Chapter 99

* * *

‘Ugh, this really feels completely different from seeing it in the game.’

The moment I moved, I fell flat on my butt. A groan slipped out.

That hurt!

“Uu, I would’ve gone in even if you didn’t pull me!”

It felt unfair.

There’s no one who wants to grow more than I do.

Besides, this chapter is a very important one that determines the future.

The end is right around the corner, so how does it make sense to give up a chance to get stronger?

‘Calm down.’

Looking around, I saw a narrow cave. It was low enough that an adult would have to duck.

I got up just fine and walked forward confidently.

Level up, rank up, very nice.

At the end of the cave was a small room.

When I stepped inside, there was a single altar placed there.

As I got a bit closer, my body started floating. Like I was in zero gravity.

Thud! Something dropped from above.

‘A mascot.’

A strange-looking being appeared in front of me, but I didn’t panic.

It was a rabbit doll patched together with black and white cloth, with bits of metal attached here and there.

About the size of a child’s head, with large round button-like eyes.

Its ears were uneven.

One drooped down, the other was torn, and its mouth was sewn shut like stitching.

“Kya.”

The moment our eyes met, the tin rabbit grinned.

The wind-up key stuck in its neck creaked as it slowly turned.

Black threads floated around it.

“A new vessel has arrived. Clear, and ready to break.”

Without hesitation, I repeated the protagonist’s line exactly.

“Who awe you? Whewe is this?”

“Time does not grant names. If you insist on calling me something, Timea will do.”

Timea. In ancient language, it means ‘a small shell of time.’

“I am made of things someone forgot. Faces that never smiled, words that were never heard, swallowed cries. I stitched those together. What do you want?”

“I came to change my age.”

The strange rabbit tilted its head.

“They all say that. They want to grow. When you grow, you become distant. Can you lose things?”

“… Yeah. I need to. There’s something I have to protect.”

This little body carries a very, very heavy burden.

The rabbit split its mouth into a wide grin.

“To protect something means choosing what you will lose! Oh, I respect that.”

The rabbit floated upward.

“One pocket holds time, and the other holds the you that will disappear!”

It extended its small clawless hand toward me.

“Hold out your hand. Say the age you desire. For that much, you will no longer be able to return!”

Without hesitation, I reached out.

The moment our hands touched.

Rumble!

The space shook violently, and I saw the rabbit, now grotesquely enlarged, its eyes stretched wide.

Before I could even swallow my breath.

Click!

Click! Clickclickclickclickclickclickclickclickclickclickclickclickclickclickclickclickclickclickclick!

A horrifying sound burst out of the rabbit, like a wind-up mechanism gone wrong!

‘What is this, what’s going on?’

This didn’t happen in the game, so I couldn’t help but be shocked.

Back then, after touching hands, the rabbit just showed a bit of surprise.

So that’s why there was a wind-up key in its neck!

The ear-piercing noise made my skin crawl.

‘Ugh, how long is it going to keep clicking!’

For a moment, I flinched at how completely broken it looked, then the rabbit opened its mouth wide in a grin.

Sharp teeth were revealed.

“This isn’t right? This isn’t right…! This is a path that wasn’t decided!”

“Oh, no.”

“A precious one has arrived!”

The rabbit extended its other hand and wrapped both of mine.

Then the threads floating around began wrapping around me.

‘Ugh, I can’t breathe…!’

The rabbit tapped my forehead lightly.

“Hello, child of the great Mother, Pope?”

“…”

It’s saying the lines I remember, but something feels off.

“Oh, don’t worry. I’m sealed, so I can’t reveal anything anywhere! What a shame! Such a shame!”

Tap tap! The rabbit patted my forehead with its cotton-like hand.

‘Oh, good thing its feet aren’t metal.’

“You want growth? But you must pay more. Growing you requires a greater price.”

At that moment, I felt the black threads binding me loosen.

“So go ahead, try!”

A massive hole opened beneath my feet. The black threads that poured out of it twisted together and formed the shape of a hand.

It grabbed my ankle and pulled.

Even as I fell into the suspicious pit, I didn’t panic.

It was exactly what I expected.

“Try to escape!”

Alright, just wait.

