Time Rewound

"This should do it."

Endless darkness. The shadow of a pitch-black substance fell upon the wall, rising and falling like water waves, along with a gruesome, elongated form, transforming the corridor into a dense forest in a trance.

And the little girl walked alone in the "dense forest." Her shadow also reflected a faint, elusive light, merging with the ebbing and flowing black shadow on the wall, as if her destiny was also indicated.

Little Mita's steps were about to pass the first corner. How could she not want to stop? But her entire body was like a string puppet, having lost control.

"This is… a story destined to be a tragedy." She knew it from the moment that monster broke into version 1.3B.

In the sunless darkness, Little Mita passed through one cycle and reincarnation after another. Despair had long since shattered her hope.

No… perhaps she still held onto a sliver of remaining hope: that the final despair would arrive quickly. That way, she could be liberated.

Her wish, in a sense, came true, but not in the form of despair. On the contrary, it was the hope that had long since abandoned her, reaching out to her once again.

It was a player who suddenly broke in, bringing along a girl who seemed to be his Mita.

So… this version can also have players enter? This was the first question she had in her heart at the time.

"This won't do. It's very dangerous here; you shouldn't have come here."

Her thin shoulder brushed past the first corner. Turning around, the monster's gluttonous feast came into view.

Her thoughts returned. Little Mita wanted to help those two people out of version 1.3B, not wanting them to despair like herself.

But only when they reached the 14th loop could she come out. Thus, she guided them, leading them to the 14th loop.

Fortunately, Little Mita successfully helped that Mita return. The plan was half successful.

But it was only half successful. That player, for some reason, stayed behind.

She asked him, "Why doesn't time have any effect on you?"

He replied, "My time, before I grab your hand, cannot flow backward."

Later, they spent some time together. They experienced a lot, and also very little. He became her player.

A smile bloomed on the girl's lips, and her steps gradually drew closer to the monster.

Her original wish was to quickly end this despair. But he… changed her wish.

She wanted to spend a little more time with her player. Even if it was just two more loops, one more loop, it didn't matter.

What a pity... Time, after all, is still flowing. Her destiny was already set, unchangeable.

The girl looked at her uncontrollably moving body, thinking this. She had no way out.

At the very least, she had to send her player out of despair. He still had his own Mita; there was no need for him to be here. In version 1.3B, wasting time.

"Well then, it's time to end this painful cycle." Looking at the black current opening its despairing embrace towards her, the girl said this, and at the last moment, she closed her eyes—

"Tick-tock."

But at this moment, the echo of some sound reverberated in her ear.

Like a dewdrop falling into a pool of water, the deep echo constantly resounded.

Like someone fiddling with a knob, turning back time minute by minute.

"This is... a clock?"

When Little Mita realized it, she opened her eyes and was surprised to find that her vision was rapidly rewinding.

"Eh?"

Darkness was rapidly retreating; the monster's figure grew increasingly distant, until she couldn't grab it even by stretching out her arm.

Little Mita could clearly see the shock and bewilderment on the monster's face.

So... it could also make that expression? A certain sense of satisfaction suddenly appeared in the girl's heart.

Subsequently, something behind her made a "click" sound, and then a bright light shone on the edge of her body. "So it's a door?"

That door was the one she had just used to send off her player. The door only existed in her vision for a few seconds before rapidly moving away.

The monster chased her to the corner of the 20th corridor, still wanting to stretch out its sharp, long leg to "detain" her.

Little Mita wanted to say cheekily, "You can't catch me," but the door slammed shut tightly.

And her retreating steps still hadn't stopped. From the second corner, the grandfather clock, until the cabinet—she fell into a soft embrace and finally stopped.

In her peripheral vision, the person embracing her held a greatsword glowing with blue light. The greatsword filled the girl's entire field of vision.

She looked back and found Alain's face, which wasn't quite a smile.

"I told you, right? Hide-and-seek, I'm very good at it."

He picked her up and placed Little Mita on the small stool beside the cabinet.

