Regressor

When Yuel woke up again, it was… he didn't know what time it was. Unlike the world he came from, there was no sun, no moon, no sky to track the passage of time. In the Inksworn Depths, he could use the crystals to tell time, but since he didn't have access to such tools right now, all he could do was ask someone.

Luckily, there was a girl standing nearby. He wasn't sure if she was an attendant, but that probably didn't matter.

Just as Yuel was about to speak, he remembered—he couldn't talk unless he was using mana through his staff. So, he summoned his staff from his inventory. It wasn't exactly normal to summon a sharp-tipped spear (which also functioned as a staff) in the middle of a library, so a few of the distant staff gave him strange looks—but Yuel didn't really care.

He slowly rose from his chair and turned to the girl. Though he opened his mouth, the voice actually came from the staff.

"Excuse me, do you happen to know what time it is?"

"… Uh, the time?"

The girl raised her hand, and an old-fashioned pocket watch appeared in mid-air. She looked at it, then responded.

"2:00 PM. By the way, what's your name? I'm looking for someone—I think they should be around here."

"Thanks. I'm Yuel. I doubt I'm the one you're looking for, though. I've been living in the wilderness of the Undergarden for the past eight years. I don't have any close connections."

Yuel was about to leave, but the girl suddenly ran up and grabbed his shoulder.

"Then you must be the one. There are some things I want to talk to you about. I'm guessing you don't have any money on you, right? If you agree to talk with me, I'll treat you to a meal. Just come with me."

Yuel was surprised. Who could possibly still know him? Could it be something related to his father? Maybe this girl was actually a Troth in disguise and had some connection to his father? But even that didn't make much sense—how had she found him so soon after he arrived in the city? It all seemed like a carefully planned move, like something that had been set in motion a long time ago.

Still, he followed the girl—whose name he didn't even know. After walking to an area with many restaurants, the girl turned to him and asked:

"Which restaurant would you prefer?"

"Um… I'd prefer something sweet."

"I don't remember you eating breakfast—"

"I'd prefer something sweet!"

The girl didn't push back. They entered one of the best dessert places in the area, famous for its sweets. The prices were ridiculously high, but the girl had said she'd cover it. And Yuel? He didn't have a single coin to his name.

He followed her all the way to a table, where they sat down. Yuel was already distracted, trying to decide which dessert to order—a surprisingly hard decision for him. He focused intensely on the menu, but couldn't make up his mind.

"If you want, you can order more than one thing. Just don't go too crazy. I don't have money problems."

She didn't know how much she'd regret saying that. Even in his natural life within the Inksworn Depths, Yuel had a deep love for sweets. He often built his entire meal around a single trapped fruit, even though he obviously knew how to hunt. He just really liked sweet things.

In the end, Yuel ordered five plates—all for himself. Rather than talking to the girl, he immediately began eating. The conversation completely slipped his mind... until the girl finally spoke up again. Now that he thought about it, this was a very generous offer from a girl he didn't even know. Maybe this was a trap?

"I'm starting to doubt I found the right person. Didn't we agree to talk?"

"Oh, right. Sorry, I forgot. I haven't had modern food in the last eight years—especially desserts like these. Being able to eat this pudding in peace... I wanted it more than anything. But you're the one who gave me this, so yes, I can listen to you. What did you want to say?"

"Ugh. Just six years… How can someone change so much in only six damn years? Alright, I'll explain everything. My name is Aria. I'm a time traveler. In the timeline I come from, I reached Phase 2. But when I traveled back in time, everything reset. I'm now Phase 6, technically, but that doesn't really matter. In my timeline, humanity needed someone in Phase 0. It still does. But to get to Phase 0, we need someone in Phase 1. And to get there, we need more people to reach Phase 2. I've started a project to gather promising individuals from the future who failed before but had potential. Including me, we'll be a team of four. I was the only one who reached Phase 2 in the past six years, but this time, I'll help you and two others get there. I only had one chance to travel back, and this is humanity's last hope. You don't have a choice. I'm recruiting you into the team—whether I like it or not. What do you say?"

Yuel had already finished his pudding, but he still had four more plates. He was now working on his ice cream…

"Were you seriously not listening to a word I said?!"

Yuel lifted his head and spoke. Up to that point, he looked completely out of it—but once he began talking, it became clear he had actually listened quite well.

"I'll accept. But I have no intention of reaching Phase 0. I'll aim for Phase 4 or maybe 3. I have no interest in being a savior of humanity like you. My only goal is to avenge my closest friend and then live a peaceful life."

As Yuel said this, the girl turned her head away, a small smile forming on her lips.

"Hey, what's so funny? I'm serious. That's really all I want."

"No, no… It's just... In the future I came from, you were the only person who ever reached Phase 1. That's why I'm laughing."

Yuel was confused. He knew himself well. Why would he ever work for humanity and reach Phase 1? That wasn't like him at all.

"Hey, Null. Did you catch that detail? If I already reach Phase 1 in the future, why is she putting me in a team of failures who need help to rise? Can you ask her?"

Wait a minute… Null had a point. He should ask her.

