How To Raise Your Regressor

Chapter 45 - Prologue 2

??Anyway, it's a pleasure to make your acquaintance, Mr. Origin.??

Wut? Come again?

??Does it really come as a surprise that I know of your true identity??? Even though I could not see the man, I could 'feel' him smile.

[Memory System. Initiate Protocol Alpha 0. Eliminate the intruder.]

?Initiating Protocol Alpha 0. Eliminating the intruder.?

??Aww, are you really going to do that to little old me???

[Of course. No one should know of my identity. Those who do will be eliminated.]

??So that they can't use you to overthrow your precious children???

What the fuck?

[You know too much.]

Which means I'll have to obliterate his very soul.

??Well… try as you might, you cannot kill me. Your little System is quite good, but it's simply not enough.??

[We won't know until we try, would we?]

??Oh well. Just tell me when you're done.?? I could feel him yawn.

The Memory System continued its work, but…

?Failed to eliminate intruder.?

Huh. Just who is this 'being'?

??Finally, you're interested in me. You can call me X.??

[How unoriginal. Anyway, if the System cannot eliminate you, then I will. All-]

??All you have to do is to reverse engineer the communication channel I have established with your soul. Once you determine my coordinates, you'll cause the channel to collapse which will lead to an explosion at both sides of the channel. I'm aware of how that works.??

Alright, smartass.

??Also, I can read your thoughts. Anyway, while amusing, I do not recommend your course of action for two reasons. First is that it wouldn't work. A simple explosion wouldn't even scratch me. Secondly, you'll end up destroying the world you're currently in. You wouldn't want that, would you???

[Well, I still have other ways.]

For example, disintegrating his very soul.

??I'm sure you do. You're the First Being, after all. But why don't you hear me out first? You can decide what to do afterwards.??

[Sure, go ahead.]

??First of all, I'm just an observer.??

[Hmm, right.]

An observer who's keeping watch on my very soul.

??But it's true. Had you not called me, I wouldn't have come out.??

[And what reason do I have to believe you?]

He could simply be using the highly advanced tactic called 'lying'.

??Hey, I'm not lying.??

[Stop reading my thoughts, goddamnit!]

Have you ever heard of personal space, chief?

??No can do. Your inner monologues are the best part of observing you. How could I possibly miss them???

Wow, this guy sure is an asshole.

??Anyway, like I was saying, I'm just here to watch you because I was, you know, bored. And believe me when I say this, in your current state, there's nothing you could provide me that I couldn't get by myself.??

My 'current' state?

??To be more precise, your current state as the Origin.??

[You filthy motherfucker…]

He knows about THAT? Wait, does this mean-

??Nah, I haven't touched the authorities you left behind. Wait, do you guys refer to them as authorities???

Authorities? Hmmm…

??You know, the powers of absolute control you left behind after being dethroned.??

[Not that you could actually touch them.]

??There's that too. Anyway, back to the topic. As I was saying, I'm just a simple observer.??

[And as I was saying, what reason do I have to trust you?]

??Well, the very fact that I'm directly communicating with an eternal soul- a feat not even the Ancient Gods can achieve- should be enough proof that I'm not contacting you for personal gain.?? He shrugged (or so I felt).

Well, I can already think of some cases where that would be plausible.

[Then what exactly are you here for?]

??If I were to start from the very beginning, I was one day chilling at home when I suddenly learned about you. Free and motivated as I was, I decided to pay you a visit, only to find you in the body of a mortal. I searched around a bit and found some interesting things, and so, I decided to stay.??

[I would appreciate it you could leave.]

??In a normal case, I would have, but after I've found something this interesting? Nope.??

[And what could that interesting thing be?]

??A Professional Transmigrator is helping a newbie Regressor. Where else would I find something like that???

[Search around, and you just might.]

The Universe is vast. I'm sure there is a similar combination out there.

??I did, and I actually found some cases. However, they are simply not as interesting as you. Because you are just on a whole other level.?? He chuckled.

Damnit.

[Real talk then. Who are you?]

??Let's keep that a secret, shall we???

[I'm not too fond of secrets.]

??Well, neither am I. But just handing out the answer to you would be a bit boring. Like any good riddle, you must find the answer by yourself.??

Wow, the audacity of this man is just on another level.

[Give me one reason why I shouldn't eliminate you once and for all.]

I've had enough of this. Let's be done with this right now, as I have other important matters to attend to, like going back to sleep.

??Because it will lead to our mutual destruction, which I'm sure you want to avoid as you still want to be there for your children.??

[…Don't you know a bit too much?]

God-fucking-damn, my bad habit is coming out.

