prynovel Chapter 1697 Final Chapter: Crossing the Shore [41] [Trial 3: The Test Subject]
Chapter 1697 Final Chapter: Crossing the Shore [41] [Trial 3: The Test Subject]
Chapter 1697 Final Chapter - Crossing the Shore [41] - [Third Trial: The Test Subject]
"Ding dong!"
[The Third Major Challenge: The Test Subject]
Everyone will enter an infinitely expanding mirror maze. Every so often, the space will randomly strip away one of a person's identities.
[Rules for clearing the level: Find and confront all the detached mirror images of your own identity, persuade or defeat them, and obtain the lens of "yourself".]
Finally, gather all the shards of light at the center of the maze—rediscover yourself and become yourself again.
For life to be elevated, it must possess a clear understanding and affirmation of itself.
Best of luck to you all.
[Current number of participants: 358101]
……
After passing through the door, following the first challenge of the river problem and several rounds of prisoner's dilemma in the second challenge, Su Ming'an arrived at the third challenge.
Each entrance has only one person, who can only see an endless array of mirrors. As he walks through them, each mirror reflects a completely different version of him.
—Social identities: student, soldier, player, creator…
The mirror reflected him in his academic gown, holding a sword, pondering a difficult problem, and holding a writing brush...
—Moral identity: rescuer, bystander, perpetrator, victim…
The mirror reflected him standing on the high platform giving a speech, watching others die, stabbing those around him with swords, and lying in a rain of blood with his eyes closed...
—Relationships and identities: son, friend, enemy, revered figure…
The mirror reflected him sitting on the piano bench swinging his legs, him celebrating his birthday with Lu Shu and others, him facing off against Noel with swords drawn, him being surrounded by people wearing a cloak by the fountain... With each step forward, it was as if a layer of "him" was slowly peeled away, wandering into the depths of the maze.
Su Ming'an reached the first intersection.
A student sat there, wearing a shirt, typing on his laptop. The screen displayed footage from a Premiere Pro video editing session, frame by frame, depicting a horror game. A coffee sat on the table next to him, which he occasionally picked up and took a sip.
Noticing Su Ming'an, the student pointed to the table next to him and said, "Sit down."
Su Ming'an sat down, clasped his hands together, and according to the rules of the game, he needed the lens that this "self" had transformed into.
"Have you received an invitation from Bilibili?" Su Ming'an asked.
"received."
"This video can't be finished editing today, not even by staying up all night," Su Ming'an said after glancing at the video's progress.
"It's okay, we can cut it again tomorrow." The student didn't seem to care that there was no tomorrow.
Su Ming'an drew his sword. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw the student pull a dagger from his sleeve. Their thoughts were almost identical.
“It’s a pity, but I think you must be a phantom of me created by the game mechanics,” Su Ming’an said. “I must get your lens.”
“I thought so too. You never back down, and you rarely hesitate.” The student took out a dagger and looked at Su Ming’an. “May I ask you a question?”
"You said."
What kind of person have you become?
Su Ming'an thought for a moment, pointed to himself, and then to the students: "There is no difference in essence."
"Really?" the student said. "Nothing has changed?"
“There have been many changes, and I could say a lot about them,” Su Ming’an said. “However, I just realized that many of my little gestures, my thoughts when editing, my tone of voice when talking… have actually not changed.”
"That's a very cunning answer," the student sighed. "Didn't you notice the significant difference?"
"what?"
"Your sword-wielding technique is far more skillful than mine. Look... you're already thrusting at me."
"Shh!"
Su Ming'an had already thrust forward. The student's dagger blocked for a split second, then was knocked away by Su Ming'an, the blade piercing through the student's body without resistance. Compared to the inexperienced student, Su Ming'an's precise thrust was far more lethal. The student didn't bleed; his figure, along with the nearby table, chairs, and coffee, disintegrated into scattered starlight.
The student chuckled softly: "You look like you've traveled a really, really long way..."
A lens gradually solidified and lay in Su Ming'an's palm.
At the second intersection, Su Ming'an saw a boy sitting in the basement. The thick, blood-red light of the setting sun fell on the boy's hair. The boy was sitting on the ground, holding a blood-stained head in his hands, with a rusty steel bar lying at his feet.
