The Three Second Time Loop Story.

A young man starts his first day at an undisclosed research company. They are full of excitement for all the novel and cutting-edge technologies being worked with – and have naïve dreams of changing the world.

They start their first day with a tour of the facility – being shown first the staff rooms and a specimen yard by a very enthusiastic gelfling. At 11:02:49 exactly the man looks down at his watch – mana flicking the second dial to immortalize this otherwise normal time perfectly. At this exact moment, the event happens.

A massive explosion of energy that rips through the walls, floor and very fabric of the facility’s reality simultaneously. Existence is unmade in fire and sound and radiance. Space is scrubbed as if a paticularily angry god took a massive eraser to reality - smudging and getting bits of existance all over thier metaphorical hands.

The man is vaporized at this time, but that is not the end. For he swiftly finds himself whole once more in the hallway – nothing amiss with his situation. While yelling out in shock it happens again. The explosion rips everything apart and resets the time. His yell stutters as it's restarted at the beginning of each loop – the moment of incineration too fast to hurt, but too traumatic to ignore.

It takes an embarrassingly large number of loops before the man collects enough energy to look down at his wrist at the start of a loop. A flick to 11:02:47 – plus the time he took to check his watch – giving him a rough three seconds between his [Reset] and [Loop end].

Loop #100 – five minutes after his incarceration started, he began running in different directions.

He threw himself to different sides. He crouched or lay down just before the explosion…he jumped at the last second or used his various [Apprentice – Researcher] skills one by one. First to try to solve the loop – to break free…to escape it. Then to simply try anything to feel like he was doing something productive. Just to try and remain sane.

Loop #288000 – around 10 days of effective time, his mind began to break. It was only really his soul and memories that kept reverting, but they began breaking down to the endless cycle of destruction and instant recreation.

The millionth loop was special in its own way. A month of time compressed into insanity. It was special not because of what happened… but what didn’t happen – anything noteworthy.

Finally, after just over ten million loops, the prisoner of time was freed. A year of effective incarceration.

He was freed not because he had finally figured out how to escape himself or had grown strong in this period. No, the prisoner of time was freed because of a freak of chance. The paradox that had started his prison paradoxically decided not to. Everything in time was the same. Absolutely every molecule in existence was identical but the explosion just…didn’t happen.

Employees came running to their babbling new hire who screamed again and again, scratching long red lines into his arms as he babbled about the ticking clock and his newfound faith in “Pax” – an entity he claimed ate time for breakfast lunch and dinner had ten thousand eyes and a love of chocolate flavoured butter.

No [Doctor] could diagnose anything wrong with the patient, no [Healer] could fix them, no [Witch] had a concoction that would help.

This young man spent days rocking silently to himself after being deemed a lost cause – occasionally giggling or talking to his invisible companion “Pax”. He then went on to attempt to summon a demon he claimed was said “Pax” and was executed after several [Cultist Extermination] quests were issued by the system. Society failed him - had this story happend today and in the central continent he would probably have been incarcerated.

The moral of this tale is simple.

Some fantasize about being stuck in a time loop. It's always romanticized as a way to practice your skills endlessly. A way to grind to overpowered lengths – an eternity focused on advancement. Some dream of the removed consequences – nothing they would do would matter in such a world…no crime they commit would stick, for everything would be undone once again.

Real time loops are things of madness. Paradox mana seeps in chaos – it inevitably breaks your mind. Space has a place that embodies its madness counterpart – the void. But time has a moment that embodies its madness. The negative miracle. The fluke accident that should never happen. “The impossible moment”.

Excerpt obtained from “The pretty little book of paradoxes” – written 20 years after it was published by a man who doesn’t exist.

