And so it was that Kahli leaned forward, looking at the dead Supreme Time Protector as they laid there, splayed out in the void, covered in their own blood. She reached her left hand, the hand made of living wood, towards the hood covering the Supreme Time Protector's face. It was time to see the face of this mysterious stranger!
[End scenario]
"What?!" Kahli said in frustration, her voice echoing in the void. "Froufrou, that was ridiculous! I thought I was about to get to see the Supreme Time Protector's identity, and then the scenario ended! Now if I want to know, I'll have to choose that scenario! And I don't know if I want them dead! What if it'd be nice to have their help learning about time travel? Am I even going to get my [class] if they die?"
And then, of course, Kahli remembered that this was a nested time [checkpoint] - that is to say, she realized that, unfortunately enough, Froufrou was not there and she was fully alone in the void. This, of course, was the double edged sword of sharing her [Seismic Sense] [skill] with Froufrou - she got the benefit of having her [paired] companion creature to bounce ideas off of during normal [checkpoints], and she got the added benefit of being able to nest [checkpoints], but she then also got the frustration of the absence of Froufrou in said nested [checkpoints]. Oh well - there seemed to always be a bit of a give and take with systemic power, Kahli noted.
With that, she looked down at her big left foot. Was it worth it to go into this second timeline unprompted? Quite possibly, she figured - after all, she'd tried to plot out that timeline, and it'd ended up being a complete dumpster fire of a disaster wherein the Supreme Time Protector ended up killing every version of themself, unintentionally or otherwise. It was... troubling, to say the least. That being said, Kahli was ready to move on along and see how the timeline would play out if she didn't intentionally try and plot it out. She'd, at the very least, accomplished her goal of getting Froufrou to tell her what it was that she was uncomfortable about vis a vis accepting a [class] from the Supreme Time Protector. Now, Kahli just had to get to the point wherein she could somehow get that [class] without the Supreme Time Protector dying by their own hand. Hopefully, this second timeline would give her some real options. That being said, Kahli knew she could always try and twist a timeline - of course, this would be infinitely more difficult without help from Froufrou, who decidedly had much more experience meditating than her.
If only Unit 5a23 hadn't totally disappeared, Kahli thought, then maybe he could've helped her back before this opportunity presented itself. Regardless, it was time.
Kahli focused on the second timeline and held her breath in anticipation.
[Now viewing scenario 2]
"Look, Supreme Time Protector, can I level with you?" asked Kahli amid numerous squelches from Froufrou.
"No," replied the Supreme Time Protector. "I don't mean it to be rude, but honestly, I am a much, much higher level than you - and indeed, I'm a higher level than you will ever become unless you accept the [class] I am offering to you. This is because the ability to manipulate time comes with many peculiarities including but not limited to things such as life extension of what is, admittedly, the already lengthy tauman lifespan. Well, lengthy compared to other beings with finite lifes. Yes, you're hearing me right - you become a [Time Manipulator], and you just might never die."
Froufrou squelched even more than before. For some reason, this made her all the more concerned.
"Of course, that's not to say that you can't still be killed, but it does mean that, functionally, you may have the physical capability of living forever. You see, Kahli, time manipulation goes so much further than just the mere timelines that you have seen. There is indeed such a myriad of multitudes, an endless infinity upon infinity of opportunities and chances to those of us that choose to walk betwixt the fourth dimension at will. There are so many things you can do with even the smallest ounce of time under your own control, and of course you've already seen that. But, I won't bore you with any further detail at this moment - most of it would go over your head at this point, anyway. You're still very, very young in your time manipulation journey - and it is my belief that, even should you choose not to pursue the [class] I'm offering to you, you will learn to do so much more than you already can with your time powers. Time is infinitely flexible, it is unbreakable, it is an innate property of the universe that you now have at your disposal, and the only real question is what all you will do with that." The Supreme Time Protector cleared their throat. "That being said, considering my virtually endless lifespan, I require at this point in time more [XP] than you could earn in your entire mortal tauman lifespan in order to level up at this point. So, no - I will not level with you, because I cannot, and I will not be able to unless you accept the [class] and gain your own powers of time manipulation further than what you already possess to the point that you can maintain your lifespan to the point that we are both living at a time when I do indeed need to level up. Well... I guesss that's not entirely true, now that I think about it further. See, yes, I can dunk on you over and over again with my endless lifespan, my immortality, my powerful [class]... But I also realize that there is an obvious solution to this issue that I've been overlooking. I can indeed level with you, Kahli, provided you truly are ready to level up at this point in time. See, I am a [Time Manipulator], as I've explained many times over, which means that all I really need to do in order to level with you is open up a small rift in time that will allow one of my past selves to come on in here and level up with you."
