novellk Chapter 1703 Final Chapter: Shigemi [47] "A Person Who Does Not Exist."
Chapter 1703 Final Chapter: Shigemi [47] "A Person Who Does Not Exist."
Chapter 1703 Final Chapter: The Shore-Walking Chapter [47]: "The Person Who Does Not Exist".
—It should be a mechanism where Granny will suddenly appear behind the player once the player pieces together the truth of the story.
At the same time, announcements were broadcast on each floor, and the remaining five players all heard them:
……
The participant (Su Ming'an) has collected all the clues.
The rooftop in the attic is now open, allowing remaining players to escape. The rooftop will not close, and there is no limit to the number of players who can use it.
……
—The rooftop!
The rooftop is at the other end of the corridor, while the children's room where I am is in a dead corner of the corridor, with a huge distance between us!
"Click, click, click..."
The entire wooden building lit up one by one, as if an invisible hand had flipped a switch!
The lights are on!
Su Ming'an subconsciously squinted. The wall creaked painfully, and a hunched figure squeezed in from within. In the distorted light, her appearance was even more terrifying than a fleeting glimpse in the darkness.
The old woman's dark floral dress was torn and tattered by smoke and fire, stained with crimson dirt and blood. Her exposed skin was covered with uneven, charred black burn scars. Her hair was sparse and matted, and in her hand she held a rusty axe, its tip dripping a thick, dark red liquid.
Su Ming'an has pieced together the truth of this story:
Grandma's son, Li Mingcheng, was a talented doctor, but he was disgraced because a medical accident caused a patient's death. Unable to forgive himself, he went into seclusion.
However, his grandmother was tragically diagnosed with a terminal illness. While rummaging through old belongings, Li Mingcheng discovered a radical research project he had left unfinished years ago—a formula for a neuropharmaceutical that could suppress pain. In despair, he made the powder and gave it to his mother, temporarily alleviating her suffering. His brilliant mind realized that this drug could delay or even cure terminal illnesses, and out of his desperate love for his mother, he began his research day and night.
But the side effects of the medication gradually took their toll on the grandmother, making her forgetful and irritable. Even worse, the grandson mistook the colored powder for candy and ingested it, causing irreversible brain damage and addiction. The son, realizing the tragedy he had created, was devastated. He was utterly exhausted, juggling the care of his increasingly mentally unstable mother and his increasingly sluggish child.
Finally, on a stormy night, the grandmother, who was being controlled by hallucinations, clashed with Mingcheng, who wanted to protect her, which led to a fire... In the chaos, the attic where medicines and experimental notes were stored was set on fire, and flames engulfed the room.
Finally, the building collapsed. Mingcheng died trying to save the experimental equipment. His grandmother crawled out of the burning house and found her grandson's cold body. Grief, burns, and the medication completely shattered her mind. Her brain was permanently frozen on that night—in her distorted world, her son was still researching the potion, and her grandson was still playing in the house. And she had to protect the house until she recovered, so the family could be reunited…
……
[Chaos... I can't see anything... A dark figure keeps pushing me, damn it! Don't stop me from finding Xiaobao and Mingcheng! I grabbed the scissors from the table and stabbed the dark figure hard! Haha, don't think you can stop me from saving Mingcheng!]
Someone was pulling me out... with great force...
Is that Xiao Bao? Someone pushed me out the door...and Xiao Bao...he put Xiao Bao in my arms...
"Mom! Take the baby with you!!"
……
Su Ming'an's hand touched the pistol hanging at his waist.
The deformed old woman approached. Her fingers, covered in burns, had rough, calloused knuckles; her other hand was curled up, showing signs of long-term pen use. Her pockets were bulging with colorful granules.
She opened her mouth, and her burned vocal cords emitted slurred syllables.
"I'm... back..." she mumbled, "Mingcheng... was... naughty... ran away... candy... eating it... will make it stop hurting..."
"boom!!"
The gunshot rang out, crisp, decisive, and without hesitation.
Su Ming'an fired the shot.
He calmly aimed at the old man's neck and fired a shot, sending his head flying.
The old man's hunched body trembled violently, and he staggered back a few steps, his head rolling on the ground.
"Xiao Bao... Planetarium... Starry Sky..." the broken skull murmured, the old man's cloudy eyes gazing at the sky.
