RNP Chapter 272: The Labyrinth of Time Fracture
Chapter 272: The Labyrinth of Time Fracture
As the Guardians stepped onto the dimensional edge of the Eternal Vortex, they immediately felt an unusual sense of oppression. The flow of time here was completely disordered, as if each step would transport them to a different time period. The surrounding scenery was also full of contradictions: the sky ahead was a fiery red crack, flickering with intense energy fluctuations, while the ground beneath their feet was like an ice field frozen for thousands of years, devoid of any signs of life.
“The rules here have been completely disrupted.” Selena adjusted her portable scanner, her tone filled with astonishment. “Time and space are intertwined in a complex way, as if they have been torn apart and then randomly pieced back together.”
Wagner looked around, his grip on his battle axe tightening. "This place feels like a trap. Every step we take could send us into some strange spacetime."
Ares gripped the rune sword tightly, feeling a slight tremor emanating from its blade. His voice was low and alert: "The rift energy is deep within, and it seems to be manipulating the rules of time here, turning it into a labyrinth and trapping us here."
“We can’t stay here too long,” Selena analyzed the instrument. “Each time fracture depletes the dimensional’s primordial energy. If it collapses completely, this dimension will be pulled into nothingness.”
"Then let's find the core quickly and deal with it." Wagner kicked aside an ice pillar blocking his path and strode forward.
The three carefully traversed this land full of contradictions, but soon they realized that the so-called "road" was not a straight line, but a circular maze.
“We just passed by here.” Selena stopped and pointed to a withered Tree of Time. The tree’s branches were covered with broken crystals that emitted a dim light. “This is the third time we’ve seen this tree. We’re trapped in a time loop.”
Wagner brandished his battle axe in frustration. "Damn rift! It's using these time-wasting tricks to delay us!"
“It’s not just delaying; it’s observing us.” Ares closed his eyes, feeling the fluctuations around him. “With each cycle, it tries to interfere with our actions and even influence our decisions.”
“What do you mean by that?” Wagner frowned. “You think it’s manipulating our minds?”
“It’s not entirely manipulation.” Ares opened his eyes, his gaze deep and calm. “It’s trying to understand us, just as we’re trying to understand it. It’s a two-way game.”
Selena looked at the ice beneath her feet and suddenly had a flash of inspiration. "Since it's observing us, we have to break its predictions. It uses the rule of time loops, but the rule itself is also its weakness."
“Selena, do you have a plan?” Ares asked.
Selena nodded. "If we can find the nodes of the time loop and destroy them, we can disable the rules of the rift and break through the maze."
The Guardians sprang into action, following Selena's advice, searching for every possible hidden node in the time loop. They soon discovered that these nodes were integrated into the dimensional terrain in a unique way.
“Look there!” Selena pointed to the ground ahead, where a metallic crystal covered with intricate runes stood. “That’s a node; it connects to the rules of the time loop.”
"Alright, then smash it!" Wagner raised his battle axe and slammed it down on the crystal node. With a loud explosion, the entire space suddenly trembled violently, and the flow of time seemed to change as well.
“It’s working.” Ares felt the surrounding fluctuations gradually stabilizing. “The time rules are adjusting, but we still need to find the remaining nodes.”
Selena quickly analyzed the instrument. "I detected four more nodes, distributed in different directions. We need to split up to save time."
"Split up?" Wagner hesitated. "This place is very strange; splitting up could lead to trouble."
“We have no choice,” Ares said. “Split up, destroy the remaining nodes as quickly as possible, and then regroup in the core area.”
The three exchanged a glance, then nodded in unison and ran off in different directions.
As each person approaches their goal, they encounter different obstacles. The Rift does not leave these nodes undefended; it dispatches powerful guardians to protect the core of these times.
Ares's node was located in the center of a lake frozen in time. The lake water emitted an eerie glow, and as he approached, he saw a gigantic crystalline life form slowly rising from the lake. The monster's body seemed to be formed from the lake water, and every movement it made caused fluctuations in time.
“It can manipulate time to stand still.” Ares was secretly alarmed. He swung his rune sword and released a blade of light, but the blade of light was frozen in mid-air the moment it touched the monster.
The monster let out a low roar, and a wave of time surged towards Ares. He quickly rolled away to dodge, simultaneously concentrating all his strength to plunge his rune sword into the lake. He knew that rather than directly confronting the monster, it was better to destroy the environment it depended on for survival.
The lake began to tremble violently, and the crystal monster let out a shrill roar before finally collapsing into fragments as the lake crumbled. Ares seized the opportunity to strike the node, successfully destroying it.
Wagner's target was a cluster of floating rubble. The rubble shifted constantly, like a floating labyrinth, while his enemies were a horde of crystal warriors capable of rapidly reassembling. Wagner roared and swung his battle axe, smashing one warrior to pieces, but quickly, the warriors reformed, even stronger than before.
"Come on!" Wagner roared, charging forward relentlessly. He knew he couldn't completely defeat these enemies, but he could use brute force to break through the defenses and reach the key point.
In the end, Wagner smashed the node with a powerful blow, causing the rubble to collapse, and he narrowly escaped back to safety.
Selena's node was hidden in a dark forest. There were no obvious enemies, but she constantly felt something watching her. Every step felt like stepping into an unknown trap.
Just as she finally found the point, a blurry shadow suddenly lunged at her from the darkness. It was an extremely agile enemy, capable of blending into the darkness and launching an attack at the most lethal moment.
Selena, with her excellent reflexes and precise sniping, repelled the enemy and successfully destroyed the node. However, as she left the forest, a lingering unease remained in her heart.
After the three destroyed all the nodes, they reunited in the core area. The entire time labyrinth began to shake violently, and the rules of the rift rapidly collapsed.
“Well done,” Ares said, looking at the gradually emerging rift energy core. “We can now face it directly.”
However, just as they were preparing to launch their final attack, the Rift Core suddenly emitted a burst of intense light, enveloping the entire area in pure white.
"Do you think you can win by destroying the nodes?" That familiar whisper rang out again. "This is just the beginning of the game. My freedom has only just begun."
When the white light dissipated, the three found themselves transported to another space, where everything was clearly more dangerous and unpredictable.