Nol savored the taste of victory for a while. It tasted like blood, dust, and the morning air. He let joy wash over him, feeling the warmth rise on his cheeks and the back of his neck.
However, he only relaxed for a moment. Nol quickly turned to Teest, only to notice his subtle expression—Teest seemed frightened by something, which was rare.
Nol looked at the palm of Teest's hand, at a piece of the Star Stealer Sol's flesh, and a nearly brand-new gold wheel.
"You got it back!" Nol recognized the gift he had given to Teest, clearly taken back from Enbillick.
"…Mm." Teest murmured, his stiff expression quickly fading.
"I'll take this for now." Seeing that Teest had regained his composure, Nol sighed in relief. He pinched the black-red piece of flesh, and his cheeks twitched a few times. "Good. My ability can confirm whether that guy is still alive."
[Fallen Death] only worked on the flesh of the deceased, so if Star stealer Sol's body was still alive, he couldn't acquire skills through it.
Teest typically left it for him, though eating it directly was disgusting… To prevent Star Stealer Sol from having unknown backup plans, it was better to be cautious.
Nol held his breath, frowning. Back on Earth, he couldn't even swallow raw beef. As a native of Country C, his tolerance for raw food was limited.
For victory.
Nol swallowed the piece of flesh, trying not to let his tongue touch it, directly gulping it down his throat. Even so, the pungent stench filled his mouth instantly, and Nol gagged a few times, almost vomiting it back up.
[Fallen Death has been activated, successfully obtaining the following authority:]
[Reversion: You have the right to roam, observe, and interfere in the river of history. ※Do not defy the flow of fate.]
Nol finally settled down.
[Fallen Death] had successfully activated, confirming that Star Stealer Sol's body was indeed dead. And this time, [Fallen Death] brought not a skill but an authority.
[Note: This authority doesn't belong to the skill extraction scope. It is an illegal extraction. Once confirmed, the system will reclaim the [Fallen Death] skill.]
The system added reluctantly, [Do you wish to save the "Reversion" authority?]
Nol couldn't help but smile.
As the true ruler of this world, he could invoke any system skill and no longer needed [Fallen Death] to extract it. Just being able to obtain Star Stealer Sol's authority, "losing [Fallen Death]" was hardly a price.
Even so, he could only choose one authority between Star Stealer Sol's "Reversion" and "Fusion". For Nol, "Reversion" was enough.
Nol decisively confirmed the receipt.
A new power blossomed within him, feeling like he suddenly grew an extra arm. It moved freely, but the sensation was somewhat odd.
This time, he fully understood Star Stealer Sol's authority.
He could change the physical state of objects or living things.
However, he could only make targets "younger", roughly restoring them to a past state. For instance, he could revert Teest's peas prepared for dinner back to beans or turn mashed potatoes back to fresh ones… Teest wouldn't be pleased, though.
He could also send any target—including himself—back to any point in the past and make certain interferences. The distance of the retrospective point depended on the magic he invested.
Yet the laws of time remained as usual, not giving way because of the "Reversion" authority. Whether returning as a human or a god, the established flow of fate couldn't be changed. If one tried to defy it, destruction was the only outcome.
"I've obtained Star Stealer Sol's 'Reversion' authority." Nol looked at his hands and candidly informed Teest.
Teest didn't respond immediately. About a dozen seconds later, he smiled nonchalantly. "Want to give it a try?"
Nol: "I was just about to say, let's go back two hours and see."
They could backtrack a bit of time to observe the battlefield from another perspective. Nol was particularly interested in the details of Teest's fight with Enbillick. After all, once the reversion ended, they would return to this moment, not missing anything.
"..."
Teest was silent for a while. "Let's try it with just me first. You need to stay here. If we return late and no one is watching, something will definitely go wrong."
"And if it's me being tested, you'll definitely focus and use all your strength, right, honey?"
Nol looked at Teest, somewhat astonished.
It made sense, but he always felt there was more to Teest's words. Nol had never seen such a complex expression on Teest's face, and he even sensed a subtle repression, not like the demeanor of a victor after a great battle.
Time reversion…
Nol suddenly realized something, pursed his lips, and decided not to ask further. He moved close to Teest and gently kissed Teest's forehead.
A very warm and soft kiss.
"I will use all my strength, Teest. You can reach any time point over the past two hundred years." Nol whispered softly, "Remember, I'll be waiting for you here."
Teest silently stared at Nol, clutching the gold wheel in his hand, the hard coin hurting his palm. He could hear his heart pounding beneath his ribs—Teest knew his request was somewhat abrupt, but Nol ultimately didn't ask anything.
Nol spread his arms and cupped his cheeks. His God leaned forward and spoke solemnly and gently in his ear.
Teest's pupils contracted.
In the next instant, everything in front of him disappeared, and before he could respond, Teest found himself standing on the ground in the intact plaza of the church in Bissus City. Pigeons flew up in flocks and crystal-like water gushed from the fountain. Under the excessively hot sun, people in white clothes came and went.
Teest, wearing a sword around his belt, was covered in black-red blood. His originally white armor was full of dust and mud, clashing with the clean streets. Many passersby cast curious glances, and Teest hurriedly walked to a darker place, storing his sword in the pendant space and cleaning his clothes and armor.
…No, that wasn't enough. He touched his striking silver-white hair.
Cold golden flames ignited, magic quickly gathering.
Teest glanced at the passing Temple knights. His light armor began to shake, gradually transforming into a suit of full-body armor, as ordinary as any other. The long hair symbolizing him as a "White Demon" was hidden inside the helmet, with not a single strand showing.
This felt completely different from the last time he went back in time.