Without hesitation, Su Ming'an took a step forward. His pistol only had one bullet left. The terrifying grandmother was immortal; he could only slow down her pursuit.
[Here!] A synthesized voice suddenly sounded in the headphones.
A wisp of blue hair drifted past the doorway. A fresh scrape marred the girl's cheek, the bandages on her arm were loose, and most of her hair clips had fallen out. It seemed her recent encounter with her grandmother hadn't been easy.
"This way!" The blue-haired girl rushed towards the other end of the corridor.
Su Ming'an ran out of the children's room, but his gaze couldn't leave her profile and her slightly messy blue pigtails.
Her timing was too perfect. As if she knew all along that Grandma would appear at this moment in this way? A powerful player who pretended not to know Su Ming'an, with an extraordinary understanding of the level mechanics and background, appearing and rescuing at just the right moment…
Who is she?
Su Ming'an had a guess in his mind. The Lord of Dreams had intervened in these ten rounds of the game, and He might have planted some people among them, which could explain her strange behavior. However, the blue-haired girl seemed oblivious to Su Ming'an's scrutinizing gaze, as if taking him away was the only important thing at that moment.
An old man's hoarse voice called from behind:
"Mingcheng...don't go..."
"Seven stars...linked together, they resemble a lighthouse...and people rely on them to find their way..."
"Daddy...stars...there are stars..."
"I'm going to...the planetarium...every year..."
At the end of the corridor, under the charred beams, the old man dragged his axe, approaching step by step.
Su Ming'an ran wildly, speeding across the loose floorboards.
At the end of the corridor—under the light, Si Nian carried a pregnant woman on his back. Above them was a tightly closed iron door, and an old electronic screen was flashing red countdown numbers: [02:59]...[02:58]...
"Damn it! It'll take another three minutes to open!" Si Nian couldn't help but kick the wall. Seeing Su Ming'an rushing over, he quickly gestured, "Three minutes! It'll take three minutes!"
Su Ming'an's thoughts raced.
Three minutes... We absolutely cannot let Granny Scary get past us; we must stay on the rooftop!
He immediately pulled out a stun grenade from his pocket, twisted his body, raised his arm, and threw it at the wooden partition in the middle of the corridor!
"Get down!" Su Ming'an shouted, and he also fell forward.
【Wuhu!】The girl's eyes lit up, as if she was excited by the explosion, and she laughed as she lay down with him.
"boom--!!!"
A blindingly bright light and loud bang!
"Snap—crash—!!"
The wooden partition, along with part of the ceiling, collapsed with a deafening roar! Bricks, wood, dust, and electrical wires rained down, instantly creating a nearly human-high obstacle in the middle of the corridor. Smoke and dust filled the air, and wood chips flew everywhere. Grandma had already rushed forward, but the sudden collapse stopped her. She couldn't stop in time and crashed headfirst into the rubble.
"Boom!"
"Block it!" Su Ming'an immediately scrambled to his feet and, together with the blue-haired girl, used their shoulders and backs to brace against the still-falling debris. From the other side of the obstacle came a frantic and terrifying crashing sound!
"Thump! Thump! Thump!!"
The old man's impact was incredibly heavy, as if it weren't coming from a human body. Splintered wood and bricks were shaken by the immense force, dust spraying from the cracks, and a constant roar echoed through the obstacles: "Open...open the door! Let me in! Grandson! My grandson! Mingcheng! Mingcheng! Star, star, pinky promise, hang yourself for a hundred years...don't change...don't change!"
Su Ming'an and the girl braced themselves against the obstacle, their feet firmly planted on the ground.
The girl's profile was tense, her lips pressed into a straight line, yet a smile played at the corners of her mouth. Her body appeared slender, but the power she unleashed was astonishing.
[02:45]...
[02:44]...
The two men braced themselves against the ruins, their backs aching from the sharp pieces of wood and furniture, yet they remained steadfast.
Through the earphones, Su Ming'an heard her laughter.
【Ha ha.】
What is she laughing at?
Su Ming'an remained vigilant; if she was a bad person, this was the perfect opportunity to attack.
"That's great." She turned her head, the glitter on her cheeks sparkling. "You can leave now."
"Thump! Thump! Thump!!"
Si Nian rushed over and joined them in holding back the obstacle. The floorboards creaked as if they were about to shatter.
"...Do you know me?" Su Ming'an asked.
