Seen from Behind

In the dark, deep underground valley lies a vast stone forest, where strange stone pillars stand tall, and below, a stream flows gently. Glowing fungi and plants emit an obscure light among the stones.

A fierce wind howled, and a dragon flapped its wings.

A beautiful silver dragon moved among the towering stone pillars, emitting a soft light that dispelled the darkness, but in the vast underground world, this light was merely a candle in the darkness.

Kang De and A Xing sat on Lily's lap, surveying their surroundings.

Horus released flying probes, several small, spherical machines scanning the surroundings.

They decided to follow the guidance of the Time Flashback phenomenon and search for clues from the past. According to Lily, they had to find noteworthy clues from past memory fragments and travel to the present world. Only in this way could they trigger the next Space-Time Flashback and see more scenes from the past.

But this is just speculation.

It is said that there are only three cases of Time Flashback, but the first one is worth considering.

The Green Emperor segment has too many flaws. Although this guy, in order to vent his anger and to evoke sympathy from the masses and nobles, as well as to raise awareness of the Starry Sky Temple's covert encroachment on his power, didn't hesitate to self-destruct, revealing his own Minotaur incident to the world. He even went so far as to meticulously detail the various aspects of the Space-Time Flashback phenomenon to prove the reliability of his words. While this garnered him a great deal of sympathy and support, it also successfully stirred up the long-standing discontent among the nobles towards the Starry Sky Temple...

But the emperor paid a heavy price for this.

The entire literary world of the continent was in a frenzy, with all sorts of artistic embellishments and fan fiction emerging one after another. Even hundreds of years after the destruction of both the Vituan Empire and the Starry Sky Temple, this emerald-colored story remains a significant chapter in the history of world literature and one of the most enduring sources of material in the industry.

His Majesty the Green Emperor of Vituan naturally transformed into the otherworldly Wen Tailai.

In this context, the dragons' records of the emperor's Time Flashback experiences are bound to be unreliable and unobjective. Even if all the collected materials are firsthand, it is difficult to ensure that the dragon scholars who recorded these events did not subconsciously embellish them artistically—this is almost inevitable.

As for the third case, the one Light Bearer attempted to preserve the Spark during the Dark Ages, due to the collapse of the world and the chaos of heaven and earth, even the dragons had to flee in droves to seek survival. The dragon documents responsible for recording everything could not fairly and truthfully record the final tragedy and struggle of the previous era.

Out of respect for the indomitable spirit of tiny ants that defy fate, they made an exception and characterized this unverifiable case as a genuine Time Flashback.

Because in that desolate era of annihilation, there is no other motive to explain why such a powerful being would remain on the hopeless, desolate land, gather the lost souls, raise the final banner, and call upon the survivors of all races to gather together and face the final annihilation with the morality of sacrifice, courage, watchfulness, and defense, rather than transforming into a beast at the moment of extinction, wantonly burning, killing, and looting, and then dying howling like a hyena.

The austere and ruthless dragons chose to conclude an era with a touch of romance.

Rather than other explanations, they preferred to believe that everything the Light Bearer and her followers did was the last group of extraordinary beings of this era trying to show the end times, the gods, and the new life of the next era the final greatness and glory of living beings, and to leave behind Spark of hope.

Therefore, they also believed that the great guardian had indeed received enlightenment from the past, and that a great forerunner had shown her a bright and magnificent vision, giving her guidance, instruction, and revelation... It's just that such a story did not have a happy ending.

That last struggle against the current was easily crushed by the surging tide of doomsday, swept into the torrent that obliterates everything, without even making a ripple.

The stories recorded by dragon scholars with reverence, based on hearsay and hearsay, can be read and admired as history, but cannot be studied or explored as concrete examples.

The only case with conclusive evidence should be the first one.

The grand scheme orchestrated by the Laidesi dwarves was so classic and the consequences so severe that the boasts made before the disaster and the subsequent reckoning were thoroughly investigated and verified by the vengeful races after the demons retreated and hell was sealed. It should be beyond doubt.

"During his search for the mine, the dwarf lord, guided by the map in his memory, witnessed more instances of Time Flashback. This phenomenon peaked after he finally found the Furnace Road and opened the initial passage. As he explored the Endless Mines, Time Flashback became increasingly frequent. Such examples are undeniable. Combined with the Green Emperor's case, we can roughly draw a pattern."

As Lily flew around the stone forest, she said, "Time Flashback can be triggered in specific locations, but the conditions for triggering them might not be limited to just this one. Perhaps there are obsessions, thoughts, or even a particular person. For example, wasn't the emperor suspicious of his wife's infidelity and his son's lack of resemblance to him, constantly thinking about it? So, when he was embracing his wife intimately, Space-Time Flashback was suddenly triggered?"

"..."

Goodness, this is a tactic that even the old man from Gongba has probably never seen before.

The scene was so beautiful, it was unimaginable.

Kang De shed a tear for his brother, the emperor who went down in history.

