31 31. Then He is Aware of it

The construct with full-body armor was at level 11. All the others were at level 10. He couldn't take the armor off without waking them up, so he tried to store one in his inventory.

Well, if he couldn't have the armor he might as well go for the experience. He withdrew his sword and went directly for the eyes of the level 11 construct. The thing woke up with a screech, losing its footing and fallen on the floor. It reflexively slashed forward with its sharp appendages. Gaus withdrew his sword and jumped back. Greenish blood dripping from the tip of the sword. The other constructs woke up in response to the constant screeching of the wounded construct.

Gaus threw an explosive cube and blinked outside the house. The house collapsed under the explosion. If he was lucky they would be buried alive and he wouldn't have to worry about...

Damn it. It didn't work.

The wounded construct flew out of the house. It's left eye dripping blood. The others followed it behind. Their torsos carried little bruises and their armors good as new. They surrounded him and attacked with a speed that exceeded his expectations.

Gaus waited until they were just a meter away and he threw another explosive. They dodged it and continued their attack as if nothing happened.

<Magiwatch has saved 1 second.

You've Rewound for 1 sec, effectively erasing everything in the said period. Only you will remember.>

The world Rewound to the exact moment when the constructs dodged the explosive. Gaus blinked near the closest construct and cut one of its many legs with his sword, ignoring the armor. He threw another explosive and attacked again. The constructs' inhuman speed and their timely reaction were used against them. He would throw an explosive, they would dodge it, and he would use the opportunity to strike. He reduced many to nothing but crawling scraps. The remaining three constructs stopped attacking and cycled around their fallen comrades. They could still fight. But for some reason, they kept their distance, eying him from afar. Gaus didn't like it. The constructs were known for pulling bad surprises that resulted in death. He still remembered the first time they exploded in his face. What if they were to explode now? But he didn't kill them just yet. Unless they were sentient enough to recognize a defeat.

He blinked away until he was meters away from them. Nothing happened. He looked back at them in surprise. Maybe he was overthinking things. The constructs didn't seem to do much right now. They just cycled around the others and occasionally glared at him. He was debating on how to finish them up and then it happened.

Boom.

All the constructs, including the wounded level 11, exploded. It was difficult to determine the first explosion. Everything just merged into a massive ball of flame and energy that sent Gaus flying. It burned for minutes. Gaus was knocked out immediately. Even when he regained consciousness he couldn't hear much for the next few minutes. His vision gone he laid there in a stupor.

<-1.8% HP per minute until you heal.

You'll die if HP reaches zero.

Ordinary victory.

Construct lvl 11 x 1

+33,213 exp

Construct lvl 10 x 8

+59,799 exp>

Most of his robe was gone and the little that was left was painted red. The pain was severe. Every part of him was screaming. He should Rewind everything but he didn't have enough mana.

Lying flat on the dry sand, he opened his skill tab. Only getting comfort from the experience he got as a result.

<Are you sure you want to level up

Gaus's immortality? Y/N?

NB: leveling this skill up will not reduce its cost and the only benefit comes at level 10.>

He pressed yes.

<Gaus's immortality has reached level 10/100 (10,000 exp)

Use CP to get feedback on the saved memories.

History

1. Error: 5 MP (use CP? Y/N?)

Note: Rewind is still at level 10. To level it up you can:

1) kill a level 20 pacifist in a fair fight to immediately reach level 20.

2) level up both save library and Gaus's immortality.>

He already knew his options when it came to leveling up Rewind.

He picked the first memory from the list. Wondering what the skill would tell him.

<1. Error: 5 MP

Gaus's immortality was activated due to damage to your body and soul.

Body - damaged from the forceful separation of your body from your soul. Tethering your body to your soul is advised to prevent similar damage.

Soul - all the three arms of your soul were damaged by direct liquefaction. The liquefied parts were slowly absorbed by another soul. Summoning the three pillars of the underworld before the damage even started can be used to prevent a similar occurrence.

Damage lasted for 7 days before reaching the threshold. It could have been longer if you were any stronger.>

He clicked on the next memory.

<1. Error: 5 MP

Gaus's immortality was activated due to damage to your soul and mind.

Soul - all three arms of your soul were damaged by direct liquefaction. The liquefied parts were slowly absorbed by another soul. Summoning the three pillars of the underworld before the damage even started can be used to prevent damage.

