novellk Chapter 1750 Final Chapter: Crossing the Shore [95] "The boy from before has grown up."
Chapter 1750 Final Chapter: Crossing the Shore [95] "The boy from before has grown up."
Chapter 1750 Final Chapter: The Shore-Walking Chapter [95]: "The boy from before has grown up."
5 kilometers.
10 km
100km…
The higher we went, the more frost formed outside the window, the darker and colder the sky became, and the clouds gradually disappeared from view.
Just then, a thought suddenly flashed through Machiichi Yamada's mind, a question that seemed illogical in the final moments of his life. He had already recorded his last words on the white crane, yet now, facing the black box, he softly asked:
“Su Ming'an…”
"Do you think... if Zhai Xing had consciousness, would it... be proud of humanity?"
"We...have done so many bad things, polluted the oceans, cut down forests, fought so many wars...and made a mess of our planet."
"But we also... created so many beautiful things, wrote so many touching poems, painted so many beautiful paintings... and just like now, for each other, for a future that may be very uncertain... we fought hard."
"We...we did do some good deeds, didn't we?"
no answer.
The darkness grew thicker.
"29 seconds."
"28 seconds."
"27 seconds."
"DiDi, DiDi..."
The sensations in my body were fading rapidly, and the pain seemed to become distant.
Is the final moment really coming?
"...What wish should I make?"
Yamada Machiichi seemed to be asking the black box, or perhaps he was asking himself.
Then, he closed his eyes.
A picture came to mind.
It was neither a magnificent sight nor an epic tale.
It was just a small, quiet, and ordinary scene.
He wanted to sit on an empty pew in an old church.
The afternoon sun shone through the stained glass windows, casting dappled shadows on the ground, while dust motes danced silently in the air.
He held a thick, blank sketchbook in his arms and a pen in his hand, but he didn't draw anything; he was just waiting quietly.
—The church's old wooden door, which had been there for some time, was suddenly pushed open.
—Waiting for Su Ming'an and Lu, and perhaps others, they appeared at the door, carrying a hint of the chill outside and their usual somewhat helpless yet warm smiles, and said to him:
"Hey, Yamada, have you been waiting long?"
It startled him, threw him into a state of emotional disarray.
That's enough.
This means that...
They are all still alive. He is still alive too. The world is still here.
Tears blurred his eyelashes. The only sound in the quiet mech was the mechanical whirring. This time, he was no longer the host in the spotlight. No one saw his weakness anymore. He slowly hunched over, buried his head between his knees, and held his forehead with his hands.
Tears fell one by one onto his knees, and a cracking hiss came from inside his helmet. His whole body shuddered violently, as if struck by a chilling current erupting from the depths of his soul.
Red, yellow, blue, green... colors that once represented joy and playfulness dissolved under the wash of tears. The bright red corners of her mouth were diluted, turning into messy pink water stains; the exaggerated black eyeliner smudged, mixing with the tears to become a dirty gray-black.
Tears washed away the "clown's" mask, revealing the pale, young, tired, and tear-streaked true face of "Yamada Machiichi".
"I...I want to go home..."
He cried for this damned fate, for his companions who would never return. He cried so unceremoniously that his face was covered in snot and tears, mingling with the melting paint on his face.
The sound of crying echoed in the sealed cockpit. There were no audiences, no spotlights, no need to maintain the decorum of a "host." Here, in this desolate region of deep space where even starlight was reluctant to shine, he could finally stop smiling, stop forcing himself to stay upright, and let out a torrent of unrestrained sobs for everything that was about to end, for the short but real life he had lived...
Tears blurred the endless darkness outside the observation window. Machiichi Yamada almost forgot how he had piloted the mecha to a safe stop at the edge in his final moments. His mind was filled only with the countless manga he had read, his ambition to become an artist, and what he would do if he survived…
The all-consuming snow of the end covered the mecha, pierced the glass, and fell upon his eyes.
His eyes were a mixture of regret, sadness, remorse, pain, and anticipation...
In a daze, he seemed to hear many voices.
……
"You're alive!" Yamada Machiichi yelled, pounding the wall. "You should have said so earlier! I've been heartbroken for hours! My heart is burning! I've almost torn the doujinshi to shreds!"
……
"...Don't forget the trip we agreed on. I even made a map of the grain store." Yamada Machiichi said with a smile.
……
"—Today is your twentieth birthday, Su Ming'an," Yamada Machi said with a smile.
"Happy birthday, our savior."
……
"The flowers outside are in full bloom, I brought you a bouquet!" Yamada Machiichi quietly took out the flowers from behind him.
