Half an hour ago, the Tang Mo trio came to the gas station. Fu Wenduo went to find petrol while Tang Mo went to the bungalow across the road to find new supplies. After officially entering Beijing, the food that could be found would be less and less. The trioâs current demands for food and water were extremely low but wasnât completely absent. Tang Mo wanted to prepare everything in advance to avoid incidents.
âThe ability to go back in time is certain. They mustâve gone back in time. It is due to the charred bookshelf at the rear of the newsstand. The bookshelf was blackened from being burnt but on the shelfâŠâ Tang Mo paused for a moment. âThere was an intact magazine.â
The trio walked across the road and found the charred bookshelf.
The bookshelf really couldnât be seen from the bungalow where the four stowaways had been hiding. It could only be seen when they walked past the newsstand. The bookshelf was charred and was almost a steel shelf. There was a yellowed magazine on it that wasnât burnt at all.
How was this situation strange? There was the possibility that someone burnt the shelf and then put the magazine on it.
However, this was enough.
In an empty place, Tang Mo suddenly saw a charred shelf with a well-preserved book on it⊠what would he think?
Tang Mo didnât know what Fu Wenduo and Fu Wensheng would think but he felt that this was a deliberate hint someone left for him.
It was like in detective novels when a protagonist went somewhere and saw something abnormal. There must be a reason for the abnormality. He just didnât have time to guess what the clue was or what it was trying to say. He came up with one possibility. âThe magazine might not be placed there after the bookshelf was burnt.
Fu Wensheng was surprised. âWhy?â
The bookshelf was so burned that it would fall from a single touch. The magazine didnât have a single burn mark so it mustâve been placed later on. If it wasnât placed there after the shelf was burned⊠could it be on top of the shelf when it was burned?
Fu Wenduo raised an eyebrow at Tang Moâs words and looked at him. Previously, Tang Mo was in a hurry to take care of the four stowaways and didnât carefully observe the bookshelf. He stepped forward and crouched on the ground, taking down the magazine from the shelf. Due to his movements, the shelf quickly collapsed.
Tang Mo looked at the title and date of the magazine. He turned and waved the magazine. âThis magazine is quite famous and is sold all over the country. The date on it is November 18th.â
Fu Wensheng immediately had a thought. âThe day that the black tower games officially began?â
Tang Mo nodded. âYes. This type of bookshelf generally contains the popular magazines. The boss would place all the good things on the small shelf so that passersby could see. The magazine mightâve been on the shelf for a long time, probably at least five months.â
Fu Wensheng still didnât understand what was going on but Tang Mo had it all figured out.
He previously suspected that someone was in the area due to the strange shelf. From beginning to end, he was unsure if someone was actually ambushing or the location they were ambushing from. He was just suspicious. Thus, after entering the newsstand, he used the turkey egg to communicate with Fu Wenduo and told him about the strange phenomenon. The two men made a decision at an extremely fast speed. One of them would search the bungalow while the other would search the restaurant. It was because these two were the best places to hide people.
Perhaps no one was ambushing at all and the strange bookshelf was just a playerâs prank. Still, Tang Mo and Fu Wenduo couldnât let go of any doubts.
There was something Fu Wenduo didnât know that Fu Wensheng did. Tang Mo said, âXiao Sheng, donât you know what burned this bookshelf?â
Fu Wensheng was stunned. âI know it?â
The little boy bowed his head and thought for a moment. Then he suddenly exclaimed, ââŠYour big match?â
Thatâs right. It was Mosaicâs big match.
Two months ago, in the Queen of Heartsâ Gem Corridor, Tang Mo ignited Bai Ruoyaoâs arm with the big match and told him mercilessly, âYou will be burned alive by this fire if you donât cut off your arm.â
[Function: Flames that canât be extinguished. You can ignite the match at will. Once the matchâs flames burn an object, the causality effect means the object will be burned up. Extinguishing the flames is hard beyond imagination.]
The bookshelf was burnt down by this match.
It was a law of causality that only objects ignited by the big match would be burned.
âIn a previous time that was reversed, I mustâve discovered this ability but didnât know how to remind myself that someone was waiting in ambush. Thus, I lit the bookshelf with the big match and took away one of the magazines.â Tang Mo placed the magazine on the remnants of the charred shelf. âIt is because the magazine was taken away that it wasnât burnt by the flames. Once time reversed, it returned to the shelf again. However, the bookshelf has been burnt.â
Fu Wensheng looked at the shelf and magazine on the ground. âThatâs why on the burnt bookshelf, there was an intact magazine.â
The cause of this matter was determined. The trio returned to the gas station to dispose of the bodies of the four stowaways.
Tang Mo reached out and pulled out his abilities book. He flipped to the last page and read the text.
[Ability: High Tide Always Comes Quickly]
[Owner: Zhao Kewei (Stowaway)
[Function: Reverse the physical state of all substances in a certain area. The state of all substances can be restored to one minute before.]
[Restrictions: The physical strength improvement is zero. From the moment the ability is used, you must go through 60 seconds of material change before you can use the reverse ability. When this ability is used, all living objects in the area will experience strong physiological needs. It can be used up to seven times a day. Restoring the physical state will consume the userâs corresponding cell life and recovering the state of multiple living objects will consume many times more cells.]
[Note: High tide always comes quickly so savor it over and over again.]
[Tang Mo version usage instructions: Can be used once a day and consumes double the cell life. There is a 5% chance that the physical state of the living body canât be reversed. For Tang Mo, a minute of high tide⊠wait, can Tang Moâs high tide last a minute?]
âŠIt turned out that the strange impulse he felt when crossing the road was actually because of this ability?
