prynovel Chapter 1704 Final Chapter: Crossing the Shore [48] "Even if the ending is without me."
Chapter 1704 Final Chapter: Crossing the Shore [48] "Even if the ending is without me."
Chapter 1704 Final Chapter: The Shore Crossing [48]: "Even if the ending is without me."
"Click".
Su Ming'an pressed down on the earphone.
His eyes were dark, and his pupils flickered violently. A violent shock struck his heart.
"boom--!"
A burning roof beam crashed down, landing at his feet. The surging flames roared past his ears, and the scorching air penetrated deep into his lungs.
……
...Lin Yi.
She is not a player in this cycle.
……
—She is a phantom in a certain cosmic cycle.
She was a comrade-in-arms who had truly existed in a time loop he had forgotten.
In certain cycles, as a powerful player, Lin Yi had visited the "Source Point" more than once, just like many other players. Therefore, she left some fragmented traces here, which constituted the illusion of her existence here.
But in this cycle, Lin Yi unexpectedly sacrificed herself in the seventh instance while saving someone, unable to be resurrected, thus ending her future glorious journey. So... she, who should have known Su Ming'an and even become his friend, is now unknown to anyone.
From the very first moment Lin Yi saw Su Ming'an behind the cabinet on the first floor, she acted like a seasoned teammate, helping him precisely because she knew him. She took out her information and stun grenades, searching and gathering information along the way. Once in the basement, she deliberately distracted the old woman, reassuring Su Ming'an to unlock the door. Finally, she even gave Su Ming'an her gun.
In the cycle of her existence, they might have been comrades-in-arms fighting side by side, or companions whose paths briefly crossed. In that now-vanished timeline, Su Ming'an was, to her, a real, flesh-and-blood person.
But to him—to Su Ming'an, who only had a clear memory of "this one time"—she was a complete stranger. She was merely a mysterious girl who silently extended a helping hand in the midst of a sea of despair, and then silently disappeared.
“…But I forgot,” Su Ming’an murmured.
After the third level, he had gained a clear understanding of himself in the face of countless cosmic cycles.
He doesn't consider the "self" from previous cycles as his true self, but only acknowledges the self in the current cycle. That is, he only acknowledges the parts of himself that he has clear memories of.
From a rational point of view, this is certainly not correct. After all, the past self is still the same self, only the time span is longer. But the one who makes the choices every time is the same self, and the one who personally experiences everything is the same self, not someone else.
Each cycle is a complete life, inevitably filled with extreme love and desire, painful loss, unavoidable betrayal, bloodstained sins… and countless people like Lin Yi who once existed vividly. He must have experienced some extreme endings. For example, losing himself and devouring the world, becoming a dragon and being killed by humans, or perishing together with Noel…
Just imagining a vast, star-studded sea of oblivion is enough to cause intense pain.
This one time alone has already put a heavy burden on his shoulders, making it difficult for him to maintain his position.
To achieve the highest probability of ultimate victory, he must tell himself… to focus only on this one moment, to recognize only this present moment. Like Rovasa's "narrative anchor," he firmly anchors his self-awareness to this current cycle, now acknowledging only the life he has clear memories of, personally experienced, and emotionally resonant with. He temporarily regards countless past cycles as a blurred background, lost historical records…
After all, a person is made up of memories and experiences. All his comrades, seniors and juniors, all the audience, all his friends, and even himself, know him only through this one experience; he is who he is.
"Whoosh..."
The raging flames were reflected in his eyes.
"Lin Yi!!" Su Ming'an shouted her name. He finally knew her name.
"Thud—!" The wood, accompanied by flames, crashed down. Su Ming'an wrapped his hands in cloth, picked up a scorching hot steel pipe, its heat making his skin red and swollen. He raised the steel pipe and swung it forcefully, clearing away the pieces of wood and dust blocking his way.
Following the map in his mind, he stepped over the uneven floor and crawled toward the storage room. The thick smoke made him cough incessantly, as if he were about to suffocate.
At the end of the corridor, piled with rubble and wood, he saw her.
A girl with colorful hair clips sat in the corner with her head down. Her left leg was pierced by a piece of wood, and her right leg was pressed down by a stone slab. The pink and blue patterns on her skirt were stained scarlet.