"Aria, then why am I in the failure team? I mean, even without your help, I supposedly reach Phase 1, right?"

"…I really didn't want to tell you this. But I guess you won't join unless I do. No one else knows this detail. I haven't told anyone else. In the timeline I came from… you wiped out 85% of humanity. You became the strongest human alive—but you also destroyed everyone. The cause was your daughter's unsolved murder. Because no one could identify the killer, there was no one to take revenge on. So instead of hunting them down, you chose to destroy all of humanity, hoping that the killer would die along with the rest. In just two years, you wiped out 85% of everyone. I wasn't planning on going back in time just for six years' worth of knowledge, but if I hadn't used that chance—I would've died. And if I died, there'd be no second chance. That's why I used my one shot… to pull you over to humanity's side."

Yuel couldn't quite process all of this. Still, he kept the conversation going.

"You're dumping a lot of info on me at once. Come on, I'm just trying to eat my ice cream. This is emotional blackmail! I get it, humanity's fate and all that. But right now, I don't have a daughter. She's not dead, and I haven't declared war on humanity… Yet, if that's the case, then I do need to get strong enough to protect the people I care about. At least Phase 1, maybe. So yeah, I'll join your team. But couldn't we have talked about this after dessert?!"

Aria stared at Yuel in disbelief. When she spoke again, it was in a quieter tone.

"I really don't get how a person can change this much in just six years…"

She then ordered ice cream for herself—clearly tempted. Yuel didn't say anything. He wasn't about to open his mouth for anything besides dessert. Technically, his voice came from mana, not his mouth. But still, he didn't like multitasking during dessert. He preferred to focus entirely on eating.

"Forget all that, Yuel. Let me tell you something interesting… I think someone has chosen you. You might not appear in the system's 'Bond' section, which would mean you've deceived the system… I know it sounds crazy, but I honestly believe someone picked you."

'Why, though? What did I even do?'

"Never mind... It's just that the word 'Whisper' really suits you. Also, when we meet in person, I'll be inspecting your body."

'Wait... when are we meeting in person, anyway?'

"I don't know when. But we will meet."

Then Null went silent.

The two finished their meal. Once the food was gone, Yuel spoke again.

"So, where am I supposed to go now? What do you need from me?"

"Not much, really. Tomorrow, we're going to fight a Titan named 'Wild.' It's a Phase 4 being—stronger than it should be for that level. The whole team will be meeting for the first time. For now, you can stay at a hotel. I'll take you there."

"And where's all this money coming from?"

"Like I said, I told the Asian Union about what's coming. They know we need someone in Phase 0 in the future, and to get there, we need people in Phase 1—and even more in Phase 2. What I said was verified, and they're investing in a time traveler. They're funding everything. I'm using the money to bring my team together and keep them happy. Looks like I'll be doing that for a while... Anyway, I'm going to pay for the meal. I know you just arrived in the city and have no money, so I doubt you'll be offended."

"So I'll be in your debt… Whatever, I'll repay you in my own way."

Aria looked back at him but then turned away without responding and walked off.

'Null, did I say something wrong?'

"Please shut up. Seriously. Just stop talking. It's better if you don't know."

'Come on, Null. It can't be that bad—just tell me.'

"No. Never. I forgot you spent four years asleep. You're still basically a child. You need to talk to people your own age, or you'll forget how to have a conversation—wait, what am I even saying? You've already forgotten. Whatever. Just follow Aria to the hotel and pretend none of this ever happened. Got it?"

'…Still don't get why you won't tell me—'

"Just go."

Yuel pouted but listened. Null was one of his closest friends, after all.

After a long walk and a confusing conversation he still didn't fully understand, Yuel arrived at the hotel. Aria left him there, saying she was busy. Since Yuel had no money, she gave him a card with 5,000 U-Coins.

Yuel was beginning to feel pretty satisfied with life. He had the Whisper bloodline, he was constantly talking with Null, he'd found a hidden church no one knew about, and now he was socializing with people his age—and commanding a soul flame. He was pretty sure Luo would be proud of him. Luo had been a powerful Soul Warden, stuck at Phase 1, unable to move forward because he couldn't find a Dhune or Titan close enough to his own affinity. He had helped Yuel all the way... Maybe, just maybe, Yuel could bring him back someday? The Undergarden was filled with all kinds of bloodlines—surely one of them could revive the dead? He should ask Null about it.

Lying in bed, Yuel asked aloud—channeling his voice with mana since he was alone in the room.

"Hey, Null. Is there any way to bring the dead back?"

"Do you think there is? Of course not. If there was, life would lose all meaning. Death is the justice of the gods—some must die so others can live. Sure, it's not always fair. Death might be justice for the gods, but not for humans. And the gods? They're not exactly known for fairness."

"Ugh, I don't get it. Can you explain in a simpler way?"

"Nope. Dead is dead. They've already become food for something else. There's no way a human can bring them back."

"What about a god?"

"…Of course a god could."

"Then can't I just become one?"

"You can try. But look around. Has any human ever become a god? Hell, not even Titans or the other five races have managed it. Still, go ahead. Nothing's stopping you."

"Then maybe I really should consider becoming a god…"