Chapter 118
This is insane.
What the hell is going on?
The three words major crisis filled my head to the brim.
A blaring red alarm screamed inside my skull.
No matter how I looked at it, I was completely screwed.
The power unleashed through the activation of ‘Fragment of Time’ now protects you.
Even if you’re discovered or killed, don’t worry!
Until you succeed, you’ll be given the chance—forever!
System, what in the world are you talking about?
Since when did this turn into a time-loop genre?
“Ha, shit….”
Okay. Calm down.
First, figure out where I am.
I slowly looked around.
A dense forest, dark green and thick with overgrowth.
And nestled within it, like something out of a ghost story, stood a solitary, ominous castle.
‘So, to sum it up….’
The starting point is right here—where I’m sitting on the ground.
Correct~!☆
‘And the place I need to enter….’
…That?
YES! #Let’sGo
“…….”
‘The objective of this quest… was to save thirteen-year-old Lycian.’
Don’t tell me Lycian’s been kidnapped and locked up in that castle?
But who would dare abduct a member of the Grastea imperial family—how could they even manage it…?
“…Ah!”
Wait. There was someone.
A being powerful enough to threaten even a half-dragon.
‘The Witch of the Crescent Moon…!’
‘When I was thirteen, I was attacked by the Star Clan.’
‘…!’
‘The scar near my heart is from that time. I nearly died.’
‘That Star Clan… they’re called the “Witch of the Crescent Moon.” A name given by the Second Tower Master. They appeared with a comet a thousand years ago, and for some reason, they’re after my life.’
Oh my God.
Wait—so this situation right now is exactly…?
‘System… did you send me to the past?’
That’s right.
This stage takes place ten years in the past.
We have to rescue Lycian, who has been captured by the Witch of the Crescent Moon!
Only then can we return to the original timeline!
｡°꒰ ՞ ´ ᗣ`°꒱°｡
“No way….”
Now I’m being sent to the past too?
Why is my life so damn dynamic?!
And the name of this quest was ⟨First Mission⟩.
If there’s a first, that means there’s a second. A third….
“Gaaah.”
I let out a low scream and sprawled flat on the ground.
How the hell am I supposed to go up against the Witch of the Crescent Moon?
I stared helplessly at the sky, despair creeping in—
‘And so, His Grace….’
A story I’d once heard surfaced in my mind.
‘Do you think that benefactor was Lady Muriel?’
‘Gasp, you thought so too? Me too!’
“Benefactor….”
If that meant the person who saved thirteen-year-old Lycian back then—who could it have been?
‘Don’t tell me… it was me?’
Heh… A hollow laugh escaped me.
‘Life….’
It really isn’t easy.
I closed my eyes and took a deep breath, steadying my racing thoughts. Then I stood up straight.
‘Fine. Let’s do it.’
If I’m the one who has to save Lycian, then I’ll just have to do it.
The moment I resolved myself, the system popped up with a hint, as if it had been waiting.
〈Tip〉 The route marked with a green line on the map is the safest!
The red dots roaming nearby are the Witch’s minions.
Be careful not to get caught by them!
※Make active use of the items you’ve collected so far♡
‘I see….’
Looks like it’s finally time for all the random junk I hoarded like a squirrel with acorns to shine.
♪A wistful flashback to the past♬
‘Huh? Emergency Escape Bomb Set? They sell this kind of thing too? Ten per bundle, and it’s only ten rubels?’
‘A spray that makes you invisible for ten seconds…? They really sell anything.’
‘Freeze! A water gun that immobilizes whoever’s in front of you for ten seconds….’
I knew it. The way they advertised those shady little items every day and slapped huge discounts on them—
‘You mastermind system! You planned all of this!’
Mastermind?! That’s a misunderstanding~!
o(；△；)o
The system is always on Muriel’s side~!
I swatted aside the system, which was sobbing with a flood of emoticons.
Either way, my objective was clear.
‘First, we infiltrate.’