??That's the point. I know virtually everything about you.??

[Which proves that getting rid of you won't be that easy.]

??Exactly.?? He smiled.

Hmmm.

??I'm just here to enjoy a good show. I want to see how you'll help Azell accomplish his goal, and whether you'll be able to achieve it or not.??

'Whether'?

[You're doubting me?]

??Well, you know, he has failed once so…?? He shrugged.

[He didn't have me back then.]

Had I been his ally, he would never have failed.

??Why not???

[Because across all parallel realities, there can only be one First Being.]

That's what it means to be eternal; there can only be one across all universes, timelines, parallel realities or dimensions.

??What does that mean??? He furrowed his brows. ??Azell regressed, so he travelled back in time, right???

Wut? Does he really not know how regression works?

??I don't.??

Wow.

[To put it simply, when someone regresses, they do go back in time, in a sense.]

??In a sense???

[It's actually their soul that is transferred to the past and superimposed upon that past soul.]

??Okay.??

[However, from that point, a new parallel reality, or a timeline as we call it, branches out. The new timeline is different from its counterpart in that the Regressor has the knowledge of the future of the original timeline.]

??So, in a sense the Regressor is given a chance to carve out a new future by abandoning the previous one???

[Now you get it.]

So, it's not that the Regressor gets to change the future; he just gets to create a new one. As for the timeline he abandoned, it continues on.

??Then what about Azell? If his regression created a new timeline, why are you in it???

[It's simple. I transmigrated into this body after this timeline was created.]

??So you can transmigrate across timelines as well???

[Yup.]

There is a reason I call myself a Professional Transmigrator.

??But what if Azell had actually just come back in time and restarted in his original timeline???

The fuck is he talking about?

[Barring one case, that's impossible.]

??And that case is???

[A case where I was the one who sent him back in time. Only then can he truly go back in time and change the future of the original timeline.]

Only I, the creator of time, can turn it back to make someone regress in the truest sense of the word.

??So assuming it was not you who sent Azell back in time, he's just trying to achieve his goals in a timeline different from the one in which he had failed.??

[Exactly.]

??Is it possible that Azell falls under the case you mentioned???

[Who knows?]

The actions of the future me are out of my predictions.

??What if I told you that it was you sent Azell back in time???

[I'll ask you for proof.]

Ez.

??I have seen the timeline Azell has come from.?? He smiled.

Oh?

[Have you really seen that timeline?]

Does that mean he's able to travel across parallel realities?

??Yup. I know how and why Azell failed, who he was fighting against, and the true reason he was sent back. Would you like to know???

Hmmmmm…

[I'll pass.]

??Because it won't be amusing, right???

[You know me too well.]

This wanker was right.

As much of an asshole as I might sound, knowing everything beforehand will make the upcoming crisis… boring.

I'm the First Being, so I can deal with literally anything that is thrown at me; all that varies is the degree of difficulty.

So the unpredictability of a dynamic, unknown crisis is what keeps things exciting.

If I were to know what calamity we were going to face beforehand, I could prepare against it so thoroughly that the crisis would have absolutely zero chance of winning against us.

Which would be, you know, boring.

??Well, there is one thing I'd like you to know.??

[And that is?]

??You're thinking of your current life as one of the countless lives you'll go on to live. You take it to be meaningless. However, you're wrong.??

Hmm?

[So, you're saying that this life is special?]

??Yes, even more so than your original life.?? He chuckled.

What the hell? My life as Samur is more special than the life in which I literally created the Universe?

[Are you out of your goddamn mind?]

??Not at all. Let me put it in this way. You decided to help Azell on a mere whim. However, that whim has made you the part of an eternal lie.??

[Oh yeah?]

What kind of lie?

??You've become involved into a scheme so grand that even you, the Origin, the man who brought forth existence from the Void, cannot see its full depths.??

What the hell?

Boy oh boy, that is… hehehehehe.

Exciting.

??In this game of hope and despair, there are only two options available to you. You can either become a pawn who is moved according to the will of others, or you can change the game and become its one true Game Master.??

Shit, shit, shit. My bad habit is coming out.

I'm finding this amusing.

??You can either be the Angel of Salvation who'll take rescue your comrades from the hell that's about to come, or you can be the Devil of Retribution who'll escort them towards it. I'm here to see the choice you'll make. So, what will you do???

[Isn't that obvious?]

??Just as I expected, hahahah!?? The man burst out laughing.

[Angel or Devil, pawn or Game Master. The choice is rather apparent.]

??'Course it is!??

[I'll just become what I find the most amusing.]

As simple as that.