The Time-Stop Breeding Uncle Want's to Retire-Chapter 169

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Aher, a True Demon and a veteran of countless battles, was dead. But Cluna was no longer sane.

She sat there, cradling her daughter’s severed head, like a mother bird tending to a broken egg. She knew it wouldn’t bring Clara back, but she couldn’t let go.

Hans watched in silence.

He had made a mistake, relying on someone else in a moment of crisis. If he had used the Dragon Heart’s power, he might have saved her. As he wrestled with this thought, a voice spoke.

“The Guardian of the Forest has lost another family member.”

“…”

“I imagine she’ll break if left like this.”

“What do you want?”

Hans hated hearing Time’s voice.

He loathed her for interfering with Time Stop at that crucial moment. And he hated himself for being weak, for relying on her power.

He swallowed his anger and humiliation, forcing himself to speak. As Commander, he couldn’t afford to be swayed by personal feelings. He had a duty to his comrades, especially when their lives were on the line.

“How did you like the power I lent you?”

“…”

“Amazing, wasn’t it? A power that transcends even time.”

He couldn’t deny it. The power he had used was transcendent, even shocking to him.

A power that defied death itself.

“Tell me your price.”

“You have two choices. One, give me the Dragon Heart. Kim Sunghyun will be safe.”

“…”

“But without the Dragon Heart, do you really think you can survive the battles to come? I don’t.”

Hans couldn’t argue with that.

Even with the power of Time, he needed a foundation of strength to wield it effectively. He knew his own limitations.

“It’s time to make a decision. Hans? Or Kim Sunghyun?”

The heart wasn’t just an organ. It was the seat of emotion, the core of one’s being. It was one’s soul, one’s pride, one’s very life.

Just as he had told the Fallen Guardian, the heart was everything.

Time was forcing him to choose.

To live as Hans, or to return as Kim Sunghyun. He hadn’t expected to face this dilemma. He chuckled dryly.

At first, he had simply wanted to go home. He hadn’t wanted to live in this hellish world. But he had come this far, experiencing so much with them.

“I’ve already made my decision.”

“Is that so? Then…”

“But before that…”

Hans’s hand shot out, seizing Time by the throat. He tightened his grip, cutting off her air supply.

Time’s face contorted in pain, a sensation she had never experienced before.

‘I thought she seemed weaker… so that’s it.’

At first, Time had been an untouchable being, almost god-like. But not anymore. She was still beyond mortal comprehension, but the overwhelming sense of power he had felt before was gone.

She was descending from her pedestal, slowly becoming human. By inhabiting his body.

‘So, who am I now?’

Hans pushed those thoughts aside. That wasn’t important right now. He needed to make her pay for what she had done.

“Trust is essential for any deal. You interfered with Time Stop. Why should I trust you?”

“Gah… you’re right. I’m sorry.”

“I need a proper apology.”

“Cough, cough… yes, of course.”

Released from Hans’s grip, Time understood what she had to do. She knelt, pressing her forehead to the ground.

Hans watched, lost in thought.

This wasn’t good. Ideally, he should maintain a facade of civility while plotting his revenge.

But who could be rational after witnessing the death of a comrade? He decided to abandon logic, just this once.

He raised his foot and brought it down on Time’s head. He wanted to kill her.

“This isn’t a real apology.”

“I won’t do it again.”

“Why should I believe you?”

“I told you, you’ve transcended time.”

“…”

“A power that surpasses even me. I was merely borrowing it.”

Just as a river flows into the ocean, becoming one with it, he couldn’t interfere with a greater power.

Hans slowly lifted his foot.

The last vestiges of his reason held back his murderous intent. He didn’t know what would happen if he killed Time. He might lose his powers, or worse, the world itself might become distorted.

He couldn’t risk it.

He sighed.

A deal was a deal.

“Take Kim Sunghyun’s heart.”

“An excellent choice.”

“Shut up.”

He knew. He couldn’t afford to remain ambivalent any longer. But the little trust he had had in Time was now completely gone.

‘Once this is over…’

He shook his head. He needed to focus on the present.

He turned and walked towards Cluna. She sat there, staring blankly at the sky, completely broken.

It was understandable. She had lost her only remaining family. But even in her despair, she reacted to his presence.

“Commander…?”

“Later.”

She recognized him, even in this state.

Hans felt a crushing weight in his chest. This was responsibility. They had trusted him, had risked their lives for him. And he had failed them.

This was the price of his complacency.

So, he would face it head-on.

He reached out and gently touched Clara’s cold, lifeless head, like he was caressing a child.

He heard a clicking sound, like gears turning. A transcendent power, defying even death.

Time Regression.

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‘I wanted Mom to acknowledge me.’

‘That desire… it was simple, really. I wanted her to see me, to talk to me, to let me do what I wanted. That’s all I wanted.’

‘I know the situation wasn’t ideal, but… even if it was just a childish whim, I wanted to be useful to her. Mom was strict, but she was kind in her own way. She would push us hard during training, but at night, she would apply ointment to our cuts and scrapes, talking to us softly. It was a clumsy kind of affection, but I loved it. I could see the love in her eyes.’

‘But at some point, the gentleness disappeared, replaced by fear. The fear of losing me, her only remaining child. That must have been it.’

‘We started drifting apart. It was inevitable. We weren’t communicating, just repeating our own desires. How could we not drift apart?’

‘I was only thinking about myself.’

‘If I could just earn her acknowledgement…’

‘Maybe then, she would finally see me.’

‘That’s what I thought. But you know what? The first person to truly see me… was you, Commander. You always evaluated us objectively, but you also saw us as individuals. You respected our will, but you also set boundaries. I think I fell for your kindness, your generosity, like a vast, welcoming forest. Before I knew it, I was relying on you.’

‘I shouldn’t have. I know you’re strong, Commander. Mom said you were the first person she ever acknowledged. But you’re still human. You can get hurt, you can die.’

‘When I heard you were dead… ironically, it made me reflect on everything. The thought that my complacency, my hiding in your shadow, had led to your death… I couldn’t bear it.’

‘For three years, I lived like a ghost. I believed you weren’t dead, but the fear that you might actually be… it never left me. They were True Demons, after all. The thought that you might really be gone… it filled me with an unbearable rage. So, I decided to kill them all, even if it meant dying myself. That’s what I thought.’

‘That day was no different. I knew it was a trap, but I didn’t care. I was actually happy. I thought I could kill them all at once. But then, in the middle of the fight, I heard a familiar sound behind me. Footsteps I had heard countless times. Footsteps I would never forget. I had to turn around. My mind went blank. You were there, Commander. You, who I had half-given up on, were standing right in front of me.’

‘If I ever saw you again…’

‘What did I want to say?’

‘Oh, right. That’s what it was.’

“Thank you… for being alive.”

She shouldn’t have been able to speak, but the words came out. She looked up, dumbfounded, and saw their faces looking down at her.

“Clara!”

“Are you okay?”

She didn’t know how to explain it. Her Mom’s face was full of worry, but his face, Commander… it was almost indifferent. She wondered if it was a dream. So she checked.

Her lips, moving on their own, met his. Feeling his warmth, she finally knew for sure. Their Commander was back.

And finally, Clara could smile.

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[Translator Notes]