Welcome to Rewind World Game-Chapter 1538: Final - · Crossing the Sea Arc [28] · "BE31: What We Call Home
After the first bloom, Su Ming’an read their memories, but amidst the vast sea of memories, he didn’t find the image of the Supreme Lord or the platform coordinates.
No matter, he could commit suicide and start over.
After destroying his body located at the center of the World Tree, he experienced Death Rebound and Time Retrospection, returning to the moment the red rain fell.
Once, again, and again.
The mass possession by the Dream Patrol Family only happens at the heaviest second of the downpour. In that brief second, thousands of the Dream Patrol Family collectively replace the bodies of the Luowasha people. This problem is easy to solve—if at that second, Su Ming’an’s body is more attractive than the Luowasha people’s, they won’t get hurt.
At that second, Su Ming’an’s bodies were distributed throughout the various corners of Luowasha.
At that second, thousands of Su Ming’an’s bodies were possessed.
At that second, thousands of Su Ming’an’s bodies exploded, painting the clouds, vegetation, and soil of Luowasha’s Five Great Planes with a bright crimson red.
Each time, the distribution of Su Ming’an’s bodies and their states would vary slightly, and the Dream Patrol Family lured each time would be different, hence every Death Rebound allowed Su Ming’an to collect memories from different Dream Patrol Family members.
"Splash, splash, splash."
Su Ming’an, residing at the center of the World Tree, with white hair, impassively sensed the explosion of his "selves."
In his vision, it was filled with splattered bright red.
After three replays, the fresh memories he collected gradually decreased, as most of the Dream Patrol Family members had already been read by him.
After five replays, the fresh memories he collected were in single digits.
After seven replays, he couldn’t collect any fresh memories; the memories read this time were the ones already read in the previous six replays.
This indicated that all the Dream Patrol Family members interested in his body had been read within seven times, and even if he replayed again, new members couldn’t be lured. The remaining Dream Patrol Family were uninterested in his body and had already possessed others.
Under the World Tree, Su Ming’an sorted through the memories collected from seven times of luring, approximately 6271 Dream Patrol Family memories. They hailed from various civilizations, some from peaceful modern civilizations, some from civilizations with only oceans, some from steampunk civilizations. Most were ordinary people with average willpower, among whom one person had the fortune of seeing the Supreme Lord.
By reading this person’s memory, Su Ming’an saw the appearance of the Supreme Lord.
A dark-skinned, white-haired, and deeply wrinkled old man, with sunken eye sockets, a bumpy nose, and a sharp chin like a cold cone, was a somewhat ugly visage.
...
"Ding dong!"
[You’ve obtained the image of the Supreme Lord (3/5)!]
[Clue Five: One fifth of the Supreme Lord’s image: You’ve discovered the Supreme Lord is a white-haired elder.]
[Clue link!]
[Formulating Theory Three: First is a man of ordinary appearance, then a woman of stunning beauty, finally a somewhat ugly elder, could the Supreme Lord be a Hydra?]
...
Su Ming’an had no mind for sarcasm.
He felt his heart sinking slowly towards an undeniably certain answer.
—By killing himself, he only found one petal of the Supreme Lord’s image, so the remaining two petals of the Supreme Lord’s image could only be obtained from others.
That is, by killing others.
This was no longer something Su Liujin hid in history; the introduction of the "they" concept meant history was no longer history.
"...Did the Supreme Lord hide it all over again?" The voice of Little Liujin sounded noticeably downcast.
"They want to keep observing and won’t let me find their image so easily. But they also can’t impose an utterly impossible conundrum, so they’ll hide their image in a place most difficult for me to reach with a hard heart..." Su Ming’an quickly deduced the Supreme Lord’s mindset: "...On my teammates, on civilians, on the innocent."
Little Liujin fell silent.
After a moment, he said softly: "There’s another way."
"Hmm?"
"Resolve this Red Rain, and meet the Supreme Lord as the victor."
"But the difficulty is extremely high." Su Ming’an said, "Unless I can find the key discarded by the Shitposter Demon, and seek help from the Demon Mother Goddess."
"So, which one will you choose?" Su Liujin asked.
Choosing the first path would undoubtedly make him the "Big Villain" as described to Yamada Machiichi. Choosing the second path was too difficult.
