Welcome to Rewind World Game-Chapter 1582: Finale · Guardian Shore Line · "OE: Perished from the Ocean (8)
"Fortunately, you accepted timely psychological therapy, your Spirit threshold was already close to its limit. Delaying a few more days would have been like a balloon, popping."
"Thank you, Doctor Yi."
"I’d prefer you call me Yi Song, Su Ming’an."
In the warm-toned room, Su Ming’an shook hands with Yi Song.
Recently, Su Ming’an finally accepted complete psychological therapy, adopting treatment plans from various countries, and took the most advanced medication from the World Hub. Although the situation hasn’t improved significantly, at least his condition has stabilized.
Despite this, he still wakes up terrified in the middle of the night, enduring recurring nightmares of dying; or suddenly feels a chill running down his spine while walking, fearing someone might stab him from behind; when he looks at the ocean, he feels an urge to plunge in and drown; standing in the rain, even if it’s just a drizzle, he feels a suffocating heaviness, like a sheep on the verge of collapse.
He occasionally struggles to distinguish reality from illusions, seeing the figures of each sacrifice walking past him: fiery-haired girls like flames, pale eyes silent like death, white hair flowing like mountain snow, and his own heavy black hair...
Sometimes he repeatedly sees those regrettably departed figures: Su Wensheng’s smiling eyes, Su Liujin standing by the sea, Sique’s gaze before sleep, Noel’s unlooking retreating back...
He hadn’t done his best and had left them behind.
Would they blame him?
"...In any case, please try to avoid recalling the past, which would trigger a reaction similar to ’post-traumatic stress.’ Every time humans recall pain, it is like sticking another needle in their hearts—a heart full of holes; how can it welcome tomorrow’s spring rain?" Yi Song’s gentle voice resounded, awakening Su Ming’an from his recurring hallucination.
Yi Song, as the World Game’s leading psychologist, never uses techniques familiar to people, instead acts as a gentle friend accompanying the patient, slowly soothing past wounds.
He truly is a charismatic person; if only his patients included more lovestruck young girls, it would be hard to resist. Forgetting the difficult memories left by the Demon Mother Goddess (can you really forget?), he does come across mature and dignified.
Outside the window, light rain falls, a pot of tulips blooming, buds sprouting in the yard, lamps softly glowing through a hazy pumpkin-colored light.
Looking at the lamp, Su Ming’an suddenly says: "...What if I hadn’t fled, continuing to stay in the World Game. What would have been the result?"
Yi Song lowered his head to write, with bright and clear strokes: "Perhaps, with astonishing willpower, you could still hold on for a while, but you’d inevitably face a long and torturous agony... You might confuse your senses, feeling dizzy and disoriented, occasionally losing memory, acting on instinct, even accidentally harming your loved ones." He twirled the pen: "Based on the observations by me and over a dozen doctors, back when you held Noel’s head, carried the remnants rushing to the World Tree, your mental state had already reached its limit. Everything afterward was merely holding on like reviving light. Thankfully it’s over now; otherwise, who knows what you’d become. Still, you now have quite severe hallucinations and auditory illusions; recovery remains uncertain."
Upon hearing this, Su Ming’an smiled and shook his head, saying, "Hallucinations and auditory illusions, even if not recovered, it’s okay, as long as I can maintain a normal life."
"Why?" Yi Song asked puzzled. Everyone desires health, so why does Su Ming’an wish to retain some symptoms instead?
"Because..." Su Ming’an gazed out the window.
Today’s peach blossoms were exceptionally blooming well. Under temperature system regulation, the garden was like a real spring. Yi Song’s orange cat slept under the tree, furry and bundled up, covered by a blanket of peach blossoms.
Peach flowers fluttered into Su Ming’an’s vision, his smile akin to pure blossoms:
"Because it’s one of the few ways I can see them again."
He doesn’t fear those old acquaintances’ figures; rather, their appearances become clearer in his mind.
The stories he shares with them are such that, upon seeing a mere silhouette, tears could flow. Amid chaotic emotions, he doesn’t want to forget them, nor those unique stories belonging to him and them.
Perhaps one day, people will forget stories of Sage Masters, Rebel Armies, Knights, Clan Leaders, Deities, Doctors, Judicators, programs, Godfathers, girl streamers, Jellyfish, Magpies; will forget past laughter and tear marks; close the book pages, bury those tumultuous stories in life’s dullness and dust, naturally growing up, maturing, aging to become adults. But he dares not forget, and he will not forget.
Yi Song was stunned for a moment, then slowly nodded.
"Yi Song." Su Ming’an watched the misty rain.
"Yes?"
"This winter is over; come March, it’s the first spring after the World Game ended."
"Indeed, the first spring." Yi Song also suddenly realized.
"We’ll have many more springs, springs we call forth." Su Ming’an rubbed the ring engraved with dozens of names, each word dazzling. The other Mechanical Ring glowed silently.
