Chapter 268
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Translator: 8uhl
Chapter: 268
Chapter Title: Fate Will Not Change
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Your fate will not change. Accept the given fate.
Fate cannot be changed, huh.
What a phrase that really rubs me the wrong way.
Of course. Fate is something that absolutely cannot be altered.
Baal gazed at the inscription with a satisfied look in his eyes.
No matter how great a human might be, altering one's given fate was impossible.
"Interesting."
Jeong Hoon's twisted expression had smoothed out before he knew it.
Interesting?
"Yeah. I'm thinking of proving that this damn crystal ball is wrong."
Wrong?
It was incomprehensible.
That crystal ball was one that divined fate.
Unless one was a Transcendent of Heavenly Realm level or higher, even he himself couldn't defy the fate shown by the crystal ball.
How could a mere human do it?
That's why he called it arrogance.
"Yeah. It's wrong. I'm going to change this goddamn fate."
Ho.
Jeong Hoon closed the inscription.
So what kind of fate has you this pissed off?
'Master, calm down. Just ignore what that crystal ball says.'
No.
Having perfectly subjugated the Reaper had allowed him to see much farther into the future.
And the idea that fate couldn't be changed meant...
'That I can't end this fucking game.'
What Jeong Hoon ultimately desired.
The end of New World.
And in doing so, bringing peace to the world.
But the crystal ball was saying that was impossible.
'Then I'll prove it's wrong.'
It wouldn't be easy, but that's what he'd been running toward.
The same even after his regression.
If he could end New World, he was prepared to do anything.
To do that, he needed even more power.
What could he do to end the game when he couldn't even handle a single Lord-level Transcendent?
Settling rewards.
An utterly unbelievable achievement!
You can obtain the highest reward!
Please select one reward of your choice!
Reward settlement.
A list of five items appeared before Jeong Hoon.
'No need to agonize over it.'
He'd even made a bet with Baal.
The purpose of coming here was solely to restore the pocket watch.
"God's Blessing."
So without even looking at the other four items, it was God's Blessing.
You have acquired 'God's Blessing.'
Done.
He'd successfully obtained God's Blessing.
Unlike the Ultimate Restoration Potion, God's Blessing was an item in the form of a small stone.
'Before regression, this was something I couldn't even dream of touching.'
God's Blessing
-Type: Consumable
-Rank: ?? (Rank undetectable)
-A mysterious stone imbued with the power of a god.
-Restores items that have lost their functions.
With God's Blessing, he should be able to restore the broken pocket watch.
Jeong Hoon took the pocket watch from his inventory.
You can restore the 'Broken Pocket Watch.'
The message appeared.
Jeong Hoon's lips curled up to his ears.
"Baal, looks like I win."
Yes...... I lost.
"Let's talk more after the restoration."
For now, restoring this pocket watch came first.
Restoring 'Broken Pocket Watch.'
The materials required for restoration are 'God's Blessing' and 'Ultimate Restoration Potion.'
The materials disappear.
The Ultimate Restoration Potion and God's Blessing vanished, then seeped into the pocket watch.
The hands of the broken pocket watch began to move again.
Psyche's Pocket Watch
-Type: Clock
-Rank: ???
-A clock imbued with the power of Psyche, the Goddess of Fate.
-Using the clock allows travel to a time based on the user's memories. (However, the maximum stay is 120 hours.)
-Not restricted by dimensions.
-Disappears after one use.
A truly insane item.
An item that allowed time travel, no less.
He didn't know what Mist wanted, but it seemed he desired to use this watch to go back to the past.
Since the watch allowed travel to a desired time based on one's own memories.
'Jackpot......'
As Jeong Hoon blankly fiddled with the watch, new messages flooded in.
You have restored an item containing Psyche's power.
You have achieved a staggering feat.
1,000,000p has been awarded.
Achievement Points of 1,000,000 have been awarded.
The Temple of Fate has been changed to the Temple of Psyche, Goddess of Fate.
I see.
So the owner of this temple was Psyche.
Psyche.
One of the five Named, the goddess who governed fate.
He'd suspected, but to think this temple belonged to Psyche.
Baal let out a sigh.
We blocked Mist from taking it, and now a human has gone and restored it.
"Was this the secret of the pocket watch you mentioned?"
Yes. The owner of that pocket watch is Psyche.
A name even Baal couldn't utter lightly.
"Then you owe me the bet's reward?"
The reward for the bet.
It was to fill up all the Ultimate Energy that Jeong Hoon lacked.
Do you think this will change your fate?
"It won't change. But I can get stronger than I am now."
Even after reaching the power of the Heavens, he couldn't handle a single Lord-level.
But if he reached Ultimate power, something might change.
So he planned to take it one step at a time without rushing.
...Hah, damn it. I shouldn't have made that bet if I knew this would happen.
Gambling was the shortcut to ruin, after all.
"Be careful next time."
Jeong Hoon grinned.
Then a message appeared before him.
Ultimate Energy has reached Max.
You have qualified to acquire Ultimate Power.
To acquire Ultimate Power, you must complete all Ultimate Path quests.
Done.
Now, if he completed all the Ultimate Path quests, he could acquire Ultimate Power.
Of course, there was something to do first.
