The worst case scenario.
Ignoring his opponent, the Old Duke instantly activated reversion. Strange magical fluctuations spread out as a drop of blood slid down Nol's fingers. Before it could hit the ground, it vanished into thin air.
Star Stealer Sol returned to the moment "the drift was discovered". His will awakened again within the Old Duke's body. As a cost, a life was wasted.
The presence of special manipulating blue fire on the opposite side was recognized by Star Stealer Sol. It belonged to the hero Drake, who was supposed to be dead. It seemed like that guy—or his will—found some way to survive.
Judging by the original location, it must have been Perradat's doing.
Good, another piece of information. Star Stealer Sol sighed in relief. Next, he must find a way to kill these two—no, killing two was unrealistic. He must kill Nol as soon as possible…
Lurking in the shadows, Billy leaped again, his sword wrapped in curses, aiming straight for Nol's unprotected neck. But Nol dodged as if he had eyes on his back.
Reversion.
Attack, fail, rewind again.
Then, Star Stealer Sol gave up on attacking, trying to preserve the identity of Golden Sword.
Life after life was burned, while Nol's eyes sparkled with a terrifying mockery.
The battle situation changed in an instant. The Old Duke's reversion was within his predictions.
Only one will could exist in the Old Duke's shell. Thus, the essence of Star Stealer Sol's reversion was to give himself from this time point additional information from the "future". Coincidentally, Nol was using the same method as Star Stealer Sol—
In the [Creator's] view, annotations were being added one after another.
[//Golden Sword is an avatar of Star Stealer Sol. Star Stealer Sol killed me once.]
[//It takes more than two seconds to initiate reversion.]
[//Right after the reversion is completed, Star Stealer Sol experiences a few seconds of disorientation.]
[//Why is it always the Old Duke who initiates the reversion?]
...
"Haa."
The Old Duke lowered his gaze. His complexion was ashen as if dead, and his skin began to show tiny cracks.
Golden Sword stood behind him, still wearing a warm smile.
Nol couldn't see the remaining lives of the Old Duke, but he somehow felt that the Old Duke's chances of reversion were running low.
In this reversion, Nol wasn't stabbed by the sword. Amidst the web of golden threads, Teest emerged from the darkness, standing behind Nol, one hand gripping the "Betrayer", the other lightly resting on Nol's waist.
"You indeed have a method of recording." The Old Duke shook his head, and the next moment, his body burst into flames, disintegrating into nothingness before Nol's eyes.
"Regrettable. The Duke's identity was quite useful." Golden Sword stepped forward. The "Dragon Slayer" in his hand was glowing dimly.
Nol was certain that Billy didn't have this long sword before. It made sense, as Star Stealer Sol had partial system permissions and could store weapons in the system space.
"Since you already know, let me reintroduce myself."
The tone of the Golden Sword Billy was very calm, without any panic of being at a disadvantage. "Star Stealer Sol, Enbillick."
The room's roof broke open, allowing cold moonlight to pour in. Sea water flooded in through the breach, extinguishing many candles. In the increasingly dark room, the moonlight resembled a spotlight on a stage.
Under the spotlight.
Billy's eyepatch was gone, his ash-gray eyes restored. In the dim room, his light golden hair still stood out. Around his neck, visible through his loose collar, was a black tattoo.
He even performed a very standard noble courtesy.
As if they were truly meeting for the first time.
Strangely, Nol didn't move. Now that the Old Duke had turned to ashes, if he was Star Stealer Sol, he would definitely try to rewind again. Curiously, Billy didn't seem to have such ideas.
Speaking of which, since Billy was an avatar and not a puppet of Star Stealer Sol, maybe the form of "reversion" was different?
"Stop glaring at me, Mr. Nol. I won't rewind again—I admit, my actions have failed. I must retain a bit of mystery, not to lose too disgracefully."
"This suit was sewn by my wife, and if it gets too messed up, I'd be ashamed to face her." His tone was cheerful, as if he hadn't just attempted to murder Nol but had merely lost a game of chess.
"That means we're done talking, and we can take action." Teest demonstrated exceptional comprehension.
Nol extended a hand, blocking Teest.
He still had things to confirm.
Damn, he knew Star Stealer Sol was no good. But he remembered Mrs. Alva's clumsy and kind help, remembered Billy leading the Alva Merchant Group's people to assist the succubus race.
Memories of the Alva family dinner were etched in his mind. He remembered the two children happily running to their father, joyfully shouting "Daddy".
