Why can't humans do it too?

Without a single mishap, the swaying gaze returned to normal in an instant. In the brief moment that Suer forcefully pulled her out the door, Xin Ke suddenly saw a woman in a white robe clearly on her right. She was looking at the bloody, mangled human figure, and then turned her head towards Xin Ke, seemingly smiling at them—Xin Ke saw it, and Suer saw it too.

A fleeting glance at each other.

The smile, which was supposed to be meant to show goodwill and facilitate communication, did not put Suer and Xinke at ease. In fact, Suer pulled Xinke out of the door faster than before, causing him to instinctively take two steps back!

The world was turned upside down.

As if walking vertically on a tall building, Su Er stared blankly at the dark universe at the end of his vision. The Milky Way beneath his feet had inexplicably turned into a vertical angle in those two steps back. The gate to Takamagahara disappeared before his eyes, and everything around him was shimmering and flowing.

But Suer was puzzled... He clearly hadn't moved.

At first, I just suddenly noticed a star moving away from me at the edge of my field of vision. However, in just a few seconds, the light from those departing stars had already drawn countless bands of light, forming a dense wall.

Suddenly, Suer realized—it wasn't him who was moving, but the endless Milky Way!

It wasn't that people went to the mountains, but rather that the mountains went to people!

Even though no one gave him any hints or shared their experience, Suer realized at that moment the mistake he had made—he shouldn't have taken those two steps back, right there on the Milky Way.

The ground beneath his feet and around him had completely transformed into a band of radiant light, obscuring even the individual stars. Suer had lost all sense of time, and even when he tried to move, he abandoned the attempt due to a sudden surge of danger within him.

Has the frozen Milky Way resumed its flow?

Was he really not moving?

Suer couldn't even accurately judge his current state. The world that his eyes and senses touched seemed to be an illusion, and even Xinke was lost in confusion.

It is impossible to know whether the changes around them are only happening in their immediate vicinity, but all the gods and monsters, as well as humans and beasts living in the Reed Plains, will be deeply captivated by the beautiful sight of the Milky Way that has remained unchanged for hundreds of years if they happen to look up at this time of night.

It wasn't simply starlight flowing like a river on the ground, but rather an indescribable vitality that made them realize more vividly than ever before that the world is alive.

But Suer was... falling.

Drifting downstream, losing time, losing space, even losing its purpose, it completely merged into this flowing galaxy, turning into light.

"...Is it them?"

Still sitting on the edge of that small pond, the blonde banshee in her purple dress looked up at the changes in the sky and murmured softly.

In that flowing galaxy, a bright light is weaving through it.

It resembles a fish leaping out of the water.

Chapter 84 Time Travel

As if sensing Yakumo Yukari's gaze, the bright light even playfully leaped up, then, amidst the gazer's incredulous frown, pierced the sky, skimmed the treetops, and disappeared below the horizon.

Amidst countless exclamations and shouts urging others to look up, the long-absent flowing Milky Way gradually came to a standstill again, in just a few breaths.

Countless brilliant stars continue to twinkle in the pitch-black universe. The Milky Way remains frozen in place, showering everything with its unchanging starlight, as if nothing had just happened.

Those who happened to catch these changes in just a few breaths blinked subconsciously, wondering if everything they were seeing was just an illusion, a dreamlike bubble.

Then, in the next instant, they solidified their judgment, overjoyed at the change that had finally occurred in the sky after hundreds of years, spreading the news, arguing about its meaning, firmly believing that the world was about to undergo a great change, and adding reasons for everything they desired... Demons were such beings.

Perhaps Okuninushi and Yukari Yakumo are troubled by the situation in Ashihara Chugoku, which has just stabilized but is destined to become chaotic again, but these are things that Sull cannot know for the time being.

He couldn't even tell whether he was moving forward or backward. In fact, when the bands of light converged into a wall of light, Suer dared not make any unnecessary movements. Although he didn't know the exact reason, the current situation might be due to his subconscious action of taking two steps back. What about turning his head? What about other actions?