Su Ming'an's pupils contracted, and his scalp tingled for a moment—this was a scene from one of his deaths in the first instance! This was a huge turning point. But this was clearly a scene overwritten by a death reload, so why was it appearing before his eyes?
He subconsciously glanced at the live chat—
When was this footage taken?
[As a die-hard fan of Su Ming'an, I swear that since the first day of the World Game, I have watched all of Su Ming'an's live streams and have never seen anything like this before!!!]
[Yes, Yueyue didn't die here. She was sacrificed on the World Chessboard. Why was she beheaded in the basement?]
[Look! Boss Rabbit! What's it doing standing here?]
……
"—So, what is the reward for the ultimate winner? Does it include, in this game, the redemption of Zhai Xing?" The dark-haired boy in the basement stared intently at Boss Rabbit as the sunlight slanted down.
“Including,” said Boss Rabbit. “You are one of the most special people I’ve ever met, out of a billion.”
……
Su Ming'an suddenly realized that everything in front of him was a picture generated based on his perception, which was why it appeared.
He was a little nervous, but he quickly realized that he was no longer the same naive person he once was. He already knew the unspoken authority of the organization, and the organizers couldn't do anything to him. Even if they knew all this, they couldn't possibly come to the source to arrest him.
Suddenly, he saw a pair of green eyes open in the shadows.
“I’ve come to repay a debt of gratitude.” The green eyes blinked.
...Lu Shen?
“I’ll find a way to throw this anchor out,” Green Eyes said. “For the next while, no one in the live stream will be able to see you, and you don’t have to worry about them seeing your past experiences… There are some things you don’t want to expose, right?”
Su Ming'an pondered for a moment and nodded.
……
……
Main God World - Joint Headquarters, Third Strategic Analysis Room
The heavy, soundproof doors were tightly shut, and the room was bathed in cold, white light. The meeting had been going on for an hour.
"...As of now, the number of casual players worldwide who have actively participated in the 'Trial of Origin' has exceeded 180,000. Participants are mainly divided into three categories: first, the lower classes who regard the trial as a gamble; second, adventurous players with certain combat skills who are eager to change their fate through this opportunity; and third, a small number of fanatics who are blinded by the possibility of becoming gods."
"We must immediately activate the psychological counseling plan for the families of the trial participants, coordinate resources from various residential areas, and prevent a chain of social problems. Twenty minutes... that's too short a time; at most, we can only provide the most basic warnings of danger."
Political Commissar Liu Jiahe tapped the table and said in an official tone, "Pacifying public sentiment is of paramount importance. We must emphasize three points: First, respect individual choices. Second, regardless of participation, Su Ming'an remains the core survivor of the Origin Point Trial. Everyone's hopes rest on his shoulders, and unity and trust must not waver. Third, the Joint Mission has activated its emergency response mechanism and will do everything in its power to ensure stability in the rear and prevent the spread of panic and moral blackmail."
"Knock knock knock!" At that moment, there was a rapid knocking on the conference room door, and an intelligence officer rushed in, his face flushed with excitement: "Chief of Staff! Sirs! The live stream... the live stream of the number one player! It's happening, a level one alert has been issued!"
"Level 1 Alert" is a code word used within the coalition, signifying that something extremely important has occurred.
A dozen or so people stood up instantly, along with a large group of clerks behind them. With the intelligence officer's intervention, the live broadcast on the screen lit up.
At that moment, it was as if the air had been sucked away instantly.
A deathly silence.
“This…this is…” Deputy Chief of Staff Kentaro Suzuki gradually regained his voice, “What kind of illusion is this? A trap presented to our audience?”
Undeniably, his mindset was extremely cautious. However, the report had already been submitted immediately, much faster than expected.
"The timing coincides with the blank period of the first instance, and the behavioral logic also matches Su Ming'an's later turning point..." The report described some details, which, although suspected of setting up the target before shooting the arrow, did make sense.
In fact, they had suspected it for a while, after all, the organizers had practically made it clear, and Dead Rabbit had kept saying "he has that...that..." over and over again. However, when he stopped hiding it, when he stopped pretending and even openly announced to everyone—Yes! I do have a death rollback! I'm not pretending anymore!
