Chapter 400: Chapter 173 Reshoot
After several instances of Time Reversal, Bologue was like a racecar driver, having traveled this road so many times that he fully understood when the light would turn red and when pedestrians would cross.
Glancing at the time, even Lebius thought that Bologue could drive so fast; in just a few minutes, they would be approaching the Great Rift, even faster than taking the subway from the Deep Nest Courtyard.
"Continue, the Devil can’t change what’s already happened, so?"
The car window shattered, and a fierce wind poured in, roaring in his ears, and Bologue had to shout at the top of his lungs.
"So, look for loopholes within the rules, just like humans tricking the Devil; the Devil also has the ability to play with the rules that bind them.
If you can’t change what’s already happened, then turn everything into a dream? For example, what if we’re all dreaming right now," Lebius said.
"Dreaming? Are you serious?"
"What we’re doing now is all part of a dream. Every time Time Reversal occurs, you could understand it as a reboot of the dream, and we’ll only wake up and make everything real once we achieve a correct result.
Look, this way, the past is infinitely altered!"
"So, are we dreaming?" Bologue started to have a headache, "That can’t be possible!"
"We’re not dreaming, it’s just a... metaphor," Lebius was not good with words, especially when explaining such complicated matters to Bologue.
"Put it another way, it’s like we’re shooting a movie, right?" Bologue asked back.
"The whole world is a film, and we are now playing out a scene where Aimou is the director. She’s dissatisfied with the direction of the plot, so she used the power of the Fantasy Species to cut a piece of the film out.
Now we’re constantly reshooting this scene, until it’s what Aimou wants, then it’ll be spliced back and align with the world’s trajectory."
"Pretty much, we’ve been removed from the main timeline of the world. The Fantasy Species can’t reverse the main timeline, only this small segment, and when the Fantasy Species collapses, we’ll return to the main timeline, only then will reality become reality and can no longer be altered."
Listening to Lebius’s words, Bologue roughly understood his meaning, nodding to himself.
Bologue murmured, "No one is omnipotent."
The Great Rift gradually came into view. King’s Shield Guard, Aimou, Teda, Immortal Heart, Fantasy Species—all the conflicts originated from the depths of this rift, awaiting the arrival of the two like a gladiatorial arena.
Bologue asked, "We’re about to arrive. Do you have any thoughts, leader?"
Lebius replied, "I was activated too late, missed the previous Time Reversals, so this operation you’re leading, and I’m assisting."
Bologue glanced sideways at Lebius, couldn’t help but ask, "Is this really okay? You’re the leader, am I not usurping your position?"
"A principle of the Field Operations Department is pragmatism," Lebius answered simply.
Hearing this, Bologue laughed. Though it’s called pragmatism, another way to put it is: if it’s useful, use it till it breaks.
With a deep breath, a cyan light appeared in Bologue’s eyes.
"I need you to clear the obstacles for me, then I’ll find Aimou and attempt to end the Time Reversal... no, see if Aimou can be used by us."
Lebius was a bit surprised, as he had thought Bologue would first aim to end the Time Reversal.
"Time Reversal is really handy, and if possible, perhaps after safeguarding Aimou, we can use her Time Reversal to defeat the King’s Shield Guard’s offensive."
This operation has two objectives: protect Aimou and destroy the King’s Shield Guard.
In the experts’ eyes, these two objectives were never an option, and Bologue intended to achieve them both.
"After clearing my obstacles, you go confront the King’s Shield Guard, and find out what’s happening on Teda’s side," Bologue explained his plan.
"Me alone to confront?" Lebius murmured.
"Getting scared? Don’t worry, just pretend you’re the Undead, and I’ll reset everything through Time Reversal afterward," Bologue promised Lebius.
Even if Lebius died in battle, during the next Time Reversal, he would awaken once again.
"Of course, hopefully, this won’t be the last Time Reversal, or you’d be quite unlucky." Bologue joked.
"I’m not worried about these things," Lebius shook his head.
"I know, I was just joking," Bologue said, "You don’t seem like you’d die easily."
Bologue said, shifting his gaze to his leader. All along, Lebius gave Bologue a sense of mysterious strength.
This strength wasn’t about Tier, but Lebius’s composure as a strong individual, as if no matter what threat he faced, he had the ability to handle it.
Sometimes Bologue felt that even when facing a Seeker of Glory, his leader seemed to have some ability to fight back.
Lebius didn’t answer; he closed his eyes in thought, Ether coursing through his Alchemy Matrix, as if an erupting volcano poised to explode.
"One more thing, Bologue," Lebius suddenly recalled something and said, "If all this is triggered by the Fantasy Species, then Aimou has already made a wish."
"Yes, so?"
This information had been discussed before, and Bologue couldn’t see why Lebius brought it up again.
"It means that Aimou’s wish wasn’t what caused the Time Reversal; it was to fulfill her wish that the Time Reversal appeared. You also mentioned that the reset nodes of Time Reversal occur with the damage of the Fantasy Species."
Lebius analyzed.
"But in fact, that’s not the case; the reset nodes start with the breaking of Aimou’s wish."
"You mean..."
"If Aimou can’t fulfill her wish, that’s when the Time Reversal would occur, constantly resetting until in some future timeline, Aimou achieves her wish."
"But the power of the Fantasy Species isn’t absolute," Bologue whispered, "It can’t absolutely fulfill anyone’s wish."
"I... I’ve always felt there’s the Devil’s presence behind this," Bologue suddenly relayed to Lebius.
Lebius was not surprised by this, as he believed in Bologue’s Perception of the Devil and the words spoken by that person in the Inverted Hall.
"Your judgment is correct, this incident is indeed being manipulated by the Devil."
"If the Fantasy Species can’t fulfill her wish, then after it shatters, she only has one choice left."
Bologue gritted his teeth, not saying aloud the dreadful outcome; this was a vile conspiracy.
His feelings of anger intensified, with a judgment filled with hatred stirring deep inside. Bologue still remembered his oath; he would take down all the evil ones, even if they were endless. But in turn, Bologue was also undying—a notion that he would endlessly entangle with them until the world’s end.
Similarly, Bologue also remembered what Adelle had once told him, he possessed extraordinary power, and it would be a shame to use it solely for destruction.
He could not only be a Destruction; sometimes, he could also be a Savior.
"Hold on tight! Leader! We’re almost there!" Bologue shouted to Lebius.
Lebius was somewhat puzzled; at the edge of the Great Rift, they should be slowing down, yet Bologue’s driving was speeding up.
A loud noise interrupted Lebius’s thoughts; Bologue kicked open the car door beside him, reaching out to touch the ground.
The cyan light trail flashed by, the ground began to shake and rise, the runway was pulled up from the earth, continuously rising higher with the speeding car, until the tires left the ground, rushing into the Sea of Mist.
Lebius felt a moment of weightlessness, his body slightly leaving the seat.
Only then did Lebius understand why every action Bologue took was so swift, and why whenever Bologue acted with Palmer, Palmer was the one driving the car.
Lebius’s vision turned dim, as with Bologue’s cheers, they plunged straight into the Sea of Mist.