Grab the Regressor by the Collar and Debut - Chapter 518

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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518. In Search of Spring (2)
After finishing our conversation, I descended from the rooftop and returned to my room. It was partly due to Thirteen’s half-threat that if I didn’t come down immediately, he wouldn’t tell me anything.
“Alright, let’s talk about this now.”
I had already brought water and snacks from the living room, and now I spun my chair around in front of the desk, settling into a proper posture. With my goal set, it was time to devise a plan.
[System Alert: So it comes to this after all….]
[System Alert: (*´Д｀)=з]
Finally resigned, Thirteen suddenly brightened the system window with a flash. In an instant, countless system windows unfolded across the dark room. The graphics effects looked like something straight out of a Hollywood movie, and I couldn’t help but admire it internally.
‘The kid has received quite a few upgrades.’
I rapidly scanned the information with my eyes. Each piece of data displayed was important, but there was one thing that captured my attention above all else.
[Until Return to Reality]
[■■■■□□□□□□]
[43% loading….]
A progress bar similar to what I had seen before.
I instinctively realized this was a Quest I would need to complete going forward.
Sure enough, Thirteen brought that system window to the main screen and continued his explanation.
[System Alert: Do you remember when I said the situation wasn’t so bad before?]
[System Alert: That wasn’t a lie. While I can’t say the speed is fast… approximately half of the timeline has been restored so far.]
43%.
It was a far more optimistic figure than I had expected, but considering I had been trapped for roughly three years, it was certainly slow.
At the thought that it would take another ten years to return to reality at this rate, both my eyebrows twitched up and down.
As if fully aware of my thoughts, Thirteen continued calmly.
[System Alert: As you’ve already noticed, Kang Ha-jin, all you need to do is help accelerate this timeline restoration.]
“What do I need to do?”
[System Alert: Well… it’s simple, if you will.]
Whoosh—
The system windows rearranged themselves anew.
Within them were displayed my moments of glory that I knew all too well.
“This is….”
[System Alert: You simply need to do what you’ve been doing all along.]
[System Alert: Become a star.]
Why does the conversation keep flowing in that direction?
Though I let out a bewildered laugh, Thirteen remained serious.
[System Alert: We are currently working to restore this timeline—which has derailed from its original orbit and been shattered at will by The One Who Returns—back to its ‘original trajectory’.]
[System Alert: The easiest way to accomplish that is naturally to create events similar to those that occurred in the previous timeline and find the intersection points.]
[System Alert: The opposite of the actions you took to summon me.]
Thirteen added that since The One Who Returns had constructed this ‘false’ timeline based on Dan Ha-ru’s timeline, events related to Dan Ha-ru’s timeline would be most effective.
And as everyone knew, Dan Ha-ru’s past timeline was difficult to explain without Kairos.
I tilted my head in confusion and asked.
“But Kairos already exists in this timeline too, doesn’t it? How can we repeat that?”
[System Alert: It’s not necessary to repeat exactly the same events. Events with equivalent impact would be sufficient. For example….]
[System Alert: Kairos wins a major award at the Award Show Venue once more, or performs in front of numerous audiences.]
“Ah, so what you’re saying is….”
To emphasize once more, in this timeline, Kairos was a complete ‘failed group’.
Moreover, the Entertainment Agency had long since collapsed and shut down, the Group Members’ whereabouts were unknown, and the fanbase had fractured beyond division into nano-sized pieces through fan wars.
For such a Kairos to win a major award surpassing rookie awards at the Award Show Venue and perform in front of numerous audiences….
“You’re telling me to resurrect the failed group Kairos from now on?”
Damn, that’s brutal.
Though I’d steeled myself, the difficulty exceeded even my resolve, and I let out a hollow laugh while rolling my tongue against my cheek.
[System Alert: And….]
[System Alert: To accomplish this task, there is one more decision that Kang Ha-jin must make.]
“…? What is it?”
As I laughed hollowly while my mind spun, Thirteen carefully broached the subject. When I lifted my head as if asking what, Thirteen continued with a hint of hesitation.
[System Alert: This current ‘fake’ timeline is…. To explain, it’s like a car that’s run out of fuel.]
[System Alert: The Gas Station you visit daily always has just enough fuel to go 1km remaining.]
[System Alert: But once you leave the Gas Station, there’s no way to obtain fuel, so the car can only circle around the Gas Station. That’s the current situation.]
“…So?”
[System Alert: For Kang Ha-jin to reunite Kairos and successfully return to the K-pop Industry, you must first secure ‘temporal energy’ to move this timeline.]
Only then did I understand what Thirteen had said when we made a deal trading a week of time.
[System Alert: To make time move about a week in the current timeline, some temporal energy is necessary…. But I’ll do my best to procure that somehow!]
-What do you need? Is it a hassle?
[System Alert: It’s not exactly that….]
[System Alert: It’s just that this is a ‘fake’ timeline. To make an artificially created fake move like reality, fuel is inevitably needed.]
In other words, I truly had no ‘tomorrow’.
To live, I first had to create the ‘day’ to live through.
I was beginning to understand why Thirteen had said that staying still was helping me. The scale was larger than I’d thought to simply jump in with ‘I’ll do it!’
‘…Did I volunteer for nothing?’
As I contemplated whether it would be more efficient not to move now, Thirteen quickly responded as if reading all my thoughts.
[System Alert: Don’t think strange things. I only said you need to secure temporal energy, not that it’s a bothersome task.]
[System Alert: Though I hate to admit it… if we can just secure temporal energy, it’s definitely more helpful if Kang Ha-jin takes action.]
“…You’re trying to coax me with empty words right now, aren’t you?”
[System Alert: Why would I? I’d rather beg you to stay trapped in September 15th because securing temporal energy because of Kang Ha-jin is such a pain and such an imposition?]
[System Alert: ¯_( — 3 — )_/¯ ]
At Thirteen’s now blatant sarcasm, I let out another hollow laugh.
Thirteen, who glared at even that laugh with annoyance, continued the explanation.
[System Alert: In any case, Kang Ha-jin has two options.]
[System Alert: First. Wait patiently until I gather sufficient temporal energy for Kang Ha-jin to be active.]
“Rejected.”
[System Alert: Hmph, I knew you’d say that.]
[System Alert: ( `ε´ )]
“Why does this guy get more sulky the longer this goes on…?”
Ha-jin raised his eyebrows in bewilderment, but Thirteen paid no mind and continued speaking. It was clear he was genuinely upset.
[System Notification: If you dislike that option, there is a second method.]
Since the first option was not selectable, I would inevitably have to resort to the second method.
Ha-jin wiped the playfulness from his face and focused intently on what Thirteen would say next.
Soon, Thirteen spoke as if delivering an ultimatum.
[System Notification: It involves sacrificing portions of your time, Ha-jin, and converting it into temporal energy.]
“…What?”
[System Notification: We would excise certain segments from your past timeline and use them as fuel to propel your future timeline forward.]
[System Notification: Your timeline as a Fixed Regressor, Ha-jin, contains temporal energy just as vast as that of the Chosen Regressor Dan Ha-ru.]
Sacrifice the past to save the future?
Or wait quietly and do nothing.
[System Notification: Will you proceed?]
Faced with a choice that was anything but simple, Ha-jin fell silent for a moment.

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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