< Chapter 179: Evolution (1) >
Even after I returned to the room, I sat blankly for a long time.
‘…Why didn’t I think of that?’
Could it be that I didn’t think about the connection between the past and the present? Of course, I hadn’t forgotten everything about the potential changes in the future.
‘I did roughly anticipate the possibility of the future changing due to Mephisto’s changes and Rena’s changes.’
Taking all this into account, I decided to intervene in the timeline of the past.
‘I had to do something to find a way back to the present, after all.’
While I said I wouldn’t change the history of the past, I couldn’t just stay locked up in a room in a remote village. That’s why I had decided to act, considering the time paradox to some extent.
‘From the moment I, an outsider, and Ai intervened in this timeline, change was inevitable.’
One of the reasons for my actions was that I felt the past and the present didn’t seem to have a strong connection, so the future wouldn’t change much.
But that wasn’t the case. There was a clear connection between the past and the present that I was unaware of.
‘…The Human Backup Theory.’
The hypothesis that humanity was born using the systematic backup of extinct species, which I began to suspect shortly after meeting Teddy and Edel. The hypothesis became even more credible after my encounter with the deity.
‘If this hypothesis is correct… the problems are not just one or two.’
First of all, as Ai said, the survival of Teddy and Edel is the most significant issue.
‘If Teddy and Edel remain intact and are either sealed or confined in the 10-year war…’
If the two never end up dying and under the assumption that the Human Backup Theory is true, what would happen?
‘Instructor Pi Jin Ho and Jia could not exist.’
It’s obvious. As long as the souls (or systems) that should constitute Pi Jin Ho and Shin Jia are alive, the two cannot be born.
‘What would have happened if there were no figures like Pi Jin Ho and Shin Jia in my life?’
What if I didn’t have the full support of Jia? What if I didn’t have the guidance of the instructor?
‘And if I hadn’t obtained [Weapon of Extremes]…’
I touched the iron necklace on my chest.
‘Could I have overcome those turbulent original stories?’
I shook my head. It’s unlikely.
If I hadn’t received Jia’s help in the beginning, I wouldn’t have grown this quickly. If I hadn’t received [Weapon of Extremes] from Instructor Pi Jin Ho, I wouldn’t have been able to overcome the villains and crises that were coming at me.
And that’s not all. The disappearance of these two causes all sorts of changes.
‘If I hadn’t met Jia, I wouldn’t have headed to the casino.’
I wouldn’t have even obtained the casino entrance ticket. I wouldn’t have gone to the casino to find the doppelganger in the first place. After all, it was Jia who went against the doppelganger’s actions and got the two cadets expelled.
‘That means I wouldn’t have had the chance to meet Ms. Yu Hwa.’
If I won’t get to meet Ms. Yu Hwa, naturally, I won’t get to meet Ms. Maiden either.
‘The encounters with these two were the starting point and foundation for me, Kang Seo-yul, since I fell into this world.’
Losing these two would be akin to negating my entire existence.
‘Even if it’s not an immediate change around me, the changes in these two would cause significant ripples.’
If Instructor Pi Jin Ho disappears, his wife might not die. Ms. Maiden might not meet her husband at the military academy. In that case, Hermit could have ended his life hanging around back alleys like a thug.
‘There will be countless changes beyond my imagination.’
But that’s not the only issue. If just the disappearance of these two can lead to so many variables, what if more people disappear, change, or are born?
‘The Human Backup Theory doesn’t only apply to Teddy, Edel, and the deity.’
If my hypothesis is correct, then all existing humans are backups of these species.
‘Every time I act in this past, the species that survive and those that die continue to change.’
In other words,
‘People who should have been born in the future might not be born, and those who shouldn’t have been born might be.’
Even now, that’s the case. By saving Albeheim and Rupriel, who should have been destroyed, many people who originally would have died in history now survive.
What if among those disappeared figures, there’s someone who made a significant contribution to human history? Would it be the future I originally knew? Unlikely.
‘The future will inevitably change.’
This is what would happen if the Human Backup Theory were true.
And another thing.
‘If the future changes, what happens to me?’
It’s one of the theories related to the ‘Time Paradox’. The hypothesis is that if I, who came from the future, change the past, then the future me will not be born. So, according to this theory, I should not exist right now.
‘Does the fact that I’m still here mean the future hasn’t changed significantly yet?’
Even though Teddy and Edel have survived for now, are they eventually destined to die? Or is this world not truly a past world but a ‘parallel universe’ based on past events? Or, as the Immutable History Theory suggests, what’s meant to happen will happen, and history proceeds in its original flow?
‘I don’t know.’
I don’t know. There was no way to know. The time-travel theories I am familiar with are all fictional, delusional, and wildly speculative.
‘At least, I can’t come to a definite conclusion until I return to the modern era, or notice some changes in my body or surroundings.’
There’s no answer. That was the only conclusion.
