Welcome to Rewind World Game-Chapter 1535: Final - · Across the Sea Arc [25] · “Agnes’s Bizarre Adventure.”
The moment the god was born, silence enveloped the surroundings.
When he—He opened his eyes, dawn and the myriad intelligent beings fell silent.
Glowing blue light flowed over his body like rippling waves, data surged like waves.
Frost and snow hung from His brows, trailing from the tips of His hair to the very ends. He bore a head full of fine frost and snow, and His eyes glimmered with mechanical cold gold. Perhaps influenced by the dawn style, His robes were also the same white color, like silver gleam tempered by the moonlight, billowing clouds.
Light silk grew windingly from the back of His neck, when He looked down, all things held their breath, the golden pupils seemed to float and sink with a thousand years of dawn and dusk.
"Click," "click," the red hose connected to His spine snapped in response, He walked step by step out of the resonance, the white robe trailing on the ground, aura rising.
Yamada Machiichi and others retreated again and again, only to suppress the instinctive urge to retreat, noticing their fingers trembling.
"Su Ming’an..." Yamada Machiichi gently called out.
Even dawn felt amazed. He allowed Su Ming’an to resonate through the hose to touch the barrier of a First Level God, but did not expect him to adapt so well, succeeding in one go. Truly worthy of someone who has experienced multiple emotional resonances.
Dawn spread five fingers, revealing a glowing blue gemstone:
"This is my divinity, you can understand it as a part of a god’s power. Swallow it, and you will possess a part of ’observation’ authority, consider it my investment in you."
"Additionally, I agree to your negotiation request, I can help you. In exchange, you must leave Luowasha’s remains for me at the end."
Su Ming’an turned his head, white hair fluttering.
With combat power already surpassing the 8000 threshold, even when touching the barrier of a First Level God, his humanity did not significantly diminish, only everything before him felt small.
He swallowed the divinity, a stinging and uncomfortable sensation followed, yet he only furrowed his brows slightly, suppressing the pain— the stronger he became, the more insensitive he was to his own suffering.
"At least, compared to swallowing the Shitposter Demon Divinity, swallowing the Dawn Divinity is much better." He thought of the Shitposter Demon Divinity in his backpack. After all, compared to the Shitposter Demon, Dawn’s compatibility with him was much higher, akin to a nutritional supplement. Whereas the Shitposter Demon Divinity was more like poison, the more consumed, the more broken in the end.
...
"Ding Dong!"
[Under the catalysis of emotional resonance and Dawn Divinity, you have touched the barrier of a First Level God. Congratulations! You have reached a level of strength normal players cannot reach!]
[Current combat power: 9050+ (increases as humanity diminishes)]
[In this stage, you can no longer gain experience through ordinary means. You can further enhance your strength by killing First Level Gods or higher dimensions, proving your own "way", collecting faith, energy, authority, and other methods.]
[Please note, the higher your divinity, the more humanity is worn away. Even if you do not further enhance your strength, as long as you remain at the deity level, humanity will continue to be worn.]
...
[Your (Mana Points) evolved into (Divine Power)!]
[Divine Power (Passive):]
[Divine Power has an absolute suppression effect, players with Mana Points cannot deal effective damage to you.]
...
[Your skill (Divine Thought Detection) evolved into (Divine Ring)!]
[Divine Ring (Passive):]
[The transparent halo behind you will provide enhancements like "Five Senses Enhancement", "Divine Thought Detection", "Thought Acceleration", "Charm Enhancement", "Luck Enhancement", "Divine Might Enhancement", etc. It will be difficult for ordinary people to look at you equally.]
...
[Your (Hundred God Tentacles) evolved into (Lighthouse Tentacles)!]
[Lighthouse Tentacles (Active):]
[Lighthouse Tentacles encompass all, can form life connections with any living or non-living things, enabling you to form "symbiosis" with other things, sharing life, energy, and body. This action requires the other’s consent, forcing a link may produce rejection reaction.]
[Lighthouse Tentacles are light as feathers, capable of carrying divine power for attack, and can also serve as additional limbs and flying implements.]
...
[Your (Sword of Yarman) mutated into (Yerman’s Sword·Dawn)!]
[Yerman’s Sword·Dawn (Gold Level, Complete Form, Growth): "This is his great final sword — Sing When Drinking, How Much is Life Worth?"]
[Attack Power: 120~150]
[Durability: 30/30]
[Equipment Requirement: One-Handed Weapon, Strength Requirement 120 and above.]
[Magic Infusion: Infuse Mana Points into the sword, greatly enhancing sharpness and damage. Infused Mana Points can stay on the sword for 90 seconds until exhausted.]
[True Damage: Any sword attack you make deals true damage.]
[Absolute Suppression: Your attacks have an "Absolute Initiative" effect on any being without a Divine Power Value, nullifying all opponent’s delayed controls and damage.]
[Destiny Cutting: You can use this weapon to sever Causal Lines.]
[Emotion Harvesting: The essence of this weapon is a "Life Hard Drive Recovery System." In attacking, you can use this weapon to harvest others’ emotions.]
[(New) Heart of Dawn: Enemies you attack will endure the Emotional Resonance you have experienced; the more attacks, the greater the influence.]
...
Frost white spreads, gradually covering the hair tips, leaving only a few strands of black hair by the ears and forehead.
