But the device under the Grand Priest’s protection showed no signs of change. A faint shadow suddenly appeared on the transparent cover, and the black dagger easily pierced through the temple’s proud barrier. The female assassin landed gracefully, her fingers like dancing butterflies moving across the complex device several times. A silver box popped out from the gears—the device’s keyhole.
The assassin flipped her palm, revealing the world switch just destroyed. She removed the key, tossed the box to Ifa, and said with a mocking laugh, “Farewell, everyone.”
The moment he spoke, the key twisted back, the lock cylinder returning to position with a soft click.
The device and the female assassin vanished without a trace.
“That was another observer from the future, possessing the most powerful weapon,” Pi Ping looked at the other three people and continued analyzing unhurriedly, “She came alone, which certainly means she has already used the observer’s ability once; but she activated the device again, which means…” He suddenly burst into laughter: “Another version of myself from another world gave her the ability.”
“So what was just destroyed…” Yi Xia coughed and whispered.
Li Xite spoke for the first time, her voice ethereal and distant: “Was her world’s world switch.” The Grand Sage added emotionlessly, “She used our power to completely destroy the future’s Magic Creature No. 2 and also took away the Magic Creature No. 2 from here.”
The Grand Sage turned toward the silent container and sighed: “In other words… you are now free.”
Lukes’ face slightly contorted, he waved his sleeve but couldn’t vent his anger with his power. The High Priest’s eyes seemed about to burn, grinding his teeth: “Pi Ping… even another version of you is hopelessly foolish.”
The slender palace minister glanced at him, a gentle mockery in his deep-colored eyes: “Is that so?”
“Without the device, this world is finished, all worlds are finished! We are all finished!” The High Priest completely lost his usual dignified demeanor, roaring at Pi Ping with a hoarse voice.
Pi Ping remained unmoved, his smile deepening: “No, I’m looking forward to what that young lady can accomplish.” He walked to the side, looking at the sky revealed by the collapsed dome, muttering to himself: “If that’s truly the case, all worlds will be rewritten.”
“Her next target is Magic Creature No. 1…” Yi Xia appeared calm, letting out a crisp laugh, her pale face looking somewhat abnormal. She sat by the deep pit where Klovi had stood, “Hehe, Magic Creature No. 1 is personally kept by the Palace Minister. Whether she can succeed depends on luck. But success or failure no longer concerns us.” Her eyes flickered with a fanatical light, the heat that supported her until now finally about to burn out, “Even if we are remembered, we are only the defeated side.”
Li Xite said nothing, already turning to leave, but her sleeve was grabbed. She looked toward the person with clouded eyes showing no fluctuation, silently questioning the black-haired youth’s intent.
“I…” speaking for the first time, the youth with the Demon King’s identity but having lost all meaning of existence, his voice dry and unpleasant, he pursed his lips, and when trying again, he sounded more practiced, “I want to find her.”
Li Xite raised an eyebrow behind her veil, revealing a vivid expression for the first time: “I’m not your mother. What you do has nothing to do with me.”
The black-haired youth released his hand, letting the Grand Sage’s noble robe brush past his fingertips.
He looked up at the sky, his delicate features gradually freezing into a bewildered posture. Various strange emotions bloomed in his mind, accelerating his heartbeat and raising his body temperature. He seemed confused by this abnormality but not afraid, tasting an indescribable emotion in these subtle changes.
The female assassin had once briefly stopped behind him, saying only: “I defeated the fate that pained you and gave you freedom.”
He wanted to find her.
Even if time and space stood between them, the familiar face still made Nai Li unable to control herself.
Knowing this Karl was a blank slate, perhaps not even having a name, Nai Li still couldn’t help leaving him a word. She had fulfilled her promise, letting him escape a life defined by death’s sorrow. This thought alone brought her peace and infinite motivation to overcome fatigue.
Nai Li closed her eyes and began running again through the world lines’ forest.
This time she used the power given by Pi Ping. She saw her next destination: the night before Magic Creature No. 1’s activation, the moment that changed Vildya’s fate.
She landed in the Red Fortress Palace Minister’s Tower.
Pi Ping stood before a huge map, turning back at the sound but not calling the guards, instead fixing his gaze on the silver-white metal box in Nai Li’s hand. His gaze deepened, saying casually: “Didn’t expect a distinguished guest late at night.”
Nai Li spread her palm: “This is the switch for Magic Creature Device No. 2, connected to the device itself.”
Pi Ping’s brow jumped, a fanatical light appearing in his eyes, involuntarily stepping forward.
“As you can see, I come from a future world,” Nai Li smiled slightly, simultaneously observing the Palace Minister.
Nai Li tossed the switch upward. Pi Ping instinctively reached to catch it, but she raised her other hand, the black dagger’s tip accurately piercing the metal box’s center.
A slight explosive sound, sparks flying, the charred metal box fell to the ground, rolling to Pi Ping’s feet.
Pi Ping brushed away the cold sweat on his forehead, carefully touching the still-hot world switch, looking up calmly to ask: “It seems you came prepared. May I ask your purpose?”
Nai Li twirled the black dagger, satisfied that no guards were near.
Pi Ping’s gaze deepened as he stood up. He asked, “Is that… a plan of a future version of myself?” Taking Nali’s silence as consent, he continued, “What is my plan?”
Nali responded, “Destroy Magical Creature No. 1, and then…”
Before she could finish, Pi Ping laughed mockingly. “Destroy it? If this is true, it only means that version of me was crazy; or else…” His face turned cold, hand reaching toward the map behind him.
A figure flashed, and a sharp dagger was placed against the palace official’s neck.
Nali remained calm. “I knew this would happen to prove my words are not false…” She gestured to Pi Ping’s hand. “There’s a mechanism behind that, which when pressed will trigger an alarm, and the guards waiting at the tower’s base will immediately come.”
Pi Ping’s expression changed, but he remained composed. “This mechanism is easy to deduce and not enough to prove you were truly entrusted by another version of me.”
“There’s a secret passage under your feet, leading to the cellar of the central courtyard.”
Under the pile of books by the window, there’s a hidden compartment containing documents that could threaten Klovi, which no one has ever discovered.” Nali paused, “The ring on your left hand is the vessel for the Observer’s ability.”
Pi Ping tightened his lips and said nothing.
Nali took a breath and offered her final piece of evidence: “I am the second Observer. What I just destroyed was the switch for Magical Creature No. 2. I came back by reversing time from the moment of its birth. I know how to use and destroy Magical Creature No. 2, so I do not belong to the era when that device was just born.” She swallowed with difficulty, her voice somewhat bitter, “I come from the future, after reversing time countless times using Magical Creature No. 2.”
“An Observer only has the ability to reverse time once…” Nali stopped.
Pi Ping closed his eyes, as if conceding the latter half of the sentence: “And you have already reversed time twice. Another future Observer transferred the ability to you.”
