Nobita's Time Heist

"..." Shizuka fell silent.

"Even in the 21st century, the recovery rate for missing persons is no more than 25%. How many do you think it would be in ancient times? In an era without even streetlights, it was perfectly normal to be eaten by jackals while walking at night. His parents didn't show up for eight years. Eight years is enough time for them to rot into the ground, right?"

"With his current abilities, it's almost impossible for him to go to Chang'an. This way, he can use that as a goal to keep working hard and earning money, and his life will have something to look forward to."

"Have you thought about what will happen after he actually gets into Chang'an? Does he know the way? Chang'an is so big, where will he even begin to search? He has enough money to stay there for a few days, but what will he do if he doesn't find his way within that time?"

Problems, problems, and more problems.

Reality is made up of a series of problems, and when they stand in your way, unrealistic fantasies will be ruthlessly crushed.

In the darkness, Nobita fell into thought. Everything about this era was too unfamiliar to them, like stepping into a swamp; his right leg couldn't pull out, and his left leg was slowly sinking in as well. If they did nothing, their bodies would slowly sink, swallowed by the endless mud.

"I'll reconsider..." After a long silence, Nobita just sighed heavily. "Everyone's tired today, let's get some rest."

Without beds, the three of them had to sleep in hanging sleeping bags. Huang Amao was probably curious about this thing, but he didn't ask any questions in the end, as if he tacitly accepted that these three guests were different from others.

Sigrún has taught at the Iceland University of the Arts as a part-time lecturer since and was Dean of the Department of Fine Art from -. In – she held a research position at Reykjavík Art Museum focusing on the role of women in Icelandic art. She studied fine art at the Icelandic College of Arts and Crafts and at Pratt Institute, New York, and holds BA and MA degrees in art history and philosophy from the University of Iceland. Sigrún lives and works in Iceland.

The crescent moon hangs high in the sky; night has fallen.

"Ugh... the toilet, the toilet... it's so cold!" To avoid waking Shizuka and the others, Nobita tiptoed out of his sleeping bag, and the moment his toes touched the ground, he shivered. Back then, houses didn't need reinforced concrete; the cheaper ones would leak drafts everywhere at night.

Nobita suppressed his urge to urinate, got dressed, and suddenly realized that there didn't seem to be a toilet in the room.

"Should we relieve ourselves in the wild? Ancient people must have had such a hard time..." His modern-day reserve made him unwilling to consider relieving himself outdoors, and besides, it would be too inhumane to ask Shizuka and Asur to do the same. For this particular matter, he planned to use the toilet that came with the [Wallpaper House].

However, just as he was about to take out the props...

"crunch-"

The wooden door opens.

Huang Amao and Huang Aru, dressed in thin clothes, stood quietly in front of him.

"Oh, sorry, did I wake you up?" Nobita quickly apologized. "I actually needed to use the restroom. Well, you might not know what a restroom is. To put it simply, I wanted to go to..."

"Clap!"

Huang Amao ignored him; in fact, it seemed as if there was nothing else in his wide eyes at all. He simply walked straight over and bumped into his shoulder.

"..."

After noticing the foreign object, Huang Amao turned his head slightly, glanced at Daxiong expressionlessly, and then turned back again, stepping out of the threshold with his sister and into the cold night.

"Can't they hear me?" Da Xiong hurriedly chased after them, only to be utterly terrified by what he saw: not just the brother and sister, but every household in Tongxin Village was walking silently along the completely dark road. The elderly, children, men and women—no one was spared, all heading in the same direction towards the village entrance.

Like a walking corpse.

Sigrún has taught at the Iceland University of the Arts as a part-time lecturer since and was Dean of the Department of Fine Art from -. In – she held a research position at Reykjavík Art Museum focusing on the role of women in Icelandic art. She studied fine art at the Icelandic College of Arts and Crafts and at Pratt Institute, New York, and holds BA and MA degrees in art history and philosophy from the University of Iceland. Sigrún lives and works in Iceland.

"Ring ring ring ring—"

"Ring ring ring ring—"

"Ring ring ring ring—"

……

A faint, tinkling sound of bells drifted through the cold wind, and the battle-hardened Nobita immediately sensed the start of a side quest. Just as he was about to follow, he remembered Shizuka and Asura, who were completely unsuspecting. Leaving them in this strange place was simply too much of a worry for him.

After a moment's thought, he opened the pocket with both hands, and a powerful engine roar immediately followed.

"Come on, dollar, it's been a long time since you've made your appearance!"

Chapter 166: 0.93 seconds, the ultimate technique for falling asleep incredibly fast!

