Nobita's Time Heist

"..."

The yellow-robed Taoist priest didn't explain anything further, but simply looked at him calmly and took two steps to the left.

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.

"Thump—!!"

A powerful psychic force suddenly surged forth, flipping Wang Mang and his chair to the ground. He was sent flying back ten meters before being slammed against the wall.

The Anywhere Door opened out of thin air, and Nobita, wearing a "superpower hat," stormed in, unusually angry. He raised his hand and warned, "Don't shout, and don't move!"

"It's you, Nobita... It's been a while. I thought even you had abandoned me." Despite being immobilized against the wall by telekinesis, Wang Mang still tried his best to move his old bones. His confident demeanor suggested that he was certain Nobita wouldn't kill him, and he deliberately asked, "Will you kill me?"

"The number of people who have died because of you is well over a million!!"

Looking at the other person's current state, and recalling the old man who kept saying he wanted to make the world a better place, Nobita felt deceived. Was it through this pretense that he successfully fooled everyone and got to that position?

No.

If it were all an act, it could never have lasted so long; he genuinely wanted to make the world a better place. However, his definition of "good"... was a kind of inhumane, ruthless pursuit of his goals by any means necessary. Even if, in the end, his new world was built upon the bones of countless people, he didn't care.

"Even the war with the Xiongnu was started by you. Your army marched all the way from the country to the border. You could have foreseen how many innocent people were killed."

It was rare for Nobita to question someone in such a serious tone.

"Why... is that imagined new world really worth your obsession?!"

Chapter 228: The Eternal Ideal State

"Ha ha……"

"Hahahahahaha—!! Ahahahahahaha—!!"

The Taoist priest in the yellow robe seemed to have reached his limit and burst into laughter in what should have been the most solemn and dignified room within the imperial city. His laughter was terrifying, his eyes wide and contorted, making one wonder if he had inhaled something like nitrous oxide. Only then did Da Xiong notice this man who had been in the room the entire time, standing less than a few meters away, watching them with utter mockery, as if he were the center of a huge joke.

"This is a really creative question... I've heard you're not very bright, but I never imagined you'd be this slow-witted." A cold glint flashed in the Taoist's eyes, a glint that Nobita found slightly familiar. "The one who started this is none other than you, Nobita Nobi!"

“Buzz——!”

He suddenly opened his right hand and pushed Wang Mang, who was pressed against the wall, from a distance. A dull thud was heard, and the latter, as if struck by a mind-controlling spell, instantly lost consciousness, his head drooping. At the same time, the Taoist casually picked up a cup of wine and tossed it into the air. The wine didn't fall to the ground but floated slowly, spreading out a thin curtain of water. With a grab, he threw what he had grabbed into the curtain, releasing a first-person video.

Nobita sat opposite him.

……

“They believe that as long as I come to power, I can give them more benefits… Therefore, I am now firmly tied to the ship of all the powerful families, and there is no turning back.”

"In other words, all you need right now is a little 'determination,' right?"

“That’s one way to put it, but…” Wang Mang’s voice followed, “Making that last bit of decision is quite difficult. After all, before I take action, I am still a loyal subject of the Han Dynasty, the Duke of Zhou in the hearts of the people. Once I actually take action, I can no longer control what the outcome will be.”

“Even so, we had no choice but to do it, didn’t we?” Da Xiong across from him groped in his pocket and pulled out a small pointer.

"【Determination Needle】—!!"

"Let me help you with this last little bit."

……

Only at this moment did Nobita realize what was happening, and his face turned deathly pale. In fact, since Doraemon left, his desire to cause trouble had drastically decreased; it had been a long time since he had brought home a mess while crying and calling for Doraemon. But this didn't mean he had become someone who wouldn't make mistakes.

Touched by Wang Mang's simple and unpretentious wishes, Da Xiong made a life-threatening decision in order to help him take the crucial final step.

"Do you understand now, Nobita? This extraordinary 'determination' is precisely what you gave him!"

The Taoist priest spread his arms and burst into a mocking laugh. "After gaining supreme power, the confusion in his heart became the only brake that could slightly restrain him. But now, you've used this prop to dispel all his confusion... Without brakes, the accelerator is the brake! He's speeding down the path of madness, and he's about to reach his destination!"

His words contained many terms that did not exist in this era, but at this moment, Da Xiong had no interest in paying attention. Instead, he was interrogated and tortured until he could no longer speak.

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.

“Conversely, if there was no ‘determination’ to begin with, it would be impossible for it to come to fruition, right?” Asur took a step forward, looked at the Taoist’s eyes, which were confused by madness, and said coldly, “Whether it was usurpation or the series of messy reforms that followed, they were all his own deep-seated desires.”

“Irresponsible, reckless experiments without any sense of the big picture, relying solely on his book-learned experience, have turned the world into this mess.” She pointed a finger at Wang Mang, who had lost consciousness and was slowly sliding down the wall to the ground. “He is the one who should bear the main responsibility.”

