Nobita's Time Heist

When the passageway was placed at one end of the cliff, everyone realized that the path they had drilled out was much longer than they had imagined. Logically, the path created by this tool should have been a perfectly straight line.

But when Gian poked his head inside, all he could see was endless darkness; he couldn't even see the light from the exit on the other side. The sheer thickness of the first peak forming the Vicious Mountain Range made Nobita break out in a cold sweat.

The dark entrance lay there like an ultimate gravity black hole, devouring everyone's courage.

In the narrow passageway, Izumi suggested shrinking the group further to prevent anyone from falling behind.

After analyzing the personalities of the team members, he decided to let Fat Tiger take the lead.

The cramped and narrow passageway will invisibly erode everyone's willpower. No one knows the exact length of this mountain. If they walk for a long time and still can't see the exit, morale will inevitably plummet.

In situations like this, the person who takes the lead becomes extremely important.

Everyone must follow his lead; if even he hesitates and stumbles, everyone else will naturally be affected. Fear spreads faster than any epidemic. Conversely, if the leader remains calm, taking each step steadily and confidently, the group will not collapse even if he says nothing and remains silent.

As for him and Nobita, they took on the role of bringing up the rear of the team. Walking at the back of the group allowed them to better keep an eye on the teammates in front, have a general overview of the situation, and prevent anyone from getting separated from the team.

This extremely small team moved forward in complete darkness, the light from their emergency lights enough to illuminate their surroundings. Da Xiong felt as if he were walking through an ancient cave.

Water droplets detached from the stalagmites and dripped onto the rock face, creating a clear and ethereal effect. Unfortunately, this wasn't a tourist attraction, and the crowd had no interest in appreciating this sense of solitude. Rather, they were nearly driven mad by the intense disharmony around them and just wanted to finish the journey as quickly as possible and leave this dark and gloomy place.

"This vicious mountain range is truly vicious; my feet are covered in blisters..." Xiaofu, who was used to a life of luxury, grumbled and complained. "Speaking of which, don't you guys find it strange? There's nothing around this mountain at all."

"What's so strange about that?" The leader, Fat Tiger, was quite calm. Despite being the first to face the endless darkness, he still had the mind to turn his head and chat with them. "This is the demon realm, after all. If nothing strange happens, can it still be considered the demon realm?"

"No, some basic laws should be completely consistent with those in the human world. The mountains here should also have been formed by the compression of geological tectonic plates and the changes over time." Dekisugi continued to play his irreplaceable role in popularizing science in the team, explaining, "But, Gian, you should have noticed when we came here, right? Apart from this huge, vicious mountain range, there are no other uplifts above the ground!"

"It is clearly a long mountain range that stretches for thousands of miles and seems to have no end, but the surrounding terrain is so flat that there is no trace of tectonic plate compression. As far as the eye can see, there are only barren red soil plains, and you can't even see a single blade of grass."

"Isn't this contrast strange?"

It was only at times like this that Nobita truly felt his lack of academic ability and his inability to do what he wanted. He could only understand the gist of what Kogami was talking about, vaguely sensing that something was wrong, but he couldn't put it into words.

"Despite being such a colossal creature, it doesn't interact with the surrounding terrain at all, it's like..."

"Like it fell from the sky."

“Not only that.” Dekisugi curled his fingers and gently tapped the nearby dark red rock wall twice, producing two crisp, clear echoes. “Judging from these sounds, the internal structure of the mountain is quite brittle. Unless the rules of sound propagation are different from those in the real world, I can almost conclude that a large section of it, or even the path we are walking on, is hollow.”

empty.

Can a completely hollow mountain still be called a mountain?

This conjecture acted like a powerful silencer, instantly silencing the marching group. Everyone harbored some terrifying thoughts, but due to the situation, no one dared to voice them. Instead, they quickened their pace, eager to escape the long, dark cave.

……

When the first ray of light burst forth from the darkness, a sense of excitement inevitably arose in everyone's hearts. However, as they hurried forward and stepped out of the cave, the hope that had just risen was extinguished in an instant.

The massive mountain range stretching before us is like a high wall connecting the sky and the earth.

"Now I know why it's called the Vicious Mountains." Looking at the towering peaks, Xiaofu couldn't help but say, "If we were to climb these properly, it would take at least a few months to get over them, right?"

