Chapter 2.1 - 100 Million Years Button and Prison of Time [2] – part 1
. 100 Million Years Button and Prison of Time [2] – part 1
「What…? Where… am I?」
Before I realised, I was standing in an unfamiliar place.
If I remember correctly, I listened to the story of the 100 million years button from the shady old man… and then…
「…Oh right, I pressed the 100 million years button.」
So that means, this is the 『Different World』that the hermit of time mentioned?
As I looked around the surroundings, a white house on clean soil came into view.
And one more thing – large numbers were suspended in mid-air.
00000000 Year 1 Month 1 Day 00 Hour 01 Minute 31 Seconds
It is probably the clock of this world that ticks second by second.
I must leave this world when the clock reaches 100 million years.
In other words, I can do anything I wish with this time.
「Yes… Yes… Yes!」
Yes, Hell Yes…!
With this much time, I can surely win against Dodriel.
I was overflowing with happiness…… I tightly clenched my fist.
(But still, to think that crazy story would be true!)
When I leave this place, I must thank the hermit of time.
(No, wait… If I’m not mistaken, my memories will be erased when I leave this place…)
Well, I’m sure it’ll turn out alright.
Even if I lose my memories, I will not lose the sword skills acquired here.
After 100 million yearsー the me in the real world will surely convey my thanks.
(Oops, I mustn’t procrastinate.)
I immediately drew my sword and started swinging.
Although the time is long, it seems short.
I’m sure 100 million years would pass by in the blink of an eye.
(This is my long-awaited big chance… I can’t waste even a second…!)
After that, I continued swinging my sword with all my heart and soul.
The next time I was aware of the time, was when my stomach started growling.
「It’s already time for food…」
When I looked at the suspended clock, about 20 hours have passed.
Telling the time in this different world is difficult as there isn’t a sun.
「Well… shall I go get some food?」
I discontinued my swinging momentarily, and headed towards the one single white house in this world.
「Wow, it’s spacious…」
It was much larger than the house my mother lives in and the dormitory I currently live in.
And it was absurdly clean. Not a single speck of dust.
「Let’s see… where is the food…?」
According to the story of the hermit of time, there should be a magic foodstore that generates food infinitely.
I roamed around the house a little and found a huge refrigerator next to the kitchen.
「Is it inside this…?」
As I opened the double-doors of the refrigerator that opened from the middle and looked inside,
「Wow…」
Meat, vegetables, fish and milk – all sorts of ingredients were packed tightly.
I picked up the large tomato that caught my eye, and bite into it.
「…….! De-Delicious…!」
A fresh luscious sweetness as though it was harvested just this morning, ran through my mouth.
Then I picked the dried meat and vegetables that didn’t need cooking and went to the bathroom immediately.
「Hu-! Huge…」
It was about 10 times bigger than I had imagined.
In additionー
「Aaa-… such nice hot water…」
The temperature was just perfect even though I didn’t adjust anything about how it works.
Not too hot, not too cold- the water temperature was just right, I could feel the muscles in my whole body loosening.
After that, when I got out of the bath, I went to the bedroom and before long as I had gotten sleepy.
I have no plans of spending time on anything other training.
If I did that, 100 million years will pass in an instant.
「It’s so fluffy…」
The bed in the bedroom, had an otherworldly softness to it.
And it was more than just feeling soft.
It also had the strength to wrap around my body tightly.
While wrapped in a light and warm comforter, I murmured.
「This is the best…」
Delicious food.
Pleasant bath.
Soft bed.
And above all else – 100 million years of time.
Nothing can top this.
This is undoubtedly the best circumstances.
「Hehe, I’m gonna train for 100 million years in this place… I will surely become an amazing swordsman…」
With bright hope and strong ambition in my heart, I fell into a slumber.
■
It’s been 10 years since I arrived in this world, I’ve been continuously swinging my sword every single day.
After swinging my sword for 10 years, I have come to understand the principle behind it.
(I wonder if my swings are optimised now…)
Anyway, I understood how to swing the sword.
When swinging the sword downwards, there is a timing at which I should exert force, and conversely a timing where I should relax the sword. I finally grasped the idea behind the technique.
At the mark of 100 years, I had acquired various sword techniques.
For example like this,
「First Sword ー Flying Shadow!」
I can now perform a flying slash.
I also tried to name the various techniques I learned.
I felt like I was the founder of a new school and it was a lot of fun.
300 years later.
I am… a little tired.
Not physically, but rather mentally.
Repeating the same thing day after day.
Swing the sword, eat, sleep.
The same thing day in and day out for 300 years.
I was mentally fatigued of this life.
The other day, I took a walk around this world for a distraction.
Surprisingly, this place was much narrower than I expected.
In conclusion, this different world is just a small sphere.
When I left the house and walked straight, I arrived at the back door of the house shortly. This place is far smaller than the schoolyard, just a small sphere.
I was lonely.
500 years later.
Lately, no matter what I eat, they all taste the same.
Meat, fish and vegetables all taste the same.
It feels like chewing on a bland rubber.
I knew full well that my mind was deteriorating.
However, there is no means of getting out from this closed off world.
With nowhere to voice my dissatisfaction, it grew day by day.
Even the bath doesn’t have to be as large as it is.
Just having enough space to stretch my legs is plenty.
Same for the bed too.
Just having a mattress and a comforter should be enough.
I don’t need such extravagant facilities.
I don’t need them so – please give me a person.
I want to meet someone.
I want to talk to them.
I want to indulge with someone else other than my thoughts.
I wanted to interact with someone badly… That sort of feeling was welling up inside me.
「Mother… Are you well?」
700 years later.
Absolute loneliness.
Maddening loneliness.
I was about to break apart.
I wanted to slip out of here as soon as possible.
Hatred swelled up for the hermit of time who sent me into this hell.
「…that guy definitely knew」
How helpless and cruel this world was.
That’s why he begged so desperately.
To make me push the button.
「…I will never forgive him」
With desire for vengeance in my heart, I continued swinging my sword today too.
1000 years later.
I forgot why I was swinging the sword.
I probably had some sort of objective.
I think there was definitely a reason why I swung my sword so desperately all this while.
But I had forgotten what it was.
5000 years later.
I had a sudden thought.
「If I choose to commit suicide here… can I get out of this world?」
The hermit of time said.
【Never… Never commit suicide… Although it is a different world, you only have one body. If you die, that will be your end.】
Yes, I can choose to end it anytime I want.
Such a simple thing.
I just have to thrust the sword in hand through my chest.
That is all it takes to escape this hell.
「I can end it… I can finally end this hell!」