Chapter 27 – Provocation

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Translated by Seoulbound

Read it only at Novelbyu.com & Utoon.net

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The answer from the commander came only after a long time.

“You… what?”

He spoke in a tone of doubting the words he heard himself.

I spoke again with clear pronunciation.

“A regressor.”

“A regressor is…”

“Literally, from the future to the past. It means I returned.”

“……”

The commander’s mouth opened slightly and then closed.

“…You say strange things. Luna Moon also used to play such pranks often.”

Hmm, the commander’s reaction is more underwhelming than I thought.

Since he knew the story that Luna Moon was a player, I thought he would accept it more boldly.

“It is not a prank.”

“Stop the jokes. You, a regressor.”

“Did you react like this when you heard my mother’s confession that she was a player too?”

“……!”

At my words, the commander showed an expression as if he had been hit with a hammer.

Frankly, since being a regressor was a lie, bringing up a deceased person made me feel a little sorry… not really.

In any case, I was just about to feel a reality check from acting like a child.

I had to act as a regressor properly now to escape being treated like a child and avoid entering the military academy.

This wasn’t all just for my sake.

Because it was to avoid the apocalypse.

“Didn’t you ever find it strange? That I am excessively mature and know excessively well about the military.”

“Are you asking me to believe that you are a regressor just because you are more mature than other children?”

“At the executives’ meeting, I knew everyone’s name.”

Seeing that the commander seemed to want evidence, I lined up plausible things as evidence.

“Father, do you think I could know so much about them in detail just by hearing stories from Mother? Do you think that my skillful handling of firearms and outstanding shooting skills, when I had never even held a gun in the slums, are just because I am a clever child? Do you think that my scaling of Daphne-nim’s wall to visit her the other day was also just a sudden, rash action?”

“……”

The commander did not seem to be able to believe me readily.

However, the words that flowed from the commander’s mouth immediately after were not words of doubt, but words asking about my intention.

“Why are you only revealing now that you are a regressor?”

“Because you do not know.”

“What?”

“That we do not have time.”

Watching the commander’s head tilt slightly to the side, I continued speaking.

“Ten years from now, another apocalypse will begin.”

“What?”

At the words that another apocalypse would begin, the commander also wore a considerably surprised face.

“And we called that the Second Apocalypse.”

“For another apocalypse to happen in the future… I wish it were a lie instead.”

“I also wish the apocalypse wouldn’t happen. However, I died in a future where we didn’t prepare for the apocalypse.”

At the words that I died in the future, the commander’s eyes widened slightly and then sank back down.

“When I opened my eyes, I had returned to my ten-year-old childhood. If this is the second chance given to me… I thought I should prepare for the apocalypse in advance this time. That is also why I am trying to go to the subjugation battle and paying attention to combat rations.”

“……”

The answer from the commander came after a long silence.

“It is just as hard to believe as when I learned Luna Moon was a player.”

“I understand. But I had no choice but to tell you. Because if we go on like this, we won’t have enough time to prepare for the apocalypse.”

I resolved to explain even the parts that could arouse suspicion from the commander at this opportunity.

“The reason I am only speaking now is… because I learned through this regression that my mother was a player and that Father knew about it. If it is Father who knows Mother was a special existence, I thought you would take my story seriously.”

“Did the future you not know that Luna Moon was a player?”

“Yes. However, since I vaguely knew that Mother was no ordinary person, I went to visit Daphne-nim to find out about Mother upon regressing this time… That is also why I was not greatly surprised by the fact that Mother was a player. When I am a regressor, why would it be a big deal that my mother is a player.”

The commander looked a bit confused by my clever logic.

“If you really came from the future… try to prophesy about the events that will happen.”

Hmm, I guess that level of evidence was insufficient.

Since he is the commander of a zone, it would be good to be cautious when believing someone.

However, unfortunately, there was no such thing as a prophecy to tell the commander.

“That is difficult.”

“Difficult?”

“Because the future has already changed a lot as I regressed. Originally, I hadn’t sought Father out this quickly.”

When I said that, the commander had a face that was somewhat convinced by the fact that I couldn’t speak about future events.

‘Good, then…’

“I cannot prophesy what will happen in the future, but if Father wants more concrete evidence.”

Actually, it wasn’t impossible to tell him about future events as the commander wanted either.

Although a few futures might have changed during the possession, I was already a veteran who had played this world multiple times.

However, I have no intention of acting like a clumsy prophet.

If I am a veteran, shouldn’t I naturally show that I came from the future through my skills?

“Please permit me to challenge the military academy’s training simulation.”

At my words, the commander flinched and stared at me with eyes looking at something from another world.

“…Seeing that you know about the military academy’s training simulation, I am beginning to think you really might have been a regressor.”

“Because I already graduated from that school in the future. I pride myself on being more outstanding than any student currently attending that school. If I pass the training with a score superior to anyone else, you will have no choice but to believe me.”

“……”

The commander had a slightly conflicted face, then soon nodded his head slightly.

“I permit you to challenge the training simulation.”

I smiled, without hiding the corners of my mouth that were rising.

If I prove it through training, he won’t be able to bring up entering the military academy again.

