The Price of Time Reversal

“Thump-thump-thump.”

A hurried footsteps echoed down the corridor.

“Rooms [604], [608], and [611] are all clear, but… I couldn’t find the young lady who was visiting a moment ago,” The Doctor called out, pushing open a patient room door.

“Then it must be the special isolation ward,” Yao Jing replied.

That ward was designated by the hospital to quarantine special individuals, serving also as the place where the unconscious thugs were kept.

“You go check there; I’ll stay here and continue the search.”

Yao Jing showed no surprise at his old friend’s declaration of retreat.

With a shift of his thoughts, a blue glow emanated from his wristband, filling his entire body with immense power and greatly enhancing his five senses.

Finally, a familiar greatsword materialized in his hand, which he habitually swung, carving several marks into the floor amidst The Doctor’s furious shouts.

This level of void-creation technology, by all accounts, should be beyond the grasp of current human civilization.

Could it be that the rumors of the [Outsiders] secretly controlling human civilization were true?

It was one of the most well-known rumors circulating within the Supervision Bureau and even the entire Outer Realm.

It was said that [Greywind], the birthplace of [War Gear], possessed scientific and technological advancements far exceeding modern civilization because it harbored higher life forms from ‘beyond the heavens’ or, more accurately, from ‘another dimension’.

These were great beings who had witnessed the collision and decline of countless civilizations, possessing boundless knowledge.

Their release of War Gear technology was merely a ruse to divert attention, allowing them to continue their undisclosed operations.

Indeed, the plan had succeeded; after receiving War Gear technology, the other cities in the Outer Realm Alliance openly ceased their strenuous efforts to probe Greywind’s internal activities.

As for what transpired in secret… that was not a matter for a mere hunter like him to ponder.

However…

If such higher life forms truly existed, he now hoped they would quickly find a way to deal with these black-blooded creatures.

****

After that piercing scream, silence once again enveloped the hospital.

The bright ceiling lights dispelled the darkness but offered no sense of security.

Yao Jing moved silently through the corridor, his senses alert to his surroundings.

In his brief career as a hunter, the instances of being ambushed by monsters and suffering first-strike kills were countless, yet thankfully, Time Reversal always granted him another chance.

“W-w-w… no… I…”

A faint sob reached him.

Following the sound, Yao Jing arrived at a junction in the corridor, where an open door deepened his apprehension.

To access the isolation ward, one either needed The Doctor’s escort or an internal unlock.

Which meant…

Drawing closer, Yao Jing saw a figure sprawled on the floor, their body partially obstructing the automatic door’s closing path.

Turning the figure over and comparing them to his memory, it was indeed one of the unconscious individuals they had rescued.

‘How did he get here?’

‘Was the black-blooded creature nearby as well?’

‘No, I can’t jump to conclusions; there’s no evidence that the black-blooded creature requires close proximity to manipulate humans.’

‘In fact… judging by the speed of that truck, its range of interference could be enormous.’

‘The most crucial task now is to quickly confirm everyone’s safety.’

Watching the door close, Yao Jing hoisted the man’s body and continued forward.

Although he had assigned a guard, that particular individual was someone who could sit at the same table as Liu Yu—they had a brain, but not much of one, and could very well cause some monumental blunder if not careful.

‘But why did everyone with a bit of power these days seem to be unhinged?’

‘Could it be that the Sage of Knowledge was deliberately compensating for their inherent deficiencies?’

Grumbling inwardly, Yao Jing walked a bit further.

“Ah—!”

The familiar scream rang out again.

Amidst heavy gasps and the sound of running, a figure burst from the corner ahead.

Yao Jing focused his gaze, identifying her as the young lady who had come to visit a patient.

“Here, over here, come to me!”

He waved his arm, calling out.

“There’s… there’s a monster, so… so terrifying…”

The woman ran towards him, breathless.

Her sunglasses seemed to have fallen off during the chase, revealing a familiar face that momentarily stunned Yao Jing.

‘Where had he seen her before?’

Yao Jing racked his brain, yet a piece felt missing; he couldn’t quite reconstruct the full image.

Deciding not to dwell on what he couldn’t recall, he dropped the man he was carrying onto the floor, gripped his greatsword with both hands, and assumed a combat stance.

“Don’t go! That’s absolutely not a monster that humans, mere humans, can fight!”