The girl thought of something and glanced at the wall clock in the corner. She found that the time had been pushed forward by 6 hours.

Alain adjusted her clock? This was the only answer Little Mita could come up with.

Indeed... her body losing control and the monster's arrival happened on the same timeline. But if her time was turned back, then she could regain her temporary freedom.

This point, Little Mita, when she was alone with the monster in the past, had completely failed to think of this plan that could only be implemented when a third party was present.

As for why she didn't return to the loop she should have after the time rewind... this should be the player's unknown method. He had shown it before.

This was a method that even the monster hadn't thought of; it would inevitably be detected by it, which had seized most of the version's permissions.

In short, the bug would be fixed by the monster.

Sure enough, at the wall clock, a black hole appeared, enveloping the clock layer by layer.

"...So stingy. I was planning to adjust it a few more times."

Alain slashed with his greatsword but couldn't cut through the black hole, helpless.

"Why haven't you left yet?" The girl looked incredulous, her eyes also filled with the surprise of receiving a heaven-sent gift.

"Even if you turn my clock back to a safe place, the actual time is still advancing, and the monster still appeared."

"Didn't I tell you?" Alain turned and smiled. "I'll smash it to pieces in front of you."

According to the current results: the monster would only appear during the 20th loop. Only then would Alain have a chance to defeat that guy.

But the 20th loop was also 12 o'clock on the wall clock, and also the time when Little Mita headed towards her destined bad end.

It could be said: the "deadline" of time. The two were difficult to separate. Almost tied together.

Fortunately, there was a clock. Alain looked at the wall clock beside him.

Currently, the corridor's time had already reached the 20th loop; the monster had appeared. And Little Mita's time, when he adjusted the wall clock, was pushed forward by 6 hours.

It was exactly the clock time when Little Mita came out of the 14th cycle: 6 o'clock sharp.

Before 6 o'clock, Little Mita would return to the small television; after 6 o'clock, the clock's benefits weren't maximized.

So, the correct way to achieve a happy end was now: the monster appears, while Little Mita has not yet reached the 12 o'clock deadline.

The time before the wall clock reached 12 o'clock again was the limited time for him to kill the monster and help Little Mita escape the painful cycle.

In short: use the clock to return Little Mita's time to a safe moment. Then try to catch her with his own body, thereby triggering the Security Guard's firewall.

Facts proved that the firewall was effective.

Of course, even if the firewall wasn't triggered, it wouldn't be impossible for Little Mita to return to a safe loop.

"But, but... If it's just you, it's also very difficult..."

Little Mita still wanted to refute a few words, but tears of joy streamed down her face.

"Who said I'm alone?" Alain stroked the girl's head, "Don't I still have you?"

"I don't count as combat power, I can't help. I can only cheer you on." Little Mita shook her head.

"Isn't that enough? As long as you stay behind me, you can become combat power."

"I... don't understand."

"Because, this is a unique buff a princess has for her knight."

He stood up, gripped his greatsword, and looked towards the second corner.

"Thump."

The door to the next loop was broken open, and a pitch-black shadow stained the light of the entire peaceful corridor.

A corner of it was revealed, like a wave that blotted out the sun and sky, flowing towards the two of them.

Instantly, blackness gradually stained the light, indicating that the 19th loop where the two were located would once again become the 20th loop.

Then, one of the monster's heads poked out. As if saying to the two: Did you think you could escape like this?

But Alain paid no attention, his fearless face directly facing Little Mita. "Our combat power isn't just two people either."

Alain glanced at the alarm clock representing Millie. Time was up.

With an "creak" sound, the sound of a door opening also came from the entrance of the loop.

"Yahoo~"

[Bluetooth Connected][You Have Obtained Infinite Stamina][Your Strength, Speed UP]

[You Have Unlocked Skill System Rewards. Current Skills Obtained: 2]

It was a melodious tone, accompanied by hurried footsteps.

Soon, she arrived before the two of them. Millie smiled at Alain.

"I am..." She gripped the game controller tightly,

"Cappie."

_

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