
Endless unbelievable tales.
[I believed he could do anything with my power. Until he killed me.]
In short. Follow Mokryeongwang's path well, even fixed timeline twistable.
Dizzying.
[All questions answered?]
"Yeah. Roughly."
I stopped thinking, flopped back, stared at sky.
Chest heavy.
Now, part ways, meet Azalea, Lee Se-young… Cornus again.
And that psycho Bead too.
[Then… can I close my eyes now?]
"No last words?"
I sat up, looked at Baekyang.
Hearing me, she shook branches in surprise.
Bare twigs without a leaf, pitiful.
[Short time, but happy to talk.]
[Giving name… didn't say, but glad.]
"Yeah."
[Wanted to try sex with human too.]
"Pfft. Fuck… say that now?"
[Can't anymore, dying soon. Last words, right?]
"Reborn, come find me. Then… can do what you want."
[…Kuhuhu. Reincarnation. Don't personally believe. But yes. If reborn, I'll find you.]
Last mana gathered at bare branch tip.
Yellow petal formed, fell before me.
I picked it up, unfolded in palm.
[My power. Last usable power. Swallow, big help later.]
Cute flower unlike long-lived age.
I put it in mouth before her eyes.
Warmth in chest corner.
Like strong liquor, exhilarating.
[…This embarrassing.]
"It's fine."
[And, um. For you, maybe not. But don't hate World Trees too much.]
"I'll keep that in mind."
If friendly World Tree, no need to rush.
Without Baekyang type, would've treated as big tree, burned indifferently.
Such trees exist somewhere.
Chat casually, flirt a bit.
[Then… Lee Si-heon.]
"Yeah."
[Going first.]
Snap. Crumble.
Branch before me breaks.
Like sandcastle in wind, powdered, ruins left.
Sky shatters. Bed sinks to floor.
Body floats, consciousness fades.
-Flash!
A miko appeared before eyes.
Seeing her face, I knew instinctively.
"You're back."