prynovel Chapter 1655 The Endgame Part 4: "The Guiding Lighthouse in the OE Universe"
Chapter 1655 The Endgame Part 4: "The Guiding Lighthouse in the OE Universe"
Chapter 1655 The Endgame Part IV: "OE: The Guiding Lighthouse in the Universe"
"I'm so sleepy, that old man's advanced math class was so hypnotic..."
Haiwenxing.
Under a clear blue sky, traffic flows and high-rise buildings stand tall.
Su Lianqing was an ordinary science student. As soon as her advanced mathematics class on hypnosis ended, she immediately grabbed a piece of bread and rushed out of the school gate, yawning, and ran to a coffee shop near the school to perk herself up.
"I learned derivatives in high school, and I have to learn derivatives again in college. As I study them, I end up calculating backwards... Sigh...!" She sighed heavily, wondering what she would do for the final exams.
"Ding-dong—ding-dong—"
The doorbell of the coffee shop rang crisply. Su Lianqing pushed open the wooden door, and a warm current mixed with the aroma of freshly ground coffee beans rushed towards her.
She habitually walked to her usual window seat in the coffee shop. However, today, that seat was already occupied.
"Huh?" She was taken aback.
It was a young man, sitting with his back to her in a high-backed armchair. He wore a simple white shirt and dark trousers, his posture upright, and he was slightly tilting his head, seemingly observing the crowd outside the window. Most striking was his short white hair, its color as pure as early winter snow. Even just sitting quietly, he gave the impression... he was practically an angel from another world.
"Wow, you have such a great presence... Are you a celebrity? Or a model?"
Su Lianqing paused, intending to find another seat, when the white-haired youth, as if he had eyes in the back of his head, turned around at that very moment.
"Would you mind coming over for a bit, to get to know me?" the white-haired young man said.
Su Lianqing saw his face, nodded gently, and walked over.
Upon closer inspection, the white-haired youth's skin was so flawless it seemed unreal, and his cold, aloof demeanor became even more pronounced. His deep, green eyes gazed at Su Lianqing, and he made a move that Su Lianqing had never expected.
He stretched out his hand, his fingers long and clean, with a black card between his index and middle fingers.
The text above was written in blood-red:
……
[Heartwarming and healing, endless dungeons! A simulated world, self-redemption!]
Global players, come and join the excitement! High-quality games await you!
……
He placed the black card on the table in front of Su Lianqing, making a soft "click" sound.
"You might find this useful."
Su Lianqing was stunned. She looked at the black card on the table, then looked up at the other person's calm face. "Sir, do we know each other? This is...?"
She was momentarily speechless; this turn of events was utterly bizarre. Was it some new form of street marketing? An invitation from a high-end club? But the person's demeanor didn't seem like someone handing out flyers at all.
However, before Su Lianqing could react, the white-haired youth nodded slightly as a farewell, then turned and walked towards the coffee shop door, pushing it open and leaving.
Only Su Lianqing remained, staring blankly at the black card.
She looked around; everything in the café was as usual, and no one seemed to have noticed the brief incident. The street outside the window was still bustling with traffic, and the sun was shining brightly.
Su Lianqing examined the black card several times before finally putting it into her pocket.
...I'll keep it for now; it looks quite exquisite.
As she left the coffee shop, wondering whether she should check the black card, she suddenly heard screams around her—
"Look! In the sky—!"
"My God!"
Suddenly, a giant heart appeared in the sky, instantly obscuring the heavens!
The next second, all the exclamations disappeared.
【welcome.】
A gentle male voice rang in everyone's ears, as melodious as a babbling brook.
When people opened their eyes, they found themselves standing in a vast square. They looked at each other in horror, but before the panic could fully spread—
Above the square, the light converged like flowing water.
A figure quietly appeared.
He wore a well-fitting dark suit, a white ragdoll cat mask, and black cat ears on his head. He floated in the air, relaxed, like a gentle ray of light.
The moment they saw him, not only did no one feel uncomfortable, but they also felt inexplicably relaxed, and their tense mood was involuntarily soothed.
"Good afternoon, friends from Haven Star." The voice was clear and gentle, reaching everyone's ears. "I am the host of this year's World Game. You can call me 'BOSS Cat'. Please allow me to give you a brief introduction in the next short time."