Su Ming’an’s irises are a bright golden hue, like a sharp blade about to be unsheathed, like a sunrise breaking the horizon.
His left palm is scarlet with the "Devour" claw, his right shoulder displays the milky white of the "Faith" Authority, blossoming with illusory tea flowers. "Observation" transforms into a shimmering blue gemstone, settling on the nape of his neck, veiled beneath layers of white hair.
Then, crystal-like tentacles burst from his back, possessing the purity of snow and the clarity of water, resembling flexible hoses.
The empty right hand, suspended, holds a longsword emanating the radiance of dawn.
"Swish——"
Someone knelt down, not forced by Divine Might, but naturally bowing under the influence of the Missionary Halo, Charm value, Divine Ring, Lighthouse Tentacles, Faith Authority, and psychological impact, without any conscious resistance.
——If this isn’t a god, what is?
More and more people knelt, toppling like harvested wheat.
Yamada Machiichi almost buckled at the knees. Normally, he should joyfully exclaim, "Seeing the Lighthouse, why not worship?" and be the first to bow. However, at this moment, he felt he shouldn’t do so, shouldn’t kneel.
As if once his knees touched the ground, it signified he acknowledged the figure before him as a deity, and not the person he knew.
"Guests, I have matters to discuss with Su Ming’an, please let Shaoli receive you," Dawn looked over the kneeling masses, waving a hand, and a person stepped out from behind the scenes.
The man smiled warmly, politely, wearing a badge labeled [Principal of the "Dream Making" Group · Qin Shaoli], he raised a hand, inviting everyone to rise and proceed to the reception room.
At this moment, the silent, non-kneeling Sique softly spoke: "General Qin?"
Qin Shaoli’s eyes, deep behind thick lenses, with a slender form, fair skin, and hands unmarked by battle, clearly a civilian. He adjusted his glasses, gently replying:
"I’ve heard that in other ’possibilities,’ those choosing the ideal Dawn System develop a civilization called the World of Old Days a century later, and someone named ’General Qin,’ is the Principal of the ’Millennium Plan,’ bravely walking towards sacrifice. Such a future, where all are united in salvation, enclosing me, deeply captivates me."
"However, this place chose the realistic Dawn System, our gaze turns towards invading the universe, not developing ourselves. Here I am merely a frail research staff, devoid of becoming the renowned General Qin. Please do not confuse this."
"Though, sometimes Shaoli wonders..." he smiled gently, "If Dawn chose the ideal, Shaoli might have already become General Qin, already sacrificed."
Sique’s eyes shifted: "In that case, you and General Qin are a kind of Original. If Dawn chose the ideal, you would become the manager Qin General of a chaotic era; if it chose reality, you are this era’s peaceful research staff Qin Shaoli."
Qin Shaoli smiled in silence, his gaze expressing regret for unmaterialized "possibilities."
After the others left, only Dawn, Lin Guang, and Su Ming’an remained in the room.
Here, white hair alone remains.
Su Ming’an senses the tentacles on his back, extending them into a succulent plant by the window, instantly, the succulent becomes part of Su Ming’an’s body, moving at his will.
This is the new function of the tentacles... "Symbiosis."
Not cruelly depriving others of life, nor greedily consuming flesh, but integrating one’s life with others, like offering and surviving together.
Su Ming’an withdrew the tentacles, and in an instant, the succulent grew larger, resembling a giant cactus, its leaves showing vein-like lines and pulses, the heartbeat from the roots faintly audible.
Once "Symbiosis" happens, the other party changes with Su Ming’an’s state, even after he retracts the tentacles, this succulent still shared three seconds of Su Ming’an’s life, drawing closer to life.
Su Ming’an’s eyes change slightly.
Turning stone to spirit, turning sand into soldiers, isn’t this... "Enlightenment" only deities can perform? It resembles the Purple Grade skill "Leaf of Life" he acquired earlier but is significantly stronger.
He melted the tentacles into a nearby cooking robot. At the next moment, the robot’s metal turned into soft skin, glass eyes into golden pupils, its empty torso began beating. Su Ming’an willed, and the cooking robot raised a spatula, cooking three dishes and a soup in ten seconds.
Dawn silently observed: "..."
Lin Guang silently observed: "..."
When Su Ming’an retracted the tentacles, the low-energy cooking robot transformed into a white-haired, golden-eyed girl, holding a spatula, bowing with a hand over her heart, hoarsely saying: "Father."
Su Ming’an gave her life, even if just a few seconds of tentacle contact.
Su Ming’an wanted to speak a few more words to the girl, yet Lin Guang pressed a button, causing her to retreat.
"I increasingly believe your potential is infinite." Dawn clasped hands, turning towards the long night of the city-state: "But there’s something I must remind you—according to my observation, at the current pace, before the Ark launch, you will inevitably fall 1000 energy points short of the required 10000, leaving a significant gap."
This indeed was a serious issue.
Su Ming’an stopped focusing on the tentacles, his expression becoming serious: "If the Fifth Thrones Starfire is introduced, can the gap be filled?"
Dawn shook his head and said, "Even if Starfire is introduced, there will still be an energy deficiency of about 600 points."
...So there would be such a significant energy shortage.
