Regressor; a rewind of time. Rakna wasn’t unfamiliar with that word, but it was not something he was expecting to hear. A supernatural feat such as regression was not a simple thing. You couldn’t just chalk it up to random luck.

Not to mention that the System should know about it. The question that would come to be asked is if such a Host would be allowed to live.

The only logical possibility would be that a being more powerful than the System was asserting their influence on said regressor, forcing Systema to leave them alone; like how Phantasms have to walk on eggshells around Rakna due to Eternal Night.

Rakna promptly activated Crystal Sight, his pupils fully revolving into golden crosses. He peered into the alleged regressor’s status without holding back.

❮ ◈ ❯

Name: Kim Shin-Woo

Age: 29 (21) | Level: 103

Race: Half-Faerie | Path: Scroll Edge

Sub-Path: Silver Emperor (Partially Sealed)

Affiliation: Silver Sacrament (Member)

Titles: Emissary of ???, Regressor, Crowned Seedling, Divinity Slayer, Inheritor of Scroll Edge, Spell Blade Master, Elemental Lord, Secret Seeker, Silver Rule, Disaster Hunter, Mythical Designation.

Potential: NR | Host Rank: X | Ascent: I

Attributes:

STR: 86 | END: 48

SPD: 103 | DEX: 116

INT: 132 | LCK: 6

Statistics:

STA: 451 | MP: 6640

SWI: 570 | AGI: 405

SEN: 499 | ATC: 491

ATT: 627 | DEF: 300

MA: 744 | MR: 114.6/min

Proficiencies:

- Scroll Creation (Lv. 22 ⋆⋆)

- Magic Inscribing (Lv. Ex ⋆)

- Mana Control (Lv.17 ⋆)

- Sword Arts (Lv.16 ⋆)

- Runecraft (Lv.12 ⋆)

- Mana Sense (Lv.16 ⋆)

- Magic Theory (Lv.15 ⋆)

- Spiritual Intent Control (Lv.8)

…

Magic Skills:

- Spirit Magic (Lv. 16 ⋆)

- Water Magic (Lv. 12 ⋆)

- Earth Magic (Lv. Max)

- Light Magic (Lv.9)

- Fire Magic (Lv.7)

- Wind Magic (Lv.6)

- Lightning Magic (Lv.4)

- Darkness Magic (Lv.2)

- True Magic – Silver of The Eight Roots (Lv.5)

- Union Magic (Darkness + Light) – Dark Light (Lv.3)

- Union Magic (Spirit + Water) – Undine (Lv. Max)

Cognitive Skills:

- Fae Ink Tattoos (Lv. UEX ⋆⋆⋆)

- ??? (Lv-)

- Foil Aura (Lv. 21 ⋆⋆)

- Fear Resistance (Lv. 15 ⋆)

- Fatigue Resistance (Lv.12 ⋆)

- Damage Resistance (Lv. 11 ⋆)

- Soul Heart (Lv. Ex)

- Pain Resistance (Lv. Max)

…

Spontaneous Skills:

- Spell Sight (EX ⋆⋆⋆)

- Apogee Synesthesia (EX ⋆⋆⋆)

- Triple Burst (Lv-)

- Celestial Gate (Lv-)

- Eonian Gate (Lv-)

- Elemental Reinforcement (Lv.18 ⋆)

- Reinforcement (Lv.15 ⋆)

- Flash Step (Lv.13 ⋆)

- Weapon Reinforcement (Lv.12 ⋆)

- Almighty Palm (Lv. Ex)

…

- Soul Drain (Lv.6)

- Soul Scourge (Lv.5)

…

Path Skills:

- Magic Reading

- Scroll Edge

Sub-Path Skills:

- Silver Rule (Partially Sealed)

- Elemental Dominion

Nirvana Skills:

- Scroll Birth

- Elemental Phasing

- ???

Unique or Racial Traits:

- Faerie Blood

- Internalized Magic Circuits

- Lesser Regeneration

- Soul Beast Contract – Established

Note: A man of originally mediocre talent with good luck. His peaceful life was disrupted by his entry into Systemakva Etr Zotan. He struggled through eight painful years of both losses and successes, until one day, the world fell apart around him. A powerful being reached out to him and gave him the power to reverse the causality of his soul and regress him to his past.

❮ ◈ ❯

“…who?” Rakna ultimately asked with an even tone. His eyes were most likely the greatest analytical skill possessed by a Host or otherwise. His Kzanaria, the Crystal Sage, had a sight that could perceive the truth of all in the world.

Despite that, the therian could feel it. Instead of actually managing to pry into Shin-Woo’s secrets, it was as if he was allowed to instead; by that skill and title that he could not decipher. It was as if the status; as if something… was welcoming him. And he recognized it.

“I don’t know,” the spellblade shook his head at the question. “The only things I have are this title and skill that I can’t even read the description of. From what I’ve gathered, both seem to have an effect on my survival capability as well as the secrecy of my status. I also learn things faster than before but that’s it. However, I did have an instruction when I woke up as my younger self…”

“An instruction…?”

“Yes,” he nodded and gazed at Rakna. “It was you; I was told to save your life.”

The therian’s eyes widened in shock.

* * *

Meanwhile, far into the sea of Atlantis, Pronos feasted upon the buffet presented to him. The table was full of food. Meat, fruits, and vegetables; nothing was lacking. The little snake swallowed them whole, as if his stomach was infinite.