According to Lily, centuries after the fall of the Vituan Empire, according to the general laws of historical development, all memories of this once-prosperous empire should have vanished, known only to a few nobles and scholars. However, due to the sacrifices and contributions of this emperor, the cultural influence of the Vituan Empire in archaeology, novels, drama, and other fields has stubbornly continued, even among commoners...

The fate of this country is unknown and unpredictable.

He composed himself, frowned, and said, "But according to you, why would I experience Time Flashback?"

In other words, among those who came here were him, the A Xing, Lily, Horus, and even the dragons, so why was it only Kang De experienced the Time Flashback?

The flying dragon raised its neck, Kang De could see its enormous white eyes roll back. "How should I know?"

Kang De was about to speak when, in the next moment, a bright flash of fire appeared before his eyes.

--Here it comes!

The spacetime chords suddenly vanished, and the White Mist World became unresponsive.

Horus, who had transformed into several probes and was scanning in all directions, the silver dragon beneath him, the whistling of its flapping wings, the two breasts of the A Xing stuck to his back—all the images, sounds, and sensations had vanished.

It felt as if I had truly entered another dimension of time.

Kang De looked down and saw that the silver dragon's beautiful, shimmering, and smooth-scaled body had disappeared, leaving only its legs spread apart, hovering high in the air, looking like a silly creature whose vehicle hadn't yet loaded into the map.

After he realized this, he felt the surrounding scene begin to tremble. Akatum's power over time and space gave him a keen sense of change in time and space, and he sensed the tremors of the time fracture.

Kang De was suddenly jolted, immediately banished these thoughts from his mind, and then looked up.

He saw flames shimmering in the distance, and in the distance were huge stone bridges, rock walls and carvings. A group of humanoid creatures formed a long line, holding torches, and silently moved forward. These humanoid creatures were of different sizes, and their armor and clothing were very different from the mainstream of the continent. At the very front, a figure walked silently.

Those behind her kept a distance, not even daring to look directly at her figure, which held a torch high in one hand and a flag in the other, leading the way for those ahead.

Upon seeing that figure from behind, Kang De felt a jolt in his heart for some reason.

A strange sense of intimacy and familiarity rose within him.

As if this gaze across time had given those of the past a kind of intuitive feeling, the one holding the flag suddenly stopped and turned around. Kang De focused his gaze, trying to see the person's face clearly, but in the instant the other turned around, space and time trembled.

The next moment, his body swayed violently, and he involuntarily fell forward.

Then, warm and strong arms wrapped around him.

The scenery before him changed, and the silver dragon's long neck, cute horns, and shimmering scales came into view. He was riding the Dragon Girl Lily, and behind him was A Xing, pressing down on the pancakes. The spherical probes floating around them were Horus, which had been specially removed from behind Kang De to make it easier for A Xing to press down the pancakes.

A Xing asked worriedly, "What's wrong?"

Kang De took a few deep breaths and said, "Here we go again."

At the same location, at different times, observing different events happening in the same area in two different time periods, the shifting timeline and the interlacing and changing scenes create a visually striking and impactful experience that can be overwhelming, as it can interfere with the spatial and temporal perception of three-dimensional beings.

Fortunately, Kang De had experienced various chaotic and disorienting time-space distortions during his travels between the other world, Earth, and the White Mist World, so he had gained some experience.

"You were expressionless and stiff, completely motionless just now. I bet it's happening again."

Lily asked, "What did you see this time?"

Kang De described the time-faulted landscape he had seen; although it was only a fleeting glimpse, he did indeed see the creatures of the underworld marching through this area.

Lily perked up. "Living beings? Or intelligent beings? That makes things easier. Come on, describe their clothing style and their racial characteristics, tell me everything."

This has one advantage: by observing racial characteristics and clothing styles, it might be possible to determine the exact era of the Time Flashback —if these beings originated from the Earth's surface.

If they are indigenous people, there's nothing that can be done.

The idea is good, but...

"I only glanced at it, and it wasn't close at all."

Moreover, Kang De's drawing skills weren't very good either. In the few glances he made, most of his attention was drawn to the figure in the foreground, and he only looked around at the others. Besides, he was illiterate in this other world.

--Experts look at things consciously. For example, when they see armor, they will immediately pay attention to the armor plates, materials, forging methods, helmet style and the style of shoulder armor and other parts. When they recall, they will make targeted explanations, inferences and analyses. But Kang De was illiterate and an outsider.

He huffed and puffed, sketching and measuring, until he drew something that made Lily frown deeply.

"That's roughly it. What I can confirm is that their physiques and features are indeed very different, so they're definitely not from the same race. However, their armor styles are similar and uniform, only the details differ. The designs are very cool, yes, very cool, and very much to my liking..."

At the top of a stone pillar, Lily materialized into a human form. Horus turned on his searchlight, and the three huddled together, looking at what Kang De had drawn. The Dragon Girl pouted and said, "That's really ugly."

Kang De glared at him and said, "That's because my drawing is bad—so, what can you tell?"

Lily shook her head. "I don't know which era would have produced such attire. It doesn't seem quite right. But with the changing times and the development of Civilization over thousands of years, even dragons couldn't record everything. Perhaps it's Civilization I'm unaware of that left its mark here..."

