Welcome to Rewind World Game-Chapter 1542: Final - · Shoreguard Arc [27] · "I Hear Destiny Speaking to Me
The firmament spilled with blue-purple as intense as an oil painting, the spires of Gothic architecture piercing out aggressively, pointing towards the bizarre twilight.
In the distance, the clock tower and White Tower resounded with a desolate evening bell that tore through the silence, its echoes trembling long in the dusk.
A youth with dazzling purple long hair sat atop a glass roof, maintaining human form, though their hair had the texture of a star sea, and their eyes were as clear and tranquil as two cold moons suspended in an ancient cold night.
The Fifth Thrones, Starfire.
"Swish——"
Fragments formed from the soul of Huan Jiala fell into their palm.
"...You’ve worked hard for these thousands of years, come back." Starfire said to the fragments.
This was Starfire’s "small world", or perhaps calling it a "little space" was more fitting. High Dimensions more or less would have their own little spaces, but they were small and hard to form a complete world. Complete and healthy worlds like Su Ming’an’s were rare, even Cosmic Adventurers were envious upon seeing them.
This "little space" was a small home personally created by Starfire, only the size of a city, where their main body spent most of its time resting.
The blue-purple sky, Western-style spires, glass rooftop, they personally recreated the appearance of their hometown, Ming Hui.
Their clone had already gone to Luowasha to help Su Ming’an block the Eighth Thrones and other Organizers, while the main body stayed here, unable to stray far.
"...I don’t understand." Huan Jiala said: "I don’t understand why you wholeheartedly help him, even using your clone to go to Luowasha to assist him."
"Then why are you willing to help him, to become the vessel for my clone to descend, knowing that in the end, you can only return to me as a fragment of light?" Starfire asked.
"My reason..." Huan Jiala paused: "Because it’s very similar."
"Similar?"
"I was split from you, inheriting your emotions and way of thinking. The moment I saw him stop impersonating Sique and Su Liujin, fully revealing himself, I felt that he was very much like the person in your deepest memories." Huan Jiala said.
"So... our choice to help him is for the same reason." Starfire said.
"Yes." Huan Jiala said: "We don’t want—such a person full of ideals and radiance to fail. You were too weak before, unable to achieve anything, but now you’ve become High Dimension and you want to accomplish it."
Before becoming High Dimension, Starfire was a True Army Mage of Ming Hui, who once had a profound friend; that friend’s character was very similar to Su Ming’an, yet was always trapped by fate. Only after Starfire became High Dimension did they have the power to save their old friend.
But they no longer had the chance.
"Can you tell me?" Huan Jiala said: "Why are there always people so remarkably similar in the universe?"
"Let me tell you a story." Starfire said.
They sat under the blue-purple sky, on the glass roof, with moonlit eyes gazing at the distant Cang Mountain:
"Once upon a time, there was a person who lived in a mountain... However, there was nothing in the mountain, and his sense of novelty soon wore off, so he wanted to strive, to strive to walk out of this mountain and see what was outside."
"He climbed and climbed... day and night, suffering countless injuries."
"Even when he fell, or birds came mocking him, he still persisted."
"Eventually, he finally climbed out of the mountain. When he stood at the top, he found..."
Huan Jiala listened, eagerly asking, "What did he see? What’s outside the mountain?"
Starfire’s voice remained calm:
"He found that on the opposite side were still mountains, and there was still nothing."
Huan Jiala paused in shock.
Outside the mountain, there were still mountains. Reaching the end of the road brought him back to the starting point.
It seemed as though he could never get out.
"The moment I saw Su Ming’an’s ’small world’, I had an ominous premonition." Starfire said: "Does it feel familiar? When Hui Bai escaped the World Game, they also used a ’small world’. Now, as Su Ming’an escapes the World Game, he’s using a ’small world’ too."
"Do you mean that outside the mountains are still mountains, that repeated tragedies will happen again and again, and that we are always bound to repeat tragedy?" Huan Jiala said.
Starfire shook their head:
"If that were the case, there wouldn’t be so many people in the world who are so similar time and again."
"Even though they’ve already seen through the endless rock walls and noticed the same mountain on the other side, they still stubbornly want to climb up and witness it with their own eyes."
"Foolish enough to be heartwarming and foolish enough to be admirable."
"It’s precisely because of the attempt to overturn the repeating quagmire; it’s because of the need to resist that such people appear incessantly and try to walk out."
