Chapter 68
Chapter 68. System Update (3)
[System Alert: Sarin’s fixed event was ‘retirement from the music industry’.]
[System Alert: The reason was the pressure she felt from her activities in the music industry and her condition that didn’t fully recover after childbirth.]
[System Alert: However, in this timeline, she saw your stage, which ended her long slump.]
Images of Sarin from the last recording and our stage crossed my mind. Ending the slump of the queen of ballads—I really did something more incredible than I thought.
[System Alert: Of course, just because a fixed event changes, it doesn’t mean the regressor is always involved.]
[System Alert: In the first place, such repeated regressions aren’t something that happens often.]
With a flashy effect, the slide changed, filling the screen with a familiar keyword.
Colorful little butterflies flew out of the monitor, flapping their wings quickly and disappearing.
My attention was briefly captured by the beautiful sight, but the business-like text on the blue screen pulled me back.
[System Alert: Human free will is stronger than you think.]
[System Alert: No one knows when, where, or what choices will be made, and what changes those choices will bring.]
So, if an event changes to that extent, it’s likely due to a historical event created by someone’s strong will or something involving a Chosen Regressor.
“Isn’t this too difficult? If a novel sets up the world this elaborately, it gets too boring to read.”
[System Alert: But it was a necessary story!]
“Anyway, thanks. Now I understand a bit about what’s going on.”
And I could somewhat picture what I needed to do next.
“For now, I need to gather suspicious people as allies.”
That way, I could see their past timelines. Eventually, I’d find clues.
“Oh, but I have one more question.”
[System Alert: Permission granted! (^_-)~☆]
“What happens when a fixed event changes? Something that was supposed to happen doesn’t happen.”
[System Alert: Nothing happens.]
“What?”
I was surprised by the unexpected answer. Nothing happens?
But the system simply displayed a calm smiley emoticon on the monitor without any hint of agitation.
[System Alert: There’s no such thing as something that must happen.]
[System Alert: There are only ‘inevitable results’ formed by a series of choices!]
[System Alert: Even if different choices bring different results, there’s no problem.]
[System Alert: It just means living a life where that event didn’t happen.]
[System Alert: Time continues to flow.]
…It was still a difficult concept.
But having lived five lives now, I felt I could somewhat understand that complicated principle of life.
“Alright then. In this life, I’ll look forward to seeing what kind of butterfly effect Sarin, who overcame her slump, will bring.”
Hopefully, she’d bring something big.
With such trivial thoughts, I stood up. It was time to return to reality.
“Let’s stop here for today. I need to eat chicken and monitor the performance video that’s going up. There’s a lot to do.”
[System Alert: Ah, before you go, there’s one more thing I need to tell you.]
“Teacher, you’re moving too fast. Is the test range perhaps from the origin of mankind to now?”
[System Alert: Fixed events can change due to various factors, but….]
[System Alert: There is one thing that doesn’t change easily—the law of nature.]
The law of nature. Did it mean things like birth, aging, illness, and death?
[System Alert: I’ll explain this in more detail next time!]
“Alright, let’s stop for today. How do I get out of here?”
[System Alert: The exit is over there→. (❀╹◡╹) ????????]
In the dark space, an arrow lit up like an LED light. A suspiciously large door was visible in one corner of the room.
“Do I just leave?”
[System Alert: ★☆Goodbye☆★ (ღ’ᴗ’ღ)]
“You’re kicking me out coldly once I’m done. Are you upset, Shi-hyung?”
A few steps later, I was in front of the door. Just as I was about to open it, I let go of the doorknob, a thought suddenly occurring to me.
“Hey, one more thing.”
[System Alert: ? . ? What is it?]
“What’s your name?”
[System Alert: Excuse me?]
“You know, there’s Chosen Regressor and Returning One, but you don’t have a name. I can’t keep calling you System all the time. Besides, you’re not really a system, right?”
[System Alert: Well, for Chosen Regressor and Returning One… you don’t mean…?]
“I can’t keep calling you Returning One like in a movie. I’ll just call you Returnee.”
[System Alert: It’s the Returning One…! (˚ ˃̣̣̥⌓˂̣̣̥ )‧º]
“Yeah. Let him keep returning, just don’t let him mess around again.”
Thinking about how I was toyed with by that red guy still made my blood boil.
“Anyway, what do I call you? Don’t you have a name? Shouldn’t managers have something like that? Then at least tell me your prisoner number.”
[System Alert: I’m not a prisoner!?]
“Then give me your phone number’s last digits or something. Quickly. If you don’t, I’ll call you Bluey or something.”
[System Alert: It’s 1, 13!]
“113?”