He nodded slightly:
"This is the World Game, and your world, Haven Star, has been registered as a participating civilization. The World Game is a... well, we can call it a 'growth program' for numerous civilizations. It will provide participating civilizations with unique experiences and advancements through a series of simulated scenario instances."
The crowd gathered in the square regained some vitality from the deathly silence. People looked up, their faces a mixture of confusion, fear, and curiosity.
"You will participate in one instance after another, becoming 'players'," the black-haired youth continued, his tone steady. "The players' exploration, decisions, and achievements in the instances will be converted into personal points, as well as a comprehensive assessment of the development of our Haven Star civilization."
“Points are very useful; they can be exchanged for many interesting things, such as knowledge, skills, and military power. And the comprehensive assessment of your civilization…” He paused, “will determine whether your entire Haven Star civilization can gain a broader vision and richer possibilities in the future.”
“One thing needs to be made clear,” he said, his tone becoming slightly more serious, “the challenges in the instance are real. If you encounter misfortune, it will be a real loss. Please take it seriously. However… games always come with opportunities. Outstanding performance and high praise can sometimes bring unexpected turns of events, and there are precedents in history.”
"In addition, to ensure an immersive experience, the flow of time in the real world will be paused during the game, so please don't be too surprised."
He raised a hand and gently tapped his temple: "Now, there's still a while before the first adaptive experience instance begins. This time is for everyone. Remember, this is more than just a challenge."
“Well then,” he bowed slightly, his posture elegant, “I look forward to seeing all of you in the dungeon later. Best of luck, Havenstar.”
There was no intimidation, no blatant threats.
It was as if the host was describing a life-or-death test in the most encouraging language within a strict framework of rules.
Especially the last sentence, "Wishing Hai Wenxing good luck," doesn't feel like a routine closing remark, but rather like a blessing.
"By the way, let me introduce our game's four assistants." Four figures appeared behind the young man.
Su Lianqing looked up and was suddenly surprised to find that one of them was the white-haired young man she had met in the coffee shop!
"This person's identity is 'Assistant.' She will delve into your instance, transforming into an NPC or player you may encounter, and secretly guiding you forward." BOSS Cat pointed to the black-haired girl.
The black-haired girl nodded slightly, as if she had experienced similar introductions countless times.
“This man’s identity is ‘The Inspector’… He will eliminate some of the bad guys among you.” BOSS Cat looked at the white-haired youth.
The white-haired youth twitched the corners of his mouth slightly, as if he were smiling; it was as if they had a tacit understanding built from countless collaborations.
“This is the ‘Order Keeper.’ He will restore order when the situation gets out of control, such as when a higher dimension intervenes.” Boss Cat looked at another white-haired youth.
The white-haired youth had dark eyes and slightly sharp facial features, and he looked at the players with some impatience.
"This person is the 'Rule Master,' and he will convey some special rules to you at specific times."
The last person BOSS Cat introduced was a white-haired man wearing a priest's robe, with a serene gaze.
"Are you the host of this game?" Suddenly, someone realized they could speak and immediately shouted towards the sky.
“No.” The young man smiled slightly. “I am the…master of the world game.”
"Are you trying to help us or eliminate us?" a man in a suit who looked quite important shouted.
"Hmm..." the young man tilted his head. "What do you guys think?"
"What is the price of failure?" a girl asked, her voice trembling, almost in tears.
The black-haired youth in the air paused, momentarily stunned.
A moment later, he gently raised a finger and placed it to his lips.
Those were fingers almost identical to those of a human, skin identical to that of a human, and temperature identical to that of a human.
“The price of failure—of course—” he said in a low voice.
"It's a total annihilation, right!" a high school boy cried, his face contorted with despair. "I know, it's definitely going to be this kind of plot. You gods just love watching lower life forms kill each other..."
“At worst, we’ll all be exiled…” another man waved his fist. “I won’t lose! I won’t lose! I’m going to win this game, I’m going to change my fate!”
"We're doomed, we're doomed..." A middle-aged man sat down on the ground with a thud, trembling with fear.