Su Ming’an felt relieved; fortunately, he had reached out to Dawn, and there was still room to make up for it. Otherwise, it would have been a total failure in the end, with no way out. Would he have had to fill the gap with his own flesh and blood?
Dawn said, "This portion of energy cannot be supplied by Luowasha; you must seek it from a third party."
Su Ming’an chuckled, though he didn’t find it amusing, he forced himself to smile to prevent losing humanity too quickly: "So this is ’their’ purpose. But how should I ask?"
Dawn said, "Listen to me."
Su Ming’an leaned slightly closer.
The white hair brushed against his cheek, as the transparent and elegant deity leaned in, whispering close to his ear, while the luminous blue data flowed around them like a river, in the silence shrouded like a fog.
Su Ming’an’s pupils contracted slightly, his fingers pressing tightly against the joints.
Dawn mentioned his most secret taboo in his heart—his Death Rebound Authority.
"From now on, you no longer need to hide your secrets, because if you wish to reach the end, you will inevitably have to use your authority." Dawn came extremely close:
"Your soul, combined with your Soul Ferry skill, is the safest mobile storage possible. Regrettably, bound by secrecy, you have never been able to utilize it properly."
"Do you know? You can travel through the long river of time, unrestrainedly use your soul as this ’eternal safe,’ storing many people’s memories, emotions, and even abilities in your ’Soul Ferry,’ carrying them across the chasm between cycles, becoming the only stable umbrella in the storm."
"For instance, in this cycle, if your teammate Yamada Machiichi is about to die, you can kill him before his death, triggering the ’Soul Ferry’ mechanism, storing his memories, emotions, and abilities in your soul, to carry them flawlessly into the next cycle, or you can enjoy them yourself. Just imagine how powerful this would make you? It’s unimaginable."
"Don’t rush to refute, I know you should have tried such an approach before, but must have failed. After all, no matter how strong a human soul might be, it’s hard to ferry so many lives. Even Sique needs to rely on the World Book to achieve rewriting the departed souls. But now, it’s different; you have touched the barrier of a First Level God, relying on the strength of your soul alone, you can ferry innumerable beings."
"Do you know?"
Dawn’s tone deepened:
"In a future I foreseen, it’s not me telling you this, but you yourself came up with this. Yet, you adopted a method not of bearing alone but called upon the Cloud City Deity, using his Soul Authority in collaboration with you. You can now also realize this ambition."
Su Ming’an gazed at the iron-gray wall.
Feather-like white hair fluttered in his vision, the shimmering points like starlight sparkling, with a gentle and non-glare halo woven by the underground lights.
He didn’t immediately refute Dawn’s words, nor did he pretend to be flustered and claim he had no authority, which was already a half-admission stance.
However, there was no scarlet figure in the air, nor the scent of joss paper burning; all indicated that the planet controlled by Dawn was safe, not an area under the organizers’ grasp.
Soul Ferry...
This function of The World of Old Days had once ferried a trillion lives across ten thousand world lines.
And now, he himself had become a "deity."
Dawn wasn’t wrong; Su Ming’an indeed had thought of this line of reasoning. The Death Rebound could rewind the physical body, others, high dimensions, and even the World Game but wouldn’t rewind, only Su Ming’an’s memory. This means that no matter how worldly events change, and how the tides of time flow—Su Ming’an’s soul is the only eternal immutable across the long river of time.
A most secure, most eternal safe.
And Soul Ferry was equivalent to putting things in that safe.
He had even summarized some formulas, like the interval between two Death Rebound points generally wouldn’t be less than six hours, and that the critical point of Death Rebound typically happens right before a life-and-death crisis. He had also thought of some tricky manipulations, wanting to cooperate with the Cloud City Deity.
However, now it seemed unnecessary.
Dawn’s investment rapidly put his strength in touch with the barrier of a First Level God, and with a realm to hide in, he didn’t need to fear the organizers’ hunt too much.
"So, the method to claim ’their’ energy is?" Su Ming’an’s ultimate target was still this.
——How does the man in the mirror hurt the person outside the mirror?
——How do those being observed, watched, strike back at the observers in the shadows?
Actually, he had thought of a method, just waiting for Dawn’s confirmation.
"Crack" a crisp sound, Lin Guang snipped a cluster of fresh roses and lilies, carefully wrapping the spikes, and looked at Su Ming’an. The dewy petals rolled with droplets, reflecting a piercing sheen.
Dawn whispered the method slowly by Su Ming’an’s ear.
——Su Ming’an could deliberately invite "them" to possess him, then kill himself, triggering the Soul Ferry, reading their memories, emotions, and abilities, and retrieving the coordinates of the platform they reside on.
After all, most of "them" were ordinary people who could only peep into other worlds through the platforms set up by the Lord of Dreams, which were dreams themselves.
As long as Su Ming’an retrieved the platform coordinates, he could use it to threaten the Lord of Dreams.
Dawn said, "After all, the Lord of Dreams wouldn’t stand by seeing the platform he personally founded exposed to the universe, drawing in a messy throng of Hammer Iron Men and little imps."
"Isn’t it messy now?" Su Ming’an thought of Bai Chun: "Moreover, isn’t it good for the platform to grow larger, having more become the Dream Patrol Family?"