At this moment, no one was not shocked.
This had one advantage: he could openly get everyone to cooperate with him. From then on, everything had to give way to his actions, no matter how absurd the plan was; as long as he said it, it was considered correct. Those who clamored that he was a "lackey of the organizers" no longer had any room to maneuver, and those who still felt distrustful were completely silenced.
In the past, these scenes would never have been shown, and he would never have been able to tell the truth, as he would have been punished by the rules if he did... But now, he is at the "Source Point," and it is the universe mechanism of the "Source Point" that has released them for him, beyond the reach of the organizers! Once he completes the trial and ascends to the level of a first-level god, who can stop him?
This is actually the best time to go public. It's enough to make people all over the world go crazy, willingly make way for it, and even admire it.
“Heroes deserve to be thanked…” Vice President Andrew murmured to himself, touching his nose.
"It turns out he discovered the truth about perfect clearing as early as the first instance... It's laughable that with so many people in our joint team, although some people suggested the idea, it wasn't accepted at all. It wasn't until he set an example after the second instance that people started to pay attention..." Political Commissar Liu Jiahe shook his head.
Andrew analyzed, "Public reactions will be polarized. Some people will feel unprecedented adoration and gratitude, while others will feel alienation and fear. We must guide public opinion. But his stance is also more difficult to predict, which means he has experienced countless disagreements and betrayals and witnessed extremely extreme futures."
If Su Ming'an had already witnessed the incompetence, betrayal, or shortsightedness of humans and organizations in countless cycles, then his current attitude towards the Alliance and humanity is probably quite complex. He loves humanity, but he also doesn't love humanity. This love is hard to describe in words; he believes in it more than anyone else, and he disbelieves in it more than anyone else.
Aishikor set the tone, stating frankly: "Gentlemen, no matter what abilities Su Ming'an possesses, no matter what he has been through, he is the strongest individual combat force and a symbol of heroism in the human camp to date, and his goals have always been aligned with ours."
"Immediately issue a global announcement in the name of the Supreme Alliance: First, emphasize that the First Player has paid a price for human civilization far beyond what ordinary people can imagine. Second, reaffirm Su Ming'an's unshakeable status as a beacon and hero of human civilization. Third, once again call on all players to unite. No matter what lies ahead, supporting the First Player is supporting our own future. During the Origin Point Trial, all internal disputes are put aside, and all efforts should be made to ensure logistics and intelligence analysis."
"Trust is mutual and based on accumulated actions. Perhaps we made big mistakes in the early stages and cannot seek his forgiveness. But doing what we should do, resolving his concerns, providing the necessary intelligence support, not holding him back, not making unfounded speculations, and not trying to control him—this is the best position we can take at this stage."
"The world game has entered its final stage, and there is no turning back."
"All we can do is believe that this young man, who has walked through countless dead ends, can make it to the next tomorrow."
……
Information processing center.
In front of a huge circular screen wall, dozens of analysts were working. Chen Wei's fingers flew across the keyboard when she suddenly realized the entire room was silent.
The information processing center seemed to have been muted; only the light from the screens illuminated the faces of everyone who had received the message.
"Clatter." The electronic pen in her hand fell onto the control panel.
“Death… death rollback?” a young analyst murmured, breaking the silence. “The rumors on the forum… are they true?”
Chen Wei snapped back to reality. She suddenly remembered dying in a dungeon once, lying in a healing pod for a whole week, and being plagued by nightmares for months. Fifty times? Hundreds of times? What did that even mean?
For a moment, she couldn't even believe the truth.
……
A corner of the employee rest area.
Several business personnel from different departments gathered together to smoke.
"Now those dissenters should shut up, right?" A technician from the Nevagan Division exhaled a smoke ring.
"Dream on." A data analyst from Glenn's division sneered. "Soon someone will say, since he can rewind time, why doesn't he complete the game more perfectly? Why doesn't he save everyone?"
"Damn it..." the technician cursed, but he was powerless to refute it; such is human nature.