"Even if all the paths lead to one bad ending, why not make the process more exciting, achieve more accomplishments, unlock more CGs, and break the constraints of the ending?"
"Player... Number One Player."
"To them, all of this is a game and isn’t a game."
They lowered their gaze, looking at the Huan Jiala in their palm:
"No matter how many obstacles or roadblocks they encounter... the player themselves will not concede."
Huan Jiala listened quietly.
He had not experienced Starfire’s events; he only had the memories of Elf King Huan Jiala, with only two deeply imprinted figures in his life, one who cheated him countless times, Sique, and the other was the vague nostalgia Starfire had for a friend.
Initially, that kind of attachment was very vague for Huan Jiala, because he didn’t know what kind of person Starfire’s past friend was, until he met Su Ming’an, and the shadow in his mind gradually grew and transformed into Su Ming’an’s image.
They couldn’t even be considered friends.
But, when Su Ming’an asked him if he would be willing to become the vessel for Starfire’s descending clone, he nodded without hesitation.
Was it the fuzzy emotion inherited from Starfire that acted up, or was it that in the essence of his life, he naturally admired and pursued such a person?
...
["If there’s anything you want to do, or people you want to see, you should do it soon. I’ll accompany you." Su Ming’an said.]
...
——But the only two people he wanted to see, one had fallen asleep, and the other was only the fuzzy emotion left by Starfire. As the Elf King for thousands of years, he was always perplexed about what kind of person that vague shadow was.
But now, the fuzzy Mona Lisa was gradually becoming clear in his eyes, gaining appearance, mood, form, and a name.
...
[Huan Jiala looked at Su Ming’an, without speaking, until Su Ming’an was about to ask again, Huan Jiala finally locked eyes with him and said, "I’ve already seen them."]
...
The world turns, as if without beginning, as if without end.
Yet, there are always those who try to untangle the skein’s thread, climbing the peak time and again.
The fragment of Huan Jiala gradually dispersed, returning to Starfire’s body, and before his consciousness faded, he said:
"Should I have been bolder before and tried to become his good friend?"
Starfire slowly closed their palm, closing their eyes:
"...Why ask me?"
"He is your own ’Mona Lisa’."
...
Under the heavens, the massive shadow of the World Tree sprawled, covering four corners.
A standoff froze between the two camps.
Noel and Deity Ming’an stood silently together.
And on the opposite side, Su Ming’an was surrounded by Dan Shuang, Xiber, Chao Yan, Li Mingyue, and others.
"——Have you truly decided to transform yourself into the world, even at the cost of losing yourself, as merely a thing?"
"Pursuing what was once unattainable."
Su Ming’an’s response was the sound of a sword ringing from its sheath.
Dan Shuang, Xiber, Chao Yan, Li Mingyue, Archilev, and Sharina moved simultaneously.
"Roar——!"
The dragon transformed from a young girl raised its mountainous head, golden-red flames erupting from its scales, devouring half the firmament in an instant!
"Whoosh——!"
The Witch’s scepter suddenly lit up, her linen robe billowing like a battle-flag in a turbulent flood of energy.
"Swipe——!"
The Pioneer, holding the Life Authority in his palm, pressed into the air, the ground emitting a heavy rumble, countless green, jagged, strange new lifeforms grew explosively from stone cracks, peaks, and even void.
"Hiss——!"
The Reincarnation Girl’s red robe stood motionless at the core of the energy storm, like solidified blood. Countless transparent, overlapping figures from countless fragments of time flickered uncertainly behind her, like billions of shattered mirrors reflecting past and future simultaneously.
The White-haired Bishop raised his wrist, light gathering on his fingertips. In the void, intricate talismans self-drew, leaving shining golden marks.
The Red-eyed Soul Clan lightly tapped the Civilization Staff, causing a tide of souls to rise behind him. Transparent and pure Sea Monster Souls emerged, forming a vast blue, semi-transparent spiritual sea, bringing with it a deafening roar of waves crashing against the shore.
Boom——!
Multiple figures soared into the sky, like meteors trailing various colored lights.
They trailed brilliant flames of bright white, emerald green, deep blue, crimson, and golden yellow, tearing through the sky, with the World Tree that supports the heavens and earth as their axis, stirring up a cloud of flames that burned everything, reaching the pinnacle of magnificence.