The warm yellow light fell on his brows and eyes, outlining tired yet peaceful lines; he lowered his gaze like a dozing cat.
"That spring will be full of flowers everywhere, with vibrant new leaves where sunlight falls upon as if sun-drying a blanket; we’ll sit on chairs watching the breeze, sing atop flower-laden hills, let the spring wind carry away our youthful voices." Yi Song put down his pen, picked up a stack of medical records, and placed several boxes of medication before Su Ming’an, labeled with doses and times for three daily doses. Lowered peach blossom eyes, seemingly recalling something, gently smiled:
"We’ll see the spring."
...
Whether to explore new planets was left to a verdict by the High Tower and all humanity.
After voting, 62% of humanity agreed to explore new planets, 17% remained neutral, and the rest expressed disapproval.
Su Rin approached Su Ming’an, reminding him: "Although the coordinates are provided by me, it’s uncertain what kind of planet it is; it could be high-level civilization, invasion civilization, or perhaps barren land. Approaching it indeed has risks."
That evening, Su Ming’an, while taking medication, sat on the rooftop gazing into the distance, his eyes filled with contemplation, confusion, and hesitation.
Suddenly, Dieying’s voice echoed, like a thunderbolt: "I guess you all missed me."
"You no longer need a communicator to harass me?" Su Ming’an was startled, then said.
"Always could; a communicator is merely a vocal transmission method," Dieying said: "You can’t eternally avoid contact with new planets; even if you put that crucial issue aside, it won’t disappear—small world development requires energy, needs absorption from other civilizations."
"Not needed yet," Su Ming’an said.
"Well, not within a hundred years; truly not needed. But you’ve entered the aerospace era, much like in the previous Zhai Xing era, where natural resources and biological resources from the previous Zhai Xing were already critically depleted. Yet you require more energy in cosmic journeys," Dieying conveyed: "Admit it, someday you’ll walk down Dawn’s path—selecting [Reality], or selecting [Fairy Tale]? I eagerly anticipate the Dragon Slayer becoming the Evil Dragon."
"Or there’s another method," Su Ming’an replied.
Previously, humanity worked hard on aerospace technology, wishing to soar into space, escape the Solar System.
But now, they themselves can soar into space.
Su Ming’an had already transformed into a tree and was unable to leave in the short term. However, Lü Shu, Lu, and Atlanda all possessed the potential to fly into space; they could act as "spacecraft."
"Will you approach that new planet?" Dieying asked.
"Yes," Su Ming’an said. "I will consult several deities to see if they are willing to explore that planet. If they confirm there are no issues, we will then proceed as a whole."
"Hmm... a wise decision." Dieying’s voice faded away.
Su Ming’an blew into the night breeze, drank the medicine, and felt a wave of bitterness engulf his mouth.
The Sea Emperor was conducting a deity creation pilot, Su Rin was searching for new routes, and Lü Shu was the only deity capable of exploring new planets, but Su Ming’an was truly uneasy. Leaving the planet was too dangerous; Lü Shu was only a third-level god, and if problems arose, not even ash would be found.
At that moment, an unexpected person came by.
"I’ll go," said a woman with black twin ponytails, dressed in a white robe, as graceful as an immortal. She came riding on a sword, with hands positioned behind her as if floating among the clouds.
Seeing a Fusang person become a Sword Immortal, Su Ming’an felt a mix of amusement and disbelief.
Mizushima Kawa Sora said, "I’ll explore that new planet. I know you don’t want Lü Shu to take risks. But if it’s me, then it should be fine, right? I’m not sure if you hate me; you seem to harbor no hate at all, but I have a heart demon. My master, Bai Wuya, informed me that if I don’t resolve it, I won’t become immortal. So I’ll take on this trial for everyone’s sake."
She was different from the others; she followed the cultivation system, equivalent to a third-level god.
Su Ming’an allowed her to go, but nevertheless installed monitoring devices, which Mizushima Kawa Sora noticed but said nothing.
Later, Su Ming’an once again jumped through time, arriving three months later.
Three months later, Mizushima Kawa Sora returned. She came back during early spring, when flowers were in bloom everywhere, and all things embraced spring. The white-robed Sword Immortal stood with hands positioned behind, bringing back photographs she had taken.
Through research done by the Union Government, it was established that the planet contained some resources. Although it wasn’t Zhai Xing, considerable resources could still be harvested to alleviate societal conflicts in the small world.
Though slightly regretful, it was nevertheless good news.
The small world halted its wandering and stayed by the planet for a period of time, dispatching multiple ships to transport tens of thousands to the minor planet, commencing the vast resource extraction and conveyance business.
Societal conflicts were significantly eased, abundant resources dazzled the people.
Su Ming’an jumped through time repeatedly, rectifying all errors, filling in all gaps, striving with all his might to keep the ship’s course on the right path.
He was like Acto of the past, simulating the future repeatedly, aiming to find the most correct world line.
