In the Name of Progress, We Chose Sin

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Recall

This ability is the manifestation of the host's memories from another ruined timeline.

Made accessible by Miratheris, the soul of the planet, who was deeply moved by the host's alternate self's indomitable will and granted it as a gift for protecting her until the very end.

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"...What?"

Ashen rubbed his eyes and looked again.

The text didn't change.

He wasn't hallucinating.

"…Ugh, I don't even know where to begin."

'Another ruined timeline? A planetary soul? My alternate self protected her until the end?'

His headache intensified.

In the end, he made the only rational choice for someone desperately clinging to his last scraps of sanity.

He ignored it.

It wasn't going anywhere. He could deal with that mess later.

Finally, he reached the last section.

Cognitive Depth.

Just as the words on the bracelets indicated. This area outlined his general mental state, from his current thoughts and mindset, to even his general disposition.

"Hmm. My mindset is Preserving, which sounds like a good thing… but my disposition is Defeatist Escapist."

He frowned.

Was that really accurate?

...No.

At least, not anymore.

Dispositions weren't easy to change, but mindsets could shift over time. And if he kept preserving, his disposition would inevitably follow.

Still, the Traits section was a cold, brutal truth.

He knew, deep down, that if all this pressure disappeared… if his loved ones were safe, if he were thrown back into a peaceful life on Esperra… he would slip right back into his old self.

No doubt about it.

He'd be a freeloading, strategically idle mess again within a week.

That was the kind of person he had been.

But traits could vanish.

They didn't define him permanently.

If he fought hard enough to break his bad habits, if he kept the same mindset even if what was pushing him to keep going vanished… then one day, they'd disappear from his status completely.

That was the goal.

That was his only way forward.

"..."

Ashen tilted his head back and closed his eyes.

The influx of information was overwhelming, and he needed a moment to process it all.

Minutes passed before he let out a weary sigh, rubbing his face. Eventually, his gaze returned to the status window.

'Now's not the time for brooding. I'll deal with things as they come. First on the agenda is…'

His eyes landed on the Path section, where a shining "Select" button pulsed, tempting him to hurry up and click it.

He gladly obliged.

A flicker of anticipation stirred in his chest.

The moment his finger made contact, the status window vanished.

In its place, a new screen appeared… a list of seven words, each accompanied by a percentage value.

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↩ Back to status 

 Sins

 Sloth [97%]

 Pride [60.1%]

 Lust [60.1%]

 Wrath [57.7%]

 Greed [43.7%]

 Gluttony [33.3%]

 Envy [7%]

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Looking at the concept list, Ashen wasn't surprised that the only available Paths were tied to the Seven Sins.

The system could only integrate a very limited number of Concepts.

So, naturally, humanity had chosen the ones they were most compatible with.

And, of course, when it came to what drove humans the most, it wasn't peace, warmth, and determination…

The answer was almost always vices.

The Seven Sins were the ultimate driving force of human ambition.

Humanity in Esperra had pioneered countless technologies and revolutionary advancements.

Some claimed it was out of curiosity, a thirst for discovery, a noble pursuit of knowledge.

But strip away the flowery justifications, and the truth was far simpler.

People were just too damn lazy to do things themselves.

They built machines and systems to work for them, to make life more convenient.

With a few taps, someone could have food, clothes, entertainment—anything—delivered right to their doorstep. Hell, they didn't even need to leave their beds if they didn't want to.

Sloth wasn't just a vice. It was the foundation of progress.

And it wasn't the only sin with such persuasive power.

Pride could push people beyond their limits. Making them strive for the impossible just to prove a point.

Envy could turn the meek into monsters, twisting harmless admiration into unrelenting obsession.

Greed could tempt even the selfless, make saints chase ambitions. As long as someone drew breath, they were greedy for something. 

Wrath could ignite a fire even in the indifferent, driving them forward with unstoppable force.

Gluttony was the insatiable hunger that drove people forward, ensuring humanity never stagnated. It was the relentless desire for more… a force that pushed them to strive, to crave, and to never know when to stop.

And Lust… Lust was the whisper in the dark, the longing that could drive a person to chase, to create, to conquer. Be it love, power, or the unknown. The force that made hearts race and empires fall.

When humanity finally acknowledged its own sinful nature, it had done the only logical thing—embraced it.

And so, the Seven Sins became the core aspect of their system.

As for the percentages next to each sin, they weren't random.

Ashen recalled from his System Knowledge class that they represented compatibility.

The system had a built-in function that instantly gauged a person's synergy with each major Sin, helping them choose the right Path without wasting potential.

Ashen figured that if it could gauge someone's temperament, this also wouldn't be out of its capabilities.

Normally, an individual would be compatible with two or three sins at most.

More often than not, only one sin would show up.

But right now…

Ashen was staring at all seven.

Lined up neatly.

As if mocking him for being the most sinful human alive.

"…I guess it's a good thing that every sin showed up, right?"

His voice lacked confidence.

sigh

That wasn't even the worst part.

His gaze landed on the 97% next to Sloth.

A familiar voice echoed in his mind… his System Knowledge instructor, Wiseman, speaking in his usual lazy drawl:

"If you find yourself 70% compatible with a sin, pick it right away. That means you've struck gold—you're at least guaranteed transcendence… as long as you don't die first."

Ashen swallowed.

"…What about above 70%?" He had asked back then.

Wiseman had chuckled.

"Above that? Don't even think about it."

"I've never heard of anyone with compatibility that high, so even I don't know what it'd be like. But if I had to guess…"

There was a pause. Then a slow, amused drawl:

"…That person is definitely a sinful man."

*

Sloth [97%]

sigh

Ashen ran a hand down his face.

He didn't consider himself that sinful… right?

Right?

…Anyway.

Now was the time to choose.