A cold wind swept by, chilling Da Xiong to the bone, making him almost curl up into a ball. There was something strange in the wind that made him feel uneasy, as if some voice was whispering to him in the wind. In contrast, the others were dressed very lightly, but they seemed completely oblivious to the cold, like a swarm of pill bugs converging from all directions of the village, moving in the same direction.

Nobita silently followed at the back, keeping a certain distance, his right hand already in his pocket. Even if these people turned into zombies at any moment, he could quickly pull out his bamboo copter and make a quick getaway.

In the small village, with nearly a hundred people, they marched in unison through the misty village, moving quietly. Without filters, this scene could be straight out of a horror movie.

A faint glimmer of light gradually appeared in the eerie fog.

The only relatively grand building in the village stood at the end of the road, with two large candles placed imposingly beside the wooden door. Their light was insufficient to illuminate the darkness, and their presence here only added to the eeriness of the place. Even though nothing had happened yet, goosebumps began to rise on Da Xiong's arms.

"I go……"

He clearly saw that next to the candle stood two strangely shaped creatures—their feet were thin and long, more like two chicken claws, sewn onto the human body.

Their upper bodies were normal human, but they had a blood-red rooster comb on their heads that was slowly wriggling, and sharp, short beaks on their faces. Their eyes were eerie green, slowly emitting a chilling glow in the darkness, like two overseers watching the crowd, like lambs to the slaughter, cross the threshold one by one and enter the gate.

When I was a kid, whenever I went to Suneo's villa on the Shijo Peninsula, they would drag me into a test of courage. Even though I knew they would pretend to be ghosts to scare me, Nobita would still be so scared that he would wet himself. If Doraemon hadn't brought out his gadgets, he wouldn't have had a chance to fight back.

If fake ghosts are like this, then encountering a real ghost out of the blue today... I'd be so scared I'd stop breathing.

But he couldn't turn back. Those two creatures with human bodies and chicken legs were standing by the candles, their eyes fixed on the crowd's every move. If he showed even the slightest sign of anything amiss, who knew what might happen! Besides, as the number of people in front of him decreased, the line kept moving forward, and it seemed like it would be his turn soon.

"If you want to know what's strange about this village, you have to go inside..."

Gritting his teeth, Da Xiong decided to ignore them, held his breath, closed his eyes slightly, and prepared to go inside without thinking twice!

"Snapped!"

A cold, inhuman hand suddenly reached out and seized his wrist.

"..."

When their eyes met, Nobita saw a horribly ulcerated face, as if maggots were crawling inside, but he paid no attention. A sharp beak was pointed at him; the unknown creature seemed to recognize that this person was problematic, grabbing him with one hand and bringing its head close, sniffing Nobita all over. An indescribable stench wafted over, more than just "stinky"; it was a kind of unease that pierced the very soul.

This is roughly the kind of rejection that life has of death.

Nobita tried to break free, but the other's cold hand was like cast iron, impossible to break free with human strength. On the contrary, this attempt made the other feel that something was wrong with him even more, and the head mixed with rooster combs moved even closer, the cold breath feeling like it was going to blow directly on his face!

When their eyes met, Nobita quickly calmed down and used a technique that only he could use.

Fall asleep in 0.93 seconds!

No wonder he's a world champion who won the napping tournament; his method is less about rapid sleep and more about self-suggestion. He falls asleep incredibly fast, pushing the limits of human endurance, even under high pressure. His pupils dilated naturally. The chicken-legged, human-bodied monster stared for a few seconds, then released its grip, letting him in.

Sigrún has taught at the Iceland University of the Arts as a part-time lecturer since and was Dean of the Department of Fine Art from -. In – she held a research position at Reykjavík Art Museum focusing on the role of women in Icelandic art. She studied fine art at the Icelandic College of Arts and Crafts and at Pratt Institute, New York, and holds BA and MA degrees in art history and philosophy from the University of Iceland. Sigrún lives and works in Iceland.

"call……"

Regardless of what lay behind the door, Nobita finally breathed a sigh of relief after stepping inside. This was much more exciting than the ghosts Gian and Suneo had pretended to be; even though he had survived this ordeal, cold sweat still kept seeping from his forehead. At this moment, his only consolation was that Shizuka hadn't come along and suffered the same ordeal as him.

"Speaking of which... this village looks a bit dilapidated, yet it still has such exquisite buildings."

Blending into the crowd, Da Xiong took the opportunity to look around. It resembled a temple, with fine floor tiles and no signs of decay, clearly well-maintained. However, there were no shrines, and instead of statues, the walls were adorned with small wooden plaques bearing names. On the altar beneath the plaques, a bowl of fruit and two candles were neatly arranged—probably the highest level of offering in the village.

