novellk Chapter 1746 Final Chapter: Crossing the Shore [91] "Let me take a picture of you."
Chapter 1746 Final Chapter: Crossing the Shore [91] "Let me take a picture of you."
Chapter 1746 Final Chapter: The Shore Crossing [91]: "Let me take a picture of you."
Zhao Yuan looked up at the sky.
Contrary to her expectations, the palace servants did not pack their bags and flee. The young attendants and maids continued to walk among the pavilions, as if nothing had happened. She saw the little maid again; the little maid stood on the corridor, holding an incense burner, gazing at the sky, seemingly admiring the scenery.
"Ah, it's the photographer." The little maid looked at her and gave her an innocent smile.
Zhao Yuan's eyes were complicated: "You know..."
"I know, a lot has happened in the last few hours." The little maid knew exactly what had happened: Pope Huichi killed Imperial Tutor Huibi, the surviving son of the World Lord ascended the throne, and his first act was to draw the Holy Sword and point it at their ancient faith, the Radiant Mother Goddess...
“But my thoughts don’t matter, what matters is surviving.” The little maid smiled. “Master photographer, you see, no matter who wins or loses in the end, this incense burner in my hand still has to be sent to the storeroom, otherwise I will have my wages deducted. If the sky weren’t so beautiful, I wouldn’t be standing here like an idiot. I have to work, you know.”
Zhao Yuan blinked: "What if the Radiant Mother Goddess wins..."
“If the Mother Goddess wins, we servants will continue as before! Nothing will change,” the little maid said. “If His Majesty wins, he should be able to protect us… protect us believers.”
Regardless of sunrise or sunset, what the young girl worries about most now is whether she will still receive this wage tomorrow.
Zhao Yuan paused for a moment, then suddenly smiled and raised the camera hanging around his neck: "Let me take a picture of you."
"Take a picture?" The little maid blinked. "What's so interesting about me that I could be photographed?"
"I wanted to take a picture of you..." Zhao Yuan adjusted the camera, "Is that alright, Meimei?"
A hint of embarrassment flashed across the young maid's face, and she turned her toes somewhat shyly: "I've never had my picture taken before, but, if you'd like..."
Under the overwhelming golden sunlight, a brown-haired girl dressed in a servant's uniform stood stiffly with her hands clasped together, her legs pressed tightly together, her face showing both anticipation and trepidation. Her bright eyes quietly watched the glass of the camera, reflecting the gradually descending sunlight.
In the final minute, everything will be decided.
Whether Su Ming'an succeeds or fails in the end, Zhao Yuan has never felt so at peace, whether he lives or dies. In these final moments, let yourself take one last photo.
The overwhelming golden sunlight poured down from the cracks in the nearly collapsing sky, dyeing the vermilion pillars of the corridor yellow and covering the girl standing at the end of the corridor.
The little maid was very nervous, a few stray hairs clinging to her slightly sweaty forehead. Perhaps it was because this was her first time having her picture taken. Perhaps it was because the photographer was an important person from out of town. Perhaps it was because, in the final moments before the sky seemed to collapse, someone was willing to pause for a moment for her, an insignificant little maid, and record her existence.
Zhao Yuan looked at her through the viewfinder.
Behind the little maid was the silhouette of a palace bathed in destructive golden light. The golden light and shadows intertwined wildly, and the outline of a huge dragon and wings reaching to the sky could be vaguely seen, as if they were fighting on the sky like a mythological scroll.
Enormous and insignificant, great and ordinary...
Extremely opposing elements are compressed into a small viewfinder.
Zhao Yuan has witnessed too many shocking or tragic scenes. She has used her camera to record soldiers charging, refugees' tears, city ruins, food and vegetables... But at this moment, she finds it difficult to describe the emotion that touches her heart.
"Click".
The shutter is pressed.
"very nice."
Meimei's eyes lit up as she looked at the photos in the camera. A shy blush rose on her cheeks, and she awkwardly curtsied, saying, "Thank you, photographer." Then, as if suddenly remembering something, she hurriedly said, "Ah, I have to hurry and deliver the incense burner, or I'll really get my wages docked!" She quickly picked up the incense burner and disappeared around the corner of the corridor.
Zhao Yuan watched her retreating figure.
Are such people also meaningless impurities?
Even if the world is on the verge of being reset, even if the game might start over...
The fish in the tank did exist before.
……
Smoke curled upwards, and the doors creaked.
"Hold on until the last minute...!"
"Go, Brother Wang!!"
Players on the edge of the abyss were still desperately calling out. Support players continued to tirelessly transfer energy to the center of the gate, maintaining the blooming of the flower field.
But the thick fog obscured their vision, and they couldn't see that there was no one left in the center of the flowers.
One by one, the flowers—roses, lilacs, lilies—were stained with blood, fragmented organ pieces, and filth, polluting this beautiful sea of flowers.
