‘No matter how much you get nerfed here compared to other novels, regression is still a cheat characteristic, right?’
[That’s true. For ability users, it’s likely an ability they would never want to give up.]
‘It’s practically the realm of future foresight, so it’s close to being omnipotent.’
Knowing an unknown future in advance is quite a benefit.
Just in a gacha game, knowing the future makes managing resources way more efficient!
‘Damn it. Why are the future timelines different for the Japanese server and the Korean server?’
[Well, didn’t you mess up at some point?]
‘I’m hitting the ceiling with this nonsense.’
To know what one will experience in the future, and what events will transpire with regression.
That’s why it’s inevitably a fascinating material easily handled in countless creative works.
[What if you could regress?]
‘You want me to assume something that doesn’t exist? That’s like saying Hyeji has a big chest—it’s cruel!’
[…..Let’s assume someone can regress.]
I felt a slight pang of guilt for Hyeji.
But what could I do about something impossible?
[What do you think would happen if someone who regretted a tragic future could regress?]
‘They’d choose a different decision to avoid a tragic future, right?’
[Exactly. If they regress, they will make choices to prevent that future.]
‘In the end, that just proves how good regression is.’
[If you could only regress once or twice, you would act very cautiously to correct only the worst mistakes.]
‘That makes sense.’
Peece hesitated for a moment, then continued the conversation.
[What if that cautious regression could happen ten times? No, what if you did it hundreds of times without any issues?]
‘……’
I couldn’t come up with a single word.
No, I couldn’t even utter a word.
Endless opportunities.
Nothing could be sweeter than that.
I had once longed for it too.
[Regressing countless times makes a person lazy, dependent, and passive.]
‘So they regress every time they’re unsure of their path, huh?’
[That’s right. Whether the choice fails or succeeds, they will definitely regress.]
‘If it’s successful, they probably regress to confirm that choice is safe.’
There’s a saying about the right way.
The righteous path. A path without failure.
People tend to want to walk the paths others have walked.
Let alone the ones they’ve experienced themselves.
They won’t hesitate to choose that path any further.
Without even considering another route.
[It’d be great if your brain worked like this normally. Why is it only good when it’s about the settings?]
‘Let’s keep it quiet. Just think of it as literary liberty for the development.’
It felt like someone might mistake me for a Hunter if I kept poking at that sore spot.
[That’s why regressing countless times for a more perfect life is essential.]
‘Of course, a truly perfect life doesn’t exist.’
[Correct. No matter how far you regress from the future, or how often you regress, it’s impossible to create a perfect life.]
‘Still, they’ll likely go through many regressions for a perfect life. Avoid bad futures and follow guaranteed paths.’
Let’s take an example.
Like painting—if you don’t like something, you hit Ctrl+Z and keep going back to create the perfect picture.
This is also an act directed towards a perfect picture.
People are regressing for a perfect life.
However, there’s one point where this world’s regression is a bit different.
I pointed that out.
‘Isn’t there a cooldown where you can only regress once in this world?’
[Right. To regress again, you need a waiting time longer than the time you just regressed.]
‘Why put a cooldown element like that? Did they code it wrong?’
[Who do you think granted this regression ability?]
‘I have no clue!’
Peece continued his calm voice.
[The creator of this world gave regression abilities to everyone because they were unsatisfied with their futures.]
‘What an irresponsible jerk.’
[Exactly. The problem is that the regression back then didn’t require waiting times like it does now.]
‘But now it does, right?’
In that instant, it felt like I heard Peece smirking.
[Isn’t that because you exist?]
‘Why am I suddenly included in this?’
[I mentioned before that you’re an observer, right?]
‘When did you say that?’
[About around chapter 24, I think.]
I remembered.
That was when I was fighting the Ear Goblin.
I even recalled cursing a lot because I thought they were telepathically fishing.
[Since you are the reference point, regression before the timeline you’re in now is impossible.]
‘So that’s what caused the cooldown?’
[Wouldn’t it be great if your brain worked like this all the time! Why are you such a lunatic most of the time?]
‘What can I do if I’m born this way? I need to grasp reincarnation or possession!’
But something felt a bit off.
The fact that the irresponsible guy abandoned the world and designated someone like me as an observer.
‘So, who was the one who designated me as an observer?’
[The fragment that separated from the creator designated you as the observer, gathering the scraps.]
‘Why me? Surely there’s some noble reason behind this, right?’
I felt a bit excited.
After all, being the protagonist meant there had to be something special about it.
[……Actually, I aimed for someone named Siwoo, but I missed the mark.]
‘F*ck, of course it would be like that.’
It was utterly pointless.
[There were about four candidates. Shin Siwoo, Baek Siwoo, Yoon Siwoo, and Han Siwoo.]
‘……The last one seems like they’d be really good at exorcising (physically).’
[Show some respect. They’re way out of my league.]
‘There’s also this person called Cheon Siwoo lately, but the timing was off.’
Peece began mumbling in a slightly tired voice.