"...Let’s try the second path, shall we." Su Ming’an’s voice was very light, as if consulting Su Liujin, yet more like persuading himself.
If he chose the first path, he would have to turn the blade against others besides himself. Although he could explain it as achieving the best ending, and those killed would be ferried in the Soul Ferry for rebirth in the New World... however.
But, these can’t be explained.
There were still many Dream Patrol Family members who hadn’t possessed yet, cautiously observing. Among them surely were some who possessed the image of the Supreme Lord. These smart Dream Patrol Family members were the big fish. If Su Ming’an revealed his entire plan, they wouldn’t come over.
The pressure of the first path was too heavy, and turning the blade against others could easily lead to irreversible consequences.
Determined, Su Ming’an reset.
He no longer lured the Dream Patrol Family, but instead, let each "self" search for the key everywhere, whether by reading books, asking priests, tracing relics, or even contacting Deities...
At the moment when the red rain poured down, the whereabouts of the key remained fruitless.
The second path seemed unworkable.
But trying a few more times? Perhaps his search wasn’t comprehensive enough, trying a few more times might surely...
"Swish swish."
Under the World Tree, Su Ming’an heard the sound of falling snow.
He extended his perception outwards and found that the red rain was no longer falling, an unprecedented occurrence over several loops. Instead, it was snowing.
—The Snow of the End from the Lord of the End of All Things.
This snow should have fallen long ago, but Noel Agnini’s delay had prevented it from falling. For some reason, in this loop, the Snow of the End suddenly descended. Su Ming’an immediately pondered what was special about this loop, and the conclusion was—he started searching for the key. This was the only point of change.
It was his act of searching for the key that prompted Noel Agnini to decide not to delay any longer and to make the Snow of the End fall immediately.
But why?
Was this action a threat to Noel Agnini? Causing Noel to be unable to wait, and immediately wanting to erase everything?
...
At the moment the Snow of the End fell, Alger was lying on a hillside, leisurely spinning a little white flower in his hand, watching the scenery.
Until he detected the malice of the first snowflake, his face suddenly changed.
"The Snow of the End?"
"Why is it falling now? There’s only one possibility, they found a way to counteract Xiao Na’s big reset, not worrying about another cycle, so they decided to destroy everything immediately."
"No, Golinda..."
He took out a mirror from his pocket, pressed it to his forehead, and after a moment, he appeared in a Pure White Space. Noel Agnini sat in the Pure White Space, carefully carving a piece of wood.
Alger demanded, "What are you thinking about? Snowfall now? We agreed, I provide you help, and you give me enough time to save Golinda, now I haven’t found the method, and you let the snow fall? Isn’t it not yet the final hour?"
Noel Agnini did not answer him.
Alger was filled with anger.
He was carefree, rebellious, always claiming this world wronged him, so he need not care about it. Those words weren’t incorrect, but if a person cares about nothing, there’s no anchor to maintain rationality in this crazy game.
His sister, Golinda, was his anchor.
The Great Kind People in the World Game had considered the plight of children, the disabled, the elderly, the mentally ill—but they hadn’t considered, and couldn’t consider, the plight of those in a vegetative state.
If someone had lost self-awareness before the game started, they’d remain a vegetable once the game began. Alger’s sister, Golinda, suffered brain damage in an early car accident; her soul could no longer be found.
Alger used his special status to move Golinda out of the cramped personal space and place her in the highest-class Life Support Pod of the Main God World. This he told no one about, neither the Peak Alliance nor the United Group. No one knew, so there was no leverage against him.
Until Noel Agnini appeared, effortlessly mentioning Golinda’s name and promising sufficient information and time for Alger to find a way to awaken her. Unless absolutely necessary destruction had to happen, the Snow of the End wouldn’t fall.
In the end, it snowed without warning.
Alger angrily rushed to question, outwardly furious, while subtly shifting his steps, gazing into Noel Agnini’s eyes. At that moment, Alger felt a tightness in his chest.
They were dead, silent, soundless eyes.
Noel held a music box, on which sat a crystal piano and several wooden figures—a beautiful piece of craftsmanship. Alger often saw Noel carrying it with him, but at this moment, he watched Noel smash it.
"Crash!"
The music box shattered into pieces, followed by the collapse of the crystal piano.
"He chose the wrong direction, this thing is useless now..." Noel Agnini withdrew his hand.
