Chapter 72 About Clocks
X covered his head, feeling inexplicably nauseous. After the barrier between him and his real memories was removed, he was truly experiencing this world for the first time.
"How about it?"
Carmen leaned back in the dark-haired youth's chair, observing her junior's expression. Seeing his brow furrow deeper and deeper, she was about to speak when X, looking at a screen, asked:
"What's that anomaly that looks like a blue rag doll?"
"Ah, are you talking about Doraemon?"
Carmen stroked her chin and looked at the screen that X had pointed out, which was emitting a strange "ding ding ding ding" sound effect.
"Hmm...it seems that anomaly only exists in that one world."
Could it be that the melodies or inexplicable thoughts that often linger in one's mind come from these strange mirror worlds?
"Have you thought of anything?"
Seeing the somewhat subtle expression on the black-haired youth's face, Carmen became curious. It seemed that her junior had gained some incredible and wonderful experiences in various mirror worlds.
"In what form do I exist in this world? I should be just like you..."
"But I'm here too, so why can't you exist?"
The brown-haired woman retorted, "We're on the same page, so why do you want to find out the real reason? Isn't it better to just continue living like this?"
“Those children, Angela and Benjamin are desperate to keep you alive, and the others are in the same boat.”
"You're no longer in the city, and our goal has been achieved..."
The black-haired youth simply stared at the screen, lost in thought.
Carmen, who seemed completely unyielding, thought, "Damn it, who cut my phone line!"
Time seemed to exist independently within this separate space, and they observed all of "X's" memories from this very spot.
One "archive" after another played here, until... it played X's own "archive".
He saw himself and A on Day 50, as well as the light that had illuminated the city for seven whole days.
No, that's only six and a half days! Where did the other half day go?
Carmen saw this too. She was holding a remote control and started rewinding, even changing the perspective.
Unlike X, she has a view of the entire company.
Soon, a new signal source was connected, providing a very strange perspective.
In front of the blue-haired AI was a mirror. Unlike ordinary mirrors, it did not reflect Angela's face, which was identical to Carmen's. Instead, it acted like a media player, showing X's "way out," or at least, the way out in the AI's eyes.
That was a re-emission, dazzling light.
And the short-haired "self" and the black-haired finisher, the "self" originally intended to merge into the light, but was interrupted.
So, can my plans be changed?
The blue-haired AI then left her room and went downstairs without the supervisor's knowledge.
Then, what X saw was that the light was not taken away, but only a small part of it was preserved.
And, a slight deviation occurred, and it cracked on its own.
After reading it, X's first thought was nothing other than, "Your construction department really does have a small group behind my back!"
With a snap, the black-haired youth covered his face.
“Hmm, you seem to have become much more quick-witted,” Carmen’s red eyes were full of laughter, as if she had no other emotions at all. “Indeed, unexpected adventures can change a person’s personality. I saw it too, on your journey with those children.”
"Oh, right, here you go."
She pulled out an old-fashioned red clock from somewhere.
"Ta-da! How about that, are you surprised?!"
Carmen opened the back cover of the clock, and X immediately felt a chill run down his spine. Even though she was opening the clock, he had the unsettling feeling that his skull had been ripped open.
Inside the clock was a faintly glowing ocean of light, and three even brighter points of light.
"Hmm... I knew it."
Even though she opened the lid herself, Carmen showed a slightly surprised expression, muttering, "This design..."
X also looked at the clock that had once stood on his neck instead of his head, and the three points of light that represented special abilities.
Two of them are brighter than the other; those represent the particles of Binah and Hokma.
"...in that case, about right..."
The brown-haired woman produced a screwdriver for disassembling clocks, intending to take the poor clock apart.
X stopped his senior's reckless behavior, took her screwdriver, and intended to disassemble it himself.
"This place... is going to explode..."
Carmen originally intended to return the clock to X so that he could collect the light for the last half day, but it inexplicably turned into a discussion between the two of them about the clock and its contents.
After an unknown amount of time, the two suddenly stopped.
"Oh no! It seems... we're doomed."
"Wait, if we spell it from here... ah."
On the table were various odds and ends, and the gold branch that was originally part of it was placed aside.
The two researchers stared at the table with grave expressions, and both fell silent.
The golden-eyed youth first looked at Jinzhi, whose eyes were the same color as his own, and then turned to look at the red-eyed senior beside him.
The senior seemed a little guilty as he looked away.
Where did you get this clock?
“From your abandoned body.”
In a room at Lobotomy Corporation, there is a body with a clock head on it. A female ghost casually took the clock away when she passed by on her way.
...