Slaughtering newbies is not something a veteran should do, but it cannot be helped this time.

* * *

Plato, the eldest son of the pro-Daphne faction’s Anton, was an outstanding cadet who was about to graduate top of the military academy.

Although his father was the leader of the pro-Daphne faction, under Anton’s fair education to raise his child into a commander recognized by all factions, he did not discriminate between factions.

Since there was also absolutely no instance of him trying to solve problems by using his father’s name, he was a cadet respected by many schoolmates.

However, Plato, who had become a soldier not bound by ideology more than necessary beyond Anton’s expectations, had instead turned into a protrusion who did not avoid speaking directly, to the point that even Anton found him suffocating.

To the junior cadets, Plato, who excelled in both written and practical grades, looked like a wonderful senior who held onto his beliefs, but to his peers and instructors who realized how important obedience to orders was to a soldier, he was nothing more and nothing less than a troublemaker with good grades.

Even so, the fact that he was scheduled to graduate top of the class probably wasn’t entirely without the influence of his father, Anton.

In any case, that troublemaking temperament was displayed without fail even in the face of the order to participate in the training simulation with the commander’s son, Heydam Goodman.

“I refuse.”

“Plato!”

Since Heydam Goodman, the party of the business, was also standing in a corner of the principal’s office where Plato was summoned, looking at Plato, the principal called his name in shock, but Plato did not bend his will.

“No matter if it is a simulation, I cannot inflict harm upon a child who hasn’t even entered the school yet. You know that even in a simulation, one can get injured, don’t you?”

“His Excellency the Commander also permitted it.”

“He permitted it?”

The military academy’s training simulation of the Cola zone meant mock combat.

A mock combat with simple rules where participating cadets are divided into Team A and Team B, start from their respective camps, and win by placing a flag in the opponent’s camp first or killing all opposing team members.

Although it was a battle conducted without lethal weapons such as mock military swords and paint guns, it was a training in which cadets occasionally got injured since fists were actually traded if collisions grew intense.

To think the commander permitted his ten-year-old son to participate in such training.

‘Could it be… telling me to let him win?’

As if the guess was not wrong, words within the expected range flowed from the principal’s mouth.

“And can’t the training just be done with some flexibility?”

‘Just as expected.’

Plato immediately shook his head.

“In other words, you are telling me to go easy on him, but even if he is a young child who hasn’t even entered the school yet, I cannot inflict such a disgrace on a future cadet who will become a warrior of this zone. How embarrassing would it be if he won his first training simulation because the opponent went easy on him?”

“P-Plato! Please choose your words carefully…!”

“I’m fine.”

The principal read the countenance of Heydam Goodman standing right beside him, but Heydam showed no sign of displeasure even after hearing all the talk.

Plato stared for a moment into those glossy black hair and black eyes sparkling with ominous curiosity.

‘This child is that rumored illegitimate son.’

A psychopath with an angelic face who reportedly threatened his own father, Anton, with a smiling face from their first meeting.

He had shown the eccentric behavior of scaling Daphne-nim’s residence wall, but had also gone outside the zone to hunt a hippo-pig alone and offered meals to children of his age.

‘I guessed he wouldn’t be an ordinary child.’

Therefore, even when he heard that Heydam would visit the military academy for a tour.

And even when he heard that he would challenge the training simulation, he had no great rejection.

Since he thought it would be fine if it were that child.

But challenging the training simulation together with that child himself was out of his calculation.

“Why me of all people? There must be plenty of cadets suited to Heydam-nim’s level.”

“Please watch your language, and that is…”

“I requested it.”

Heydam’s youthful voice flew in.

Heydam looked straight up at Plato and said.

“Because I wanted to see the most outstanding cadet of the military academy in person.”

“…Thank you.”

For some unknown reason, Plato did not feel Heydam’s attitude was that of a simple visitor.

‘It feels like a company commander visiting to give encouragement…’

In any case.

If Heydam wanted to participate in the training with him because he wanted to see the most outstanding cadet, Plato decided to take a step back.

Because he thought that targeting and challenging a superior existence was an excellent quality as a warrior.

‘But still, I don’t want to deal with a child…’

Plato offered a suitable compromise.

“Assign me to Heydam-nim’s team. That way, the balance will be roughly right.”

At that, Heydam was startled and waved his hands.

“Plato on my team? There is no need for that! If an outstanding cadet like Plato becomes my teammate…”

‘Although he made an unreasonable request that doesn’t fit his level, he is a child who knows shame.’

Plato naturally thought that Heydam was trying to decline because he felt it was a nuisance to pass the training with Plato’s help, but.

The words that followed from his mouth were completely contrary to expectations.

“I won’t be able to prove that I am more outstanding than any cadet of the military academy, will I?”

At those words which could not be overlooked at all, Plato frowned without realizing it.

“What did you just say?”

“Ah, I forgot to tell you this story.”

While even the principal stared at Heydam with a shocked face, Heydam continued speaking brightly.

“The reason Father permitted me to challenge the training simulation is because he said I don’t have to enter the school if I prove that I am more outstanding than anyone in the military academy. Frankly, I think entering the military academy is a waste of time.”

It was the moment Plato resolved to do his absolute best to win against a ten-year-old child.