“Even using the [Passage Ring], it took us nearly 90 minutes to cross the first mountain. Considering our declining physical strength, it will only take more and more time from here on out.” Dekisugi raised his wrist, silently doing some mental calculations, and said, “At this rate, even if we rush, we won’t be able to cross the Vicious Mountains until around noon on the fourth day. But that doesn’t mean everything is settled. After crossing the mountains, we’ll arrive at the northernmost part of the Demon Realm—the heart of the enemy’s territory.”

"Don't forget, once we arrive, we need to infiltrate the palace where King Hundred Eyes is located without alerting the main army and carry out a decapitation operation against him."

"Even if everything goes smoothly without a single mishap, it's still too rushed. The lack of time and energy will make us extremely tired. When people are tired, their performance will decline. Under such circumstances, if we have to perform a high-difficulty operation like defeating the Hundred-Eyed King... the possibility of making mistakes will greatly increase. Nobi-kun, this is not a video game with save points. If you make a mistake, there will be no going back!"

Seeing how certain he was of his words, Da Xiong could only sigh.

"If possible, I originally didn't plan to use any props... After all, we're in a place like this, and there might be some great monsters that have lived for hundreds or thousands of years lurking in the shadows. The fewer props we use, the lower the risk of being exposed."

"Now it seems we have no choice but to use it."

After fumbling in his pocket for a moment, he pulled out a miniature version of a roller shutter valve, "[Time Gate]—!"

Chapter 277: The Strange Descends

For some reason, space-based items are particularly ineffective in this area, while time-based items do not have this problem.

This gadget is usually used by Doraemon to deal with some tricky problems that are difficult to solve in daily life, a kind of deus ex machina. Whenever time is tight, as if something is chasing or urging him on, as long as the valve of the time gate is tightened, the flow of time around the user will automatically slow down.

The more you turn the valve, the more it slows down. When the valve is fully closed, time will stand still. Whenever Nobita sincerely wants to make amends for something, Doraemon always thoughtfully takes out this gadget, turns the valve, and then looks at him with "gentle eyes," becoming his strong support.

……

To meet the time limit, Nobita twisted the time gate almost to its limit; closing it just a little more would completely shut down the flow of time. Since he'd already used a gadget, he figured he might as well use a few more. Nobita then pulled out his "All-Purpose Ice Skates," which could travel on any complex terrain, even water. Everyone was already very familiar with this gadget, having used it during their adventure in the Sun Dynasty when they went to the Dark Palace.

Once you put on the shoes, even the uneven caves become like walking on flat ground. The protruding rocks and boulders rush past your eyes, much like the black lines deliberately drawn out and elongated in a comic book to convey a sense of speed.

"Whoosh!! So refreshing! Ah... Seriously, I've been running around like crazy since then, and it's been so long since I've had any proper exercise!" Suneo skillfully alternated between his left and right feet, treating this place like a free, timeless ice rink where he could skate to his heart's content. "Seriously, Nobita, you should have taken out something this good and enjoyed it sooner."

Fat Tiger got even more creative. Flat ground wasn't enough for him anymore. He pushed off with his feet, and the roller skates sparked, sending his body flying straight up to the cave wall!

"Wow—this is what it feels like to go lightning fast! No, inspiration's here, inspiration for a new song is here!!!"

Because of the prop's unique feature, it can "slide on any terrain," even defying gravity. As Gian slid down the rock wall, his body almost perpendicular to Nobita and the others, he excitedly shouted as if he had discovered a new continent, waving his emergency light like a nightclub LED tube.

“Speaking of which, Nobi-kun’s concerns are not unreasonable. After all… no one knows exactly what the situation is in this mountain range.” Dekisugi and Nobita still held back. With his athletic ability, even though he had never used this gadget before, he mastered it in a very short time.

His feet never stopped moving, yet his attention was focused enough to multitask. A worried expression appeared on his face as he said to Da Xiong, "As outsiders, aren't we being too high-profile?"

"We don't know much about the Vicious Mountains. Yokai are creatures driven by instinct, which is why they all cherish their lives. Ever since the Man-Slaying Demon settled at the entrance of the mountains and began guarding that pass, most yokai haven't even glanced at it. We've all gotten used to the existence of this behemoth... Now that I think about it, everything seems very abnormal."

Lingyin chuckled to herself. As she moved at high speed, she tightly wrapped her hands around the time-manipulating cloth covering her body, preventing it from falling off. This was to maintain a delicate balance between localized time reversal and her eye-killing technique.

"As I mentioned before, occasionally monsters stray into this airspace. They think they'll be safe flying through the air, but they eventually disappear into the thick fog. The wind carries fragmented words, and from these words, some interesting rumors can be deciphered..."

