coobybook Chapter 110 Until My Answer
Chapter 110 Until My Answer
He had lost count of how many times he had fallen into the temporal turbulence; he was already familiar with its flow and changes.
He tentatively walked through the area, manipulating time to find the right way out, but this was far too difficult for him at his current state. He relied entirely on his intuition to find his way and judge right from wrong.
"...Wait, how come there's another version of me here?"
"It doesn't seem like a phantom...it seems to be..."
"The real me"
He was a little confused. He could usually tell that the previous versions of himself were illusions to some extent, but this time he truly felt the frequency of the fluctuations...
Even far surpassed himself
He subconsciously looked up and seemed to see two lines, pushed together and intertwined by an invisible force, eventually twisting into one.
【…】
He spotted the figure in the distance, walking steadily without a trace of panic or disturbance amidst the turbulent flow of time and space; in fact, the figure even managed to calmly tidy up the surrounding chaos.
Just as he was about to collide with that person, the silk thread on his wrist reappeared, forcefully pulling him to the other side and directly out of this turbulent current—
"...Where have I been led this time...? This doesn't seem to be the correct timeline..."
"...Wait, something feels off..."
Slowly opening his eyes, he sensed that the space he had lost had stabilized, most likely because he had been pulled out of that turbulent current. Then, the moment he opened his eyes, he met the tide's gaze.
"Long time no see, Mo Wunian."
"……tide?"
"it's me"
He paused for a moment, but soon realized that this Chao was not the Chao he knew:
Don't ask why, it's just a feeling.
He tentatively stood up, only to find himself being held in the other person's arms. For a moment, he couldn't help but frown.
However, Chao quickly realized what was happening and took a few steps back to give the other person space. Taking this opportunity, Mo Wunian also began to observe the surrounding environment.
It was exactly the same location he was in before he traveled through time, except that the chessboard looked much newer than when he first saw it.
"...It's you! It's been decades since we last met, but you still look the same..."
"Who would have thought that I, an old man, had already met the person who saved my life after searching for so many years? I should be the one addressing you as a senior..."
"I was overjoyed to find that you still remembered our promise."
"And who is this person beside you, fellow Daoist...?"
Turning around, he saw an old man slowly climbing the mountain, almost identical to the phantom he had seen before, only slightly younger.
Before he could speak, the person next to him spoke for him.
"My travel companion, Mo Wunian"
"I introduced it to you before."
"So it's your travel companion... the one whose name you've been mentioning for so long?"
"Um"
"..."
He stood to the side without saying a word, simply watching the conversation between the two, and shook his head, somewhat puzzled.
This feeling of familiarity mixed with unfamiliarity was unpleasant; it always gave him a sense of not being himself.
Not to mention he almost bumped into what might be another version of himself from another timeline. Although he didn't quite understand what a time paradox meant, he felt that a collision between two versions of himself wouldn't end well.
Not to mention that he himself seemed much stronger than him; if a conflict were to actually break out, he would definitely be the one who got hurt.
And judging from this, His Majesty has known him for a long time in the timeline he's arrived at this time...
So when exactly did he meet the other person? And what did he do that would make His Majesty go to such lengths to conceal the truth?
"I see. I didn't expect this to happen during the game..."
"Then I greet you, Brother Mo. You may call me Xuanmiao."
"seen"
"...Although I was quite surprised too."
He gave a brief greeting, then lowered his gaze as he listened to Xuanmiao's words, lost in thought:
He was also curious about why he would travel with the other person, or why the other person would choose to travel with him.
Is it simply because he is an existence from outside the world?
He didn't think so.
His head started to ache again. He saw the thread extending towards him once more, and footsteps drew closer. He thought he saw that person searching for him as well.
It's as if I absolutely have to find him and complete some kind of mission.
His emotions, which he had finally managed to calm down, were starting to fluctuate again. Turning his head to look at Chao, whose expression was somewhat unfocused, he finally suppressed his voice and forced himself to speak.
"Chao, I didn't know anything about these things."
"Knowing all this is enough for me."
But I also want to know.
The atmosphere instantly turned tense. For a moment, only the sound of falling snow could be heard. After some time, Mo Wunian finally heard a slightly helpless and struggling sound from the other party.
"...You don't need to know those things."
"Just keep walking forward."
Do you know what "trendy" is?
"I had just kept those words to myself..."
"But I really hate people who speak in riddles."
"Hey, are you two having a fight...? You can talk things out..."
"Was it because I didn't tell him? He's been keeping it from me all along..."
Seeing that Chao was still a little aggrieved, Mo Wunian, who already felt that something was wrong with him, felt his whole body trembling. He tried hard to suppress the bad premonition in his heart and didn't say anything for the time being:
But they were deceived and kept in the dark...
He's really, really annoying.
But the man's next words stunned him, leaving him speechless for a moment. He could only watch helplessly as the man uttered those words.
"But clearly... it was you who hid everything and lied to all of us..."
"He even lied to himself."
“…Tell me how I lied to you!”
"If I really deserve to die... if I really deserve to be torn to pieces..."
I will not run away.
"What's done is done, no matter what my reasons, attitude, or justifications were..."
"If you're wrong, you're wrong; if you deserve to die, you deserve to die."
But the next moment he reacted quickly, grabbing the other person's sleeve and pressing his face close to theirs, demanding an explanation.
The raging, surging emotions made him completely unable to control his behavior; he felt as if his entire body was being torn apart by pain.
He couldn't escape this predetermined fate.
"...Okay...let's take a break."
"You're not the one who should leave... You're just bearing the suffering that should belong to this world..."
As Chao grasped his hand, a strange power surged into his body, gradually calming him down. He felt drowsy and his vision blurred.