"It doesn't matter whether it's him or you. The moment we met, history was 'corrected.' With the power of the [Time-Space Anchor], this predetermined history was anchored." He looked at the crowd, his smile twisted and ferocious, like a beast bursting from its cage, ready to devour its prey. "In the end, it's still my victory!"

"This short-lived dynasty, destined to perish in a single day, encountered almost every problem that rulers might face. If it weren't for you, it would have lasted a little longer, at most a few decades."

"But now... heh..."

"Who exactly are you?" Shizuka also realized the strong sense of incongruity, raised the shock gun, and questioned, "A time-traveling criminal?"

There was a brief silence.

After a moment of silence came a terrifying burst of maniacal laughter.

"Ha ha ha ha!"

Every laugh was uttered with all his might, his eyes bloodshot.

The next moment, a dark shadow detached from the Taoist's body. After shaking off the physical body, the shadow circled in the air for several times, outlining a familiar face.

Nostradamus?

"Only realizing this now? That's far too slow. Can this really be considered a savior?" The twisted face burst into laughter, its crimson eyes flashing with venomous light. "It doesn't matter... This era is coming to an end. Every disruption will accumulate momentum for His arrival. Judging from the current trend, the all-encompassing spiritual tide should be coming very soon!"

Spirit Tide.

I haven't heard that word for a while.

The last time I heard about it was in 1492 on the Atlantic Ocean, when Columbus, infected with the dragon disease, spoke of returning the world to the spiritual tide. Considering that the dragon disease was created by the Apairon Foundation, it seems reasonable to assume that this was their ultimate goal.

What will happen after the spiritual tide arrives?

……

The hideous faces suddenly calmed down because of this one sentence, and they looked at them with incredibly kind eyes, just like ordinary old people.

"Although I know you're stalling for time, I'll still answer you..."

"This means that from now on, humanity, this seed that has struggled with 'original sin' since its birth, will be freed from suffering."

As he spoke, he displayed an unusual conviction, every word uttered from the depths of his heart. Even if you were to stick a truth tape over his head right now, the content he uttered wouldn't change in the slightest. This almost fanatical devotion sent chills down everyone's spine.

"Conflicts are always present in the world: war, destruction, massacre, oppression, death... one terrible desire after another makes people hostile to each other. At its core, it is nothing more than the 'barrier' between people. Even fathers and sons who are connected by blood are, in a broad sense, still just 'others'."

"People can never truly understand each other."

His smile was sincere and warm, and his arms were outstretched as if he were bathed in divine light.

"After the spiritual tide arrives, all humanity will be bathed in the same breath... From then on, you are me, and I am you. All the differences that caused the previous societies will become meaningless. All wars will cease, and all conflicts will subside. Just as the tongue and teeth will not fight, this world will be constantly nourished by the spiritual tide."

"From this point on, we enter the eternal ideal state."

Chapter 229: Huang Chao's Arrival

"Another ideal state... Do you guys have some kind of internal assessment criteria? Do you have to establish one or two ideal states to be considered a qualified villain?" Da Xiong glanced at the unconscious Wang Mang and sighed, "The emperor beside you originally planned to establish an ideal state, but in the end, he created a living hell on earth."

"Pure and flawless ideals are always built upon destruction; this is an eternal truth. His intentions were good, but he oversimplified everything. He wanted to make the world a better place, but he was always too pedantic, hoping to reason with others and make them vomit up what they had already swallowed."

Nostradamus twisted his neck 180 degrees, looking towards the edge of Chang'an, and murmured, "There is only one way to create an ideal country where everyone is equal..."

"drop!"

"drop!"

"drop!"

A piercing alarm blared from his pocket, startling Da Xiong. He instinctively sensed something was wrong. It sounded like many startled birds were flying over the city, and a rhythmic, drum-like sound was approaching, like an invisible club pounding the ground, making the pebbles vibrate and jerk. At first, he thought it was an earthquake, but the sound was far too predictable. He pulled out the sensor tablet from his spy satellite and saw a strange heat source suddenly highlighted in bright red on the map, slowly moving towards Chang'an.

Upon opening the link, I couldn't help but gasp in shock.

Even spy satellites couldn't capture its full form; the mountain-sized giant was shrouded in scalding steam and mist. As if strolling in his own backyard, he chose a direction and repeatedly lifted and lowered his feet. Each time his foot struck the ground, it produced a muffled thud comparable to an earthquake, leaving a series of enormous footprints in the earth.

The giant's face was covered with a burst of fungus, with countless tentacles dancing and bending in the air, making it impossible to recognize what it originally was.

……

"This era is over. The Xin dynasty has fallen, and the Eastern Han dynasty will never be born. I have brought that mad will that should have arrived after 826 years to this world ahead of time!"

"This devastated land will enter a period of three hundred years that is even colder than a harsh winter. Its original history will also be completely set on a track that no one can predict, and will continue to rush forward."

Nostradamus's figure floated into the air like smoke, and only then did Nobita realize that this guy didn't have a physical body at all.

“Remember my prophecy, ‘Savior’.”