A dark-skinned man from the logistics transport team said in a muffled voice, "I don't care what they say, I don't understand those big principles. All I know is that in the Praia instance, if it weren't for the top player tanking in front, my wife and children might be dead by now."
"I don't gossip, I just think it's amazing."
……
Inside an apartment building in a residential area of a certain god-world.
"I knew it! I told you so!!! I posted the 32nd thread about the special ability hypothesis on the World Forum! You guys laughed at me for being delusional! See? See! This is the truth!" A young man with messy hair excitedly slammed his fist on the table and gestured wildly in front of the screen.
His roommate pushed up his glasses, his face still somewhat pale: "Is this ability a blessing or a curse?"
The young man's eyes lit up. "Of course, it's a blessing! If it were for me..."
My roommate said, "Give it to you? You probably broke down the first time you died. You had nightmares for half a month after you came back from the last dungeon, and you kept saying you never wanted to go again."
The young man choked, opened his mouth, but couldn't utter a rebuttal.
Downstairs in the apartment building, a middle-aged man in an old jacket was visibly agitated, saying, "It's so unfair! We work so hard, why can he..."
A female college student retorted, "Every death is real pain! Would you be willing to endure the pain of dozens of deaths for this opportunity? Without his trial and error, we might have triggered an even worse instant death situation for everyone!"
……
After the children had fallen asleep, someone quietly wiped away their tears, clasped their hands together, and prayed softly.
Some people kept refreshing the forum, searching for relatable viewpoints to calm the turmoil in their hearts.
Some people watched silently, without joining any discussion.
Shock, admiration, jealousy, doubt, realization, fear, gratitude, relief, resentment, fervor, reflection, numbness... countless emotions fermented in the world of the main god, and the complex human nature beneath the surface of the lake surfaced.
Su Ming'an is the sharpest pebble.
……
"Am I on the right path?"
Inside the basement, the boy questioned the first player who had reached the end.
“There’s no right or wrong…this is just the very beginning of countless branches,” Su Ming’an said. Just as a tree grows countless tiny branches, the boy is still at the thickest part of the trunk, not yet heading towards the more distant forks.
"Actually, I wasn't thinking about anything at that moment... I just thought, since I'm going to die here anyway, I can't waste the time, so I'll test the rabbit." The boy smiled. "Fortunately, I tested the right one."
“Yes,” Su Ming’an murmured, “Back then… you weren’t actually thinking about anything.”
But the moment I received the answer, I embarked on an extremely difficult, painful, and misunderstood path.
"The game is about to begin," the boy said.
“The game is about to end…” Su Ming’an said.
The boy and the young man, standing on the beginning and the end of the road respectively, look at each other from a distance.
What lies ahead is not just a long road filled with pain and despair, where he will break down several times and endure inhuman torture... but even so, it is also a warm and gentle road.
Finally, he stood at the end of the road, looking back at the past, seeing countless figures, countless blessings, countless tombstones, and countless rivers.
—This journey will not be in vain, and my path will not be lonely.
The boy smiled and said, "Thank you, and keep going. Let's wrap this up after all this long and arduous journey!"
Su Ming'an could no longer recall many details; his impressions of some instances were fading, and his soul was exhausted and riddled with holes, unable to remember many things. Yet, he still managed a slight smile.
He smiled.
He was certain he was on the furthest road... What a blissful fact that must have been.
Although still mixed with fear, regret, and hesitation, he was thankful that everything before him was still bright, clear, and within reach.
The boy opened his arms.
Su Ming'an was stunned for a moment, then opened his arms in tacit agreement.
"Snapped."
A warm touch came from his back, and his chest was filled with a cotton candy-like texture. He could smell a sweet scent, even though everything in front of him was covered in blood. Yet, he felt as if he were hugging a small stove. Two similar figures overlapped, and the gap between them gradually closed.
He felt the warm breath exhale, and the boy whispered in his ear, "...Keep it up."
With a muffled thud, the boy slowly collapsed, turning into a shard of glass. Su Ming'an picked up the shard, as if hearing an echo from a distant past…
—GAME START.
……
The end is near.
……
His footsteps waded through the black water, flowing against the current of time. Su Ming'an didn't care whether people felt regret, gratitude, jealousy, or apology; he only moved forward.
