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Chapter 1666 Final Chapter: Crossing the Shore [10] "Treading on your countless endings and cor

Chapter 1666 Final Chapter - Crossing the Shore [10] - "Treading on your countless endings and corpses".

"Are you... alright?" Ashley's soft hand wiped away his helpless tears.

Su Ming'an noticed a strange liquid coming out of his mouth. He quickly wiped it away and calmly said, "It's okay, we..."

This was a physiological change caused by the limits of his soul, not weakness, and he clearly understood this. His composure remained unchanged, ready to pack his bags and head to the next destination at any moment.

He picked up the dagger, blood dripping from between his fingers, his expression turning cold and hard once more.

However, he was embraced by a soft hug.

The embrace froze him completely; he had never expected to receive such a hug. He felt lost, bewildered, as if he had opened a magical box.

White hair slid down his back, and the young man's pupils flickered violently.

The light in his eyes shimmered like stars that repeatedly went out and then lit up again.

--Why.

What is this? What is this?

He was prepared to numb his heart again, endure endless loathing, accept sacrifice, and keep moving forward.

At a time like this, what does it mean to suddenly give him a soft hug?

A warm embrace enveloped him, like a cozy fireplace in winter. As if at a loss for what to do, a soft voice whispered in his ear:

"It's okay, it's okay..."

A hand stroked his head gently.

"There won't be any problems...nothing will be a problem..."

"You've already tried your best... It's okay to be a little willful this time."

She kicked away the blood-stained dagger and whispered:

"If you don't want to kill, then don't kill..."

"You are strong and smart, you can think of better ways... you can always think of better ways..."

"Believe in yourself. You've come a long, long way, much further than ever before..."

"Take a break... Don't be afraid, don't be sad... You've already done a great job..."

"You have the power to hate..."

Ashley's pupils remained lifeless, like a delicate rag doll, waiting only to be killed.

But at this moment, sensing his gloomy and lifeless mood, she seemed to be filled with a will to live, and gently comforted him, saying that he didn't have to do that.

He has been under tremendous pressure.

Instead of choosing a peaceful and orderly end to the world game, they turned around and moved forward, prolonging the battle lines, all for a better, golden path.

Countless comments flooded the live stream, questioning why he had gone to such lengths. Wouldn't it have been better if he could just go home? Victory was within reach; if all of humanity were destroyed because of his actions, who would be held responsible?

Who should pay for his desire to explore?

He had thought about ending the game as soon as possible, since it had always been like this before. Even if he was just a grain of sand destined to be buried, happiness was still real.

Why is it necessary to have such a strong competitive spirit?

Why is a "sense of responsibility" so intense?

The secrets of the Radiant Mother Goddess, the secrets of the Jellyfish Emperor, who is the Lord of Dreams, the image of the Supreme Lord… what do these have to do with humanity? Even if the universe is destroyed, even if humanity's fate is like that of a puppet, even if there are eyes forever controlling them, what does it matter?

Even an ant can thrive if its vision is obscured by a single leaf. Most people in this world don't care about these things. Because they believe they all possess "free will," even if it's limited freedom, freedom to be dominated.

Wasn't that what he thought at the beginning? As long as you acknowledge that you have free will, even if someone is actually controlling you from behind, you are still free.

Was it an insatiable greed that prevented him from being satisfied? He feared the potential dangers of the future, he feared failure at the last hurdle, he feared that the cycle would eventually end. Without uncovering the truth, they remain puppets on a stage, players in a cat box. Perhaps, long, long afterward, at the end of time, a great wave will crash in, and everything will vanish.

Under immense pressure from all sides, he decided to go back in time.

He couldn't attend to every detail; he overlooked many clues; the universe was too vast, and the stage was terrifyingly high.

“This isn’t being capricious.” He continued to explain, but there were no comments, so he didn’t know who he was talking to, maybe just himself. “Based on the structure of Rovasa’s world, simply following the formula won’t work. Our goal is to break the story.”

He was still analyzing the problem using absolutely rational thinking.

But a voice inside him was saying—admit it, you really did feel pain.

The traditional image of the "savior" is often endowed with divinity, omniscience, and absolute rationality. In this expectation, sensibility, i.e., human emotions, empathy, and subjective experience, is seen as a flaw that may interfere with wisdom and justice.

From a perfectionist perspective, any behavior that deviates from absolute rationality can be seen as a "dereliction of duty." If dereliction of duty is understood as a deviation from the standard of perfection, then emotion might be the dereliction of duty of a savior.

But in real life, most of the time, pain is meaningless.

Feeling pain for something meaningless... that's human nature.

This is human emotion.

The savior cannot be sentimental, nor can he have any emotional ripples, nor can he relinquish the initiative to others; otherwise, it would be a sin.

Rebellion and deviation are often not seen as freedom.

Ashley stayed quietly by his side, as if waiting for all his hesitation, but in reality, it was only for a short while, perhaps just a few seconds, before he detached himself from this comfort and his gaze became steady.