“Tongxin Village Ancestral Hall?” Daxiong looked at the plaque hanging above his head and read it aloud, but he didn’t understand it because of the cultural differences between the two places.

In this land where local sentiments are deeply rooted, this is the birthplace of ancestral ties, which are even more important than social order and rituals.

At this moment, witnessed by their ancestors, several villagers half-squatted down, feeling along the edge of the stone, and together they lifted a large rock. With a loud rumble, as dust billowed, a gloomy cave was revealed. They then lined up and entered one by one, and the cave, like a gaping maw, swallowed them all up, silently digesting them.

"Hiss... Damn it..."

Da Xiong watched with a chill running down his spine, but having come this far, there was no reason to back down. He gritted his teeth, took out a stone hat from his pocket, put it on his head, and followed them inside.

Sigrún has taught at the Iceland University of the Arts as a part-time lecturer since and was Dean of the Department of Fine Art from -. In – she held a research position at Reykjavík Art Museum focusing on the role of women in Icelandic art. She studied fine art at the Icelandic College of Arts and Crafts and at Pratt Institute, New York, and holds BA and MA degrees in art history and philosophy from the University of Iceland. Sigrún lives and works in Iceland.

Tick.

Tick.

Water droplets fall from the inverted stalactites, the sound of them hitting the stone carrying an ethereal quality, yet also an indescribable sense of unease.

"Wow, the underground is so spacious!" The increasingly wide underground cavern reminded Nobita of the Mother of Insects, as if there were always secrets buried deep underground, never to see the light of day. The group marched into the underground, and between the increasingly spacious rock walls, a calm lake suddenly appeared. Nobita raised his hand and estimated that it was roughly the size of his school's playground.

Then, the truly breathtaking scene unfolded.

All the villagers consciously waded into the dark lake without making a sound, like a long-rehearsed silent play. The underground lake didn't even ripple, embracing each person who entered with its vast embrace. It all looked incredibly eerie, like dumplings wrapped on a cutting board suddenly growing arms and legs and jumping into a pot one by one, sending chills down Da Xiong's spine.

"Hiss..."

The sound of ice melting.

Da Xiong noticed that some white fluid shed from people's bodies and dissolved into the black water, slightly changing their color. These pure fluids converged in the lake and surged towards the center of the mist. There, a large, moss-covered rock stood prominently.

The village chief I had seen during the day was now sitting cross-legged on a rock, his hands clasped together, palms facing upwards, muttering incantations.

Pure white gas seeped into his aged body through the lake water, adding a touch of color to his wrinkled face. A cracking sound echoed within his bones; at that moment, his withered body seemed to regain its vitality.

It's like being reborn.

Chapter 167: Accumulating Sand to Form a Tower, Stealing People's Lifespan

"What on earth is going on..."

Da Xiong felt a chill run down his spine. He couldn't understand what was happening, but his instincts told him it couldn't be anything good. To confirm his suspicions, he continued to walk slowly to the lakeside, took out the built-in stethoscope from his medical kit, and pressed it against the head of a random villager. Just as he had predicted, the person seemed completely unconscious, showing no reaction whatsoever to the stethoscope's touch.

The results came out shortly afterward.

"Persistent latent organ failure has been detected. It is recommended to stay away from radiation sources or any source of substances that may cause the decline of physiological organ function."

It's rare to see a medical kit provide such a lengthy diagnosis; usually, it's just a simple illness name and a prescription. But all this came from the kit was a single vial of bright green nutrient solution, with advice as bland as "replenish nutrition promptly." This seems sufficient proof that even with 22nd-century scientific advancements, it's impossible to determine what these people experienced.

Regardless, the words "organ failure" certainly don't carry a positive connotation. Meanwhile, the figure sitting in the center of the underground lake was gradually becoming radiant, despite looking as if he would pass out if he said just a few more words during the day.

At this point, a rare, somewhat cultured idiom flashed through Nobita's mind.

Gather sand into a tower.

……

"If everyone in the world gave me a dollar, wouldn't I become a billionaire?"

I believe that every child has seriously considered this matter at some point in their life, and Nobita is no exception. But unlike other children, he has Doraemon, so his fantasies are more than just fantasies.

Although Doraemon strictly forbade him from using gadgets to make money, he made an exception and took out the "Gathering Sand to Build a Tower" machine to let him experience this fantastical feeling. He first asked Nobita, "What do you need so much money for?" Nobita wanted to answer that he wanted to buy comics, but after glancing at his homework, he changed his mind and said he wanted to buy pencils. So, Doraemon "borrowed" one millimeter from every pencil in the world, and his pencil thus reached straight to the sky, even piercing through the ceiling.