'I need to look into the power that sent me to the past.'
The energy that sent him to the past.
The unknown power he'd acquired while averting Earth's destruction once before.
With this watch, figuring it out shouldn't be hard.
'And revenge.'
He had no lingering attachments to the past.
After regression, he'd succeeded in protecting his mother, whom he'd longed for so much, and she was now solidly growing as Genesis's sniper.
The one lingering regret was the betrayers led by James Marcus, who put him in this state.
Exact revenge on that group.
'But revenge on these current guys wouldn't be true revenge.'
The true revenge Jeong Hoon sought was ending the game and stripping away their power.
The reason was that these current ones weren't strictly betrayers.
They hadn't become comrades yet, nor killed him.
That's why he'd only punished them thoroughly when they crossed the line.
But if he could set his past memories and head there, things would be different.
Returning to the time of betrayal and eliminating them.
"Hey, Baal."
What?
"What happens if I use this?"
What do you want to ask?
"Whether you can intervene."
Do you think that makes sense? It's the power to go back to the past. I can't do anything.
As expected.
Then he could use it without worry.
At least the fact that he was a regressor wouldn't be exposed.
Jeong Hoon infused mana into the pocket watch.
His vision went dark, and a hologram message appeared before him.
It was so dark he couldn't see anything around him.
Please select the time point you wish to return to.
The time point he wished to return to.
Strictly speaking, the time Jeong Hoon aimed for wasn't the past, but the future.
And that future existed in Jeong Hoon's memories.
Using Psyche's Pocket Watch.
As he used the pocket watch, Jeong Hoon's body was swallowed by light.
When his vision returned, an unfamiliar landscape unfolded before him.
"......Where is this?"
Jeong Hoon looked around.
If this was the time point he'd crossed to, it should definitely be Seoul.
Seoul, which had been utterly destroyed but successfully rebuilt.
Yet now, not even a trace of that Seoul remained.
"What the...... hell?"
There wasn't even rubble.
It was as if it had never existed, completely erased.
"You damn bastards, you couldn't prevent the end after all."
Jeong Hoon clenched his fists.
The ones who betrayed him for the absurd reason of not wanting to lose power.
They'd run at first to end the game, but when a way to end it was found, they spouted nonsense about maintaining it.
And this was the result?
Before regression, he'd had Episode 99 right in front of him.
So they betrayed him to prevent reaching 100 and reaching the Designer.
In that case, they should've at least prevented destruction to maintain it.
And wrecked it like this?
"You dogshit bastards."
Of course, reaching 100 didn't mean the game could be ended.
It only gave the chance to approach the Designer.
But having been betrayed in a situation where he didn't know that, Jeong Hoon's rage peaked.
"I wanted to go back to the point where destruction was prevented, if possible."
Unfortunately, it seemed he'd failed to hit the exact point.
"Uh? Who might you be......?"
Then, a small voice reached his ear.
Jeong Hoon's head turned automatically.
There, two men were cautiously approaching him.
"Quiet."
Jeong Hoon stepped into Supremacy of the Heavenly Demon, reaching them in an instant.
"Hup!"
"Sorry, but could I see your Watch for a moment?"
New World Watch.
At this time, all communication systems ran on the New World Watch.
This was also a system created by Transcendents to monitor everything.
"F-First, we need to know who you are."
The man's eyes were filled with wariness.
"You don't recognize me?"
Jeong Hoon pointed at his own face.
At this time, he was making a name for himself as All Master.
Since he'd personally averted destruction once.
Practically no one didn't know him.
"Eh?! Could you be Jeong Hoon?"
"Wait, but you look too young for that......?"
The two turned on their Watches and searched for Jeong Hoon.
The Jeong Hoon before them looked much younger, but not unrecognizable.
Plus, the nickname he commonly used.
Though the level was different, the nickname "Hoon" was exclusively owned by Jeong Hoon.
"Due to circumstances, I look like this, but I'm the Jeong Hoon you know."
Confirming the nickname, they nodded.
"Y-Yes...... But why the Watch?"
"I just need to check something."
"Ah, got it."
At those words, the man handed his Watch to Jeong Hoon.
The first thing Jeong Hoon checked was the date.
And he learned that 6 months had passed since he'd averted destruction once.
'Just 6 months......'
Right before regression, Seoul had still been intact.
Meaning the capital of Korea had fallen in a mere half year.
"What the hell happened in that half year?"
At Jeong Hoon's question, the man's expression darkened rapidly.
"All Master went missing...... and destruction hit consecutively. That's why Seoul was wiped out."
Jeong Hoon frowned.
As expected.
"More than that, you thought I was missing?"
"Yes. James Marcus announced it."
"I see......"
You damn bastard.
Betray him and then publicly declare him missing?
"More importantly, where have you been all this time, All Master?"
"It's a long story. Where are the other survivors?"
"Ah, we're from Namyangju. We're here checking for reconstruction."
"Good to hear that side is safe."
"Yes. It's a hopeless situation, but we're trying to hold on somehow. Have you met your comrades?"
Jeong Hoon's lips twitched.
Comrades.
No, betrayer bastards.
He'd have to give up the unknown power due to the time discrepancy, but revenge was still on the table.