Chapter 296: Seventy-Fifth Floor, The Old Man and the Spirits (2)

[Resolve the old man’s regrets. Time remaining: 11 hours 54 minutes.]

Startled, I instinctively questioned him, “Return to the past?”

That hardly sounded simple, but Hyun merely nodded calmly. “Yes.”

I couldn’t even begin to fathom what he meant.

How would I do that?

While I was familiar with regression—Ha Hee-Jeong was around me all the time, after all—this didn’t feel the same.

If he wanted me to do a time regression, I wouldn’t be here right now.

Besides, regression was supposed to be impossible. Just look at Master of the Five Carriage Wheels, the one responsible for Ha Hee-Jeong’s return. Even a first-class god like her had suffered a backlash so severe that she had been sealed.

Although Hyun was a shaman, in the end, he was merely an old man. There was no logical way he could achieve something like regression.

A wave of doubt rippled through my mind.

Even if returning to the past is possible, why summon me? If Hyun knows what happened, shouldn’t he go back and resolve it himself?

Then again, if the past was unalterable, perhaps calling on me was somewhat valid. My brain churned for a matter of seconds, but I still couldn’t conclude how I would respond.

I turned to Hyun. “What exactly do you mean by that? I’m having trouble understanding. Are you saying I’ll be going against the flow of time?”

Hyun’s eyes widened slightly, and he immediately waved his hands to deny that. “

Oh

, my apologies. I explained it poorly. To be precise, it’s not about reversing time’s flow.”

Of course not. Truly turning back time had seemed absurd.

“Then what is it?”

I listened intently as Hyun continued, “More accurately, you’ll be paying a brief visit to the past.”

“Excuse me?”

A brief visit to the past?

Just like I had suspected, I wouldn’t be permanently returning to the past. Regardless, I would still regress in some capacity.

Leaning in slightly, I pressed him for more. “What do you mean by that?”

“You’ll use a Spirit Stone to momentarily pass to a point thirteen years ago. All you need to do is assist the people of the continent during that time.”

“Is-is that even possible?”

“With the power of the Spirit Stone, it is.”

Hyun’s tone was so matter-of-fact that I was momentarily at a loss for words.

Seeing my bewilderment, he clarified, “Think of the Spirit Stone as a medium that disrupts the natural flow of time and space. It allows you to remain briefly in the past before returning.”

“Hmm...”

I trailed off.

Even after his explanation, I still couldn’t fully grasp the concept.

If I had to liken it to something, it felt like a time machine. Not one that rewound the entire world, but one that permitted a temporary detour into history. Hollywood movies had explored similar ideas with quantum mechanics and the like, so perhaps it wasn’t entirely implausible.

Still, there was one point that continued to trouble me. “If I change something in the past, will that affect the present?”

“Exactly. Once the Spirit Stone’s power fades, the present will be redefined based on the altered past.”

I frowned.

How is that any different from regression? To return to the past and reshape the present, is that even within the boundaries of causality? Especially since a god isn’t using their power, but a mortal.

“Is that something a mortal can really do? Isn’t that in the realm of the divine?”

“Gods? I don’t know whether they exist, but if we can do it, surely they can too.”

He answered my question with another, and in doing so, made his point clear—it was possible.

Sensing I still wasn’t convinced, he added, “Well, to be accurate, we’re not really the ones doing it. Only by using the Spirit Stone as an intermediary is it possible.”

I still didn’t understand what kind of artifact this Spirit Stone truly was. It sounded like some relic imbued with divine power.

What caught my attention more, though, was Hyun’s uncertainty about the existence of gods.

Does this world not have gods?

I couldn’t say for sure, although I did know of some worlds bereft of gods.

“Then what about the souls of the dead? If I change the past and they return to life, doesn’t that undermine their ‘unresolved regrets’?”

“They won’t be able to reincarnate, but they’ve chosen that path willingly so that more lives can be saved.”

Reincarnation.

I was quite familiar with the term.

That explanation made sense. Hyun housed nearly a hundred thousand souls within him. They had chosen to forsake reincarnation to give everyone else another chance.

Only one question remained.

“Why me? If you simply need someone to intervene in the past, it doesn’t have to be me. Couldn’t you do it yourself?”

His expression turned bitter. “Even if I did return, I wouldn’t be able to change a thing. I lack the power required to overcome the evil that destroyed our land.”

Just as I had suspected.

As I nodded in assent, Hyun continued, “And besides, we only discovered this method much later.”

I wanted to ask why it had taken so long, but I bit my tongue. It would have come off as overly critical. After all, the loss and rediscovery of knowledge was common.

“And most importantly, the person who uses the Spirit Stone has to be someone capable of enduring its power.”

“Someone capable of enduring it?”

“Yes. A being whose energy resonates with the Spirit Stone’s. Too much or too little won’t work.”

“What kind of energy are we talking about?”

“The energy you possess within yourself.”

I raised my hand and summoned my mana. Sparks of lightning crackled at my fingertips. “This?”

“No. I mean the unprecedented force that lies deep within your chest.”

Deep within my chest.

There was only one thing there.

Divinity.

I reached inward and carefully drew it forth. “This?”

“Yes, that’s it!” Hyun nodded enthusiastically.

Internally, I recalled what I had theorized during training in the waiting room—the seventy-fifth floor really did center around divinity.

This also confirmed something I had been suspecting: the tower adjusted its trials based on the climber. If I hadn’t obtained divinity through that hidden mission, this trial would have been impossible to clear.

I can’t speak for the others, but it really does seem like the tower is tailoring these trials specifically for me.

