Instructions
Under the guildmaster's orders, the remaining subordinates are rushing to prepare the time transfer device. Their movements are sluggish with anxiety and fear. I, too, cannot suppress the pounding of my heart. Activating the time transfer device is a more dangerous act than ever before. Failure could cause this entire world, or even the entire universe, to be swallowed by a distortion in the timeline. I double-check the procedure written in the Infinite Book. The Tears of the Wyrm, a fragment of an ancient artifact, and the blood of the Sage. All materials are present. Yet, something remains insufficient. That something is certain knowledge and a precise understanding of the procedure. The slightest mistake could lead to an irreversible catastrophe.
“...Preparations... are complete...” The Guildmaster's voice trembles faintly. His face bears an expression mingling terror and resolve. He stands before the control panel of the Time Transfer Device. The activation switch clutched in his hand feels as though he holds the very thread of fate.
I clutched the Infinite Book to my chest, staring intently at the time transfer device. Its intricate machinery pulsed, almost as if it were a living creature. A faint energy fluctuation emanating from the device reached my body. It was a strange sensation, as if I could feel the flow of time itself.
“...Then...” The Guildmaster took a deep breath and reached for the switch. At that instant, the shadows began to move. As if sensing our actions. The shadows moved faster and more violently than before, beginning to attack my subordinates. I attacked the shadows with ancient magic, but the effect was minimal. Being distortions of time itself, the shadows couldn't be damaged by conventional magic.
“...At this rate... we won't make it...” The Guildmaster cried out in a voice filled with despair. His face was deathly pale.
I assessed the situation. To activate the Time Transfer Device, we needed to completely stop the shadow. But in the current state, that was nearly impossible. I made a decision.
“Guildmaster! Activate the device! I'll draw the shadow's attention!”
My words made the Guildmaster look shocked. “...What are you saying!?”
“The time transfer device possesses the power to manipulate time. The shadow is a distortion of time. Then, the only option is to absorb that distortion with the device's power!”
I gripped the Infinite Book tightly, preparing to confront the shadow. This was the final gamble. A final gamble staking my life, and the life of this world.
Translated with DeepL.com (free version)
