Volume Six: What She Lost, What I Gained - The Membrane Mage Who Stole Time (4)

Returning to the origin?

That's what she seemed to say at the time.

That said, I still don't know what kind of superpowers "Fiser" possesses. It was her companions who created the illusion of a crew and deprived us of our ability to move. The barriers on the container ship and the means of blocking mental transmission were probably achieved through external objects. But what about her own superpowers?

Perhaps her real killer move is her ability.

The rope ladder, which should have been lowered, was retracted and remained properly on the ship's side.

The teacup, which should have shattered on the ground and spilled tea everywhere, was not only reassembled before my eyes, but the tea was also collected back up.

Returning to the origin...

What does "regression" mean?

Reset?

What about the "original"?

You must be referring to a certain state? The initial state?

I couldn't help but shudder.

I think I know what "Fiser's" special ability is.

Add to that this container ship encased in a barrier... if the goal is simply to trap us, this Shadow Domain would suffice; the barrier would seem superfluous. But if the purpose isn't to prevent our escape, but rather to carve out a space...

I see!

Although more than half of it is speculation, I'm basically certain!

She can create a space and restore everything within it to its "initial state," as if it were a one-click restore—that's her special ability!

As for this initial state... it must have been the state of the container ship at a certain moment that she had predetermined! What was this moment? It can be roughly deduced—the rope ladder changed from "lowered" to "retracted," the teacup changed from "broken" to "intact" and "moved back to the direction of the cabin," so that moment was at least "before the rope ladder was lowered"; and this Shadow Domain was quietly set up on the deck from the beginning, it did not disappear, so that moment was "after Chi Ying set up the Shadow Domain"!

The timeline should be as follows: Chi Ying sets up the Shadow Domain → Fiser sets this moment as the "initial state" → the shadow doll is generated → the rope ladder is lowered → we board the container ship → the shadow doll brings tea and other warm hospitality → the situation occurs.

In other words, in the initial state, our group was "not on the container ship".

... Well?

Wait a minute, wait a minute.

Initially, we were not on the container ship; we came into this space from the outside.

During the return to the initial state, the rope ladder rolled back, and the teacup flew back into the cabin.

And so on... If we were to return to the initial state, wouldn't we all have to "move off the deck of the container ship"?

So, if we just stay here obediently, we'll naturally escape danger? What's the point of that?

Tsk... What the hell is this?!

The constraints of the Shadow Domain are becoming increasingly severe. Not only am I unable to move, but I also feel my sense of touch gradually fading. If this continues... will I eventually lose the ability to even breathe?

We must find Chi Ying, the one who released the Shadow Domain! We must kill that guy and then break free from these constraints! However, my powers are suppressed, and my perception of Blood Energy is weakened, so I can't find Chi Ying by sensing Blood Energy!

Where? Where? I strained my eyes, searching frantically, but there was no stranger in sight. He was clearly hiding! Be patient, and then—

--Huh?

I suddenly noticed a new phenomenon.

My position was basically lying on my side, with my face at approximately a 60° angle upwards.

If you turn your eyes to the edge of your eye sockets, you can see your left arm and a small part of your left torso.

I'm not feeling well.

The changes are subtle and not easily noticeable without close inspection.

(What's going on... it's faded?)

Both the left arm and the left side of the torso have "faded." It's not that the color has become lighter, but rather that the transparency has increased... that feeling? It no longer has that solid, material feel; if you concentrate... it's as if you can vaguely see the deck floor through the body?

It easily evokes images of scenes from old science fiction movies where people slowly fade away and disappear.

Fading away?

Hey, hey, hey, wait, wait, wait, wait, no way!!!

My brain felt like it had been punched, and a chill ran down my spine. A sudden sense of fear made me tremble all over, even though my body couldn't even shake.

I understand now, I completely understand now.

In the initial state, we do not exist in this space.

But it exists now.

So to return to the initial state --

It wasn't us who "removed the container ship".

Instead, we "disappeared on the container ship"!

Just as the words suggest, it slowly fades into nothingness! It has nothing to do with defense, physical strength, or self-healing ability; her power can fundamentally make our existence disappear!

"Have you noticed? By now you should have noticed, right? Watching your body slowly fade and disappear, isn't that terrifying?"

Yu Xun's smile deepened. Looking down from her airship, the container ship was already encased in barriers, like a large, silvery-gray cocoon. Although she couldn't see directly inside, she had her own way of doing things. The small display screen in her hand accurately reported the situation on the container ship's deck to her.

This was one of Julia's simplest creations, a device called a "monitor." Four cameras were pre-positioned on the deck, and her terminal could receive the images transmitted from the cameras. Moreover, it wasn't just visual; Julia's monitor also possessed a similar function, capturing both visual and audio information, allowing her to monitor everything they did and said.

And--

Yu Xun the walkie-talkie hanging on her ear. This was also Julia's creation, of course. Although she was a little reluctant, she had to admit that Julia, this mad scientist, could be quite capable at times.

