HACKED 97

The ultimate skill of <The S-Class Genius Regressor Hunter of a Ruined World Who Monopolizes Everything>, ‘Infinite Regression’.

Although it is only for a few seconds, he can rewind time endlessly. In other words, it is possible to identify the enemy’s behavior patterns and then turn back time to respond. Theoretically, it is truly invincible.

In fact, the essence of this skill is not ‘turning back time’ but ‘foreseeing the future’. Rewinding time for the entire dimension requires carrying an immense burden of probability, but for a single caster to foresee the future is much less taxing.

However, because ‘foreseeing the future’ and ‘experiencing the present’ are repeated without a cooldown, it feels to the caster as if they are returning to the past. Therefore, this skill came to be called ‘Infinite Regression’.

Then, what is that foresight based on?

An Incarnation is a being that has been branched out and shaped from the great flow of the narrative. All Incarnations have an origin, that is, a motif.

Even for an Incarnation seen for the first time, the origin can be guessed to some extent from the name and appearance. Once the origin is known, it is quick work to grasp what abilities that Incarnation possesses and what their tendencies are. Therefore, the origin becomes the most powerful spoiler for an Incarnation.

The ‘Infinite Regression’ skill identifies the origin of the opposing Incarnation and reads the opponent’s foundation by tracing up from there. Accordingly, it infers the actions the opponent will take. Strictly speaking, it is a mechanism closer to statistics than a mystical realm like prophecy.

But as a certain science fiction writer said, any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic.

‘Just by looking, that guy has the same Korean origin as me. If it’s an appearance that personifies a tiger within a Korean origin… well, it’s obvious. This will be a piece of cake.’

The S-Class Hunter wore a smile of triumph.

The skill ‘Infinite Regression’ operates based on the combat experience the S-Class Hunter has accumulated. Thus, if the opponent were an Incarnation of an origin he had never heard of or seen before, ‘foresight’ could be difficult.

But what a pity. The opponent’s concept was beyond familiar; it was at a level that could be read clearly. The goddess of fortune was taking his side.

“Now, this is truly the end!”

Boom!

The expression of San Gun, who took the blow delivered with full force, distorted slightly. The smile hanging on the S-Class Hunter’s lips grew a little deeper.

Whir.

He felt as if a film were being fast-forwarded in his head. The S-Class Hunter’s vision darkened for a moment.

The strongest weapon he possessed, his ultimate skill, was working. Victory was close enough to grasp.

Very soon, he would be able to see through the opponent’s next move clearly. At first, the vision is blurry like this, but as the behavioral pattern analysis finishes, it will gradually become vivid.

Static.

‘…Um?’

It should be… becoming vivid.

Sizzle, crackle.

What unfolded before the S-Class Hunter’s eyes was not San Gun’s next movement. It was fine-grained noise jumping like a TV screen that had lost its connection.

“Wh-what is this?”

The S-Class Hunter lost his composure immediately. He was so flustered that he even forgot he was in the middle of a battle and tried to rub his eyes.

“Why is my skill…”

Static, static.

The noise was still covering more than half of his vision.

“Is something not going quite as you planned?”

San Gun laughed from beyond the static. Even though that guy’s health must also be at its limit, it was a sickeningly sly laugh.

“Ugh!”

It was extremely taxing to block attacks pouring in rapidly while his sight was not intact. Red veins stood out on the S-Class Hunter’s forehead and neck. He quickly racked his brain.

Until he activated the skill, everything was certainly going smoothly. The problem occurred after that.

‘Did that bastard pull some trick? Like activating a counter-skill at the same time the ultimate was activated.’

Only an ultimate can block an ultimate. And among Incarnations, there are rare ones who possess ultimates of types other than offensive ones. Things like ‘Nullification’, ‘Defense’, or ‘Reflection’.

But the probability of that was significantly low. How would that guy know what his ultimate was and activate a skill at the exact same timing? A card like an ultimate should be the one and only option for that guy, just as it was for the S-Class Hunter.

‘If so…’

A future that could not be read even after using an ultimate. Noise that seethed ominously like insects swarming the carcass of a dead animal. The enemy before his eyes.

A certain possibility flashed through the S-Class Hunter’s mind. This possibility was equally unrealistic. However, in this situation, it was the only answer that made sense.

