Rogue Villain-Chapter 299: Seeing

The white-haired woman nodded as if she knew what Ackster was thinking.

"That’s right. I’m the one who’s been keeping track of you and telling Wilma where to go."

Although Ackster had guessed it, he couldn’t understand it.

"...How?"

"That’s a long story. But rather than seeing you, I guess you could say that I’ve been looking at your influence—the ripples you’ve caused in the river of time and the potential changes you can cause with your power."

Ackster tilted his head. He understood what she was saying. What he didn’t understand was how it was possible. It didn’t sound like something possible with mana, a technique of some kind, or even a unique skill.

"It is with this ability that I founded and raised the Adventurer’s Guild of today, if that helps you put it into perspective."

"But how—Wait, founded?!"

Ackster looked at the white-haired woman. He had already guessed that she wasn’t ordinary.

But the Guild had existed for several Calamitous Cycles. Ackster didn’t think it was as ancient as the Sea God since Wilma hadn’t known about him. But that could also be because she just hadn’t heard of one of the many powerful characters in the annals of history.

The white-haired woman nodded with a patient expression.

But the white-haired woman was at least several tens of thousands of years old, possibly even hundreds of thousands of years.

"I’m not exactly a human. I’m recognized by the world as the One Outside Time. I alone can see the flow of time with its many branches, deltas, and tributaries. I am unaffected by time, cursed to forever watch it flow by, and unable to interfere, at least directly."

’That’s pretty unbelievable.’

"As unbelievable as coming back from the dead?"

"What does being outside time have to do with reading thoughts?"

"It’s just a trick I picked up along the way. It’s also easy since your thoughts carry a certain weight. You have learned Will, right? Your thoughts alone can affect the flow of the world around you, child. I would have spent my time in this world in vain if I couldn’t even notice something like that."

"I see..."

Ackster wasn’t sure what to say. It felt like they had gotten side-tracked. Wasn’t he here because she couldn’t see him anymore? Why did she suddenly start bragging about being immortal and able to read thoughts?

"Huhu...You’re closer to true immortality than I am, child."

’Right. Mindreading. Doesn’t that mean I don’t need to talk?’

"It’s still easier to have a verbal conversation. Your thoughts are also very intense. So, when you think a lot, it’s difficult to read it all."

"I see..."

"Shall we get back on topic?"

"Yes, please. You can’t see me anymore, was it?"

The One Outside Time nodded.

"That’s right. I can no longer see the ripples of your existence. That in itself is not unique. It simply means you’ve become too powerful or broken free from your fate, most likely both. Dying tends to sever that kind of thing, and you’re astoundingly strong for your age."

"But...?"

"But your existence is unique. I’m worried about the future of this world and..."

The One Outside Time looked at Wilma through the window, still chopping wood.

"This part’s difficult to explain in simple words, but the river of time is just an expression. Time flows, but it has neither beginning nor end. It’s infinite and never runs out, but it comes to an end. You can also limit the area by space, in which case it really looks like a river."

Ackster felt like The One Outside Time was just spouting nonsense. He couldn’t understand, assuming there was something to understand.

"Usually, the river branches and creates alternate realities whenever something of...worldly significance changes. Almost all of the time, the river is one main stream, and those branches die off soon after for whatever reason. For our world, there are a few main causes for the destruction of this world and its timeline, the Calamities, the dragons, the gods, and the Sword God. The Alchemaze is an honorable mention."

Ackster nodded. He was slowly beginning to understand. There was one main universe, formed by Millmeria and the time affecting the Millmeria. Whenever something happened, it would create a branch—an alternate reality—that would soon die out due to that something causing a chain reaction leading to the world’s destruction.

Ackster didn’t understand how or why it worked like that, but he could kind of visualize it.

"What does that have to do with me?"

The One Outside Time held up two fingers with a solemn expression.

"Two reasons. Or it’s one reason and it’s all connected. The part of the river we’re currently in has already passed. I’m not sure of the details or why it happened. But we are currently in the past. That’s where you come in."

The One Outside Time pointed at Ackster.

"The river of time jumped back to the moment you changed. Your influence, on the verge of dying out, skyrocketed the moment that someone or something altered the river’s flow. That’s not a coincidence."

The One Outside Time looked at Ackster with a meaningful gaze.

"And after your change, or maybe I should say exchange, you’ve gone on to create massive ripple after massive ripple in the river of time. Your existence and actions have completely changed this world’s past, history, and time. That’s where the problem begins. Whether it’s because of your actions or the same entity that caused the first change, I can no longer see the river of time’s continuation."

"What do you mean? Is the world going to end?"

The One Outside Time shook her head slightly.

"No. I don’t know what’s happening. I can’t see the River more than a few years in the future. And since I can only see the details of the present, I don’t know what’s going on. What I do know is that it happened around the same time you died."

"You’re saying I might be responsible for the fact that you can’t see the future?"

"I can’t see the future that well. Now, I can’t even see if there is a future."

"I see. I can’t say anything about something I don’t know about. Sorry."

The One Outside Time nodded.

"Don’t worry. I didn’t think you were responsible. But I needed to make sure."

Ackster nodded. It was an understandable suspicion. He also appreciated the increased understanding of how the world worked, even if it didn’t sound immediately helpful, and it only gifted him with more questions. But maybe he could get an answer to one of them.

"Can I ask you something?"

"Go ahead."

"What happened before the time changed—before something interfered with the flow of time?"

The idea that something was powerful enough to interfere with the flow of time scared Ackster. But if someone or something was powerful enough to do that, they would also be powerful enough to pluck his soul from Earth, interfere with it, and stuff it inside the original Ackster Phileam.

’I wonder what happened to him.’

Ackster leaned forward as he looked at The One Outside Time, waiting for an answer.