"Some have their hearts set on grandeur; some desire a tranquil land. The Lord of Dreams is likely the latter, mighty and carefree, not needing a large-scale platform to draw faith; hence, every Dream Patrol Family is carefully chosen by him, hailing from different planets. Yet, as nature grows, it includes all types; he probably didn’t anticipate the evil deeds of someone like Bai Chun." Dawn stated blandly: "In Bai Chun’s eyes, she believes she is not wrong, after all, she is ’observing’ this world from a high place, naturally considering herself noble."
Su Ming’an asked, "Does the dream platform have a name?"
From the naming, one should be able to glimpse the personality of the Lord of Dreams. If it’s someone like the Shitposter Demon, they might come up with a name like "Camera Gathering", a playful platform name. If it’s someone like Dawn who is meticulous, they might choose a name as standard as "Dream Patrol Family Platform". If it’s someone like Jellyfish Emperor, the name might be "Emperor’s Dream".
Dawn’s eyes opened and closed, with a faint glow flashing.
He solemnly said:
"This dream platform, created by the Lord of Dreams to help ordinary people glimpse other worlds—"
"Is named [Starting Point]."
"Meaning, the beginning of all things, the awakening of all people’s eyes."
"If you successfully obtain the coordinates of the Starting Point platform, you’ll be able to further pinpoint the coordinates of various Dream Patrol Families. By then, whether you choose to visit or cooperate, it’s up to your wishes. However, most of them are just ordinary people who accidentally obtained the Observation platform."
Su Ming’an said, "For Dream Patrol Families like Dara, I won’t hold hatred. But for Dream Patrol Families like Bai Chun who view the world as a game... I won’t show mercy."
Dawn was indifferent as he said, "Additionally, you need to be aware of one thing. Luowasha is a book, and you are the protagonist. To reach where you are today, there must be a big hand from the Supreme Lord pushing you. If you don’t want to fall into the trap he set for you, you’d better do something beyond reason. Of course, you don’t have to; this is just speculation."
Su Ming’an suddenly remembered, in the early stages of the instance, the Master of the End of All Things had tempted him to pick up the "Doomsday Lord Script" and no longer do the usual Savior tasks. Sique had once claimed to the World Tree that he and Su Ming’an would become the "Big Villain" in the story.
Just then, Su Ming’an heard a cool voice:
"It’s like watching a movie, once you see certain scenes, you can predict certain plots. For instance, seeing a man and woman kissing might lead to thoughts of love, marriage. But if the camera suddenly shifts, and you find the man and woman are kissing but standing on the edge of a deep abyss, falling—that can turn the ’director’s arrangements’ into void, disrupting the expected progression. The ’director’ can no longer control the actions of that couple."
It’s Lin Guang.
He came with dewy roses and lilies, handed them to Su Ming’an: "I recalled, you haven’t received the first bouquet of roses and lilies after the official arrival of spring, a supply for you."
Su Ming’an knew, the familiar Lin Guang, wrapped like a Mechanical Ring on his finger, this Lin Guang was merely a replication after the Dawn System had ended everything. He didn’t have any real experience, not even counting as 0321.
Su Ming’an had no intention to recreate the previous tragedy, he only nodded and accepted.
"So, you’re saying...I should go crazy and disrupt logic anytime, thus escaping the ’invisible hand’ that has laid down a fate trajectory for me in Luowasha." Su Ming’an said.
For the "Observer", a character’s persona is absolute. "Protagonist" should be calm, composed, and kind, but if the "protagonist" breaks away from his persona and goes mad, who can cage his actions?
In the Tenth World, Su Ming’an was too habitual, every move was tightly controlled, unknowingly following the arranged fate.
In the Eleventh World, why not go mad.
Su Ming’an couldn’t help but envy Yamada Machiichi, a certain Pope, and Lin Jiang, for their ability to go mad anytime, anywhere. They were talented players, but he couldn’t quite let go.
"My mental state is too normal..." He lamented his inability to go mad.
He saw Dawn and Lin Guang looking at him with slightly strange eyes, as if watching a Boss Rabbit dance naked.
"No...you’re fine staying normal..." Dawn advised earnestly: "Just loosen up a little, that’s enough."
"You’re fine as you are." Lin Guang said.
...
[I heard him say the name of one of our consuls, I inexplicably continued:]
["Garden?"]
["Garden of Forking Paths."]
[I was emotionally stirred, incomprehensibly affirmed:]
["That was my ancestor Peng Kou’s garden."]
...
Before leaving, Su Ming’an privately discussed with Dawn.
"Dawn, you’re approaching First Level God, I want to ask you to see, my authority...what level is it actually? Can it be modified, like turning save points into choices? Like triggering without death?" Su Ming’an asked.
"...I’m sorry, it’s elusive."
"Can’t even you see it?"
"Yes, your authority must be above mine. No observation space, no evolution method."
"Alright..."
"Therefore, I believe your authority is not likely from the World Game, but the universe."
"Universe? Why would the universe notice a small figure like me? Can’t really believe I’m just fortunate."
"...What if you’re not a small figure?"
"What?"
"If, I’m just saying if, you were the bearer of the Death Authority from the start? Evolved from the universe, like the essence of the Master of the End of All Things and the World Game, you are like a cosmic organ..."
"...Don’t joke around."