Her makeup was smudged by the steam, red, purple, blue, and gray smeared on her face, vaguely revealing a simple face beneath the heavy makeup and freckles that were no longer concealed. Blood stained her elaborate dress, and her arms hung limply at her sides.
She seemed to hear a noise, and slowly raised her head. Her bright red eyes, studded with stars, were still clear, reflecting Su Ming'an's disheveled figure.
The moment she saw him, her eyes lit up, like a spark suddenly reigniting in ashes. Then, she grinned, probably wanting to laugh.
[You finally called my name! Before, you seemed so distant, I thought you were in a bad mood, so I didn't dare say anything harsh. (＾＾●)]
"Can you still walk?" Su Ming'an's eyes dimmed the moment he saw her. Her legs were restricted, so how could she move?
I wasn't planning on leaving, but since you're here, I'll try my best. Please wait for me a little longer. (′▽`)
【02: 09】
【02: 08】
"Shh!"
Under Su Ming'an's astonished gaze.
The girl took out a packet of pink hallucinogenic powder and put it in her mouth; it was the very thing that Mingcheng was researching in the wooden building.
"You eat this..."
"Mmm." The girl swallowed quickly. "Otherwise, it will hurt."
The next moment, she resolutely picked up the knife strapped to her leg and swung it!
The right leg, which was pinned down, was severed at the knee, revealing the poorly cut, stark white bones and the flesh still attached like broken lotus roots.
Please help me.
Su Ming'an immediately stepped forward to support her. She strained her left leg and stumbled forward!
"Whoosh...!"
The steel bar piercing her left leg came loose with her movement, and at the same time, a large amount of blood splattered on the ground, exposing a wound that ran from front to back on her leg.
She gasped for breath, unable to utter a single word of pain. Su Ming'an carried her on his back and rushed up to the third floor.
"So this is what it feels like to take medicine! Soft and light, so comfortable, like flying on a rainbow, and it really doesn't hurt anymore!" She struggled to climb onto his back. "Later, when I go back, I can tell my mom these details, and then I can complete the paperwork."
[Grandma's on the third floor, right? She's definitely blocking the rooftop. We don't need to lower our voices anymore. Why aren't you saying anything?]
Su Ming'an remained silent.
Perhaps it was to set a psychological trap for him, or perhaps it was intentional to make him waver—Su Ming'an met her, Lin Yi, in the fifth level of the trial game.
A phantom he had forgotten.
She herself wasn't even aware that she was an illusion. In her eyes, she hadn't died in the seventh instance, but had lived on until now, participating in the Origin Point Trial alongside Su Ming'an.
Ever since he understood the concept of the universe's cycle... Su Ming'an knew that this day would come sooner or later, and he had to face this problem head-on and strengthen his self-awareness.
The fire intensified, and Su Ming'an vaguely heard Si Nian's screams, which helped him find his way.
【01: 54】
【01: 53】
He gasped for breath, the thick smoke and heat filling his lungs.
By the way, what did you mean when you asked me "the number of times"?
After a two-second silence, Su Ming'an decided to tell her the truth.
As he broke through the flames, he briefly recounted everything. Lin Yi was already dead this time; she was merely a phantom left behind from countless visits here.
From Lin Yi's perspective, she has entered the "Source Point" and is playing the second round of the game with her companion Su Ming'an. However, from Su Ming'an's perspective, she has already died in the seventh instance.
Even if he carried her to the rooftop... she still couldn't get out. She was a ghost trapped in a game, her mission to shake Su Ming'an, and in the end, she would disappear.
Upon suddenly learning the truth, the girl behind remained silent.
"Boom—!"
The flames caused the pillars to collapse and the walls to crumble. Su Ming'an immediately turned and grabbed the rope tightly. The staircase was burned to pieces, with only the rope left by Si Nian hanging from the gap connecting the second and third floors.
“You climb the rope, I’ll lift you up!” Su Ming’an shouted.
Only then did he notice her short chestnut hair. Her simple chestnut-colored short hair swayed in the firelight, and her once dazzling blue twin ponytails, which shone like a sea of stars, had vanished.
"The wig was inconvenient, so I took it off." After a few seconds of silence, her inner voice rang out again, as if she hadn't heard the truth; her inner voice remained lively.
She raised her head high, gripping the steel bars on the third floor with both hands, and even with Su Ming'an's full support, she continued to slide down.
