Chapter 433
[Time Reversal… It really does exist!]
The wooden table was filthy, covered in acc.u.mulated grime and waste. The purified water was only in a small cup, which barely looked like cups I had seen in my life. The b.a.s.t.a.r.d was slumped lifelessly on the table, then looked up at me, grasping the gloomy atmosphere of the rest stop. The curiosity glimmered in its eyes even in its weakened state.
[Then, I will start the stage…]
“Wait.”
We had not actually traveled back in time. However, the mental world formed based on old memories and unconscious thoughts naturally recreated everything based on the pattern just before it took shape. If it looked in its original form, then characters would react as if the old Guide had appeared. Given that this area was under the jurisdiction of Revolucion, most characters would revere this b.a.s.t.a.r.d like a deity.
That was why I ordered it to take on a human from this time. It moved to a spot across from me and transformed into a black-haired girl, similar to what it had turned into before. Its outfit was designed to blend in, mimicking the gear of other Awakened.
[Then, I will start the stage.]
Time began to flow in the frozen world. The first sound I heard was a radio broadcast. Revolucion’s propaganda filled the air, highlighting the accomplishments of their elite attack squads and urging faith in the System. Their stories of valor were not about quests or battles with the Seven Demon Kings Corps but mostly about past battles with the Eighth Evil’s corps.
I rummaged through my belongings. As expected, I found the talisman I always carried with me in the past. It was frayed as only one page had been left intact, but it was a part of the bank account my father had opened for me.
However, that single page had been repeatedly soaked in blood and then dried such that it was difficult to recognize what it originally looked like. Even now, the talisman was stained in blood.
Yes. This was not long after the battle at the gate. It was when I had finally gathered enough points to open a challenger box.
The view outside the window was filled with beggars. As they couldn’t enter the exclusive s.p.a.ce of the Awakened, all they could do was cling to the window. The windows were placed higher than a child’s height, so only the tops of the kids’ heads were visible.
However, there were only a few children, so most of them were adults. They were all dirty and extremely emaciated, so it was hard to tell their age. Also, the length of their hair was the only way to distinguish their gender.
I had referred to them as beggars earlier, but they were ordinary civilians. They were one of the few human groups that remained in the world, but their survival had been unfortunate for them.
[I, Lu-neah, finally understand. Doom Man, you have walked the path of asceticism like a monk. Without you, humanity would have been annihilated. Only you could have accomplished such a feat.]
[You are indeed great. My loyalty has deepened.]
Then, I saw a man who had been watching us approach. He came from behind the counter and was the manager of the rest area. He was wearing the emblem of Revolucion like a medal on his chest.
“Don’t you need a healer, ma’am?”
He was asking the b.a.s.t.a.r.d, alternately looking at its injured face and armor. Of course, it was not for free, and there was a separate reason for his approach.
The a.s.shole glanced at me and took out an identification card, the same one issued directly by the Revolucion at the time. Its card had a high ranking as the manager freaked out. There were six stars on the ID card. This meant that it had the right to cast six votes, and only those of a Named rank in the Revolucion enjoyed such privileges.
“I am so sorry for not recognizing you, ma’am. If you need anything, please feel free to call on me, Ms. Lou Lenah.”
It was then that I remembered why I had chosen this area as my last base. There were not many cities left as survival areas, but among the few options, Revolucion’s jurisdiction was special. The grotesque zombies clinging to the window outside were much better than other cities.
I realized that it was difficult to even find zombies in other areas. That was especially true for the First Evil’s area as it only had slaves who were responsible for the city’s filthy ch.o.r.es. Ordinary civilians were injected with an Awakened agent and used as military forces until they died. That was why I brought my mother here in the past.
***
The situation here in the past was similar to the current real world. In the past, I had wished for the annihilation of both the Eight Evils and Eight Virtues, and now I wished for the extermination of Doom Kaos’ and the Old One’s groups.
However, I had no intention to fight in the past compared to the present. The sense of loss was formed at an earlier time, and I had almost given up on confronting the Eight Evils and Eight Virtues. I was not capable of it.
Looking back, my life was just about running away by using Chaser and my S-cla.s.s Sense. I had wasted a lot of time on various strategies, but I could never catch up with the Eight Evils’ and the Eight Virtues’ growth and speed.
Moreover, this was the end of the past era. The only remaining survival regions were the ones directly governed by the sixteen members of the Eight Evils and the Eight Virtues. The areas occupied by humans were tiny. Both Eight Evils and Eight Virtues’ groups were so far from each other that it was impossible to fight against each other.
