Grab the Regressor by the Collar and Debut - Chapter 53

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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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53. I Want to Go Back (3)
That’s where the memory ended.
The One’s face had been silhouetted from beginning to end, but it was easy enough to discern whose memory this was and what it meant.
“What, that’s it?”
It had to be the Chosen Regressor’s memory. The reason he underwent regression.
Right—most regressions like this typically have a clear purpose. Thinking back on all the regression stories I’d read, they all fell into categories like:
1. Avenging personal grudges, or
2. Avenging someone else’s grudges, or
3. Redeeming a wasted life, or
4. Regretting a pathetic existence.
It seemed the question I’d posed to the System wasn’t multiple choice but essay format. A sweet “opportunity” arriving at the most desperate moment. I could understand what The One must have experienced afterward without even seeing it.
[You’ll fail even if you go back. That’s your future.]
[Don’t you want to live within happy memories?]
A life lived within happy memories. A life where you could turn back to yesterday without hesitation whenever misfortune or hardship struck. Thinking about it that way, even my own life’s carousel—spinning randomly without pattern all this time—suddenly made sense.
The memory had ended, but I hadn’t returned to reality. In a space bright and transparent on all sides, the complete opposite of that vast, dark dimension I’d experienced mere hours ago, a familiar blue window materialized.
[System Alert: To facilitate smooth communication with the Fixed Regressor (Kang Ha-jin), we’ve terminated the memory slightly early and borrowed your subconscious. Time is limited!]
In other words, ask your questions quickly. I didn’t know exactly how things worked, but I understood this wasn’t the time to be stammering things like “W-what on earth is happening?”
“That memory you just showed me—it belongs to the Chosen Regressor, right?”
[System Alert: Correct.]
“I’ve been wondering about this for a while now, but why can’t you just tell me who he is? Where he lives, whose son he is?”
It seemed like it should be simple enough—just reveal his identity. But apparently it wasn’t that straightforward, because the System displayed a sweating emoticon as it expressed reluctance.
[System Alert: The ‘Chosen Regressor’ has been fleeing across numerous timelines, evading ‘destiny’.]
[System Alert: Because so many timelines have become entangled, the Chosen Regressor’s original timeline and history have been completely lost!]
“In simpler terms?”
[System Alert: We don’t know either!!˚‧º·(˚ ˃̣̣̥⌓˂̣̣̥ )‧º·˚]
“You certainly have a talent for delivering despairing news with such cheerfulness.”
Honestly, what good is this System to my Fixed Regressor existence?
“What exactly are you? What do you do? You and that red thing both.”
[System Alert: …To explain simply, we are Time Managers.]
Within the transparent space, lines of varying colors unfurled gracefully. Some fell in arcs like shooting stars that had exhausted their lifespans, while others budded anew with trembling vitality. Countless timelines bloomed and withered in endless cycles.
[System Alert: Panoramic visions, panoramas, déjà vu, jamais vu—these are all our work.]
[System Alert: We manage every timeline that comes into being. Our role is to help them each walk their own time appropriately.]
With those words, blue lights shimmered throughout the space. Countless timeline threads were connected so they wouldn’t tangle or collide, sometimes unraveled. Some lines intersected, others were severed.
Watching it all unfold was quite a strange feeling.
[System Alert: That ‘thing’ you encountered earlier was once a Time Manager like us. We’re still investigating why he created the ‘Chosen Regressor’!]
“And me? How did I end up caught in this insane temporal war?”
At that question, the aurora-like space dissolved and two new lines appeared. Those thread-like lights, one yellow and one purple, became intricately tangled and twisted from some midpoint onward, appearing as a single knotted mass.
[System Alert: We’re still investigating the exact cause, but…for some reason, the Chosen Regressor’s timeline became entangled with yours at some point.]
[System Alert: So whenever the ‘Chosen Regressor’ regresses, your timeline regresses along with it!]
[System Alert: Originally, we planned to find the ‘Chosen Regressor’, stop the regression, and erase your memories as we restored the timelines, but….]
I could guess what came next without hearing it.
“But in the end, you couldn’t find the Chosen Regressor either, and you didn’t fix the timeline.”
That voice from our first meeting echoed in my mind.
[I asked if you could stop The One.]
-The One, schmone—there’s nothing I can’t do right now except re-enlist.
[Haha, interesting.]
[Alright then, let me try this betting thing too.]
-What are you talking about? Speak clearly.
[I’ll give you a chance too. To set everything right.]
-What?
Now the system’s mechanics were finally clicking into place in my head. So basically, you couldn’t handle it yourselves and outsourced it to me, right?
“Then what about that whole ‘access denied’ and ‘no authority’ thing at the beginning?”
[System Alert: What we’re showing you by borrowing this ‘system’ is personal information recorded by our Time Management Department. It’s only natural that ordinary humans can’t access it….]
“….”
[System Alert: There are just so many vast and grand things for humans to comprehend! We have no choice but to restrict access to these records to protect you, Kang Ha-jin…!]
“….”
[System Alert: However, within the authority that doesn’t violate the rules of causality and succession, we’re doing our absolute best―!]