Mana Specification Rank 4 Mana specializations (NOTE Unavailable due to racial affinity being 0%) Luck&Fate Control the probability of the universe. Natural Law Control the rules of reality. Discontinuity Break that which cannot be broken. Divinity Touch upon that which is more. Unlocked Specializations due to Void Specialization Deletion Subspecialization increases base- Deletion mana control * 2, Void * 1.25, Space / 1.25 Shrinking Subspecialization increases base- Shrinking mana control * 2, Void * 1.25, Space / 1.25 Void + Eternity Harmonic Specialization. All Void+Eternity Combinations and sub derivations * 2 Control, Void * 1.25, Entropy / 1.25, Eternity * 1.5, Space / 1.5 Control. Void + Entropy Harmonic Specialization. All Void+Entropy Combinations and sub derivations * 2 Control, Void * 1.25, Eternity / 1.25, Entropy * 1.5, Space / 1.5 Control. Unlocked Specializations due to Special Actions Alcohol mana Due to experiments with magical alcohols experience has brushed against alcohol mana. Make anything intoxicating. Alcohol mana starts at 100% of base control. Cosmic Void mana

Through the combined effort of Earth, Crystal and Void mana flavours you have created an Old mana. An almost primal one, close to the source. Ability creating this mana type through your designated combination increased by 400%. Ability to create from scratch increased to 5%.

Additional control interaction: Void * 1.25, Space / 1.25

Experimentation mana Through consistent and deliberate experimentation, you have edged up against Experimentation mana. A mana type not typically found in dungeon cores. Experimentation mana starts at 100% base control. Ice mana

Through frequent use of spells creating this mana type and through deliberately accidentally creating it from scratch you have more than met the requirements to gain an ice affinity. A mana type rarely used by dungeons and even more rarely gained as an affinity. Ease of Ice mana created through combination spells increased by 400%. Ability to create from scratch increased to 70% of base.

Additional control interactions: Void * 1.25, Space / 1.25, Fire * 1.25

Snow mana.

Through creating many creatures using natural snow you've hinted at the ability to use snow mana. Snow mana starts at 100% of base control.

Additional control interactions: Ice * 1.12

Whimsy mana Considered by many to be scarily close to Madness mana. Whimsy is surprisingly safe. Whimsy mana is used more often for aesthetics than any other type, but is surprisingly useless beyond that. Whimsy mana starts at 40% of base control. Slaughter mana Through creation of a floor and monster using Slaughter mana you have shown intrest in the mana of battlefields and wars. Slaughter mana starts at 40% of base. Mana Specification Rank 4 Mana specializations (NOTE Unavailable due to racial affinity being 0%) Luck&Fate Control the probability of the universe. Natural Law Control the rules of reality. Discontinuity Break that which cannot be broken. Divinity Touch upon that which is more. Unlocked Specializations due to Void Specialization Deletion Subspecialization increases base- Deletion mana control * 2, Void * 1.25, Space / 1.25 Shrinking Subspecialization increases base- Shrinking mana control * 2, Void * 1.25, Space / 1.25 Void + Eternity Harmonic Specialization. All Void+Eternity Combinations and sub derivations * 2 Control, Void * 1.25, Entropy / 1.25, Eternity * 1.5, Space / 1.5 Control. Void + Entropy Harmonic Specialization. All Void+Entropy Combinations and sub derivations * 2 Control, Void * 1.25, Eternity / 1.25, Entropy * 1.5, Space / 1.5 Control. Unlocked Specializations due to Special Actions Alcohol mana Due to experiments with magical alcohols, experience has brushed against Alcohol mana. Make anything intoxicating. Alcohol mana starts at 100% of base control. Cosmic Void mana

Through the combined effort of Earth, Crystal and Void mana flavours you have created an Old mana. An almost primal one, close to the source. Ability to create this mana type through your designated combination increased by 400%. Ability to create from scratch increased to 5%.

Additional control interaction: Void * 1.25, Space * 1.25.

