=========== Imperfect King:
In the classroom, I look at the board with boredom. The teacher is teaching or explaining this world's history. The world was invaded by being coming from the rifts. They are fantastical monsters that are the same as games, stories, and other media.
The world was surprised by the attack and lost heavily in the monster's hands. I heard this similar history so much that I became bored with this troupe. Still, I turn on the recorder button from my System to record this.
'I hope those still living and connected to the Library will be entertained. This world usually has a protagonist, after all.'
As I'm thinking so, I feel that the world is regressed. The time is being tampered with by someone. I don't know if it causes by the protagonist's ability or if the world is doing it. I'm not affected by it in any way, so I can receive my future memories to see how it will go.
'But it won't be entertaining.'
Then I feel a rule-breaking item or a System is given to someone in this classroom. I turn and look at the beautiful girl in this class. She is a gorgeous girl with white hair and white eyes. Just by looking at her, you can already guess that she is a cold and indifferent person.
'White is associated with snow and coldness, after all. Besides, she's using the ice-type ability.'
I then look away since I won't think I will interact with her. The bell then rings, notifying me that class is over. I stand up and prepare to travel the surroundings to see if I can learn anything else. When I'm about to walk out of the class, the protagonist stands in front of the door.
I frown as she seems to be looking for me. Her eyes are looking straight at me, after all. She then opens her lips.
"Can you have a chat with me for a moment?"
I admit her voice sounds nice, but I don't have any reasons to talk to her. She's the protagonist and has a rule-breaking System. I think she can complete her story and save the world without my help. Making up my mind, I'm going to reject her. Then she says something surprising.
"Imperfect King."
I was surprised when I heard that. I look at my surroundings, and it seems like nobody hears that. I then nod and gesture to her to lead the way.
Walking behind her, we arrive at a private room in the school for the elites to train themselves. I go inside and sit on one of the sofas, and she sits opposite me. I then ask her.
"Tell me, regressor. How do you know that alias?"
I can see her clenching her fist at my question. From what I'm seeing, she seems to gamble everything for this moment. Determining eyes, but strangely nervous. So, I wonder how she knows my alias in her original future. She then looks straight into my eyes and speaks in a soft tone.
"Will you believe me if I know your alias from you saying it?"
"Hm. It seems possible. If I feel bored, I will tell my alias to the person with the highest luck for a fun regression story. But I'm not planning to do that in this world."
I then gesture to her to continue explaining. It might be a lie or a joke to lighten the situation. Although this girl is clearly in the check box to regress to the past and save the world, from what I felt before, it was not my meddling with time.
'It might be me sending her back to the past. To make it mysterious and entertaining, I won't send a notice to notify me in the past of the plan.'
But there's also the possibility of her lying to me. She knew I would be confused when she told me that vague answer. So I need to hear her request before making my judgment.
"Then, what do you want from me?"
She takes a deep breath and speaks with a solemn voice.
"You can choose what suits my situation the most."
I frown at her reply.
"Hm. Who teaches you to speak with a vague idea to me? From my perspective, you lack the strength that is why you lost and regressed to the past. And with your AFK Cultivating System, you can win with ease."
"..."
"Hah. Fine, let me take a look. You bring me a good story, so you should at least get a reward."
Then I take out the glasses that can judge your talent and modify things from the System's storage. Her body is suitable for Ice's cultivating technique. She will learn many cultivating techniques to maximize her System's abilities, so I need to consider that.
Opening System logs, I take out an Ice cultivating technique I developed. I then modify a few things to suit her. First is the ability to absorb anything Ice-related items and energy to improve the user's Ice ability.
Second is the ability to increase the user's other elements' affinity when absorbing Ice items with a secondary characteristic. The third is the trait to improve and harmony with other cultivation techniques. The fourth is to enhance your body to the max potential.
Fifth is the ability to self-evolution to fit with the user's body after reaching a new level. Sixth is the ability to absorb and store energy without any limit. Since the story she gives me isn't that valuable, let's make it so she can't do that.
'Let's have the limit double her capacity.'
The seventh is the ability to enhance her mental defense. Eighth is the ability to adapt to debuff. Looking at the technique I modify, I think this is enough to pay for her story. I then flick it into her head and infuse it into her mind.
She then collapses down on the floor. The fourth trait is working on her body right now. It reconstructs her body to bring out the max potential she should have had. Impurities will be pushed out, so I take out a mask that ignores the smell.
This is my punishment for talking vaguely. It isn't my concern to worry about the protagonist. This also has the side benefit of helping improve her beauty. It's a worthwhile trade to have pain everywhere in your body to have strength and beauty.