[System Alert: 13! Manager number 13!]
I couldn’t believe it, but they really went by numbers.
‘Well, I guess they don’t have the same social structure as humans since they manage humans.’
“Alright. From now on, I’ll call you Thirteen. Thirteen.”
[System Alert: …I strangely don’t like it?]
“Why not? Thirteen. Thirteen. System, it has a similar feel and it’s good.”
Yeah, the sound was acceptable. Thirteen. I could use it to threaten him later, calling him little brother Thirteen.
“Okay. I’m leaving now. See you in reality.”
With a somewhat relieved mind, I grabbed the doorknob again. As I turned it and opened the door, a bright light engulfed me, and I felt faint again.
Like being pulled up from deep underwater, the sharp senses of reality covered my body.
“…Huff.”
As soon as I opened my eyes, I saw a familiar ceiling and old fluorescent lights.
As soon as I realized I had woken up from sleep, my vision spun and I felt nauseous.
“Ugh—!”
The dizziness hit me as my vision swirled.
I rolled off the mattress and stumbled to my feet, the nausea growing worse. As I staggered out of the room, my parents, who were in the room across, heard the noise and came out in surprise.
But I had no time to care about them. Rushing to the nearby bathroom, I grabbed the toilet and threw up.
Even closing my eyes didn’t help the dizziness; it just made it worse.
‘What is this….’
“Son, are you okay? Are you sick? What’s wrong!”
I didn’t even have the energy to say I was okay.
After vomiting for a while, the dizziness finally stopped and my vision returned to normal.
‘Inner ear, do your job properly.’
Angry, I held onto the sink and rinsed my mouth, but a blue window popped up again in front of me.
[System Alert: …Ahem.]
“…? What now?”
Then it showed me the update details I had seen earlier.
[Kang Hajin (Fixed Regressor) Authority Update (1.0) Details]
1. You can view more specific information about ‘human timelines’.
2. The ‘subconscious space’ is now attached. You can enter it as needed.
※ Entrance keyword needed ※
※ Note that time in the subconscious space flows differently from real-time ※
3. Increased influence over ‘allies’. You can exert more influence over them.
4. Security level upgrade.
“What do you want me to do?”
I reread it, and the warning under point 2 flashed, with underlines and a tiny additional note appearing.
※ When using the subconscious space, minor physical side effects may occur but they are temporary and not harmful to the body ※
“…….”
[System Alert: Haha, why is this written so small….]
[System Alert: System error]
[System Alert: System error]
“…….”
[System Alert: The system detects the fixed regressor’s intense silent anger!]
[System Alert: The system is flustered by the regressor’s anger!]
“…Didn’t you give proper notice?”
Next time I enter that subconscious space, I need to materialize this Thirteen guy first. I feel like I need to squeeze him once to calm down.
“Hajin, Hajin! Are you okay?”
“…I’ll see you later.”
I was about to say something more to Thirteen, but my parents’ worried voices from outside the door made me stop. I quickly rinsed my mouth again, roughly cleaned my sweaty face, and opened the bathroom door.
“Uh, I’m fine. I think I had indigestion. Suddenly felt strange.”
“Are you sure? Shouldn’t you go to the hospital?”
“You haven’t eaten anything since lunch. Your face is burning!”
“No, I feel better. I felt nauseous, but I’m okay after throwing up.”
Even though I tried to reassure them with a
smile, my mom still looked at me with worry, checking my forehead and hands.
“Mom, I’m really okay.”
“Did you sleep well at work? Do they feed you properly? You need to eat and sleep well….”
“Oh mom, you know I’m the kind of guy who’d do plumbing in the desert. Don’t worry.”
“No, I’ll make you porridge. You’ll have that for dinner.”
Huh? Porridge?
“No, mom, you said you’d buy me chicken.”
“Chicken? You said you had indigestion. You can’t eat greasy food when you have indigestion.”
The precious chicken flew away because of the excuse I made to reassure them!
Feeling like the world was ending, I couldn’t even respond as my mom rolled up her sleeves and pulled out the rice jar.
“Son, should I prick your finger?”
“…No. Just call me when the porridge is ready. I’ll sleep more.”
“Okay, sleep more. You need to rest when you’re sick.”
Once my mom got started, no one could stop her. She had already lit the stove. I gave up neatly and trudged back to my room, closing the door.
“My chicken….”
I lost the chicken. I think you can guess who my sense of loss and anger was directed at.
[System Alert: ………………. (◑_◑);;;;;;;;;]
“Thirteen.”
[System Alert: …Yes?]
A small silence filled the room.
“How will you compensate me?”
I smiled. Just a big grin.