MiSide: but there are 720 security guards

Alain finally understood what those pipes from earlier were for. The human-headed spider used the tangled pipes as a nest, entrenched in the center of the road. When the flashlight beam hit it, he could vaguely see a second and third spider behind the first one.

Their positions formed a straight line with his current location. Three spiders, like a barricade protecting something, blocked their path. It also felt as if they were preventing the two from meeting someone.

"?"

And as the light passed by, he happened to see the small television on the cabinet flashing with red light. The blurry human figure that had been unseen for several loops, the one that had previously guided them, appeared again.

This time, the figure's appearance could be vaguely discerned; it seemed to be a short-haired girl, casting a concerned and worried gaze towards the two of them. When he first encountered the figure, he thought it was some hidden monster. But based on her appearance, it should be this version's Little Mita.

"What's the battle strategy?" Millie released her embrace and skillfully stood behind him.

"The strategy is—while ensuring safety, have fun fighting."

"Okay~ This way, I've figured it out!" Alain heard Millie pressing the controller behind him, and his own posture changed, holding the sword in one hand, as if throwing a spear.

He looked at the little girl in the light, still conveying concern and worry on the snowy TV screen, and smiled.

"Let's finish them in seconds."

"Tap."

After the key press, as light as falling rain, the greatsword in the young man's hand formed an arrow that seemed capable of piercing anything, and with the momentum to soar through the nine heavens, it was thrown towards the human-headed spider.

"Poof—" The first sound, one human-headed spider was annihilated. At this, the girl inside the small television's expression changed. Closely followed by a second "poof" sound, the second human-headed spider was slaughtered.

"?"

Alain could see that a bright red question mark had popped up above the child's head. As the third sound rang out, the greatsword was deeply embedded in the wall beside the grandfather clock, and only then did it all end. And the path ahead, whether it was pipes or human-headed spiders, was all completely severed, clear and unobstructed.

Seeing this, the girl in the television changed her "question mark" to an exclamation point, then patted her small chest as if in relief. And he took Millie's hand, slowly walked to the small television, and poked the screen, wanting to talk to the girl. But the figure on the screen didn't speak.

She shook her head like a good girl, her small hand pointing towards the exit of the next loop, then pointed to herself, and closed her eyes. According to Alain's understanding, it should mean they could meet in the next loop?

Millie secretly whispered in his ear, while pointing at the girl on the screen.

"How about it? Do you like her?" As she spoke, the girl's small hand consciously rested on his waist. Alain understood that if he said the words "I like her," Millie would definitely twist the tender flesh at his waist. His good bro was finally jealous. The corruption progress was at least halfway; Alain was very moved.

Without answering, he took her hand and walked to the entrance of the 14th loop. He took a deep breath, not rashly opening the door, his thoughts drifting to the clock. The grandfather clock, he had checked it earlier; it showed it was approaching "six o'clock sharp." According to his guess: since Little Mita would appear at 6 o'clock sharp. Then what would happen when it reached 12 o'clock?

Confused, his hand reached for the door. But no matter what... He looked at Millie, and Millie also looked at him strangely, grinning with a heartwarming smile. The girl firmly patted his shoulder. And Alain simultaneously opened the door.

Thus, the curtain of the 14th loop was drawn before their eyes. What greeted them was not darkness, but a warm, gentle corridor, no different from the 1st loop they had arrived at. Still natural light, tender pink decorations, particles of light. And the pipes, spiders, and garbled code in the darkness just a moment ago seemed as if they had never happened.

Alain thought he had come to the wrong place and looked at the counter beside him. The number remained at "14," not back to "1." He breathed a sigh of relief.

"Looks like it's safe now?" Even the playful Millie marveled at the stability around them.

"Yeah... But we can't let our guard down."

"Indeed, danger could arrive at any moment." The girl thought her bro's thinking was more meticulous. But his next words made her want to bite Alain.

"Mainly, if I relaxed my guard, wouldn't you let go of my hand?"

"Damn it! Why are you saying such mood-ruining things again!"

While the two were playing around, their steps were also advancing. After passing the first corner, the sunlight from outside the window dappled on the carpet, making everything in the room seem vibrant. Only, the TV on the cabinet, glowing with red light, was an eerie sight completely out of place. That girl inside the television waved her small hands at the two of them a couple of times, as if welcoming them over.

Alain and Millie exchanged a look, held hands, and slowly advanced, finally stopping in front of the small television. The girl beside him curiously tapped the corner of the television a couple of times, causing the girl inside to sway slightly.

"Alright, stop bullying her. Let's see what she wants us to do first." Alain patted Millie's hat, then turned his gaze to the screen.

Then, the girl first pointed to the grandfather clock in the corner, then to the wall clock embedded in the wall. Only then did Alain realize that the time on the wall clock, relative to the other two clocks, had been set back by an hour at some point.

"You mean, using the grandfather clock as a reference, adjust the time on the wall clock?"

The girl nodded.

Although he didn't quite understand, Alain still reached out and adjusted the hands of the wall clock. With a series of "click, clack" sounds, the hour and minute hands of the wall clock pointed to the same position as the grandfather clock. But after adjusting the time on the wall clock, it seemed to have become independent from the three clocks: even if his steps remained in place and didn't proceed to the next loop, the hour and minute hands still advanced minute by minute. As if it had broken free from the shackles of the loop's progress, truly becoming a time display.

"Alright. And then?"

When Alain looked at the television screen again, the little girl inside had vanished. The crimson snowy screen turned into a normal black, white, and gray tone, faintly revealing the shape of a cat.

"What's going on...?"

Confused, Millie beside him tightened her grip on his linked hand.

"Alain, look..." The girl raised her hand, pointing to the corner ahead.

Alain followed her gaze. Only to find, a small, dark blue head, peeking coquettishly at the two of them from there.

___

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