Waking from sleep, Paimon urges the Traveler to hurry and find Dunyarzad—they're almost past the agreed time.
The readers are bewildered—what agreement? Next year's Flower God's Birthday Festival? That would mean waiting until next year—did we time-travel after a nap?
In the story, the Traveler seems to notice nothing strange and heads off to meet Dunyarzad.
Dunyarzad is waiting for them, but she's in poor condition, looking frail as if she stayed up all night, her voice a few shades weaker.
The readers understand this—after everything that happened last night, feeling disappointed or sleepless is normal.
But then Dunyarzad actually starts strolling the market with the Traveler again, just like last time—once more visiting the "seven delicacies table," the alchemy fortune-telling, and picking candy.
This is clearly wrong—why does it feel like everyone has amnesia?
The readers now feel like a wooden sword chopping a big tree—can't make a dent (can't understand)!
A line the readers love: Huh?
What's going on? Are we back on Tsurumi Island? This matter is also recorded on Tsurumi Island.
Some suspect whether something's wrong with Sumeru or if there was a printing error in the book.
Could this copy in my hands be a misprinted rare edition? That would make it valuable, right?
Most readers fall into confusion—what's the situation? Has the Traveler started predicting the future too? Was everything before just a precognitive dream?
Or has Sumeru already achieved time reversal? No way—has Sumeru tech reached such a shocking level?
Got it! This is Dunyarzad's obsession! The Flower God's Birthday Festival must be held to escape, or it's an "endless October"—Dunyarzad's melancholy.
Yet Dunyarzad herself is also puzzled—why is this happening?
No one knows. Anyway, no one suspects this is a dream everyone is sharing, because earlier in the story it was mentioned that "Sumeru people don't dream."
Because of that line, everyone subconsciously rules out the possibility of Sumeru people dreaming.
The people in the story don't notice the "loop" issue—only the Traveler is an exception.
All the experiences feel like déjà vu; clouds of doubt gather in the Traveler's mind. She resolves to investigate.
The Traveler leaves Dunyarzad's side and goes with Paimon to a tavern, planning to do something sudden that she wouldn't normally do.
At this point—let's eat first.
Order a dark cuisine dish she'd absolutely never eat normally and try it. In the illustration, Lumine becomes the wide-open-mouth closed-eyes girl.
After eating, Lumine opens her eyes—her pupils quake and tremble violently, but not because it's bad; on the contrary, because it's delicious!
In the story, Lumine has already gotten used to this taste! Meaning—this isn't her first time eating it.
This dish looks dark but actually tastes fine. Lucian has even gotten used to the Fishcl singing troupe—how could something not-that-dark be a problem?
Presumably, in previous loops Lumine has come to eat this several times—she just doesn't know it herself, but her taste buds have adapted.
Now things are even worse—everyone thought we were watching the first loop, but it's actually who-knows-how-many loops in!
Lumine being accustomed clearly means previous versions of her noticed the problem and came to do things she wouldn't normally do.
Yet with increasing loops, things she wouldn't do have become routine.
This is bad—how to break this loop? No idea what to do—maybe look for the blue fatty first?
The blue fatty can't be found, but there is a white dwarf.
The Traveler sleeps again—another day passes. No—"today" hasn't passed yet.
[???: "…Cognitive output slightly decreased, but still within normal threshold."]
The third loop known to readers—in this loop, naturally no blue fatty is found, but a white dwarf is—Nahida makes a shining entrance. (＾－＾)V~
The readers say: Oh, now I get it! The Dendro Archon's authority is dreams, right? So this dreamscape must be something the Dendro Archon created?
Scared us for a moment—we thought something terrible was about to happen, but it's just this.
The readers feel like they understand everything—this must be the Dendro Archon wanting to hold the Flower God's Birthday Festival, so she's using precognitive dreams to help the Traveler find the optimal solution, right?
We'll know soon, because the Traveler gives chase.
The Traveler pursues Nahida—don't let her small stature fool you; this "escaping moon" Nahida runs pretty fast.
Short legs, but they move quickly—the Traveler can only see her distant back and can't catch up no matter what.
Just like Zeno's tortoise—seemingly impossible to overtake.
In the end, the Traveler still loses her. At the village where she was, next to where she stood, there's a birdcage.
The camera focuses on the cage—at this moment, the cage door opens, and the bird inside flies out.
This segment is clearly hinting at "why birds fly."
Ahem—it's hinting that "the caged bird has come out."
In the distance, Nahida stops, as if waiting for the Traveler. Naturally, the Traveler can't stand this "fishing" tactic and follows.
Next come various close-ups of little Nahida: "food" close-up, "feather shuttlecock" close-up, facial close-up—from her fair little feet to her sweet smile. The readers say: Lucian, you really get it!
But gradually, the readers notice something wrong—the later illustrations are… close-ups of Dunyarzad!
The earlier bottom-to-top close-ups are still in the prophecy book's usual style—it seems Lucian just likes this upward angle.
But the last close-up is clearly off! Why is Dunyarzad here?
Clearly, Dunyarzad was just with the Traveler earlier—yet now this Dunyarzad is unconscious, lying here. What's going on?
This really makes the readers' hairs stand on end—what exactly is happening? Why is it getting creepier?
Dunyarzad is here? Then who was with the Traveler earlier?
The more you think, the scarier it gets. Itto is a bit afraid to keep reading—there wouldn't be a ghost in this story, right?
Even Dunyarzad herself can't understand—her brain has started "not responding."
Ei is even more heavyweight—she doesn't want to read anymore.
Maybe wait for big sister to finish and just tell me the story.
Nahida isn't puzzled—she already learned these things from Lucian in advance.
Mona ponders—hydromancy can only show vague information; after all, it involves a god.
But connecting it to the "Moon," "illusion," and "lies" mentioned in the text, Mona says: I'm gradually understanding everything!
This alchemy fortune-telling really has something to it—Lucian didn't fool me!
Hmph—as expected, this genius won't be fooled. Saying he's fooling me is just playing with me!
Really—always playing with me. Next time, even if you say it's fooling me, I won't believe it! There's deep meaning every time! Secretly laughing that I don't understand, huh!
Just wait! This genius will soon see through this story!