CH 445

Server’s female form disappears, and one machine near me, and then another turns into golden light.

That light floats over to the old clock where Rose wrapped its vine, and is sucked into it.

The hands of the clock start moving counterclockwise, which is a strange experience.

Maybe it’s the effect of the pseudo stamina potion Server gave me, but I get double vision as I look at the old clock in front of me, and see images of our world rolling back.

Those images come rushing towards me. It feels like I’m the world rolling back.

Ah, here’s the first one.

A feeling of something buried in the world that doesn’t belong there, one of Araysla’s scars.

It’s like a thorn stuck in my hand. But as time rolls back, it’s something we have to deal with.

The thorn doesn’t leave easily, but then Rose stretches its vine, with golden tweezers in its tip.

“Thank you, Rose.”

Rose is here for me even at a time like this. I take the tweezers and quickly extract Araysla’s scar.

The world keeps rolling back, and I keep extracting thorns every time one appears.

The speed of the flow of time doesn’t change, only its direction changes as the world continues to roll back.

I never know when these scars might appear, so I can’t let my guard down for a second. It’s a long and idle time, but I have to pull out the thorns when they appear.

Days.

Months.

Years.

This tension continues without a moment to rest.

Is this why that tasted like a stamina potion…

And suddenly, I notice that all those machines are gone, leaving only one.

Is it finally over… Ah, this feels nostalgic.

The world keeps rolling back, and I’m back to when I graduated.

Rose then starts speaking. It’s one with the old clock at this point, and has taken over for Server. It truly is a god now.

『Good job Rust. It’s time to say goodbye.』

“You too Rose. Sorry, but I have to leave the rest to you.”

『Yes, this will allow the world to continue existing. Leave the remaining scars of Araysla to me.』

The flow of time shifts again, slowly starting to flow in the original direction.

“By the way, what will happen to me?”

I ask Rose casually as I see my body start to disappear.

『You will be incorporated into the world as it restarts, and live and die as one of its people, Rust.』

“I see…”

I look at my hands.

I still have these worn-out tweezers. It feels like they might break and disappear at any moment.

『How about you use those one last time? You can interfere with fate just a little.』

Rose points to an image of me, accepting a tentative offer of the alchemist association.

“Can I really… Use it like that?”

『Why not?』

Rose gently says I can.

“Well, I guess I can’t go back to that job after they made my budget zero.”

And finally, I use the tweezers to mess with fate just a little.