Where... has this brought me?

Just as Old Yellow Ox was at a loss due to Leon’s disappearance, contemplating whether to fetch another Leon from another world, Leon, who had been pushed off Ring Time Mountain by Fredri, had already climbed back up using his innate abilities, frowning at the dilapidated lighthouse atop the mountain.

Before being pushed off, while the lighthouse at the top of Ring Time Mountain was somewhat aged, its structure was still intact. But now, it looked as if it had been struck by a meteor, collapsed more than halfway.

If it wasn’t that Fredri whimsically played with meteors during the few minutes of my fall, then it means I’ve been thrown out of my original world.

Good news, I’m still alive.

Bad news, but it seems I can’t go back.

After trying to return the way I came and realizing it was impossible, Leon, back atop the mountain, pondered for a while, then set off towards the other side of the summit where the ruined lighthouse stood.

The Graveyard Dominator and Pure White Holy Mother alone couldn’t possibly stop Fredri. Although my son is inherently transcendent, whether he can stop her is also unknown, so the most important thing now is to find a way back as soon as possible.

Currently, there are roughly three possible ways to return home. The first is to find this world’s Fredri and have the Guardian of Ring Time Mountain send me back... but that’s apparently unlikely.

The second is to find this world’s son, have him ask in the "son group" to see if anyone’s dad is missing and if there’s a way to retrieve me. But without Old Yellow Ox’s exceptional speed, by the time I get there and come back, the present world would likely have cooled down.

Therefore, the only somewhat reliable approach is to examine the broken lighthouse... Since lighthouses inherently serve as beacons for navigation, and with it standing on Ring Time Mountain’s peak, it’s very likely a "marker" for crossing different worlds. If it can be used, perhaps I can find a way back.

Hoping, I circled Ring Time Mountain’s summit and came to the base of the tallest part of the lighthouse. Leon squinted and looked up, seeing this structure made from the same materials as the mountain, seemingly grown from Ring Time Mountain itself, with its base seamlessly integrated with the crystalline rock layers of the summit.

The monument-like multi-faceted tower stabbed straight into the dense brass clouds atop Ring Time Mountain, and where it should have been the position of the lantern room, there was no lens or bulb apparatus, but a nearly closed, slit-like "one" shape.

Behind that slit, akin to a giant eyelid, a profound and shadowy eye slowly and lifelessly rotated, casting an empty gaze down at me.

"Zzz..." 𝐟𝕣𝗲𝕖𝕨𝗲𝐛𝗻𝗼𝐯𝗲𝚕.𝗰𝚘𝐦

[Name: Time-Piercing Eye Tower (Unique, Eye)]

[Appearance: Standing at the pinnacle of time, marking different times. The matte black tower body seems to absorb all light, unable even to be illuminated by the brightest beams.

The seemingly broken and damaged bricks exude a slightly greasy, bizarre iridescence reminiscent of a dead rainbow trout’s belly, more like a cold corpse emanating sorrow and warning than a guiding beacon.]

[Ability: Sole in all realms, Eyes that see through times]

[Cost: Usable by Guardians with a seal, requiring an exchange of equal personal time for each viewing of another world’s time. Current number of Guardians: 1/1]

[File: A silent sentinel that watches over a world long still. After its Guardian made a choice, the light from this tower ceased to guide anyone. The once blazing lantern room no longer projects fiery sight but leaves behind only cold and fragmented glimpses.]

[Evaluation: It hasn’t been destroyed; half remains in stagnant reality, the other has sunk into eternal void.]

It hasn’t been destroyed?

Leon, startled after reading the abstract description of the [Time-Piercing Eye Tower], seemed to understand and tentatively reached out to touch the collapsed portion of the tower.

Surprisingly, the seemingly ruined tower hadn’t truly disappeared. Leon’s palm could still feel the frigid, rigid exterior of the lighthouse, and his fingertips faintly traced the intricate eye carvings on the stone bricks.

As if startled by Leon’s touch, the half-structure sunk in void swiftly "grew" back. The originally dilapidated lighthouse quickly restored itself to its ancient but intact form in Leon’s memory.

And the originally tightly shut dark door on the side of the lighthouse abruptly swung open, revealing a spiral stone staircase ascending inside. Two rows of suspended candle flames lit up in succession along the stairs, illuminating the steps upward, seemingly silently inviting the visitor.

"..."

Fredri!

Though there was no sight of anyone inside the lighthouse, nor had any sound been heard, a sudden inexplicable premonition surged in Leon’s heart. If anyone was inviting him up the tower, it must be this world’s Fredri!

So... do I accept her invitation and go up, or take advantage of her absence to turn around and jump back into Ring Time Mountain and try other timelines instead?