prynovel Chapter 1705 Final Chapter: Crossing the Shore [49] "Meeting you in a chaotic time."
Chapter 1705 Final Chapter: Crossing the Shore [49] "Meeting you in a chaotic time."
Chapter 1705 Final Chapter: The Shore-crossing Chapter [49]: "Meeting you in a chaotic time."
"—Su Ming'an!!"
Si Nian, hiding in the room next to the rooftop, finally saw Su Ming'an arrive.
Amidst the raging flames, a black-haired youth, covered in soot, appeared, his face serene, but his eyes gleaming with a sudden surge of energy. He had retrieved chestnuts from the fire, his body riddled with wounds, and he moved swiftly, like a bird casting a shadow within a cage of flames.
"This place is going to collapse, hold my hand!" Si Nian carried the pregnant woman on his back and reached out his hand.
Su Ming'an stretched out his hand high and clenched it.
With a powerful effort, the red-haired man sent the black "bird" soaring high into the air from the cage of flames, leaping over the suddenly collapsing floor.
The man's strong and powerful body suddenly bent down, and with one arm like an iron clamp, he hugged Su Ming'an's waist and abdomen. After confirming that the pregnant woman on his back was steady, the man burst out with all his strength and ran towards the exit, while hooking the hemp rope that had begun to heat up with his foot!
"Hold on!" Si Nian roared.
Si Nian gripped the rope tightly with one hand and slid up quickly with both legs, reaching the rooftop in just three seconds!
【00:03】
【00:02】
The next moment, the rooftop door opened, and the morning light poured down in, stinging the eyes of the three people.
The moment they climbed onto the rooftop—
"Boom... Crash—!!!"
As if gathering all its destructive power, the burning wooden building emitted a deafening roar, its load-bearing structure completely collapsed, and it fell into pieces like a toppled block!
The flames and thick smoke shot up suddenly, turning the night sky a terrifying orange-red.
In the final dozen or so seconds before the wooden building completely collapsed and was engulfed by flames, through the billowing flames and the cracks in the collapse, Su Ming'an's iris was imprinted with a clear image:
On the third-floor corridor, the terrifying grandmother who hadn't made it to the rooftop looked up.
The flames greedily licked her white hair, the sparse, matted strands transforming into leaping golden threads of light. The scorching heat distorted her scarred face, the uneven burn marks on her skin appearing as flowing rivers.
She clutched a charred, swaddle-like object tightly in her arms, while her other withered hand gripped a piece of paper with yellowed and brittle edges, the words "Medical University Admission Notice" faintly visible.
Flames engulfed her lower body, and the searing pain caused her to convulse violently. She lunged forward, her knees scraping against the burning floor with a grating sound, blood mingling with charred flesh.
She tilted her head back, facing the burning roof, towards the direction of her "son" and "grandson" who were no longer in her memory, and murmured silently.
He spread his five fingers wide, as if trying to grasp non-existent starlight, or two figures that had long since disappeared.
"Crackling and popping—!"
The next second, the flames, having accumulated to their limit, exploded like a roaring beast! The scorching flames completely engulfed her, her white lab coat instantly turned into fluttering gray butterflies, the fragile admission notice turned to ashes, and the child's sweater and the broken projector lamp disappeared together in the crimson sea of light.
The old man's outstretched hand froze at the last moment, then slowly fell, completely buried by the collapsing, burning beams.
The flames completely engulfed her.
The cries were drowned out, and all the remaining stories were drowned out.
A wave of heat hit them, and Su Ming'an was dragged backward by Si Nian, moving away from the collapsed buildings and flying burning debris.
He stood there, his chest heaving violently, his face a mixture of soot and sweat, his irises seemingly still bearing the image of the figure that had vanished in the flames.
……
"Ding dong!"
Congratulations on your successful escape!
[You will be teleported back to the space in three minutes...]
……
"On March 12, 2023, my son came home..."
"March 18, 2023, spinach, academic conference, braised pork..."
"April 4, 2023, Longjing tea, white chrysanthemums..."
"April 16, 2023, Gleanings, old manuscripts, cakes, irises, may you live a long and healthy life..."
"May 12, 2023, birthday, planetarium, star lights, seven stars lined up like a lighthouse..."
"May 20, 2023, a happy day, longevity noodles..."
"...Doctors can cure illnesses, but can they cure Grandma?"
