These discoveries led Tony to deep reflection.

  "Maravilhador already has warp technology and virtual reality... could he also possess gravitational technology?"

  After pondering, Tony concluded that he should be more persistent in his invitation to Maravilhador.

  "Maybe offering 30% of Stark Industries would be enough?"

  He prepared to proceed with his negotiation plan.

  It didn’t take long for Tony to find Hornfels, the one who would grant him the precious launch codes.

  Hornfels was on the top floor of the observatory, next to a detailed model of the entire solar system.

  "There you are! I just finished the pre-flight observations, and the local conditions are great. Time to get our newest astronaut off the ground!" Hornfels greeted enthusiastically.

  "You’ll be our first astronaut equipped with a Nomai translation tool! I must admit, I’ve been dizzy all day just thinking about it.

  We are better equipped than ever to unravel the mysteries of the Nomai. You and Hal must be very proud of your work! Tell me, what’s your plan once you're in space?" he asked.

  Tony didn’t hesitate and chose the first response option.

  "I’m going to learn more about the Nomai."

  Hornfels, not surprised at all, replied,

  "I could have guessed that! There’s no point in creating a translation tool if you’re not going to use it to translate anything. We’ve barely scratched the surface of the Nomai writings in our solar system, so we still know very little about them. We have no idea if they originated here or traveled here, or why they disappeared."

  He continued, emphasizing the importance of the translation tool.

  "Your tool should be indispensable in solving the mystery of this ancient species!"

  After a productive conversation with Hornfels, Tony finally obtained the launch codes. Eager to explore the small galaxy before him, he quickened his pace toward the exit.

  However, something unexpected happened.

  "....? What the hell!" Tony exclaimed in shock as the Nomai statue came to life and turned toward him.

  The statue's three previously closed eyes opened, emitting colorful lights.

  Staring into those glowing eyes, Tony felt his consciousness float for a few moments as images of his memories since entering the game began to appear around him. He relived everything from the moment he woke up near the campfire.

  However, as all these memories surfaced, a strange suction force pulled them into the statue's third eye, and everything returned to normal.

  "Did that statue steal my memories? Or did it store them?" Tony wondered, perplexed.

  Upon leaving the observatory, Tony found Hal resting on the stairs and decided to speak with him, hoping to get some clue about what had just happened.

  As he approached, two possible dialogue options appeared, but since both had almost the same content, he chose the first one.

  "The statue was glowing! Why was it glowing?!"

  Hal was shocked to hear this.

  "The statue was doing what?! So its eyes opened, and you saw images of your own memories and bright lights flying around? You mean like a hallucination?"

  Hal looked at Tony with concern and continued.

  "Listen, no offense, but… are you sure you're okay for this launch? Like, medically speaking?"

  Tony pondered for a moment and finally decided to respond.

  "You know what, don’t worry about it."

  Realizing he wouldn’t get satisfying answers from Hal, Tony decided to end the conversation and headed toward the elevator that would take him to the launch platform.

  As he walked toward the elevator, Tony made sure to say goodbye to almost all the villagers.

  Upon returning to the campfire, Tony saw Slate still roasting marshmallows, displaying excitement for the upcoming launch.

  "Looks like you’re ready to take off! The thrill of a launch is fun and all, but I can’t wait to get back to working on a new ship. We’re working on fixing the autopilot prevention system!... Uh, forget I said that."

  Tony once again had the feeling that this guy wasn’t very trustworthy, but he chose to ignore it, staying focused on leaving this small planet.

  After entering the code into the elevator, Tony was transported to a circular platform atop a tree. Despite finding the location somewhat unusual for a launch, his excitement remained.

  At the center of the platform stood a spaceship with a peculiar design, a mix of retro and futuristic elements, with some parts appearing to be made of wood.

  "Can this thing really fly?" Tony seriously questioned himself as he observed the ship up close.

  Upon entering the ship, Tony made an intriguing discovery. He found a gravitational stone installed near the ship's control panel. His mind started racing, evaluating the possible uses of the gravitational stone, both in the ship’s operation and as potential weapon applications.

  Tony opened the logbook, curious to record his observations and experiences so far.

  [Logbook:

  Timber Hearth.

  ? The first and only Hearthian village, as well as the main source of explorations on this planet.

  ? The Nomai statue in the observatory opened its eyes and looked at me! I saw strange glowing lights, and my own memories flashed before my eyes.]

  After that, he consulted the galactic map and examined the planets of the solar system. Without wasting time, he marked the Attlerock, the moon orbiting Timber Hearth, and prepared for takeoff.

