Archiving, or rather, looping, wasn't an uncommon theme in creative works.
By reliving the same period repeatedly, characters could gain love or power, solve incidents, or defeat enemies. From movies and video games to novels and comics, Nol had seen many such stories.
They shared a straightforward commonality: only the "protagonist" could accumulate information. For everyone else, it remained a singular experience.
In the forty-third "loop" of Ship Island, they weren't the protagonists.
Nol watched the smiling Old Duke Alva. A storm was brewing in his mind, quietly waiting for the other to speak.
"It's rare for you to be willing to negotiate with me right from the start."
The Old Duke—or more accurately, Star Stealer Sol manipulating the Old Duke—spread his hands. "Right, if you're trying to buy time with this, I should add something. If you plan to transform into a dragon and forcefully take everyone away…"
"You would erase the island and everyone on it?" Nol's tone remains even.
If he were to leave by force in his dragon form, he was confident he could save those close to him. Star Stealer Sol's leverage over him was actually quite limited. He had considered these options in their previous forty-one encounters.
Since the loop had lasted until now, there must be other factors at play. He was just guessing.
"Exactly. The lives of tens of thousands of innocents. If I didn't know you didn't look back, I might have been scared."
As Star Stealer Sol said this, his face showed no signs of fear.
"I have a question."
Mentor suddenly spoke up, not caring whether Star Stealer Sol allowed him or not. "Since we can't interfere with 'major events', it means when you rewind time, we haven't decided the outcome yet."
"Obviously, we're all significant figures. If one side has already lost, then no matter what we do in the past, it can't change the predetermined outcome… Is that correct?"
"As far as I know, yes," Fischer responded seriously while kicking Billy with his toe.
A hint of annoyance flashes in the Old Duke's eyes. Star Stealer Sol clearly disliked Mentor speaking freely in its presence. Nol coughed appropriately, redirecting Star Stealer Sol's attention.
Behind him, Teest's fingers press deeply into the soft backrest of the sofa.
[Forty-one battles… It shouldn't be this wasteful.] Unable to see blood for a short period, Teest began to grumble inwardly.
Nol: [Are you talking about Star Stealer Sol?]
[I'm talking about us. No offense to you. I'm just making an objective assessment.]
Teest complained, [Even if this guy flips the situation whenever he sees it going south and uses magical props for protection, with our abilities, knocking him down in one hit isn't too hard. Forty-plus times without a victory? Seems exaggerated, don't you think?]
[That's why it's worth considering.]
The situation was extremely tense, but Nol remained unusually calm. [He's stubbornly rewinding this period, and we're stubbornly confronting him. There must be a reason.]
After a victory was decided, no amount of rewinding would work, and no one could interfere with the established facts. This was a struggle between False Gods. The winner must win, and the loser must lose.
On the other hand… before a victory was decided, as long as no other major events were caused, could they interfere with the past at will?
Nol swished the tea in his cup, watching the leaves float and sink at the bottom.
Yes, the laws of time only protected the "past", while the "present" and "future" were uncertain—
If their showdown was to be decided tomorrow, then Star Stealer Sol returning to the past today and repeatedly interfering with what had happened could give him an absolute advantage.
This could maximally influence the "future".
This meant that Star Stealer Sol's ability wasn't a convenient save-and-load feature.
Like the last time they met on the battlefield, Star Stealer Sol's projection magic was unexpectedly interrupted by Painter. Once the outcome was decided, it couldn't "save and load" to recover.
If we were to compare it to a game, his ability was more like a "single-use save feature within a battle". Once the battle ended, whether he won or lost, he couldn't start over.
Thinking this, Nol's hand shaking the cup suddenly stopped.
Wait, just now. Did he come to understand Star Stealer Sol's ability further?
Star Stealer Sol could change his combat strategy but couldn't control the opponent's thinking and reactions. If these feelings could be recorded, if he could also "save and read the files to accumulate strategies"…
"Let's talk about Perradat. I guess you've made contact with her."
The Old Duke spoke slowly and leisurely, his tone long and comfortable. Combined with the dim atmosphere of the surrounding divination home, it was enough to make one sleepy.
"I don't know anything about Perradat." Nol shrugged.
"No, no, no. You don't have to hide it. I've checked that body. It's missing some blood. Mr. Nol, for us, flesh and even corpses contain immense power."
The Old Duke shook his head. "I'm here to warn you—it's best not to trust her too much, just like you wouldn't trust me. The flesh and bones are right in front of you. You can't expect a wild dog to restrain itself with 'morality'."
[Buy me some time.] Nol sent a thought to Teest. [I need a moment to think.]
In the next instant, Teest, very naturally, expressed surprise. "Are you calling yourself a wild dog?"
The Old Duke pretended not to hear, maintaining a friendly tone. "As you see, I can interfere with the past to a certain extent, and Perradat can interfere with the future through prophecies. Mr. Teest… from what I see now, your power is closely related to destruction."
