“Goodbye,” Naily said softly. Ifa’s expression changed, Lukes reached out to grab Naily, and Clove drew his sword without hesitation. But Naily had already twisted the key back according to Piping’s instructions. She clearly heard the light sound from the lock core. The device, fine lines, and gears all suddenly disappeared. She found herself in an incredible landscape, where there was no up, down, left, or right, only endless vastness.
She looked toward what she believed was the direction ahead, where countless fine lines representing the world spiraled and intertwined, gradually dispersing yet constrained by the traces of light’s passage, forming an inverted cone—the countless possible worlds beyond this moment. She stood at the very end of the axis, treading upon time that was unrelated to the world itself, constant and unchanging. Looking back, the mirror-like scenery reflected the world lines that had already occurred, her destination.
Naily finally understood the meaning in Piping’s words. Between these innumerable worlds, though they never intersect or meet, they are indeed close enough to influence each other—drop by drop wearing through stone, grain by grain building a tower, magnifying the smallest destruction into an irreversible destiny.
She began to sprint in the direction of the past, and a path formed where her feet landed.
Naily gradually saw clearly the light constraining all world lines, able to discern how the tiny particles composing the light flew chaotically yet orderly, leaving everything behind.
Just a bit faster—in an instant, she broke free from the universe’s constant rules, piercing through the light’s conical cover, ascending to a higher, more distant dimension.
Naily plunged again into the ocean of world lines, charging toward her target without hesitation: she would return to the moment of Monster No. 2’s birth and correct this error.
She leaped precisely into that world, gripping the black dagger tightly. Even returning to the past, she remained restricted by her contract with the system—any slip would mean death, rendering all planning futile.
Mez, Red Fortress Dome Hall.
The hall outside was empty, with only five people standing inside, their expressions slightly tense.
The skylight from the dome shone brilliantly, illuminating the carved grooves in the hall’s center. Lux smiled, watching the device gradually taking shape, and exchanged a glance with Piping, who then turned to Lishite, saying, “Bring the container.”