Mind - damaged by direct telepathic attacks on your mind. The magnitude of the assault was in the A range. Mind blank is necessary to prevent damage.

Damage lasted for 7 days before reaching the threshold. It could have been longer if you were any stronger.

1. Error: 5 MP

Gaus's immortality was activated due to damage to your soul and longevity.

Longevity - you lost an average of five years every day. The very foundation of your longevity was destroyed. Cord shedding is advised.

Damage lasted for 7 days before reaching the threshold. It could have been longer if you were any stronger.

1. Error: 5 MP

Gaus's immortality was activated due to damage to your body and longevity.

Body - damaged by the forceful separation of your body from your soul. Tethering your body to your soul is advised.

Longevity - you lost an average of five years every day. The very foundation of your longevity was destroyed. Cord shedding is advised.

Damage lasted for 7 days before reaching the threshold. It could have been longer if you were any stronger.

1. Error: 5 MP

Gaus's immortality was activated due to damage to your soul.

Damage lasted for 7 days before reaching the threshold. It could have been longer if you were any stronger.>

They looked similar but each restart was unique. The first restart was due to damage to his body and soul. That could be explained since Tyren attacked his soul and the assassin attacked him physically. The second restart was due to damage to his soul and mind. The attack on his soul came from Tyren but he didn't know where the mind attack came from. It could be from Tyren as well which would make him a soul and also a mind mage.

The third restart was due to damage to his soul and longevity. Where did the longevity attack come from? Could Tyren be a time mage and at the same time a soul and a mind mage? Or maybe he just asked someone to do it for him.

The fourth restart was due to his longevity and the last restart was due to his soul. The uniqueness of the restarts was disturbing. Did this mean every time he came back Tyren was using a different soulbond?

Gaus sat upright, ignoring the sharp pain in his neck. If Tyren was using different attacks every restart then he was aware of the restarts. And if he was aware of the restarts then Gaus wasn't the only person enjoying the ride. Not only that, Tyren was using the opportunity to test different soulbonds on him. Once he got it right, the restarts would stop. Tyren would win, and he would die.

A sudden realization hit him. He must break the soulbond immediately no matter what it took. His original plan was to use the first three or four restarts to level up but that plan couldn't be achieved. The only thing that mattered now was to break the soul bond. To live every restart like it was his last! Then maybe he would survive to level up.

He was playing a death game all along. A game that offered only one choice - win or die.

He read the descriptions again. His eyes were bloodshot with anger. The last part said 'it could have been longer if you were any stronger'. Did this mean he could extend the loop beyond seven days if he tried to stop the bond? He would have to try it and see.

Somehow the pain was gone. He was just furious.

<Stealth has reached level 10/10

+100% invisibility.

-50% sounds.

-20% mana presence.

Cost 10 MP per minute.

Focus has reached level 10/10.

1 MP (physical attacks focused in a tiny radius of 10cm)

Runic writing has reached level 10/30 (10,000)

Cost up to 10 MP.

Mana insignia has reached level 10/30 (10,000).

Cost up to 10 MP.

Compression has reached level 10/30 (10,000)

Cost up to 20 MP.

Metalmancer has reached level 10/30 (10,000).

Cost up to 10 MP (up to 500g).

Swordplay has reached level 10/10

Cost up to 1 MP per minute.

Mana sense has reached level 10/10

Cost up to 1 MP per minute (range up to 10m radius).

Spinning has reached level 10/10.

Cost up to 1 MP per second (100cm from anchor; 1kg).

Sharpening has reached level 10/10.

Cost up to 10 MP (10 layers of mana).

Levitation has reached level 10/10.

1 MP per second (100cm from anchor; 1kg).

Longevity sense has reached level 10/? (10,000).

Cost: reduced to 4 MP per minute.

Cord pulling has reached level 10/? (10,000).

Reduced to 14 MP.>

He rested for a couple of hours before he continued down the road. At some point, he stopped seeing the buildings. The road hit a towering iron wall. A broken gate stood at the center of the wall. Most of the broken pieces were missing and the few left hanged on what was left of the hinges, covered in dust and rust. It led into a small corridor that was continued by a staircase going downward. Everything looked old. Very old. The staircase was worn out and the roof was missing in several places. It had been a long while since anyone was there.

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