"Mr. Nol, these powers were never within your realm. And we all want that position. This is a friendly warning."
Nol remained silent, just staring into the Old Duke's eyes.
"Cockroaches also think they're doing me a favor by dealing with the trash. I usually thank them with the sole of my shoe." Teest, with his hands on Nol's shoulders, said with a full smile, "You just don't want to see us team up and eliminate you first."
"I admit it." Star Stealer Sol, unfazed, took a sip of tea. "We all just want to survive, and that's not a reason to be ashamed of."
"Mr. Nol doesn't trust me, and I can understand that. Last time, I misjudged the situation, underestimating the deep bond between you two. Like I said, this time I've tried to rewind so many times just to have a chance for peaceful communication. I want to have a new negotiation with the both of you…"
Sincere words slowly flowed into Nol's left ear and out the right. He had already made up his mind not to heed Star Stealer Sol's barking.
As a seasoned game developer, he knew too well why a "scene" exists—if Star Stealer Sol wanted to communicate peacefully, there were plenty of other ways. This scene existed for destruction, without a doubt.
But why forty-plus times?
Why would he and his companions play along in this unfavorable scene forty-plus times?
Behind the cover of his teacup, Nol surveyed his surroundings. Unfortunately, for him, this moment was the only "present". Even if Star Stealer Sol had rewound before, the past forty-one versions of him were doomed to leave no mark.
Rewinding over and over, saving over previous saves. To leave a message, one must use something that "doesn't refresh"…
Something that doesn't refresh…
No, there was indeed something in this room that "doesn't refresh"—Star Stealer Sol, the "loop's protagonist" himself, recorded the past forty-one rewinds.
If he also wanted to gather information through repeated rewinds, he would only use a method that only he could perceive.
Star Stealer Sol was elegantly talking about something, and Teest was sharply mocking something.
Meanwhile, Nol lifted his teacup and lowered his gaze. The water's surface, shimmering with a greenish glow, rippled and broke with the movement.
Above the rim of the teacup, Nol lifted his eyes.
[Creator: This is your world. Protect it.]
When the skill activated, a blue-white light net closely hugged the surface of objects and instantly expanded, followed by the appearance of a manipulable cursor. A floating strange "code" emerged whenever the cursor moved over it. Now Nol understood that this wasn't a programming language from Earth but a "creator code" that only he could understand.
Before, by adding, deleting, or modifying these "codes", Nol could easily create, annihilate, or warp objects. However, against a powerful False God who could also interfere with the system, this function was clearly limited.
Only Star Stealer Sol—the light net on the Old Duke's body surface was a bright red, indicating "non-interference". Nol could also view the "Old Duke Alva's" code, a composite existence, but couldn't affect his status by modifying the code.
Fortunately, he didn't need to modify them.
He only needed to "comment".
Comments didn't affect any functionality. They merely display, to those who could see the source code, a pure explanation hidden deep within the code.
The blue eyes burned like ghost flames, and a multitude of characters slid through Nol's mind. He quickly found what he was looking for—the thing that was quietly hidden in Star Stealer Sol's shadow through forty-one rewinds—
They were written in his mother tongue and presented in a way that was very familiar to Nol. These were records "from himself". There were fewer than forty-one entries, each connected to the others, completing a series of deductions.
[//Time rewinds. Suspect Star Stealer Sol has the power to "interfere with the past". Do not expose the Lost Tower.]
[//Confirmed the activation of rewind. It didn't take any potion while rewinding.]
[//It has more than five life-saving system items on it. It will immediately activate rewind if things go awry.]
[//During the rewind activation, the Old Duke shows a pained expression.]
[//This isn't Star Stealer Sol's true body. Suspect there's a limit to the number of rewinds. Consider depleting its attempts.]
[//Star Stealer Sol always tries to engage in conversation. Do not fight it. Retreating face-to-face also triggers a rewind. Suspect it's trying to forcibly keep everyone here. Testing of rewind in battle begins.]
...
Midway, there were various records made by himself. While Star Stealer Sol collected information, Nol was also testing his abilities and probing the conditions under which Star Stealer Sol activated rewinds.
Star Stealer Sol would definitely activate rewind before receiving a fatal wound. Rewind seemed to be its inherent ability but using the Old Duke as a puppet for rewinding seemed to also cost it.
If the situation became dire and Nol decided to abandon Ship Island and leave by transforming into a dragon, Star Stealer Sol would immediately activate rewind. If Billy or Fischer received fatal wounds, Star Stealer Sol would also rewind, seemingly to prevent a "major event" from occurring.
No, killing his own companions would theoretically be more beneficial to Star Stealer Sol, even if it was worth changing the save point. Its actions were more like "stabilizing them".
...
[//Star Stealer Sol became suspicious. I intentionally exposed my name.]
[//Star Stealer Sol became suspicious. Both Teest and I exposed our names. Star Stealer Sol didn't notice. Don't panic, this is a necessary sacrifice.]
