Terraforming - Rewound Seven Years

As the light faded, the surging mana dispersed into the air. Before my vision cleared, I shouted loudly toward Chris.

"Instructor! I'm sorry! I accidentally touched an artifact in this temple... Are you okay?!"

"We're fine here! You?"

"I'm okay too!"

- Kiiiek... The temple's brightness soon returned to normal. Seizing the moment while Victor cowered, I joined Chris's side. That's when Mahal and Chris spotted my face.

"Gasp! Chanyoung? Wha... your face has changed..."

"Chanyoung...?"

"Yeah. When I touched that artifact earlier, my face felt kinda itchy..."

"Oh my god... Well... with that insane amount of mana, I guess a miracle like this isn't surprising... Whew..."

"Chanyoung...?"

"It would've been nice if it had gotten rid of that damn monkey instead."

"Chanyoung doesn't realize it, but your face right ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠now is insanely handsome. If we survive this place... I'm jealous?"

"Chanyoung...?"

While I chatted with Mahal, Chris's dazed voice kept coming from beside me. I turned to her and said,

"Yes, it's me. Park Chanyoung. ...Is my face that weird, Instructor?"

"Chanyoung? Chanyoung? Really? Chanyoung? Chanyoung, you say? No? Huh? You died... didn't die...? Huh?"

"...Yes?"

Grab! Chris suddenly seized both my cheeks. She fumbled over them, stroking as if confirming I was really there.

"You're alive...?"

I had no idea what she was talking about. Just as I tried to respond,

- Kiiiiiek———!!!

Regaining its senses, Victor lunged at us.

'Damn it!'

Chris had lost her mind for some reason, and Mahal couldn't react properly to Victor's movement either.

Shit... I wanted to get through this without using it if possible.

I channeled mana into the blue orb in my hand.

'Please!!... Please let it be some powerful magic that kills this bastard!!...'

In the original story, Lee Kangin used this blue orb too. Even after a year of honing his swordsmanship with the yellow orb, he couldn't beat it, so he resorted to the blue orb as a last-ditch measure.

But... I didn't know what this blue orb did.

The reason was simple: the serialization of Terraforming stopped right after he used the blue orb.

Once more, intense light and mana filled the temple... and I lost consciousness.

*

"Wh... where is this...?"

"Huh?"

Murmur murmur.

A fairly spacious clearing surrounded by trees. Nearly 100 people had gathered there, chattering noisily. I was on the outskirts, a bit away from them.

It was an incredibly, incredibly familiar scene. Just like when I first entered Terraforming.

"...No fucking way..."

The three orbs in the temple. The first two had time-related powers. The one I used to change my appearance stopped time, the one Lee Kangin used rewound time, and the last one I just used...

"Was it an orb that sends your body back to the past?"

Everyone was in utter chaos. Fortunately, I was right next to the forest. I quickly ducked behind a tree and stowed my leather armor and sword in my inventory. Since I moved fast, no one in the corner seemed to notice me. The spot I'd been summoned to was a bit away from the group anyway.

Okay. Let's sort this out.

"No way?... No way?... Fuck, don't tell me it's re-enlistment?"

After finishing the toughest two months of the three-month trainee life, I'd gone back to day one. To the day I was first summoned.

...Or so I thought at first.

"Hah...! Heok...! Heok...!"

Sudden ragged breathing came from somewhere. Not normal breathing, but desperate gasps like forcing ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠air into deflated lungs.

"Heok...! Haak...! Heok...! Heok...!"

I turned to see a blonde woman nearby hyperventilating in a panic. Clear symptoms of hyperventilation. If left like this, she could actually die.

I rushed over, grabbed her shoulders, and made her face me. I absolutely couldn't get agitated. My calm had to transfer to her. Speaking slowly with a deep, steady voice,

"It's okay. Look at me. Breathe in... and out. Again. In..."

"Heok! Heok!... Hoo... Haa... Hoo... Th-thank... you..."

"Not done yet. Focus. In... out. Do it."

"Y-yes... Hoo... Haa..."

She was clearly terrified. The noisy surroundings, the sudden teleportation outside, my hands on her shoulders, even meeting my eyes. Symptoms of severe social anxiety.

Once she calmed, I released her shoulders.

...Something felt off about ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠her. No special accessories, but her face was made up. Someone with social anxiety doing makeup to show others? Necklace, earrings, not even a ring—just makeup? Weird... no, very weird.

"Park Chanyoung. Nice to meet you."

"Ah... uh... yes... thank... I-I'm..."

"Deep breaths. Deep breaths."

"Hoo... haa... haa... Yes... I'm Ch-Chris Bennett."

