Chapter 118: The Reason for Action (5)
118. The Reason for Action (5)
An endless cycle of regression.
Countless discarded timelines within it.
The "Chosen Regressor" who stitches together abandoned timelines in pursuit of fabricated happiness,
and the "Turning One" who seeks to become human by exploiting those very timelines.
According to Sipsam's deduction, this bizarre relationship had likely maintained a perfect equilibrium for an extremely long time.
[System Alert: The Chosen Regressor's base personality is unaware of regression, so they could always live each new timeline happily.]
[System Alert: But as a precaution, it seems the experiences as a Chosen Regressor were embedded in the subconscious of the base personality to prevent repeating the same failures.]
[System Alert: So, the base personality instinctively makes different choices each time to seek happiness, and when that happiness expires, the Chosen Regressor's personality triggers another regression.
After all, the Chosen Regressor's goal is "happiness."
Even if it meant grinding down their own shattered mentality, emotions, and reason, they kept fleeing through infinite regressions—just so their "base personality" could be happy.
But then, someone appeared like a comet and shattered that perfect balance.
[System Alert: That someone is you, Hajin.]
"...Me?"
[System Alert: This regression cycle confirmed it. The Chosen Regressor is deeply influenced by you.]
[System Alert: As I mentioned, this regression happened "for the sake of Team Blue Flare."]
[System Alert: Except for the very first regression, the Chosen Regressor has never repeated the same timeline to fix something.]
The Chosen Regressor, who should have fled from misery, didn't run away.
Because of me.
I had considered this hypothesis before, back when I first encountered the Turning One.
[System Alert: Could it be... that the Chosen Regressor has grown attached to this life?]
[System Alert: Enough to want to protect this timeline, even if it means infinite regressions?]
[System Alert: Maybe they saw some possibility through you, Kang Hajin.]
If the hellish cycle of infinite regression was actually the desperate struggle of that bastard Chosen Regressor to protect this life for the first time...
As that idea took shape, the chaotic puzzle pieces that had been scattered everywhere finally began falling into place.
"...If that bastard Chosen Regressor trusted me that much, then it makes sense why the Turning One tried to break my mentality. If I completely collapsed or this situation fell apart, the Chosen Regressor would despair and try to run away again."
[System Alert: Correct.]
I fell into thought for a moment.
'...Could it be?'
It was absurd.
I hoped it wasn't true.
But a blaring alarm went off in my head—the same head that had scoured every web novel trope after emptying my bank account on event apps and microtransactions.
"Sipsam, what if..."
The words wouldn't come out easily.
Because if this hypothesis was correct...
"...What if I'm the Chosen Regressor?"
...Then my entire life would be a lie.
My heart pounded, and I felt my hands trembling uncontrollably.
Just the idea that my timeline was tangled with that bastard Chosen Regressor was unsettling enough.
What if my mentality in past lives was as fragile as a wafer, forcing me to regress endlessly?
What if I became the Chosen Regressor after countless regressions, and when my base personality became aware of it, the Fixed Regressor personality emerged...?
[System Alert: Huh? ('◇')?]
[System Alert: That's impossible.]
[System Alert: (Vigorously shaking head with a baffled expression)]
Oh, wrong genre?
The system screen filled with giant X marks (where did those even come from?) as Sipsam vehemently denied it, leaving me momentarily embarrassed.
"Come on, man. You've never seen the trope where 'the protagonist who first noticed the anomaly turns out to be the mastermind'? It's a classic. The Oedipus-style twist—'the culprit was me all along.'"
[System Alert: Absolutely not. Rest assured.]
"...Why are you reassuring me like that? Making me all comfortable."
Sipsam's confident denial, shaking the system window violently side to side, made the tension drain from my body.
I'd been seriously scared. What if there really was "another me"?
Noticing my unease, Sipsam continued explaining.
[System Alert: Discarded timelines always leave gaps in fabricated lives.]
[System Alert: But your life has none of those gaps.]
[System Alert: Everything you've lived, experienced, and possessed is real.]
[System Alert: Even the failures that once made you unhappy.]
What I've had, made, and experienced.
Everything I've achieved on my own.
Hearing that confirmation, I felt oddly relieved.
And at the same time, I couldn't help but feel...
A little pity for that sunfish bastard drowning in so much misery.
[System Alert: We still need to investigate how the Turning One is collecting these timelines to become human, and their exact motives.]
[System Alert: A Time Manager attempting to become human is truly unprecedented...]
[System Alert: Still, we dealt a heavy blow to the Turning One in this fight.]
[System Alert: So for now, relax and focus on the survival show and debut!]
Sipsam flashed sparkly effects, switching back into full fanboy mode.
'This bastard's definitely playing some idol-raising game with me.'
With no solid evidence but plenty of suspicion, I nodded anyway.
It was about time to wake up.
[System Alert: Oh, and one more thing...]
Just as I was about to get up from the couch, Sipsam cautiously popped up another alert.
[System Alert: While forcibly restoring the Mental Care System, we had to use up all your saved-up cash.]
[System Alert: Also, due to system issues, Cash Skills will be unusable for a while.]