"The Vicious Mountains seem to possess their own will. The last thing the monsters that disappeared into the mist saw was a pair of enormous golden vertical pupils."

……

When these eerie rumors came from the locals, their impact was more than doubled. Da Xiong immediately dared not delay any longer and secretly increased the group's pace. With him and Pang Hu controlling the beginning and end, the people in the middle naturally followed suit. For a considerable period, everyone could only watch the darkness sweep past. Their bodies gradually adapted to the new speed, and the initial adrenaline rush subsided, turning into a long, agonizing ordeal.

Silence spread through the group. Even Xiaofu, who had tried to liven things up earlier, seemed speechless. Everyone moved forward in silence, with only the wind whistling past, as if the whole world had been left behind.

And the light arrives very suddenly just when endurance is about to reach its limit.

Sigrún has taught at the Iceland University of the Arts as a part-time lecturer since and was Dean of the Department of Fine Art from -. In – she held a research position at Reykjavík Art Museum focusing on the role of women in Icelandic art. She studied fine art at the Icelandic College of Arts and Crafts and at Pratt Institute, New York, and holds BA and MA degrees in art history and philosophy from the University of Iceland. Sigrún lives and works in Iceland.

"boom--!!"

A beam of light flashed by, dimming their vision for a moment before brightening it again. Caught completely off guard, they leaped out of the Vicious Mountains and found themselves before an endless expanse of red earth plains. As far as the eye could see, apart from the jagged rocks standing on the ground and the scattered patches of grass and vegetation, there was nothing else to be seen.

The roller skates had no brakes, and amidst gasps of alarm, everyone's bodies were pulled by gravity and plummeted toward the ground.

"What happened? How could it be so fast..."

Nobita and his friends had experienced similar scenarios countless times. To cope with this situation, everyone carried a bamboo copter in their pocket, and they put it on in mid-air as casually as eating or drinking. Suneo and Gian helped Rin, Dekisugi and Shizuka helped Asura, while Nobita returned to the rock wall and put the [Passage Ring] back into his pocket. The entire team worked together seamlessly, as if they were acting with one brain and one will.

With their feet firmly on the ground again, and reflecting on how long they had just traversed the cramped, narrow cave, everyone felt a sense of déjà vu. Fat Tiger even struck the iconic pose from the movie poster for *The Shawshank Redemption*—arms outstretched, letting out a long breath, like a convict just released from prison. Even the gloomy, sunless sky of the demon realm seemed exceptionally endearing at this moment.

Only Izumi, with a calm expression, looked thoughtfully at the black mountain range that had just emerged from the mountains.

"Something's not right, everyone. Logically speaking, we shouldn't have come out this early."

"What do you mean?" Xiaofu looked at him as if he were a weirdo. After hesitating for a moment, he couldn't help but ask, "Xiaoshan, I've heard that smart people often have some kind of psychological problem. There's a condition called claustrophobia. You wouldn't happen to be... the opposite of that, would you?"

"No, Honekawa-kun. Because Nobi-kun used the Time Gate, all the tools we used to use to calculate time are no longer effective, so we can only rely on our sense of touch. However, in a dark tunnel without any reference points, the sense of time is often inaccurate. I am more used to using my breathing and heartbeat to calculate time, even though my heartbeat becomes irregular when I am moving, it is still a reference point."

He pointed to the mountains standing silently behind them and said in a deep voice, "In fact, from the moment we started using ice skates until we crossed the entire Vicious Mountain Range, it only took us two hours!"

Chapter 278: Nightfall

Dekisugi's tone was resolute and full of certainty. Everyone had great trust in his analytical abilities, and his words at this moment made everyone in the room dare not ignore him.

But physical sensations are always subjective, and without accurate measuring tools, the more you think about it, the more something seems off. Looking up again, the vicious mountain range standing silently behind him suddenly became elusive, and even the wisps of mist swirling among the mountains took on a terrifying air.

"I don't know either. To cross the Vicious Mountain Range from the inside... there's no precedent for this in the entire Demon Realm." Lingyin's tone became so uncertain for the first time. "Whatever happened, we still succeeded."

In less than a day, they traversed most of the demon realm and successfully arrived at the northernmost Red Earth Continent, a remarkable achievement that can be considered unprecedented and unparalleled.

"If we do the math, it's almost evening now. The demon realm doesn't have celestial bodies like the human realm, so there's no clear time cycle. It's better to follow the biological clock that humans are used to. If you don't get enough rest, even if you encounter the Hundred-Eyed King, you'll just be a dish delivered to his door."

