"Emilia, you believe me, I really didn't think that way!!!"
Subaru truly didn't have such a hobby, and before Emilia could say anything, Rem and Ram's sisterly jabs had already arrived.
"So the guest has such a peculiar habit, then… Big Sister should be able to satisfy the guest's hobby."
Rem said this expressionlessly, and Ram, beside her, was much the same, only she mentioned Rem's name in her words.
Subaru turned completely ashen, directly flopping backward and pulling his head into the covers.
"You all can just pretend I'm dead…"
"Then do you need me to send you off? Your ability won't work on me; I guarantee one time will be enough to make you thoroughly deceased…"
Subaru shot out from under the covers with a whoosh, full of vitality as he gave a thumbs-up and said, "Mr. Yang, if you have anything, just command me freely!"
"Let's go, I have something to tell you…"
Yang Tao stood up and walked outside.
…
In the courtyard.
Yang Tao, Subaru, and Emilia sat around a small table.
Yang Tao picked up the still warm black tea, took a sip, and looked at Subaru, saying, "In five days, you will fall into the loop again. The reset time node will be when you woke up today, which means this time you will return to five days ago."
"Ah?"
Subaru asked in disbelief, "Then how did I die?"
"You died stupidly."
"Uh…"
"The first time, you didn't even know how you died. The second loop, even with your awareness, you still fell for it and died, so you died stupidly."
"The third time, you were killed by Rem… Uh, actually, the second time you were also killed by Rem."
Emilia, beside him, said in disbelief, "This… How is this possible? Why would Rem kill Subaru?"
"Because of the Witch's scent. Every time Subaru activates his ability, the Witch's scent on him becomes stronger, and Rem hates witches the most. I think you, Emilia, should be very clear about this."
"Another point is that Subaru has lived in the mansion for five days and has gained some understanding of the estate, but in Rem's eyes, Subaru is clearly here for the first time, yet he is very familiar with the estate. This will naturally attract the attention of Rem and Ram."
Subaru felt completely unwell and immediately stood up, saying, "No, I have to go!"
"You go, Miss Emilia will be taken care of by me from now on. Really, I haven't made friends with a silver-haired girl yet. Oh, and Rem with the blue hair…"
Yang Tao sipped his black tea, not even glancing at Subaru.
Subaru's foot, which had just stepped out, immediately retracted, and he obediently sat back in the chair, looking very honest as he said, "I'm sorry, I was impulsive. Please, my lord, teach me what to do?"
"I have three methods here."
"First, I'll send you to a place called the Backrooms. There, your personal abilities can also be trained, especially your vigilance."
"Second, I'll send you to a world called the Dark Sanctuary. There, you will gain powerful strength, but it will take a longer time."
"Third, I'll take you to a place called Nest City. There, you will undergo a complete transformation."
"Don't worry, all three places are very safe. You choose."
That's right, for Yang Tao, they were all very safe.
Upon hearing this, Subaru's face showed hesitation. He had seen Reinhardt's power with that sword yesterday, and he also wanted to become stronger.
Although he possessed the ability to return by death, he wasn't a masochist. That feeling of near-death, after too many times, could truly drive him insane.
"Can I… can I visit all of them?"
"Of course, Subaru, I really didn't misjudge you!"
Yang Tao's face showed an incredibly brilliant smile. He believed that if Subaru just walked around in these three worlds, he would definitely undergo a transformation.
He snapped his fingers, and the wooden door leading to the Overworld appeared before Subaru and Emilia.
Yang Tao stood up, opened the wooden door, and smiled at Subaru, saying, "Let's go."
Seeing this, Emilia stood up and asked, "How long will you be gone?"
"Hmm, in the blink of an eye."
With that, he threw Subaru into the wooden door. Looking at the cute Emilia, he took out the Endless Watch of Flowing Time from his backpack.
A strange fluctuation appeared.
The entire small world came to a standstill.
"See you later!"
Yang Tao walked into the wooden door, and the wooden door disappeared, but the next moment, the wooden door reappeared.
Two figures walked out from it.
It was Yang Tao and Subaru, only now, Subaru's temperament had undergone an earth-shattering change.
"Emilia, long time no see. I believe this time I can definitely protect your safety."
Emilia was a bit bewildered.
How could you say 'long time no see' after just a moment of distraction?
…
Backrooms
Level 0 'Tutorial'
Yellowed wallpaper, damp carpets with a slight smell of decay, and fluorescent light fixtures installed inconsistently.
"Where is this?"
Subaru looked around somewhat bewildered.
Where did he bring me?
"The Backrooms, Level 0 Tutorial. Literally, compared to what comes after, this is where you learn to be calm."
Yang Tao's eyes became as deep as the cosmos. His gaze looked towards the 'Backrooms'.
He saw boxes stacked on top of each other, each 'box' being a level, and his current location was the 'top layer'.
In the 'lower layer' areas, some light clusters emitted brilliant light. As soon as his gaze fell upon them, they sensed him.
'Hello, Yang Tao.'
A voice sounded out of nowhere.
'From the moment you appeared in the box, we noticed you. We looked forward to your recovery…'
'But we didn't expect this day to come so quickly…'
'Are you interested in joining our Pantheon?'
These few sentences were uttered by different 'people', making Yang Tao feel a bit of a headache.
The Pantheon was the strongest existence in the 'Backrooms'. They could be said to be everything in the Backrooms.
Before the inception of time, the construction of space, the forging of reality, and the existence and non-existence of all things, the world contained infinite primordial potential, eternal, self-existent, without beginning or end.
The terrifying ocean churned, countless universes Qiangwei like islands, and the miracle of life found its own space.
In the sea, twenty-four concepts began to surge, taking form in reality, giving shape to the various concepts.
This was the origin of the Pantheon.
'What is your purpose?'
Yang Tao had no ill will towards the gods in the Pantheon, nor did he have any particular fondness.
After all, neither side owed the other anything.
'To perform a grand, infinite dance of concepts…'
Yang Tao: "…"
The so-called dance was merely a concept.
Just like the creative music of Eru Ilúvatar, the Creator God in The Lord of the Rings world.
Just as animals and plants were created by Eru and the Ainur in the First and Second Music.
And these guys in the Pantheon should also be accomplishing some special things through 'dance'.
'I can join, but I don't have time to dance with you all. If I have time, I can go and watch…'
'As long as you join the Pantheon, your 'dance' will be seen by all existing beings…'