“You sure eat a lot,” the blue-haired ‘child’ that had welcomed him commented. He was sitting on a wooden chair, his glasses resting on his nose as he read a book. After a short moment of silence occupied by the Hydra’s eating noises, he eventually continued, “So, your master is Rakna Xiorra?”

Pronos instantly lifted all his heads in attention… except for a few still munching on food.

“…at least pretend to worry about my knowledge more than your palate,” the boy retorted without looking away from his book. “Your name is Pronos, correct?” He continued unbothered.

The small Hydra slowly nodded.

“Hm… oh, right,” the house owner exclaimed. “I suppose it would be bad manners not to introduce myself. Hans De Vale; a modest author. Do not be fooled by my appearance. There is more than meets the eye, as they would say. Though I will admit, I enjoy it; the world is all so more beautiful from a child’s view,” he said with his deep monotonous voice, his expression betraying nothing.

Once again, the incongruity of his harsh tone felt bizarre.

To Pronos, it was an odd sight. Even Rakna couldn’t be compared to this person. The therian was, for the lack of a better term, inhibited. But it wasn’t because of a lack of understanding or an inability to feel emotions; it was both a conscious and unconscious effort to control himself.

The fledgling Hydra was far more perceptive than most people would peg him as. Perhaps he knew more about Rakna’s inner struggles than even his closest companions. For some reason that the little snake couldn’t figure out, he had a deep connection to Rakna ever since they first met.

It was as if the then human was more ‘animal’ than himself. In fact, when Pronos first saw him, he thought he had stumbled upon a terrible den of beasts. It was like he had been facing a wolf… then a tiger in the next split second; then a bear, an eagle, a lion, a deer, an elephant, a fox, a gorilla…

And when he got close enough to touch this terrifying human… he had become as familiar as any reptile. That’s why Pronos could understand Rakna better than anyone else. They both possessed animalistic instincts that were normally overpowered by a rational mind, like the way humans evolved to be intelligent instead of savage.

Even Higure had that ‘flaw’, her instincts were logical rather than purely bestial. And it is precisely because she is intelligent that she naturally forsook that part of herself.

Pronos had always wondered since then. How was it that Rakna was like that? Why did he have such instincts inside him despite his intelligence? Why did it feel like his existence was made of wild beasts?

The Hydra shook his head at the train of thought, then gazed back at Hans; the child-looking boy whose harsh tone carried blatant contradictions. Unlike Rakna, whose coldness was attributed to his mental imbalance, this proclaimed author was the opposite. His poise felt too stable.

The emptiness of his tone; the hatred in the inflection of his words; the peace within his eyes; the confidence in his posture; all of it pointed to a man whose mentality had reached the peak of an extreme. A man who embraced the world’s ugliness. He was hatred incarnated, confined inside a soft but unyielding bubble of acceptance.

The truth was, Pronos was not smart enough to properly form his opinion. He only had instinct to carry out his judgment. But that was sufficient, and he preferred it that way. Something told him that his current growth depended on it; he wouldn’t be the one he is today otherwise.

Ultimately, all he knew about this human boy was that he deserved the utmost respect.

“You have quite a fascinating perspective,” Hans suddenly said, his eyes briefly moving away from his book to the Hydra. “Your thoughts have no eloquence, and there is no sign of comprehensible structure, but you are strangely wise.”

Pronos tilted his heads at that. Could this human hear his thoughts?

“Not exactly. What I do is read your consciousness,” the blue-haired boy retorted. “It is rather easy to do so with you since you do not possess strong mental barriers. Externally, at least. Aside from that, there is no doubt you are a powerful creature. Exceedingly so. I suppose that is fitting for the pet of the Kind Demon’s Kin.”

The small Hydra promptly froze on the spot. Even he was aware that Rakna being Eternal Night’s nephew shouldn’t be known publicly.

“It is not that shocking, is it? What do you think I’ve been reading all this time?” Hans said whilst hinting at the book in his hands. “You do have my… ‘precursor’ as a ‘companion’, do you not?”

Pronos immediately connected the dots. There was one person in his memories that fit the bill.

“Correct. I am the current bearer of Tale Magic. I apologize to say that you were caught in a passive spell the moment you entered my house,” he said. “Though unlike my predecessor, I do not dwell in the politeness of such an act, I am afraid. You will have to forgive me. I am not the kind to worry about something as insignificant as another’s past. It makes for an entertaining story is all.”

The Eion pet hissed softly.

“Hm?” Hans glanced at the Hydra. “You are wondering what I will do with this information? I was simply curious. Rakna Xiorra Blade… I am interested in meeting him. Your point of view is not adequate for a complete narration,” he said and squinted his eyes at the book in his hands.

“Normally, I should have been able to use Tale Magic on him through you as a medium… but he is much too ‘shielded by fate’ for that. So, meeting him personally seems to be the only way. And as things stand, I do not have to lift a single finger for that to happen. He is looking for me, after all.”

Pronos stayed silent. He scrutinized the boy with his nine pairs of eyes until he made a shrugging motion and pushed his answer to the top of his mind, allowing Hans to read it.

The blue-haired child allowed a smile to grace his face, but he never broke character. It was small and looked like a sneer mocking the world. “Is that so?” He uttered and the little guy promptly resumed his feast without any care in the world.

Hans glanced at him and mused internally. ‘Rakna Xiorra’s pet, huh… The Kind Demon’s Kin… word for word; could that rumored prophecy be true then?’ He thought and looked out the window of his house at the ocean whilst pondering something. ‘Why not… It does not hurt. Inspiration can be hard to come by after all…’