In theory, he could borrow anything from seven billion people around the world; any single thing, when spread across seven billion people, would become a trivial matter.

For nine long years after Doraemon left, Nobita never considered using the gadget. But after seeing this scene, a terrible thought suddenly occurred to him.

Is this village chief doing the same thing?

However, what he extracts is people's lifespan!

……

"It is recommended to take a blood sample from the patient for further analysis."

Seeing the words displayed on the medical kit, Nobita took out a syringe and injected it into one of the men's shoulders. However, due to the sudden movement, he kicked a rock.

In the center of the lake, his tightly closed eyes snapped open.

"Who goes there?!" The village chief's voice was different from the trembling old man during the day; it was like a summer thunderclap, making the entire underground rock wall vibrate.

Nobita was shocked. The last person capable of seeing through the stone hat's disguise was the Demon King Daimao. However, judging from the content of his question, he wasn't capable of seeing through him at a glance. Taking advantage of this opportunity, Nobita quickly put away the blood sample he had drawn, took out the Anywhere Door from his pocket, and disappeared from the spot in a flash.

"..."

The old man in the lake half-opened his eyes, surveying his surroundings, which remained deathly silent. No one in the pool moved; only the occasional cold wind blowing through the cave produced a buzzing sound of varying pitches.

His deep, cold face turned toward the cave entrance, his gaze becoming icy and menacing.

Sigrún has taught at the Iceland University of the Arts as a part-time lecturer since and was Dean of the Department of Fine Art from -. In – she held a research position at Reykjavík Art Museum focusing on the role of women in Icelandic art. She studied fine art at the Icelandic College of Arts and Crafts and at Pratt Institute, New York, and holds BA and MA degrees in art history and philosophy from the University of Iceland. Sigrún lives and works in Iceland.

As soon as he opened the door, Da Xiong felt a surge of reassurance upon seeing Mei Jin's tall figure standing guard at the entrance. He patted Mei Jin's thigh, producing two dull metallic thuds, and Mei Jin quickly understood, transforming into a camouflage green jeep amidst a series of cool clicks. The wooden house was already close to the forest, and with the camouflage, it was virtually impossible for the ancient people to spot it.

Now that he has realized there is something unusual going on in the village, Da Xiong has no choice but to upgrade his side's firepower and defenses.

"I'm entrusting this to you." Nobita gently stroked the windshield of the car with the money and instructed in a very serious tone, "Take good care of the two of them. If any emergency occurs, the safety of Shizuka and Asur is the highest priority."

In this form, Meijin couldn't speak, only responding with the powerful roar of his engine. Under the cover of night, he carved a path through the roadless forest, disappearing into the dense woods in no time.

Sigrún has taught at the Iceland University of the Arts as a part-time lecturer since and was Dean of the Department of Fine Art from -. In – she held a research position at Reykjavík Art Museum focusing on the role of women in Icelandic art. She studied fine art at the Icelandic College of Arts and Crafts and at Pratt Institute, New York, and holds BA and MA degrees in art history and philosophy from the University of Iceland. Sigrún lives and works in Iceland.

"Snapped!"

The moment he pushed open the door, a sticky, semi-fluid substance suddenly flew over and stuck the unprepared Nobita to the wall. This unexpected shot almost caught him off guard, and before the other side could fire an even heavier shot, Nobita quickly shouted, "Shizuka, it's me!!"

……

The emergency light came on, and only after recognizing Nobita's face did Shizuka, who had been tense, finally breathe a sigh of relief and put down the instant glue gun in her hand. She and Asur had already changed their clothes, and it wasn't hard to imagine what they would think when they woke up and saw this empty room.

"Your Transformer was honking its horn outside and woke us all up." Asur adjusted the brightness of the emergency light in his hand (this is also a Doraemon gadget, from "The Ghost Appears," and it looks like a cane), and said, "She won't call you, saying she's worried that you'll be like a spy in a movie, who happens to leave your phone ringing and then get killed by a call from your meddlesome girlfriend."

"What nonsense are you talking about..." Shizuka was a little embarrassed by the analogy, and scolded him slightly before quickly asking, "Nobita, are you alright? I'm sorry, I should have aimed better before firing."

"Hitting the target with one shot in the absence of light, Shizuka, you're already a very good marksman." Nobita comforted her with a smile, while taking out another instant adhesive gun from his pocket, spraying himself with slime remover, and freeing himself from the wall. He patted the dissolved foam off his shoulders, "To make a long story short, this village has a big problem."

"The brother and sister are gone." Asur pointed to the inner room with the emergency light—the bed was empty, with only a tattered quilt.

"I took a quick look around, and all the doors of the neighbors' houses were open, but no one was home."