He doesn't care who gets to judge his merits and demerits.
……
[—You return home beneath the village, its lights shining brightly in the dark night.]
—You sleep forever before the bright and tranquil future.
—You smile in the torrential rain.
【--You are……】
……
"Tap, tap, tap." Footsteps continued forward.
As he walked past each intersection, Su Ming'an picked up pieces of glass, accumulating more and more in his hands.
The somber hues gradually took on color, and the saturation of the maze increased. The black walls resembled childish crayon drawings, and several rough stick figures gradually appeared, wearing cat-ear hats, bow ties, carrying knives, and top hats, following behind him.
The white in front of us is increasing, while the black is decreasing.
Then, he saw the red-robed girl who looked like a wild wolf.
He saw Mizushima Sora high in the sky. She looked down upon him, judging the number one player, distrusted by the world, in the name of justice.
Suddenly, Su Ming'an noticed a detail.
“So I propose…” Aland said softly, “...that we not rush to kill him.”
……Um?
Was this suggestion originally proposed by Aland? Su Ming'an only then noticed this detail.
Allowing Su Ming'an to be corrupted and lose his mind is a permanent trauma to his soul. Even if Su Ming'an dies and rewinds time, the trauma will remain with him. Su Ming'an always believed that this was a suggestion from Mizushima Kawakita, and he always thought it was Mizushima Kawakita's cruel act, but now, looking back at the details, it turns out it was actually Ailand who suggested it?
This guy was extremely inconspicuous in the early and mid-game, yet he subtly undermined Su Ming'an by making treacherous suggestions that were extremely targeted at him, turning the high-profile Mizushima Kawakami into a weapon...
Interestingly, Su Ming'an even saw some acquaintances surrounding him in this scene. Lu, Hua De, Zhong Xi, Sean... However, now, Hua De is guarding the World Tree, Zhong Xi and Sean are fighting bravely in the succession ceremony, and Lu is even fighting side by side at the Source.
Things are wrong.
Former rivals can become teammates, and even the most trusted teammates can become rivals.
He looked at his "self," shivering from the cold, and spoke:
Nothing can defeat me.
The boy, immersed in the pain of alienation, slowly raised his head and met the gaze.
“I don’t like the saying ‘What doesn’t kill you makes you stronger.’ It ignores the pain and struggle a person endures. The bloody wounds are real, the scars don’t heal, and the reason someone becomes unafraid of the cold is because they’ve lost the normal sense of cold—that’s a deficiency, not strength,” Su Ming’an said.
"I never believe that suffering should be celebrated, nor do I believe that tragedy is a necessary factor for sublimation. One's ideals cannot be separated from suffering, but this suffering should not be a whetstone, but merely a kind of pain that should be avoided."
"I stand atop a mountain of swords and daggers because I am not afraid of pain, simply because I am strong enough."
“They were just acts of violence inflicted on me, and their only purpose was to make me realize that I didn’t want to be the one inflicting that violence.”
Having experienced such a cold downpour, I don't want anyone else to feel the cold.
Having suffered a trial condemned by thousands, he did not want to cause any more injustice to others.
Therefore, strength is never the result of suffering; I simply don't want others to experience that suffering. What makes me strong is my own core.
Pierced by swords, yet not turning the swords against the weaker; burned by flames, yet not throwing the flames at others; frozen by the extreme cold frost on the high-rise of the ruined world, at that moment I thought that the house was warm; so when Noel stabbed me with the blue rose cane, all I could think about was whether he had a secret.
Because after witnessing the deepest malice and betrayal, I still hope to believe that there is a tiny, faint glimmer of light.
I am willing to use a more tolerant mindset to consider the possibilities of human nature.
I am willing to take a more inclusive stance to speculate on the vastness and breadth of goodwill.
Therefore, I am willing to use a sincere, enthusiastic, and gentle heart to save you.
……
Therefore,
I am willing to love you all.
……
A lens.
Another lens.
Su Ming'an's arms were filled with more and more lenses, each one representing a death of his own.
From being questioned by the world to being respected by the world, from an "ordinary student in an ivory tower" to a "well-deserved number one player," from a "lackey of the organizers" to a "fighter on the front line of human civilization," in six months and twelve copies, he completed the most difficult proof in the world.