No—more accurately, sneak in.
But if I go in like this, I’ll be spotted by the minions in no time.
‘In that case….’
I pulled out the holy relic given to me by the God of Dreams from my inventory.
A glass marble containing a glittering night sky.
‘…So I’m really going to use this….’
Of all things, this was the one I didn’t want to use!
‘Aaaah! T-transform!’
The moment I chanted the spell(?) in my head, starlight poured from the marble and wrapped around me.
And then my body—
Shrank.
And kept shrinking.
Until I was smaller than the palm of a hand.
A pitiful little hamster.
‘Aaaah!’
“Sqeeeak—!”
The hamster—no, I—roared. It came out as a thin, utterly non-threatening squeak.
Curious what you look like right now?
So! The system has prepared this!
A mirror that shows you your reflection anytime, anywhere☆
‘Are you insane? Get that away from me.’
I snapped irritably and swiped my tiny front paw.
And there it was, reflected in that damned mirror.
“…….”
Snow-white fur. Sparkling black eyes. A pink nose. A tiny twitching snout. Small ears perked straight up.
A ridiculously minuscule tail for no apparent reason. Short little legs.
“…….”
So~ cute!
Shut up!
“Squeeek—!”
Rumble—CRASH!
The pitiful hamster’s roar was swallowed by a sudden clap of thunder.
‘Good. No one’s around!’
Still, the hamster’s tiny body had its advantages.
I could move in a rapid shasha-shhk, and I was so small I barely drew attention.
Thanks to that, I managed to infiltrate the castle without being spotted.
‘Ha! Knew this was the right move. I’m a genius. I refuse to loop. One try, one clear!’
The confident hamster pressed forward without hesitation. Avoiding the gazes of the castle guards, I flattened myself against the corridor wall and dashed ahead.
Just a little further and you’ll reach your destination! You can do it, Hamster!
The system acted as my navigator.
The destination—Lycian’s location—was marked as a golden dot on the map.
And then—
‘A purple dot.’
That was the Witch’s location.
The purple dot hadn’t moved an inch from the very top floor of the castle.
If she’d imprisoned Lycian and wasn’t doing anything to him, something must’ve happened to the Witch of the Crescent Moon.
‘Even at thirteen, Lycian’s a dragon’s descendant. There’s no way he went quietly. He must’ve fought back. Maybe the Witch was injured in the process.’
If she was recovering now, this was the perfect time to get him out.
I may have been a hamster—but I charged forward bravely.
‘Just wait, Lycian! I’m coming!’
Tododot!
Leap!
Turn right ahead!
‘Got it!’
Following the system’s navigation, I turned—and found a staircase leading underground.
‘Scary!’
Below was pitch-black darkness. It felt like I’d be swallowed whole by an abyss.
But this brave hamster does not retreat…!
I leapt boldly down the darkened steps.
And about fifteen minutes later—
‘I-I’m here….’
I finally reached the bottom of the underground level.
Leaning my trembling body against the wall, I let out a long breath.
‘No sign of the Witch’s minions down here.’
Maybe they didn’t think it was necessary to guard this far in.
‘Well, getting inside the castle in the first place wasn’t exactly easy.’
If I hadn’t been in this hamster form… I wouldn’t have made it either.
‘Where’s Lycian? He’s probably somewhere in this dungeon.’
I crept forward, glancing around. I flicked my eyes upward, but the system window didn’t appear.
‘The map’s not showing down here.’
Which means… I’ll have to check every cell myself.
All right, first room!
‘Hmm. Not here!’
Second room!
‘Not here either!’
Third—
“…!”
Just as I was about to check the third room, I froze.
“Hngh….”
A pained breath drifted through the iron bars.
On the freezing stone floor, a platinum-blond boy was curled into himself, groaning in agony.
The moment I recognized who he was, my heart dropped.
‘Lycian!’
seulene's thoughts
This genre suddenly changed - I feel like I have whiplash.