...Eighteen days earlier than the point when he had originally reached the Land of Empty Valleys.

"Kid."

"So this is the gate you spoke of... the one capable of twisting time."

Ansu’s voice echoed in Kanzaki Rei’s mind.

Over the past few days, he had come to understand the full chain of events.

To Ansu, Rei seemed almost like a man who had returned from the future.

Rei answered calmly, "Yeah."

"But let me make one thing clear first—I have no absolute certainty that this gate can be opened..."

"Based on what you’ve experienced, if opening it fails again... perhaps you’ll be cast even farther back through time."

Rei nodded.

"Yeah."

At least right now, there was still a chance to quickly recover his strength, return here, and attempt the gate once more.

If time kept rewinding farther and farther, however...

The variables would only multiply.

"Anyway, we try first."

Rei’s tone was completely steady, without the slightest emotional ripple.

Before him stood the gate at the end of the corridor, a portal through which time itself flowed.

Based on prior experience, he should have eighteen days before the next reset.

But...

Experience, in a world like this, was hardly reliable.

A thought stirred in Rei’s mind.

Countless souls churned within his Sea of Consciousness, surging forward as offerings to Ansu.

This time, it was different from before.

Last time, it had been to deal with Izar.

If Rei had died then... Ansu would have had no path of escape either.

But this time—

There was no enemy.

No outside threat.

Rei felt innumerable souls condensing toward Ansu within the spiritual sea.

From within Ansu’s being rose the praises of billions.

And amid those endless voices of exaltation, Rei seemed able to glimpse every reincarnation Ansu had ever passed through.

Cycles of life and death.

Endless change.

Worshiped by countless beings.

Then plunged into the deepest abyss.

Tempered through every worldly tribulation.

And through it all—

The singular existence known as Ansu was forged.

As Rei walked through the long corridor, Ansu’s figure emerged faintly at his side.

"What an interesting boy."

Ansu’s skin was no longer withered like an old man’s.

It now gleamed with the vitality of a sculpted warrior.

"To accumulate so many souls of profound meaning..."

"If I had possessed authority like yours, who knows how many detours I could have avoided."

"You possess such power, yet refuse to focus solely on the Death Priest class."

"What a waste."

Rei replied flatly, "Izar already told me something similar."

"Ansu. Time to work."

Ansu rolled his neck, and his voice seemed younger in proportion to his restored condition.

"I know."

"That’s what contracts are for."

Ansu glanced sideways at Rei.

Even now, every thought in his mind was still perceptible to Rei.

And his soul remained under Rei’s control.

Though—

With the strength he had now regained...

Killing Rei should not be difficult.

If I wanted to kill him, a single thought should be enough.

The notion flickered through Ansu’s mind.

But so did unease.

He could feel it.

Rei would absolutely react before he could move—

Subdue him.

And kill him in return.

Rei’s nerves were taut as drawn steel.

Though outwardly calm, every muscle in his body was already tightened.

Even Heaven-Ascending Apex State had been activated.

"Fine. I’m doing it."

Ansu stepped forward and extended one hand toward the gate.

"Boy, I can see you understand something of death..."

"But your understanding is too shallow."

"All things die."

"Living things."

"Non-living things."

"Death is not merely the end of life."

"From birth to extinction..."

"From reincarnation back into birth..."

"All of it is simply process."

"Rather than the end of life..."

"Death is the end of a process."

"And all things in this world move through change."

"Even time..."

"One day reaches its end."

As Ansu spoke—

Rei gradually sensed the corridor around them turning deathly black.

The entire passage began withering.

Rotting.

Decaying.

Shhhhhh—

That dead-black corruption then dissolved away.

Melting into deep darkness before fading.

Leaving behind only a single gate ahead,

sending out faint ripples.

Dong—

A distant resonance spread outward.

The ripple struck Ansu and forced him half a step back.

His brow furrowed.

"The corruption disappeared..."

His voice was slightly hoarse.

"No... not disappeared."

"It was shifted... into another point in time."

"At least..."

"Not this moment."

Rei asked again,

"Can it still be dealt with?"

Ansu frowned hard—

Then unexpectedly sat cross-legged in the empty air.

"Perhaps..." 𝙧𝙚𝙚𝔀𝒆𝓫𝓷𝙤𝓿𝒆𝙡.𝒄𝙤𝓶

"I need to think for a while."

"You help me think too."

Before Rei could ask anything—

Flashes of thought flooded directly into his consciousness.

Concepts of time.

Death.

The gate.

Kai.

An immense torrent of speculation and theory poured into his mind.

Too much information.

And most of it was absurdly complex.

Far too much to process in a short time.

At the same time, Rei still had to remain wary—

Was there murderous intent hidden within Ansu’s thought-stream?

Though in truth, his real safeguard against Ansu wasn’t mind-reading.

It was Final Sense.

As long as Final Sense sent warning ahead of danger—

Rei would instantly erase Ansu’s soul.

Final Sense was a precognitive-tier talent.

In any mortal crisis—

He would always act first.

However...

Against things like these ancient ruins—

These inexplicable phenomena involving reversed time—

Final Sense could not give reliable warning.

And when facing someone like Izar, who hadn’t truly intended to kill him...

Final Sense had failed there as well.

Analysis.

Thought.

Calculation.

Rei hadn’t expected that arriving early at the gate would instead leave him meditating before it for so long.

Knowledge of Chronology flooded his mind.

Thanks to Second Forbidden Magic — Time,

his understanding of temporal laws advanced at astonishing speed,

and profound insights came easily.

In merely a dozen days,

Rei felt his mastery of temporal theory had risen to another level.

Now, when he looked at time—

He no longer perceived it through his former understanding.

Ansu slowly rose.

"If this attempt still fails to open the gate..."

"I may not be able to help you anymore."

"You may have to seek aid from that one called Lottie."

"But if you ask help from an existence like that..."

"Think carefully what price she may demand."

"She isn’t like me."

"She isn’t your prisoner."

When Ansu referred to himself as a prisoner,

he sounded utterly matter-of-fact.

Without even a trace of shame.

Then he reached out and touched the gate once more.

"All things wither."

"Even time is no exception."

Tap—

The instant Ansu’s hand met the gate again—

For the first time ever,

the portal responded.

It truly began—

little by little—

to take on a faint stain of black.

It was working.