The staff in Orikan's hand emitted a faint glow as ripples spread outward.
That radiance was not ordinary energy — it was the tangible manifestation of time itself. It was the reversal of cause and effect, the key to the journey of all things.
Everything around them began to regress, shattering into pieces and scattering like cosmic undead.
They spun, rejoined, and merged in the air.
The destroyed undead soldiers completely regressed to their original forms at a visible speed.
The green flames in their eyes reignited as they stood there in a daze, as if the destruction from moments ago had been an illusion.
The human soldiers who had reached Orikan also began to retreat.
They moved backward, their firing motions reversed. Bullets returned from the enemies' bodies into the chambers. Muzzle flashes contracted in reverse. Even the roar of explosions turned into strange reverse playback sounds.
Even Zarhulash could not resist the flow of time and was forced to return to the same position he had been in just minutes earlier.
"Hahaha…!"
Orikan's laughter, filled with arrogance and the joy of victory, echoed across the battlefield.
"Nameless One, so what if you're strong?"
"I possess the power to manipulate time. I can return to the past as many times as I want, reset the timeline, and correct fate over and over again."
Orikan's figure stood motionless within the flow of time, like the ruler of fate or the incarnation of time itself. Everything around him seemed like an illusion.
"This is true power. Feel despair!"
Orikan was intoxicated by the feeling of control, and his laughter gradually grew more manic.
However, the Chronomancer's laughter suddenly stopped.
He saw that the Nameless One was still standing motionless.
The torrent of time passed through him. Everything around them had reversed, but it had no effect on him whatsoever.
Orikan's pupils contracted sharply.
"This is… How is this possible?!"
Datch looked at him with a smile on his face.
These mere game NPCs dared to act so arrogantly in front of the Player. They were truly courting death.
Datch took out the Infinity Gauntlet from his game inventory and used the power of the Time Stone.
A strange green light burst forth.
The time that should have been reversing felt as if it had paused and stopped.
Everything that had been retreating froze in place. Their postures were locked in that instant, like insects trapped in amber.
Then, Datch lightly snapped his fingers.
Time began to flow again.
But this time, it was not flowing naturally — time was accelerating.
The undead soldiers who had only just recovered were torn apart once more.
Silver fragments peeled off and scattered as they fell.
The green flames in their eye sockets extinguished, and their metallic bodies collapsed like sand sculptures.
The soldiers who had only just retreated began advancing again.
Zarhulash also recovered from his setback.
With his massive silver body carrying destructive power, he charged straight toward Orikan.
Orikan's smile completely disappeared from his face.
His expression froze, filled with disbelief.
"How… How can you manipulate time?!"
"No, I will never lose to you."
"Even if I lose everything, I will never lose."
Orikan bet everything and unleashed his full power, reversing time once more.
Inside his metallic skull, his core processor operated at overclocked speed.
His minuscule quantum core emitted unprecedented heat, and the coolant in the pipes boiled with an ear-piercing sound.
He wanted to reverse time and prove that he was the master of time.
Time began to reverse again.
The next moment, Datch increased the output of the Time Stone, causing time to surge forward once more.
Flow backward. Flow forward. Flow backward. Flow forward.
Two opposing flows of time violently collided on the battlefield, plunging everything into chaos.
The human soldiers were like repeatedly edited videotapes — charging forward one moment, retreating the next.
The undead soldiers met an even more miserable fate.
Whole. Broken. Whole. Broken.
Fragments flew through the air, sometimes merging back together and sometimes scattering apart.
Their consciousness wavered between life and death, constantly experiencing the pain of dying.
Zarhulash was also affected.
His massive body moved irregularly across the battlefield like a jumbled video.
Destructive energy beams were fired, then pulled back, fired again, and pulled back once more.
The entire battlefield had transformed into a ridiculous scene.
Here, the meaning of time was lost.
Past, present, and future were all jumbled together and intertwined.
After a brief stalemate, Orikan could no longer hold on.
His core processor reached its limit temperature. The coolant boiled violently and turned to steam, spraying out from every gap.
His silver metal casing glowed red as it evaporated the moisture in the air.
As computational efficiency dropped, his control over time and energy also declined.
BOOM!!!
A loud explosion.
Orikan's body was blasted backward like a cannonball.
He smashed through rubble, causing it to collapse one after another, until he was deeply embedded in a broken wall.
The wall collapsed with a thunderous crash, burying him under the debris.
Uncontrollable energy swirled violently inside him, as if countless beasts were tearing at his core.
His originally lustrous metallic body was now covered in cracks, from which coolant vapor spewed out with an ear-piercing hiss.
He lay in the ruins, looking up at the chaotic sky.
It felt as if he had aged tens of thousands of years in an instant.
"How is this possible…"
The Chronomancer's voice was hoarse and weak, filled with disbelief.
He had actually been defeated by a human in the domain of time.
No…
This couldn't be real…
Orikan desperately tried to stand up from the rubble.
Although his body was damaged beyond recognition, the flames in his eyes burned even more fiercely than before.
He looked up at the Nameless One. The man had not taken advantage of his favorable position and had patiently waited for him to rise.