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Kahli suddenly became increasingly concerned that the Supreme Time Protector might doom themself once again to death by their own hand through what was obviously and absurd misunderstanding. "Wait! Supreme Time Protector, you don't need to do that! I didn't mean to-"
"Nonsense, Kahli, nonsense. It's really no big deal for a high and mighty [Time Manipulator] like myself. Honestly, I should've thought of this earlier - it's a very cool power to have and a great way to sell you on taking the [class] up for yourself."
"But-"
"No buts, don't worry, it's no inconvenience to me. I love doing things like this, Kahli - I am, once again, a [Time Manipulator]. This is my bread and butter right here, it's no big deal at all, you don't have to feel bad about making me do this, okay? Just stand back and let this Supreme Time Protector work their magic. Trust me, it's going to be so cool for you to see this, alright? And it's cool, usually when someone of a higher level levels up with a low level system user such as yourself, you get cool bonuses too - like extra [ability] points, maybe a [skill] slot a little early, who knows! So, really, it's in your benefit to allow me this. Plus, I already remember stepping through the rift to level with you at this point, Kahli - and that's because the timeline has settled. So, really, stop worrying you'll inconvenience me or whatever and just enjoy yourself! This is going to be fun."
Kahli inhaled with the intention of explaining to the Supreme Time Protector that she was indeed not ready to level up yet, but before she could, they had alreadyt opened up a rift in time and let two versions of themself step in through it.
"Oh, hey, I wasn't expecting two versions of me!" said the present time version of the Supreme Time Protector.
"Yea, well, I started seeing the future with my [Clairvoyance] [skill] that you were bringing me into this timeline, and I figured it'd be super cool if I brought my past self as well, so also your past self, who I was originally planning on leveling with, over to the party as well."
"Wait..." Kahli scrunched up her face, cracking some of the ever hardening plaster over it. "Are you telling me that you can level up with yourself?"
"Oh, absolutely!" said the original Supreme Time Protector. "Why do you think I'm so high leveled that you would die as a mortal before I have enough [XP] to level normally? Because I do a lot, and I mean a lot of spamming self-leveling. It doesn't give as many benefits as leveling with someone other than yourself, though, mind you."
"Actually, I think it does," said the youngest version of the Supreme Time Protector.
"Well, what do you know? You're essentially just freeloading off us to get extra levels," replied another version of the Supreme Time Protector.
"Freeloading? Listen up, you old fogies - if it weren't for me, neither of you would be here!" replied the youngest Supreme Time Protector.
Quickly, the argument escalated. The Supreme Time Protectors started going for low blows, referencing events that Kahli had no context for. Finally, the middle-oldest of the Supreme Time Protectors pulled out a knife.
"That's it, I'm sick of your shit. I don't think we have to deal with this!" Before anyone could object, they slashed the throat of the youngest Supreme Time Protector.
"Fuck's sake, me, why did you just kill us?!" blurted the present say Supreme Time Protector as the youngest Supreme Time Protecctor struggled and convulsed.
"There are infinite timelines, me," said the middle oldest one. "I've simply decided I'm going to go to one where I won't disappear if a younger me dies."
"But what about me? What about us?" asked the present day Supreme Time Protector.
The middle oldest Supreme Time Protector just laughed and laughed. "You're toast, bucko."
[End scenario]
Kahli screamed into the void. That timeline hadn't gone any better than the first! And the Supreme Time Protector had just talked over her instead of letting her set things straight. To think all that could happen just on the basis of a small misunderstanding! Kahli had no idea how to handle this third timeline, but she figured she had some serious work to do.