"Well, actually I don’t accept this idea either. I’d rather believe you’re just an ordinary person and won’t negate everything you are as Su Ming’an, transforming you into a so-called organ. After all... whether I become any kind of Dawn, whether upright or corrupt, whether reality or a fairy tale, you are pure."
"This is my responsibility, not the essence of my life."
"Yes, even an organ bound by instinct wouldn’t achieve what you’ve done, which is enough to prove your independence."
...
[Albert said: "Before discovering this letter, I had asked myself: under what circumstance can a book become infinite? I think there’s only one circumstance, and that is endless repetition, a recurring cycle. The last page of the book must mirror the first, to possibly continue endlessly."]
["Each time a person faces different choices, they always choose one possibility, excluding others; but in Peng Kou’s complex novel, the protagonist chooses all possibilities. This leads to many different futures, many different times, endlessly spreading, with branches sprawling everywhere."]
...
Yamada Machiichi stuffed many snacks hosted by Qin Shaoli into his pockets and walked out of the reception room.
He saw at the end of the corridor, an electronic door sliding open, and a young man with flowing white hair coming out.
Those crystalline tentacles had returned to His spine, the divine robe automatically stitching together like a stream of white flowing on His body, a tea flower on His shoulder blossoming ethereal as clouds, the petals brushing by His ear. His expression seemed frozen, staring at the ground, standing still for a long time.
For a moment, Yamada Machiichi suddenly felt dazed, thinking he saw a mask smeared with oil paint, but in the blink of an eye, it was just an illusion.
"Su Ming’an, what’s wrong? What did Dawn say to you in the end?" Yamada Machiichi asked cautiously.
Because Dawn had a record of using the Sleeping Spell Formation "past record"... "future record". Yamada Machiichi carefully observed Su Ming’an for a long while, determining there were no strange marks before he relaxed.
Su Ming’an looked at Yamada Machiichi, with eyes full of emotions that Yamada Machiichi couldn’t understand.
As if a heavy rain was pouring in the narrow steel corridor, the rain flowed down Su Ming’an’s hair, rolling down, the sound of rain echoing between their gazes.
"...I might really become the ’Big Villain’, Yamada."
"Huh?" Yamada Machiichi was stunned.
"If I can’t find what I need from the ’Dream Patrol Family’ possessing me, then I’ll have no choice but to..." Su Ming’an paused, and before Yamada Machiichi could react, he displayed a familiar smile: "It’s nothing, let’s go back."
Su Ming’an was very familiar with this feeling of hesitation.
Hesitation over whether he would do something irreparable, yet all hesitation leads to one conclusion—to go ahead and do it.
At least, there’s still a chance to make amends for the deficiencies. At least, he could try one last time. Instead of just throwing himself into the abyss without any twists and turns.
As they brushed past each other, Yamada Machiichi seemed sensitive enough to sense something and suddenly said: "’Big Villain’ is just ’Big Villain’, who says only the righteous Savior can be impressive." He put his hands on his hips, counting: "Look at many anime, aren’t the ’Big Villains’ the ones who save the world? If tearing apart justice and truth is necessary to achieve the goal, then go ahead, don’t let yourself regret it. Besides, it’s not like there’s no mouth, there will always be a time to speak."
He said something that made Su Ming’an pause:
"—With such a vast sky and earth, under clear daylight, is there only room for broad and bright paths?"
Su Ming’an gave Yamada Machiichi a deep look and curled his lips.
...
Tao’er once heard Mr. Zhu tell some stories, and there was a famous Savior in the story, called the "Great Emperor."
It’s said that this Great Emperor traveled across nations, saved all beings, wherever he went, he saved. He was the epitome of righteousness. But later... Mr. Zhu sighed while stroking his goatee.
"Sir, what happened later?" Tao’er quickly raised his hand.
"You little rascal, why don’t I see you so enthusiastic when reading!" Mr. Zhu joked with a curse: "Later, people all said, the Great Emperor was possessed."
"He still cut his flesh just like before, feeding it to those who were starving, and flayed his skin for those freezing without cover. But he became weaker, unable to manage so much anymore. Thus, people started wars to seize him."
"The deaths far exceeded those he saved."
"Later, later, even the Great Emperor’s friends died because of this. From then on, the Great Emperor seemed to go mad, started killing, massacring countless, gradually becoming the possessed demon in people’s mouths. A demon that everyone attacks and eradicates. "
"This righteous character changed into the villain. Whenever people created new stories needing a villain, they would pick him out to talk about."
Tao’er couldn’t help but say, "the Great Emperor must have had unspeakable reasons, just like the Deity on the divine mountain, He just lost His powers but still remained a deity, not a monster. How can people call the Deity a monster just because He can’t protect them?"
"Then let me ask you, Tao’er." Mr. Zhu held a ruler: "If the Deity on the divine mountain eats people, is He a protagonist or a villain?"
Tao’er replied, "If He eats people, then of course He’s a villain."
Mr. Zhu then said, "If the Deity eats people to gain strength to protect more people, is He a protagonist or a villain?"
This... Tao’er hesitated.
Mr. Zhu continued: "If you were the female protagonist in the story, the best protagonist. The Deity ate people but did it to save your life. Is He a protagonist or a villain?"
Tao’er couldn’t speak.