“…Sigh.”
I took a soft deep breath. Then I gradually took deeper breaths to reset my brain and shift my thoughts. There’s no time to waste on theories and unnecessary worries that I can’t find answers to.
“…Okay.”
After about 10 minutes of light meditation, I opened my eyes, feeling a bit clearer.
‘I have a general grasp of the situation now.’
The thoughts from earlier weren’t entirely useless. They provided an opportunity to think in various directions.
‘Let’s first organize my thoughts step by step, then decide how I should act.’
I delved back into my train of thought.
* * *
That night.
After a long reflection, I reached a conclusion.
“So, we should proceed with the plan, finding a way to return and a way to defeat Demon God at the same time?”
“Yes.”
Ai quietly crossed their legs.
“Clearly, whether our actions change the future or not, as long as we defeat Demon God, there won’t be any problem.”
“Right. If we only defeat Demon God, even if the future changes, we can at least avoid the annihilation of the future.”
Demon God’s death is akin to the end of this world. In other words, my goal of essentially reaching ‘Episode 859, the Not-So-End’ has been achieved.
“Even if the future doesn’t change, we gain the experience of having battled Demon God.”
“Bingo.”
Ai and I looked at each other and smiled.
“But I have a question.”
“What is it?”
“Well… if our actions change the future, is there a chance our very existence will disappear?”
It was a sharp question. I had pondered over that worry for quite a while.
“Don’t worry.”
However, I’ve reached a conclusion now.
“Whether the future changes or not, there’s no chance our existence will cause any changes.”
“Why?”
I tapped my head with my finger.
“My memory.”
“Memory?”
“Yes.”
“What do you mean?”
Ai tilted their head.
“It’s simple. Assuming our actions influence the future. Due to the salvation of Alfheim and Reperiel, the future would have changed, right?”
“Yes.”
“At the very least, my encounter with Lena would have definitely changed. Because the event of saving Reperiel prevented Lena from being sealed.”
“…That makes sense.”
I tapped my head again.
“But my memory remains the same.”
“…Ah!”
Ai seemed to understand and widened their eyes.
“I see. If changes in the future affected our existence, our memories should have changed too.”
“Not just that.”
I raised my palm upward, and a fireball of moderate size floated above it.
“My magic was learned from Lena. If my meeting with Lena disappeared and my existence changed, then I shouldn’t be able to use magic.”
Yet, I can still use magic.
“And all my other abilities remain intact.”
Ai’s eyes sparkled.
“Whether the future changes or not, the probability that it doesn’t affect us is very high.”
“What we do in the past likely has a much higher chance of not affecting the present.”
“Indeed.”
This is the conclusion I reached using the information currently available. If past events changed the future, it’s unlikely I’d still exist intact.
“This era is the best time to defeat Demon God.”
“Oh, unlike the modern era, there were Gods in this time?”
“…Always on point.”
“Plus, you mentioned the end of this history was a stalemate… With our intervention, there’s a high chance the odds could tip in our favor.”
“Precisely.”
I didn’t need to explain anything.
It was as if she were perfectly reading my mind.
“So, what we need to do now…”
Ai’s eyes sparkled.
“Seek cooperation with the Savior’s side. While strengthening ties with Reperiel and Alfheim…”
“We need to become strong enough to confront Demon God.”
“Perfect.”
We looked at each other and smiled.
This is the best plan I can come up with for now.
* * *
The next morning.
As promised yesterday, I was shooting arrows in the archery range with Edel.
Well, I was actually watching Edel shoot arrows.
“Ancestor! How was it?”
“Uh, what? Impressive.”
To be honest, I was a bit taken aback.
‘…She really shoots well.’
I was surprised once by her incredible skills, fitting for a hero of Alfheim.
‘Why is her posture so similar to Jia’s when shooting…’
Seeing her up close, I was twice as surprised because her archery stance and habits were strikingly similar to Jia’s.
“Did you notice any bad habits or points I need to improve?”
Those sparkling eyes were somewhat burdensome.
“There weren’t any. It was perfection itself.”
“Really?”
“Yes. It seemed like you shoot even better than me.”
Edel hugged her bow and smiled brightly.
“Now it’s your turn, Ancestor!”
Edel took a few steps back from the shooting line and then pointed to the spot where she had previously stood, indicating that I should stand there and shoot.
“Edel, if it’s not too much to ask, can I borrow your bow?”
“Of course!”
Edel gladly nodded and handed me her bow.
“…I know it’s a weird thing to ask, but are you sure? It’s not easy to lend your weapon to someone else.”
“It might be difficult if it was someone else, but… it’s okay if it’s you, Ancestor!”
While handing me the bow, Edel laughed cheerfully.
“Is that so?”
…I felt both gratitude and a hint of guilt. I smiled awkwardly and took the bow from Edel.
Whooosh!
In that instant, a gust of wind surged around my body. There was no pain at all.