……
"Here, Luto, the candy I brought you." Yamada Machiichi then took out the candy: "If it's bitter, just say so and ask us for candy. Don't suffer in silence."
……
"Trying to use your age to intimidate me? We're all your older brothers and sisters now!" Yamada Machi said, hands on her hips. "You've traveled through time, so your age doesn't count as normal growth at all; you'll only get younger than us!"
……
"This is a collection of art I've carefully selected... cough cough."
……
"Here you go! Freshly made oden, made by Yamada himself, authentically delicious! Absolutely amazing!"
……
"Where should we go today? We've already simulated the gardens of Yu Kingdom, the cherry blossoms of Fusang, and the snow and ice of the Northern Kingdom. How about we check out the Singing Sand Dunes of Long Kingdom today? I'll go activate the simulation device now and take you for a ride!"
……
What is this? What are all these?
Machiichi Yamada couldn't remember when he had said those words, but at this moment, as his life was about to end, as the snow began to fall... he heard those voices.
Suddenly, in a daze, he saw... beneath a vast and boundless star map, they held hands and embraced, the sea of stars flowing overhead, and points of light condensing into waterfalls, and he danced with his companions.
An elderly man, being helped by them, danced together.
Strands of hair hanging down from the wheelchairs swayed with their movements, and each person wore a forced smile.
The "old man's" steps were hesitant and weak, his weight almost entirely supported by the arms of his companions. Yamada Machiichi pulled him by the hand, and they danced forward.
"very nice!"
"I am very happy now!"
"Lü Shu, Yamada, Kita no Ko, Yi Song. Thank you!"
"—Now, I am the happiest person in the world!"
"19 seconds."
"18 seconds."
"17 seconds."
As the countdown to self-destruction began, Machiichi Yamada vaguely realized what all of this was.
It's possible that he has forgotten about it.
...the possibility that he became the last person to live.
But now, looking back, he realizes that perhaps that wasn't weakness, but rather a strength that persevered to the very end. Everyone else was gone, but he held on until the very last moment.
So, is it also a sign of strength that I chose to leave early and not persevere until the very last moment?
he does not know.
He didn't have time to think.
"Click".
A faint, almost inaudible mechanical sound.
The recording abruptly stopped.
The red light on the black box flashed a few times and then gradually went out.
He seemed to catch a glimpse of it out of the corner of his eye.
A young boy, standing beneath a villa, amidst the New Year's fireworks, leisurely held a bouquet of flowers, twirling and dancing.
The candles on the cake were still warm, and everyone had a smile on their face.
……
"Shh-!"
The sun breaks through the darkness.
An arrow soared into the sky.
—Amidst the fireworks, a sharp sword pierces the sun.
As midnight approached, everyone clearly saw that figure.
—That person soared above the sky where countless players' skills were displayed, his figure reflected amidst the endless fireworks.
—Hair danced wildly in the intense light, eyes reflecting a myriad of brilliance, like a phoenix rising from the ashes, reborn from the ashes.
A blinding white light burst forth from within, enveloping his body, the pale glow evaporating like morning dew. He rose higher and higher, like a retrograde meteorite traversing the atmosphere.
"Shh!"
Everyone watched as he shot straight into the sky. Before people could even blink, he had already plunged from the abyss into the heavens, drawing a white line that separated heaven and earth!
Countless white tentacles emerged layer by layer as he ascended, like wings, like clouds, stretching across the sky! Spreading out a sacred and vast expanse of pale clouds in the sky!
Where he passed, the golden sky, which was sinking with unstoppable force, vanished instantly as he soared into the sky!
"—It's the number one player!" Someone shouted, but the shout was drowned out by the roar of the explosion and could barely be heard.
His return from the origin signifies the start of the counter-offensive in this battle.
They eagerly awaited his return, and cheered for his return.
A young soldier beside him took a deep breath and took his place, letting out a hoarse roar from his chest:
"Welcome back, First Player!!!"
Those who stand here are those who understand the current situation. They know the predicament Su Ming'an is facing, and they know that now is the time when he needs help the most. That person has overcome so many obstacles, even risking his life to absorb the Demon Mother Goddess within ten minutes, just to save every second…
A roar, like a spark splashing into the dry grassland.
"Whoosh whoosh whoosh—" Countless sparks of light converged into a tide. Golden red, emerald green, indigo, pale yellow... all sorts of colored light arrows rushed out of the bowstring, heading towards the grand gathering in the sky.
Follow his flight, follow his flame, and light up this "night" that belongs to Radiance.