She thought for a moment and said, "Sir, I think that as long as a person’s ultimate goal is righteous, then regardless of what they do along the way, they are a protagonist. But if someone’s ultimate goal is to harm others, then even if they inadvertently save many during their journey, they are an antagonist."
"To kill one is a crime, to kill a hundred makes a general, to kill ten thousand makes a lord. Ordinary folks kill for money or power, more often guilty. A general kills for the sake of ending wars. Kings kill thousands, apart from removing tyranny, they are akin to generals."
"I heard the story of Heroic Magpie in the Royal Capital; his writings led to the deaths of hundreds of scientists. Yet in the eyes of the World Tree, he remains a protagonist, because he ushered in a new era, benefiting many more."
"So, in Tao’er’s eyes, whether it’s the Great Emperor who saves by sacrificing, or the great demon who wields the butcher’s knife, they are all protagonists."
Mr. Zhu paused, slapped the ruler, and said, "Foolish child, you think this way because you haven’t been under the thumb of a protagonist. Tao’er, I ask you—if you one day become a stepping stone for a protagonist, would you still see them as the protagonist despite your harm?"
Tao’er blinked and nodded her head amidst her classmates’ incredulous gazes.
"I would," she said. "Because I’m too insignificant to be either a protagonist or antagonist in a story. If I can appear even briefly around the protagonist, wouldn’t it mean that Tao’er has become a noteworthy person?"
...
The smoke from the chimneys continued to rise, and the fine rain fell.
The red rain washed over the ground, Tao’er’s breath weakened further; her fragile physique couldn’t withstand this deluge welcoming ’them’.
Aunt Shen, who sold vegetables, Aunt Zhao, who sold fish, Mr. Zhu, who taught, the kind mother... each towering pillar, had fallen to the ground.
She was about to die, yet she heard her mother’s cries, heard the sound of freezing frost.
Frost...?
In her blurry vision, she saw a figure emerging from the Divine Mountain.
Riding the winds, breaking through the rain. That person had white hair, beautiful beyond gender distinctions.
Bei Wang had received an alert a few seconds ago: [According to play rules, you need not linger on the Divine Mountain any longer.] Frost spread from him, as he opened his mouth, strands of souls absorbed into him, becoming pure power.
For every sip of water and morsel of food, there is a reason. The rains inflicted by the Dream Patrol Family harmed Tao’er, and Najasha lost Tao’er, his sole source of faith, and to survive, he absorbed the souls of the Dream Patrol Family.
The pure white deity was stained with sin, frost turning crimson.
Bei Wang’s crimson stained eyes glanced at Little Fortune Star Hui Zi, who was the cause of all this chaos.
Hui Zi also raised her head to look at him, and began to speak:
——
——
(There exists time-space confusion here, please do not observe)
——
——
"Pop!" Crushing Hui Zi’s body, splatters of blood reaching his cheek, Bei Wang wiped away the bloodstains, having just finished listening to Hui Zi’s words.
Turns out she was...
Bei Wang immediately restrained his thoughts from deteriorating, preventing observation.
One sheep, two sheep, three sheep, a cake smeared with strawberry jam, a caramel macchiato sprinkled with cocoa powder, red tea soaking vanilla ice cream...
Bei Wang filled his mind with random thoughts.
He relinquished control of his body, letting Najasha take over. Najasha lowered his head, glanced at Tao’er, whose skin had turned red like the rain, barely alive.
Endless frost spread, gradually turning the tranquil village into ice.
"Give me those Dream Patrol souls for consumption," Najasha said to the Cloud City God.
"You are a righteous god, why?" Cloud City said indifferently. The gods of Luowasha had factions, the Ocean Angel long stood on the side of order and goodness, not consuming anyone despite grave harm. Breaking this vow, one would no longer remain a righteous god.
Najasha’s eyes took on an eerie charm:
"Is forgiving an enemy who kills your friend considered righteousness? Is avenging a friend and consuming people considered antagonism?"
"Is preserving goodness and not killing considered righteousness? Is consuming those who harm all beings considered antagonism?"
"If heavens place justice above slaughter, then I shall no longer be an upright righteous god, because my sole believer taught me that I’m a great emperor who saves by sacrificing, and also a great demon who wields the butcher’s knife."
The brows of Cloud City God relaxed slightly, he released his grasp, those death-deserving Dream Patrol souls, wailing, fell into Najasha’s hands. Najasha consumed some, and fed some into Tao’er’s mouth.
He drank the sin, allowing the pure white girl in his arms to sip it alongside.
"What is this... God?" Tao’er couldn’t see clearly, only feeling something bitter in her mouth.
"Osmanthus cake," Najasha said.
"God-made osmanthus cake... It’s so bitter..." Tao’er touched Najasha’s hand, intermittently saying, "I’m about to die... God’s faith source... What will happen..."
Najasha did not answer, her hand slowly closing over her eyes.
She swallowed those souls and would not die in this rain.
He remembered her saying that she really wanted to see the beautiful sights of the Capital City. The peach blossoms there must be more beautiful than those in the valley. In the days to come, she could slowly take them in.
"This unknown deity, could you do me a favor?" Najasha looked up.
The Cloud City God stood with arms crossed: "Why should I?"
Najasha promised, "My true form is the Reincarnation Siren, and in the future, I will also be the Ocean Angel at my peak. If you need any help, I can offer it in the future."
