Von Ryker walked in the direction where the man had fallen.
Perhaps the other party was trying to control him out of caution, but his counterattack would not be limited to the scope of "legitimate self-defense".
"—Wait," the other person said. Immediately afterwards, a light appeared.
It was a woman with a ponytail. She was lying on the ground with a horrifying, melted scar on her arm and a lit flashlight in her hand.
Von Ryker stepped forward, intending to deliver another kick.
"Wait, you're a player too?" the woman shouted.
"yes."
"We can gather clues together! My current identity is a medic at this research institute. There are many indigenous people here, and I'm afraid they'll find out my identity," the woman said.
"No need," Von Ryker said.
Although she was beautiful, in his eyes, men and women were no different; he treated them equally and wouldn't show favoritism based on gender. Who knows if this person might have ulterior motives?
He was about to step forward when the woman suddenly vanished using some skill. As a player, she had a way to escape.
"Gurgle..."
He picked up the flashlight the woman had dropped in her panic and continued his search.
...
Von Ryker had many guesses about his unique skill of "death rewind".
He didn't take it for granted as a "golden finger" or use it as a means to become a protagonist in a fantasy novel; instead, he pondered its origins.
According to cosmological theory, each birth of the universe is a long process of energy precipitating into matter and matter transforming into energy. The same parameters create this "cycle," while different parameters cause changes in each "cycle."
Like the Möbius strip, which is a paper ring made by twisting a strip of paper 180 degrees, if people walk on a Möbius strip, they will never reach the end. But if someone outside the paper ring reaches out and breaks the ring, it will "break the deadlock".
...So.
Could he be the one who tore the paper ring?
Meta City is ruled by higher-dimensional beings, yet he possesses the ability to "break the deadlock." If he were to comfortably use this ability to become the "strongest player," exploiting others, showing off, and humiliating them, would he be wasting this very ability that clearly has the potential to "break the deadlock"?
Moreover, if humanity fails to reach the required score and is wiped out, wouldn't he, who has the ability to rewind time after death, die repeatedly?
...no.
Humanity must win.
Furthermore, he considered another possibility—whether the control of the world game was not entirely in the hands of the organizers, and that the remaining control was actually in his hands? Was he not an ordinary player, but rather the mastermind behind the human civilization above the battlefield, having lost his memory?
For example, through time and space, the grandmother paradox, and the causal ouroboros, will he be able to compete with the organizers in the future?
Is the death and rewind a form of "resistance" bestowed upon him by his future self?
Von Ryker thought about it very deeply.
...More information is needed.
He needs to climb step by step to the pinnacle of human civilization—starting from this First Genesis.
If this "death rewind" is truly known only to him, then his starting point is practically indistinguishable from that of a god.
He can freeze "time" by repeatedly rewinding, preventing time from continuing to advance.
He can redeem everyone and understand everyone.
He can guide everyone and engage in dialogue with everyone.
He can go to every corner of the world and see anything.
—He can learn about anyone's interests and hobbies through multiple saves, cater to their preferences, and become an unwavering friend to anyone.
He can also learn anyone's weaknesses through multiple reloads, hurt or even kill them, and become a bitter enemy of anyone.
Anyone can love him, and anyone can hate him.
—With a rewind, no one will remember who he killed, nor will anyone remember the gratitude and love he once showed. He can repeatedly rewind to control everyone's emotions, exploring their behavior and reactions. Everyone will be unknowingly guided by him, acting according to a path he already knows.
—Complete all tasks, raise everyone's favorability to the highest level, achieve all playable endings, and unlock every treasure chest around the world.
He could enjoy the pleasure of controlling everything like a god without having to advance time, with everything under his control.
—It's absolutely perfect.
Yes, it's perfect. Who wouldn't love this feeling?
--but,
He won't do that.
Von Ryker took a deep breath and pressed his hand against his wildly beating heart.
He has to move forward.
The godlike ability to reverse time is indeed impressive. But he doesn't feel at ease living in a cycle of time loops. This ability to rewind time could be a gift, or it could be a trap.
He needs more information.
Moreover, he did not want to toy with anyone's feelings, nor did he want to trap all of humanity in a cycle of repetitive reincarnation—he believed that such a thing would only be a prison for all of humanity.
He is the one who breaks the cage.
Not someone who becomes a prisoner.
Even with a rollback, one cannot become complacent and allow oneself to degenerate. This is more like a heavy responsibility.
He stored these ideas in the memory archives of his mind and continued searching for clues.
[You have discovered the item (petri dish)]
[Petroleum dish: It's empty inside; perhaps smashing it could be used to kill someone.]
...
[You have found an item (empty test tube)]
[Empty test tubes: If you don't have a water glass, they can serve as a romantic vessel for drinking wine.]
...
[You found the item (a dilapidated wooden frame)]
[A worn-out wooden frame: the perfect thing to lean against while falling asleep at night.]
...
[*You have discovered clue 8: a test tube containing a colorless liquid.]
[Clue 8: Bottle containing a colorless liquid: It smells like insecticide and might be helpful in uncovering the truth. (Note: The properties of the liquid can be identified using the hidden skill "Identification" or by possessing chemistry-related skills.)]
[The clue has been recorded in the clue log and can be viewed at any time.]
[Gained 10 exploration points]
...
The number following the clue is "8".
This means there are at least eight clues.
He put away the bottle of colorless liquid, and suddenly stumbled as something tripped him.
"Um?"
He looked through the small circle of light and glimpsed a complete corpse. It was stored in a transparent box.
What's bizarre is the mushrooms sprouting from the corpse... They seem to grow on human flesh and blood, still looking fresh and juicy, a stark contrast to the withered human body.
"This world is the end times. It seems that the end times and mushrooms are inextricably linked…" Von Ryker straightened up.
"call..."
He suddenly heard a silvery laugh.
It felt as if someone was gently breathing on the back of his neck, and a chill ran through him.
"...Please, come quickly and save me."
He turned around, but there was nothing there.
...That said.
A Charm A shouldn't be effective against Bosses and monsters.
...
[Genesis Online - Current Players: 1,046,580,632]