  "This should be easier than before..." Tony murmured to himself.

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  Carefully, Tony started the ship. After a brief struggle with the controls to stabilize it, he began to feel more comfortable and accelerated, leaving the planet behind.

  From space, Tony looked down and realized how small that planet really was, but that didn’t diminish his sense of accomplishment. He could hardly wait to see Earth from space.

  "If possible… I would really love a ship like this. Obviously, I’d turn this old tub into a real war spaceship..." Tony almost drooled with excitement as he imagined the upgrades and modifications he would make to the ship.

  Following the autopilot instructions, he finally arrived at Lia’s Rock. From space, Tony spotted a circular structure resembling an ancient sundial stretching across the lunar terrain.

  "These must be the Nomai ruins Hornfels mentioned."

  Landing on the moon, Tony put on his spacesuit and stepped out of the ship. In front of him was a large Nomai platform surrounded by circular rings, with a small blue sphere at its center.

  The sphere was positioned between four separate compartments, each displaying the image of a nearby planet.

  A notification appeared as soon as Tony stepped onto the lunar platform.

  [Move the activator to one of the compartments using your vision and will.]

  "Vision and will?" Tony murmured, frowning as he observed the blue sphere in the center of the platform.

  Thiiiiiing!

  The blue sphere emitted a strange sound and began to glow intensely.

  "Interesting." Tony watched in fascination.

  Guiding the sphere with his vision and intent, he moved it toward one of the compartments on the platform.

  "It’s like having telekinesis," he remarked, surprised.

  The chosen compartment displayed the drawing of a sun. Immediately, the entire platform lit up, and the rings around it started rotating until they aligned with the sun’s actual location.

  "This is a locator!" Tony exclaimed, realizing the platform’s function.

  Deciding to test the other options, he guided the sphere toward the compartment with the image of a water-covered planet.

  Once again, the rings rotated and stabilized, pointing to a planet not too far away.

  It was Giant’s Deep, where Gabbro had encountered the strange Nomai statue. Tony noticed that the platform also captured sounds from Giant’s Deep, as he could hear the planet’s strong winds.

  After testing almost all the compartments, Tony moved the sphere to the last one, which had an unfamiliar symbol. However, the rings continued spinning endlessly, as if they couldn’t find a corresponding location for the symbol.

  "Curious..." Tony muttered, intrigued by this unmatched compartment.

  After fully analyzing what was available, Tony decided to explore further and descended a nearby staircase leading below the Nomai structure.

  At the end of the spiral staircase, he found himself in a room filled with trees. On the wall, a peculiar triangular symbol emitted swirling text.

  Tony recognized the writing as Nomai Script.

  [Oxygen detected. Oxygen refilled.]

  The environment automatically notified him.

  "So, trees can replenish oxygen? How convenient," Tony observed while examining the room.

  As he approached the script, a notification appeared in his field of vision.

  [You have found a Nomai text. Use your Nomai translator to uncover the information within.]

  "Still part of the tutorial, huh?" Tony complained lightly.

  He activated the translator, and a blue light began scanning the Nomai Script. After a few seconds, lines of dialogue appeared on the translator’s small screen.

  COLEUS: However, something strange happens when I ask the Eye’s signal locator to track the Eye’s signal. The device’s indicator spins uncontrollably and never settles in one direction.

  THATCH: This is a curious result. Is it possible that the Eye has stopped emitting its signal?

  FILIX: I see! I may have calibrated the locator incorrectly. Privet (my apprentice) and I will make adjustments and try again.

  FILIX: An update. Disappointingly, everything is calibrated correctly.

  CASSAVA: It saddens me to say this, my friends, but I believe we need to build a more sophisticated device if we wish to determine the exact location of the Eye of the universe.

  THATCH: Then let’s build it. Don’t lose hope.

  CASSAVA: Our search for the Eye is what brought our clan to this place. We won’t give up so easily!

  "I see. The last compartment referred to the 'Eye of the Universe,' whatever that is. But apparently, even the Nomai, with their advanced technology, couldn't locate it," Tony pondered.

  He wondered if the new Eye signal locator would be able to accomplish that task and, if so, where exactly that device had been built.

  Tony examined the wall, and upon touching the symbol, a strange triangular cylinder was ejected from it. The Nomai texts disappeared soon after.

  Carefully observing the triangular symbol on the wall, he realized it was actually a storage device.

  He then looked at the cylinder in his hand.

  "Is this... a flash drive?" Tony concluded, surprised. "So, the information is stored in here, not on the wall."