On the other end of the walkie-talkie, of course, was Chi Ying on the container ship.

"Hey, Chi Ying, how's the situation?"

"..." "Chi Ying?"

"... Hmm... Ah... Okay... They're fading, fading, fading..."

"To what extent has it faded?"

"It's almost translucent, not very transparent, but not that pale either. It's paler than the actual object, paler, or not pale at all, definitely paler, but not quite translucent..."

"Oh, then keep an eye on it, and let me know immediately if anything unusual happens."

"Strange movement... Strange movement... Strange movement... I can't see... I don't know... I can't see anything..."

"... well."

Yu Xun sighed and ended the call.

The feedback from Chi Ying was roughly the same as what was seen through the monitor.

"That Chi Ying... although her 'Shadow Seal' ability is very compatible with mine, she herself is really..."

Her voice was always barely audible, and she would ramble on and on incoherently. Even with a walkie-talkie, it was impossible to hear her clearly. Communicating with her was exhausting, but fortunately, she was able to carry out all of Yu Xun's requests relatively smoothly, so I was fairly satisfied.

Of course, if left unattended, the monitor will only continuously transmit the reversed images, and Chi Ying's memories will revert to their initial state. To avoid this situation, Yu Xun specifically set both the monitor and Chi Ying to be outside the target of the "return to the original state" effect.

The barrier's blockade, the constraints of the Shadow Domain, the four monitors positioned high above the deck overlooking the deck, and the surveillance by Chi Ying himself—multiple layers of protection.

Yu Xun believed she had done everything she could.

"The rest is up to fate... But I'm sure I'll achieve final victory."

My sense of touch is getting weaker and weaker! I originally thought it was the effect of the shadow binding me, but now it seems to be because my body is fading! My left arm and left side of my torso are almost translucent. Although I can't see them, my legs and right side of my body are probably similar. My body feels so empty, like sand is constantly leaking out of a sandbag!

Wait, wait, wait! I'm going to disappear? Just like that? Without even a chance to resist? I looked anxiously at Xiao Wu and Kogetsu, only to find their situation was even worse—Kogetsu's legs had become extremely thin, and Xiao Wu's torso had become more than translucent. If this continued...

We must first break free from the shackles of the Shadow Domain!

But... how exactly does this work?

Clearly, simply entering the area wasn't enough to completely seal off our movements and even our abilities; otherwise, they would have acted the moment we boarded. Back then... at that time... first, the barrier sealed the ship, and we desperately tried to break through with brute force, then suddenly a powerful searchlight flashed high above the ship—

A sudden flash?

We were only bound by the Shadow Domain after the searchlights flashed on us.

Is there any connection between these?

The Shadow Domain... shadows... light... at that time, the intense beams of the searchlights almost covered the entire deck...

Therefore... under the spotlight, each of us cast a very clear and complete shadow...

Our shadows should have been cast on the deck, but now the deck floor is covered by... Shadow Domain, so our shadows are actually cast within that Shadow Domain...

... Hey, seriously?

Could it be that her companion's ability is to seal away objects whose shadows have been cast into the Shadow Domain?

If the shadow of an arm falls into the Shadow Domain, the arm will lose its ability to move, and the same applies to the legs. The intense light from that searchlight was designed to ensure that the shadows of all of us were cast into the field! This would seal our entire bodies!

To escape the effects of "Return to the Origin," one must first remove the shackles of the shadow. However, those sealed by the Shadow Domain will have their powers severely suppressed, not to mention their bodies will be unable to move, thus creating a deadlock!

And--

Turning my gaze upwards, I saw several devices, identical to Earth's surveillance cameras, atop several of the tallest shipping containers. Those must be the surveillance equipment, right? Do Spirit Star have such products? If so, could it be that "Fiser" is monitoring our every move?

What to do?

What do I do?

Just then--

Rustling... thump!

I heard a slight static.

Huh?

I turned my eyes to the other side.

The far right of my field of vision was originally empty, but now there was something there. That thing moved very subtly, probably like the futile struggle of a dying fish on the monitor. But I knew she did it on purpose, because from my angle I could just catch a glimpse of her small face, and she was looking directly at me.

Oh, right.

How could I forget her?

Because of that unequal treaty, we are all only able to use the equivalent of our strength from one year and two months ago.

So, who is the strongest among us now? In other words, who was the strongest among us one year and two months ago?

It's definitely not me or Haoyue, and it certainly isn't Little Ying. Xiao Wu said that her strength only increased explosively after she met us, and she's not much stronger than us now.

Sin Annihilation, as an executioner in the shadows of the Holy See, she was sealed away most of the time in the underground of the Cathedral of the True God. More than a year ago, she was still sealed away. When she was sealed away, her power and abilities were greatly suppressed, so she is now in a similar state to us.

In other words, the strongest among us right now is probably --

(A diseased, Sick Spider!)

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Two seemingly insignificant but terrifyingly powerful abilities at first glance, lol~