Outside the door, there was only empty mud and demonic energy, and the incessant shouts of the players:
"Go, Brother Wang!!!"
"Brother Wang, we're waiting for you to come back!!"
"Brother Wang, your favorite Ming'an is coming out soon. Let's celebrate together with Brother Chen!"
……
Erya Sansala Azrabi witnessed a transformation that can only be described as miraculous on a cosmic scale.
Unbeknownst to them, He had already descended upon Xiao Ai with His true consciousness, witnessing Su Ming'an's ascension process firsthand. Even the most intelligent beings in higher dimensions would struggle to comprehend the principle: how could a life form with a thin soul successfully digest the nourishment of the Demon Mother Goddess within ten minutes? The only possible outcome could be disintegration and death; it would be impossible to calculate successfully within any system.
But calculations differ from reality; He truly witnessed a miracle.
The black-haired youth gradually grew taller, his branches and tendrils spreading endlessly, stirring up the black water and turning the world upside down. The last bit of energy belonging to the demon mother goddess Isabel, like an undercurrent flowing into the deep sea, quietly merged into his body.
The roaring, the excruciating pain, the howling of inner demons, the tearing sensation of dimensions... all the pain of transformation receded rapidly at this moment, like the receding tide.
The giant tree, rooted in the deep black waters of the abyss, is composed of countless shimmering white tentacles, swaying with diamond-like sparkles.
In an instant, the giant tree began to shrink until it took on a human shape.
The lines of the facial features gradually become clear on the jade face, as if it is not a sculpted human figure, but rather as if the dust has been wiped away to reveal his original appearance.
He opened his eyes.
A pair of human black eyes.
Profound and serene, like the night sky.
"despair."
With a soft sound, the sole of the shoe gently touched the ground below, which had somehow solidified into a black, glassy texture.
He looked almost exactly the same as before he entered the Source. He still wore a black trench coat, had slightly messy black hair, a young and handsome face, and even his posture remained unchanged. He could have fabricated his appearance, but he didn't alter it in the slightest.
The surrounding violent demonic energy, the remaining golden light, and the distorted spatial ripples all naturally subsided when they came within a few meters of him.
Everything he gained from devouring the Demon Mother Goddess, ascending to a first-level god, enduring the tribulations of inner demons, and transforming into a giant tree, was gathered into this moment.
He raised his hand and looked at his palm. His fingers were long and slender, no different from those of an ordinary person.
To take the form of a human and bear the essence of a god.
……
"Ding dong!"
[You have absorbed (the Demon Mother Goddess Isabel)!]
[This absorption process carries risks; please proceed with caution.]
……
You have acquired "Power of Death".
[Origin: Eleventh World, Rovasa]
[Previous holder: Demon Mother Goddess Isabel]
[Description of Authority: Death is the inevitable end of life, but its significance far exceeds the moment when physiological functions cease.]
You can use the power of your gaze to bring death to those you are looking at.
Death is fair to everyone, except for you.
……
[You have obtained the Eye of Annihilation (Gold Rank): "If the ocean is destined to break its banks, let all the bitterness flow into my heart."]
[Type: Special Part Weapon]
[Attack Power: Instant Death]
[Durability: 23/50]
Equipment Requirements: None
[Special Attribute [Immortal Gentleness]: You are immune to instant death effects.]
[Active Skill [Instant Death Gaze]: When activated, your eyes turn pure black, and all living beings under your gaze will continuously be subject to instant death checks. A successful check results in immediate death, while a failed check inflicts a certain amount of dark-type damage. No cooldown, no cost. You are also subject to this check while the skill is active. (The success rate of the check is inversely proportional to your understanding of death.)]
[Special Attribute [Birthday]: Carrying this item will enhance your existing abilities related to birth and souls. (Enhance your "Soul Ferry" skill)]
[Soul Ferry (Enhanced): You can condense the emotions and memories of others and store them in your mind, and use their weak abilities. Only takes effect upon the death of the other person. (Additional Enhancement: In addition to emotions and memories, you can absorb the "stories" and remnants of souls of others, making them a part of yourself. No consent is required when using this against enemies.)]
……
A black eye symbol representing "death" is placed alongside a red tongue symbol representing "devouring" authority and a white key symbol representing "faith".
"Su Ming'an, are you alright..." Aierya wanted to speak, but Su Ming'an didn't stop at all. He was so eager to catch the last train that he didn't even have time to turn around.
Su Ming'an rushed out the door, only to be met with the final question and answer.
People enter through the door and are greeted with questions and answers; now that he is about to leave, he will also be seen off with questions and answers.
Colorful sugar cubes spun in the sky, and two paths unfolded before them. The gate on the left was inscribed with the word "Saint," and the gate on the right was inscribed with the word "Sinner."
A question then arises:
……
[Fifth to last question: Do you think Alger was a saint or a sinner?]
