The moment I jumped in, a strange sensation enveloped me. Though everything was pitch black, I could feel a gentle, comfortable breeze circulating around my body. After a while, the sound of crashing waves filled my ears, only to be replaced by the roaring clamor of hundreds of cars driving past simultaneously.

What should have been a bronze cauldron perhaps five or six meters high, I seemed to fall for a full dozen seconds before my vision suddenly brightened.

In truth, "bright" wasn't the right word; it wasn't the brilliance of sunlight. To be precise, aside from being in daytime, everything before me was shrouded in a dull gray haze.

I moved my body and found myself lying flat on the ground. The surface was icy cold, chilling me straight to the bone.

I shivered violently and quickly managed to sit up.

As I surveyed my surroundings, I immediately frowned. Behind me stood that statue: the warrior figure with a man’s torso and a fish’s tail. From the fist-sized hole in its forehead, thick black ichor was still oozing out. The walls on either side were constructed of dark stone, and visibility in the distant, heavy fog was minimal.

“I’m back,” I murmured softly. “Can it be that I can never escape this temporal death loop? Even with the Atlanteans’ help, am I still trapped circling within this specific timeframe?”

Thinking this, I listlessly looked ahead and began walking forward. After a few steps, I noticed something white spread out on the ground near a corner of the wall. Drawing closer, I realized it was unmelted snow. Seeing that snow made me more exhilarated than if I had watched the Chinese national team storm into the World Cup—because it meant I had returned to the normal flow of time.

Calming myself, I listened intently for any sound, but then frowned again.

“No, this isn't right,” I muttered to myself. “Shouldn't there be barking dogs right now? And shouldn’t Nobita and the others be appearing?”

I waited where I was, but neither the anticipated barking nor any human voices materialized. Sensing that something was profoundly wrong, I decided to venture out.

I moved out of the dead end and emerged onto the main street connected to the alley. I glanced left and right; the fog was too thick; I couldn't see a thing. I strained my ears, but the surroundings were utterly silent. This was true quietude, without a single extraneous sound. At that moment, the closest noise I could detect was the sound of ocean waves from beneath the island, but the beach was too far for the surf to carry that clearly. In this absolute stillness, I could only hear my own ragged breathing and my heartbeat.

While I stood there glancing about in confusion, a faint sound of running suddenly drifted from not far ahead.

I instantly tensed up. My guess was that my arrival time was off. At this exact moment, Nobita, Andre, and the others should have vanished. Therefore, whatever was approaching might not be an ally, but potentially an enemy.

I scanned my surroundings, finding no place to hide, so I pressed myself against the wall. If the approaching figure passed through the dense fog ahead of me, they wouldn't see me until they were within two meters. Settled in place, I cocked my ears.

The footsteps grew nearer, hurried but incredibly light. Moreover, I recognized that it didn't sound like human gait, but the stride of a four-legged creature.

Before I could puzzle out what it was, a black dog gradually materialized out of the mist about two meters from me. To my surprise, it was Lauren!

Lauren stepped out of the heavy fog, seemingly having caught my scent first. Upon spotting me, it froze instantly, stopping precisely two meters away, its body low, emitting low, warning growls. Knowing how familiar I was with Lauren, it absolutely should have leaped onto me, licking my face enthusiastically. Yet, its current posture was exactly how it reacted to a complete stranger.

Unsure why it was behaving this way, I still asked, “Lauren, what’s wrong? You don’t recognize me?” As I spoke, I opened both hands, adopting an embracing posture.

Hearing my voice and seeing my friendly gesture, Lauren suddenly paused, its warning growls ceasing. Seeing that expression, my confusion deepened. What in the world is going on?

Lauren seemed even more bewildered than I was, pacing anxiously in tight circles.

I continued to hold my hands open. “Come on, Lauren! I’ll take you home.”

Upon hearing this, Lauren seemed to give up its internal struggle, barked twice at me, and then leaped onto my body, vigorously licking my face. This time, I didn't resist; instead, I vigorously rubbed the fur on its neck, chuckling aloud.

After licking for a while, Lauren hopped down and crouched before me, wagging its tail.

I asked it, “Why are you alone? Where are the others? Where’s Liang Qian? Where’s Nobita?”

Lauren seemed to understand my words, barking twice toward the rear, then turning and bolting back into the thick fog. Knowing it intended to lead me to Nobita and the others, I hurried to follow.

I ran after Lauren, turning off the main road, navigating a sharp bend, and passing through a narrow path between a few houses. Soon, I faintly heard voices ahead. Indeed, advancing further, I saw several dark shapes moving through the mist.

Lauren was faster than me; it had already caught up with those figures, emitting excited barks. Just then, I heard a man’s voice, speaking in a tone deeply familiar to me: “Lauren! You’re back? Where did you go just now? I thought you were lost!”

I froze. The voice was intensely familiar—so familiar it was unnerving—yet I couldn't place who it belonged to. The sensation was nearly maddening. With no other option, I strode forward to see who this person was.

However, when I finally stepped out of the fog and saw him, I was utterly stunned.

The person holding Lauren was a man with medium-length, naturally curly hair, wearing black-rimmed glasses, a lean face, a simple shirt, and over it, a tight-fitting coffee-colored leather jacket. Below, he wore tight climbing trousers. He possessed the air of a pale scholar, not particularly robust but standing tall and energetic, leaving an unforgettable impression. Crucially, his right hand was heavily bandaged, as if suffering from a severe burn.

Seeing him felt like looking into a mirror. But usually, when I look in the mirror, he moves when I move. Now, however, I could move however I pleased, yet he remained still, staring at me along with the others behind him with expressions usually reserved for seeing a monster.

I cursed under my breath, "Damn it," thinking, Finally, I’ve met you, Fake Nie Chuan.

As I thought this, the false version of me strode quickly toward me. I had never encountered myself walking toward me; I didn't know what he intended, and I felt momentarily lost. But this false me seemed excited, speaking out, “Damn it! I’m so glad you’re safe!”

“Damn it?” I felt as though a bolt of lightning had struck me.

While I was still trying to process this, Nobita rushed forward too, sweeping me up like a bear. “Oh, my dear brother, I thought I’d never see you again!”

Nobita’s words only deepened my confusion. Have I really become 'Damn it'? Did something go wrong during the crossing from the cauldron, turning me into someone else? But then I dismissed that notion; no matter what went wrong, it couldn’t result in two identical versions of me existing simultaneously.

After a moment’s thought, I pushed Nobita away and asked, “Does anyone have a mirror?”

Nobita blinked, surveyed me from head to toe, and replied, “You look fine, still handsome. No need for a mirror.”

I didn't have time for banter and asked Liang Qian if she had one. Liang Qian wordlessly pulled a cosmetic case from her backpack and handed it to me.

Under the curious gazes of everyone present, I opened the case, held the mirror up to my face, and promptly gasped.