"Let's set up camp here for today."

"...Is it here?" Xiaofu looked at the mountain peaks not far away, still feeling uneasy. "I still have a bad feeling...Should we go further away? I think this mountain is very strange. I don't want it to eat us while we're sleeping."

"It's simply a matter of choosing the lesser of two evils," Lingyin shook her head, somewhat helplessly. "Once we step out of here, we'll officially enter the enemy's rear stronghold, where the defenses are on a completely different level. Only the area around this mountain range is an absolutely safe zone for us; no monster would be foolish enough to venture here. From another perspective, this nap is the last rest we can take without fear before we penetrate deeper into enemy territory."

For safety reasons, Da Xiong, having learned his lesson the hard way in the Arab world, stopped using a hanging sleeping bag to avoid being tied up by someone while he was sleeping.

How about a portable hotel?

"No...no way." After careful consideration, Nobita shook his head. "If that thing is placed on the ground, it can be seen for miles around. It's too conspicuous. Although theoretically no monsters will pass by, it's still too risky."

"【Explorer's Hat】—!!"

In most of his adventures, Doraemon always keeps at least one gadget for survival, in case all other options fail. This is a habit he developed after his first great adventure, the one where he got lost in the Cretaceous period.

These kinds of gadgets are usually very lightweight and can be carried around as clothing or decorations. For some reason, Doraemon has a particular fondness for hat-type gadgets. Whether it's the navy hat in the underwater castle, the wizard's hat in the Demon World Adventure, or the silk scarf hat in the Arabian Nights world, they all become his helpers at the most crucial moments.

(These three gadgets appear in three different theatrical films. The navy hat can be used to submerge underground at crucial moments, essentially creating a room-sized version of dombra noodles; the silk scarf hat is made of stretchable material and can be summoned with a flute to change its shape, and the cocoon formed by it helped the group escape a sandstorm; while the wizard hat is purely decorative, but because the decorations on it happen to be stars, it became a symbol of status and identity among the demons who use stars as a ranking standard, which coincidentally helped Doraemon escape.)

The hat in question was a camping hat used during a trip to the Chatterbox Forest in Africa.

"drop!"

I pressed the button on the top of the hat, placed it on the ground, and watched as it grew larger and larger, quickly becoming a disc-shaped campsite. Its exterior was entirely made of metal, and to prevent wild animals from entering, the door was at the very top, requiring one to climb up step by step using the handrails.

“It’s nice to have a place to rest, but…” Suneo looked up at the sky, which was clearly without any light source but was emitting an eerie glow, and sighed, “Something just doesn’t feel right.”

“Sunrise and sunset are natural things for us, they’re ingrained in our genes. Suddenly the absence of celestial bodies will definitely make our bodies feel strange. For example, without the moon here, we’ve naturally lost some of the tidal power.” Dekisugi held up a finger and patiently explained to everyone, “This sensation is very subtle, and everyone’s constitution is different; some people are particularly sensitive.”

"What should we do then?" Fat Tiger yawned and squinted his eyes. "It's almost nine o'clock at night, and it's still so bright outside. It's hard to fall asleep. We're not Nobita."

"What does that mean..." Nobita muttered irritably, then rummaged in his pocket. "It's probably a bit difficult to conjure up the sun and moon out of thin air, so let's not count on it. Let's just simulate a nighttime environment as best we can and make do."

"【Luminous Light Bulb】—!"

Sigrún has taught at the Iceland University of the Arts as a part-time lecturer since and was Dean of the Department of Fine Art from -. In – she held a research position at Reykjavík Art Museum focusing on the role of women in Icelandic art. She studied fine art at the Icelandic College of Arts and Crafts and at Pratt Institute, New York, and holds BA and MA degrees in art history and philosophy from the University of Iceland. Sigrún lives and works in Iceland.

There is no such thing as garbage in this world, only resources in the wrong place.

That being said, turning trash into treasure requires a bit of wild imagination—which is the biggest difference between Doraemon and Nobita.

As the actual user of the gadgets, Doraemon is often confined by their predetermined functions. Because he has been trained and knows how to use them, he can't use them in ways other than those in the instruction manual. Nobita, on the other hand, views all the newly introduced gadgets from a completely different, outsider's perspective, and is often able to discover the potential of some seemingly useless gadgets.