Their intertwined paths, seen from afar, resembled a vast net spanning the universe.
Strange birds circled, stars ascended.
"Destroy the World Tree! Open the [World Barrier]!" Su Ming’an raised his voice.
"Understood! So you mean turn you into a big tree, right?" Dan Shuang turned the dragon’s head, making "ao ao ao" sounds.
"You guy, even if you turn into a big tree, I’ll drag you out. I came thousands of miles to help you, not to watch you die!" Xiber couldn’t help but threaten.
"That should be saved for when the dust settles. For now, we must help Su Ming’an." Sharina’s voice was clear as a glass bottle, her tone very calm.
"Once more..." Li Mingyue sighed softly.
"Father, we’ll cover for you, block that golden-haired dwarf, you focus on destroying the World Tree!" Archilev, usually humble and polite, was unceremonious with his choice of words for the enemy.
Everyone rushed towards Noel Agnini, while Noel was still looking around.
"Yuanyuan’s clone isn’t here." Noel muttered, "Neither is Lü Shu, who became the Ninth Thrones Divine Envoy..."
His dark blue pupils scanned around thoughtfully, "Because Su Ming’an publicly revealed the Death Rebound, the organizers’ power became unrestrained and stronger, hence, Yuanyuan and Lü Shu were blocked by other seats along the way..."
"But the Cloud City God, like a punctual clock, still came..."
"Moreover, because Su Ming’an’s actions were very conservative, without doing anything radical, I couldn’t convince Dan Shuang and others to stay neutral, they stood by Su Ming’an..."
"Focus on the enemy, brother." Yuritilola’s voice sounded, reminding Noel not to get distracted.
"Of course." Noel raised his scythe, petals encircling his cheeks.
When Noel clashed with the others, Su Ming’an rushed towards the World Tree.
——He awaited in the shadow of the World Tree’s gnarled roots.
God An.
A robe as white as the unmelting frost on a mountain peak, his indifferent eyes looked back from afar, gaze fiercer than time itself.
"Move aside." Su Ming’an said, "We have no reason to be enemies."
"Of course we do." God An said, "You represent ’Redemption’, I am ’Slaughter’. You are white, and I am black."
"You said you hate riddles, so let’s not use grand words, let’s be practical." Su Ming’an said directly, "Why did you choose to help Noel? Would knowing some great truth after venturing forward in the ocean cause me to stand with Noel?"
"Hmm..." God An paused, "Very clever."
"So, what is this great truth?" Su Ming’an raised an eyebrow.
God An raised his sword:
"Defeat me first."
"Prove to me that you are more suited to be Su Ming’an than I am."
"——There is no question of suitability, I am myself, I don’t need to prove my worth to anyone." Su Ming’an’s response was resolute.
"Then come..." God An hadn’t finished speaking when a sudden, intense explosion was heard from outside.
Su Ming’an thought it was an attack prepared by Noel, but soon realized that Noel was equally surprised.
Everyone’s actions hesitated for a moment, turning towards the direction of the explosion, as the loud noise from afar drew closer.
"Boom——!!!" Suddenly, there was an explosion of unimaginable power.
The canopy of the World Tree astonishingly had a breach! Surrounded by deep blue lightning, even the bark was wailing.
Someone was helping them destroy the World Tree!
Is it... a cannon? What caliber of firepower could damage the World Tree!?
"Oh wow, science is retaliating after being oppressed for so long." Arm watch Ah Du whistled.
"It’s from the Central Science Academy..." Su Ming’an said in surprise. He had never expected that the technology that had been dallying in Luowasha could burst out with such formidable power.
"Yes, apparently Isabella and the others came up with it." Ah Du said, "Oh, and there’s more!"
Su Ming’an looked up.
Another explosion rang out, coming closer.
In an instant, heaven and earth trembled, above the canopy, a tear-like blue light erupted, like a tsunami roaring in, suddenly bursting through the sky!
"Boom——!!!"
...
Several minutes ago.
"...I’ve already said, Lady Bella, that Star Destroyer Cannon has been abandoned for a long time. No one can successfully calibrate it, and we can’t start it."
The voice-activated lights gradually lit up, and the scientist in a white coat sighed as he led the way for a woman with long beige hair.
Isabella adjusted her glasses: "Xiao Zhu, just take us there. Whether or not we succeed is not your responsibility."