As Su Er waited quietly for the surrounding bands of light to return to their points of light, he adopted the most vigilant posture he had ever shown since arriving in this world. However, in this place where the concept of time itself seemed to be slipping away, he and Xin Ke gradually fell silent and stopped talking to each other.

Even with his eyes closed, he could feel those endless bands of light. Even Suer felt nauseous and his mind seemed to be polluted... Just how long had he been here?

Ten minutes? An hour? A year? Ten years?

Or even longer?

The only certainty is that they have definitely left the gates of Takamagahara far behind, but where are they being sent now?

It was completely dark, but there were still some faint lights to be seen; it wasn't pitch black yet.

"...?"

He wanted to say something but seemed to have lost the ability to speak. Suer only swayed slightly, barely managing not to fall to the ground.

The light disappeared, the Milky Way disappeared, and all that remained before my eyes was a dim darkness, so much so that my eyes hurt slightly from the stark contrast... but thankfully, it was just darkness.

"...I'll go up and take a look first."

Suer could still hear Xinke's voice. While forcing himself to stand, he could only barely wave his hand to acknowledge her words.

Never before had Suer liked a dimly lit environment so much. It took him quite a while to finally wake up his brain, which had become stiff and numb.

Beneath his feet lay dry soil, with some miscellaneous items piled up, but none of them were garbage. A thick layer of dust covered the soil, and Suer could sense insects living among the debris, cowering in fear because of his sudden arrival.

The surrounding space wasn't large; it was a perfectly regular circle. Even though the surrounding walls were damaged and crumbling over time, the man-made traces were still clearly visible. If Suer had to describe it, it would be... a well.

As if sensing something, Suer raised his head and saw the sliver of light that slightly illuminated the small space. It was a lid made of wooden planks, and light shone through the gap, which was less than the width of a finger. By the time it reached the bottom, the light had become mottled.

It's starting to look more and more like a well.

"Are you feeling any better?" Just as Su'er was still pondering, Xin Ke descended through the wooden plank lid and asked.

“…Ah, almost,” the skin on his forehead was still twitching. He rubbed it hard and said wearily, “Why don’t you have such a big reaction? Logically speaking, I’ve been affected, so you shouldn’t be avoiding it.”

"Hmm~~~, is it because I'm a genius?" Xin Ke pretended to ponder for a moment before raising her finger and smiling.

"...Don't think I can't tell you're mocking my low IQ...By the way, what's up there? Is there a situation?", rolling her eyes in annoyance, and using the faint light emanating from Xin Ke, Su Er observed the surrounding environment more carefully.

—It's starting to feel like a well, but can a well be this shallow?

"Um, I think it would be better for you to go out and see for yourself rather than just listen to my description~", Xin Ke's face showed a rare look of trouble, "Maybe you'll be so happy you'll jump for joy?"

"What nonsense are you talking about? Do you think I'm some kind of child?! Huh?! Huh! Huhhhhh!!!"

As he spoke, he flew upwards. Without much laughter or joking, Suer simply lifted the wooden plank that was nailed together and popped his head out. There were no ferocious beasts or demons that suddenly pounced on him, but the words he spoke suddenly rose several pitches, and in the end, they simply turned into meaningless shouts.

With a smile, Xin Ke floated out behind Su Er, watching with satisfaction as the man stared in astonishment.

The old house, its vermilion paint peeling away at the edges to reveal the dark wood grain, the sharply angled roof, the straw shimenawa tied with white paper ribbons, and the torii gate half-hidden beside the path in the distance, with two tall pillars standing on either side, also bearing the marks of time. With just one glance, Suer could tell that this was no house that humans from Yamato or Izumo could have built, nor could it have been the work of gods or monsters.

Because the appearance of this house was exactly the same as the buildings called shrines in his memory, and the professions such as priests and shrine maidens matched it—which further proved Suer's judgment. You should know that such buildings and professions are separated from those ape-like humans by countless eras, even tens of thousands of years.

