Chapter 51
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 51
Chapter Title: Regression
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A hidden space within the Tower.
[AT-200 Functions Stopped.]
"Already?"
The girl with the headband checked the message floating on the hologram.
"What the hell is this guy?"
The Tower's administrator, Lena, had been deep in thought lately.
The Tower in Korea had shut down for repairs. Some lunatic who far exceeded the specs kept smashing the Tower.
To restore balance, the Tower had released a Conqueror. It was only fair.
She checked the time. Less than an hour had passed since releasing the Conqueror.
It was practically defeated the moment AT-200 was deployed.
Naturally, AT-200 was on a level that required multiple S-Rank climbers to barely take down.
Conquerors were designed for the dimension's inhabitants to band together against from the start.
Of course, there was a chance powerful souls had teamed up to defeat it. They were beings with the potential to one day climb the Tower and become Conquerors themselves.
"Still, that's way too fast."
AT-200 was divided into three phases. Phase 1: fighting solely with ranged attacks until its stored shield energy depleted.
Phase 2: after the shield broke, zipping around at high speed and sniping with laser cannons.
Phase 3: discarding all weapons and obliterating everything in melee range.
Its power went without saying. Unless you were exceptionally tough, any climber would be instantly killed by a single hit.
Its phases shifted so rapidly that even the highest soul power rating required a prolonged assault.
"That guy again?"
This dimension was bizarre beyond belief. No matter how exalted one's soul, directly damaging the Tower was impossible.
The maximum grade for creatures on Earth was fixed.
Yet here it was. A being born and raised on Earth, yet acting like it came from another world.
Even if an insect received genetic blessings and birthed a mighty specimen, it only ruled among insects. It couldn't beat its natural predators.
Much less overwhelming reptiles or mammals with sheer talent after escaping the insect category? Maybe possible.
But total domination? That defied the natural order.
The natural order was simply... natural. Logically and realistically impossible, yet it kept happening.
Sure, individuals transcending limits appeared occasionally in other dimensions too. That's what Conquerors like AT-200 were for.
But even that was for those breaking their species' limits.
It didn't apply once you escaped biological constraints.
No matter how mighty the creature, none could punch a planet apart. No highly intelligent being could touch divine creation.
"So why? How is this possible?"
Lena couldn't comprehend it. She'd even suspected a god sneaking in disguised as a climber.
A photo of one climber and a list of peculiarities appeared.
Name: Moon Byul
Grimoire user wielding magic. Peculiarity: does not use atmospheric mana at all.
Species: Human, naturally.
Mages inevitably drew in mana particles to use. The mana a living being could hold was pathetically weak to begin with.
Yet this Moon Byul wielded devastating magic using only his own mana.
Magic surpassing the human vessel by leaps and bounds, smashing the Tower like it was a cookie tower.
To Lena, Moon Byul's jar wasn't ordinary. It was a mystical jar that never filled, no matter how much water you poured in.
So where did the water in the jar go? Was the space inside transcending spacetime, expanding into an infinite universe?
Moon Byul's level wasn't even worthy of being called a climber, yet his qualifications were impeccable, leaving Lena utterly perplexed.
"I don't know. Guess I should just do my job."
From the vast universe's perspective, she was merely a tiny cog in a intricate machine. She just managed the Tower.
If that entity ever conquered the Tower, she wouldn't need to worry.
Hurry up and climb. To the top.
So I can sleep again.
The scorched Gwanghwamun Square lay in ruins.
Damage was impossible to gauge at a glance, but to Alex's eyes, it was almost negligible.
The Conqueror clearly had aces up its sleeve. It hadn't used the weapons on its waist or shown its full mobility.
Capturing it with just a small—no, massive—sinkhole in the city was Powerball-level luck.
Of course, it was Korea's luck, not his. Magic had no such thing as luck.
Alex knew intuitively. That man was the Moon Byul he'd been searching for.
No need to nitpick.
He'd never seen an attack like that before. That alone was proof enough.
As the enemy vanished, the Korean Association miraculously cordoned off the area. Jeremy and I were summoned to the Association per their orders.
I'd planned to bolt, but with the laser guy hovering in the center, escape was off the table.
Pointless. I'd get caught for sure. Worst case, killed.
Best to just follow orders. This wasn't America; they wouldn't eat me alive.
My goal was meeting this guy anyway. In a positive light, mission accomplished.
"What's your connection to that unidentified machine, Alex?"
"None at all."
