Chapter 34
The countdown began.
00:04:59
As the faint blue countdown numbers above my head began to tick, the entire room filled with dense streams of numbers, falling like waterfalls.
So this is the true form of the Timed Collapse Magic Array?
The dense numbers fell to the floor as if into a pitch-black abyss, signaling that the Mana Furnace, which had been operating for thirty years, was gradually approaching its… fix
Watching the numbers continuously fall, combined with the ever-shortening countdown, the sense of urgency was so oppressive I could barely breathe!
Lian Qi “tsked.” Without wasting a second, she turned and began to destroy the Timed Collapse Magic Array using Enchantment magic.
I didn’t dare say a word to her. The pressure on Lian Qi must be even greater than on me. Unlike me, who was just tied up and waiting to be rescued, she was carrying the lives of everyone in the city on her back.
00:04:40
00:04:39
Has it really only been ten-something seconds? When you stare at the time, it feels like it slows down.
Thump, thump, thump. I could clearly feel my heart beating faster than the countdown!
Although I was so nervous my heart was about to jump out of my chest, when I looked at Lian Qi, her serious, focused expression made me feel I could rely on her.
No, no. It’s not because she’s a transmigrator that she’s reliable.
It’s because of who she is.
Her personality. Her self.
I don’t trust her because she’s the person prophesied to defeat the Demon King.
I trust her because she is Lian Qi.
I believe she will definitely do everything in her power to save me.
So it’s fine. Lian Qi only took a few minutes to break Deadblade’s magic curse. The first time, she stopped the Mana Furnace in less than three minutes. This time, we will definitely get through this, too.
I don’t dare disturb her now. I’m just secretly watching her… it should be fine, right?
“You… Why are you so quiet?”
Lian Qi suddenly asked me, startling me.
“Hm? Because… I’m afraid of distracting you,” I said with a weak laugh.
The reason I’m smiling is to hide how nervous I am. I don’t dare show that I’m too tense, in case it affects Lian Qi and puts extra pressure on her.
“You can still laugh? Just wait until we get home, you’re kneeling on the washboard!”
“Okay, okay. After we get home, I’ll let you do whatever you want.”
I kept smiling. It’s not that my masochistic tendencies are acting up. I’m saying this with the prayer that we’ll make it home safe.
Lian Qi, focused on figuring out the magic array, was silent for a moment, then said, “Actually, I’m really nervous right now, so I just wanted to talk. Hearing your voice has relieved my tension a lot. I’ll get back to it.”
What… so she just wanted to hear my voice?
“Mm! You can do it!”
I smiled to cheer her on, but inside, I was unbelievably nervous. The only thing I regret right now is… if I had known we’d run into this kind of trouble, I should have let Lian Qi practice her “Explosion” magic more.
Fine… I steeled myself. I’d even let her use my clothes for target practice… as long as she could be at ease and not as nervous as she is now.
I looked up at the countdown—00:02:34
Half of the five minutes had already passed.
This must be the longest five minutes of my life. And the most heart-pounding.
And… it’s five minutes alone with Lian Qi.
00:02:31
00:02:30
00:02:29
Just as the halfway mark passed, I inexplicably grew so nervous I felt cold all over.
The dense numbers in the room continued to fall. Although Lian Qi was silently destroying the magic array, I could see sweat dripping from her forehead.
I couldn’t help but blame myself. This is all my fault! Uwaah… if I can get out of here alive, forget kneeling on a washboard, I’d even kneel on a cactus…!
00:02:00
00:01:59
When the minute digit on the countdown changed from “2” to “1.”
My heart skipped. I looked at Lian Qi, wanting to say something, but held back.
I can’t disturb her now.
In reality, there are still two minutes. It’s just my own psychology playing tricks, making me feel like time is running out.
I took a deep breath—
I told myself, calm down, calm down, you have to believe in Lian Qi.
And then—BANG!
Ugh… that scared me to death!
I thought the Mana Furnace exploded early… but was that actually the sound of the magic array in front of me shattering?
The magic array that had separated us like two different worlds was destroyed. Lian Qi immediately rushed over and hugged my head. Her chest pressed against my face. It… wasn’t that soft, but it was very grounding. Her heart was beating even faster than mine.
I looked up at the countdown. The numbers clearly read—
00:01:35
00:01:34
00:01:33
????
The thought was horrifying. I quickly reminded her, “Lian Qi! The countdown hasn’t stopped!”
Lian Qi “tsked” and reluctantly let me go. “What is that old man playing at?”
She circled the cylinder behind me, checking it. Finally, her gaze locked onto the cables binding me. She followed the cables to their source—right by my left foot. She opened the metal casing on the surface, and then… she froze.
As if she’d been turned to stone.
“Wh-What’s wrong? Don’t just go silent!”
I looked up at the countdown. It was already at 00:00:59—! What I fear most is her going silent at a critical moment. Did she run into a difficult problem?
“The red wire and the blue wire… which one should I cut?” Lian Qi said, stunned.
“Ah??? What red wire and blue wire?”
“It seems… this Timed Collapse Magic Array is twofold. After destroying the outer array, you have to destroy the inner core. The core has two colored wires, one blue, one red. If I cut the wrong one… it will explode.”
“Eh? Eh? Eh? A multiple-choice question?”
“Yes! Dammit, this is outside my area of expertise!” Lian Qi said impatiently, pulling her phone out of her pocket.
I stared at her, aghast. At a time like this, she’s… looking at her phone!?
“I’ll check Baidu to see if I should cut the red or blue wire—Tsk! I forgot there’s no signal!!!”
In her anger, she actually threw her phone.
“Baidu???”
There were only thirty-something seconds left.
She paced back and forth in front of me.
I looked down at the phone that had been thrown in front of my knees (I was still tied to the cylinder in a ‘duck-sitting’ position). It looked like a corner was chipped. It’s probably not broken, right?
Then, I unintentionally glanced at the cables binding me. In an instant, I held my breath.
“Fei’er, is your lucky color blue or red?” she suddenly asked me.
“Is it… only a choice between the red and blue wire?” I asked.
“What do you mean? It’s not?”
“Lian Qi… my… thigh… right here… there’s a white wire.”
She immediately crouched down in front of me.
“The cables binding me are all connected to the core, right?” I asked.
Lian Qi nodded quickly.
“Look, all the cables are black, but this one… is white. It’s very suspicious. What if the red and blue wires are just a decoy? With Professor Einstein’s intelligence, it’s very possible, right?” I said firmly to Lian Qi. “Listen to me, cut the white wire.”
Lian Qi hesitated, looking at me, somewhat uncertain. “If I cut the wrong one, it will explode.”
At the same time, the countdown had only ten seconds left.
I said resolutely, “Trust me, I’m the Saintess, I’ll bless you…!”
She swallowed nervously, her hand reaching for the white cable on my leg.
“I’m very lucky to have met you,” Lian Qi said, uncharacteristically, her face blushing.
“Me too,” I smiled at her in the final seconds of the countdown.
00:00:03
Lian Qi severed the white wire.
She hugged my head and pulled me into her embrace. If I wasn’t tied up, I definitely would have hugged her back.
…
A minute passed. Nothing happened.