Grab the Regressor by the Collar and Debut - Chapter 117
—————
This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
—————
117. The Reason for Action (4)
“Are you seriously spouting that garbage take right now—that the Chosen Regressor did all that insane stuff for my sake?”
Oops.
For a moment, my unfiltered thoughts—pure, undiluted truth—spilled out without warning.
I hastily raised my hand to apologize to Thirteen, but my mouth, still running without a filter, continued to unleash a thousand percent of all the grievances I’d accumulated.
“What the hell is that bastard doing? I’ve regressed so many times I can’t even remember anymore—the timelines are all jumbled together now. But while I was lying there with my shins shattered, what was that Chosen Regressor doing? What did he do? In the first few regressions, I scoured everywhere looking for anyone who seemed like a Regressor, but I couldn’t find a damn thing! I’m telling you, I couldn’t find anything! I’ve repeated this so many times that I can’t even remember what that bastard did anymore!”
Unable to hold back any longer, I went into overdrive. Thirteen automatically turned on the air conditioning (could it even do that?), brought me a bowl of cold water (this too?), and finally paused the presentation before playing some ASMR and nature meditation music to soothe my mind.
At this point, I figured I should just accept it as “Kang Ha-jin’s imagination becomes reality”—though it wasn’t really reality, nor was it my imagination, but whatever.
[System Alert: Please have some of this and calm down.]
[System Alert: (I haven’t even said anything harsher yet, and I’m worried about what to do…)]
[System Alert: ヽ(;゚;∀;゚; )ノ]
“And that’s not even the end of it!?”
[System Alert: Oh dear!]
[System Alert: Σ(; ・`д・´)]
[System Alert: (Momentarily forgetting that even my thoughts are visible, I’m panicking…!)]
“You’re really something else, aren’t you?”
What was I doing by myself?
I was so dumbfounded I couldn’t even laugh.
“Alright, I’m ready. I’m confident nothing you say will shock me anymore. Just throw it at me now.”
At this point, I’d already committed. I was confident I wouldn’t be surprised even if the Chosen Regressor turned out to be my mother.
[System Alert: ….]
[System Alert: W-well then. I’ll tell you.]
[System Alert: ヾ(。>﹏ Like in Kang Ha-jin’s case, managed through the mental care system
The two personalities didn’t fuse together,
but instead were completely separated.
The Returner = Used to be a time manager
Unknown reason why he’s coaxing the Chosen Regressor into regressing
Tried to destroy my mental care system this time > Why?
What does this bastard want?
“For now, that’s it. Right?”
[System Alert: …Hmm. Let me add just one more thing.]
As the System spoke, a new sentence appeared on the final line.
…
What does this bastard want?
+
It desires regression to repeat
in some form or another
[System Alert: This is a hypothesis I’ve been considering while investigating during this infinite regression incident….]
Thirteen hesitated before opening the window.
[System Alert: Perhaps what the Returner is after is ‘timelines that have passed’.]
[System Alert: More precisely… ‘abandoned timelines’ created as regression repeats.]
With that, another title appeared on the presentation.
【03. Who is the ‘fundamental personality’ of the Chosen Regressor?】
Clues confirmed so far
(based on abandoned timelines)
– Orphan
– Unknown parentage
– Special bond with the Orphanage Director
– The Orphanage Director’s
death
became the trigger for regression
“I’ve already heard all of this before, right? But among the trainees now, there’s no orphan. The only one who doesn’t live with their parents is Yoo Gun, but… Yoo Gun doesn’t seem like someone who regressed. His current living conditions look too difficult for that. It’s probably not him.”
Even Yoo Gun, who came closest to matching these conditions, didn’t perfectly align with this profile. Besides, Yoo Gun seemed to know what his parents looked like. At least he’d lived with them until his younger siblings were born.
[System Alert: That’s correct.]
[System Alert: As of now, there are no matching conditions.]
[System Alert: However, this investigation has uncovered additional clues regarding the Chosen Regressor.]
[System Alert: …Let me show you this.]
With those words, new conditions were added below.
【03. Who is the ‘fundamental personality’ of the Chosen Regressor?】
Clues confirmed so far
(based on abandoned timelines)
– Orphan
– Unknown parentage
– Special bond with the Orphanage Director
– The Orphanage Director’s
death
became the trigger for regression
+
– Only son living with wealthy parents
– Genius-level intellect
– Enrolled in university and took on his first class representative role
– Went to the Military
– Didn’t go to the Military
– Went on an overseas trip
– Never obtained a passport
– Learned an instrument
– Exercised
….
“What… is this?”
From beginning to end, an endless list of inconsistent conditions poured forth. As if to visually demonstrate that madman’s regression count, the list truly seemed to have no end.
And among them, there existed conditions that could never be changed by human will, or that contradicted one another.
For instance…
“He’s an orphan, right? But how did he live a life with parents? And what does it mean he went to the Military but didn’t go? He traveled overseas but has no passport? What in the world….”
I furrowed my brow at these incomprehensible clues, questioning them, when suddenly Thirteen’s earlier words came back to me.
That Thirteen had said the Returner seemed to be targeting ‘abandoned timelines’.
“…Could it be.”
I furrowed my brow at this hypothesis I dared not speak aloud.
Then could it be that the reason we’ve been unable to properly locate the Chosen Regressor until now was….
And as if to confirm my hypothesis was correct, Thirteen’s response came immediately.
[System Alert: Yes, I believe your thoughts are likely correct.]
[System Alert: The Chosen Regressor’s ‘core personality’ appears to be patched together from timeline fragments abandoned by others.]
[System Alert: In other words…. Without realizing it themselves, all the background circumstances of the life they’ve been living are likely false.]
[System Alert: The Returner causes numerous timelines to be abandoned through the Chosen Regressor, and using those timelines…]
[System Alert: That is to say, this is truly just a hypothesis, but.]
Even Thirteen’s words carried hesitation, as if treading carefully.
And finally, Thirteen revealed what they believed to be the Returner’s motivation.
[System Alert: The One Who Returns is probably….]
[System Alert: For reasons unknown, it seems they’re trying to become ‘human’ themselves by using those timelines.]
[System Alert: That’s why they used the Chosen Regressor and attacked you, Kang Ha-jin.]
[System Alert: …Until enough timelines are abandoned for them to become human,]
[System Alert: …the regression won’t stop.]
It was a motivation befitting this mad loop—utterly insane.
—————
This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
—————