Rose Manor (20) Time Paradox

The moment Qi Si plunged the blade into Chang Xu's neck, Zou Yan's eyes widened.

Her expression froze at that very instant.

Or rather, within the entire space, the actions, developments, and states of all people, events, and objects were locked in this exact moment.

The blood splattered on the shirt seeped out from between the fibers, coalescing into droplets that flew back into the wound on the corpse's neck.

The trickling pool of blood on the steps flowed upward, shrinking into a small puddle before surging back into the veins.

The corpse that had collapsed to the ground stood up in a bizarre posture, stepping backward along the path it had previously taken, much like a film played in reverse.

Qi Si watched as the deathly pallor of Chang Xu's face, caused by blood loss, bloomed with the color of the living; the tall, thin figure, like a walking corpse, stepped up the stairs one by one and vanished around the corner of the landing.

The vines that had been clawing and gnashing in the corridor twisted and retracted toward the walls on either side, snaking back into the shadows between the cracks of the stone.

The sound of rain ceased at a certain point in time, and the air steamed with the scent of water and floral fragrance.

Qi Si found himself unable to move, only his thoughts capable of drifting and sinking at will within his mind.

He saw that Zou Yan, standing before him, was similarly immobilized, save for her right hand, which was covered in vines and still twisting in frustration.

Because she hasn't fully transformed into a Nightmare, only her right hand—which belongs to the supernatural—can move?

Qi Si etched this discovery into his mind.

After concluding that the standard answer was hidden in the seventh rule [Only Nightmares can kill humans; please firmly believe you are human], he began to ponder what would happen if a human killed another human.

It was known that after Zou Yan obtained the clue from Chang Xu's quatrain, she immediately conducted an experiment to verify it, triggering a reversal of time.

In other words, the conditions for triggering the time reversal were not harsh; they were, in fact, easily accessible.

At the same time, it was known from the dungeon's backstory that Annie had killed the man who loved Anna deeply, made a deal with a god, and initiated a three-day time loop.

By analogy, the switch to trigger the time reversal was highly likely related to "murder."

If a human killed a human, time would reverse to an hour prior, resurrecting the deceased; only by letting a player die at the hands of a Nightmare would the time reversal mechanism not be triggered.

Therefore, "Only Nightmares can kill humans."

Regardless of whether this was the case, Qi Si intended to kill someone to test it; after all, he was a man of action with a spirit of practical experimentation.

Ever since he entered the old woman's room and learned the clue that "Nightmares are unaffected by time reversal," Chang Xu had been a dead man in Qi Si's eyes.

It was precisely for this reason that he had told Chang Xu part of the truth, almost like a self-destructing confession—consider it a pre-death debriefing.

Currently, it seems the victim and unrelated passersby do not retain memories of the time reversal; otherwise, there is no way to explain why I have no impression of the first round of the game.

Apart from Nightmares, the only ones who can maintain complete memories during a time reversal are the triggers of the reversal—the killers.

To clear the level, one must utilize the trait that Nightmares can kill humans, yet one must also hold fast to one's identity as a human, thus requiring the use of the time reversal mechanism... What an interesting design!

A complete plan gradually crystallized at the back of his mind. Qi Si watched the dust motes drifting and rising slowly in the gloom. Unable to make any significant movements, he could only curl his lips slightly, waiting for the end of this time reversal he had initiated.

The light around him dimmed inch by inch, and his consciousness began to sink along with the extinction of the light. In the pitch-black darkness, the sound of rain reached his ears once more.

It was a torrential downpour.

Through the thick stone walls, only a faint "whooshing" sound reached his ears.

In an instant, the world had light.

Qi Si found himself leaning against the wall, facing a double bed scattered with a pile of bone fragments.

It looked very familiar; he remembered that this pile of bone fragments had originally belonged to two skeletons.

Chang Xu, standing to the side, was attempting to crush the bone fragments even further.

