374 Timeless Borders Special Trial (1/2)

”Let's stop the chitchat, what shall I do?”

Yale had no idea about how or when he would return to the real world, but since he had already discovered a lot about his past, he feared that would happen at any moment and would lose the chance of changing the fate of his friends.

”Alright.”

When the kid said those words a white circle of light appeared beside him.

”This is a portal to a special trial created by a Timeless Sovereign. You need to clear it to toughen your will to the point I can't read your mind, or we are doomed to fail. This kind of trial is of only one use and requires a Timeless Sovereign to create it. This is a valuable chance that I have been saving for you, so don't waste it.”

Yale felt the seriousness of the matter. Although he knew that a Timeless Sovereign had been collaborating with his past self because of unknown reasons, he guessed that obtaining a chance to clear that trial hadn't been easy.

”The trial is quite easy as it is based on the experience in the Timeless Border, but it is far crueler. There, you will find shadows of people related to your existence disregarding the time, but some of them would be fake shadows. You must discern among them. The fake shadows will disappear once you discovered them, but if you decide that a real shadow is fake...”

The kid stopped a bit before continuing the sentence.

”You will curse that person's fate in the real world. That person would suffer calamities, and if for some reason both of you met in the real world, one of you will die for sure, and maybe both.”

Yale knew that his original self wasn't lying. At that moment, Yale felt that he couldn't allow himself to consider a real shadow as a fake, but in that case, he was wondering what would happen if he treated a fake one like real.

”That is a good question, and the answer is quite simple. You will lose any chance to return to your body and your current consciousness will disappear turning just into a shadow that won't be able to remember anything about that trial at all.”

Yale could feel the pressure just from the explanation because he wouldn't be allowed to make a single mistake without severe consequences.

Of course, there was an easy method to succeed in that trial. As long one considered false all the shadows disregarding the fates of those affected by it and then decided to avoid having contact with anyone after leaving, succeeding wouldn't be hard.

However, that was an option that Yale couldn't even think as that wouldn't make him better than how he would end if the curse destroyed his emotions.

”In case you fail, the Timeless Sovereign will make your soul reincarnate and let a new consciousness appear, but at the same time, you should guess what will happen to those important to you.”

If Yale didn't return, the fates of his friends would be just as he saw, and his next consciousness wouldn't even know about Yale's existence, just like Yale was unaware of the existence of the kid in front of him.

Failure was far worse than death; it was disappearing forever while letting someone else take his place. A decision that his original consciousness had made by his own will, but that Yale didn't want to happen.

”I will succeed.”

After saying those words, Yale started to move towards the entrance of the trial.

”If he succeeds that trial, I feel that I will be able to tell him everything. What about you?”

Just after Yale disappeared after entering into the trial, the kid spoke to the air, and another figure appeared there.

”You can tell him whatever you want about yourself, but it is still too early for him to know more about me.”

The Mysterious Expert replied seriously to the kid in front of him.

”You are too strict with that, but you helped me a lot, and you are on our side, so just do the things how do you think are better for Yale. However, I still feel that telling him that those screens were just fate has been too cruel.”

The kid looked to the screens that were still showing the fates of those affected by the war that led Yale to the Timeless Border.

”If he knew from the start that those images for him weren't future, but past, he wouldn't have been able to endure it. However, it is true that it isn't impossible to change it, it is just that the difficulty is several million times higher.”