Legend of the Embroiderer

Chapter 488 The Shadow of the Golden Age

A melodious bell rang from the end of the spacetime rift. The guardian propped himself up on a soft lawn and found himself lying on a floating island.

The island's edge was surrounded by colorful energy streams, like a dazzling ribbon. In the distance, countless silver-white starships were shuttling back and forth in an orderly fashion, their observer insignia gleaming in the sunlight.

The air was filled with a sweet floral fragrance, a stark contrast to the sulfurous smell of the creation time. The sounds of children's laughter and melodious music filled the air, and everything was peaceful and serene.

"This is... my past?"

The Guardian looked down at his hands; his skin was no longer covered with battle scars, and the Observer's Mark on his palms emitted a soft golden light.

His tattered armor had been transformed into a light white robe, and the Chaos Light Sword at his waist had become a badge inlaid with a blue gem.

Not far away, a magnificent crystal tower pierces the sky, its energy core at the top radiating a warm light that envelops the entire island. It is the symbol of the Observer civilization—the "Heart of Eternity".

A group of observers wearing matching robes walked by, their faces beaming with happiness, and nodded to the guardians.

One of the elderly men with white hair stopped and asked kindly:

"Young man, judging from your badge, you must have just graduated from the academy, right? Today is 'Star Festival Day,' so hurry up and gather in the square."

The old man's gaze fell on the badge at his waist, a hint of surprise flashing in his eyes.

The guardian followed the crowd toward the square, his heart filled with doubt.

In the center of the square stands a statue of the first observer, its base engraved with runes that celebrate peace.

The observers in the square were holding a ceremony, holding hands in a circle and chanting ancient songs containing pure energy that resonated with the light of the Eternal Heart.

Suddenly, he noticed a familiar figure in the crowd—himself as a child, standing on tiptoe, curiously gazing at the top of the statue.

At that moment, the crystal tower suddenly trembled slightly, and a dark purple light flashed from the top of the tower.

The Guardian's badge also heated up. He looked up at the Crystal Tower and saw a blurry black shadow writhing inside.

"what is that?"

He was about to step forward when he was stopped by a woman in a red robe.

The woman had long golden hair and purple eyes, and wore a scepter at her waist identical to that of the first observer.

"Outsiders should not easily interfere with the past."

The woman's voice was cold and mysterious, and the gem at the top of her scepter shimmered with the same light as her badge. "I am the Overseer of Time and Space, responsible for maintaining the timeline of the Observer civilization. You should not be here."

Her gaze was sharp as a knife, as if she could see through the guardian's origins.

Just as the guardian was about to explain, the chanting in the plaza suddenly became chaotic, and the runes began to distort. The crystal tower trembled more and more violently, and the dark purple light at its top grew stronger. The observers in the plaza panicked and retreated in panic.

As a child, he was knocked down by the crowd. The Guardian instinctively rushed over to help him up. The moment they touched, a fragment of memory flooded his mind—in the scene, the young Guardian found a black fragment under the Crystal Tower, engraved with the same symbols as the black-robed man's compass.

"That fragment!"

The guardian looked up abruptly and saw a crack in the wall of the crystal tower, from which dark purple mist seeped out. The mist gathered on the ground and formed a blurry shadow, gradually condensing into the shape of a black-robed figure.

But this man in black robes was younger than any he had ever seen before, his face showed no signs of age, yet his eyes were filled with the same greed.

"Looks like you've finally found your way here."

The young man in black robes sneered and waved his hand, summoning dark purple tentacles.

"The core of this crystal tower is actually made from fragments of the source of chaos."

"If I activate it, I can unleash the power of chaos to erode the entire civilization ahead of schedule and rewrite history!"

The tentacles wrapped around the crystal tower, and the energy core inside emitted a painful groan, its light rapidly dimming.

The observers in the square panicked and released their purifying power to resist, but their power was like a mantis trying to stop a chariot in the face of the chaotic power.

The Time-Space Overseer raised his scepter, and golden light formed a barrier, temporarily blocking the tentacles' attack.

"Guardian, come with me! In the underground chamber of the Crystal Tower lies the 'Hourglass of Time,' capable of suppressing fragments of chaos!"

