"Because… you were about to give up now," the shadow—Future Slime#47—said solemnly. "Wasn't that true?"

Current Slime#47 fell silent and sighed bitterly. "As if you don't know."

Then, in the next moment, he yelled furiously, "Why didn't you travel further back and stop Vael?"

Future Slime#47 went silent.

Silence!

Current Slime clenched his tiny fists and muttered, "If you could travel to the past, why didn't you stop it from the beginning instead of coming now—when I was about to give up?"

"Why?... Why?!" he whispered.

'It seems… I can only tell the truth, as it happened to me in my past,' Future Slime thought.

He clasped his hands behind his back and replied, "Because if I stopped Vael from fusing with you… The world would be destroyed."

"What?" Current Slime exclaimed.

His eyes turned crimson as he asked, "So I was a sacrifice…? No—we both were a sacrifice?"

Future Slime asked back, staring into the nothingness with narrowed eyes, "Do you really think you were so lucky that a Grade Four sealed artifact just happened to be under your arse?"

"It's the Time God… isn't it?" Current Slime asked, clenching his fists hard. 'I knew I wouldn't be that lucky. The Time God had a hand in it.'

Future Slime clenched his fists and nodded. "Yes. From the beginning, the Time God planned this after seeing multiple timelines… it could even be billions."

"Why… but why us?" Young Slime demanded silently as blue mana overflowed from his body. 'I want to kick the Time God's arse. He's the one who caused all this pain.'

"I don't know how other earthlings are doing in their own loops, but in this current time, we are special," Future Slime explained, "Because we carry the Authority of Time."

Current Slime tilted his body. "Isn't it… Isn't it the power of a god?"

He paused.

"Wait a minute…" He recalled Saint King Haruka's last words, 'Chosen one….I can sense his power… because I'm… his saintess.'

"The time-loop power is… Authority," Future Slime said, noticing the young slime had already figured it out.

He pointed at the young slime's cloak. "Vael can sense that power within you—within us—"

"And he wanted to devour our souls because of that power," Young Slime cut in, voice low.

Future Slime nodded plainly.

"I see…" Young Slime finally realized it, 'From the beginning, I was a puppet under the Time God.'

After a few seconds of silence, he asked, "Okay. I understand. Because we carry a power unlike any mortal's, Vael tried to devour us. One answered."

He wobbled his body, eyes hardening, "Next, why was Vael so dangerous? Couldn't the kings defeat him?"

Thud! Thud!

Future Slime took a few steps forward.

He grabbed the blue thread on Current Slime's body and tugged, but it didn't come off.

With a sigh, he answered, "Don't think this is an ordinary sealed artifact. It's Grade Four—equivalent to that of a god."

His eyes narrowed. "If an ordinary person found it, within seconds they would fall into Vael's trap and become his puppet."

He stared into the nothingness. "After gaining control over the Authority of Time, I peeked into a few timelines as well."

He paused, bitterness rising. "In the timelines where we didn't come into contact with this sealed artifact… what do you think happened?"

"Wait… you can peek into timelines?" Present Young Slime exclaimed—then sighed. 'I'm tired. What's the use of knowing all that?'

Seeing the blue blob's lack of interest, the shadow sighed.

"Vael participated in the next unholy war and led the eldritch to victory," he said. "In another timeline, he joined hands with the Sun Goddess Church and turned humans and other races into unholy creatures."

He paused, then added, "In a few others…"

"The heck…" Present Slime was stunned. "You said you wouldn't tell me about the future."

"Yes. The future would change just by knowing it," Future Slime replied. "However… what if the future itself is uncertain?"

"I see…" Blue Jelly Blob nodded. 'He's telling me about multiple possible futures. Any one of them could happen—and mostly, they're what would've happened if I didn't meet Vael.'

Future Slime's smile turned bitter. "And do you know who created this sealed artifact?"

"The Time God," Young Slime replied instantly, eyes narrowing. "It's him. No doubt."

"Don't you want to take revenge on him?" Future Slime asked, his voice rising as he thought, 'I need to get his hope back.'

Pat! He patted Present Young Slime. "You shouldn't give up. Get stronger and take revenge. Kick his arse."

He leaned closer, gaze deep. "Don't you want to?"

Current Slime#47 stared into the child's eyes and asked back, "Did you kick his butt?"

Future Slime's eyes twitched. 'He will catch me if I lie.' He knew himself very well.

Spreading his hands, he answered, "No… he's still too powerful."

"So it's just empty encouragement," the blue jelly blob said bitterly.

He lay back in the nothingness and waved him away. "You can leave."

Future Slime just sat on the nothingness near the blue jelly blob and glanced at him.

"Sacrifice…" he said in Seralyth language. The word carried sadness, not honor.

"Why… why should we be the sacrifice?" Present Slime asked. He hated the idea of dying for something.

'After experiencing everything… I finally understood how painful it is,' he mused, closing his eyes.

"Yes. The world has… failed us," Future Slime said softly. "You and I both know we hate sacrifice."

"But that world itself is doomed," he explained patiently. "If a world cannot even protect itself… how will it protect you?"

"Some gods of that world fell…" he added, eyes narrowing, while the blue slime tried to sleep.

"What is it to me?" the blue jelly asked.

The shadow replied, "You carry the Time God's power—"

He was cut off as Present Slime snarled, "Great power comes with great responsibility. Everyone knows that."

"Just tell me," he demanded, staring at the kid. "Since you're my future… what did you gain by helping that world? Or did you even succeed?"

"You will succeed," the kid said, nodding energetically.

Under the piercing gaze of the blue jelly, he continued, "And you'll gain something valuable."

He grinned happily and lay on nothingness as he continued, "Sacrifice… I really hate it as well… but there are a few things we have to protect, even by giving our very own life."

End of the chapter…

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