章節 9: Flames of the Aplcalypse
(29... 28... 27...)
Tyler mentally counted down, synchronizing the time with Priscilla Nissen.
The moment of truth—life or death—was fast approaching.
Even in the face of such dire circumstances, Tyler remained calm and composed. However, his body could not help but tremble slightly—not out of fear of death, but out of concern for the consequences his demise might have on his parents.
(10... 9...)
As Tyler counted down to nine, a sudden deafening boom resonated from the distance, causing his ears to throb with pain. The clouds in the sky were violently torn apart, as if something had flown in from afar. Immediately following, another terrifying rumble emanated from the direction of the village, sounding as if a heavy object had collided with the ground. The resulting shockwave frightened countless birds in the forest to take flight, intensifying the eerie atmosphere preceding the imminent arrival of death.
(8... 7... 6...)
Tyler resisted the impulse to climb a tree and see what was happening. He continued his countdown, and when he reached "4," a towering pillar of flames suddenly erupted from the direction of the village! The crimson blaze dyed half the sky red, and the roaring flames surged towards the heavens, as if they intended to incinerate the sky itself with their ferocity.
Despite being concealed within a forest several kilometers away, Tyler could still feel the scorching heat from the fiery pillar. The intense temperature caused the surrounding trees to spontaneously combust, even without direct contact with the flames. One could only imagine the fate of those struck by the pillar of fire.
(Lady Nissen: The pillar of fire! It's the one from the death scene! But... how could-o it appear ahead of schedule?!)
Tyler paid no heed to the bewildered girl; he continued his countdown. As he counted down to "2," another deafening boom echoed through the air, as if something had sped away at incredible speed. The clouds in the sky were once again torn open, revealing the vast expanse of the azure heavens.
(Tyler: 1... 0... Time's up.)
The countdown ended, and Tyler had not perished. Although it was uncertain how much longer he could live, he had at least altered a future in which his death was imminent.
(Tyler: Death arrived prematurely, but the plan proceeded smoothly enough.)
(Lady Nissen: Huh? What-o do you mean, it's over? What-o does "death arrived prematurely" mean? You... you haven't died-o, have you?!)
Priscilla Nissen was somewhat bewildered. She wanted to celebrate Tyler's fortunate escape from death, but she couldn't understand the enigmatic words he was uttering.
(Tyler: You don't understand?)
(Lady Nissen: No, I don't! Explain it to me!)
Priscilla Nissen failed to notice that Tyler had already changed the way he addressed her.
(Tyler: You can think about it yourself. I need to keep moving.)
(Lady Nissen: No, no! You have to explain it-o to me while you're moving! Waaaaahhhhh!!!)
Tyler's indifference prompted Priscilla Nissen to throw a tantrum, demanding an explanation with an insistence that could not be ignored. Unable to bear the obnoxious whining echoing in his head, Tyler reluctantly provided a brief account of his actions.
Tyler believed that, given his style, he would indeed attempt to communicate with the nearby village after entering the parallel world to gather local intelligence, especially since "Lady Nissen knows nothing" (Tyler emphasized intentionally). However, he did not think his communication skills would inadvertently provoke fatal trouble upon arriving at the village. Furthermore, it seemed unlikely that such an ordinary village would harbor someone with such terrifying power, and even if it did, there would be no reason to immediately kill him.
After eliminating these possibilities, it was highly probable that the enemy came from outside the village, harboring a clear intent to kill Tyler with a specific purpose in mind.
Tyler had no connection to this world, and if there had to be a reason for his death, it would be his identity as a "Transcender." In this "Difficulty: Impossible" world, the "Prison Star," someone was hunting "Transcenders."
Since the enemy intentionally targeted Tyler, it meant they had the ability to obtain his location upon entering the parallel world. However, Tyler didn't die immediately upon arrival in the "death future"; in fact, he survived for 13 minutes. What did this indicate? It suggested that even if the enemy knew his location, they still needed time to reach him. Therefore, until the enemy arrived, Tyler was safe and could act with confidence.
The information gathered from the "death scene" suggested that the large-scale ground cracks were likely caused by the enemy landing from the sky, indicating their mode of transportation was flight. From their landing position, the location of the fire pillar, and the villagers' positions and reactions, it was clear that the enemy killed Tyler as soon as they landed, without doing anything else. This meant that the enemy was probably not a murder enthusiast and would leave once they confirmed the death of the "Transcender."
The last and most important point was, how did the enemy identify Tyler as a "Transcender" upon arriving at the scene?
Tyler believed there were two possibilities: one was based on clothing, as "Transcenders" who had just arrived in another world were typically dressed in odd attire; the other was that the enemy had the ability to sense who was a "Transcender."
(Tyler: Judging from the outcome, the enemy seemed to identify me based on my clothing. I hope they won't discover later that they actually killed the wrong person.)
(Lady Nissen: Eh, but if the enemy has the ability to sense "Transcenders," wouldn't you be doomed-o?)
(Tyler: No, I have a backup plan.)
(Lady Nissen: Eh? What backup plan?)
(Tyler: Figure it out yourself, Silly Nissen.)
(Lady Nissen: What-o?!!! What-o did you call me?!!!!!)
(Tyler: Silly Priscilla Nissen, or Silly Nissen for short.)
Tyler's teasing ignited Priscilla Nissen's rage, and she immediately began shouting "Silly Tyler, Silly Tyler" nonstop, even saying something like "those who call others silly are the real big sillies," a childish remark. Perhaps Tyler's tolerance had increased, as he ignored the silly girl's relentless noise, not even revealing his backup plan until she herself grew tired of her own ranting.
However, the seemingly victorious outcome for Tyler was actually a win-win situation.
The reason Priscilla Nissen questioned Tyler's action logic so thoroughly was that she wanted to evaluate his abilities more comprehensively. If his abilities were insufficient, even if there was no imminent deadly danger, she would willingly have the Superdimensional Divine Eye self-destruct and kill Tyler, freeing up a spot for the "Benevolent Deity Faction" to recruit new "pawns."
Now, although she hadn't heard the complete plan, Priscilla Nissen had made her judgment. She believed that Tyler indeed had some skills, and the fact that he had changed the "inescapable future of death" earlier was the best proof. Additionally, his calm demeanor throughout the entire process earned him extra points.
(But that doesn't mean I accept you.)
·
The massive fire pillar's smoke filled the sky, and Tyler slipped into the village while the villagers scattered in panic. He got a set of clothes and some food before returning to the woods.
(Silly Nissen: Eh? Why are you back in the wood-os? Aren't you afraid-o the enemy will come to kill you again?)
(Tyler: If the enemy has the ability to continuously track my position, it won't matter where I go.)
Tyler dismissed the silly girl with a single sentence and began to think by himself. For Tyler, without the "future death scene" as protection, he could die at any moment in this "impossible level" world. To reduce the risk of sudden death, it was crucial for him to conquer a person of the opposite sex and have her confess her feelings for him as soon as possible. But before that, there was something Tyler had been putting off for a long time:
It was time to investigate his own curse.
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