[//Confirmed Star Stealer Sol will use this information to steer the situation towards "peaceful negotiations". Testing of negotiation after rewind begins.]
[//Teest mentioned Ship Island moving east at high speed. Star Stealer Sol activated rewind.]
These were the last four annotations.
From start to finish, it all happened in the time it took to drink a cup of tea.
Nol regained his focus just in time to hear Teest's voice—
"I can't listen anymore. If you really want to negotiate peacefully, why would your Ship Island…"
[Don't mention Ship Island moving east at high speed.] Nol immediately halted him in his mind. [Change the subject now.]
He wasn't ready to rewind just yet.
"…Why would your Ship Island seem so sinister?" Teest swiftly changed his tune.
[How did you know? I was just about to tell you.] Teest flung his thoughts in his mind.
Nol directly stuffed the records he saw into Teest's thoughts, taking back control of the conversation, even though he had no idea what Star Stealer Sol was just rambling about.
"I'm also getting a headache listening to you two. It's clear you can't communicate effectively, and continuing this stalemate isn't going to resolve anything." Nol put down his teacup. "Star Stealer Sol, let's leave it to you and me to talk, one-on-one."
"I couldn't ask for more." Sure enough, as long as no fight ensued, Star Stealer Sol was a complete "benevolent old man".
Teest placed a pair of fingers on Nol's shoulders, rubbing against his neck. "Honey, are you trying to send me away?"
[Do you have other arrangements?] His knight sent a breezy inquiry.
"Yes, I need a relatively objective environment. Don't mind it. It's been more than forty times now. Obviously, I can't kill Star Stealer Sol, and this guy can't kill me either."
[Ship Island is moving east at high speed. Star Stealer Sol doesn't want us to leave, deliberately throwing a puppet that's not even an avatar here to persistently bother us. Contact the Lost Tower through Mentor. Contact Perradat!]
"You're really heartless." Teest tightened his fingers, his nails piercing Nol's skin, leaving visible bruises on the fingertips.
[As you command, Lord Nol.]
"Don't make me say it a second time. Take the unrelated people and leave, Teest."
[Be careful.]
Teest ignored Billy, who had fainted on the ground. He grabbed Fischer and Mentor and headed straight for the servant's quarters. With a casual wave of his hand, Nol activated a spell that isolated sound, leaving only himself and Star Stealer Sol within the barrier.
"Now it's just you and me."
Nol pretended the skill [Telepathy] didn't exist. "Let's be open with each other. I've been pondering a question that I just can't figure out. If you're willing to explain, I'll give you fifteen minutes of one-on-one time."
Star Stealer Sol's scrutinizing gaze swept over him from head to toe. "A question?"
"Yes, just like Mr. Mentor said, we only know about the Reversion Potion." Nol spread his hands. "The Old Duke kept the Blood Potion only for making 'Supplement Demon Potions'. If he made so many Time Reversion Blood Potions in advance, it would certainly seem suspicious."
"Moreover, such bottles and jars are hard to use in battle. With Teest's speed, he wouldn't give you many chances to succeed… But this isn't your real body, so please tell me, how did you do it?"
"This is quite an invasive question," Star Stealer Sol replied calmly as ever.
"I can't help it. Without understanding this, I find it hard to talk with you at ease."
Nol smiled. "How about we make a deal with your favorite type of contract—through an absolute contract. You tell me the reason truthfully, and I'll give you fifteen minutes of one-on-one talk time, promising no attacks on each other."
Come on. If you really intend to kill me this time, if you're truly buying time.
After all, the dead don't tell tales. A secret for more time, it's truly a bargain. You won't refuse this contract.
"…Alright, I understand your feelings." After a long while, the Old Duke sighed deeply and extended his hand.
Nol shook that hand. No one spoke. Only countless complex magical formations rotated around them, eventually turning into a double noose around their necks. The noose, made of golden light, dissipated into numerous light points the next second.
"I just paid the price."
Star Stealer Sol looked emotional. "You know, mortals can't withstand the power of God. The moment my consciousness enters a human, they die, and then I can only control a corpse."
Nol was startled. "White Demon… Supplement Demon Potions…"
"Yes, the White Demon."
The corners of the Old Duke's mouth twitched, revealing a chilling smile.
"You must be familiar with this scheme? 'Consume a specific item to gain an extra life'. Thanks to you, 'Duke Alva' has already used up forty-one lives."
"Speaking of which, this was inspired by the Mad Monk…"
He really wanted to punch this guy. Nol clenched his fist.
At the same time, Teest's telepathic message arrived.
[Things have gotten complicated,] he said.
Kinky Thoughts:
From my limited coding knowledge, when you put // in front of a line, it's a comment that shows up in the source code but won't be executed when the code is run. It's there to provide annotations or explanations about the code to anyone reading it.
The previous Nols used this to provide the message to current Nol in the game's code, but it doesn't actually execute so Star Stealer Sol doesn't actually see the messages.