“You, by any chance.”

“……”

“Were you cut out from the ‘Stem of the Narrative’? Is that why my skill can’t detect your origin?”

The fiercely surging offensive stopped, if only for a brief moment.

“Pfft. Ha, hahaha. Hahahaha!”

The S-Class Hunter laughed, his mouth twisting greatly.

“That was it. That was it! This bastard, I wondered what he was. You were a bastard who doesn’t even deserve to be called an Incarnation?”

San Gun remains silent. The S-Class Hunter spoke even more loudly with spite, as if to hide the deepening sense of failure and anxiety.

“I don’t know what sin you committed to end up in that state, you idiot bastard. You’re fighting to protect the Compiler even in that state? Do you think the Compiler will even be grateful that a guy like you, who is neither living nor dead, is showing total loyalty?”

“……”

“When your Status was stripped away, why didn’t you just commit suicide right then? You’ll never be able to return to your original narrative anyway, so what use is all this fighting?”

Through the mold-like noise, San Gun’s figure could be seen vaguely. He thought the expression would be one of great agitation or anger, but he had a surprisingly calm face.

“So?”

San Gun swept one eyebrow up. It was an action he likely did without much thought, but it synergized with his fierce looks and was enough to make the viewer lose heart.

“…What?”

“Why does that crap matter.”

“‘That crap’? Are you truly a madman? Do you even know what you’re talking about right…”

“Myeong said.”

San Gun chuckled. It was a laugh that was neither cool nor hot… a laugh so cold that it felt as if it would burn.

“My Master.”

“……”

“Said I’m his favorite.”

The blade of the slanted scimitar flew in, aiming precisely for the neck. Even that was more than half-hidden by noise and invisible.

The S-Class Hunter had an intuition. This time, he truly would not be able to avoid it.

˙✧˖°🎮 ⋆｡˚

[<The S-Class Genius Regressor Hunter of a Ruined World Who Monopolizes Everything> has died and returned to a fragment of the narrative.]

[<Chakho Gapsa> has died and returned to a fragment of the narrative.]

[<The 1st Unit> has been annihilated. (Location: <UserMyeong808>’s Pantheon)]

[Combat is automatically stopped as there are no personnel capable of action.]

Ding!

Active Skill: ‘The Three No-Wishes of the Three Monkeys’

: See no evil, hear no evil, speak no evil.

Never seeing, never hearing, never speaking. At the same time, being able to see, hear, and speak everything.

A screen about 1 meter by 1 meter in size floated before my eyes. The clarity was not high, but there was no problem identifying the objects within the screen.

On the screen, three identical baby monkeys were sitting side by side. To be precise, they were not monkeys. They were young children wearing masks shaped like monkey dolls over their heads.

No, that’s not it. Only their bodies were human; the head part was indeed a monkey. The beast heads covered in short, fluffy brown fur blinked their eyes and breathed at regular intervals.

Such bizarre creatures that were neither monkey nor human wouldn’t exist in reality. Naturally, it would be reasonable to view them as Incarnations as well.

Three monkeys: one covering its eyes, one its ears, and one its mouth. Among them, two monkeys—excluding the one covering its mouth—opened their mouths simultaneously.

― <UserMyeong808>, it is a pleasure to meet you. I am <DriedAnchovyLowerEnds>.

It was a voice that was clear and rich in intonation, a voice that someone might find quite cute. However, the moment I heard it, a strange sense of unpleasantness surged within me. It was as if, surely… a being that was not permitted language was clumsily imitating the voice of a child.

― I apologize if I startled you. I did not think it was polite to contact you only through messages, so I am speaking to you in this manner.

‘Is that the skill of those monkey Incarnations? Is he currently delivering the words of his own Compiler?’

The remaining two monkeys, excluding the one covering its eyes, were staring at me intently. Two pairs of eyes like black beads blinked.

“Uh…”

I had only opened my mouth without much thought, but the two monkeys—excluding the one covering its ears—listened to my words with held breath. It was a somewhat chilling sight. I continued my words a beat late.

“…What is it?”

As soon as I finished speaking, the two monkeys opened their mouths. They answered at the exact same timing without the slightest discrepancy.

― I, <DriedAnchovyLowerEnds>, intend to quit everything.