Her inner voice echoed in his ear: "I know you. You're Su Ming'an. (★ω★)"
...Oh, we knew each other!
“Then why are you so calm all this time…” Su Ming’an said.
Why are you so agitated?
Su Ming'an was speechless. He couldn't very well say that because he was famous, every stranger who met him would inevitably show a strange expression.
"Ugh... I'm so tired!" Her cheeks were flushed, and she was panting. "If only you could use your skills, you could easily take her down!"
Su Ming'an nodded silently.
For example, phrases like "Thunderous Might" and "A Thousand Waters and Flowers" would definitely defeat her immediately.
Su Ming'an was taken aback.
Does he have this skill?
Why does it sound like a traditional mage's skill?
At this moment, the comments section was still buzzing with discussion:
……
Has the information department still not found the girl's true identity?
[Please understand, it's difficult to accurately identify players worldwide in the game. There are no official ID cards or databases; information is collected purely from individual shots during live streams. To date, the database contains no information about the girl.]
A player as unique as her certainly won't remain unknown.
Her outfit and sequins were really pretty. At first, I was a little put off by her, thinking she was being too overly familiar, but then she kept trying to help me... so I stopped disliking her.
I heard they might have found it...
[What? Did the information department find her? Which player is she? What's her class? What's her rank?]
……
【02: 22】
【02: 21】
……
"Boom! Boom! Boom!"
With tremendous force constantly pounding his back, Su Ming'an's gaze remained fixed on the girl, his mind racing.
Suddenly, a bright light flashed through his mind.
……Wait a moment.
He seemed to have a vague idea of her identity.
But the answer was so astonishing that he could hardly believe it.
Her outstanding overall performance, the lack of excitement she felt despite knowing him, the inexplicable sense of understanding between them...
Is there a possibility...
The answer slowly flowed from my mind.
—She's his friend!?
Because she already knew him, she didn't feel excited when they met.
But only she knows him; he doesn't know her. This means...
Su Ming'an turned his head to look at her.
The girl blinked, her body trembling slightly from the vibrations of the floor. Her crimson eyes looked at him, stars twinkling in them, and she smiled as she gazed at him.
[02:15]...
[02:14]...
"call--"
Thinking of this, Su Ming'an suddenly smelled the scent of flames and sensed a scorching heat.
……fire?
"Whoosh—!!!!"
The thought had barely crossed my mind when a scorching orange-red light suddenly shot out from the cracks in the walls and floor! Smoke followed closely behind, carrying a pungent, burnt smell.
"What happened?!" Si Nian quickly backed away, his heart filled with shock and anger. "How could it suddenly catch fire? It hasn't even been an hour yet!"
The rules stated that the wooden building would catch fire in an hour. But clearly, less than an hour had passed; the fire wasn't spreading naturally, but rather appeared to have been ignited by an accelerant.
"...If it's not the rules, then it's deliberate." Su Ming'an said calmly, "Besides us, there were other players who deliberately set the fire."
"Arson? Are you out of your mind! This isn't a competitive game; you painstakingly opened the rooftop passage!" Si Nian gritted his teeth, his eyes filled with disbelief. "Are the other two players crazy? Trying to harm others without benefiting themselves?"
White Wolf stated that "players from several other civilizations are competing on the same stage," so they might want to eliminate Su Ming'an, the strongest player. Trading two "pawns" for Su Ming'an's defeat or serious injury would be entirely worthwhile in the eyes of higher-level players. Therefore, it seems that the goal of those other civilizations isn't to enter the "trial," but rather to stop Su Ming'an.
Was it sent by the Lord of Dreams?
Burning debris fell from the ceiling, and Granny's crashing sounds grew even more frantic.
"No matter what, hold on! Just one more minute!" Si Nian said immediately, his military uniform soaked with sweat, the fabric clinging to his skin.
Suddenly, the girl's crimson eyes stared directly at Su Ming'an. The thick smoke blurred her face, but her eyes shone exceptionally bright in the firelight. She blinked, and the synthesized audio was transmitted to Su Ming'an's ears through her earphones:
[The fire is too big, will this obstacle prevent the door from opening?]
However, they had nowhere to go, and if they didn't hold this place off, Grandma would suddenly burst in.
Suddenly, a loud, teeth-grinding creak rang in their ears, and the corridor floor beneath their feet, licked by flames, sank sharply!