Alger’s heart tightened; he could not understand why Noel brought the snow, but if Noel insisted on destroying everything now, it was akin to sentencing Golinda to death—once the World Game ends, there would be no system to sustain her life. And he himself was not ready to step into the High Dimensions.
His moral standards were highly flexible, and his stance depended only on his mood. At this moment, he made a decision without hesitation—the Snow of the End must not fall.
In the Pure White Space, flames burst forth.
Noel Agnini’s pupils trembled slightly as he gazed at the Flame Giant standing proudly before him.
Three pairs of fiery wings soared, and a blazing hammer suddenly fell without warning, striking Noel Agnini’s cheek. Alger’s betrayal came fast and fierce, almost like madness, finally allowing Noel to experience the taste of being backstabbed.
Flames scorched the young man’s cheek, unexpectedly taking away his right eye; the gem-like beautiful dark blue pupil instantly carbonized, replaced by a charred pit-like eye socket.
On the back of his hand, a blue rose lost one petal in an instant.
This was the trump card given to Noel by the God of Chaos, consisting of ten rose petals. Each time he overdrew, one petal would be lost; when all ten rose petals withered, that would mark the end of his life force. Previously, Noel had quietly lost two rose petals in his schemes, and now another one had fallen, leaving only seven.
"Fool..." Noel seldom cursed, let alone uttered ungracious words. He retreated several steps, wielding a scythe. His once fair right cheek burned black, forming a sharp and terrifying contrast with his remaining exquisite side. Even while cursing, his demeanor remained composed, as if facing an object, a dog, and not a person.
"I was wrong." Alger chuckled, "You people have no heart at all—look glossy and pretty, but are actually just hollow dolls. Who spends so long as allies and then turns around mercilessly towards the High Dimensions? To expect you to honor your commitment is mere delusion. Knowing this early, I should’ve chosen Su Ming’an’s side. If he had promised, he’d fight with all his might to help me save Golinda."
Noel stared at Alger for two seconds, then suddenly said:
"Indeed, different."
Different from Rong Yuan.
Rong Yuan, out of guilt, conscience, and loyalty, finally chose to return to Acto’s side. But Alger, as Rong Yuan’s counterpart, had always acted out of freedom, coming and going as he pleased. Interests couldn’t keep him, nor could the world contain him.
Calling him stupid was because at the last moment, he nearly succeeded yet failed. Instead of allowing the Snow of the End, along with the Eighth Thrones, to rise to the High Dimensions, he insisted on striking Noel, hoping to stop the snow.
This Pure White Space was Noel Agnini’s book—he had written a book with no words.
As a book, the High Dimensions couldn’t easily enter, and Alger saw a chance of victory and thus made his move.
"Then let’s try." Noel Agnini raised the scythe, "See if you can take my place... stop the snow... Heh, talking about saving your sister sounds good, but if you win against me, you’ll gain the favor of two High Dimensions, and that’s your real goal."
"Whatever helps you understand." Alger shrugged, never defending his nobility or baseness. How others viewed him, he simply didn’t care.
"Boom—!"
In the Pure White Space, at this moment, the earth shook and mountains quaked.
Divine-level battles often transpire in mere seconds.
Ten seconds later, the silhouette of the red-haired man tore through the space, swiftly darting out, leaving blood trailing everywhere. Noel Agnini, with a clang, supported himself with the scythe, spat out a mouthful of blood, and there were only five rose petals left on the back of his hand.
He had won.
Alger was unaware of Noel’s trump card and did not anticipate Noel had such immense explosive power. Countless petals broke through the flames, pierced the man’s shell, using any means no one could defend against.
"Whew." Noel gently blew, scattering wooden shavings from the wood in his hand, revealing the item he had carved—an excellent sign.
He placed the sign in his pocket, touched his scorched face, and ritualistically changed into formal attire, elegantly dawning his hat, leaning on the cane, and leaving the Pure White Space.
He stepped onto—
A giant tree that sparkled like crystal.
...
When two pairs of eyes met, no more words were needed.
Su Ming’an did not rush into retrospection; he must understand why Noel was determined to let the Snow of the End fall, else this situation might arise again. Moreover, the previous retrospection point was just a few minutes ago, as long as it didn’t drag for too long, he’d avoid missing the crucial point.
