Timeless Regression

The world was ending, the clouds darkened, the seas drought, and the lush greenery reduced to the barren wasteland of withered roots and the cause was the ever-approaching darkness. The Void destined to swallow the stars, the tyranny it displayed, yet such a benevolent being cast aside by the lights mere swing and thus was sealed and was guarded by the Radiant knights. Yet such knowledge was now obsolete, as a boy discarded by his peers, mocked, and suffered horror beyond imagination awaken this slumbering power granting this power the thing it lacks, sentience

"Rise my army of darkness!!!" A hollow and skinny figure beckoned the call of an otherworldly presence and soon right after his summons were responded as shadow-like monstrosities rise from the shadows and appear in the land where the radiance of the light could never hope to touch

A radiating glow appears scaring away the army he called and at the center of that radiance lies a Knight equipped in shining armor, symbolizing his honor and duty as the last Radiant Knight "Seize this once and for all, Argalia. Surrender now. Relinquish that sinful power and die with honor like a man instead of living as a puppet. That power is just using you, It has no desire of helping you-"

"Silence... how dare you, Carion. To have the audacity to face me even after I showed you mercy. You think I'm foolish? You still believed I'm being controlled? Hahahahahahaha... this power I take it upon myself knowing I'll be consumed, and I accepted my fate, when I knew that this path, I took meant I could avenge them,"

Madness consumes this feeble body slowly consumed by the power he wields, yet this vessel never wavered in face of the last warrior of light for he was no vassal, the week lad was darkness itself. Argalia's power clouded the sky once more bringing back the darkness and swallowing the last bit of Carions light along with preparing his finale as failed hero facing the impossible odds. The army of darkness lunges for the decimation of Carion but a blue streak suddenly appeared and, in its wake, did it annihilate anything that dare block its path and in a flash the vessel of darkness was stabbed in his chest

"You're a fucking idiot! I told you that was a suicidal display of absolute stupidity. If I wasn't here, then you would've been dead. I really hate teaming up with morons, but still, it's finally over- shit I spoke too soon,"

"I knew you'd go after me; that's the reason why I split my power and only had a sliver to use. The world is doomed Carion! You failed just like those before you. The prophecy has finally come true, and my revenge is a success"

The world seemingly grew dark, and even the spell Argalia to darken the sky was but a mere shade compared to the darkness itself swallowing the world whole and before their very eyes the world fell to ruin. The villain of the story met his end before the end of the world could take his worthless soul and the only hero left was in denial except for his companion wasting away as he downs as bottle of booze. Carion was dumbfounded when he sees his lifelong comrade acting nonchalantly at the end of the world getting wasted and even cooking some meat as if he just came back from a hunt

"Zayn, what the hell are you doing?" As Carion spoke his mind his comrade didn't flinch nor act surprise as if he needed a reality check, he was simply there enjoying the end of the world as if it was his school's graduation

"Getting myself wasted, duh. Don't let this failure get to you. Believe me you're a lot better than the rest. Regression is bullshit, what's there to gain by knowing the future? Heck even now I'm still a screw up,"

"Again, with that joke...? Zayn, since when are you going to give up with that stupid- are you a regressor? It kind of make sense since you're always one step ahead of me in everything," Although Carion was doubtful of his claims it did explain his insane growth rate and his calm demeanor even after he sees thousands of their comrade's dead, and Zayn gave a subtle nod

"How many times have you regressed? Is it possible that there was a chance we could've won? Could you still go back, stop all this from happening in the first place?"

"Slow down there, Carion. You believe that's how time travel works? I die I go back to the exact same timeline and do everything again but this time with lucrative information from the future? I thought so as well but I was wrong," Zayn hands him his booze and he draw an outline of the timeline at the sand near their footing where he portrays time to be one massive tree that holds the lives of the universe

"Time is just one big fucking tree. I realize this from my countless deaths. I did come back to the past, but who's to say that the people would do the same thing from the past timeline to my present. Thats how the universe works, because of free will existing meant that every timeline tends to be different from the rest. Let's say in my next run, Argalia's parents didn't meet, they didn't fuck, boom there goes Argalia's entire existence"

Having heard his explanation Carion realizes the reason as to why he views time as one big tree, if he were to return to the past, he'll experience the same things which will mold him to be the regressor. But right after those things began to divert, the once steady root grew to be a big tree, and there came dozens of branches which differs from the rest being practically similar or downright opposite. As Carion realizes this, he soon notices his friend's lifeless eyes, a gaze yearning for death, a man so broken that even his life had no purpose, as every time he dies, he's bound to relive it once again and see it all wither away

"Zayn... good luck out there. If we ever meet again why don't you tell me the rest of your story," That was the last thing Zayn had heard before their existence were consumed by the black hole and he once again felt the same old sequence of he grew so tired of hearing

[Chronos System: The effects of the relic activate upon meeting the requirements.