The severed limb was still dripping blood, a truly horrifying sight.
……
【01: 33】
【01: 32】
……
【01: 24】
【01: 23】
……
【No!】After trying for a few seconds, Lin Yi realized that she couldn't climb up at all. She didn't have enough strength to support herself to climb to such a high place, and her legs were also difficult to move.
She immediately loosened the rope, gesturing for Su Ming'an to climb up while she lifted him up.
“Once I’m up there, you’ll be even less likely to get up!” Su Ming’an grabbed the rope and said immediately.
"I'm not going up! I'll help you!" She lifted him up with all her might.
She tilted her head back and used all her strength to lift him high into the air.
I am a ghost unable to escape this game.
And you still have to go out!
Flames danced fiercely as Su Ming'an struggled to climb the rope. The college student's limited stamina made the movement extremely difficult, and the intense heat and the significant energy expenditure made it even more challenging. Sweat trickled down his forehead, slowly wiping upwards...
"Clap."
Warm hands always supported him.
The girl's leg was reduced to just the thigh, revealing the white, bleeding bone. Her other leg was resting on a protruding steel bar in the ground, her only foothold. Sharp, rusty nails pierced her calf, drawing blood instantly, yet she continued to desperately try to lift it up.
She only had one leg left, and the only way out was to drive herself deep into a nail and lean on the steel bars for support.
【Wrap the rope around your arm several times! Clamp it between your knees! ...Up! Don't stop!】 Her calm inner voice came through the line.
The rough hemp rope chafed the skin off Su Ming'an's arms, and the inside of his knees burned with pain.
He gripped the rope tightly, his palms aching, and climbed upwards.
Crimson flames soared, the view seemed to be filled with blood, dust swirled, and pillars collapsed.
……
【01: 08】
【01: 07】
……
Finally, after his palms were covered in burning blisters, he climbed to the third floor, panting. Such a simple action, which he could usually do with a single jump, was so difficult for an ordinary person.
"Go! Don't look back!" came her trembling voice from behind.
Time is running out, he must sprint with all his might.
Three meters away, the terrifying grandmother heard the noise, quickly looked over, saw him, and immediately grinned, revealing a bloody mouth. She then picked up an axe and swung it down!
A foul wind blew in, and the stench of blood filled the air!
"Mingcheng! Mingcheng!!" the old man shouted excitedly, "You're back! I made... I made longevity noodles..."
What she called longevity noodles was actually the intestines of a dead player, coiled up in an iron pot.
Su Ming'an immediately dodged to the side and took out a stun grenade from his waist... Huh? Why is it a stun grenade? He was originally going to throw a screwdriver.
He remembered that the stun grenade he found had already been used to blow up the middle section of the corridor, so where did this extra one come from?
There was no time to think. The stun grenade was far better than a screwdriver; it was a godsend. He immediately threw it out!
Boom! A loud explosion!
The old man let out a painful roar, covered his eyes and fell to the side. Su Ming'an stepped on the collapsing floor and rushed towards the rooftop!
At the end of the corridor, a small circle of light resembles the end of the tunnel, and the escape rooftop is just beyond!
……
【00: 59】
【00: 58】
……
As he ran, he still turned around once.
Beneath the crater in the floor, the girl's chestnut hair fluttered, like tiny, crimson fireflies glowing in the firelight. Several wounds were painted on her face, the bandages on her arms were scorched black, one leg was deeply embedded in steel bars, and the other leg was a bloody mess...
She stood amidst the flickering firelight... as ethereal as a phantom, a broken wing of a butterfly.
Feeling his gaze, she slowly looked up.
Her long, curled blue eyelashes slowly lifted—
Salty tears almost soaked her cheeks, blurring her bright red eyes as she looked on. What was the true color of her pupils? What did her face look like beneath her heavy makeup? Was she truly a simple child as she claimed...? Su Ming'an would never know.
He saw a blurry, beautiful smile, like a mirage.
……
【00: 55】
【00: 54】
……
The corridor was long, with broken wooden planks and collapsed holes everywhere. Su Ming'an picked up a steel pipe, swung it wildly, and charged forward violently!
"Bang!" "Bang!" "Bang!"
The flames burned his face, and he exhaled the scalding air heavily, burning his trachea.
Lin Yi found a place to rest. She no longer needed to run around, and the jumbled thoughts in her mind seemed to have become one.