"Yes, it's definitely possible."
"...Silly child, doctors aren't gods..."
“…Xiulan…”
"...Xiulan..."
……
Su Ming'an felt as if he were walking through a revolving lantern.
The people in the revolving lantern came and went.
At some point, the revolving lantern became very long and numerous, even including parts that had long been buried. People walked inside the lantern, laughing and waving to themselves.
"Su Ming'an, Su Ming'an...!"
Someone was calling him.
The anxious red-haired man in front of him shook him, saying, "Are you alright? Your injuries are severe. Hold on, don't fall asleep. Hold on for three minutes, and we'll be back!"
Blood streamed down his face, and his entire body was covered in burns. He felt very tired.
He almost wanted to close his eyes, but the next moment, he suddenly noticed something in the corner of his eye.
—A touch of blue.
He opened his eyes wide in horror and looked down from the rooftop. Inside the crumbling wooden building, she was still there, amidst the flames and the cracks in the wood.
The blue-haired girl was pinned under a huge pillar, her chest and below almost completely shattered, with only her head and hands exposed. Blood stained the surroundings completely red, and her body gradually became transparent.
"Lin Yi!"
The flames continued to burn around her as she dissipated.
The blue-haired girl trembled, as if she heard his voice. She gasped for her last breath and tried to look up, vaguely seeing Su Ming'an standing in the morning light, covered in charred ashes.
She paused for a moment, then quickly put on a big, toothy smile. The glitter on her face shimmered, and her blue and red eyeliner was vibrant and glossy.
With trembling hands, she used her last strength to make two hand gestures.
Even without headphones for translation, Su Ming'an understood it this time.
That means something very simple:
--goodbye.
and also,
--Thanks.
"boom--!!!"
The wooden building, having lost all its support, let out a final, earth-shattering wail before collapsing with a deafening crash. All the burning planks, furniture, memories, pain, and obsessions were mercilessly crushed in that instant, turning into towering flames and thick, smoky ashes that blotted out the sky.
The static in the headphones completely disappeared, leaving only deathly silence. Then, the headphones clicked softly, and the last glimmer of light went out.
"Shh!"
The next moment, time was up, and Su Ming'an was teleported back to the fruit machine, all his injuries repaired.
In the silent, empty, and still space, only his figure could be seen.
His hand remained pressed against the earphone, hesitant to put it down.
A moment later, his fingers slowly loosened and fell down.
"Tick-tock, tick-tock, tick~" The fruit machine in front of him made a cheerful sound, urging Su Ming'an to start the next game. The bright red lever slid automatically, revealing the screens of three new games.
Su Ming'an remained silent for a moment, then raised his finger and subconsciously glanced at the Ring of Time.
No.
No new name "Lin Yi" has appeared.
She wasn't even a real life; she was already dead, so she wouldn't enter this discerning ring.
He raised his hands and placed them on the earphones, slowly removing them...
"drop."
At that moment, it was as if a trigger button had been pressed, and a "sizzling" sound rang out. Su Ming'an assumed it was Lin Yi adjusting the voice settings.
To everyone's surprise, the sound of flames came through the headphones.
His breath became moist, and Su Ming'an's hands froze on the headphones, afraid that if his fingers left a certain key, the sounds would disappear.
……
Did you know? My item, the "Mind Stone," has a powerful function: it can instantly gather all of a person's thoughts in just one second and convert them into speech.
Because a person's brain is constantly changing, the translation of thoughts and what is heard cannot be synchronized. When using this method, I need to pay attention to my own thought process and try my best to ensure that the listener hears complete sentences at a normal speaking speed.
However, when there's not enough time...
Her laughter came through the headphones.
[This feature could be useful; it allows me to capture my thoughts in just a few seconds and convert them into a voice message.]
[I left this message while the wooden building was collapsing. You should be safely back by now!]
Su Ming'an held onto the headphones and slowly squatted down.
He seemed so tired that he could not stand. Although his injuries had been healed, it felt like some parts of his body were burned or melted, and he was in pain. He trembled slightly.
My ears felt like they were on fire; every word I heard made them tingle and itch.
Listen up! (￣▽￣)
"I may not be able to remember every encounter..."
"But I will make sure that this final destination lives up to every possibility."
[This is a quote from an anime I watched, and I'm sharing it with you! I think it suits you perfectly!]