"Who cares about responsibility at this point?" Xiao Zhu shook his head. "I just regret that Old Mike is still singing on the rooftop, and I’m going to miss the fine wine they have."
...These people never considered themselves darlings of the world, nor were they eager to step into a new world. They were long prepared to become kindling.
As invaders attacked and creators stood in the way, the World Book became the most effective weapon. But what about them? Science had been abandoned; who cared about the tragic song of a few old-time figures?
"Don’t think of it this way." For the first time, Isabella wore a very serious expression: "How will we know if we don’t try one last time?"
"Ah, Lady Bella, you’re really full of ideals..." Xiao Zhu swiped a magnetic card, and the heavy iron door opened.
——What unfolded before their eyes was a storage room as tall as thirty floors.
The giant machine couldn’t entirely fit into the human eye’s field of view, towering like a giant mountain, nearly breaking through the thirty-floor-high ceiling, looking less like a cannon and more like a ferocious steel beast.
The darlings of science were immediately attracted by its beautiful appearance.
The ugly protruding parts and faded, mottled metal were more captivating to her than the most luxurious garments, enthralling her completely.
Under the shocked gaze of Xiao Zhu, Isabella stepped forward, gently caressing the old and cumbersome shell of the Star Destroyer Cannon like stroking a lover’s hair, her eyes shimmering as if in sweet love.
"So beautiful. I will bring you back to life... beautiful lady." Her voice was as deep as wine, falling in love at first sight with the Star Destroyer Cannon’s appearance.
Seeing her fanatical expression, a few scientists who came to assist hesitated for a moment before stepping forward to help.
"Not good... her mind seems not quite right. I must call the mentors over to take a look..." Xiao Zhu turned around to leave, promptly calling for people.
A total of 108 mechanical arms extended from Isabella’s back, made of metal or holding pliers and hammers.
With new technology right in front of her, she poured her entire being into the repair of the Star Destroyer Cannon, with scientists assisting her from the side.
The person following behind, Eleven, commented: "How did Luowasha’s technology level manage to produce a Star Destroyer Cannon?"
Another person named Qin Chunyao, dressed in ancient style silk garments and wielding a pipa for sound attacks, ranked among the top players in the chart. She was well-read and enjoyed studying history, speaking of such things in detail:
"It’s said that Luowasha’s original technological level indeed couldn’t develop a Star Destroyer Cannon. But in the past, a super genius named ’Su Bot’ emerged out of nowhere, single-handedly bringing out the blueprints for the Star Destroyer Cannon and providing them to the Science Academy. Under the combined research of tens of thousands of scientists, the Star Destroyer Cannon was finally made."
"Just when people wanted to build a second one, Su Bot disappeared with all the blueprints and research data. People tried to replicate it, but never succeeded again. This sole Star Destroyer Cannon was also abandoned due to the lack of tuning technology."
"Can we repair it?" another person, Cynthia, asked anxiously: "Even with Luowasha’s technology, we can’t possibly do it."
"...Huh?" Suddenly, Isabella, who was engrossed in tuning, muttered in confusion: "The structure of this Star Destroyer Cannon... it resembles the mechanical cannon of the Ruined World."
"What?"
"Clank—Click! Creaaak!"
mechanical arms extended from Isabella’s back, and her eyes behind the glasses remained incredibly calm; she dived entirely into the base of the cannon.
At this moment, footsteps approached, and a group of drunken people staggered over.
"...I don’t know what Lady Bella wants to do. She can’t possibly successfully repair the Star Destroyer Cannon, so I invited everyone to quickly come and take a look..." Xiao Zhu led the way, explaining as he went. A group of scientists followed behind him.
The moment they entered, everyone was startled on the spot.
The old, mottled, huge instrument suddenly shone with brilliance not seen in ages, as if it was the moment when the scientific genius emerged out of nowhere and created it for the first time.
The muzzle glowed with a bluish light as this cannon, long abandoned and as large as a building, erupted with dazzling light so brilliant it was stunning!
"She... she actually..." Xiao Zhu was so shocked his tongue tied.
A figure covered in dust emerged with 108 mechanical arms, like a spider crawling out from the base of the cannon, letting out a boisterous laugh:
"I used the mechanical knowledge I learned in the Ruined World... and successfully tuned it!"
That laughter was exceedingly passionate, full of excitement from solving a puzzle, utterly different from her usual dignified demeanor, like a madman.