You should get some rest.
She gradually closed her eyes and was helped to sit on a chair on the other side. She felt increasingly exhausted and could no longer hear anything.
He watched the other two players facing off on the chessboard, but he couldn't hear anything clearly, as if someone was deliberately preventing him from thinking about it.
I just wanted him to rest.
But he seemed to see a different scene in his mind; he seemed to see the person he had been running away from finally finding him.
The man walked through the turbulent currents, oblivious to everything around him, until the last glimpse of his surroundings caught a glimpse of him.
You shouldn't be...at this time.
"Neither of us... should be like this."
He heard a weak sigh, and seemed to see a hint of pity hidden in those eyes. He reached out to grab the person, but before he could even finish the thought, he saw the person extend their hand to him.
"Although I don't know why this is happening... I'm in this state..."
"It was indeed a bit of a surprise."
Do you still remember the method that person taught you back then?
"To entrust one's entire being to this world, until one can no longer reunite with one's body..."
"Transcending time and space, dedicating oneself to observation"
"..."
He seemed to remember
When was he taught?
He can't remember
But... does he really want to put himself down in this world?
"We made our choice long ago."
"I see"
Without a moment's hesitation, he grabbed that cold wrist. Instead of leading him towards the light, the person dragged him down into the deep sea, sinking deeper and deeper.
He was surrounded by deathly silence, able only to feel his fading body and the heartbeat that shouldn't have been there:
Golden hope was always ahead of him, but it was also something he could never reach.
He could only gaze at it, but could never touch it.
But he vaguely saw the silver-blue streak of light pierce through the endless darkness, rushing towards him in this place where not even a ray of light could penetrate.
Do you want to live?
【…】
Do you want to live?
【…】
Do you want to live?
They had to survive; they had to move towards that future.
Do you want to live?
【I……】
He only heard someone repeating a question he couldn't answer, over and over again, constantly seeking the answer from him.
He felt that there should be a standard answer to this question.
But he seemed to have another answer in his heart.
You have a long time to think about this issue.
Until that moment arrives, I only wish you to make your choice.
[Do not be swayed by the rules of this world, nor change your mind because of the attitudes of others.]
[Including—me]
He seemed to have regained some energy, and as he slightly opened his eyes, he saw two people beside him looking at him with complicated expressions. He could vaguely hear something.
"Brother Mo doesn't seem to be in a good state... Fellow Daoist, aren't you going to take care of him...?"
"just in case……"
"He doesn't belong to this timeline... no matter how much I try to stop him..."
His soul will still guide him in that direction.
"It's all too late."
"...I understand now, this game of chess..."
"It is indeed complicated..."
--------
He seemed to have calmed down, his thoughts clearer than ever before. He could fully perceive the space around him, and he bound the passing time in his hands with space, gradually constructing a dodecahedron.
He glimpsed countless possibilities through the mirror, but none of the reflections seemed to be what he wanted.
Just as he was about to switch sides to continue his observation, the dodecahedron suddenly shattered, all the threads becoming chaotic in that instant, and everything about him was wiped out in that moment.
"...Why do I feel a little cold?"
"The body is cold... but I think I can still speak..."
"It doesn't seem cold yet."
"Big brother, you're awake?"
"?"
Upon hearing a girl's voice, Mo Wunian immediately perked up, quickly checking to make sure he was dressed properly. Only after confirming that he was wearing his clothes did he breathe a sigh of relief.
He forced himself to sit up, patted his head, and looked around at his surroundings with a somewhat blank expression.
Great, this time it's completely unfamiliar.
"Big brother, what are you looking at? There are no afterimages here for now... If there were, my resonance ability could protect you."
"Eh? Protect me?"
Mo Wunian was a little confused about what the other person was saying, then turned his head and saw a little girl with pink hair looking at him with a worried expression.
As for who that face resembles... how could someone not know?
"...Long...long separation?!"
"...Who is Changli?"
Seeing that she was clearly a miniature version of Chang Li, Mo Wunian became curious and squatted down, just as he was about to try to get closer, when he saw the girl quickly take a few steps back and shake her head in alarm.
"Don't come near me! You'll get burned!"
Mo Wunian then noticed that the frequency of the person in front of him was very chaotic, already slightly overclocked, and the resonance ability was already damaging him.
But you also have injuries.
"I'm fine! This is my ability... I'm used to it."
"You should leave now. Besides me and the remnant elephant... there's no one else here."
But you're injured.
"I……"
He reached out his hand to the little girl before him, and the intense flames emanating from her body instantly subsided and merged into the world the moment they approached.
Seeing the little girl's shocked expression, Mo Wunian silently took her hand and recalled all her injuries.
"This……"
"See, it won't hurt me at all, right?"
He smiled and, in the meantime, briefly checked the person's physical condition.
Even though he had recovered most of the injuries, he could still feel the fiery energy within the other person's body constantly circulating.
Judging from the little girl's current control over this ability... every time she uses it, it will definitely damage her.
More importantly, this power was exactly the same as the one he had sensed in Changli.
"..."
He was a little confused:
Did he travel back to a point in the past and bump into Changli from his childhood?
But the one thing that cannot be denied is that the little girl in front of them is that woman.
"My name is Mo Wunian. Do you have a name?"
"...I don't have a name, just call me whatever you like."
"Then let's call you 'Duanli' for now. You'll have a brand new name in the future."
"……it is good"
After making some simple adjustments to the frequency of the other party, roughly pulling them back from a slightly overclocked state, Mo Wunian nodded at the short distance in front of him.
"Okay, a short separation then."
"Now, please tell me everything that happened when you met me."
"I need to know the current situation."