The woman clutched Yao Jing’s clothing, her genuine terror piquing his curiosity.

He gently patted her small hand, reassuring her, “Don’t worry, miss, I’m an official hunter, specifically trained to deal with these monsters.

Now, listen to me: you need to leave here and find a safe place to hide.”

Though his words were meant to calm her, Yao Jing felt no confidence.

The fact that the monster inside had rampaged for so long unchecked suggested that the guard he had stationed was likely incapacitated or worse.

Entering the fray under such circumstances, with his current strength, would simply be adding to the enemy’s kill count.

Of course, that was merely an outsider’s perspective.

With Time Reversal at his disposal, he felt his actions were more akin to saving at a boss door—first, he would try to understand the enemy’s mechanics as much as possible, then formulate a targeted attack.

If all else failed, he could always revert a few hours and gang up on that little terror with Liu Yu.

Embracing the philosophy of surviving for as long as possible, Yao Jing stepped into the hall.

“What… what in the world?”

Yao Jing stared in disbelief at the scene before him.

‘What the hell was this?!’

The hall was littered with broken tables and chairs, the front desk sliced in half by some force.

A long rope neatly bound a group of people, who lay peacefully on the floor—upon closer inspection, they were indeed the restrained individuals.

The rope extended upwards, finally leading to a small, fair hand.

The owner of that hand was hanging upside down from the ceiling, their eyes meeting Yao Jing’s.

Suddenly, she flashed a wide smile.

Then…

“A-da!”

Defying gravity, she spun several times in the air before launching a flying kick towards Yao Jing, its terrifying momentum making the hunter wonder if he had somehow wronged her.

She was clearly intent on killing him!

To avoid being sent back by Time Reversal, Yao Jing decisively backed down, covering his head and squatting defensively.

The flying kick soared past the hunter’s head by mere inches, hurtling towards the other end of the corridor.

“Bang!”

It sounded as if someone had been hit.

[Shield Remaining: 30%]

‘How utterly terrifying!’

Yao Jing wiped the cold sweat from his forehead.

Just being grazed had nearly shattered his shield; if he had been directly struck, he would undoubtedly not have survived.

“Tina!”

Yao Jing roared.

Indeed, the guard stationed at the hospital was an elf he had temporarily borrowed from Roza—a bit dim-witted, perhaps, but with combat prowess ranking among the top in East River.

She was also a pair of troublemaking prodigies, comparable to the other mischievous Liu Yu.

But this time, it was too much.

He furiously chased after her, only to witness an unexpected sight.

Roza’s hellhound was punching and kicking a person whose face belonged to the man Yao Jing had been carrying earlier.

‘He had regained consciousness at some point, unbeknownst to him!’

‘Could something have happened to the young lady?’

Anxiety filled Yao Jing’s heart; he wanted to rush over and check the situation, but there was something he absolutely had to confirm first.

“Tina, have you seen a monster?”

“Monster?”

Tina grabbed the man’s shoulder beside her and spun him upwards, throwing him.

Then, she pulled her cheeks with both hands, opening her mouth into a wide circle, revealing two rows of pristine white teeth, and wailed, “I’m a monster! I’m a monster! Here comes the monster!”

“…Then have you seen a woman wearing sunglasses?”

“Maybe…”

Tina replied dismissively; her primary method of identifying most humans was by scent, with Roza being the sole exception.

“But…” Tina suddenly changed the subject, pointing to a corner of the hall and saying, “There are a pair of sunglasses over there; I just don’t know if they’re the ones you’re looking for.”

Yao Jing followed her gaze and indeed saw a broken pair of sunglasses.

“So that’s it…”

Yao Jing considered many things: why the incident occurred shortly after the woman arrived, why she was in the isolation ward.

Connecting all the clues, while not guaranteeing 100% accuracy, it was a gamble worth taking.

Having made up his mind, Yao Jing raised his greatsword and, amidst Tina’s horrified pleas, plunged it into himself.

Time thereupon reversed…

****

“H-h-hello, could you tell me where room 608 is?” the woman’s nervous voice inquired.

“It’s the second door on your left after the corner; remember to knock,” The Doctor replied.

“Th-thank you.”

“Wait.”

Yao Jing stepped in front of the woman and, under The Doctor’s puzzled gaze, extended his hand, saying, “Miss, allow me to guide you this time.”