The two pushed through the chaotic crowd, rushing towards the entrance of the Crystal Tower. Along the way, the Guardian saw a young man in black robes absorbing the chaotic energy seeping from the Crystal Tower; his body was surrounded by dark purple energy, a stark contrast to the tower's radiance.

"He's getting stronger!" The guardian was extremely anxious and quickened his pace.

The underground chamber of the Crystal Tower was dark and damp, its walls covered with ancient runes. On a stone platform in the center of the chamber sat a crystal-clear hourglass, its surface flowing with golden sand—the energy of time.

The Time-Space Overseer picked up the hourglass and handed it to the Guardian: "Quick! Activate it with your badge. Only the power of an observer from the future can fully unleash its potential."

The guardian pressed the badge onto the hourglass, and the badge and the hourglass resonated, instantly turning the golden sand into a beam of light that shot straight to the top of the tower.

The dark purple mist dissipated rapidly under the beam of light, and the young man in black robes let out a scream as his body transformed into a black shadow and fled from the crystal tower.

The Crystal Tower's light gradually returned to normal, and the observers in the square cheered as the Star Festival ceremony continued.

"The crisis has been temporarily averted."

The Time-Space Overseer breathed a sigh of relief, but his eyes were still filled with worry.

"But the man in black robes has more than that. He wants to find the 'Heart of Time and Space,' an energy source that is even more powerful than the Heart of Eternity. Once he obtains it, the entire history of the Observer civilization will be rewritten."

Just as the guardian was about to ask about the whereabouts of the Heart of Time, the hourglass suddenly shook violently, and the sand began to flow in reverse.

Scenes of the future appeared on the walls of the secret chamber: the destruction of the Observer civilization, the collapse of the Crystal Tower, the Eternal Heart being devoured by the power of chaos, and countless Observers sacrificing themselves in battle.

At the end of the scene, a figure draped in a black robe stands on the ruins, removes his hood, and reveals a face identical to that of the Guardian.

"This is impossible!" The guardian's pupils shrank, unable to believe his eyes.

The Time-Space Overseer's expression was grave: "This is one possibility for the future."

The man in black robes is actually…

Before she could finish speaking, the floor of the secret chamber suddenly cracked open, and dark purple tentacles emerged from the cracks, entangling the hourglass.

The young man in black robes reappeared, holding a black stone tablet in his hand. The runes on the tablet were identical to those on the tablet of the Lord of Chaos.

"Thank you for helping me find the clues to the Heart of Time."

The young man in black robes laughed wildly, and the energy emanating from the stone slab began to absorb the power of time from the hourglass. "Once I obtain the Heart of Time and Space, the past, present, and future will all be under my control!"

He brandished the stone slab, transforming his tentacles into a dark purple beam of light that shot towards the guardian.

The Time-Space Overseer pushed the Guardian aside, used his scepter to block the beam of light, but was himself blasted away by the energy wave, crashing into the wall and spitting out a mouthful of golden blood.

"Hurry! Go to the 'Library of Forgotten Things,' there's a way to stop him there!"

She tossed a golden key to the guardian, the key bearing the image of the library.

The guardian took the key and watched as the young man in black robes disappeared into the crack with the hourglass, his heart filled with anger and resentment.

He helped the Time-Space Overseer up and discovered that her body was gradually becoming transparent.

"Remember, don't trust anyone, including yourself."

The voice of the Time-Space Overseer grew fainter and fainter, transforming into a golden light that merged into the Guardian's emblem.

When the guardians rushed out of the crystal tower, they found that the scene in the plaza had changed. The Star Festival ceremony was still going on, but the observers wore eerie smiles, and their eyes gleamed with a dark purple light.

The younger version of himself walked up to him, a cold smile playing on his lips, just like the one on the black-robed man's, a black fragment clutched in his hand:

"Do you think you can change the past? It's too late..."

The guardian gripped the golden key tightly and turned to rush towards the Forgotten Library.

Unbeknownst to him, in the sky behind him, the figure of the Goddess of Fate was watching all of this through the clouds, a strange smile on her lips, and the scepter in her hand radiating the same energy as the young man in black robes.

And at the gates of the Forgotten Library, a familiar figure awaited him.

The adult fusion form held the third Key of Destiny in her hand, her eyes filled with complex emotions.