[One question you had ended up with such a lengthy conclusion.]
‘When else would I get to unload all this setting?’
[……That’s a fair point, so it’s hard to argue.]
Anyway, I gained some insight into the essence of regression.
Useful, but certainly not omnipotent.
Yet despite that, people consider it as such and regress multiple times for the best life.
While forgetting that this regression could slowly ruin their lives.
‘In the end, the creator is the problem, huh?’
[That’s correct. Life is precious and to be fought for, precisely because it cannot be turned back.]
‘….Since you can indiscriminately return, the value of that preciousness is bound to drop.’
[Sadly, that is the case.]
But there’s no reason to be criticized for seeking a life without failure.
Failure is bitter for anyone.
There’s a saying of learning from failure, but few can carelessly utter that phrase.
Because failure can knock a person down, make them sit back, and in severe cases, prevent them from standing up again.
Never again.
‘Even if we say that a life filled with failure is also precious, it must be painful for the one going through it.’
[That’s why I can’t blindly criticize those who regress.]
‘It’s simply easier and quicker to regress than to endure those pains and stand up again.’
Peece’s voice was tinged with bitterness.
I felt a similar emotion.
Had it been me, I would have chosen to regress as well.
A life without ups and downs.
Nothing could be sweeter than that.
[So do you regret your current life?]
‘…Well, it’s not so bad now. I have abilities after all.’
[Heh. Even without capabilities or seeing someone else’s regression count, you’d still be fine.]
‘Why do you think that?’
[Because I chose you.]
Peece said confidently.
But that was a lie.
‘…….Didn’t you say you missed with the aim and caught me instead?’
[…….]
‘…….Answer me, dammit.’
[Isn’t it all worked out for the best?]
At that moment, the ‘sister-making sound’ from the inner room stopped.
Instead, the door cracked open slightly, and I could hear an unintelligible small voice.
As if someone else was being spoken to, not me.
Before the words finished, Choco Hyung knocked on my door two or three times and then barked once before leaving.
It seemed like he had received instructions in the main room.
[What did they say?]
‘I told them to stop being noisy and go to bed quickly?’
[……What should I even point out first?]
‘More importantly, how did they know we were talking?’
Then Peece let out a sigh.
[Return me the intelligent Kim Shinwoo who was just chatting with me!]
‘That Kim Shinwoo is sealed within me. Give it up.’
Before Choco Hyung could knock again, I hurriedly began to pretend to sleep.
Fortunately, I didn’t hear any sounds of ‘making a sibling’ this time.
For just ten minutes.
‘What the f*ck, why are we going into round two!!!’
[Maybe it’s fine for you not to come next vacation.]
I couldn’t sleep until Choco Hyung knocked on my door two more times.
*
Since visiting Hyeji’s house, she said she could no longer invite me.
The reason being that when she tried to bring me over, Kim Baekhong shed tears of blood and went on a hunger strike.
In the end, Hyeji surrendered, and it was no longer possible to hang out at her house.
[Is that really that effective?]
‘Did a three-star general collapse from hunger strikes? It would drive all sorts of annoying people to tear him apart.’
[Well, as long as there’s an incident, they charge in headfirst, don’t they?]
By the way, I heard Hyeji’s house was prepared solely by her mother.
That made a bit more sense.
It wouldn’t be easy for a soldier to own such a house.
‘There was a reason for everything, huh?’
[Indeed. From that, Hyeji’s mother truly must have been a famous Hunter, just like she said.]
Peece reminded me of Kang Hyuk, the old man.
Kang Hyuk was also once a renowned Hunter.
‘But the next door has been half-destroyed for a while now.’
[They’ll probably live a life running away forever.]
As I thought that and stepped outside the house, I spotted a gather of people in front of the neighboring house.
They were none other than the mechanics.
The mechanics quickly installed a new door in no time.
After they left, one person watched them with a sad expression.
That would be Kang Hyuk.
Kang Hyuk was muttering sadly while looking at the newly installed door.
“Geez, there goes more money. I really have no money left.”
Seeing that old man made my emotions swell up.
Without hesitation, I waved my hand at him.
“Old man!! I’m here!!”
“Huh? What? Is it vacation already?”
Instead of answering, I started running towards him with all my strength.
Maybe I couldn’t contain the overwhelming emotions.
Unintentionally, my legs were filled with strength, and I accelerated.
I took off in a powerful leap to express my overflowing feelings.
Soaring towards Kang Hyuk.
As I did, I spread my arms wide and shouted joyfully.
“Old Man!!!!!”
“Oh. It’s been a while.”
Kang Hyuk replied flatly.
Seeing that old man, I propped my right elbow on my knee.
And with all my strength, I punched down at Kang Hyuk’s head.
“I said I’d break your head!!!! You f*cking bastard!!!!”
“Huh?”
– PBAAAAAAM!!!!!!
Caught off guard, Kang Hyuk couldn’t adapt to the sudden change and took a clean hit.
From the prologue to chapter 57.
It was a journey that could feel long or short.