She gazed at the dark, deep emptiness in the distance and sighed, "It must have happened a very, very long time ago."

Kang De remained silent, his mind still preoccupied with the figure that held his attention.

"It's a pity," he said softly, "We only saw a small part."

Lily pondered for a moment and said, "Your situation is unprecedented. According to records, the three people who experienced Time Flashback all witnessed continuous and prolonged scenes."

"The dwarven lord first witnessed the Rock Clan's meeting and voting, saw a map of the Endless Mines, and on each subsequent expedition, he saw things from a long, distant past."

"Not to mention the emperor... He claims he saw everything, the entire process from beginning to end."

"And that guardian even had a complete conversation with the Enlightener from the past."

At this point, the Dragon Girl shook her head and asked, "What's wrong with you?"

Kang De thought for a moment.

He realized that Lily and the others had disappeared, and that his floating posture and state were extremely incongruous. With this thought, the divine power of spacetime responded, and he sensed the turbulence of the time fracture...

Could that be the reason?

Realizing his own experiences and situation, and possessing Akatum's divine power, he was able to hinder and disrupt the Time Flashback phenomenon, thus quickly breaking free from that state...

He shared this guess with Lily nodded and said, "Hmm, that makes sense. I had a similar guess. It's probably because you harbored resistance from the beginning, which is why you weren't able to fully immerse yourself in it."

"You see, the dwarven lord saw the Endless Mines and was overjoyed, eager to learn more. The guardian received enlightenment from the past and, of course, held his breath, listening intently. As for the emperor..."

She fell silent after saying this.

Kang De was also looking at her.

The man and the dragon looked at each other in bewilderment.

Upon closer examination, however, he was filled with dread.

The world is truly amazing.

Out of sympathy for their brother, the emperor, Kang De and Lily skipped the discussion and casually moved on to the next topic. "Well then, let's move on and give it a try."

"Don't worry, don't resist, immerse yourself, engage, witness, feel," the Dragon Girl said. "Go see what happened, look at the past... this is the only clue left."

Kang De nodded slowly. "Okay."

He got up and looked around. Although time had changed and the surrounding area had changed drastically, the stone bridge he had seen earlier had disappeared. Perhaps it had collapsed and been buried due to changes in the earth. But he still remembered the direction.

Kang De pointed somewhere ahead. "Over there."

The dragon flapped its wings and moved forward again, flying over the dark stone forest.

The terrain here is complex, and even the dragon has to fly slowly to avoid accidents. Along the way, Kang De also became as silent as the A Xing, recalling the scenes he had seen earlier, and he was very concerned about them.

Where did those creatures come from, and what are they doing here?

Are they indigenous people?

That figure from behind...

The dragon moved slowly through the area, constantly changing direction and circling around, attempting to trigger a third Space-Time Flashback, but to no avail.

All that could be seen on the ground were piles of rubble, which should be the stone bridge and stone wall seen earlier. The road ahead had collapsed due to long underground activity and, over time, transformed into nature, giving birth to new changes, growing fungi, and becoming inhabited by animals. There were no other traces.

Twenty minutes later, Horus brought back new information.

"Father," it said, "Regarding the direction you pointed out, the direction in which the creatures you saw in the past were moving... I've found an entrance, but there's bad news."

Kang De asked, "Is it blocked?"

"Being blocked isn't bad news," Horus said. "The bad news is that it's been removed."

Minutes later, the giant dragon descended from the sky.

The spherical probes circled an entrance, which had been piled with rubble but now had been torn open, revealing a faint light. The scattered debris and traces around it all indicated that this was a recent event—the creature that dug the cave had used pure violence.

Lily looked around, picked up a few large stones, and pointed to the claw marks on them. "It's a dragon."

Kang De said, "Then let's pursue them."

"Wait a moment."

The Dragon Girl stopped him, carefully observing the surroundings. After tapping and examining them, her expression changed slightly. "There are no traps... no ambushes either."

Kang De's Phoenix Eyes, still gleaming with fire, had already scanned the area once. "What?"

"Cuixisi is very cunning. He smoothed out the impact marks at the surface entrance, fostered new plants, and even added a dragon seal. It's strange that he didn't do anything here."

She shook her head and said, "After opening the entrance and going in, not blowing it up again might be because we'll have to come out later, but not setting up some traps or magical mechanisms... that's a bit odd."

At this point, the Dragon Girl sighed, "Perhaps he really has... left."

Just as Kang De was about to suggest that Horus send a probe ahead, his body stiffened again.

This time, Lily and A Xing were prepared. They each took a few steps back and paid attention to their surroundings. Kang De stood frozen in place for a few minutes before shivering and coming to his senses.

His eyes, however, were filled with intense emotions.

Lily asked, "What's wrong?"

"... They fought; they fought against the native creatures inside."

Kang De looked at Lily, paused for a moment, and said, "Their weapons and abilities are forged and enhanced using that mysterious element."

￥￥￥￥￥￥￥￥￥

PS1: Update, and...

PS2: Hamburg King