'I'm impressed that she doesn't scream out in pain. Well, she will die socially because of the smell. And she will experience this every time she breaks through.'
I bet she doesn't have extra clothes and towels to clean herself after pushing out the impurities. So, she has to ask someone for help and cover up this situation. But she's a school celebrity and has many people following her.
'There are people outside guarding the room. If she walks out, she will die socially.'
After enduring thirty minutes of pain, she seems to be able to move again. I store the Admin's report of his new vacation and look at her.
"You seem to be alive. Good job. You will experience this every time you have a breakthrough. Well, you will get used to it soon."
"...Hah...ah...yes."
"And you should worry about yourself because you're smelly."
"Eh?... Ah!"
She seems to realize this and starts to get embarrassed. I stand up and plan to leave the room, but she stands in front of the door, stopping me. I frown at her action.
"What are you doing, regressor? This is the limit of my help."
"You said my story is good and deserves a reward, right?"
I realize her intention, and it's laughable.
"It's a funny idea you have there. Are you planning to have me following you in your story in exchange for my help?"
"...Yes."
"I see no benefits for me to help you, though. You have failed to negotiate with me, regressor."
"I will do it."
"Yes? Are you talking about your body?"
"I will let you do whatever you want for your entertainment. So, please, help me."
I frown at the word 'entertainment' in her reply. She seems to know that I'm looking at this world as entertainment. She seemed to be informed since I didn't talk about it. I can think of one person talking about it and is bored enough to do this.
"Harbinger of Destruction is the person sending you back in time, right?"
"...Yes, he called himself that."
"Interesting, it seems like he maybe is the one doing this. Does he want a reunion since I'm here? Well, it indeed will create a good reunion."
I look at her and decide.
"I will follow you, then. But remember my words. I will only help you if it's interesting. Then, goodbye."
"Can you tell me your name?"
"Hm. Since I'll follow you, I guess I will need a name. Wait for a minute."
I open the phone and search for a name generator. Since the regressor has a Chinese name, I will follow the troupe. After a few turns, I find a good pseudonym for myself.
"Li Feng, you can call me Li Feng."
"Can you call me by my name? I don't want to be called a regressor."
"Then your name is?"
"Li Xiuying."
"Hm. Well, I will call you that if I like it."
I then erase my presence and go outside. I don't want other people to follow me and do something stupid. And it seems Harbinger of Destruction indeed sends her back in time. That's why she can notice me and have a talk.
'This is interesting.'
I then go somewhere else to find things to learn.
========== Regressor (Li Xiuying):
In the room, Li Xiuying sighs in relief as he has gone away. He was the second most terrified being she had ever met. She then sighs at how unsightly she is. She was the Ice Empress in the future and one of the big shots defending the invaders.
'Now, I'm just a loser, a chess piece, and a tool for entertaining those beings.'
She wonders how other collages will feel about her after seeing her becoming like this. But they die in the hands of the betrayers and the Harbinger of Destruction. She grits her teeth, remembering how he deceives those people to betray them.
Although the reason is justified, Harbinger of Destruction captures their people and makes them hostages. In the end, Harbinger of Destruction says it is for fun and not to release any hostages. She still remembers his mocking smile at their futile struggle.
She still feels helpless seeing her fellow people die in his hands. He kills them mercilessly and keeps a few people as his toys and tools for research purposes. He then said something to her that made her feel angry, hopeless, and helpless.
"I kill them for entertaining. Researching already had Imperfect King. He learns and researches everything, so I don't need those captured people. Their purpose must be between food for some pets and soldiers in my journey."
He smiled mockingly and said.
"The reason I told you this. This is because Imperfect King is in this reality. I want to participate in an entertaining reunion story. So you will go back to the past, meet him, and go on the journey with him to meet me. Tell him my or his alias, and he will believe it."
At her dying moment, he said something to her.
"I give you a System for you to increase your strength quickly at the price of a curse having nightmares every night. It's fun, right?"
Li Xiuying grits her teeth, remembering how hopeless the situation is. She then stands up and resolves to take revenge against him, even if it will cost everything.
========== Administrator (Yuuki Rito):
In the Library, I look at the new report, and surprisingly, Imperfect King and Harbinger of Destruction are in the same reality. And the regressor is a bit unlucky to become the chess piece for the two of them.
'Let's hope she can find peace in the Imperfect King's hands. At least he will turn her into a sentient weapon or a soldier for his use.'
I close the report and go out of the Library. I'm rather busy on my vacation, after all.