Therefore, the future of humanity was doomed to extinction if their groups were destroyed. How would I have felt at the opportunity to travel back in time amidst such circ.u.mstances?
I was not swept away by excitement even when choosing the time to go back. My once-faded fighting spirit just filled heavily into me again, without any joy. Anyway, I didn’t want to face the world just before the time reversal ever again.
As the b.a.s.t.a.r.d lay on the table as if it was hard for it to stay still in a chair, I came back to my senses. I applied the abilities of the past to my current abilities. I had brought over the system of opening boxes corresponding to points. As soon as I evoked my Sixth Sense, a message from the old system appeared, not the b.a.s.t.a.r.d’s message.
[Would you like to open a challenger box?]
“Of course.”
[You have opened a challenger box.]
At the moment the box lid fluttered to open, my eyes widened. Then, a brilliant burst of light poured in. The light, which could no longer excite me, reached straight for my chest. I felt an insignia become imprinted on my chest, but my nerves were focused on the sensation I felt when the lid opened.
[You have obtained the insignia ‘Time Reversal.’]
[Time Reversal (insignia)
Effect: You can go back to a specific time once. However, you must use it within one minute.
Cla.s.s: S]
[Remaining time (Insignia ‘Time Reversal’): 59 seconds]
[Remaining time (Insignia ‘Time Reversal’): 58 seconds]
What was that feeling just now?
At the moment the box was about to open, not only were the areas responsible for Night Eye and Explorer response but also the Overlord zone. They all vigorously shook, and I felt something momentarily.
Finding a way to revive Yeon-Hee was the main goal, but the ‘truth’ was contained in what I just felt, which couldn’t be ignored. The unconsciousness indeed recorded the truth of that time about whether it was Doom Kaos or the Old One who gave me the chance to go back in time!
I told the b.a.s.t.a.r.d, “Reset the stage.”
***
I had checked multiple times, but it was the same as what I had felt initially. I witnessed two Powers conflicting just before the box opened. One was similar to the energy that locked my Power, so it was the power of Doom Kaos. The other was, without a doubt, the power of the Old One.
I checked one last time.
[You have opened a challenger box.]
At the moment the box lid fluttered! The two energies clashed, then Doom Kaos’s Power was pushed away in an instant. Therefore, the only remaining energy was that of the Old One when the box opened.
So… it was the Old One… who gave me the opportunity to go back in time?
It was different from what I had speculated. There was a time when I believed the Old One had given me the chance, but when I realized how little the Old One thought of me and humanity and how great its attachment to Saint Dragorin was, I discarded that idea. Thus, I began to think it was Doom Kaos.
Time Reversal contained a grand and immense power. Even cosmic beings like the Old One and Doom Kaos had to be cautious when using such power.
But… The Old One tried to kill me like a dog during my battle against Doom Dejire. I couldn’t believe that it had used such vast power to kill a low-ranked monarch like Doom Dejire. That was stupid. Hence, I a.s.sumed Doom Kaos had made me grow quickly.
However, the truth laid before me pointed to the Old One. I couldn’t deny it. It was the Old One who had given me the opportunity to go back in time.
[...Doom Man? Sir? Should I reset the stage again?]
For now, I would think of the rest later as I had learned the truth, including the perfect timing to tear this b.a.s.t.a.r.d apart.
***
Entering the mental world allowed me to escape the constraints of time, so I could control my anger at the b.a.s.t.a.r.d and my confusion from the contradictory truth. Calming myself down was important to focus solely on myself, and I was finally prepared.
I raised my Sense in the overlord zone to its peak. As I looked inside, a sense of speed pa.s.sed by me fast as always. If I focused more from here, then I would reach a state of Self-Obliteration, which would make me even forget about myself.
I needed to stop at this point to unravel the design tied to the insignia.
There was an outer sh.e.l.l determining its basic ability values. If I went into a deeper layer, then the areas contained within the sh.e.l.l unfolded. There were three areas responsible for traits, skills, and insignias. A newly realized area was added to these, which was the area where the Power was trapped. Thus, the sh.e.l.l’s interior was made up of four areas.
However, the sh.e.l.l looked different than usual. It seemed to be affected by the energy contained within, even though it was nothing more than an illusion. The sh.e.l.l was not cracked, but it appeared as if it would eventually be destroyed, unable to withstand the power inside.
[Remaining time (Insignia ‘Time Reversal’): 55 seconds]
[The information of the ‘Time Reversal’ has been updated.]
[Remaining time (Insignia ‘Time Reversal’): 100 years]
[* Please use the ‘Time Reversal’ insignia within 100 years.]