A girl suddenly raised her head, tears mingling with the soot on her face as they rolled down her cheeks. With all her might, she shouted, "Welcome back—BUFF, rise—!!!"
To the east, a cluster of golden chrysanthemums burst open—a skill of some player, quite beautiful indeed. To the west, several fiery trees rose, their branches suddenly bursting forth with countless pear blossoms, creating a lively crackling sound that scorched the clouds for miles around, bestowing upon them various buffs—though the amplification was slight, their sheer number was overwhelming.
A mage, his abdomen wrapped in bandages, leaned against a broken wall. He heard the young warrior and the girl's cries and roared back:
"—Welcome back, Player One!!!"
Light and color collided in the high heavens, and countless clouds merged into one. In an instant, thousands of auxiliary and healing auras burst forth from the ground, like a celestial river pouring down, dyeing the entire sky into a flowing tapestry.
One spark, two sparks, three sparks...
Shouts began to rise in waves. From a crumbling three-man squad to a small defensive position.
The flames began to spread.
Welcome home!!!
"Welcome back, First Player—!!"
"Welcome back, Su Ming'an!!"
Welcome home, everyone!
"Welcome home! Aaaaaah—!"
At first, it was chaotic, a mixture of various names and emotional outpourings. Gradually, it grew wider and more magnificent. Perhaps it was because this grand spectacle of light and fire looked so much like fireworks, with booming sounds rising and falling, shaking the very air. Or perhaps it was because they had been suppressed for too long, constantly worrying about whether they would have a tomorrow, and now they could finally let loose and shout it out.
The vast, boundless abyss is like an ocean, and the black waters flow endlessly like ocean waves.
He has returned.
—【Returning from the Ocean】.
From the warriors engaged in hand-to-hand combat on the front lines to the spellcasters in the rear, their magic depleted; from the cavalry on their flying mounts soaring through the sky to the wounded struggling in the trenches on the ground. Hundreds of thousands, even millions of voices pierced through the smoke of battle, tearing apart the curtain of exploding energy, shouting hoarsely.
It's not just a welcome to Su Ming'an, but also a welcome to his comrades-in-arms, his family, everyone who fought alongside him, those he protected... and even himself. A welcome to everyone who can return home.
They've finally come this far.
Such a long distance from the coast.
It's like a blessing, but even more like an affirmation.
It's as if the earth is thanking the heavens for their blessings, and as if all living beings are offering fervent praises to the new year.
The firelight illuminated people's faces, gilding the deep wrinkles of the old man and making the clear eyes of the young man shine brightly. Even the stray cat curled up in the street corner pricked up its ears and stared blankly in the light and shadow.
People looked up, as if they could see everything flowing in the firelight.
—It's as if, even in the long, cold night, there's always a moment of brilliance that can illuminate the entire world.
This moment.
Su Lin turned around.
Lin Yin spread her wings.
Lu Shu gripped the blade tightly.
Ian raised his dragon head high.
The woman on the edge of the abyss looked out from afar.
Violet, lying in her hospital bed, gazed out at the golden sky through the window.
Zhao Yuan, who was holding a camera, stopped in his tracks.
On the Greek throne, Isabella opened her eyes.
Siber strode forward.
Anthony and the other players raised their heads high.
Everyone still alive, whether players, divine messengers, superior races, or trembling refugees, couldn't help but turn their gaze to the center of the world.
—In an instant.
"laugh."
A sharp sound, like the sharpest knife slicing through silk.
At the very center of the battlefield sky, where countless chaotic rays intertwined to form a sea of light, before the colossal divine figure of the Radiant Mother Goddess obscured by light pollution, beside Su Lin's wings, in the direction pointed by Lu Shu's black scythe, at the edge of Lin Yin's rapidly approaching line of sight—
A pure white line runs through the sky!
It was as if someone had drawn a bow and arrow from the ground—an arrow aimed straight at the enemy's head!
The brilliance of countless skills paled in comparison in an instant, and the shouts of everyone seemed to fall silent in an instant.
Like a latch, slowly pulled open by an invisible hand.
Like a curtain, it was divided in two by a white pen.
As the countdown reached its final point.
—That one second.
His eyes were as still as stars, his hair swayed gently, and his trench coat fluttered in the wind, like an endless night sky.
The instant he soared into the sky, the brilliance of countless skills paled in comparison. Countless pure white rays danced with him, and layers upon layers of white branches and leaves swirled and coiled, growing towards the heavens.
He was just like the last vestiges of twilight before dawn.
The last cold star at the edge of the universe.
……