The victim, who had just died once, straightened his back and looked at Qi Si. "You were caught in a Nightmare just now. I surmised the key lay with the skeletons, so I smashed them."

Qi Si was dazed for only a fleeting moment before he reconciled the cause and effect with his memory.

He remembered: this was the first room on the third floor. After he picked up the paper with writing on it from under the pillow, he had been caught in a Nightmare and seen Annie's past.

Time had indeed reversed, and Chang Xu indeed remembered nothing...

Qi Si smiled—a smile of absolute clarity.

He asked in a natural tone, "Brother Chang, what time is it now?"

Chang Xu was confused, but he looked down at the pocket watch in his hand and answered with some bewilderment, "Two o'clock... one-oh-eight? Just now, the hour hand seemed to move forward another tick."

At this time, Zou Yan should not yet have had the chance to wait for them like a rabbit by the stairs.

Even if she had, it wouldn't matter; he would just let Chang Xu die again.

Qi Si made his decision, gave a soft "Hmm," and turned to walk out of the room. "I already know how to clear the level. I won't be going to the next two rooms."

He paused for two seconds, looked back at Chang Xu, and added, "Of course, Brother Chang, if you are interested in puzzle-solving, you can go sightseeing on your own; if you are interested in Miss Anna, you can go directly to Room 3."

Chang Xu: ...Not interested in either, thank you.

Despite this, as Qi Si made a show of walking down the stairs, he hesitated.

When all was said and done, the two had only known each other for a short time; it was impossible for him to believe everything Qi Si said based on empty words.

The third floor, after all, clearly held important clues.

Qi Si saw through Chang Xu's psychology with perfect clarity. His tone was unhurried: "Considering we've worked together, I still suggest you go downstairs early. You should also know that our clues have already been spied upon by Zou Yan. She has mastered most of the secrets of this dungeon and could be lying in ambush at the stairs at any moment to kill one of us, triggering the 'minimum death count' mechanism."

Chang Xu caught the loophole in Qi Si's words.

From the known information, one could only infer that the holder of the Eye of Hermes was either Zou Yan or Ye Zi.

Yet Qi Si was so certain that the one spying on them was Zou Yan...

Recalling the oddities of the Pocket Watch of Fate, Chang Xu raised an eyebrow and asked, "Did you trigger the time-reversal mechanism?"

He then saw the young man before him freeze quite noticeably, offering a seemingly helpless, bitter smile: "You guessed right. I came back from an hour in the future. So, I suggest you heed the advice of someone who's already been there and clear out early."

People tend to believe the "facts" they deduce themselves; Qi Si understood this principle well, which is why he had intentionally left a gap in his words.

Chang Xu took the bait without realizing it, subconsciously pressing further: "How did you trigger the time reversal?"

"Ah, it's actually quite simple..." Qi Si shoved his hands into his pockets and looked up at the ceiling. "Too bad I don't plan on telling you."

Chang Xu: His fists clenched.

Whether it was an illusion or not, he always felt that there was a hint of malice mixed into Qi Si's smile, making the back of his neck feel inexplicably cold.

The danger warning instinct he had developed since childhood made him abandon the idea of pursuing the matter further.

Within a few seconds, Qi Si had already hurried down to the corner of the stairs, stopping to look back from a distance: "Brother Chang, your room is likely no longer safe. Go to my room after you head downstairs. Help me keep an eye on Lin Chen and don't let him get tricked by Zou Yan and slaughtered."

"I would like to borrow the Pocket Watch of Fate from you—of course, it doesn't matter if you don't agree; at worst, no one will be able to clear the level."

Having said that, the young man lowered his eyelids and sighed: "I'm going to verify my line of reasoning first. If I fail, you all can think of another way."

Chang Xu asked what he didn't understand: "What line of reasoning?"

Qi Si looked up at him, slowly placed a finger to his lips, and smiled as he spat out two words: "Guess."