Afterward, a barrage of questions from the Association President and Jeremy.
"So that humanoid machine was the Conqueror?"
"Just a guess, but yeah, seems like it."
Truth be told, I wasn't sure about that part either.
"Alex, why'd you pull that stunt in China?"
"Told you, similar situation, but no witnesses."
Most misunderstandings seemed cleared up. I glossed over the regression details. With Ronnie watching, lies were pointless anyway.
Just some honest deflection.
Jeremy might not fully trust me, but he didn't think I was lying.
"Then put in a good word for me. I'm really innocent."
"I'll talk to the Americans."
Meeting Moon Byul resolved Jeremy's wild suspicions too.
He'd thought I resurrected and puppeted the guy. My power creep didn't help my image.
My summons were mindless combat puppets. No necromancy skills. If I could, I wouldn't act so inefficiently.
Jeremy said he'd handle the warrant, so my fugitive days were over.
"So why is the great Solo here?"
"I'll explain that, President."
Nana often vouched for me. She showed dislike, but trusted me plenty.
"He's a criminal bastard, but he hasn't crossed the line. Hell, he's been a huge help..."
Hard to say now, but she'd definitely trusted me before.
No witnesses forcing him to flee China, coming to Korea for an oracle's power, and wanting to talk to Moon Byul.
The President had plenty to say but overlooked the minor issues.
"So why'd you come to see me?"
"That's because he's a reg—"
I hesitated, and the perceptive President cleared the room.
Not out of trust in me, but consideration for this man.
"No need to worry about bugs."
"Thank you for that, President."
"Thanks, Korean Association President."
Soon, only Moon Byul and I remained.
"You... you definitely called me a regressor earlier while looking at me."
"What did I say?"
"Regressor."
"And?"
"How'd you know?"
Alex's mind had been filled with this man even before arriving here. What was his true nature?
Magic transcending climbers, an existence outside perception in all the timelines he'd regressed through.
Where did this being come from? Why was he here? What had he been doing that he never existed in the regressed timelines?
Everything was a riddle.
"Time."
"What?"
"I knew because your age is so advanced."
Regression naturally reverted the body to that time too. Only the mind traveled from future to past.
"What're you talking about? Even if I'm farsighted..."
"Not your appearance. Your soul's age didn't match your body."
"Soul's age?"
Moon Byul slowly approached and placed a hand on my chest. In normal circumstances, I'd have decked his jaw, but the mood kept me still.
"Mr. Alex, your soul's age is nearly 50. A soul that old in a young body screamed regressor to me."
"You can see souls too?"
"Hard to explain, so just take my word for it."
What was a regressor? Someone traveling back in time to challenge endlessly? That's the usual view.
Going back to the past defined a regressor.
But from a regressor's perspective?
It wasn't me going back. It was the world excluding me.
The world—everyone but me—returned to the past, while I moved forward.
My clock ticked onward even as everyone else's ran backward.
A solitary battle no one acknowledged or remembered.
He wouldn't remember after the next regression either, but at least I'd met someone who recognized it now.
Even in future loops, this man alone would know I'd regressed.
"Who the hell are you? How'd you not exist in past loops? To me, you appeared out of nowhere. You weren't in any loop."
Moon Byul seemed lost in thought at my words.
"I have questions too. Asking who I am? Hard to give an answer you'd accept, Mr. Alex. My responses would be philosophical, not what you want."
"...What's your goal?"
"What's yours, Mr. Alex?"
"Answering a question with a question?"
Moon Byul smiled faintly.
"I meant, were you regressing endlessly because something about this world dissatisfied you?"
"Obviously. This damn world keeps falling apart."
"So you kept coming back to prevent its destruction."
"Isn't that obvious?"
"You've had it rough. Thanks to you, we got a new chance too."
"..."
For a moment, words failed me.
What was this? This guy was melting my heart a bit.
I roughly got his answer. If he had some grand purpose, he'd phrased it as preventing the Tower's annihilation.
"You called yourself a regressor—what do you know? I'm curious too. Your stories... what happened?"
"Long tale..."
A regressor's greatest pain?
All those events really happened, yet vanished with regression. No record anywhere.
They lingered only in my heart, my mind.
Even reuniting after regression, they weren't my comrades anymore. Same faces, different people from who I knew.
I buried the disconnect inside, rebuilding bonds with these new people wearing familiar faces.
But...
"Why'd we only meet now?"
Where had this man been, and what was he doing in past loops?