The Cloud City God was about to refuse but thought of Su Ming’an and casually said, "I don’t need help, but if you meet someone named ’Olivius’ in the future, help him once."
"Olivius... I will remember. Once I recover some divine power, I will reach out to him." Najasha nodded.
"What would you like me to do?" asked the Cloud City God.
"I am about to return to the sea, could I ask you to take Tao’er to the Capital City and entrust her to a friend of mine?" Najasha asked. "His name is Li Mingyue, someone I met by chance while strolling, an ordinary traveler temporarily residing under a peach tree in Kyoto, with white hair and clothes as bright as the snow. You can’t mistake him when you see him."
He looked at Tao’er and softly said, "After swallowing those souls, I have irreversibly fallen from a righteous god and will only become increasingly malevolent. From now on, she has nothing to do with me."
Then, Bei Wang came out, and Najasha expelled him from her body.
"You mean no harm to me, but since I am about to return to the sea, I won’t take you with me." Najasha looked calmly at Bei Wang: "You don’t have to pretend, do whatever you wish."
Bei Wang frowned slightly: "You will become... a very crazy deity in the future."
"Oh, I know," Najasha said. "Falling from a righteous god leads to this. If I can’t play the righteous role, then let me become a villain I won’t regret being."
He glanced at Tao’er, spread his wings, and did not look back.
...
Pure White Space.
After Noel Agnini had transported Su Ming’an into "Alauddin’s Sky," he touched the puppet threads on his chest.
"To use the Ruler’s Skill on me, forcibly increasing favorability to a hundred percent..." he let out a barely audible laugh.
He thought the influence of this skill would uncontrollably alter his original plan, making his mindset lean towards Su Ming’an, but seemingly... there was no change.
Did the favorability really change, or was it because he was a half-baked NPC, so the skill failed?
He tore open a corner of the Pure White Space, looking down at the Creator Conference in the Royal Capital—seated there was a Noel Agnini exactly like him.
Inspired by the Slicing Master Dieying, Noel Agnini learned the slicing technique from the Master of the End of All Things, cutting himself into two. One retained all memories—the true Noel—and the other, the one with only the light side’s memories, was the Alliance Hierarch player of the Disciple Game who had no memory of parting ways with Su Ming’an and had never backstabbed. Therefore, the Noel Su Ming’an saw during the night Werewolf Killing Game was in a very friendly guise.
Noel let his "simple" self come forward and attend the Creator Conference, while the "not simple" self lurked in the little space, working secretly.
"The next plan is..." Noel Agnini, leaning on his staff, tore open another piece of the Pure White Space.
He heard the trickling sound of a river, as if it were the flow of the long river of time.
On the back of his hand, the rose mark left by the God of Chaos shone brightly.
The First Level God of Chaos presides over chaos, riddles, destiny, and miracles. Under his command, the "Mist Gap Magicians" are those who traverse different planes, shuttling through the five major regions of Luowasha, bringing numerous miracles to the lifeless kingdom.
Yet, only Noel Agnini, favored by the God of Chaos, knows the miracles the God of Chaos commands, aren’t just about transcending regions, but...
"Rip—" tearing through the Pure White Space, Noel Agnini landed with his staff, like a "magician" taking to the stage.
Under the bluish-purple sky, he elegantly walked through the Pure White Palace and pushed open a heavy door.
On a high platform, a dark-haired girl with a single ponytail sat under the illusory sunlight, gazing absentmindedly out the colorful floral window, with a gourd of wine and a Black Blade at her waist. Upon hearing the noise, she turned her head.
"Good evening." Noel Agnini doffed his hat and smiled warmly: "Miss Dan Shuang."
...
["He believed that there are countless strands of time, diverging, converging, and parallel, weaving a constantly growing, intricate web. Woven by times that approach each other, diverge, interlace, or forever remain uninvolved with each other, this network contains all possibilities."]
...
Before the Luowasha Reset, after Shen Ming’an heavily injured Xiber, Noel had been closely observing Xiber’s movements, anticipating that she might go to other civilizations to bring in help for Su Ming’an. However, Xiber’s whereabouts were elusive, and Noel quickly lost track of her. Ultimately, "they" provided Noel with timely feedback on her whereabouts, and after the Master of the End of All Things stopped her, Xiber failed to contact Dan Shuang, Sharina, Chao Yan, and others successfully.
"Are you Noel Agnini?" Dan Shuang sat up with her wine jug: "I have heard of you. Su Ming’an came back to rest once and said you’re his most trusted friend."
"Yes." Noel smiled: "He’s encountering some trouble now and may go astray. I want to invite you to go to Luowasha with me to stop him."
"Su Ming’an? Go astray?" Dan Shuang seemed to hear a big joke. She coldly stared at Noel for a moment, then sneered coldly: "Fine, I’ll go, but I will judge whether you’re deceiving me. If I find out you’re lying, my big knife will chop at you first."
Quite vigilant... Noel nodded: "Please."
He rubbed the lens at his neck, smiling meaningfully.
Long ago, Noel Agnini sensed a concept—"Branching Line".
Even before several major resets while retaining memories, he touched upon this concept more than once. He believed that after Su Ming’an, during the first stage of the Disciple Game, contacted Lü God and witnessed the "Death of Butterfly," black lines and white lines began to appear.