But no one dared laugh at her now.
"Why would using the mechanical knowledge of the Ruined World lead to successful repairs? Wait a minute..." Eleven trembled, suddenly realizing: "That genius who provided the blueprints for the Star Destroyer Cannon, Su Bot..."
Her mouth gaped open, an epiphany struck her:
"Su Bot... Su Bot..."
"Su... bot?"
"That scientific genius is... the Su Ming’an bot sent from the Ruined World to invade Luowasha?"
"He created this star destroyer cannon to resist foreign invaders, but... shouldn’t he be siding with the invaders?"
After contemplating for a moment, she suddenly understood, just like Chang Ge and Brother Necklace from the Tenth World... Even if Su Ming’an bot shoulders the mission of the invaders, in the end, he will defy the innate programming, resist the set commands, and stand on the side of opposing invasion.
He left this star destroyer cannon for Luowasha.
Isabella adjusted the cannon muzzle, designating the world tree as the target for the cannonballs.
"Wait." At this point, the drunken Old Mike took off his hat: "You’re going to fire at the world tree?"
"Why not?" Eleven said lightly.
She clearly understood the Luowasha people’s fanaticism toward the world tree, if these people wanted to stop it, there was no choice but to act.
Who knew, this group of old scientists looked at each other, and suddenly Old Mike burst out laughing:
"Good! Good! Good!"
"Destroy that disgraceful tree! Uproot it completely!"
"Let it look down on science, let it bask in those cliché genesis stories day by day, let it reduce our aircraft and cannons to scrap!"
"Lady Bella, blast it away!!!"
It was Isabella’s first time hearing such coarse language from these meticulous gentlemen and ladies.
They still did not plan to board the ship to the New World, still intended to await death here, but on their faces, there bloomed an unprecedented bright smile.
It’s like many unresolved feelings were soaring high with the singing.
It’s like many life-long agonies were surging forth with this cannon blast.
She heard the singing from the rooftop, where colleagues sang under the white snow, they did not plan to board the ship to the New World, but to become the last embers of the old era.
"Ten." Isabella’s fingers traced into the star destroyer cannon’s deep operating core, what her fingertips touched was not cold metal, but some long silent, yet pulsating and massive power.
She initiated the final operations before firing, her voice clearly began to count down.
In stark contrast to this calm, was the cheerful singing from upstairs.
"I’m about to leave, I’m about to leave♪~"
"Nine." Qin Chunyao’s bloodshot eyes fixed on the star map, locking the world tree- the massive, suffocating cursor. Her voice overlapped with Isabella’s, icy and precise.
"Drink another cup, drink another cup, my dear friend♪~" Old Mike joined the singing upstairs, his hoarse voice bellowing as he grabbed that old guitar with a cracked neck.
Roar! Roar and blow that tree away!
"Eight." On the enormous main screen, the world tree icon was magnified to the limit, dazzling.
"The rose nebula curled up like a wedding ring, Old Victor buried the telescope’s mirror case♪~" Old Victor hummed off-tune.
"Seven." Eleven’s figure swiftly shuttled between all the instrument panels, short clicks emanating from the mechanical arm.
"He said ink won’t drown out wheat wine, just like the night breeze can’t blow away ideals♪’~" Augustus raised his bottle high.
"Six." Within the barrel of the star destroyer cannon, began gathering a heart-stopping blue light. That light grew more intense, like a dying star reigniting at the cannon’s muzzle.
"When all truths become mere rhymes, at least let the martyrs choose the shape of the flames♪~" Mansa’s skirt hem flew up.
Right at the edge of that increasingly dazzling, increasingly skin-burning blue-white halo, she danced a light revolving dance.
"Five." Xiao Zhu’s teeth chattered, nervously staring at the control panel, beads of sweat like beans fell down his face.
"Drink another cup, drink another cup, my dear friend♪~"
"Four."
Buzz—! The entire ship let out a groan of being overweight!
On the external structure of the star destroyer cannon, over a thousand light ports simultaneously erupted with blinding white light capable of blinding people!
The light pierced through the thick portholes, coloring everything inside into an intense shade of snowy white, silhouettes burned in the brilliance like silhouettes ablaze.
"I shall ride the fairy tale-bent parabola to all directions where dawn disappears♪~"
"Three." Isabella’s voice remained steady.