Take this light bulb, for example. It can illuminate "night," which is the opposite of a normal light bulb. When Doraemon was checking his pocket, he found a dozen of them in a dusty corner. He racked his brains but couldn't figure out what to do with these completely useless light bulbs. Just as he was about to throw them away, Nobita stopped him—the latter saw unlimited business opportunities in these little light bulbs.

Selling the night.

The more unavailable something is on a regular basis, the more popular it becomes, and the better it sells.

"Clap!"

Turn on the light bulb… or rather, turn on the “dark” light bulb. A thick darkness completely enveloped the entire camp, shutting out all surrounding light and creating a silent night. Lingyin’s expression was as if she had seen a monster. She reached out in disbelief and gently touched the darkness with her fingers, but felt nothing—this darkness, like light, was real, yet untouchable in any way.

"After witnessing so many amazing things, I thought I would no longer be surprised. I never expected to witness such a spectacle."

As she watched the light and darkness draw a clear dividing line on her arm, she couldn't help but sigh, "Summoning the night, that's Izanagi's privilege. You're just human, yet you wield the power to overturn day and night..."

"These are all scientific achievements of the 22nd century!" Nobita patted the four-dimensional pocket hanging on his waist and said with a proud tone, like Doraemon.

“This is good. I remember that Doraemon used to turn on this light in the open space, light a campfire, and set off fireworks…” Fat Tiger had already stepped halfway into the darkness, and the feeling instantly clicked. He yawned a few times and waved his hand, saying, “It’s getting late, everyone. See you tomorrow.”

Sigrún has taught at the Iceland University of the Arts as a part-time lecturer since and was Dean of the Department of Fine Art from -. In – she held a research position at Reykjavík Art Museum focusing on the role of women in Icelandic art. She studied fine art at the Icelandic College of Arts and Crafts and at Pratt Institute, New York, and holds BA and MA degrees in art history and philosophy from the University of Iceland. Sigrún lives and works in Iceland.

In this hidden darkness, everyone felt exhausted and quickly fell asleep. The dollar, which didn't need sleep, transformed into a car and quietly stopped in front of the camp, adopting a classic "wolf in sheep's clothing" posture of vigilance.

In terms of loyalty, he is an absolutely loyal steel warrior to Nobita, and that has never changed.

However, it is ultimately a life form completely different from humans. There are also fundamental differences in their understanding of "danger."

And so, a colorless and odorless cold wind blew in from the cracks in the camp...

They squeezed in silently.

Chapter 279: Dream Universe Limited Edition! Silver Swordsman Skin

Facing the enormous palace before him, Da Xiong quickly sensed something was wrong. He tried to recall when he had arrived, but found himself suddenly in this place, having closed and opened his eyes only to find himself there. It was as if a piece of his memory had been ripped away; he vaguely remembered doing something else before, as if he had been traveling and it had been very arduous.

Even more bizarrely, he wasn't wearing the modern clothes he remembered, but instead donned the long-lost Silver Swordsman limited-edition skin—helmet, arm guards, chest armor, bracers, leg guards, cloak, and boots, and of course, that classic bright silver cloak. This equipment seemed to adapt to Nobita's current body, growing a size larger, yet fitting him perfectly.

He instinctively reached into his pocket, only to touch a light yet sturdy layer of armor. Startled, he raised his hand and pinched his cheek hard. In this state, he was much stronger than usual, and the pinch made him cry out in pain.

"hiss……"

The only difference was the pain, which was no different from usual.

"Sure enough, I'm dreaming. How could I possibly wear this?" He tapped the shiny silver helmet, making two crisp knocks, but there was no vibration at all against his temple. All the vibrations were absorbed by the silver helmet.

It is said that what you think about during the day, you dream about at night, but Nobita cannot remember when he thought of such a strange scene.

This was a colossal palace. Nobita guessed he was somewhere along a corridor or similar corridor. Milky-white stone pillars stood tall, supporting the ancient, behemoth-like hall itself. Nobita felt like a tiny ant that had strayed into a human's room. He couldn't comprehend the meaning of the exquisitely beautiful patterns and inscriptions on the walls; from the outside, they looked like countless geometric shapes stacked together, filling him with an unreal feeling.

Nobita wasn't sure if he was still on Earth. Looking out, he saw a vast, lush sea of ​​flowers. Despite the lack of fertile soil, the flowers bloomed so vibrantly, mostly the lavender he remembered, forming a breathtaking expanse of deep purple. He had never seen a lavender field like this before; it was as if the sunset's glow had been squeezed into juice and poured into the earth, drawing it from the roots, ultimately manifesting in every single petal.