……
Without hesitation, and with no time to lose, Su Ming'an immediately rushed toward the "sinner" on the right.
After rushing through the door, two paths opened up before me again. The left door was still inscribed with "Saint," and the right door with "Sinner."
……
[Fourth to last question: Do you think Si Nian was a saint or a sinner?]
……
Su Ming'an immediately rushed towards the left gate.
As soon as you rush through the door, new problems arise:
……
[Third-to-last question: Do you think Huizhou ink is a saint or a sinner?]
……
Su Ming'an frowned and paused, realizing he truly didn't have a clear answer to this question.
Suddenly, he noticed a figure rushing over as well!
It was that old follower of the Radiant Mother Goddess!
When Su Ming'an arrived, the group of followers of the Radiant Mother Goddess followed him. They carried out the creed of "protecting him" to the extreme, even after he became a higher dimension.
The old man gazed at him devoutly, calling him "divine son," and rushed through the door for him.
In an instant, the door turned crimson, and the old man let out a piercing scream, uttering his last words to Su Ming'an:
"Divine Child... go in the other direction!"
"We...will clear the way for you!!"
The next moment, the old man's figure disappeared, and silence returned. The devout believers remained by Su Ming'an's side, protecting him as they walked away.
“Divine Child, please move forward!” A young believer, who looked no more than seventeen or eighteen years old and wore a white hood, immediately said.
“Your Highness, please go forward. We will escort you out until the very last moment.” A female believer, who appeared to be in her forties, clasped her hands together.
These people had no idea that he was going out to defeat their most revered Mother Goddess, the Radiant Mother. Aside from their faith, they were just ordinary people. Their faith had turned them into this, making them recklessly obey a foolish command.
Su Ming'an rushed through the door.
……
[Second to last question: Do you think Klitschko was a sinner among saints, or a saint among sinners?]
……
"This..." The believers were taken aback; the question was far too offensive to them.
“Of course, he is the saint among saints!” said one believer.
But Su Ming'an had no time to hesitate. He paused only briefly before rushing to the right.
As you step through the door, one last question slowly emerges:
……
[One last question.]
……
[The First Player, Lighthouse, Su Ming'an.]
Are you a sinner among saints, or a saint among sinners?
……
……
"Su Ming'an chose to rewind... I know many people don't understand, and the forums are in an uproar. They feel he forcibly prolonged the world game's progress, blocking their way home, saying he was held hostage by a 'savior' mentality, dragging down the majority for the sake of a few... If this time, we do everything we can to cooperate with him, to lift that 'lid'... but in the end we fail, nothing changes, and so many people die... then what will we be?"
[Yamada-cho paused, his voice softening, tinged with confusion:]
"A hero... or a sinner?"
……
"Wow..."
Yamada Machiichi lifted the 137th arm that was protecting him.
With a soft "click," the arm fell from the platform, its stark white bones breaking. The arm's owner was long gone.
He looked up, the crimson rain washing over his makeup, his tears long since dried.
The platform was no longer the stage it once was. It resembled an altar repeatedly drenched in blood. The marble floor was cracked and broken, the gaps filled with dark red blood, indistinguishable from mud from the filth it had been trampled on.
Dead body.
Layer upon layer of corpses.
Centered on Yamada Machiichi's swaying figure, the formation radiated outwards. The innermost circle consisted of formidable reinforcements like Yuuting and Xige. They fell in various poses: some back-to-back, some facing outwards, some even still in a forward-attacking posture, some still panting. They formed the first line of defense, a barrier of flesh and blood.
Looking outwards, that's the second lap.
These were the players who escorted Yamada-cho back and then resolutely stayed behind to fight to the death. Sirius's massive body knelt on the ground, his back riddled with arrows; Cynthia leaned against a charred vine, her abdomen pierced by it; Erwin lay amidst a pile of pale bones, his eyes closed…
There were many more players, some whose names Yamada Machi couldn't even recall. They came from different countries and different guilds, and while they might have competed and clashed with each other in normal times, at this moment they fell together in a tragic way, building a second low wall with their bodies.
Further outwards, the third circle, the fourth circle… as far as the eye could see, all the way to the edge of the platform, and into the distance blurred by the rain, lay countless fallen figures. There were players, and there were Rovasa people who had lost their sense of self and exhausted their lives. Many corpses were intertwined, indistinguishable from one another, forming this concentric circle.
...not even one person could stand up.
Except for the "clown" whose center is still swaying slightly.
The players who escorted him back, those riding on white cranes shouting "Turn back!" They knew that after turning back, the most dangerous ones would be those of them who had to defend Yamada-cho to the death on the ground. But they still stayed. With skills, with weapons, with their bodies, layer upon layer, circle upon circle, like ants rolling into balls and being burned to death one by one.
Yamada Machiichi's breathing was so weak it was like he was panting; he could barely stand and was only held up by sheer willpower.