* * *

Ugh.

‘How many times am I going to fall?’

I slowly got to my feet.

“This is gonna wreck my back…”

I stopped mid-sentence.

Huh?

My pronunciation is coming out clearly…?!

I quickly looked down.

‘My viewpoint is higher.’

Even looking at my hands and feet, they were still small, but no longer those of a three-year-old.

When I touched my face, it was still chubby, but not the face of a three-year-old anymore.

I wished I had a mirror.

‘Wow, so this is what it feels like to grow?’

I touched my plump cheeks for a while before turning my head.

Boom!

Bang!!

A massive sound echoed from not too far away.

I was standing in a forest.

The sky was dark red.

‘This kind of sky… it only appears when there’s a powerful anomaly or monster nearby.’

Looking around, I saw blackened, dead trees.

Salvatore never gives players anything easily.

Growth was no exception.

A cheat-like anomaly that skips time and raises age, level, and stats!

But to clear this chapter, you had to complete one mission.

And that was…

Thud thud thud!

Footsteps were running toward me.

‘They’re here!’

I turned my head.

It wasn’t just one person.

The dying grass shook violently, and people emerged through the blackened field.

There were four of them.

One of them was a very familiar face.

A tall woman with long dark hair tied in a ponytail.

It was Alexa.

The only difference was that she looked much younger than when I saw her in reality.

“What, a kid??”

Alexa looked startled as she pointed at me.

“Hey, Bernart! I thought all civilians were evacuated! What is this?!”

The two men and one woman with her were also familiar.

They were members of the Azure Holy Knights from the past.

“… Alexa, could you at least remember that I’m the vice-captain?”

The one who answered was a large man.

“You became vice-captain through tricks even though we’re the same age. If you want respect from me, you’ve got a long way to go, buddy.”

At her words, a thin and stern-looking priest standing behind Alexa added in.

“Wow, I never get used to hearing that. The vice-captain looks like he’s ten years older though? Are you two really the same age?”

“That’s harsh, Priest Ern! You just killed the vice-captain twice. He might look a bit older, okay!”

A female holy knight of average height chimed in.

The man called vice-captain let out a sigh.

“… I think you’re the one who killed me twice, Lilia. Anyway, shouldn’t we focus on the problem in front of us? Where did this child come from?”

“Right. She doesn’t look like a refugee.”

On the surface, it seemed like casual conversation.

But I could tell they were all subtly wary of me.

Especially Alexa. Her expression was sharp.

“Priest Ern, do anomalies appear as little girls these days?”

“Uh, well. There have been cases where they appear as attractive members of the opposite sex to lure people. If it’s a child… it would be easier to lower someone’s guard.”

As soon as he finished speaking, Alexa pointed her spear at me.

“Everyone, get ready.”

The sharp tip looked like it could pierce my skin at any moment.

‘I’m happy I get to see this scene from the game in real life.’

‘But it’s a bit sad that I might reach my ending at the hands of someone I know.’

“Ah, vice-captain. Are we fighting? I’m kinda tired…”

At Priest Ern’s words, Bernart shook his head.

“As always, we don’t make the judgment.”

As soon as he finished speaking, someone pushed through the bushes.

“That’s the captain’s role.”

“Wow, the young captain!”

When I looked up, I blinked.

Standing there was Daddy, much younger than when I saw him in reality.

And covered in black blood.

But the expression of not knowing what to do around me was gone.

Instead, a very cold face looked down at me.

“… A young monster?”

Daddy, is that really your first line? That kinda hurts.

Game Category [Post][Strategy Guide]

[Monster Encyclopedia #25]

[Bonus Stage ‘Guardian Enhancement’ Chapter Guide]

◆ Welcome to the ‘Rift of Time’ also known as the Time Gap chapter

This chapter is a bonus stage, so it’s not that hard… probably

However, it depends on which guardian you chose… some guardians can be difficult for beginners so deal with it

◆ The common theme is this

You awaken inside your guardian’s past memories and must complete one mission together with their past self

For reference, the most fun guardian memories in my opinion are Chloe and Derek

Other than that, all corrupted holy knight guardians are fun. It’s Salvatore, it’s supposed to be hard