However, in the sky, the dark eyes behind the mask twitched slightly, revealing a hint of a smile.
He put his hands behind his back and chuckled softly.
"Do not."
"It will not be erased."
……
"Have a laugh, 'players'."
……
Hey, hey, hey.
Su Lianqing's heart pounded.
While everyone else was filled with fear, she keenly sensed that the "game master" in the sky harbored no ill will towards them.
On the contrary, He seemed... to really want them to win the game.
She looked up and heard the young man's final words before he left.
"Well then, before the game begins, I offer my final blessings to 'you'," the young man said softly, as if smiling.
"—May you have a bright and glorious future."
It's no longer just a message to one person, but to everyone.
This was not only a speech to the people of Haven Star, but also to all the civilizations that were about to experience the World Game...
At the moment the world game begins, the sky glides across the rise and fall of countless civilizations—primitive tribes of the Stone Age, emerging civilizations with nascent cultures, races stepping into the interstellar age, silicon-based life on gas giants…
Countless civilizations have witnessed countless acts of redemption.
Light is being born, and shadow is spreading.
Creation and destruction, ascent and fall, lucidity and madness, faith and nihilism... Countless civilizations are like alveoli on the lungs of the universe, expanding, contracting, rupturing, and being reborn.
Prosperity sings its own praises, and heaven glorifies hell.
At the heart of all the crossroads of civilizations, there is such a figure.
He wore cat ears, had jet-black hair and eyes, and wore a white shirt. His temperament was gentle and not sharp, like a student about to push open the library door.
He followed his own will, weighing the sacrifice and being sacrificed.
He left his homeland to seek new scenery.
Before selfishness, love this world.
He discovered his mission midway through his life, in the prime of his life. He ventured into the eternally lonely cosmic organs, enduring long journeys and solitude, all to pluck the dawn.
"bring it on."
People seemed to see his lips opening and closing:
"In this 'game' where everything is at stake, with everything you are about to experience—joy, sorrow, betrayal, trust, scheming, sacrifice, selfishness, and boundless love,"
"—Prove it to me, prove it to the rules of the universe—"
"Your tenacity and brilliance surpass cold organs."
"The torch that mankind burns in the darkness is stronger than the gods in the sky."
"I do not believe that a civilization that can still give rise to a spirit of sacrifice in dire straits is inefficient."
"I do not believe that a civilization that can still grope for a glimmer of light in the darkness is hopeless."
"I don't believe that what is called a base will to survive, a foolish stubbornness, or a wrong attempt... should be erased."
"Even if, as a result, our blood is spilled in every corner of the dungeon, and the roads we walk are filled with the corpses and ashes of our own resurrected souls."
"As long as we have the chance to move forward, we must let everyone witness the coming of the future."
When he said this, the entire room fell silent.
People looked up, listening quietly, their eyes shining with an unprecedented light.
BOSS Cat smiled slightly and uttered his last words—
……
"[And facing the ashes of the victims,]"
Noble people will shed tears.
……
The four assistants behind him—the black-haired "Assistant," the white-haired "Observer," the black-clad "Ruler," and the white-robed "Orderer"—silently gazed at his back, their eyes piercing through the present moment, as if they saw a similar figure in the distant past, speaking similar words to another group of desperate people.
Su Lianqing gripped the slightly warm black card tightly. In the last moment before the white light of the sky engulfed everything, she seemed to see the points of light around the boss cat not extinguished, but transformed into a lamp...
eternal,
Changming
gentle,
Dazzling,
As if from ancient times,
The lighthouse had already lit up...
lighthouse?
Su Lianqing raised her head, her irises burning. Suddenly, she felt a stinging sensation in her eyes and a slight pain in her pupils, as if tears were about to fall for some reason.
The lights flickered in people's eyes.
—The firelight was also reflected in His dark pupils, shining like thousands of stars.
……
[World's Game Controller: Su Ming'an (BOSS Cat)]
[Assistant: Yueyue]
[Observer: Lü Shu]
[The Order Keeper: Lin Guang]
[Rulesholder: Li Mingyue]
[The one left behind: Yamada Machichi]
[Original Life Brain: Xiaona]
[External editors and organizers: Aria, Lilia, Laplace, and Amazon]
[Civilizations redeemed since its inception: 2897182]
……
And so, among the stars, beyond the light of time,
There is a lighthouse that shines forever.