The current Nol could indeed strike down a suddenly appearing, unfamiliar enemy. But to strike at someone he had known for a long time and understood their life… he would still do it, but it made his insides feel as heavy as lead.
"What about your family?" Nol asked flatly.
"I love them deeply. What else can I say?" Enbillick wore the standard "good dad" smile. "Even gods need a bit of companionship. You must understand that."
"I'll compensate them well when I deliver the news of your death." Nol gritted his teeth.
Billy laughed heartily, as if hearing a funny joke. He took a breath and scratched his nose. "You've grown a lot. The old you wouldn't say such scary things."
"It sounds like you're very familiar with 'the old me'." Nol's tone grew colder. "What do you mean by 'I've killed you once'?"
[Take action.]
At the same time, he sent instructions to Teest.
The question was indeed important, but Nol was also certain Star Stealer Sol wouldn't foolishly give him the answer. He had deliberately created an atmosphere of "calm conversation", hoping it would help with a surprise attack.
The golden threads tightened, and Teest transformed into a silver gust, flashing towards Billy in an instant. Billy stood there smiling, showing no intention to dodge.
He simply raised his wrist and threw something.
Just as Teest's sword was about to draw blood, Billy vanished into the moonlight.
There was no warning, no magical fluctuations of reversion activation. He just disappeared, and it wasn't any kind of illusion—Nol couldn't find any trace even with the [Creator's] authority.
And in the moment they were stunned by this reality, what Billy threw landed on the ground with a clatter.
Trouble.
Teest tried to shield Nol, and Nol tried to pull Teest behind him. The two ended up in an awkward twist, but…
…nothing happened.
"An excellent alchemy bomb." Mentor's fingertips glowed with magical light, pretending not to notice their awkward position. "Just a bit more, and you would have been fishing for my remains in the sea."
[Expert-Level Disassembly], a rare skill of the advanced alchemist profession. It allowed any alchemical item they could create to be temporarily deactivated for 0.5 seconds.
Mentor clearly caught the bomb's activation moment.
Nol: "..."
Mentor's focus was as unique as ever. Normally, shouldn't Players be drawn to their battle instead?
"I'm very interested in the Old Duke's collection. It would be a pity to blow it up like that." Mentor picked up the deactivated alchemy bomb. "I'll take this."
Nol: "Please do."
He and Teest untangled like two twisted earphone wires, taking several seconds to steady themselves.
"That guy actually ran away, truly cowardly to the point of being despicable."
Teest clicked his tongue loudly, stabbing his sword into the soft sofa, clearly very dissatisfied. "What does 'I've killed you once' mean, Nol?"
"I don't know."
Nol slumped onto the sofa, crunching on the remaining sugar cubes. The battle seemed to last a billion years, and as his highly tensed nerves relaxed all at once, he felt utterly drained.
Teest looked at him somewhat discontentedly, with "I care a lot" written all over his face.
"Don't take Star Stealer Sol's words at face value. Don't let him provoke you." Nol massaged his aching temples. "Let's not talk about that for now. Just now you…"
Teest stepped closer, standing in front of Nol. He rested his hands on the back of the sofa, still wearing a look of dissatisfaction. "Are you trying to change the subject?"
He leaned in even closer, the surrounding golden threads shimmering.
Nol was very certain the Mad Monk's inquiry wouldn't be gentle and concerned. His tone was almost accusatory.
So, after a few seconds of thought, Nol leaned forward and kissed Teest's lips. The Mad Monk was caught off guard, instinctively stepping back a bit, his dissatisfaction fading slightly.
The air was filled with the scent of tea and sea waves. Nol tasted the sweetness of sugar on his lips, guessing Teest did as well.
"Don't rush. I'll tell you everything about my conversations with Star Stealer Sol, including how I dealt with the reversions." Nol grasped Teest's waist earnestly. "We have more important things right now. First, collect the flesh and blood on your sword—we still have to negotiate with Perradat."
They had agreed with Perradat that if they could extract a piece of Star Stealer Sol's flesh, Perradat would reveal the location of her core.
Perradat never specified how much flesh was needed, so even a few grams would count. Moreover, handing over a piece of Billy's flesh to Perradat would also allow for a third-party verification to see if Billy was indeed the avatar of Star Stealer Sol.
Thinking of the joyful Golden Sword family, Nol's mood dipped again.
He couldn't quite explain his feelings at the moment—he hoped Star Stealer Sol had lied. If Billy was merely a puppet, it meant that Enbillick Alva, the human, had existed and had a chance to be saved.