"If you hear the steam whistle from the New Land afar, please let us kiss the frost of our hometown♪~"
"Two." The cannon muzzle condensed the light into a single point.
"If you hear the steam whistle from the New Land afar, please let us kiss the frost of our hometown♪..."
In that moment, people’s singing became incredibly clear, incredibly gentle. It was as if all the rage, fear, and reluctance had settled, leaving only this last, purest entrustment.
Something seemed to flash at the corner of Old Victor’s eye in the strong light.
"One."
"Beep." The Star Destroyer Cannon emitted a sound, with only the last button left to press.
Silently, Eleven held Isabella’s hand, their palms tightly clasped.
At such a tense moment, Eleven actually laughed.
She laughed brightly, her chest vibrating, her black hair trembling, her delicate brows and eyes squinting, as if she thought of something hilarious.
Facing Isabella’s questioning gaze, Eleven laughed and said, "I’ve been annoyed by that tasteless big tree for a long time, disliked it since the beginning of the instance, and now I can finally blast it to bits."
"Ha..." Isabella laughed, turning to look at Xiao Zhu, "You really don’t intend to board the ship?"
Xiao Zhu was watching the Star Destroyer Cannon light up. Hearing the question, he was initially stunned before shaking his head:
"On the day of the genesis era, faced with a table full of research waste paper, my father jumped from the top floor of the Brooklyn Mansion, my mother crashed into the Finance Building’s greenstock market screen, her head battered and bleeding."
"And I, due to my inability to repay the research loan, sold myself to the Celestial Clan, mutated into a member of the Leeks Tribe, growing a bit only to be harvested and eaten bit by bit."
"Old Mike, August, Old Victor... they all more or less incurred astronomical debts; even those who cleared their debts saw their lifelong efforts go to waste..."
"People don’t care about the meaning of science and have never cared about ordinary people. Those big figures, they care about their Eden, a paradise with hymns, poems, and sculptures, a so-called ’idealistic world’..."
"To retaliate against those hateful people, our group of researchers did something that people will never forgive, something so serious that even if we go to the new world, we will be reckoned with. So, we can’t board the ship to the new world. We are willing to wait for death in the old world."
"Hmm?" This was the first time Isabella heard about this: "What did you do?"
What exactly did they do that made these researchers prefer death rather than going to the new world?
"We..." Xiao Zhu smiled, "ensured that the future World Master will never corrupt."
"The future World Master? You mean the artificial Lin Clan?" Isabella was surprised.
"Yes, when Ran Bo was cooperating in creating the Lin Clan, we secretly provided him with materials, making him leave a ’red line’ in Lin Clan’s DNA. If Lin Clan performs acts of corruption, degradation, or evil, Lin Clan will feel physical pain, even death." Xiao Zhu said, "This is the last thing our humble selves in the flood of time could do, risking our lives."
Isabella’s eyes widened.
...This, from a macro perspective, is indeed a good thing, ensuring the future World Master’s integrity and preventing him from becoming a new Evil Dragon. But it’s too bold; once exposed, to maintain the World Master’s dignity and the new world’s order, even if it’s a good deed, these people won’t be accepted.
So, did they decide to become the last embers of the old world?
So, their singing would be so loud?
Xiao Zhu clenched his fists. This small researcher who had bowed his head before big figures all his life laughed amidst tears, gazing at the sky as if seeing familiar figures: "Dad, Mom, I can finally go to meet you..."
"Dad, Mom, if there’s a next life, please don’t let me be born into a world as poetic as this..."
They — Old Mike, Old Victor, August, Mansa, the silent mechanic in the corner, the engineer with a face full of oil — held hands, forming a small, trembling circle.
The singing was no longer scattered humming but formed a hoarse torrent, rising difficultly amid the roar of the Star Destroyer Cannon’s energy gathering.
Oh, my dear friend,
Today I will fly, today I will fly!
To that harbor the Luowasha poets can’t find, to the pasture that ink can’t darken!
The bricks of the starry sky grow bluebells, some poet said this is romantic growth,
But we remember two hundred and thirty years ago, when the dew there dampened our ledger.
Drink another cup, drink another cup, my dear friend!
Let us raise our glasses and make a wish to the meteor, may Luowasha’s wildfire remember the weight of the apple of yore!
Sing another song, sing another song, my beloved!