Tang Mo had long been accustomed to the abilities book. His eyelids twitched but his eyes focused on the functions and limitations of this ability.
It wasnât a directly rewinding of time but restoring the physical state of all matter to what it was one minute ago?
Tang Mo thought, âThis explains why the burnt bookshelf wasnât restored while the magazine and everything else was.â
It wasnât time but the physical state of matter. The magazine that was removed returned to the bookshelf but the bookshelf couldnât be restored because of the law of causality.
âDid you get that manâs ability?â
Tang Mo nodded. He reflexively wanted to hand over the ability book but he just held it out when he pulled it back. Tang Mo coughed and threw the book back into the air. He explained, âIt isnât rewinding time in the objective sense. His abilityâŠâ Tang Mo sorted out his words and continued, âHis ability is to restore the physical state of all matter in a certain area to what it was one minute ago.â
It was like the rain in the sky. One minute ago, the rain was a mixture of condensed nuclei and water vapor. It slowly fell from the clouds towards the ground, blending into the puddle. However, everything was reversed with this ability. The physical state of the raindrop returned to the state of condensed nuclei and water vapor and its physical location was restored, returning to the dark clouds.
Tang Moâs science knowledge had never been good. He carefully recalled the explanations in the abilities book and finally came to a rough conclusion, âAll in all, this can be considered a reversal ability but it canât reverse the laws of causality. For example, the shelf burned by the big match.â
Fu Wenduo asked, âIs there a limit?â
Tang Mo said, âThere are many restrictions, such as I can only use it once a day and that life will be consumed.â
Fu Wenduo frowned, âLife is consumed?â
Tang Mo briefly explained it. There were abilities that consumed the life of the user, such as A Fast Man. Tang Mo tried not to use this ability as fast as possible. It was because the ability was too powerful. If he used it too much and became psychologically dependent on it, he would be tempted to keep using it.
Such abilities were too powerful. In the fact of this extreme temptation, Tang Mo didnât dare guarantee that he could resist using them.
âThis ability is like poison.â Tang Mo added, âI guess that players who use these abilities donât know the side effect. It is just like you and Xiao Sheng only knowing how to use your power but not the function and restrictions.â
Fu Wenduo said, âIt isnât know what my ability is yet.â
Tang Mo was stunned and turned to look at Fu Wenduo.
Fu Wenduo was standing by the window, his head slightly bowed as he looked at Tang Mo.
Since leaving Nanjing and heading to Beijing, Tang Mo looked at Fu Wenshengâs ability first. There was a three down cooldown for this ability and Tang Mo couldnât check Fu Wenduoâs ability within those three days. After that, they tried to hold hands while Fu Wenduo was driving. The two people held hands for a full six hours before Tang Mo gave up and never mentioned this matter again.
âIf it is so difficult to gain a personâs ability, how did that woman get your abilities in such a short period of time?â
Tang Mo looked up at Fu Wenduo with surprise.
Fu Wenduoâs dark eyes were staring at Tang Mo. Tang Mo vaguely felt that the other person mightâve guessed something. Fu Wenduoâs thinking ability was excellent so it was possible for him to guess the truth. Tang Moâs expression didnât change. He calmly said, âThe abilities that I cope are weakened. It is her ability so it is naturally more convenient for her to use it.â
âI see.â Fu Wenduo made a meaningful sound before saying, âIn the one minute before that person used the reverse time ability⊠I felt that there was something wrong. Tang Mo, did you feel it?â
Fu Wensheng exclaimed, âEh Brother, I also felt hot and strange. Did you feel it as well?â
Fu Wenduo spoke casually, âYou are only 12 years old.â
Fu Wensheng was surprised. âWhat? What does this have to do with me being 12 years old?â
He was 12 years old so he probably didnât feel those so sensations so quickly.
Tang Mo filled in Fu Wenduoâs words in his heard. ââŠâ
âŠDamn, this person was a dog! He could always smell it whenever something was wrong!
Tang Mo changed the subject. âCheck their bodies. There might be some useful clues.â
Fu Wensheng was preparing to ask what was wrong with his age when Fu Wenduo heard these words and turned to look at Tang Mo. He gave a low laugh and didnât say anything else.
As long as Tang Mo didnât admit it, Fu Wenduo was just guessing.
Tang Mo didnât understand how Fu Wenduo could make so many strange conjectures as a straight man and Fu Wenduo was always interested in the cheap abilities book. He probably guessed that some of the contents were very strange. Tang Mo thought of the cheap book and secretly decided. In this life, he absolutely couldnât let anyone see the contents of the book!
Tang Mo didnât think it was a coincidence that four strangers came to attack them.
âThese people are weak. They arenât official players and almost all of them have abilities. There is a 70% chance that they deliberately waited here for an ambush. They mightâve been tracking us for a long time. They are very powerful if we canât find them. There is a 30% chance that they are just random players passing by. Tang Mo paused before adding, âFu Wenduo and I will take these three bodies. Xiao Sheng, you go and check the body of that man.â
The three people split up.
Tang Mo examined the body of the man with the ability to reverse time.
On the icy concrete floor, the middle-aged manâs eyes were wide open as he stared at the sky. Since the earth went online, Tang Mo had seen many corpses and deaths that were much more horrible. He stared at the corpseâs eyes with a blank expression before searching the other personâs body.
Killing this person was an accident but it was also inevitable. If he didnât kill this person, the ability would keep being used and everything would start all over again.
The four players were smart. Once Tang Mo and Fu Wenduo took the initiative to attack, they understood that the ability to reverse time mustâve been discovered. The ability to reverse time wasnât from a prop. Therefore, they made the decision for three of them to delay Tang Mo and Fu Wenduo while letting their companion with the ability escape.