The Lord of the End of All Things was bringing the snow, with only the Seventh Thrones beside Noel.
This was a nearly evenly matched battle.
The Seventh Thrones primarily attacked, and Noel assisted, counting the Snow of the End as support. Meanwhile, Su Ming’an’s side had three great Authorities and the World Tree.
There were no flashy sword fights, only pure energy clashes. When the Master of the End of All Things took action and joined the fray, Su Ming’an immediately found himself on the verge of defeat.
However, through the branches and leaves, he sensed that Lin Yin, Anthony, and others had already activated the Ark. Despite insufficient energy, they forcefully took some people away. Due to the lack of energy, there were billions of casualties, and the old, weak, sick, and disabled were left behind. The casualties even included Lin Yin and Luna, who had exhausted their strength, and other companions...
Su Ming’an closed his eyes for a moment.
This was a tragic ending.
For him, he couldn’t make it to the Ark in time, leading to the deaths of so many. For Noel... well, it wasn’t particularly wonderful either. Most of the Luowasha people managed to escape, the Master’s destruction wasn’t completed, but the Seventh Throne managed to escape from the World Game amidst the chaos.
However, Noel Agnini could finally journey to the universe, congratulations to him.
Now, Noel only needed to eliminate the last enemy before him—Su Ming’an, who had become one with the World Tree, to complete the mission of the Master of the End of All Things, and everything would be over.
Compared to everyone escaping into a dream, or Su Ming’an and Noel perishing together, this might be the best outcome for Noel Agnini so far.
"What did you use to control Xiao Na?" Su Ming’an asked slowly.
Noel Agnini had been delaying the Snow of the End because he feared Xiao Na’s death rebound. However, after the snow fell this time, Xiao Na did not reset everything, indicating that Noel Agnini had used some method to successfully hold back Xiao Na, which led him to decisively bring down the Snow of the End.
This was something Su Ming’an had to figure out.
"Don’t waste words with him," Yuritilola said unceremoniously. "There are still people outside resisting stubbornly. Hurry up and destroy the World Tree, and the World Barrier will open. I can then unleash my full power. Right now, I’m really restrained."
The dark silhouette of the Master of the End of All Things patted Noel on the shoulder, uttering an indistinguishable voice:
"Go."
They transformed into two beams of light, merging into Noel’s body.
Noel Agnini, dressed in splendid attire, stepped forward wielding a scythe.
Behind him lay a path of utter destruction.
...
"Cough, cough...!"
After multiple spatial shuttles, Alger finally found the location of the Main God World.
His arms, chest, legs, and feet were covered with pierced playing cards and leaves, and threads were strangling his neck. He couldn’t loosen them, and they were still seeping poisonous blood.
When his flame-like figure passed by, the old, weak, sick, and disabled left behind in the Main God World showed panicked expressions. Some were in despair, some like startled birds, and some held each other’s hands tightly, silently waiting for the end.
"Is that Alger?"
"That traitor! How can he return to the Main God World?"
"Ha, the Eighth Throne has two Divine Envoys, surely the Eighth Throne chose Aylan over him, so he slinked back."
"Good, good, let him be buried with us! Serves him right!"
Alger ignored these voices, as only one thought remained in his mind.
... He wanted to take the precious thing with him.
Perhaps he indeed was incorrigibly selfish; he first returned to his personal space, took his stored precious props, went to his guild, stole the precious equipment from the warehouse, and then rushed to the life support pod where his sister was.
However, he underestimated the toxicity of Noel’s threads.
When he arrived in front of the life support pod, his body was already blue and purple. He fell forward against the glass, gazing at the girl sleeping peacefully inside, as a mouthful of blood blurred the sight.
"Ha, haha..." Alger knew he had no way out; compared to himself, the Eighth Throne favored Aylan. When he lost to Noel, he lost the chance to prove himself.
Now, even if he called out the Eighth Throne’s name repeatedly, it wouldn’t respond.
"Go... Golinda..." he murmured. "I was never the chosen Lucky One... compared to Aylan... ha, haha..."
He took out a gemstone, something he had obtained by chance, a prop that could transform a person into a special identity. He no longer needed it.
He placed the gemstone in the girl’s arms; another mouthful of venomous blood spewed out, and darkness enveloped his eyes.
Lying on the glass pod, he closed his eyes.
...