"Use any other means you have at your disposal."
This statement humiliated Orikan. He felt that the other party saw him not as an opponent, but as an object of mockery. Otherwise, he would never have said such a thing.
"I will never fail!"
Orikan's voice carried an almost maniacal calmness.
"Absolutely not!"
The Chronomancer broke his seals and opened his absorption ports, preparing to transform into an energy form.
The thick lead-colored clouds spreading across the sky seemed to be torn apart by an invisible force, revealing the vast starry sky behind them.
The stars twinkled as countless starlights traveled tens of thousands of light-years from distant galaxies and accurately entered Orikan's body.
Those starlights carried the most fundamental energy of the universe — the power of stellar birth and destruction, and a great power capable of reshaping the world.
At the same time, the reserve energy he had prepared in advance was activated. Terrifying energy flowed into the machine, causing it to shine brightly.
At first, it was a faint light, like the glow of a firefly's tail.
As time passed, it grew brighter and brighter, eventually transforming into deep crimson flames.
The flames engulfed his body. Crimson tongues of fire crawled upward, leaving twisted trails in the air as if countless burning serpents were dancing wildly.
Under everyone's gaze, Orikan transformed from a material form into an energy form.
His body was no longer made of metal.
It was light. It was pure energy.
"This man has reached the realm of gods."
Zarhulash immediately understood what Orikan was doing.
Datch looked surprised. This NPC could actually ascend to the realm of gods. Interesting.
Orikan's figure floated in the air, looking down at the world below with a cold, icy gaze.
"I originally intended to fight you in my normal form."
"But all they received in return was despicable and shameless cheating."
"So I will stop pretending."
Hearing this, the corners of Datch's mouth twitched. This NPC was truly shameless.
He was the one who had used the power to rewind time, yet he had the audacity to accuse the other party of cheating.
Orikan once again adopted an arrogant and overbearing attitude.
Of course, he had the right to be arrogant.
At this point, his way of thinking had completely changed.
To him, time was no longer a linear flow nor a chain of cause and effect.
Time had become a fundamental dimension supporting the structure of the universe, just like length, width, and height.
Past, present, and future had merged into one and occurred simultaneously before his eyes.
To the universe, irreversible time was nothing more than an illusion.
It was a misunderstanding held by short-lived species, a misunderstanding held by lower-dimensional beings.
The universe rotated endlessly. Stars rose and fell. Races rose and fell — everything was cyclical.
Whether it was the gods of the Warp or the many races that claimed to have overcome fate,
Reincarnation was like an invisible hand. It pushed people to the peak, then cast them down to the depths.
No one could change this…
Orikan's thoughts suddenly stopped.
Because he sensed a discordant existence — one that was completely unaffected by time or fate.
The Nameless One was the Nameless One.
From the perspective of the gods, the Nameless One's existence was like an unfathomable black hole.
No past, no future, no cause and effect, no fate.
He simply stood there, like an alien that should not exist in this universe.
Orikan's pupils contracted sharply.
Damn it.
Just who the hell is this guy?!
Zarhulash, wrapped in terrifying energy, soared high into the sky.
With his massive silver body carrying world-destroying power, he charged straight toward Orikan.
His arms were extended as a powerful energy beam capable of tearing apart stars condensed in his palms.
BOOM!!!
Two energies collided in the air.
The shockwave spread at an unimaginable speed.
Wherever it passed, clouds were torn apart, the air was ionized, and the ruins on the ground were overturned.
Ordinary citizens who witnessed the battle threw themselves to the ground, covering their heads as they felt the terrifying shockwave that made their blood boil.
Orikan and Zarhulash engaged in a fierce battle in the air.
Every second of combat consumed the energy output of multiple industrial planets.
Every collision created terrifying rifts in the material world.
Behind those gaps lay the torrent of energy from the beginning of creation — the primordial chaos at the birth of the universe.
Energy overflowed from those gaps, leaving unhealing scars in the sky.
This was the power of gods.
That supreme power could not be matched by anyone except gods.
In the midst of the intense battle, Orikan grew stronger and stronger.
His energy body resembled a black hole, greedily devouring everything around it.
Zarhulash's attacks struck him, but he absorbed all the energy and converted it into his own power.
His size continued to grow. His light grew brighter. His aura became increasingly terrifying.
However, Zarhulash was ultimately only a fragment, not in his complete form.
He had done his best, but he still lost.
BOOM!!!
Orikan's punch struck Zarhulash squarely in the chest, sending him crashing to the ground where he could no longer stand.
Orikan floated in the air and let out a long howl.
"Hahaha…!"
"Who else is there?"
"Who else can defeat me?"
Orikan looked down at the humans lying on the ground and spoke in an arrogant tone.
"Today is your day of death!"
However, the people showed no fear in the face of the Chronomancer's threat.
They firmly believed that the Nameless One could resolve any crisis.
Seeing that Zarhulash had been defeated, Datch took out the Spark Lens from his game inventory.
After raising it high, he shouted, "Tiga!"
The magical glowing rod emitted an intensely dazzling light, forcing everyone to close their eyes.