What? A familiar name. Most wouldn't know it, but I did—from the system window. Gwangnyeon-i's real name was Chris Bennett.

Coincidence? Probably. The Chris Bennett I knew—Gwangnyeon-i—wasn't blonde. Sunset-red hair was her trademark.

...Fine, dye job. But Gwangnyeon-i's face wasn't this flawless; she had faint freckles... Damn! Makeup! That's why!

"Status Window."

"Pardon...?"

The blonde woman looked puzzled at my words, but I ignored her. I needed to confirm the truth.

Pathetically low stats. But I didn't care about them. Only the trait Compassion jumped out at me.

Haha... fuck... it wasn't two months back...

I'd gone back seven years. And... a shock rattled my brain.

"Ah!"

Now it made sense. The mystery that hadn't been solved until now.

The first day in Terraforming. Why things unfolded differently from the original despite no variables from me.

Why Gwangnyeon-i didn't say Lee Kangin looked like her "ex" on sight.

Why those two clashed unlike in the original novel.

Of course. In the original, Lee Kangin used the blue orb and went back seven years.

That's why Gwangnyeon-i didn't recognize him on day one in the original. The description said after using the yellow orb for a year, his image had completely changed.

Plus, given Lee Kangin's personality prioritizing his true self, he'd likely use a fake name in the chaos.

But now? I'd come here in Lee Kangin's place.

It was natural Gwangnyeon-i didn't recognize me at first glance. I'd changed so much from two months ago in Terraforming standards that I was a completely different person. Recognizing me just from the name would've been weirder.

...So that's why she ragged on my name like that?

Probably... I couldn't be sure, but my gut said Victor the Baekwonhu targeting me instead of Lee Kangin was tied to this incident.

"...Do you know what's going on, Chanyoung? You seem... way too calm..."

I shook my head.

"No. I don't know either. But we'll find out soon. See that group coming this way?"

Thud thud. Footsteps of over a dozen people approached from afar.

Probably... the instructors from seven years ago.

"Attention!! From now on, this group is under my command!"

The voice drilled into my ears. Same mana-infused tone as Brack's on day one, but the feel was vastly different. An overwhelming pressure crushed me. A heavy compulsion to focus on the owner's words.

I opened the status window of the man who seemed to be calling us.

"What the fu...ck..."

The charm stat I'd barely considered before. I was feeling its power acutely now.

When Brack led them, more protested than followed. Now?

"I'll ask a few questions! Answer honestly! No harm will come—I assure you beforehand!"

Everyone obeyed without resistance, even spilling personal details meekly. This was magic territory.

Even I would've followed blindly without Natural Healing soothing my mind. And...

'Gerard...!'

An unforgettable name. We'd never seen his face, but Gwangnyeon-i named a goblin after him.

The nail in the coffin: his job wasn't instructor like Brack or Gwangnyeon-i.

He was a Revolutionary.

'That bastard... becomes the rebel leader seven years from now...'

I scrutinized his face intently.

*

In the end, I chose Combatant again. My base stats had risen, so endurance training was a breeze now.

After that, it was the same. Headed to central command for approval, then to the training camp.

For some reason, I was assigned to the Northern Training Camp, just like in the future seven years ahead.

The difference? Fewer trainees. Twenty now versus fifty then.

I recalled a conversation from ages ago, proving my worth to Lee Kangin. Combatants weren't urgently needed yet. Primary production like farming took priority.

Nothing special. Arrived at camp, got a world briefing, assigned a room, slept.

...

"Heok... heok..."

Groans echoed everywhere. Training was brutal from day one. Complaints flew, but no group rebellion.

'Gwangnyeon-i and Brack went all out acting to instill that discipline...'

Gerard milked his ability fully. Pushed trainees to the limit charisma allowed.

Naturally, I stood out. Couldn't even fake exhaustion without breaking a sweat.

"Been working out?"

"Yes. Endurance training, Instructor."

"...Good."

During ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠group sessions, I subtly looked after Chris Bennett, who kept dropping from fatigue.

Why go the extra mile? Seeing her explained it.

Current Chris Bennett was... too fragile. Physically, mentally. She seemed ready to shatter anytime, sticking in my mind. We had a connection, even if seven years apart.

Gerard was born to suppress rebellion but no talent as instructor. Unlike Brack and Gwangnyeon-i analyzing individuals, he mass-produced soldiers, hammering until they met standards.

Thus, Chris—always falling short—spent more time collapsed than standing.

Time flew. I wondered if I'd waste seven years like this, but checking my status window proved otherwise.

"Status Window."