Chapter 120—Puppet
"Because... you were about to give up now," the shadow—Future Sli#47—said solemnly. "Wasn’t that true?"
Current Sli#47 fell silent and sighed bitterly. "As if you don’t know."
Then, in the next mont, he yelled furiously, "Why didn’t you travel further back and stop Vael?"
Future Sli#47 went silent.
Silence!
Current Sli clenched his tiny fists and muttered, "If you could travel to the past, why didn’t you stop it from the beginning instead of coming now—when I was about to give up?"
"Why?... Why?!" he whispered.
’It seems... I can only tell the truth, as it happened to in my past,’ Future Sli thought.
He clasped his hands behind his back and replied, "Because if I stopped Vael from fusing with you... The world would be destroyed."
"What?" Current Sli exclaid.
His eyes turned crimson as he asked, "So I was a sacrifice...? No—we both were a sacrifice?"
Future Sli asked back, staring into the nothingness with narrowed eyes, "Do you really think you were so lucky that a Grade Four sealed artifact just happened to be under your arse?"
"It’s the Ti God... isn’t it?" Current Sli asked, clenching his fists hard. ’I knew I wouldn’t be that lucky. The Ti God had a hand in it.’
Future Sli clenched his fists and nodded. "Yes. From the beginning, the Ti God planned this after seeing multiple tilines... it could even be billions."
"Why... but why us?" Young Sli demanded silently as blue mana overflowed from his body. ’I want to kick the Ti God’s arse. He’s the one who caused all this pain.’
"I don’t know how other earthlings are doing in their own loops, but in this current ti, we are special," Future Sli explained, "Because we carry the Authority of Ti."
Current Sli tilted his body. "Isn’t it... Isn’t it the power of a god?"
He paused.
"Wait a minute..." He recalled Saint King Haruka’s last words, ’Chosen one....I can sense his power... because I’m... his saintess.’
"The ti-loop power is... Authority," Future Sli said, noticing the young sli had already figured it out.
He pointed at the young sli’s cloak. "Vael can sense that power within you—within us—"
"And he wanted to devour our souls because of that power," Young Sli cut in, voice low.
Future Sli nodded plainly.
"I see..." Young Sli finally realized it, ’From the beginning, I was a puppet under the Ti God.’
After a few seconds of silence, he asked, "Okay. I understand. Because we carry a power unlike any mortal’s, Vael tried to devour us. One answered."
He wobbled his body, eyes hardening, "Next, why was Vael so dangerous? Couldn’t the kings defeat him?"
Thud! Thud!
Future Sli took a few steps forward.
He grabbed the blue thread on Current Sli’s body and tugged, but it didn’t co off.
With a sigh, he answered, "Don’t think this is an ordinary sealed artifact. It’s Grade Four—equivalent to that of a god."
His eyes narrowed. "If an ordinary person found it, within seconds they would fall into Vael’s trap and beco his puppet."
He stared into the nothingness. "After gaining control over the Authority of Ti, I peeked into a few tilines as well."
He paused, bitterness rising. "In the tilines where we didn’t co into contact with this sealed artifact... what do you think happened?"
"Wait... you can peek into tilines?" Present Young Sli exclaid—then sighed. ’I’m tired. What’s the use of knowing all that?’
Seeing the blue blob’s lack of interest, the shadow sighed.
"Vael participated in the next unholy war and led the eldritch to victory," he said. "In another tiline, he joined hands with the Sun Goddess Church and turned humans and other races into unholy creatures."
He paused, then added, "In a few others..."
"The heck..." Present Sli was stunned. "You said you wouldn’t tell about the future."
"Yes. The future would change just by knowing it," Future Sli replied. "However... what if the future itself is uncertain?"
"I see..." Blue Jelly Blob nodded. ’He’s telling about multiple possible futures. Any one of them could happen—and mostly, they’re what would’ve happened if I didn’t et Vael.’
Future Sli’s smile turned bitter. "And do you know who created this sealed artifact?"
"The Ti God," Young Sli replied instantly, eyes narrowing. "It’s him. No doubt."
"Don’t you want to take revenge on him?" Future Sli asked, his voice rising as he thought, ’I need to get his hope back.’
Pat!He patted Present Young Sli. "You shouldn’t give up. Get stronger and take revenge. Kick his arse."
He leaned closer, gaze deep. "Don’t you want to?"
Current Sli#47 stared into the child’s eyes and asked back, "Did you kick his butt?"
Future Sli’s eyes twitched. ’He will catch if I lie.’ He knew himself very well.
Spreading his hands, he answered, "No... he’s still too powerful."
"So it’s just empty encouragent," the blue jelly blob said bitterly.
He lay back in the nothingness and waved him away. "You can leave."
Future Sli just sat on the nothingness near the blue jelly blob and glanced at him.
"Sacrifice..." he said in Seralyth language. The word carried sadness, not honor.
"Why... why should we be the sacrifice?" Present Sli asked. He hated the idea of dying for sothing.
’After experiencing everything... I finally understood how painful it is,’ he mused, closing his eyes.
"Yes. The world has... failed us," Future Sli said softly. "You and I both know we hate sacrifice."
"But that world itself is dood," he explained patiently. "If a world cannot even protect itself... how will it protect you?"
"So gods of that world fell..." he added, eyes narrowing, while the blue sli tried to sleep.
"What is it to ?" the blue jelly asked.
The shadow replied, "You carry the Ti God’s power—"
He was cut off as Present Sli snarled, "Great power cos with great responsibility. Everyone knows that."
"Just tell ," he demanded, staring at the kid. "Since you’re my future... what did you gain by helping that world? Or did you even succeed?"
"You will succeed," the kid said, nodding energetically.
Under the piercing gaze of the blue jelly, he continued, "And you’ll gain sothing valuable."
He grinned happily and lay on nothingness as he continued, "Sacrifice... I really hate it as well... but there are a few things we have to protect, even by giving our very own life."
End of the Chapter...
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