A seed has no shape at first; everything about it is false—appearance, voice, height, identity… all are created later, all are false, but there is only one thing that is real.

Throughout endless years, in long waits, it has watched this game unfold for a very long time.

Therefore, she has always been good at waiting and good at giving the most appropriate warmth, because she has seen it countless times. She came into this world this time precisely so that she would no longer be helpless.

Therefore, she didn't care about life, nor did she care about death.

It doesn't care about good, nor does it care about evil.

“Alright.” Slowly, Ashley looked up at him. “Let’s think about it. If you don’t kill me, how will you deal with Natasha? How will you control this body of mine?”

Su Ming'an composed himself and did not answer immediately.

He closed his eyes, and opened them a moment later, his eyes now serene.

He recalled a scene.

—After the end of the Third World War, in the hall filled with the smell of burning paper money, a pair of cat ears.

……

The white light of the teleportation gradually rose, completely enveloping the returning Su Ming'an.

He thought he would return to the room where he was imprisoned, but when he opened his eyes again, he saw a grand hall surrounded by a deep red and viscous color.

The air was filled with the smell of burnt paper money. He looked up and saw a deep, dark shadow sitting at the head of the table.

The surroundings were dark and somber, even the crimson carpet beneath his feet reeked of blood. He saw... a pair of cat ears perked up in the shadows above.

……

Things that shouldn't be remembered gradually surfaced.

Once Su Ming'an deeply recalled this scene, it was as if a chain reaction was activated. He saw a lonely figure in the depths of the universe, sitting alone on a magnificent throne, surrounded by countless covetous and cold eyes.

Beside him were the first mate who led the way and the guard with his sword.

Raise the sails, and let the lamp burn forever.

The lonely figure atop the throne had a pair of cat ears.

He looked at him, as if to say:

—Don't be afraid.

—You have been working hard for this for a very, very long time.

—The countless footprints you desperately left on the beach will become your final, ubiquitous... foreshadowing, foreshadowing, blade, and shield in this cycle of reincarnation.

So, perhaps you truly have the right to be greedy. You are no longer that child who had nothing. What you already possess, what you have strived for, what you have given, is far more than you imagine. Just because you have temporarily forgotten it doesn't mean it didn't happen.

Go ahead and do it; the traces left by countless previous "yous" will help you—

Piercing through the night, overcoming all obstacles.

There's no need to be afraid.

Treading over your countless endings and corpses...

Forward, forward.

……

The wreckage above the clouds serves as a temporary base for the "Nest".

Inside a wooden house, the air was thick with the smell of engine oil, and the lights swayed from side to side.

"Click, click." The sound of a chess piece falling.

In the sunlight streaming through the window, the black and white chess pieces gleam with gold edges.

Luigi Ricardoss wore a finely tailored, deep black double-breasted tuxedo, adorned with a lapel pin inlaid with a deep blue gemstone, and a matching silk scarf that draped smoothly down his back. He picked up a jet-black "Bishop" pennant, and in the dim light, his deep eyes were lowered, like a calm blue sea.

Opposite him, a human figure was covered by a blindingly white cloth. Amidst the strong smell of medicine, a hand wrapped in white cloth emerged from the wide sleeve, the knuckles faintly visible beneath the fabric.

—This is the legendary "Nest Master".

The Nest Master is a legendary figure who, under the pervasive surveillance of sectarian forces such as the Radiant Mother Goddess, and in an extremely harsh and suffocating environment, raised countless torches. He is a true beacon of the soul and a banner of the spirit. The world knows his name, but has never seen his true form.

The Nest Master had previously survived an assassination attempt, leaving him physically weak and unable to move, so he handed over command to Lu. But Lu had never seen the face beneath the white robe.

Through the blinding sunlight, Lu gazed at the other's frail and petite figure. Judging from both his physique and voice, this renowned and ambitious Nest Master was an elderly man. Yet, his smooth jawline made him appear younger.

Lu and the Nest Master's interaction lasted only two or three days. Both were shrewd and cunning old foxes. The Nest Master needed the strength of the players behind Lu, while Lu needed the Nest's legion's support.

Mr. Lu felt that this old man, who never revealed his true face, was cunning, had ulterior motives, and harbored great ambitions.

Seemingly sensing Lu's gaze, the man in white robes slightly raised his head, and a ray of sunlight shone through the dazzling white fabric, piercing Lu's eyes.

A sharp pain.

"Nest Master, the succession ceremony for the World Lord has begun." Lu withdrew his gaze, as if the earlier scrutiny had never happened. "Almost all the forces are crowded in the central square. Our people have infiltrated. We only have one chance—the moment the ceremony ends and the Holy Sword manifests, we seize the Holy Sword."

Have you considered the possibility of higher dimensions intervening?

"I've considered it."

"What do you think, Mr. Ricardoss?"

“The higher dimensions will definitely come to stop us, using methods we cannot confront head-on,” Lu said.

Have you thought about how to deal with this?

"I'm sorry, I know almost nothing about it."

"Clap."

The wooden chess pieces were placed.