I know your journey isn't just about winning "this time," but about living up to the expectations of all the isolated islands that, like you, have struggled through their own cycles—your destination should be a peaceful shore where all those islands can find peace.
Your calmness, your precision, your helping hand, your serenity amidst the flames, your guidance, your respect for my attire and makeup… these qualities all belong to you.
They told me that on the sea of time, filled with unknowns and dangers, in this endless and cruel game, in the dark forest surrounded by wolves, there once stood such a lighthouse... You once illuminated my path.
Thank you, Su Ming'an!
Even if you've forgotten me, it's not your fault! (●｀●)
Whether you choose to accept or reject those aspects of yourself, as long as your thoughts are derived from your free will, they are correct.
Because only you can decide what kind of person you truly are.
Only you yourself have the right to know and define yourself. No one else does.
However, I must apologize. For the first forty-two minutes of those forty-three minutes, I perceived you with a flawed understanding. Those were memories you had no recollection of, but I mistook them for the person you were this time. I am very sorry.
Fortunately, in the final minute and fifty-six seconds, I correctly learned about you, first met you, got to know you, and held your hand.
To use a cheesy yet accurate phrase... you are the most sublime soul among countless others, shining and then extinguished in the cycle of reincarnation.
Together with countless others, you constitute the ever-burning flame in this dark forest called "the universe."
I truly believe this.
My mind is foggy and lightheaded. I can't remember the name and trajectory of every star, but I know the flames exist, and I know they bring the light.
Long, long ago, in the primitive world, someone lit a fire, and thus light came into the world.
Therefore, I do not grieve for your forgetting; that is not a fault of war. I rejoice and leap for joy at your existence.
Therefore, I, Lin Yi, and all the "us" who may have been forgotten by you:
All I want to say is...
……
Something inside my body was burning, causing unbearable pain and bitterness, as if a tiny hole had been pierced in my heart, and bitter liquid was flowing out.
Her full head of blue hair was disheveled and loose, and her crimson eyes seemed to meet his gaze in an instant.
Like a raging fire, like a butterfly flapping its wings.
Su Ming'an didn't know what kind of story he and she had shared in that cycle. He saw the tears in her eyes.
She looked at him with a smile, as if she had been looking at him like that for a long time.
Knowing full well that he had forgotten her, she slowly, very slowly, smiled.
It wasn't a sad smile, a forced smile, or even a smile of relief. It was a... pure smile, as clean as the first snow melting, as bright as if piercing through all the firelight and gloom. Tears still glistened in her crimson eyes, yet she smiled.
It's as if all those long, joyful, sorrowful, and grain-like scenes will slowly settle down in this smile—
……
[My first encounter with an old friend, Su Ming'an.]
Meeting you in this chaotic time...it's so wonderful.
【(^O^)】
……
……
"Ring ring ring..."
"Come and choose a game! Come and choose a game!" A cheerful notification sounded.
Su Ming'an raised his eyes and looked at the colorful screen.
The first player to die, the player who died later, Violet, the little girl, the man who died from a headshot, Si Nian, Su Ming'an, the pregnant woman, and the two players who set fires.
In total... there are ten people.
From the very beginning, she was the extra one.
She didn't interact with any of the players; apart from Granny Horror, who could see her, no one else spoke a word to her. Even at the very end, Si Nian didn't interact with her at all, remaining focused on talking to Su Ming'an.
She was a "ghost" that only he could see.
He is a "friend" with whom only he can interact.
It is a glance cast by a departed soul across the gaps in the cycle.
They were old comrades-in-arms.
It is the lingering echo of the past.
It's a silhouette cast by a disordered time.
A girl from the Dragon Kingdom named "Lin Yi," who had already "died" in a certain seventh instance of the past, a person who did not exist in this cycle at all. She accompanied him for a short while.
Her last words seemed to have been spoken amidst the embers of the flames and the wailing of the night wind…
……
I hope you win this time.
Even if I'm not in the ending.
Even if everything is set in stone.
……
"—Su Ming'an!!!"
Suddenly, Su Ming'an heard a signal-like call.
This startled him. This was a private space; there couldn't be anyone else here. Where was this signal coming from?
...If it's not something nearby, could it be something from the outside world?
"We...are outside...trying to...send...messages..."
"persist in……"
"come on……"
The signal came through intermittently.