Su Ming'an calmly watched himself pouring out negative emotions and secretly crying in the bad files.
His eyes were dry, and as he stood by the water, no trace of sadness could be detected.
It's often said that an adult's breakdown can happen in an instant. He, however, didn't even have that moment. So, can he be considered a mature and successful adult?
"I see... Your authority is not for prophecy or deduction."
"[Or is it death?]"
The boss rabbit's words brought Su Ming'an back to his senses. He paused for a moment, then remembered those words.
The origin of the "death rollback" remains unknown. The fact that Boss Rabbit simply calls it "death" only fuels further speculation. Why not call it "time rewind"? Why is it simply called "death"?
Su Ming'an pondered to himself.
The road opened up before him, and with each person he passed, the colors behind him deepened.
Finally, there was a boy in a school uniform, quietly squatting by the lake, his hands wrapped around his knees.
Su Wensheng turned her head to look at Su Ming'an, her ears were not wearing earrings.
He held Su Ming'an's hand and pinched it gently, but couldn't leave a crescent-shaped mark.
“You’re almost at the finish line.” Su Wensheng noticed this, and although not much time had passed, the person in front of him had a completely different aura.
This is the aura that only those who have reached the end possess. Like burnt paper money, like the last wisp of ashes in a wood-burning stove when heavy snow falls.
"Go," the boy said with a gentle smile, stroking the orange cat in his arms, "go on to your story."
“It’s our story,” Su Ming’an said.
This story isn't just about him; it includes his companions and the stories of others. All their stories combined... constitute the biggest, most complete story.
It doesn't need to be hailed as an "epic," nor praised as a "legend," nor given any fancy words or rhetoric. It is simply the story of a group of people who persistently pursue different ideals, dreams, and goals... or perhaps they don't pursue them at all and simply enjoy a peaceful life.
Su Wensheng's pupils contracted for a moment.
Then, he revealed a pure, sincere, and serene smile, as beautiful as moonlight.
Yes, ours.
"Don't look back, go..."
……
The last fork in the road.
Su Ming'an stopped here, and the stick figures behind him also stopped. The road ended here.
The only thing that appeared was a figure.
The man sat at an exquisite white porcelain round table, holding a gold-plated porcelain cup carved with magpies. A few small sugar cubes floated on the surface, and the black tea emitted a golden luster and fragrance. A bright red feathered robe trailed on the ground, and a white bow tie adorned with rubies, draped with ears of wheat and tassels, making him look like a still oil painting.
His eyes, like topaz, looked at me with a smile on his lips.
"Mr. Lighthouse, please have a seat."
Su Ming'an walked to the other side of the table and sat down.
The purple-haired youth stretched out his hands, making fists: "Mr. Lighthouse, would you like to play a game with me? Guess who has the sugar cube? If you guess right... I'll give you a special reward, how about it?"
He always spoke with a calm and elegant air, a kind of honeyed richness that made people unknowingly fall into his trap. However, the first player didn't fall for it and directly stretched out his hands.
“You know I hate making choices.” Su Ming’an opened his two fists, each containing a sugar cube.
“I couldn’t bear to let Mr. Lighthouse guess wrong, but I didn’t expect him to choose such a greedy method.” The purple-haired youth withdrew his hand, but Su Ming’an held on tightly.
Two sugar cubes rolled onto the table, scattering colorful particles.
"Did you lie before?"
“It’s heartbreaking that Mr. Lighthouse imagines me like this. It’s true, all my feelings for you, all my blessings, all my friendship… those beautiful poems weren’t fake, and the time we spent together wasn’t fake either…”
“Please answer me,” Su Ming’an said. “Why did your attitude change so suddenly? One minute you didn’t want me to take your place, and the next you entrusted everything to me, even making me Oliver?”
"During the time I dyed your hair green, you were clearly not going to live past eighteen. Why did you later successfully participate in the Creators Conference and even win the championship?"
"Why did I rewrite Tao'er's death, yet she still died from being beaten by the townspeople? Did you fix her death?"