Last time he was a passenger in the "Reversion" carriage, which dropped him off at an unknown location, and he had to find his way. This time, he was the coachman of the "Reversion" carriage, just stopping here briefly.
He knew clearly that this was Bissus five years ago. He also knew he could continue to go further back.
Teest went full speed towards the direction of Grape Collar. As time rapidly changed behind him, he stopped again in the midst of a high summer.
This should be Cork Street in Grape Collar. The street was bustling with people, and the aroma of wine mixed with grease and fruit was particularly lively.
"Bang!"
A heavy sound came from nearby, like flesh hitting a wall. Teest casually looked over, then fixed his gaze. He saw a big-bearded mercenary with a dented head, and Little Piel just sliding down the wall.
Now, he could see that a mini version of Nol and himself were hiding on Little Piel.
"Dead?" The mercenary kicked Piel with the tip of his boot. Teest frowned.
Clang!
The oblivious mercenary kicked his shin, which was solidly blocked by armor. Teest, with his back to Piel, silently stared at the fat mercenary.
Now, he was powerful enough to hide his presence in front of the past Nol. But he couldn't speak. Nol would recognize his voice… That would take away a lot of the fun. Teest couldn't help but curl his lips.
The fat mercenary was blabbering something, but Teest didn't listen to a word. He knew that the little Nol was observing him, the gaze felt like a feather brushing across his spine.
The fat mercenary's tone became sharp, but Teest still didn't bother. Perhaps retaining some animal instinct, the man finally just grunted, "Lunatic."
"Sir Knight, Sir Knight! Thank you so much!"
Little Piel rolled over like a ball. Teest looked at the tense faced mini Nol and couldn't help but nod and smile at him.
Too bad the helmet blocked it. Nol couldn't see his smile.
Teest turned around, blending back into the crowd, moving against the stream of time. Time reversed again. Teest passed a particularly familiar alley. In front of the alley, a group of stray cats were wandering, ready to enter.
…Hmm?
At this point in time, he remembered…
A flicker of light passed, and the White Knight turned into a fluffy big white cat. Teest leisurely walked towards the alley, releasing a bit of destructive aura—dozens of stray cats arched their backs and, in a blink of an eye, cleanly ran off.
This should be fine.
The white cat raised its tail and couldn't help but turn towards the alley.
"…Just being smaller in body, it's much better than I imagined." At that time, his mini self stretched lazily.
"Are you sure?" Little Nol swallowed his saliva.
How funny. Teest resisted the urge to rub Nol's head with his paw.
Unfortunately, his past self reacted too quickly, immediately summoning Ben. Teest regretfully gave Ben a swipe, confirming that their past selves had perfectly hidden their presence, then he jumped back onto the wall and left that moment.
Time continued to flow backward.
Teest strolled through the past, his body determining the destination before his heart did. It wasn't the burning Immortal Church, nor a dark dungeon, but a moderately sized jewelry store.
He stopped on the day the Flama family began to walk toward ruin.
The weather that day was incredibly good.
The jewelry store was very quaintly decorated, with vines covering the walls and an elegant sign slightly darkened by the paint. Everything was familiar yet foreign. Through the clean glass, passersby could see the smiling shop owner.
…Is it only my father in the shop today?
Teest stood at the door for a full five minutes before finally pushing it open. The door was much smaller than he remembered, and the welcoming bell at the entrance chimed pleasantly, fate remaining silent.
"Welcome, Sir Knight."
His father—Thacker Flama—stood behind the counter with a genuinely warm smile.
Teest stared at his face for a while, his fingers instinctively tightening. His father was alive, right in front of him. If he took his father away now… before anything had happened, if he took his whole family away from Grape Collar…
Just as the thought rose, his instincts screamed in warning, as if he was about to jump into an active volcano. It was a warning from time itself, advising him to stay away from the established fate.
As expected, it wasn't possible.
The tragedy of the Flama family was well known, with the people of the Flama family killed in broad daylight, their burned bodies displayed in the courtyard for many years.
It was an unsolvable, destined death. It was the starting point for the birth of "TEEST".
He knew all of this was unshakeable, but—
"…Hey, is there something on my face?" Thacker Flama scratched his face awkwardly. "If you need anything, just tell me, and I'll help you choose."
There was no one else in the shop at the moment. Teest hesitated for a few seconds before removing his helmet. His silver-white hair cascaded down, and Teest looked up at the familiar face before him.
Seeing an infamous "White Demon" appear in front of him, Thacker Flama was stunned for only a half second, but his face still bore a warm, comforting smile.
"Oh, you're quite handsome," Thacker winked. "Let me guess—you're here to pick a gift for your lover, right?"
"Yes." Teest heard himself answer. "I need…"
He touched the area above his chest, clearing his throat. "I need a pair of rings, sir."
"How sweet," Thacker said cheerfully. "What's your budget? If you're not in a hurry, our shop also offers customization services—"
Teest stared fixedly at his father's smiling face, faintly sensing the direction of this story. But even though Teest thought over and over, "I just want reasonably priced rings," fate remained undisturbed.
Yes, the destruction of the Flama family was inevitable.
Whether they had the best or the worst day, these were mere "errors" in the face of impending death.
If he had to choose…
In the end, he indeed hoped they'd be happier, Teest thought. The weather was incredibly nice today.
"No problem. Please show me the most expensive ones."
Thus, Teest said it with a smile, like an ordinary person engulfed in happiness.
"My budget is very—very generous, Mr. Flama."
The author has something to say:
Finally seeing the family, Teest (.
Kinky Thoughts:
Wow. It's coming full, full circle. All the pieces. Everything. I have to say this is probably the best of Nian Zhong yet.
Teest seeing his family again—*sobs*.