The Living Time Crystal: In a world of Xianxia Crystal Immortals, our protagonist, possesses a unique ability: whenever he faces permanent death, he is sent back in time to relive the loop. Each time, the loop starts one day later. For example, the initial loop spans 81 days, while the second loop covers 80 days.
No Superposition: The protagonist will never spawn in a place where a different iteration of himself already is. The spawn point is set to be his bed. ( insert Minecraft joke here ).
Fantasy Fuel: The Time Crystal, like all Crystalloids in this fiction, must burn a certain element as fuel for their superpowers. The more the superpower is used, the more fuel is burned ( Just like mana in games, only it doesn't regenerate on its own ). In the case of the Time Crystal, he burns Time Essence - one day's worth, each time he dies and turns back the clock. With less time essence available, the Time Loop can sustain less. Unfortunately, nobody knows where to get more time essence.
Some paradoxes are legal: The MC can and will interact with different versions of himself, either intentionally or accidentally. This will not lead to a paradox, due to the trope of the Self-Fulfilling Prophecy. Circular paradoxes are allowed; those that cause timeline deviations are banned. ( I'm looking at you, Grandfather's Paradox! )
The Unstoppable Cataclysm: The time loop comes with a hard stop. When the Cataclysm strikes, an unknown and unseen threat of global proportions eradicates all lifeforms. Even if the MC attempts to evade it by hiding on the opposite side of the Earth or deep within a bunker, the Cataclysm inevitably ends everything. The MC speculates this mysterious menace is attributed to an Invisible Meteor in later loops, but its true nature remains uncertain.
Help support creative writers by finding and reading their stories on the original site.
The Self-Fulfilling Prophecy: The trope of self-fulfilling prophecies adds complexity to the story. If the MC in Loop 1 witnesses a revolution unfolding on day 31, and the MC in Loop 7 aims to prevent this uprising, he might unwittingly become the catalyst that triggers the entire event. Importantly, since the revolution occurs on day 31, the MC in Loop 32 cannot alter the details of the revolution itself.
The Illusion of Free Will: With every choice and death being permanent, a peculiar logical system emerges. The MC in Loop 2 may believe he possesses free will, unaware that a wiser MC from Loop 70 is subtly manipulating events to guide the narrative towards a crucial outcome required by Loop 70 MC. This twist adds a layer of intrigue and manipulation within the time loop. Different versions of MC inadvertedly work together, for a lot of convoluted situations.Boot-strapping is encouraged.
The Keeper of the Timeline: As the MC acts as the primary observer, everything he witnesses is bound to happen, while events that elude his observation can still be altered. This pivotal role highlights the significance of leaving the reason for the Cataclysm undisclosed. It allows the MC to potentially change the fate of the world for the better in the final loop. It further enhances the value of secondary characters, since their actions are like black boxes ( or Schrodinger's Cat ).
Avengers, Assemble! : At the climax of the story, the MC orchestrates a grand scheme to unite all the Kingdoms, Houses, Tribes, as well as members of the other sapient species under his banner. Together, they confront the unseen threat in a breathtaking "Humanity, Fuck Yeah!" (HFY) moment, where the fate of the world hangs in the balance.