Experimentation mana Through consistent and deliberate experimentation, you have edged up against Experimentation mana. A mana type not typically found in dungeon cores. Experimentation mana starts at 100% base control. Ice mana

Through frequent use of spells creating this mana type and through deliberately accidentally creating it from scratch you have more than met the requirements to gain an ice affinity. A mana type rarely used by dungeons and even more rarely gained as an affinity. Ease of Ice mana created through combination spells increased by 400%. Ability to create from scratch increased to 70% of base.

Additional control interactions: Void * 1.25, Space / 1.25, Fire * 1.25

Snow mana.

Through creating many creatures using natural snow you've hinted at the ability to use snow mana. Snow mana starts at 100% of base control.

Additional control interactions: Ice * 1.12

Whimsy mana Considered by many to be scarily close to Madness mana. Whimsy is surprisingly safe. Whimsy mana is used more often for aesthetics than any other type but is surprisingly useless beyond that. Whimsy mana starts at 70% of base control. Slaughter mana Through the creation of a floor and monster using Slaughter mana you have shown interest in the mana of battlefields and wars. Slaughter mana starts at 70% of base.

Before Innearth had the time to properly examine his new material, a panel appeared blocking his main vision.

Innearth immediately read the rank 4 mana specializations...all of which seemed even more exciting because of the fact that he couldn't use them.

The descriptions for them are different...why?

Why are they offered? Because we could theoretically get them? Because they have to be shown?

…I guess I’ll move on.

Deletion mana. Yeah, I’ve heard about that one…but never figured out how it's possible. I think this is one of those things that I could do alone but the affinity would help me with? Put a pin in that one, I might pick it.

Shrinking…I don’t have an interest in. It's also something I can already do badly with void mana.

I could try and get one of the time manas? They seem really useful and could make some fun effects…but FED and Abe already have one and I can ask them for materials if I need to.

Theoretically, if I spend some time on it I might be able to get any of them to work anyways.

Moving down…this is more than I was offered before. Are any of them interesting?

Well…Alcohol is something that would help me aid Ilm and attract more dwarves. I might have picked this before I got adventurers hoping to lure some dwarves but…well…It doesn’t draw me and doesn’t really relate to my other affinities well.

But then again, I don’t know how important being the very strongest dungeon I can be, really matters. I’m doing well already... I don’t know…

Cosmic Void sounds…exciting. I don’t know how to feel about it. I think it's offered because of the triple mana material I just made? It doesn’t look like it really lets me make it from scratch.

It does mean I know what that material means and would help me remake it. I can obviously print it now…but it will probably take forever to print so this 500% boost would let me print it to the level of being functional.

The thing is…I’ve tried and failed to grasp eternity and entropy mana and those are at 40%. I think the major thing to look at is that it seems to affect my regular void affinity as well. Pin in it just because it seems unique and rare.

Experimentation is offered again this time at a higher control level?

Well…It probably matches me the most…but I don’t really know if I want it. Does it help make monsters that will experiment for me? Does it make it easier to experiment somehow? I don’t want to outsource my favourite task and…

Basically, it’s a solid option I don’t really want.

Ice mana…is actually something I feel matches me really well. It's something I’ve used a lot of despite having a hard time making it…and I have a whole zone and planned zone dedicated to it…and I’m planning on making another one.

It's like…it’s the one that speaks to me the most but it also feels boring in comparison.

It feels like I’d be letting someone down if I pick this option.

Snow…I’d prefer ice.

I’m going pretend this option doesn’t exist.

OH COME ON. IT WAS ONE FLOOR. I HAD AN EXCESS OF MATERIAL!

So this is my shortlist.

Alcohol mana.

Deletion mana.

Cosmic Void mana.

Ice mana.

Innearth stared at them. Of them…his instincts wanted ice mana the most but he wasn’t a core who based all of his decisions on instincts. Sometimes he used it as a tie-breaker, or followed them when he didn’t know what to do…but Innearth liked to listen to logic more than a base desire.

