Chapter 518
The newly emerged ability, "Kiss of Time Erosion," took Xia'er by surprise.
Wasn't this just the negative effect that appeared when using the Serpent Chain with the Strong Sound?
If used actively, it could even be an offensive move against others?
So, did Strong Sound really get "bitten" by the Serpent Chain every time it forcibly used its ability?
And what did it mean to attack across three different timelines...?
If taken literally, attacking an object three times in reality would also count as three attacks across different timelines.
Xia'er’s question was quickly answered by the system.
"The 'every second' you understand is merely your subjective 'now' as an observer, not the system's division of time and space."
"When you initiate the 'Barbed Spike of the Time Binder' for the first attack, that attack will be considered an anchor point, adding the 'barbed' effect."
"If you attack in the 'Past,' you only need to perform the same attack in 'Reality' and 'Future' at the same location for it to count as three attacks across different timelines."
"So, using the Serpent Chain to spend 200 Fate Points to create two anchor points in reality for back-and-forth attacks would only count as one 'barbed' attack?"
"Correct."
Got it...
In the system's view, only the "Past," "Present," and "Future" are considered different timelines. Every second spent in reality is seen as simultaneously existing, not counted as different timelines.
It was somewhat akin to the "Block Universe" theory Xia'er had learned about before.
If the "Block Universe" theory is correct, then time travel is impossible, as the past, present, and future occur simultaneously, making it impossible to traverse back and change anything.
Delving deeper into this understanding, it seemed that the "Past" simulation and "Future" simulation couldn't affect reality, which resonated with this understanding.
And "uniqueness" is what connects different static timelines...?
Or is it the "Other Realm" that remains unaffected by these timelines?
Xia'er pondered, her first deep reflection on the essence of the system, faintly touching upon the nature of the "Other Realm" and the "System," but the feeling was vague, and she couldn't grasp the truth within.
Still, the information gathered was too scant...
However, the system's return meant that simulations were reopened, and she could attempt to gather the remaining pathways to unlock the "Old Days" simulation.
Perhaps there, she could find more answers.
Gathering the remaining pathways wasn't too difficult for Xia'er. With proper arrangements, she could consume two potions in one simulation and save two save files.
She just needed to drink the potion in the state recorded by the pocket watch where she hadn't consumed any, and then drink another potion when her body returned to a normal state, saving the two time periods' save files during the simulation's conclusion.
Just five more to go...
Xia'er climbed out of bed and scanned her surroundings.
To avoid any accidental encounters with the servants in the villa, she hadn't set up a separate room as her art studio but had instead used her own room.
In the past few days, she had been constantly reading and painting, and her room was filled with towering stacks of books and numerous picture frames.
Most of these paintings were discarded drafts. Creating works that could influence people's spirits without relying on extraordinary abilities or materials was still somewhat challenging.
In the early stages, Xia'er wasted quite a bit of paint and paper because she couldn't quite grasp the feeling.
But later, she abandoned using paint and chose to use only charcoal as her drawing tool, starting to depict her experiences in the Other Realm.
These images finally began to hold some influence; at least Tara was startled when she first saw them.
During these days, Xia'er also learned that while she was unconscious, Tara had called Cardinal Percy to take charge of her protection. Xia'er didn't blame Tara for her initiative; she had made a perfectly reasonable choice given the circumstances.
Tara knew she couldn't protect Xia'er alone; she didn't possess such powerful extraordinary abilities and could only call for help.
And Percy had proven her reliability in several simulations; at the very least, she had Tara's absolute respect and trust.
Xia'er opened the simulation interface again and looked at the simulation days.
"Future: 15 Days (Year 741, Saint, August 9, 9:58) (Cost: 10 Fate Points)"
"Past: 24 Days (Year 741, Saint, July 1, 11:55) (Cost: 10 Fate Points)"
"Old Days: ***, *** Days (????) (Cost: 10,000 Fate Points)"
Not bad, each was 10 Fate Points, and the time for the Future simulation was just right, perfectly sufficient for her to gather what she needed.
If there was nothing else to do today, Xia'er would attempt the Future simulation to continue collecting the remaining potion save files and see what might happen in the future.
Just as Xia'er finished changing her clothes and washing up, preparing to head downstairs for breakfast, she noticed Tara walking toward her.
"Good morning, Lady Xia'er." Tara stood before her, slightly bowing, and said respectfully, "Miss Lucy has come to visit. May I ask if you have time to meet her?"
Lucy?
The 25th... that was around the time in the previous simulation when the board elected Lucy as the executive director, right?
"Please take her to the dining room," Xia'er nodded.
I wonder if Lucy's issues have been resolved.
As Xia'er entered the dining room and sat down to enjoy the breakfast prepared by the chef, she had just taken a sip of red tea when Tara walked in with Lucy.
Xia'er looked up at the entrance and could see that Lucy's condition had clearly improved a lot.
She wore a black and gold chip mask, standing tall and walking steadily to Xia'er, slightly bowing, "Good morning, Miss Xia'er."
"The meeting is over?" Xia'er set down her teacup and asked Lucy, "What was the outcome?"
"Thanks to Duke Charles's speech at the hearing two days ago, my restrictions have been lifted," Lucy's voice was filled with excitement, "Of course, the main reason is your mediation and support, Miss Xia'er, that we have today's result."
"I didn't do anything," Xia'er smiled and shook her head, asking, "From the looks of it, the voting results weren't affected?"
"Yes, I've successfully entered the board," Lucy said, facing Xia'er directly, kneeling slightly, and looking up at her with heartfelt emotion, "I, Lucy Hilufa, will use my new identity to repay your kindness, Miss Xia'er!"
Xia'er stood up, walked over to Lucy, bent down, and helped her up, smiling, "Haha... well, I won't hold back if you can help me in the future."
"I will do my utmost to assist," Lucy replied, still maintaining a slight bow after being helped up.
"Did you come straight here after the meeting?" Xia'er noticed the black and gold emblem pinned to her chest and inquired.
"Yes, I rushed over as soon as the meeting ended," Lucy nodded repeatedly.
"On your first day in office, I'm sure there are many things to hand over," Xia'er gently patted Lucy's shoulder and said, "If there's nothing else, you should get back to work. I didn't ask the chef to prepare a second breakfast."
Lucy had only come to share her good news and express her loyalty, so Xia'er didn't engage in much more conversation with her and directly sent her back to handle her own matters.
Lucy was very perceptive and didn't linger to disturb Xia'er any further. After expressing her gratitude once more, she left Xiaer's residence.
Xia'er returned to the dining table, finishing her breakfast while sipping red tea and flipping through today's newspaper.
Due to the power reshuffle caused by the death of Strong Sound, the recent headlines were mostly political topics, with the most attention-grabbing being William Winston.
He had become the new Prime Minister of Ansu City, and shortly after being personally appointed by the Queen, he had the newly formed cabinet push through several bills.
Among them, the most controversial measure was the announcement to repeal the Corn Laws, which created two completely different voices among the public and the nobility.
The vast majority of the populace firmly believed that after the repeal of the Corn Laws, they would be able to buy food at lower prices, reducing their cost of living and allowing them to save more money for other things.
Lower food prices effectively meant higher wages for workers, as the money originally spent on food would decrease.
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