In the black line, Su Ming’an’s Ruler’s Skill is "Kill the World Tree," while Xi Li is portrayed as a yandere demon girl.
In the white line, Su Ming’an’s Ruler’s Skill is "Question the World Tree, Understand the World Tree, Become the World Tree," while Xi Li is depicted as a timid wheelchair-bound girl.
Noel could not discern when the black line and the white line switched places, but from the transformations in the characters "Hui" and "Wei," the appearance and disappearance of the Hui Family members, it was clear that the cut had happened more than once.
It is important to note that the concepts of "White Line and Black Line" are different from "Light Side and Dark Side," and not everyone is fluctuating between different world lines, but rather—all people remain constant on both lines, with only the "Narrative Anchor Point" acting as a camera to bounce back and forth between the protagonist Su Ming’an on both lines, creating a narrative deceit.
For instance, as black-line Su Ming’an is planning to do task A, the "Narrative Anchor Point" camera suddenly shifts to the white line, where white-line Su Ming’an is doing task B, and then back to black-line Su Ming’an, who at that point has completed task A.
—In the observational perspective, it appears as though black-line Su Ming’an suddenly decided to do task B, never having done task A.
If one merely uses "ellipsis" to divide the cut lines, who could tell if the "protagonist" in the preceding text is still the "protagonist" in the following text?
Black-line Su Ming’an’s Ruler’s Quest is always "Kill the World Tree," while white-line Su Ming’an’s Ruler’s Quest is always "Question the World Tree, Understand the World Tree, Become the World Tree." Yet the "Narrative Anchor Point" experiences a shift, jumping from the white line to the black line at a certain point, thus causing a narrative deceit of an inconsequential sequence, appearing as though the Ruler’s Quest changed from "Question, Understand, Become the World Tree" to "Kill the World Tree."
However, Noel Agnini is well aware that Su Ming’an is the only real one, whichever line he encounters Su Ming’an on is the real line. The other line is a mirror mechanism product from Luowasha, a replica.
...
"Only the camera changes, not the events." Noel Agnini taps his fingers on the staff, smiling contemplatively:
"In that case, I can utilize something similar to the ’Mapping’ principle of the Tenth World—by guessing the character movements on another virtual line, to assist the real line I am on."
"A long time ago, I asked Su Ming’an, his Ruler’s Skill is ’Kill the World Tree’, meaning the world line we are on, the only real one, is the black line. The virtual one is the white line."
"Hmm...Let me speculate, in the white line, what encounters might he have? He should choose to refuse Su Liujin’s invitation, not explore the story of the first Disciple Game, focus on gathering energy, leading the Fifth Thrones Starfire into Luowasha, and then inevitably publicly reveal the Death Rebound... but I am somewhat puzzled about how he would escape the organizers’ pursuit. This part of the deduction is blank."
"But I can roughly guess that without the existence of ’them’, Xiber would not be successfully blocked; she would definitely invite Dan Shuang, Li Mingyue and others, to help Su Ming’an against me."
"So, I must take the initiative first..."
Filled with such thoughts, Noel heads towards the next world—Pulaya.
In the salty sea breeze, he sees an old man standing by a church, wearing a high hat, dressed in British gentleman’s attire, holding a Civilization Staff, exuding extraordinary charm, gazing at the blue sea.
Pulaya has been a century past, all old friends were gone, only the longevity of the Soul Clan remains.
The "Magician" approaches the old man, doffs his hat as a salute, his red robe fluttering, pupils dark as ink.
"Mr. Archilev," he presents a carefully prepared smile, "I humbly request you to join my team."
...
["In most times, we do not exist; at certain times, you are there but I am not; at other times, I am there but you are not; and yet other times, both you and I are there."] 𝘧𝑟𝑒𝑒𝘸𝘦𝘣𝑛𝑜𝘷𝑒𝓁.𝘤𝘰𝓂
[Again, I felt a restlessness I had mentioned previously. I felt the moist garden around the house teemed with countless unseen people. Those people were Albert and myself, concealed within other dimensions of time, bustling about, varied in form.]
...
Under the World Tree.
After returning to Luowasha, Su Ming’an immediately went to find the World Tree.
As the world consciousness of Luowasha, the species with the highest authority, it was necessary to ascertain the World Tree’s stance.
When Su Ming’an arrived, there was no one beneath the tree.
"World Tree, I wish to ’coexist’ with you for a time, using your perspective to find the locations of the Dream Patrol Family throughout Luowasha." Su Ming’an’s back opened, tentacles like soft tubes extending towards the World Tree.
The World Tree did not refuse.
With a series of crisp "click" sounds, Su Ming’an’s tentacles connected with the World Tree. At this moment, he noticed an empty round table and chair beside him, a pot of black tea on the table, and a dish of sugar cubes.
"Would you like some tea?" The World Tree’s voice was tender, "I know you like sweets, so I’ve prepared many pieces of sugar for you."
"You can... slowly stir these sugar cubes."
"One piece, two pieces, three pieces... lots of pieces."
...
["At all times," I said with a slight shiver, "I am always grateful and admire you for re-creating Peng Kou’s garden."]
["It’s impossible at all times," he smiled. "Because time always branches, leading to countless futures. In one of those futures—I may become your enemy."]
[——"The Garden of Forking Paths"]
...