Logically all three of the bottom options would increase my skill with void mana. Ice would be the safest option for increasing my strength. Cosmic Void is the most interesting sounding…

Alcohol might give him the most to do. It might make the most unique materials by combining it with stuff like Crystal mana…maybe adding Void to Alcohol would make a sober material? One that sucks the alcohol out of someone's system?

As Innearth grew older the speed and strength of his “thinking power” increased.

The number of separate threads bled back over into his main consciousness and theoretically, he could think much faster…paradoxically as he grew older it felt like time was passing faster. A week felt like a day had when he was a newborn, months blurred together sometimes. The amount of time he spent on actions took longer.

He took things slower. He sat on decisions longer. His first decision took so long he got an indecisive title for it but this one was stewed on for multiple days.

Innearth vaguely knew it would be a long time before he could rank up once more.

After tier 8 the next rank barrier was at tier 16.

Tier 16…was level 295. But based on how long his last few levels took, that was probably ages away.

This decision had to count.

But also…how important was it really? His dungeon was currently being enjoyed by plenty of adventurers and while a few of them seemed able to bulldoze past the facility – that one gnome for example didn’t even seem to notice most of their defences, exploring everything and even playing with the roach knight briefly – they were few and far between.

Innearth could vaguely see a trajectory of his “strength”. He would slow down but continue growing, He could make stronger and stronger monsters but eventually, no adventurer could face them.

It was simply strength for strength's sake. He didn’t have a goal other than not wasting the decision…If he was being honest the only part of strength he cared about at this point was not falling behind his friends.

Ice was dropped from his list, along with deletion mana for the same reason. A final hesitation…

Cosmic Void was finally picked and Innearth felt the changes inside of his core for the first time.

He couldn’t understand anything that was happening but he could see it. A sort of invisible net of “something” that looked similar to a soul twisted inside of the crystal that grounded him to this world.

It was only visible in its movement – as if it had always been there but burned into Innearth’s vision, so he thought it was part of the background.

When those lines finished moving, swirls of mana spun out – moving through and then fading from – his core as everything settled. Innearth briefly lost consciousness at this point – unable to figure out just how much time had passed while mana and what he could only presume was the system changed his makeup.

Rank 4.

I feel…the same?

Innearth looked about his dungeon – consciousness diffusing to review dozens of things at once.

No…something is different. It's just subtle.

When he ranked up the previous few times, Innearth had been able to see new types of mana he couldn’t before.

This time there…wasn’t anything new that jumped out when he dialed in his vision. What he could see however were minute details in the mana that hadn’t stood out before.

If rank 1 is three dimensional, rank 2 two dimensional, and rank 3 one dimensional…rank 4 doesn’t exist? Zero dimensions? That’s why it's not visible?

…but it was offered even if it was greyed out!

Alright, let's take a look at this Cosmic Void real quick and then I can go find FED.

Innearth focused back on his experimentation chamber where he found…nothing? Looking closer, a faint purple speck, hundreds of times smaller than his original materials flashed with a singular purpose.

Innearth’s newfound Cosmic Void affinity drew him down onto the speck where he saw what his newfound choice looked like for the first time.

If Void mana was an individual point of blackness, Cosmic Void was an individual point of blackness that contained an entire universe.

Not literally, but looking at the material this singular point seemed to sparkle and change based on how Innearth viewed it. Instead of a ravenous black hole that consumed, it was a hole that contained…stuff. But what that stuff was Innearth couldn’t say.

Picking the dot up Innearth was surprised to find it heavy. Incredibly heavy – it was so heavy in fact, it should have sunk into the stone floor below it…but it hadn’t.

When dropping this massively dense grain of sand it floated down slowly.

That felt like…a Kinetic mana effect. It's resisting motion? But not actually heavier?

Innearth made a snake and placed this grain of sand right on the tip of its spike – he really wanted to start making more of it and experimenting with a larger batch but…he should probably see if FED had made a new group chat and get acquainted with any changes to the system.