It is an eternal beacon that steers the course in the dark and lonely universe.
It is an everlasting torch that burns eternally in the dark forest.
It was once a cold and harsh "civilization purifier" in the universe—
According to ancient and absolute rules, judgment, selection, and elimination... unhealthy civilizations are cleared out like waste.
Until one day, a "perfect scorer" who had personally experienced all of this became its owner.
He did not choose to sit on the eternal throne and coldly observe the struggles and annihilation of countless civilizations.
Instead, he bent down and walked into the core of this enormous machine.
Little by little, we replaced the gears, laid new tracks, and wrote different instructions for it.
He transformed the ruthless rule of "annihilation" into a means of redemption;
He transformed the brutal "purification" process into a sublimation.
He transformed the bloody execution ground into a rescue station for a civilization in dire straits.
From then on, when a civilization falls into a predicament destined for destruction,
What arrived was no longer a cold judgment, but a special invitation.
A diverse group of travelers, known as "players," will enter that world.
Finding vulnerabilities, disseminating methods, igniting hope, searching for a way to save the situation...
If one batch fails, try another.
Until a viable answer is found, or all efforts are exhausted. Rather than a selection process, it is more like a series of interventions and lifts.
Countless civilizations were thus spared from falling into darkness.
Illuminated by the lighthouse, they found routes that were previously invisible.
No one fully understands.
How much effort did the host, who wore a cat-ear mask and was known as "BOSS Cat," put in to teach a cosmic machine that followed the logic of destruction to be kind and to have warmth?
But all the civilizations illuminated by him gradually came to know that perhaps the light of this beacon came from a soul that was equally small but never abandoned others. Only those in similar circumstances can truly understand one another.
It does not glorify bloodshed or advocate erasure; it replaces death with sublimation and abandonment with cultivation.
It is forgiving and inclusive, yet also majestic and robust.
It guides dying civilizations to find their way, enables fanatical civilizations to recognize humility, inspires desperate civilizations to find a way out, and leads drowning fishermen back to their homeland.
It gazes towards its distant homeland.
It carries the aspirations of civilization.
It does not declare victory, nor does it promise perfection.
It neither glorifies hell nor advocates heaven.
It reveals only one thing:
"—I will head towards the end of the universe, carrying the world game to its peak."
"Behind that, I will surely glimpse... the true end."
"Keep moving forward."
"The myriad civilizations in the universe."
"If you drown in the ocean, look up and see me, and you will know your way."
Lost traveler,
If you lose your way home
Look up and see.
At the most turbulent direction of the waves, at the end of the reefs and cliffs, stands an eternal lighthouse guiding the way. There, you may find salvation or liberation.
If you feel lost, head in that direction.
The tide cannot drown you.
The waves cannot destroy you.
If the land is destined to rise...
Let humanity choose a new peak for survival. ①
No,
No,
……
— Do not perish by the sea.
……
……
……
In the square, as the BOSS cat departed, the world game was about to begin. People quickly began to talk to each other, their faces showing fear, but even more so, curiosity.
Some people recruited strong strangers to form teams, some hurriedly searched for their relatives, some speculated about the format of the first game, and some searched everywhere for suitable weapons.
Su Lianqing shook her numb hands, her palms brushing against her pockets, causing the black card inside to accidentally fall to the ground. As she bent down to pick it up, she suddenly heard a cold system voice—
……
"Ding dong!"
[You've been appointed as a "Power Holder" - Trainee!]
Please actively complete the ruler's quests in the upcoming dungeons to level up!
……
...Those in power?
what is this?
She stared in shock at the gleaming black card in her hand.
It was as if I could hear the sound of the wheel of fate turning.
"Hi." Someone patted her on the shoulder.
She turned around and saw it was a male classmate from the next class. She had worked with him in groups a few times before, and he seemed like a nice person. His name was Bolong.
The young man smiled brightly at her.
……
"classmate."
Want to team up?
……
……
……
(The Guardian Chapter - END)
……
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[1] Bei Dao, "Answer"