  With this new understanding, Tony decided to look for more of these devices and began searching the room.

  On the opposite side of the wall, he noticed a triangular slot, but it was just an empty hole.

  Near one of the shelves in the room, Tony found the same triangular cylinder he had just removed from the wall. He picked up the device and inserted it into the empty slot.

  Immediately, texts began appearing in a spiral on the wall, and Tony quickly translated them using his Nomai translator.

  THATCH: Where should this new, more sophisticated locator be built? It may need to be larger than this one.

  COLEUS: Annona and those of us originally stranded on the Hourglass Twins built a quantum moon locator there, but the sun’s heat made construction difficult. I wouldn't recommend building it on that planet.

  PLUME: The southern glacier in Uncertain Valley has plenty of available space. I could construct a new building to house this locator.

  FILIX: Yes, let's build it there! I imagine our young friend Conoy would be thrilled. He has always had a great interest in the Eye, especially for a child born long after the accident.

  PLUME: I'll begin construction at Uncertain Valley's south pole immediately, then!

  Reading the texts, Tony discovered where the new, more advanced Eye signal locator had been built.

  "It seems there’s a quantum moon locator on the Hourglass Twins. After searching Uncertain Valley, I'll head there," Tony planned.

  Even though he didn't know what a quantum moon was, Tony figured it must be important—after all, the Nomai had spent time and effort creating a specific locator for it.

  Even after reading the texts, he continued exploring the room for another ten minutes, ignoring a sad melody that had begun playing, keeping his focus on his investigations.

  Then...

  A deafening roar resounded throughout the universe.

  The powerful and terrifying sound of an immense explosion echoed through space, shaking the entire cosmos.

  Tony, not understanding what was happening, rushed up the stairs, only to be met with a disturbing sight.

  Where the sun once shone, there was now a gigantic mass of pulsating blue energy.

  "A supernova? Impossible... but why did the sun explode? Did it reach the natural end of its life?" Tony thought calmly, watching in shock as the universe crumbled.

  The supernova continued expanding violently, devouring entire planets in its wake, advancing at an alarming speed.

  "Is this the end of the game? Or is it part of the story?" he questioned.

  In no time, the supernova reached him, engulfing him in an overwhelming wave of heat and energy.

  "...Huh?" he exclaimed, dazed.

  A searing heat surrounded him, and for a brief moment, Tony felt a wave of panic. But it lasted only an instant.

  Within seconds, a silhouette appeared in the sky—a mask with three glowing eyes, unmistakably a Nomai mask.

  Tony, staring at the mask, felt a strange familiarity, as if his consciousness was being pulled toward the third eye of the mask. It was the same experience he had when facing the mysterious statue at the observatory.

  Then, his consciousness began to rewind at an incredible speed.

  "I'm going back in time?" he wondered, incredulous.

  In the blink of an eye, Tony found himself lying near the campfire once again, with the friendly Slate roasting marshmallows nearby.

  "Hey, are you ready to get this thing off the ground? The ship's fueled up and ready to go."

  "I just... died?"

  "Wow, was it a nightmare or something? You still look a bit out of it, but you're definitely not dead. I know it's tradition to spend the night under the stars before launch, but if you ask me, that just makes everyone a little nervous."

  "The sun exploded... and I went back in time?" Tony murmured to himself.

  Slate, overhearing him, looked at Tony with concern.

  "The sun exploding and time travel? Are you really ready for takeoff? It’s normal to be nervous, but I think you need to rest a bit."

  Tony ignored Slate’s concern and dove into his own thoughts.

  He pondered the sun's explosion and the fundamental questions it raised.

  Was it a natural occurrence, or something he could prevent? Perhaps the game was based on a race against time, an infinite cycle, just as suggested in the synopsis.

  "Is this the infinite time loop mentioned in the synopsis? And is the goal of the game to break this cycle?" Tony questioned.

  With the suspicion that there might be an invisible countdown timer ticking toward the end of the universe, Tony decided to pick up the pace and rushed toward the elevator on the launch platform.

  "You need to get the launch codes from the observatory before taking off, kid," Slate reminded him.

  However, Tony responded with a confident smile.

  "I already have the codes."

  After entering the code, he ascended to the platform where his ship awaited.

  Tony quickly checked his ship’s log, which now included all the information he had learned at Lia’s Rock.

  The log indicated that there were still unexplored mysteries at Lia’s Rock, but Tony was determined to find out whether the Nomai had truly succeeded in creating an Eye signal locator.

  "Uncertain Valley, here I come," Tony declared as he programmed Uncertain Valley as his next destination.