Finally, the two managed to put the golden branch back into the clock, and the lid was barely closed. However, the golden branch still retained its tree branch shape and was no longer the sky twinkling with stars.
"Is this clock bulging out?"
Carmen looked at the old-fashioned clock in the black-haired youth's hand and felt that it looked a little different from before.
Yes, the pointers are all crooked.
"Ahem," the senior tried to steer the conversation back on track, "Young man, it's time to gather your companions for your upcoming new journey!"
"Carmen, have you been seeing strange things in this world?"
X looked at this senior who seemed to have seen some special products of this world and asked hesitantly.
"Go quickly!"
While the clock was still in X's hands, Ms. Carmen pushed him into the screen with a speed that the supervisor could not possibly react to, and then waved her hand at the end.
"Oops, where did I push him?"
*
The stacked-up people were adding to the pile. Li Xiang, who was trying to help the gray-haired researcher whose life was in danger, was hit hard on the head by the falling red clock.
The poor man immediately collapsed, his vision went black.
Gregor dared not make any rash moves because of his physical condition, and could only watch helplessly as Abram pressed down on him again, while Li Xiang lay on the side, his life hanging in the balance.
"Li Xiang? Li Xiang? Can you still hear me?"
Li Xiang lay there quietly, motionless, as if she were dead.
The murder weapon remained there quietly; it was a very familiar round, red object.
The manager's head flew off!
The next moment, the owner of the "head" also appeared, in a familiar spot.
When the suitcase was placed on top, the gray-haired man could still make a slight sound.
When X fell, Abram was already silent, and Gregor felt as if he were almost dead.
X was also puzzled. He could feel weightlessness, but it didn't hurt at all. In fact, it felt soft and even seemed to have a temperature...
As soon as he looked down, he saw Abram's face, which was already on the verge of collapse, and below that, Gregor's face, filled with despair.
He moved with the speed of someone fighting a 5A-level scenic spot, quickly flipping himself down, lest he crush Abram to death!
As soon as he came down, he saw a figure lying face down, which was probably Li Xiang.
What's wrong with Li Xiang?
Why does it feel like it's dead?
“Manager, he was…hit on the head,” he managed to say with difficulty, uttering the absurd statement.
Abram was laid flat to one side; he was still breathing, but had been knocked unconscious.
And the suitcase...
"Dead?" X asked Gregor, who had just regained his freedom, looking at the motionless Number One criminal.
“Dead,” Gregor said definitively.
Li Xiang, now back to life, touched the spot where he had been hit and looked at X, who was also clutching the same spot on his head:
"I think I just got hit on the head?"
He looked at the red clock that X was half-hugging and half-embracing, somewhat puzzled.
X was also a little confused: "When did you change back?"
"Am I experiencing some kind of strange phenomenon?"
As expected, I have no memory of that period.
"Adam used his powers on you, and temporarily replaced you with a personality from another world."
"Supervisor," Li Xiang said, remembering the unlucky guy he'd hit, "is that gentleman alright?" after X answered him.
Upon hearing this, all three of them turned their gazes to Abram, who was still standing there motionless.
"Although I don't know where we are, let's first look for a hospital or something similar."
As X spoke, he and Li Xiang helped the unconscious gray-haired researcher to his feet, one on each side.
As for Gregor, he was useless in this situation because of his arm problem.
"Is this Yokohama?"
X knows this place very well; at least there are normal hospitals here.
No.
"Yes, I'll be fine after a short rest."
A purple-eyed fox who looks exactly like one of her employees received a group of people, including X, who seemed abnormal at first glance, at her small clinic.
Gregor's arm alone would make others shun them; only a kind doctor like him would treat them.
But... what's with that strange clock?
The shape of the drum makes it look more like a strange-looking metal ball than a bell.
Moreover... whether they genuinely don't know or are pretending not to know, this isn't a place for ordinary people to return to.
"Mr. Mori... Oh, there are other people here with you."
A young man with bandages wrapped around his face casually pushed open the door and entered, only to be surprised to find that there were several other people inside.
"Who are they?"
"This is Mr. X, and his companion is unconscious."
"Mr. X?" The boy with one eye covered noticed the golden-eyed youth staring at him and asked, somewhat puzzled, "What's wrong with me?"
"Hmm..." The stranger named X hesitated for a moment, "Are your eyes injured? Or are you sick?"
This is probably not my original world anymore, but the difference is too great.
My own family doesn't do these kinds of things, is this some kind of performance art?
Or is it the company's rules and regulations that restrict the child's individual development?
Or I could just have him work on the Judgment Bird when I get back; he can blindfold both of them at once.
-----------------------
Author's Note: Carmen: Ah!
X: Ah!
Let's make do with Seri for now.
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