While time stood still on others, it began to accumulate on Su Ming’an. Sometimes he spent months in the future, only to return and see that mere days had passed. At times he stood in front of the mirror, confused about his identity, but swiftly, the bitterness of medicine awakened him.
On May 31, 2026, marking a full year since the world game ended, the small world departed from the new star, embarking once more on its wandering journey.
To celebrate the first anniversary of humanity’s victory, a myriad of celebrations occurred worldwide—network forums, television, offline exhibitions, museums, historical displays... incessantly. The glorious deeds of Su Ming’an and his companions were recounted once again. Their images filled nearly every corner of the streets.
Su Ming’an and his companions also held a gathering in the villa.
Over the past year, Lü Shu gradually learned to draft official papers. Though still somewhat inexperienced, he had reached a level comparable to students preparing for public service exams; it was as if he had truly attended school. Lu became a true Sea Emperor; he circled a significant portion of the Pacific Ocean and his kingdom, which served as a place for cultivating faith, and its people revered him as a deity. Yamada Machiichi acted as the Tower Master, and though lacking time to paint, he cultivated many competent assistants, maybe he might escape and become a grand cartoonist one day.
Eni returned to her family, leveraging their power to maintain her position as Tower Master, while being the politically astute among the companions, dedicating herself to charity over the year, spreading her reputation far and wide. Shi continued as a hacker but stopped tearing down firewalls, becoming a world hub firewall fortifier instead. Zhao Yuan became a war photographer, delving deep into nations fraught with conflict, capturing images while directly dispensing judgment against warlords addicted to killing. She even caused a farcical incident—a warlord learned the city was protected only by a photographer, rejoiced, and dispatched a ten-thousand strong army to invade. Little did he expect the photographer to turn out wielding a big knife; the ten-thousand strong army began crying out for their fathers and mothers...
Among the companions, Mo Yan was the most decisive in retreating; he declined the role of Tower Master, refused power at the center of the world, choosing instead to become a university teacher. He often lectured from the university podium, recounting memories of the world game, touching upon society, order, every notable individual deserving remembrance and respect. His brother, Su Ming’an, he mentioned, said his brother Su Ming’an was omnipotent, akin to the superheroes from animation he imagined as a child; students would laugh at him for being the World Master’s fanboy, he openly acknowledged it, tears brimming as he asked: "Isn’t everyone?"
Xiao Xiao remained a Husky at the world hub, though steadily growing into a capable Husky adept at miscellaneous tasks, receiving continual praise from colleagues. Lin Jiang became a superstar; no one could have expected such a gloomy girl to step onto the world stage. Her singing was surprisingly enchanting. Anger took over from Boris, establishing Lighthouse Churches worldwide. Though Su Ming’an advised against deity creation, Anger felt the path shouldn’t be wholly abandoned; Violet became the Think Tank beside Yu Zhu, impressing Su Ming’an. She had remained beside Lin Guang for quite some time, proving her intelligence and high emotional intelligence. Who would have thought that someone once mired in societal bottom mud would emerge so dazzling?
Isabella immersed herself in the lab throughout, developing dozens of scientific products significantly pushing the mechanical field’s development forward. Anthony enlisted in the army, becoming a leading figure in the Union Government’s borderless forces, leading battles and resolving hundreds of battles big and small. Hua De served as the Guild President, leading his siblings through chaotic territories, lobbying among numerous nations to cease war, forming coalitions to distance war from millions of innocent civilians. Eli led his Black Card Organization, lurking in darkness to assassinate evil ghosts exploiting their Player status to oppress civilians, saving thousands of families. Mei Yani joined the Peace Dove Association, working as a doctor in the most perilous war zones, her list of saved lives is endless...
Fortunately,
——all of them, became very, very good people.
It’s a pity, though, that Bei Wang remained in deep sleep for unknown reasons.
Within the villa, under the companions’ gaze, Su Ming’an stepped into the hall, producing a pen and a black big machete.
He raised the feather pen, sketching dragons and serpents mid-air, his face turning paler amidst his companions’ worried glances, while he grit his teeth to persevere with the drawing until the pen halted.
——a black-haired girl, adorned with a white butterfly ribbon, slowly appeared before the others.
She opened her eyes, revealing lively, butterfly-like green pupils.
"Lin Yin." Su Ming’an shoved increasingly large doses of medicine into his mouth, revealing a pure, beautiful, spring-like smile:
"Welcome back."
"Your arrival marks our first spring."
...
Outside the window, the spring light was just right, peach blossoms fluttering.
It was as if they had countless springs ahead.
He wished to become a green boat, hoping that one day he could navigate past all rivers and seas, through all harsh conditions and bitter winters, sailing past spring’s end, into the vast, limitless spring light.
"We are the cowardly ones fleeing from home, but can also be travelers returning home."
After a prolonged silence,
It’s an unending spring.
...