Even if the flesh handed over this time didn't count, he wouldn't be disappointed.
Teest: "Nol…"
"I'm fine." Nol managed a smile. "I hope Perradat doesn't mind our, um, pushing and shoving earlier."
Teest's tone became even more complex. "Honey…"
He shifted uncomfortably. "Could you put me down? You do know I'm not a cat, right?"
Only then did Nol realize that he had unknowingly grabbed Teest's waist, lifting him slightly off the ground. Teest was even taller than him, making the scene especially comical.
"Sorry." Nol quickly let go, and his previous melancholy quickly vanished.
"If you're done being affectionate, come take a look over here."
Mentor raised his voice slightly, and his tone became a little more teasing. "The Old Duke's treasury is open."
He held a glass jar in his hand, filled with a transparent liquid, within which a human-tongue-like piece of flesh floated. It took Nol a few seconds to read the label on the jar, which said "Bystander's Tongue".
The moment he realized this.
[Special NPC Quest "Lost Memories" failed.]
[Achieved condition: Ensure the survival of Enbillick Alva.]
[Unachieved condition: Infiltrate the Alva Merchant Group, assist Enbillick Alva in uncovering the "amnesia event".]
[You will not receive quest rewards.]
[※Looking forward to meeting you again.]
In the night, the quest popup shone impartially, its text neat and clear. Nol focused on the last remark of the quest, which was indeed Star Stealer Sol's meddling—the remark sounded more like a message from Star Stealer Sol than a system prompt.
With Star Stealer Sol's temperament, the next time they meet, it would be a fight to the death.
Ah, he was also looking forward to their next meeting.
Nol promptly closed the popup and looked up. Through the broken roof of the room, he saw the aggravating full moon.
This was the first time, he thought.
The first time he failed a quest.
The first time he won a battle but felt no satisfaction…
…How weird.
A few minutes later, Nol couldn't suppress a smile. After all, the Old Duke's treasury was too full, with more than eighty percent being precious weapons and items produced by the system.
The best part was that "Supreme Blessing", held by the Alva Merchant Group, was also included. This item could remove all known curses and would be a great asset if properly used.
Nol decisively pocketed it.
Teest, meanwhile, happily looted while humming a tune. They let Mentor take all the precious alchemical products while they took all the armor and weapons. Their neighbors in the Lost Tower would need these.
Indeed, receiving loot was always the happiest part!
"Mr. Mentor, please come with us to the Lost Tower. I think we owe you some explanations," Nol said, struggling with a heap of items.
By now, Nol had a clear understanding of the Player forces in Tahe.
Among the leaders of the three major guilds, Hot Ash was too young and eager to return home, suitable only for indirect use. Dorothy was too rational, plus she also wanted to go home, making conflicts of interest possible in cooperation… They would maintain cooperation, but it would be difficult to be completely synchronized.
Mentor was different.
Though limited in combat power, he was flexible-minded and slightly offbeat, making him the perfect point of entry to mobilize the Players.
"Of course." Mentor vacuumed up the alchemical items. "By the way, do you still want this? I'm not very interested in it. Take it or leave it."
He shook the "Bystander's Tongue".
The tongue gently swayed in the liquid, emitting an uncomfortable and eerie aura.
"We certainly don't…" Nol began, but then stopped abruptly.
The "Bystander's Tongue" could narrate specific memories of the user, even those that had been destroyed, restoring them. It was limited to one use per person.
This was Enbillick's claim. Cunning as Star Stealer Sol was, there was no need for it to lie about the function of a system item.
"Please give it to me." Nol took a deep breath.
"You're not planning to use it yourself, are you?" Teest emerged from behind him.
"No, trust me. It has a better use."
Nol took the jar, eyeing the increasingly empty treasury. "Where's Fischer?"
Teest thought for half a second before remembering Fischer. "Just in case, I sent him to gather marine creatures."
"Good, let those marine creatures guide the fleet back. We're in the middle of the Endless Sea. The fleet needs a guide."
Nol placed the cold glass jar into his bag, putting "Bystander's Tongue", "Supreme Blessing", and "Enbillick's Flesh and Blood" together.
It didn't matter if Fischer wasn't here. They could find their way on their own. They just needed two more things, and then everyone could head back.
Star Stealer Sol tried to destroy everything with a bomb when he left. Being extremely cautious, he wouldn't risk making more attacks lightly. This move wasn't about destroying rare items.
The "Essence" and "Blood Potion" given by "God".
They must still be here.