[System Alert: And I might have to leave again for investigations.]
[System Alert: So please avoid anything that might incur penalties for the time being!]
At the sheepish warning, I nodded coolly.
"Got it."
[System Alert: (...Surprised by how calmly you accepted it.)]
[System Alert: Σ('◉⌓◉')]
What the hell does this guy think of me?
"You said those skills would disappear eventually anyway. Might as well get used to the 'real' me without them."
I'd been thinking about it ever since this infinite regression mess.
I realized I didn't need to rely so much on the system and skills—in fact, I shouldn't. And that realization actually put me at ease.
"I'll be fine. I think I'll be okay."
[System Alert: .......]
"I want to be recognized for who I am now—what I've achieved myself."
After finally voicing my honest feelings, I was about to wake up when I noticed Sipsam had gone quiet again.
"......?"
What now? I turned to look—
[System Alert: ...... (ಢ‸ಢ)]
[System Alert: Kang Hajin, you're really amazing.......]
[System Alert: ...... ʕ ಡ ﹏ ಡ ʔ]
Tears were literally dripping outside the system window. Oh boy.
"Uh, if you're gonna do this, wouldn't it be better if you could, like, take human or living form?"
[System Alert: Time Managers are fundamentally incapable of taking biological forms—no, why is that relevant right now!?]
[System Alert: Are you a T-type, Hajin!?]
[System Alert: ｡ﾟヽ(ﾟ´Д｀)ﾉﾟ｡]
"Half and half. F 51%, T 49%."
I laughed awkwardly and gave the now-familiar system window an affectionate pat. Not that I could actually feel it—it was semi-transparent, after all.
"I'm really going now. Ugh, just thinking about the side effects is already terrifying."
[System Alert: ...We'll research harder to eliminate the side effects as soon as possible.]
[System Alert: (Sulking at being unable to help...)]
"Stop being cute, I'm getting attached."
...The problem was, I was already way too attached.
THUD—
The moment Hajin woke from the unconscious space, he barely had time to open his eyes before lurching out of bed and bolting for the bathroom, unable to hold back the rising nausea.
He had no idea how much time had passed or what hour it was—he just barely made it to the toilet before retching violently.
"Ugh!"
BEEP—!
Even after emptying his stomach, the pain and burning lingered.
His ears rang like his cochlea had malfunctioned, and a crushing dizziness followed.
"Ah! Damn it, it hurts—"
Staggering, unable to steady himself, Hajin reached out blindly to grab something—only to scrape his hand against something sharp in the dark.
In his haste, he hadn't even turned on the lights, making it impossible to see.
"I'm gonna lose it, seriously..."
Even in the darkness, his vision spun nauseatingly. Clutching the sink, he shut his eyes and forced himself to breathe slowly, pressing his fingers against his temples as he waited for the side effects to pass.
...How much time passed? Gradually, his vision and body began stabilizing.
"A few more rounds of this, and I'll actually die."
The backlash only seemed to get worse each time.
Resolving to avoid the unconscious space as much as possible, Hajin fumbled for the faucet and turned it on. In his panic, he hadn't even turned on the bathroom light, leaving everything pitch black.
'Hope I didn't wake the others. What time is it?'
As he rinsed his mouth with cold water and splashed his face,
CLICK—!
"......?"
The bathroom light turned on by itself.
'Wha—what?'
Did someone hear me? Or were they trying to come in, not realizing I was here?
Startled, Hajin turned toward the door—just as it creaked open fully.
And standing there were...
"......? What, you guys?"
"......!!!"
The youngest members, huddled together with grave expressions, staring straight at him.
The same kids Joo Eun-chan had said would be playing games in the lounge earlier.
And the moment their worried eyes met Hajin's, they—
"...AAAAAHHH!!!!"
"H-Hajin-hyung!!!! Hyung, you can't die!!!!!!"
"1, 119!!!! Call 119!!!!!!"
"Hajin-san!!!!!! Daijoubu!???"
"Hy-hyung's bleeding!!!!!!"
—immediately started screaming and pointing at him?
"What's wrong? What happened?"
Baffled by their hysterics, Hajin barely had time to process before Si-woo—toothbrush in hand, mid-brushing—came running over in a panic.
"Kang Hajin, are you okay?"
"...Ah, I was dizzy for a sec, but I'm fine—WHOA, WHAT THE HELL!?"
He tried to reassure them with a raised hand, only to see his arm and hand drenched in bright red blood.
'No way—'
Hajin whipped his head toward the mirror—and screamed.
"AAAAH! No, no! It's okay!!!"
The cut on his hand was deeper than he thought, and blood had smeared all over his face. In his daze, he'd washed his face and grabbed everything in sight, leaving the sink looking like a bloodbath. Even his pajamas were splattered with red.
"J-Jaeyoung! Jaeyoung, snap out of it!!!"
"119!!! Call 119!!!!"
"Hajin-hyung! You weren't thinking bad thoughts, right!? I'll report all the antis, I swear!!!!"
...Guys. Please calm down.
It's okay...
Hajin shot Si-woo, the only hope for mediation, a desperate look for help.