When the light faded, a giant of light stood on the battlefield — Ultraman Tiga.
His silver and red body towered majestically over the land like a god, his eyes shining like stars.
Orikan was shocked by the sight before him.
"What… What is this?!"
Datch did not stop there. He took out something else.
"Ultraman Dyna, lend me your power."
The moment he finished speaking, the Miracle of Dyna turned into light and entered Datch's body.
Tiga's form changed, and his aura instantly surged.
"Shining Form, activate."
Datch did not stop. Using his accumulated points, he activated the Shining Form, further amplifying the power of both Ultramen.
The reason for fusing with Dyna was to reduce point consumption.
In this radiant form, as long as there was sufficient light or sufficient points, infinite power without limits could be unleashed.
Orikan stared blankly at this scene, his mind completely blank.
How could this unidentified person possess such abilities?
He could control timing, and so could the opponent.
He could transform into an energy form, and so could the opponent.
Why?
Why could he do everything that I can do?
An unprecedented sense of despair welled up in Orikan's heart.
Why was fate so cruel?
Unbelievable.
Orikan gathered all his power and converted it into a destructive beam, firing it toward Shining Tiga.
Datch raised his hand as a ring of light condensed in his palm, which he then threw.
The eight shining rings of the Shining Form emitted seven-colored light along their edges, carrying power capable of slicing through stars.
The rings of light shot out with a roar and collided with Orikan's beam.
BOOM!!!
Two energy flows exploded in the air.
The shockwave blew everything away.
The next moment, Datch appeared in front of Orikan at an unbelievable speed.
Before Orikan could react, he was punched in the face.
BOOM!!!
The terrifying force sent Orikan flying a considerable distance, but he managed to stabilize himself in the air.
However, before he could catch his breath, Datch charged at him again.
Rings of light, punches, kicks, energy beams —
Shining Tiga's attacks rained down on Orikan like a storm.
Orikan fought desperately but could not find an opportunity to counterattack.
After a fierce battle, Orikan was ultimately no match for Datch and took a powerful punch directly to the chest.
BOOM!!!
Orikan's body fell like a meteor, smashing through countless buildings.
He created a massive crater upon hitting the ground, and the surrounding ruins were destroyed by the shockwave.
Orikan lay at the bottom of the hole, looking up at the sky with an expression of existential disbelief.
A golden giant of light descended from the sky, and the ground shook violently from the terrifying impact.
Orikan met the gaze of the towering giant, and fear appeared in his heart.
Datch crouched down.
The golden giant lowered his head, his shining eyes fixed on the small figure at the bottom of the hole.
"Hey, is it possible for us to make up?"
Datch ignored him and instead raised his foot and stomped down hard.
BOOM!!!
The foot landed squarely on Orikan, driving him deeper into the rock.
As his energy body continued to shatter, Orikan let out a scream.
Datch did not stop. He stomped once, then again.
BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!
Dull sounds like a pile driver echoed from deep within the hole.
Each stomp shattered Orikan's body a little more, until the opponent completely lost the strength to resist and was forced to lose all power.
Datch stopped there and took out a Master Ball from his game items, tossing it gently.
"Become my pet, Orikan."
The Master Ball spun in the air, opened, and released a red beam that enveloped Orikan.
Orikan resisted violently, but he no longer had the strength to resist.
Under the light, his body began to shrink and was sucked into the Master Ball.
The Master Ball stopped, landed on the ground, shook once, and then went still.
Seeing this, Zarhulash could not hide his joy and the corners of his mouth curved slightly upward.
Let's all work hard and become cattle and horses for the Nameless One.
Zarhulash's mood suddenly improved.
Datch immediately canceled his transformation. The Shining Form consumed a considerable amount of points.
"I should investigate Trazyn's hideout."
"The location is there."
Datch picked up the Master Ball, tapped it lightly, and summoned Orikan.
The weakened Chronomancer glared at Datch with eyes burning with anger.
If a tamed pet harbored thoughts harmful to the Nameless One, the contract would subject them to a fate more terrifying than death.
Therefore, all he could do was glare. He could do nothing else.
A scholar could be killed, but not humiliated.
Orikan firmly resolved in his heart that even if he died, he would never submit to that damn human.
If he wanted to become a pet, he could try again in the next life.
He should not expect to gain anything from himself.
Datch looked at Orikan and asked, "Do you know where Trazyn's fortress is?"
Orikan was stunned.
The Nameless One actually wanted to go find Trazyn.
Did that mean he should be beaten severely first and then imprisoned?
Thinking this, the corners of Orikan's lips curved into a flattering smile.
"Honored Nameless One, are you looking for Trazyn?"
Datch nodded. "Yeah. I need to find him and settle some scores."
Hearing this, Orikan's smile deepened, and his tone became even more flattering and expectant.
"Of course. I know where Trazyn is, and I know even better where his main base is."
"Besides, I'm very familiar with that place. I've been there many times."
"I know exactly how his collection is organized, how to bypass the security systems, and where his most valuable items are stored."
"Please, allow me to guide you!"
…
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