Changing the Future

Open the [Gate to the Past].

It's not just about "going back to the past," but about completely mastering the power to go back to the past.

Although Iver had long known that Professor Moriarty was bound to have ambitions... these ambitions were simply too great.

If someone could travel back in time indefinitely, it would mean that everything in the "present" would be meaningless to them, just as people in the "present" would be enjoying the "future."

The future has not yet arrived. But we can start over now.

That also means destroying everything in the present world.

People's dreams, ideals, responsibilities, encounters, acquaintances, and loves, their births, aging, sickness, and death, and all the struggles of the mortal world will vanish into nothingness... because everyone will enter "another future," and people may even disappear before they are born.

—What a dangerous force that is!

so...

Let me tell you a story.

Iver didn't answer, but suddenly spoke up.

"Oh?"

Instead of anxiously demanding an answer, the Gem Bird emitted curious sounds with great interest.

Iver continued, "There is a game where players receive their own initial resources at the start of the game. The type of resources each person receives is random, and their strength and value can fluctuate by ten or even dozens of times."

"That's fair."

Professor Moriarty exclaimed, "People are born unequal. Birth, talent, family, personality... these things, determined by luck alone, largely determine a person's life. This game, to some extent, reflects this situation, which is very realistic. I think the only problem with this game is that the difference of only a few dozen times is still too conservative."

"Yes, all players' initial resources largely determine their subsequent gaming experience. And this kind of game isn't a one-time event... If the game hasn't started yet, then everyone has many opportunities."

Iver calmly stated, "Therefore, some people will keep restarting the game in search of a 'better start.' I call it ' Rerolling.'"

Upon hearing this, Professor Moriarty realized what Iver was trying to say.

Therefore, the Sapphire Robin simply smiled in a human-like manner and did not respond.

Iver continued, "But resources aren't just one type. So when you keep restarting Rerolling, there will always be various combinations. Just like you said... background, talent, family, personality. Maybe one will be very good, while the others will be very bad. Or maybe several will be good, but none will be outstanding. But in any case, the more difficult it is to obtain resources after the game starts, the more meaningful it is to Rerolling —getting a good start might even be better than countless efforts later on."

"What truly limits people from Rerolling is actually just one factor: 'time.' Perhaps they feel tired, perhaps they might not be able to keep up with the progress, or perhaps they feel it's meaningless... because with each endless restart, real-world time is constantly passing."

"Although it may seem that they didn't use any resources to gain a better start, they actually still consumed an extremely valuable and non-renewable resource—"

"... Time, right?"

The Gem Bird interrupted Iver.

He already knew what Iver wanted to say.

"That's right."

Iver nodded. "So I refuse—you say it's bad? I can say with certainty that it's not good at all. Rather, it's a sweet mousetrap."

"I don't think going back to the past would make any sense...it would make everything in the present meaningless."

"We assume that no matter how the world is changed, there must be a 'better way'. Then, without the constraint of 'time', the number of times we can start over is infinite... and humans are inherently greedy."

At this point, Iver's lips curled up slightly. "You are even more so."

Bird James flapped his wings, offering no comment.

Iver continued, "And if there is a 'best possibility'—let's not discuss who judges this 'best' or who is qualified to make that judgment—it ultimately means that there is a final solution to the world's problems. In other words, following this line of thought... the most ideal fate has long been fixed, and going back in time can only uncover it at most."

"So if you truly obtain this power to go back to the past, and after countless restarts, you finally set history back to the designated moment... wouldn't that be a kind of destiny?"

Upon hearing Iver's words, Professor Moriarty's bird-like face finally showed a slight change of expression.

"... to be able to come up with this idea in such a short time."

Professor Moriarty exclaimed, "As expected of you. Is this the wisdom from the Reincarnation Angel? Even knowing nothing, even remembering nothing, you are still so wise."

The Gem Bird looked at Iver, but it seemed as if it were looking at another person reflected behind Iver.

Iver's expression darkened slightly. "This is... my own thought."

"I have no reason to go back to the past. Because I cherish everything I have now."

"Every person I've met, every friend I've made, and every gain I've made are my precious treasures. Even if I could go back in time and meet them again, even if the Timeline were completely reset, I would still lose the experience of meeting, getting to know, overcoming difficulties, and growing together with my younger self."

"Even if I were to imitate myself back then and meet and get to know them again... the final experience would be completely different. As you said before, 'knowledge is poisonous.' Once you know something, you can no longer think from the perspective of not knowing it."

"Going back to the past... means destroying your present."

Professor Moriarty suddenly spoke up, "If I understand correctly, is that what you mean?"

Iver continued, "That's right. Not to mention, each reopening of the Reincarnation Angel is with the permission of the Nine Pillar Gods. History only became fragmented after the 'Cicada Molting' incident. Before that, this world had only one history."

"Even if all you want to change is the history we live in, that means fighting against the Nine Pillar Gods."

"I know."

The Gem Bird nodded. "I knew it from the very beginning."

—You know that?

Iver paused for a moment.

You know that, why are you asking me this?

Or perhaps... your original goal was to oppose the Nine Pillar Gods?

He had initially thought that Professor Moriarty had overestimated the Reincarnation Angel's ability to Loading Save.

But now Iver realizes that his adoptive father seems to know enough about it... perhaps even more than Iver himself.

"Iver, let Daddy teach you another lesson."

The bird spoke in a deep, magnetic, aged voice. "Perhaps you know too much about the future, so you inevitably hesitate when you act. Because you always consider various irrationalities, it's like a scholar with too much knowledge writing a novel... What you know can become a hindrance to your thoughts and logic."

"So what if the Nine Pillar Gods oppose us? Opposition means they value us, and valuing us brings influence, and enough influence equals power. When we ascend to the Dream Realm, we can also become Celestial Masters... or even Pillar God."

"You still haven't realized the significance of the [Gate to the Past]."

"Its significance lies not in changing the past... but in changing the future."