Su Ming'an pressed his earphone. The signal inside the wooden building was very poor. Her thoughts flowed rapidly in his ear, like a chirping little bird, almost fading away, yet her tone was so cheerful. If he didn't have exceptional hearing, he really wouldn't have been able to hear them clearly.
……
I was genuinely shocked just now. I didn't reply for several seconds, not because I was sad, but because I never expected it!
It's okay! At least we know each other now!
……
"Bang!" "Bang!" "Bang!"
Facing them was an obstacle blocking the middle of the corridor, the middle part of which had been smashed by the terrifying Granny. The charred refrigerator and television lay to one side, crackling with dangerous electricity.
Su Ming'an grabbed the protruding wooden block on the wall and swung it across with all his might. The flames burned his cheeks, stinging his exposed skin.
He coughed as he stepped forward, his footsteps echoing through the creaking floorboards.
Suddenly, Lin Yi seemed to remember something, her voice tinged with amusement:
……
Oh, right, let's forget about it!
"I will forget those memories you can't recall! After all, it would be too cunning of me to view you through memories you can't remember! I just checked my watch; forty-three minutes and fifty-six seconds have passed! I will consider these short forty-three minutes and fifty-six seconds… the time we spent together in the wooden building—our earliest memory! This will be all my memories of you."
Hypnosis, hypnosis... After taking the drugs, my mind feels light and dizzy. I need to hypnotize myself, I need to forget... forget the parts you don't remember! That way, we'll get to know each other again.
On this day, in these forty-three minutes, I first met you, I got to know you.
[Nice to meet you! Su Ming'an! I'm Lin Yi!]
I suspect the reason I was able to meet you is because some higher dimension wanted to bewitch you and make you waver, right? Don't think like that, it's not your fault!
If you ever encounter this situation again, please don't feel guilty. You can... think of us as small boats beside a lighthouse.
……
"Ha...!" Su Ming'an swung the steel pipe forcefully, smashing the wooden plank flying towards him.
The flames brushed past him, and sharp splinters pierced his cheeks, drawing blood and flesh. He gritted his teeth and strode forward.
Dust covered his face as he stared intently at the glowing rooftop at the end of the corridor, as if he could see the dawn. His entire body ached as if he had been soaked in sulfuric acid, burning and festering.
She was left there, unable to move or speak. She was destined to be trapped in this game, and should have been even more desperate than him.
But her true feelings were positive and happy.
……
As long as the lighthouse stands there, forever shining brightly, ships come and go. Some remember its location and sail towards you, some glance at it briefly and pass by, and some use its light to set sail... But as long as the lighthouse continues to shine, all ships will see you.
My ship may have missed you this time, but next time, and the time after that, when I sail through these waters again, as long as the lighthouse stands, I'll always have a chance to see that light again, to get closer again, and to become friends again, won't I? (′▽`)
This time, I simply had to return early due to an unexpected event. But the lighthouse remains in an ocean of countless possibilities... As long as you continue sailing, as long as you continue towards the light... we will always...
……
"—No more!!!"
Su Ming'an ran, his voice hoarse from inhaling too much toxic gas.
His voice trembled without him even realizing it, "This time... this might be the last time."
She will realize that she is dead, and nothing can be changed when a person is dead.
She should feel it was unfair, she should cry, despair, be hysterical, and beg him to give up and try again—
The flames roared.
Time seemed to stand still for a moment.
Below the pit on the second floor, Lin Yi lay with her face upturned, covered in soot and blood. She had put her blue wig back on, her hair curled by the heat. She couldn't see his face contorted in pain, but she could hear his roars from upstairs.
She was unable to move; both legs had lost all feeling, the bones were exposed, and the flesh was mangled and bloody.
Behind her, a massive, heavy pillar slowly collapsed as the flames raged, pressing down on her, and the shadow of death gradually enveloped her entire body—
then.
She stretched out her hands.
Like playing an electronic piano, like DJing, the blue-haired gothic girl closed her eyes, smiling and waving her hands.
Her lips moved slightly, but no sound came out, and no one knew how beautiful her voice would be.
Only the monotonous, cold, mechanical synthesized voice, accompanied by her dance-like gestures, gently flowed into the first player's ears—
……
Will you succeed this time?
【Very good.】
【(^O^)】
……