A series of questions arose, revealing numerous suspicious points. The farewell scene had been too beautiful, and the letter and poem were captivating; Su Ming'an couldn't sense any malice from Si Que. However, with Si Que's passing, doubts began to surface one by one.
“Then, Mr. Lighthouse,” Si Que extended his hand, “let’s have a hearty turtle soup.”
"..."
"Haha... I'd love to say that, but I doubt you're in the mood right now." The purple-haired youth withdrew his hand. "But I can assure you that all my feelings for you are absolutely genuine, without a trace of falsehood, and I have no intention of harming you. Mr. Lighthouse, let me see the story you've written, the story of the War God Dragon King Jellyfish. How far have you progressed?"
"I've only written up to Chapter Three."
"Oh why?"
“This mission itself is a trap. A trap that leads to destruction,” Su Ming’an said. “If you really are the mastermind behind it all, you will become my enemy, Si Que.”
Previously, Su Ming'an's information was that Si Que, as one of the awakened beings, came from an obscure civilization. He created the Blackwater Dreamland to attract awakened beings from various realms. This behavior was completely consistent with that of the Dream Lord, but it was also possible that the Dream Lord later replaced Si Que.
Si Que was valued by Rabbit, the owner of the World Game, and invited to become the second host. Si Que foresaw that the Lord of the End of All Things would destroy everything in the future. He paid a price, giving up his second-place status and high-dimensional abilities, and was reincarnated as an ordinary magpie in Rovasa's world. In the end, the magpie became friends with Su Ming'an, and after experiencing the trials and tribulations of the eleventh world, it fell asleep and never woke up again.
"Adventure stories tell you that if all the evidence points to one answer, then that answer is the truth," the purple-haired youth said. "But in a world game, the conclusion is completely the opposite. If the answer is laid out in the open, then that answer is wrong."
"Is there something you can't say?" Su Ming'an said.
“I have always believed in Mr. Lighthouse’s wisdom,” said the purple-haired youth.
"But you can take advantage of my mental habits and make me think there's something you can't say."
"That's certainly a valid way of thinking."
"Or perhaps what I see before me is merely an illusion created by the Lord of Dreams to arouse my suspicion, while the real Si Que remains asleep."
"That's also an interesting answer."
"Or perhaps you're putting on this act to deliberately provoke these doubts and thoughts in me."
If you keep doing nested nesting, it'll become a mille-feuille.
“No matter who you are, I will come to you.” Su Ming’an stood up.
This gesture resembles a declaration of war, yet it is also a promise of reunion. To be their enemy, or to be their friend.
If Si Que is truly the mastermind, then Su Ming'an will meet him at the end. If Si Que is merely a poet from Rovasa, Su Ming'an will still stand before him after all has passed.
They will meet again, in the final moment, no matter what.
Friend, or foe.
As Su Ming'an took a step forward, the round table and porcelain cup vanished, and the smiling poet disappeared, leaving only a colorful sugar cube.
Su Ming'an picked up the sugar cube, but didn't hear any system notification; it was just an ordinary sugar cube.
Then he heard a series of fragmented sounds.
All the collected lenses floated out of the pocket one by one, suspended in the air, each one as clear as the first dew.
The lens flickered, revealing the image of each "self" at the moment of death: burning, decapitation, piercing, drowning, exploding, gunshot wounds, poisoning, throat slitting... Countless "him" were frozen in the instant of death, their pupils dilated. Empty and unfocused gazes were all directed at him, like a million mirrors reflecting the same source.
He made it to the end.
However, before reaching the finish line, he turned around.
He saw the masses of people who were still trapped in the labyrinth and unable to find their way out.
His success was so smooth because most of his "selves" were near-death versions of themselves, making it easier to collect the lenses. But the other participants won't have it so easy; this stage will likely eliminate most of them. Even the most skilled players could easily lose their way amidst countless "selves."
Su Ming'an paused for a moment, gazing at the finish line that was so close at hand. There were many figures, and he could vaguely see countless people still trapped in the maze.
He has already emerged from the "cave" and knows where the end is.
"clatter."
He turned around and walked back the way he came.
The philosopher in the cave raised his torch—and stepped back into the depths of the cave.
He wants to bring them out.