We laugh and shatter empty wine bottles, yet they say the apple should fall in the verses.
Dance another dance, dance another dance, when the moon is drunk into the look of rusty pages!
When all truths become rhyme, at least let the martyrs choose the shape of flame.
The storybook has written the correct answers, and we are the stubborn shipwreck,
Ah, farewell, my friend! Our names will shine on all polished windows!
"Chtoop." After an almost inaudible launch sound, these people who devoted their lives to science witnessed the most dazzling blue light ever seen in their lives.
Martyrs chose the shape of flame.
As the radiant blue light soared to the sky in an instant—
They all paused their carefree singing, laughing loudly and shouting:
...
"Come on—’Dean Kaels’!"
"Let’s jump off the tall buildings of the Brooklyn Mansion together!"
...
...
"Bodhisattva bless, Buddha bless, God bless, Lighthouse bless, heaven and earth spirits be efficacious..."
Ding-ling—ding-ling—ding-ling—
The sound of the spinning bells representing prayers.
The elderly mumbled the words of prayer incessantly.
Xiao Xiao’s icy fingers tightly clutched Wang Zhenzhen’s damp, cold hand, both of them like seedlings leaning against each other in a storm, their gaze fixed on the gray and lifeless end of the firmament.
The rising stars, the silhouettes, the white tendrils covering the sky.
——There, is the only hope, also the final judgment hanging over billions of lives, yet to fall.
"Bodhisattva bless, Buddha bless, God bless, Lighthouse bless... heaven and earth spirits be efficacious..."
This sound is not a solitary cry but has thousands of similar prayers, whether from players or Luowasha people.
"We must succeed, we must board safely..."
The view is a boundless sea of people. Tens of thousands of players, like sand swept onto the narrow reefs by an apocalyptic wave, densely packed, filling every inch of standing ground. Their only common posture is looking up.
An elderly woman, her hair streaked with white, tightly clutched a worn leather-bound Bible with trembling hands, her parched lips moving.
Not far away, a dark-skinned, fisherman-like burly man knelt facing where the sea met the eastern sky, calling out brokenly for "Lady Mazu".
A monk sat cross-legged, his eyes tightly shut, striking a weathered wooden fish, making a monotonous "thud—thud—thud—" sound.
A young man with glasses held a thin booklet with yellowed pages and curled edges. What he recited was neither Buddhist scripture nor a holy text, perhaps some heretical prayer, or maybe just some self-comforting mutterings. The pages fluttered nervously between his sweat-soaked fingers.
More people held each other tightly, saying their final words to parents and children.
And the most striking—many people even made gestures of worship towards a large, cold lighthouse emitting a faint orange-yellow artificial light in the distance. With hands clasped together, they called out "Lighthouse bless," as if it were the deity worthy of trust in these times.
"We must be safe, everything must be alright..."
"May we all walk towards a bright future..."
"Nothing will happen to me and my mom..."
"Grandma, don’t cry, nothing will happen..."
"I hope everyone stays safe..."
They have done everything they can, expending all the mana points they could contribute, just waiting for the final judgment of fate.
At this moment, Xiao Xiao felt someone tug her. Looking down, it was a little girl. Recognizing her, Xiao Xiao almost jumped in fright.
"Shh..." Bonnie hugged a teddy bear and said, "I won’t burn you, Sister Lin Yin taught me, I won’t randomly burn people anymore."
This was none other than the infamous "troublemaker" Bonnie in the World Game. Caught by the Dawn Angel, she was educated with some force to know her limits. Of course, her crimes could no longer be washed away; even stepping into the New World, she would still face consequential punishment.
"Some of us will die, right?" Bonnie said.
"Kids shouldn’t worry about such things." Xiao Xiao frowned.
"I heard there’s still a slight shortage of energy. So those lacking spiritual energy can’t board the ship." Bonnie said.
"Nonsense." Xiao Xiao immediately put on a stern face: "Everyone has plenty of spiritual energy, how can they not board successfully!"
"You see, the energy is really not enough." Bonnie stuck out her tongue.
Being outmaneuvered by a child, Xiao Xiao’s hair stood on end in anger, but she quickly heard Lin Yin’s voice:
"Trust him."
A girl with flowing black hair, bearing wings of sunlight, walked over, her cheeks bathed in radiance, as if she were the embodiment of hope.
