Chapter 21: Time Paradox

Infinite Peculiar Games

The instant Qi Si plunged the blade into Chang Xu's neck, Zou Yan's eyes flew wide.

Her expression froze, locked in that single moment.

Or perhaps it was more accurate to say that everything in the entire space—every person, every object, every unfolding event—was suspended in that precise instant.

Blood that had spattered across his shirt lifted from the fabric, coalescing into droplets that flew back into the gash on the corpse's neck.

The crimson pool that had trickled down the steps flowed in reverse, shrinking into a small puddle before being drawn back into his veins.

The body, which had collapsed to the ground, rose in a grotesque, unnatural motion. It retraced its steps backward, one by one, like a film playing in reverse.

Qi Si watched as color seeped back into Chang Xu's deathly pale face. The tall, lanky figure moved like a reanimated corpse, ascending the stairs step by mechanical step until he vanished around the landing.

The menacing vines that had clawed at the hallway walls twisted and recoiled, slithering like serpents back into the shadowed crevices of the stone.

At some point, the sound of rain ceased. The air was thick with the scent of damp earth and flowers.

Qi Si found himself paralyzed, only his thoughts free to drift and swirl within his mind.

He saw that Zou Yan was frozen as well, save for her right hand. Swathed in vines, it continued to writhe defiantly.

So, because she hasn't fully transformed into a monster, only her monstrous right hand can still move?

Qi Si filed the observation away.

Ever since concluding that the solution was hidden in the seventh rule—Only monsters can kill humans; please hold fast to your humanity—he had been pondering what would happen if a human killed another human.

He knew that Zou Yan had immediately tested Chang Xu's quatrain clue, triggering a time reversal herself.

That meant the trigger for the time reversal wasn't difficult to activate; in fact, it was surprisingly accessible.

The instance's backstory also revealed that Annie had killed the man who loved Anna and made a deal with a god, initiating a three-day time loop.

By analogy, the trigger for the time reversal had to be related to murder.

If a human killed another human, time would rewind an hour, resurrecting the victim. Only a death at the hands of a monster would prevent the mechanism from activating.

Therefore, only monsters can kill humans.

Whether that was true or not, Qi Si had resolved to test the theory by killing someone. He was, after all, a man of action with a strong practical streak.

From the moment he entered the old woman's room and learned that "monsters are unaffected by the time reversal," Chang Xu was already a dead man in his eyes.

That was precisely why he had revealed part of the truth to Chang Xu in a near-suicidal confession—a final explanation before the end.

"It seems the victim and any bystanders don't retain memories of the time reversal," he thought. "Otherwise, I wouldn't be able to explain why I have no recollection of the first loop."

"Besides the monsters, the only other person who retains their memories through the reset is the one who triggered it—the killer."

"So, I have to use the fact that monsters can kill humans to break the loop, while also holding onto my own humanity. The time reversal is the key... What a fascinating design!"

A complete plan crystallized in his mind. Watching motes of dust float lazily through the gloom, he found he still couldn't move much. He could only manage a slight curve of his lips as he waited for the time reversal—the one he had initiated—to conclude.

The light around him faded, inch by inch. His consciousness sank with it into oblivion. In the pitch-black darkness, the sound of rain returned to his ears.

A downpour.

Muffled by the thick stone walls, it was just a faint, rushing sound.

In an instant, light flooded the world.

Qi Si found himself leaning against a wall, facing a double bed scattered with fragments of bone.

It looked familiar. He remembered the fragments had once been two complete skeletons.

Beside him, Chang Xu was trying to grind the bones into even smaller pieces.

The man who had just died straightened up and looked at Qi Si. "You were in some kind of trance," he said. "I figured the skeletons were the cause, so I smashed them." It only took Qi Si a moment to connect the scene to his memories.

He remembered now. This was the first room on the third floor. He'd found the note under the pillow, and then the vision of Annie's past had overcome him.

Time had reversed, just as he'd planned. And Chang Xu remembered nothing...

Qi Si smiled, a brilliant, knowing smile.

"Chang," he asked casually, "what time is it?"

Chang Xu looked at him, puzzled, but glanced down at the pocket watch in his hand. "Two... no, one-oh-eight?" he answered, sounding perplexed. "Just a moment ago, the hour hand seemed to jump forward a notch."

At this point, Zou Yan wouldn't have had time to set her ambush at the staircase yet.

And even if she had, it didn't matter. He could just have Chang Xu die one more time.

His mind made up, Qi Si gave a soft hum and turned to leave the room. "I know how to clear this instance now. I'm not going to the other two rooms."

He paused for a moment, then glanced back at Chang Xu. "Of course, if you're interested in solving puzzles, feel free to explore on your own. If you're interested in Miss Anna, you can go straight to room three."

Chang Xu was interested in neither, thank you very much.

Nevertheless, as Qi Si started down the stairs, Chang Xu hesitated.

They hadn't known each other long, after all. He couldn't just take Qi Si's word for it without any proof.

And the third floor clearly held important clues.

Qi Si read Chang Xu's thoughts as if they were an open book. His tone was calm and measured. "Seeing as we're partners, I'd advise you to head downstairs soon. You know as well as I do that Zou Yan has been spying on our clues. She knows most of this instance's secrets and could be waiting to ambush one of us on the stairs to trigger the 'minimum death count' mechanism."

Chang Xu caught the flaw in Qi Si's logic.

Based on the available information, they could only deduce that the owner of Hermes' Eye was either Zou Yan or Yezi.

Yet Qi Si was absolutely certain it was Zou Yan...

Chang Xu recalled the strange behavior of the Fate Pocket Watch and raised an eyebrow. "You triggered the time reversal, didn't you?"

He then saw the young man before him freeze for a conspicuous second before offering a helpless, wry smile. "You guessed it. I'm back from an hour in the future. So, I suggest you take the advice of someone who's already been there and get out of here."

People tend to believe the "facts" they deduce for themselves. Qi Si understood this well, which was why he'd intentionally left a hole in his story for Chang Xu to find.

Chang Xu took the bait without realizing it. "How did you trigger it?" he asked instinctively.

"Oh, it was actually quite simple..." Qi Si slid his hands into his pockets and glanced at the ceiling. "A pity I have no intention of telling you."

Chang Xu's fists clenched.

Whether it was his imagination or not, he sensed a sliver of malice in Qi Si's smile that sent an inexplicable chill down the back of his neck.

A sixth sense for danger, honed since childhood, told him to drop the subject.

A few seconds later, Qi Si had reached the landing. He stopped and looked back. "Chang, your room probably isn't safe anymore. Come to mine when you get downstairs. And keep an eye on Lin Chen for me. Don't let Zou Yan trick him into getting himself killed."

"I need to borrow your Fate Pocket Watch. Of course, you can refuse. The worst that can happen is that none of us clear the instance."

At this, the young man lowered his gaze and sighed. "I'm going to test my theory. If I fail, you all can figure out another way."

"What theory?" Chang Xu asked, not following.

Qi Si met his gaze, slowly raising a single finger to his lips. He smiled and uttered two words: "Take a guess."