……
Alger gazed silently at the sleeping girl within the ice coffin. The girl had a similar face shape, and a simple, long dress trailed down her back. Several blurry figures of "Alger" stood beside her.
“You must continue to be despicable. Without resources to seize, without power to plunder in dirty deals… how will you sustain this ice coffin? How will you seek the faint hope of resurrecting her?” one of the Algers said.
“Bring her back to life, even if it means defying everything…” said another Alger.
“You’re not despicable enough, nor noble enough. If you were to die, you would have abandoned her immediately. What are you hesitating about? You’re too afraid to face yourself,” another Alger said.
Alger's true form sat stiffly. He couldn't face these "selves." Pride versus life, which was more important? Life versus his sister, which was more important?
He was trapped in a nightmare from which he could not escape, until a sharp blade pierced the air—
"Shh! Shh! Shh!"
The three incessantly chattering "selves" fall down, and someone comes against the light.
The young man with flowing black hair, enveloped in iridescent light, illuminated the dark and murky water. He seemed to have achieved his own perfection, his eyes devoid of confusion, filled only with a steadfastness and vastness like the boundless mountains and seas.
—The glorious hero extends his hand.
"Wake up," Su Ming'an said.
Alger regained consciousness for a moment.
He stared blankly at Su Ming'an, who had suddenly appeared, and then realized something: "You've... cleared the game? You're back?"
Su Ming'an remained silent, only extending his hand.
"...Even though I've hurt you like this, are you still going to take me away?" Alger said.
The whole world witnessed Alger's betrayal. He was a pure egoist, willing to turn his blade against the savior for power. Countless people on forums condemned him as a sinner who disregarded civilization. Originally, he had vowed never to return to human civilization and was wholeheartedly following the Eighth Seat. Unexpectedly, the Eighth Seat chose Eland and abandoned him. Now, he was like a prisoner with his neck bound at the bottom of an abyss... unable to go anywhere.
If Su Ming'an hadn't returned, Alger would have been lost here. He couldn't overcome his past self, and he couldn't achieve clarity of mind. His soul was bound by Eland, and even if he successfully left the source, he would be nothing more than a walking corpse.
People pay the price for wrong choices. Alger didn't regret his selfishness; he simply lost to Eland by a single misstep. If he had won, it wouldn't be him standing here today, trapped in a nightmare, stuck and unable to move forward; it would be Eland.
But he lost. Now he's trapped in a suffocating shell, practically indistinguishable from death. He has no way to break free...
But someone walked over.
The savior reached out his hand to him, his face showing no mercy or redemption, only tranquility.
“Forgiving you is not my business, nor do I have the energy to forgive you,” Su Ming’an said. “I only know that this is a common challenge for humanity. I can help you, and you can help me.”
"Don't you care... about my previous actions?" Alger asked, stunned.
"I do care. But you won't have the chance to do those things again."
The savior, with his eyes lowered, bathed in light, looked down and stretched out his hand, as if lowering a life-saving spider silk to a prisoner in the abyss.
“Swear to me under the watchful eyes of the world—you will do everything in your power to help me, and I will find a way to help you resurrect Gadolia and win back your soul,” Su Ming’an said. “May you be struck down by the heavens if you break this oath.”
Su Ming'an was unaware of the steps the higher dimensions took to conclude a bet, or whether some form of notarization was required for it to be legally binding. He was merely imitating, but due to the information gap, others were unaware of the validity of this oath. Moreover, it was an extremely unequal oath; Alger needed to do everything in his power to help Su Ming'an, while Su Ming'an only needed to "find a way" to help Alger.
Alger sensed the inequality in the vow, but he still extended his hand.
Even a prisoner in hell will desperately grasp at a fragile spider's web and climb upwards. This is especially true for an extremely selfish person. His desire to live surpasses that of many others here.
Even if this desire requires him to bite off someone's throat, kneel down on his proud knees, have his feet sink into the mud, and have sins crawl up his back like pythons, he will live on.
“In any case, you have indeed saved me from being lost in the labyrinth,” Alger said. “I am an egoist, and now I can help you because you have grasped my desires and greed. Your Excellency.”
"Let's go, Lord Alliance Leader."
……