On the chessboard, the black and white forces are intertwined, forming a treacherous pattern. The black pieces are advancing cautiously, subtly trapping the main force of the white pieces. But upon closer inspection, several seemingly isolated "soldiers" are precisely blocking the black pieces' throat.

“Mr. Licarpos, the essence of Rovasa is a mirror, which has both advantages and disadvantages. The advantage is that it can accept anything, but do you know how to deal with higher dimensions or gods outside a mirror?” said the Nest Master.

"Reflect it? Smash it?" Lu guessed.

The Nest Master shook his head: "Reflection."

"Click," another white piece is placed.

The Nest Master said, "I ask you, without being able to destroy the double seams, how can the calculations inside the mirror make the person outside the mirror leave the scene?"

The problem wasn't difficult, and Lu quickly came up with the answer: "Interference, loss of interest, reverse mapping."

“That’s right.” The Nest Master nodded in satisfaction. “There was once… cough, someone used the nature of a mirror to fill the double slits with reflection, allowing people outside the mirror to enter. Now, we, as people inside the mirror, can also use a similar method to influence those outside the mirror.”

"To be precise, it was a violent and unpredictable dance, a disturbance reflected from beneath the mirror."

"You mean the reflection?"

“When the reflection is impactful enough, this collective disturbance will wash over the mirror like a tsunami. At that time, the controllers outside the sandbox, the manipulators outside the mirror, the unknown higher dimensions, the end of all things, the supreme lord, the lord of dreams… will have to expend enormous energy to deal with, shield, or argue about it. Direct interference in our world will create a brief vacuum,” the Nest Master said.

The room was quiet for a short while, and the road stood still for quite some time.

Sunlight streamed into his eyes, and a look of intense shock flashed across them.

He was astonished by the Nest Master's line of thought; it was ingenious yet perfectly logical. However, no player had actually come up with it, nor would anyone dare to do it; it was reasonable but indeed difficult to conceive of.

"It's your turn," the Nest Master said, tilting one palm to remind the other.

Lu placed a chess piece down: "But this is risky. If their reaction is to be provoked, then the person who took on this task will..."

The Nest Master shook his head and moved the king, which had been unused until now, one square to the side—"castling." In chess, this means moving the king to a relatively safe flank while activating the rook in the corner.

Silence fell over the room, broken only by Lu's heavy breathing. Deep within his azure eyes, a turbulent current seemed to surge beneath the surface of ice.

After what seemed like a long struggle, Lu slowly spoke: "Even if it's dangerous, I can..." I can be the sacrifice.

A calculating glint flashed in Lu's blue eyes. He paused, then left his sentence unfinished.

The Nest Master laughed: "Heh... You're very aware, but you're not. Your strength is great, but you'd be better off using it in direct combat, not for missions like this."

"Click".

With a flick of his white robe, he placed a chess piece, a piece representing a "pawn," across the center line of the board and reaching the edge of the baseline.

Lu stared at the seemingly ordinary chess piece, and after a moment, a flash of inspiration struck him:

"By the way, we have two battlefields..."

“That’s right.” Conversations among intelligent people are concise and convenient. The Nest Master clasped his hands together and placed them under his chin. “It cannot be carried out here. Because this is a fabrication of the Radiant Mother Goddess, it is not surprising no matter how absurd or bizarre it may be. Therefore, it must be performed on the normal timeline.”

"And on the normal timeline—there is a perfect stage for the performance." Lu Jie said.

The two exchanged a glance and said in unison:

"The Creators Conference"

The Creators' Conference was in full swing when it was interrupted by a crimson rain. Following this, Su Ming'an began a journey backward. Originally, Lu Shu and the other players were waiting for Su Ming'an's return on the normal timeline, but they found an opportunity to travel together to Su Ming'an's timeline.

This task must be entrusted to the players who remained in the original timeline. As for Lu, as a level two god, it would be best for him, with his high combat power, to stay by Su Ming'an's side.

The sunlight was gentle, and the green leaves swayed and shone.

The Nest Master plays chess very quickly, without thinking.

The sunlight shifted, and the two seemed truly engrossed in the game, their skill level evenly matched.

"Click".

"Click".

"Click".

A violent coughing fit caused the white robe to heave violently.

With one move, the nest's strength gave out, forcing it to abandon the game.

"It seems... that's all for today." The Nest Master wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth. "Playing chess with you... was very enjoyable, Mr. Ricardoss."

Lu watched the soldier crossing the river, then slowly stood up, his ceremonial uniform brushing against the wooden chair.

He paused for a moment, then pushed open the door:

"I'm off. Take care, Nest Master."

The nest owner did not respond.

Outside the door are concrete steps that extend upwards. As you walk up the path, it's as if you're leaving something gloomy behind.

At the end of the stairs, exposed steel bars pierced the sky like the ribs of a giant beast, and he walked upwards.

The sky was dim, and the clouds hung low.

—Yamada Machiichi stood under the pink and white sky, looking up, drinking hot milk tea, and gazing at the sky.