The great prophet had long since died. What appeared before them now was the evil spirit formed from his intense resentment and hatred before his death, combined with powerful spiritual energy! It was because of this that he could so easily possess a person's body, like a venomous snake lurking in the cracks of the shadows of history, waiting for his chance to strike!

The already chaotic Xin Dynasty was the perfect stage for him.

Nostradamus seemed quite satisfied with this ending. As if about to recite an opera, he spread his arms wide, and a dark shadow danced behind him, forming a pure black robe. He gave an elegant bow to the crowd, and his figure began to dim, about to vanish into thin air.

……

"The only thing that mankind can learn from history is that mankind can learn nothing from history."

Wang Mang remained lying on the ground, unconscious, as if he were having a very long dream.

"It is often those well-intentioned wishes that lead people into a living hell!"

After reciting a long string of prophecies, Nostradamus turned and gave Asul a sinister smile. His spirit body swelled up in a ridiculously exaggerated way, like a balloon that had been blown up too much air in a short time. When it reached its limit, it burst with a "pop," turning into specks of black powder that scattered in all directions, looking so unreal.

Only the ever-approaching footsteps, like a rapid drumbeat, urged them to move quickly.

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.

"ah------!!"

Screams and wails are the typical reactions people have when faced with threatening situations that are beyond their comprehension.

Huang Chao could no longer hear, just as a person wouldn't notice ants desperately fleeing beneath their feet. Now, a full eighty meters separated them, and the occasional cacophony of screams that reached his ears were now indistinct and unrecognizable. He simply pressed forward in a straight line, crushing whatever he encountered into pieces with the absolute advantage of his giant body, carving a path through it. What lay along that path was not his concern.

The only thing he vaguely remembered was encountering a troop of Xin Mang soldiers heading towards the northern border. They were so terrified that their formation quickly collapsed, and they scattered and fled like a flock of birds. However, compared to real birds, their escape seemed too slow. He simply walked over at a leisurely pace and easily caught up with them.

The mountain-like foot landed, drowning out the terrified screams of the people, leaving only the rough, uneven texture.

Huang Chao remembered this sensation—when he was still Huang Amao, he would go up the mountain to collect herbs day and night. In late autumn, the mountain paths were covered with fallen leaves. When he stepped on them, his shoes would make a rustling sound, somewhat similar to the sound he makes now.

He really enjoyed the feeling, so he slightly changed his route, just walking as usual, like a mischievous child stepping on ants, trying to experience it as much as possible.

Just as those arrogant and domineering bandits mercilessly trampled through his hometown, he would mercilessly trample them as well. Or perhaps he would let them run for a while, until they thought they could escape and a glimmer of hope for survival appeared, then he would take bigger strides and quickly catch up. Before long, the game became boring, because once those people realized they couldn't escape, they stopped running and stood still, muttering something to themselves.

He had expected there to be pools of blood on the ground, like those from swatted mosquitoes, but he was wrong; he underestimated his own weight.

The moment those feet touched the human body, the immense weight crushed the person. The spurted blood was quickly evaporated by the high temperature, leaving only a vague human outline on the ground. He recalled when he was still Huang Amao, lying under the old locust tree at the edge of the village, earnestly pouring boiling water over an ant nest, chuckling as he did so.

A faint stinging pain came from his face, as if his symbiotic partner was reminding him not to dwell on past memories.

"..."

He gazed silently into the distance, and through the steam and mist, he saw a corner of the city.

Changan.

Chang'an.

Noble families, powerful clans, ministers, emperors… their identities may seem to change, but their essence remains the same. It is a vast lair, built layer upon layer by plundering the blood and bones of all commoners. It is magnificent and alluring, but the piles of bones buried beneath the lair are never seen.

To be honest, Huang Chao didn't think he was on either side. In his eyes, there was no real difference between commoners and emperors; they were both ants about to be crushed.

What would happen after he razed this city to the ground, and where would he end up? Within the vast city of Chang'an, were there any truly good people who refused to associate with the cannibalistic bureaucrats...? He hadn't considered these things at all; in fact, he was too lazy to even think about them.

Staying in one place and thinking won't change anything.

This time, he decided to take action first.

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.

"Boom!"

"Boom!"

"Boom!"

……

The sound of footsteps, like the beating of drums, grew closer and closer.

Chapter 230: Arrogant and Heroic Demeanor

"My God..."

Flying through the air on a bamboo dragonfly, gazing at the giant that could only be described as "spectacular" from afar, Shizuka couldn't help but sigh in awe.

In this era, the tallest man-made structures wouldn't exceed thirty meters, and this giant's body was like a moving mountain, enough to terrify any mortal. In fact, along his journey, the giant encountered no significant resistance whatsoever, not even a single arrow was shot at him. Nevertheless, he didn't spare any army within his sight, crushing them like ants.

“No, the internal structure is completely different from that of humans!” Asur put down the [X-ray vision], shook his head, and sighed. “The muscles have completely melted and are in a liquid state. There is no brain in the skull either. It’s like a cotton ball stuffed into a plush toy. The flesh and blood have completely turned into filler, and there are no organs similar to those of humans.”