Faulty Pocket watch: The world has met its end! Regression sequence is about to commence

Outcome: All of your stats, equipment, except for your knowledge will be relinquished, good luck dear candidate, may the next time be your triumphant victory!!!]

'SIgh... I was so close in finally breaking this cycle for good. Damn it, I should've seen through his tricks. It feels like that every time I'm so close to winning some unexpected twist seemingly happens. Its like I'm some kind of regression protagonist and some idiot author is making me suffer just so he could say he wrote a very complex character. God just when will this finally end? Okay, enough with the mental break down, I'm usually not that crazy, today was just a horrible day, even for me, and who's fault was that exactly? Well, it was me, my dumb naive past self who luckily found this shitty relic, and put me into this hell hole,'

Many many eons ago

[System Initiation: Subject identified. A potential candidate for ascension. Your knowledge is way above the masses.]

In an instant, Zayn was ripped from the world he knew and thrust into the trials of a merciless system—a test for godhood where failure meant death, and survival carried a price far greater than he could imagine.

"Where is this!?" Zayn shouted, his voice trembling as he stood among hundreds of strangers, young and old, in a dark, saturated room devoid of light.

Before anyone could comprehend their situation, an eerie voice echoed.

"Welcome, candidates! You are the prime specimens of your worlds, chosen for ascension!"

An eldritch entity, its form shifting with unfathomable horror, emerged from the shadows. Gasps filled the room as it twisted and morphed, shrinking into the harmless shape of a small, cheerful critter.

"You may call me Chibi," it said, grinning, its cute demeanor failing to mask the overwhelming dread it exuded.

"Where are we? What's happening?" someone yelled.

"You've been chosen," Chibi replied, its voice deceptively cheerful.

"Each of you represents the best your worlds have to offer. Your strength, intelligence, or sheer luck brought you here, and now you will compete in the trials. The reward? Godhood. The cost of failure?" It gestured at the remains of a candidate who dared to interrupt earlier.

"Well, you've seen that already."

"Trials?" Zayn asked, trying to keep his voice steady.

"Yes," Chibi said, almost teasingly. "You will be tested—mentally, physically, spiritually. Survive, and you might ascend. Fail, and... let's just say death would be the kindest outcome."

As murmurs of panic and disbelief filled the room, Chibi's cheerful grin turned sinister. "Oh, and one last thing—you'll face the trials alone. It's more fun that way."

Before anyone could react, the floor beneath them gave way. Zayn felt himself falling into an abyss as Chibi's laughter echoed around him. "Good luck, dear candidates!"

Zayn landed hard on the cold stone floor, his head spinning as the world came into focus. He was in a vast maze, its walls stretching high into darkness. The faint grinding of gears echoed around him as the walls shifted, reshaping the labyrinth with mechanical precision. It wasn't just a maze—it was alive, a deathtrap waiting to spring.

The first trap revealed itself quickly. A faint click beneath his foot sent him diving forward as jagged spikes shot up from the ground where he'd been standing. His heart pounded in his chest as he scrambled to his feet, the adrenaline sharpening his senses.

"Think, Zayn, think!" he muttered to himself. The walls were moving again, each shift accompanied by a rhythmic sound. Gears, mechanisms—there was a pattern here, a system to exploit.

He sprinted forward, skidding to a halt as the wall in front of him began to collapse, a razor-sharp blade dropping from the ceiling. Timing it perfectly, he rolled under the blade just as it slammed into the floor behind him. The wind from its descent brushed his back, leaving him breathless.

The maze wasn't done. A faint glow ahead revealed a line of pressure plates covering the floor. Zayn crouched, scanning the tiles. His eyes darted between the plates and the grooves in the walls. Each plate was connected to a series of hidden mechanisms—he could see the faint outline of saws waiting to spring into action.

"One wrong step, and I'm dead," he murmured.

