Alex gulped as the temporal cyclone spun around him and his future echo.
Objects from all eras whirled in dizzying arcs—hoverboards, dinosaur skeletons, medieval helmets, holographic keyboards.
His echo smirked, twirling a floating boombox like a baton.
"…Okay… self… let's see who's actually smarter… or at least luckier," Alex muttered.
Chaos-Comedy Combat
Alex improvised:
Distracted his echo with a medieval knight riding a boombox.
Created a juggling obstacle course with floating teacups and a T-Rex skeleton limb.
Temporarily merged two anomalies to trap his echo in a slow-motion loop.
Comedy escalated:
The T-Rex accidentally sneezed confetti on both Alex and his echo.
A 1960s convertible spun midair, almost hitting a holographic dog.
Pedestrians from multiple eras started arguing over whether hoverboards were ethical in the 15th century.
Alex groaned. "…Yep… survival, chaos, comedy… all in a Tuesday's work."
Villain's Observation
From the golden crack's edge, the villain's shadow flickered:
"Impressive, Alex… your adaptability grows. But identity is more than improvisation. Can you see the limits of your self?"
Alex squinted. "…Limits… yeah… I hate limits… except when gravity hits me in the face."
Strategic Breakthrough
Alex realized his echo's movements are based on expectation—it always predicts his first reaction.
He started acting unpredictably, moving objects in illogical sequences.
Used the T-Rex limb to bounce the boombox into the echo's path, creating a chaotic chain reaction.
"…Chaos manipulation… unpredictability mastery… tiny victory… but I'll take it," Alex whispered.
Cliffhanger – Echo's Hidden Trick
The echo suddenly paused mid-air, eyes glinting:
A fragment of Alex's own future knowledge appeared in its hands—a mysterious glowing cube.
"Thought you could improvise without seeing the ending?" the echo said with a grin.
The villain's voice echoed through the crack:
"Phase 3 begins… Alex, your trial of identity is just starting. Can you control the chaos while controlling yourself?"
Alex gulped. "…Identity… chaos… self… my kind of problem… I think."
End of Chapter 19