Where is he now?

Or rather, what era are we in now?

What has that Milky Way been doing?

Why?

Because of the excessive impact, Suer was unable to think for a short time. He could only look down blankly at the hole he had just crawled out of—uh, it really is a well.

Chapter 85 The Long-Awaited Humanity

Although the walls at the bottom of the well are circular, the exposed part is square. Four intersecting wooden blocks form the character for "well". The well cover that Suer had flipped onto the grass was also covered with talismans and knots for exorcising evil spirits.

They couldn't recognize the material of the wood, even though the surface had been eroded by time and had emerald green vines growing between them, but there was no sign of decay from the wind and rain. When you tapped it with your fingers, you could hear a solid sound, and it hadn't been hollowed out by insects.

This is abnormal.

It's a shrine, but not one of those famous shrines that have spread overseas and become a must-visit destination for tourists. Instead, it's a small shrine that's found all over Japan, almost like a reliable food store... a reliable shrine?

It was so small that it wasn't even on a high mountain, but on a small, slightly raised mound with very smooth edges, seamlessly connecting with the surrounding city—yes, the flying Suer had already seen the city!

Even though the tallest buildings in the area were only five stories high, there were no skyscrapers with dozens of stories. Most of the buildings were one- or two-story bungalows. But the utility poles that lined the streets and the neatly connected wires inexplicably brought tears to Su'er's eyes.

Is this an illusion?

Or is it like the protagonists in many novels and movies entering the world of their own memories?

Is this just a fake world constructed from his memories?

He bit his knuckles hard until they were covered in deep, bluish-white teeth marks. The pain was real and not delayed. It wasn't until he bit his fingers until they were almost bleeding that he belatedly realized that he had never traveled to Japan in his previous life. To try to create such an exotic atmosphere based solely on those two-dimensional animations and comics, plus no more than five blurry photos of real places, was nothing short of a pipe dream.

So all of this is true?

"Do you need me to help you with pain management?" Xin Ke smiled and waved her hand, clearly sensing the shock in Su Er's heart. She had guessed Su Er's possible reaction after she flew out of the well and explored the surrounding area, and now the facts were exactly as she had expected.

“…Thank you, but no need. Besides, that’s not really pain management,” Su Er said, squinting.

He knew what Xin Ke wanted to do.

It was early spring turning into summer, and even though it was almost noon, it wasn't too hot. Suer stared at the sun overhead. The light would be so bright that prolonged exposure would cause blindness for an ordinary person, but it wasn't a problem for him.

It was still the same light and temperature, no different from the sun he had been watching just a day earlier, and Suer found nothing unusual.

Sul always considered himself human, but he knew his current body better than anyone else. He had long since abandoned poisons and curses, and even diseases and pain. However, this very body was now suffering from an unbearable headache due to his recent experience. Even now, his forehead was still throbbing and aching.

Will this be the price to pay?

Or is this the pressure one would have to endure if they truly traveled through time to the future, countless years in the future?

If this is the price to pay, is this all there is?

As usual, Suer closed his eyes, trying to connect with this corner of the world. However, this time he found that the active response he used to get by simply reaching out his hand was now like that of a half-asleep person. Even when he was pushed, he only groaned and did not react any further.

No—Suhr suddenly opened his eyes. It felt more like a dwarf pushing a giant. Perhaps the dwarf had used all his strength, but to the giant it was not even a tickle.

Has the world grown over a long period of time?

“Possibly,” Xin Ke nodded and said, “If everything we’re seeing right now isn’t an illusion, then we’ve traveled through an unknown amount of time to get to this era, and anything could have happened during that time… Or, to be more direct, why don’t we just ask someone? If this were a world you were familiar with, where would you choose to look up information?”

“Just search it on Baidu, uh, in Japan it should be Google? But we don’t even have cell phones, do we have to rely on TV… no, there are places like libraries,” Suer analyzed quickly.