Of course, that was still just a theory. Even if I hadn’t cleared that hidden mission, the tower could have found another way to trigger my awakening.

I set the thought aside and turned back to Hyun. “All right, then. What exactly do I need to do? Even if I’m only passing through the past, resolving the regrets of tens of thousands of individuals isn’t something that can be done with just a battle or two.”

The tower had only given me twelve hours.

Meanwhile, Hyun’s body contained close to a hundred thousand spirits. Although it was possible that they had all perished in a single battle, it wasn’t guaranteed. That was something I needed to address in advance.

Ultimately, this trial’s goal is to resolve Hyun’s lingering regret.

He would have to send me to a point in the past where things could be resolved within twelve hours. Otherwise, I would run out of time and fail.

Perhaps that was why the trial was structured in such a convoluted way to begin with.

If I didn’t draw a clear boundary from the start, I could end up unable to fulfill the old man’s wish and fail the trial altogether.

Although it could disappoint Hyun, it was always better to be safe rather than sorry when it came to the tower—it liked to conceal its traps beneath a layer of hope. Advance preparation had never hurt.

Hyun smiled faintly and shook his head. “The downfall of the continent stemmed from three key events. If you can resolve those, both the past and present outcomes will shift, and the spirits will find peace.”

“Three events...” I let my voice trail off on purpose.

He called them “events,” but they were undoubtedly battles.

Can I really win three separate fights within twelve hours?

Even at a glance, it was clear that time would be tight, and there was no way the three battles had occurred on the same day.

So this is the trap, isn’t it?

Studying Hyun’s face, I declared, “I don’t know if you’re aware, but I’ve only been given twelve hours. Do you think I can manage all three within that time?”

“Don’t worry. You’ll be allowed to stay in the past for up to four hours with each use of the Spirit Stone. That should be more than enough to handle all three.”

“I see.”

Although my continuous questioning could have sounded overly cautious, thanks to them, I was beginning to get a clearer picture of the trial.

It wasn’t going to be easy. These were the very events that led to the fall of an entire planet. There were bound to be formidable enemies, perhaps ones on par with the mechanical fortress, Quinthavaren.

If I want to finish within the time limit, I will have to move straight from one battle to another.

There would be no time to rest. If I got injured, I would have to bear those wounds into the next fight.

Still, with Doppy around, injuries weren’t a huge concern. Managing my stamina mattered more. Knowing the tower, the toughest battle would probably be saved for last.

Pacing myself is going to be critical.

There was no telling how the situation would unfold.

Like Seo Ho-Su always referenced from his wuxia novels, a true master hid thirty percent of their power. I would have to do the same and keep something in reserve.

I met Hyun’s eyes.

He had actually lived through these pivotal events, so extracting information from him was essential. “Alright. There’s not much time, so there’s no reason to drag this out. Let’s begin.”

“Thank you. As I mentioned earlier, I thought long and hard about this—”

I cut him off. “No need for gratitude. Instead, could you explain the situation back then?”

This wasn’t the time for well-meaning words.

“The first event you’ll revisit involves rescuing a princess who wielded exorcistic powers. You’ll need to ensure she escapes in time and joins the Empire’s forces, who were gathering in the north.”

“Is there anything else I should know?”

“Unfortunately, all I know is that she was overwhelmed by a superior force, both in numbers and strength.”

“Understood.”

As I turned to Doppy, I asked, “Am I going alone?”

“Yes. We only have three Spirit Stones, so—”

“Doppy, stay here and rest. Just in case, prepare your healing spells.”

Honestly, even if it had been an option, I hadn’t planned to take Doppy with me. Given my current strength, he would only distract me if he tried to join a fight. It made more sense for him to stay here, like emergency medical personnel on standby.

“Got it!”

The real issue was Ryun. I didn’t mind Yoonie staying behind, but Ryun was part of Soulbound. If Hyun said I couldn’t bring him, I would have to remove Ryun from the weapon entirely.

“By the way, there’s an ent, a species that resembles a tree, attached to my weapon. Is it okay if I bring him with me?”

“Ent?”

“Think of him like a talking tree. He’s embedded in my weapon. Ryun, wake up for a second.”

“... Hello, comrade...”

“

Oh?

Fascinating.” Hyun’s eyes sparkled as he raised his hand and examined Ryun.

“I don’t see any major issue with him joining you. As long as he stays within the weapon, it should be fine. He’s a nature-based entity, so his life force feels distinctly different from others.”

“That’s a relief.”

Whether it was thanks to the tower’s consideration or not, it seemed bringing Soulbound along wouldn’t cause any problems.

“I’m ready. Let’s go.”

“Understood. I’ll fetch the Spirit Stones.”

With that, Hyun turned away and began walking toward the hut.

As I watched his back, I quickly ran through my thoughts.

The floor seems like it is future-facing by resolving regrets, but in reality, it is taking the more direct approach by changing the past.

Although I had assumed it would be simple, it truly wasn’t. I was certain there had to be a reason it was structured this way.

The tower’s message told me to resolve the old man’s regret, but after speaking with Hyun, I realized there was no real need for the trial to be set up like this.

Honestly, that whole conversation just now wasn’t even necessary.

The tower could have just tasked me with winning three battles and thrown me straight into the trial. That would have been far more straightforward.

That meant there was a reason I had been sent here—why Hyun had appeared.

To be fair, I already had a vague idea of what the reason would be. It wasn’t something I could prove, but there was an intuition I couldn’t quite shake. In cases like this, my instincts had a tendency to be right.

It all tied back to the suspicion I had formed in the waiting room.

As I gazed toward the hut where Hyun had disappeared, a quiet grin tugged at the corners of my lips.