“…”
[System Alert: …we’ve been trying! Going forward, we promise to do even better to ensure your smooth Quest progression and mission completion!!!!]
“Ah, yeah, thanks. But if possible, I’d prefer something a bit more concrete.”
[System Notification: … … ㅗ. (I will burn this body! (〜^∇^)〜)]
The tone changed, didn’t it.
[System Alert: A-anyway, once you leave this unconscious space, the rules of the human realm will apply, and communication will be restricted again.]
[System Alert: If there’s anything else to guide you on, I’ll use this unconscious space to convey it, just like now!]
[System Alert: We must close this space soon. Is there anything else you’d like to ask before we do?]
Like waking from a dream, I could feel my consciousness in reality slowly stirring. One last question to ask… various thoughts crossed my mind, and I asked just one thing.
“How am I supposed to find the Chosen Regressor when even you don’t know who they are? And even if I found them, how would I know it’s them?”
♪♩―♬♩♪―
A familiar phone ringtone. Probably Seo Tae-hyun. The soundproofing of the Private Practice Room gradually came into view. The system, which had paused for a moment, answered.
[System Alert: You’ll be able to recognize The One.]
[System Alert: It’s not easy for human timelines to become entangled.]
[System Alert: …is what they wanted me to tell you.]
“Who?”
And then, I woke up.
* * *
I lifted my body from the floor of the cramped Private Practice Room, where I’d been lying as if collapsed. My entire body felt stiff, as if I’d actually been sleeping.
♪♩―♬♩♪―
Without even time to adjust to reality, I grabbed the phone that had been ringing persistently. The caller was Seo Tae-hyun. Three missed calls. When I answered, his calm voice came through the receiver.
-Hyung. Sorry, but I’m not about to search the Eight Provinces of Korea looking for you.
“What are you talking about?”
-Didn’t you run away because you lost to Han Sung-woo and got embarrassed?
What the hell, you bastard?
“Am I you?”
-You disappeared saying you needed time alone and won’t answer your phone, so what do you expect?
“…I must’ve switched it to silent while recording. Didn’t hear it. Sorry.”
-Forget whether you ran away or not. Get over here now. Once this ends, it’s your turn next.
“Yeah, I’ll be right there. Thanks.”
After ending the call with Seo Tae-hyun, I quickened my pace toward the Interview Room.
I tried to summon the system on my way back to the Waiting Room, but all that appeared was a message saying it was temporarily under maintenance and unavailable today. So much for doing my best—this irritating administrator was already putting up the closing sign. There really wasn’t a single system I could trust.
“Sung-woo, great work out there!”
“Yes, thank you for your hard work, Writer. I’ll head in now.”
“No, you worked so hard… Oh? Ha-jin, you’re already down? Your assigned writer was just heading upstairs to call you.”
I stopped in my tracks as I spotted Han Sung-woo and the Writer emerging from the Interview Room, apparently finished. Right, I still had this problem to deal with.
“Oh, I was just taking a call. Hyung, your interview’s done?”
“Yeah. We talked a lot about you, Ha-jin. This could be trouble.”
“Ha, it’s fine. I’m planning to talk a lot about Sung-woo hyung today too.”
I deliberately stepped closer and draped my arm across Han Sung-woo’s shoulder—he was about a head shorter than me. He laughed along with my joke, but I could feel him pushing back uncomfortably.
“…!”
Regardless, I tightened my grip and held his shoulder firmly. Han Sung-woo looked up at me with an expression that said, “Is this guy insane?” Just wait a second, you punk. Your hyung has something to say to you.
“Oh my, you two are close?”
“He was Class B’s leader before. He’s been taking care of me since I first arrived.”
“Ah, is that so?”
“But hyung probably found it easier once I came, right? Since I’m not that much younger than the others at least…. I saw hyung struggling all the time taking care of the kids. Lining them up, making them clean.”
I was implying that it was funny for a 22-year-old to play disciplinarian among high schoolers, though I wasn’t sure if it got across.
“Out of all the Class B kids, I’m probably the only one who speaks informally to hyung, right?”
“Really? Just Ha-jin?”
“Yeah, we agreed to speak informally.”
Of course, Han Sung-woo had never agreed to any such thing.
“Ha, Ha-jin?”
“I heard hyung talked a lot about me to the Team B kids this time.”
“…”
Which meant I knew full well that he’d been spreading lies about me to Team B.
“Oh, Writer. Sung-woo hyung even has a nickname. Do you know it?”
“A nickname? No, what is it? Something the trainees call him?”
“It’s a nickname only certain people use…. Oh, but it’s kind of a derogatory one, so I’m not sure.”
“Oh my, if it’s derogatory, I’m even more curious!”
“Oh, can I say this? Can I say this, hyung?”
“Ha, Ha-jin. What nickname could I possibly have?”
I flashed Han Sung-woo the brightest smile I could muster as he looked up at me with an expression that screamed, “What the hell is this crazy bastard talking about?” I leaned in close to him as if seeking permission, whispering directly into his ear.
“Parachute.”
“…!”
“It’s you, the real nepotist.”
“….”
“Can I say this?”
And that meant: you bomb, from now on I’m going to blow you up properly.

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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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