“Wow…”
Hearing Edel’s exclamation, I opened my eyes.
“You look beautiful…”
It seemed like a pink hue flickered in Edel’s eyes.
She appeared to be admiring my transformed appearance as an elf.
“What’s the name of this bow?”
“Oh, it’s called [Silent Assassin]. It has a special ability called ‘Shapeless Arrow(?),’ which allows me to use the wind as arrows and shoot them infinitely.”
“I see.”
It’s like an arrow made of wind.
I lightly plucked the bowstring.
Whooosh!
At that moment, the shapeless wind formed and shattered the target into pieces.
“You, you did it so perfectly right from the start…”
Ignoring the astonished Edel behind me, I continued to pull the bowstring.
Destroying the endlessly regenerating targets was quite fun.
Perhaps it was because I transformed into an elf, but there was hardly any consumption of magic power.
With this, I could probably shoot arrows all day long.
“The more I use it, the more it feels like Wind’s Arrow.”
The [Silent Assassin] might just be the weapon version of the wind’s arrow.
Alright. Let’s try using it in more diverse ways.
I began to give variations to the formless arrows.
Rapid fire, multishot, curved shot, explosive shot, and the spiral arrow I usually favored.
“Wow…”
After about a minute,
Along with Edel’s exclamation, I released my hand from the bowstring.
“You’re… you’re amazing.”
If Edel had a tail, it would probably be spinning vigorously like a propeller right now.
Her gaze was that intense.
“Um, can I ask you a question?”
“What is it?”
“That technique you used last time to run on thin air…?”
Edel cautiously asked with the most careful gesture.
“That? I just used the wind’s arrow to create stepping stones in the air and ran on them.”
“At that speed?”
“Yes.”
“You solidified the wind in mid-air and maintained it perfectly?”
“That’s right.”
“My goodness…”
Edel’s mouth was half-opened. She seemed genuinely surprised.
“Why? Want me to teach you?”
“!”
At that moment, Edel’s eyes sparkled.
“Oh, please teach me!”
She then leaned in so close that our noses almost touched.
“Ah…”
Regaining her senses quickly, Edel coughed awkwardly and returned to her original posture.
“So, sorry. I don’t know what came over me…”
“It’s fine. You didn’t do anything strange.”
I handed the [Silent Assassin] back to Edel.
“You used it well.”
In that instant, I transformed back to my original form, from an elf back to a human.
“Ah…”
Perhaps she was disappointed that I had returned to my original form, Edel let out a sigh of regret.
“So, about the application of the wind’s arrow technique…”
I was about to pass on the technique to Edel.
“Huh? Ancestor, there’s a light on your… shoulder.”
With Edel’s words,
“Oh my.”
“!”
Before I knew it, the Dragon Lord was standing behind me.
“Dragon Lord!”
Edel exclaimed in shock, bowing her head.
“That’s enough of that,” Dragon Lord replied dismissively.
The Dragonlord, who had interrupted Edele’s greeting with a light wave of her hand, poked her head out from behind me.
“…Since when have you been watching?”
“From the beginning.”
Naturally, I began to murmur close to my ear.
“You should’ve said when you arrived….”
“I wanted to see how the High Elf shoots with a bow. But….”
Then, she lightly brushed over my right shoulder with her index finger.
“Seems I saw something more interesting?”
Dragon Lord grinned.
A smile full of ecstasy, one that somehow made one feel uneasy.
“Under the fully bloomed World Tree.”
She spoke cryptically with that expression.
“The child of the forest that guards that World Tree.”
Saying so, she lightly brushed over my body with her index finger.
“The leaf of the World Tree that strives to protect such a child of the forest.”
“…What on earth are you talking about?”
I turned my head slightly to look at the Dragon Lord’s face.
The Dragon Lord wasn’t looking at my face but intently gazing at my shoulder, with a bright smile.
Yes, she was looking at my ‘shoulder’.
‘…Hold on a second. On my right shoulder… the World Tree?’
Impossible!
And as my pupils started to widen with the realization…
“Adam’s Mark. Moreover…”
“!”
At Dragon Lord’s words, my pupils dilated to their fullest extent.
“The mark of a High Elf!”
“…What?”
A High Elf?
The Mark of my elf lineage?
‘Wait, and she mentioned the blooming World Tree and the child of the forest that guards it?’
My elf lineage’s Mark wasn’t in that form.
Could it be that the shape of the Mark has changed?
I turned my head quickly.
I tried to check my shoulder.
“Stay still!”
“Ugh!”
However, my attempt was easily thwarted. The Dragon Lord effortlessly restrained my neck with her strength.
“…Haha!”
While firmly holding both my shoulder and neck, the Dragon Lord who was looking at the top of my shoulder burst into loud laughter.
“Indeed, it’s you…!”
It was a laugh mixed with both exhilaration and joy.
< Chapter 179: Evolution (1) > End.