He crouched, squinting as he traced the faint wear on the floor. Certain plates had scuff marks, likely from past victims. Those weren't safe. Instead, he moved with precision, stepping only on the untouched tiles. Each step was agonizing, his breath hitching every time his foot touched the ground.

"I'm still alive?"

Halfway through, the grinding of gears grew louder. The saws weren't waiting for a mistake—they were activating. Zayn's head shot up as the first blade screeched toward him, teeth glinting in the faint light.

He dove to the side, narrowly avoiding the saw, his hand scraping against the stone. The pain didn't matter—he was already moving again, sprinting to the next section before the maze could adjust.

The walls shifted violently, sealing paths behind him and opening new ones. Zayn's eyes darted around, his mind working furiously to map the pattern. He turned a corner just as the floor collapsed into a pit of spikes. Momentum carried him forward, and he leaped, his fingers barely catching the ledge. Gritting his teeth, he pulled himself up, ignoring the burning in his arms.

'So much for being called the genius of the century... I could've died if I hadn't spotted even the slightest difference between those plates. I'd be damned. So far I haven't died,'

After a short rest, he felt this part of the maze shifting, and so he rose when he saw the walls closing near his side. More traps awaited, dart launchers embedded in the walls, pendulums swinging with deadly force, and a sudden torrent of flame erupted from a hidden nozzle. Zayn adapted to each one, pausing when the gears ground too quickly and dashing forward when the mechanisms slowed.

By the time he reached the heart of the maze, he was drenched in sweat, his body aching from countless close calls. There, on a pedestal surrounded by still gears, lay a pocket watch, its surface glowing faintly. From all the gruesome deaths he faced, his complexion worsened, when the young scholar sees the treasure is but a trinket that tells time

Zayn's breath caught as he approached. The moment his fingers brushed the watch, a deep hum resonated through the maze.

[Chronos System Activated: You have obtained one of the relics of the late God of Time; Chronos

Status: You've been designated as the successor of Chronos due to overcoming the trials by your own

Changes: Mission Updated! Ascend to Godhood has been changed to Prevent the End of the World.]

The maze froze, its deadly traps grinding to a halt. Zayn collapsed to his knees, clutching the relic. For a brief moment, he felt relief—but it wouldn't last. The trials were far from over, and his real nightmare had just begun.

'Save the world? I can't even save myself, yet you expect me to be some kind of Hero?'

An unexpected turn of events crowned Zayn, as the sole person to wield the authority of time. Yet after leaving that maze, he felt death creeping his way, and a shadow appeared on his right, and with a swipe, his head flew. He died, at the hands of a candidate, and even as he was beheaded he viewed his body brutally eaten

[Chronos System: The effects of the relic activate upon meeting the requirements.]

'If I knew what I was getting myself into, I wouldn't have picked that damn watch in the first place and just died from that cannibal. After my first death, I managed to fight my way out of the tutorial and even met the fabled hero fated to save the world. But he died, and so did I, by the next regression I found out a truth that I could never avoid, that time wasn't stagnant, it was forever changing,'

2nd Regression

"Where is he!!? Where's your leader?"

At Zayn's, he uses his information and tries to hunt down the group formed by the villain of his 1st regression. Yet he soon realizes that the reason why it took him so long to find them was because it was never formed. The righthand man he interrogated was no more than a weakling and the villain he searched for his entire life was nowhere to be found

'Eventually, the world ends because I didn't search for the new cause of its immediate destruction. The system then informs me of the branches of time, that with every regression I'll get sent to a different timeline. Meaning that all my past information was worthless, secret techniques and all, even the power system of the world changes,'

Zayn was then forced to complete this impossible mission; even killing himself had no effect, as upon his death, he regressed. Eventually, all his deaths, experiences, and the loss of his friends made him numb to the point where his every action was calculated. He placed his existence in saving the world, but he only had one flaw, he couldn't learn any skills except for the ones his system grants, and leveling had no perks for his body eventually resetting him back to zero

[Chronos System: The effects of the relic activate upon meeting the requirements.]

'Damn it... It's been eons, and yet there wasn't a time when I was close to succeeding. Just let me die in peace-'

His vision blurred, and when he awakens, he finds himself back at the tutorial where he's plunged into the maze yet again. This time, he breezes through the maze, and not a single trap is triggered, and at the end, the pocketwatch awaits his grasp. He reached for his relic but this time instead of hearing the system's congratulatory message he heard

[Chronos System: Alert! Your countless regression has created an anomaly in the timeline!!!]