Lin Yin is the core among these players, long becoming the bridge connecting the Luowasha and the Main God World. For the general public, the player most in contact isn’t Su Ming’an, but Lin Yin. It was her, batch by batch, who brought the casual players into Luowasha, who soothed the Luowasha people’s resistance and agitation, who organized the players to use mana points in place of energy.
Su Ming’an is the "peak," but she is the "foundation."
"Trust Su Ming’an, he... will do everything to bring you all into a safe New World." Lin Yin already knew Su Ming’an’s decision, calming the crowd with her words.
"What’s he going to do?" a casual player urgently asked.
"Is he alright?" another person asked.
"Don’t worry, Su Ming’an has the Death Rebound, he won’t be harmed." Someone said.
"He must live. Better him than people like Edward and Mizushima Chuan continuing to hold power..."
"I hope he survives; we’ve misunderstood him for too long..."
At this moment, Xiao Xiao quietly pulled Lin Yin to the side, looked at her calm face, and whispered:
"—You’re not Lin Yin, are you?"
His strong Sixth Sense discerned subtle differences.
"Lin Yin’s" expression slightly changed, giving a soft sigh:
"I am Dawn Angel Prance. Lin Yin... to stop the high-dimensional pursuit of Su Ming’an, is gone. But here still needs ’Lin Yin,’ a spiritual beacon, so I came."
"But aren’t you the Radiant Mother God’s angel? Won’t the Radiant Mother God possess you..." Xiao Xiao worriedly asked.
"I am no longer an angel." Prance slightly lowered her light wings, where Xiao Xiao noticed marks of cuts.
"Previously, the Radiant Mother God possessed me, nearly killing the future World Master, the Rin Clan. I almost committed a great sin."
"Later, after hearing of Lin Yin’s death, I cut off the wings given by the Mother Goddess, falling from angel to mortal."
"I transformed into my friend’s appearance, to complete her ideal."
"I realized, words like ’order,’ ’radiance,’ ’angel’ do not come from one’s identity but from action."
"So, now, I am no longer an angel."
Upon hearing of Lin Yin’s death, Xiao Xiao felt a pang in his heart, looking at Prance’s face, and said in admiration:
"...No, now, you are the true angel."
Prance revealed a Lin Yin-like smile, as gentle as moonlight.
Xiao Xiao didn’t know what kind of friendship they shared, but witnessing was unnecessary; the present spoke volumes.
"Not everyone will be saved, right?" At this moment, a slightly dark-skinned child spoke, his immature face showing faint fear, with his mother tightly holding his hand beside him.
"...Yes, you all will be." Prance concealed the harsh truth, loudly declaring, "Everyone has plenty of spiritual energy!"
Su Ming’an had previously mentioned a remaining gap of around six hundred energy points, a lethal shortcoming in the bucket.
But these lifelong struggling civilians, never having seen flowers, how could they be spiritually wealthy? Those who’ve never seen the sky, how could they describe its vastness, or the ocean’s depth?
"I didn’t like this place before." Tian Yu, with flowing hair, folded her arms and looked at the high-floating Cloud Island: "Scars sufficient to kill, chasms so deep they lead to despair, times changing so abruptly. But I can’t abandon this place."
She took a deep breath, looking at a standing monument: "I hope my name doesn’t appear on that monument."
Whoever dies will have their name appear on the monument as a record. They’ve already gambled on who would survive, bearing the names of all who perished to the New World to "rewrite" them.
Prance watched for a moment, remembering that Lin Yin’s name wasn’t on the monument, concealing her inner pain, she smiled: "Mm... We will all be safe."
Suddenly, from afar, Xiao Xiao heard a cannon shot.
A lightning blue light shot towards the distant horizon, leaving a long, faint trail.
"That is..." Xiao Xiao gazed dazedly.
"It’s a shooting star!"
"What a beautiful shooting star!"
"Quick, make a wish! Make a wish!"
Children closed their eyes, making wishes toward the cannon tail of the Star Destroyer Cannon.
A brilliantly dazzling light lit up on the horizon, shooting toward the distant sky—heading for that world-marking World Tree, standing for millions of years, representing the beginning and end of civilization.
Clang—
Destiny struck its final bell.
...
Red Tower, Royal City, Civilian Area.
"——Stop chasing! If you keep chasing, I’ll really get angry!"
At that moment, Yamada Machiichi was running with his head in his hands.