"Watch out!" Si Nian shouted.
The collapse was swift and complete, and the wooden planks beneath our feet shattered violently!
The feeling of weightlessness suddenly gripped Su Ming'an.
His vision spun, a mixture of burning wood, sparks, and ash. In the instant of his fall, Si Nian was very close to a protruding steel bar in the wall and reacted quickly, grabbing onto it.
Su Ming'an reacted extremely quickly; his hand shot out, his five fingers tightening in mid-air—
There was nothing around him to gain leverage.
Suddenly, the ground beneath my feet gave way, but something gripped my hand...
The blue-haired girl held him tightly, one hand gripping a protrusion on the wall, veins bulging and bloodshot.
"boom--!!!"
A violent explosion came from somewhere, igniting the old gas pipes. The shockwave, mixed with scorching heat, slammed into the two falling figures!
The girl was pushed in another direction by the blast wave; her blue hair flashed in the firelight before being obscured by the thick smoke.
"boom!"
Su Ming'an crashed heavily onto a pile of clutter on the second floor, his vision blurred and his throat tasted metallic. He immediately scrambled to his feet, his vision obscured by flames and thick smoke.
He pressed the earpiece, trying to hear her thoughts.
"Su Ming'an! Over here! Quick!" Si Nian's shout came from above and to the side. A strong and powerful man jumped down and grabbed Su Ming'an's wrist.
Su Ming'an was pulled along by Si Nian, and glanced at the raging fire that was devouring everything.
The girl didn't make a sound from beginning to end. Even in the most chaotic fall, in the moment he caught her... she didn't scream, didn't groan, didn't call his name.
She only used headphones to transmit synthesized audio. Even though she no longer needed to worry about attracting Granny, she remained silent. Her sign language was fluent, and her expressions were very expressive…
She couldn't speak.
—She is mute.
Her situation is probably similar to Beiwang's, except that Beiwang is gradually able to speak, while some people are unable to speak due to brain or cognitive problems. She may be one of those people.
In this desperate inferno, a person unable to call for help watches the flames approach and suffocates under the thick smoke, yet cannot utter a single cry for help...
"Wait a minute," Su Ming'an said.
"Who are you waiting for?" Si Nian asked urgently. Su Ming'an had already saved Violet, the little girl, and the pregnant woman, what was he saving now?
"Thank you for your help, but don't worry about me now, you go first!" Su Ming'an didn't hesitate and immediately ran into the fire. He needed to confirm her identity; it was extremely important!
Si Nian glanced at the countdown, then at the terrifying grandmother who had fallen with him, and still chose to trust Su Ming'an. He rushed to the third floor, after all, the pregnant woman was still there.
Within the flames, the entire wooden building seemed to have transformed into a roaring furnace. The intense heat scorched the skin, and the air was extremely thin.
Su Ming'an wanted to use his divine power several times, but he restrained himself. The Source Point might have rules and mechanisms, and if he violated them, the difficulty would increase exponentially, just like being targeted in the World Game. He could only use it as a last resort.
This wasn't because he was being kind; rather, it was because he had realized the girl's true identity!
—She really is a gamer!
—She is indeed a human player from Zhaixing! Not from any other civilization! Nor is she a spy or a bad person!
—And, she really did know him!
Because she is...
[Su...Ming'an...Can you hear me?]
Suddenly, a series of intermittent electrical noises came through the headphones, mixed with the sounds of burning and collapsing in the background.
"Where are you?"
"I'm... in... the room directly below... the children's room." Her voice sounded strained. "My leg is trapped..."
Directly below the children's room is one of the rooms used for storing miscellaneous items. There is only a small window there, and if the fire were to block the door, it would be a hopeless situation.
"Don't come any closer." Her voice suddenly became clearer. "The rooftop... go to the rooftop! The countdown is almost over. You have to escape!"
"How many times is this?" Su Ming'an asked.
"What?" She was stunned.
Burning furniture and collapsed walls made the road extremely difficult to traverse, and the heat was intense, making every breath feel like inhaling razor blades.
Su Ming'an recalled the initial system introduction about the "Source Point":
……
[Through countless cycles of cosmic rebirth, this place bears the traces of many enlightened beings; perhaps you will unearth your own footprints here.]
……
She is……
……
The comments section erupted:
[Found her! The Human Self-Rescue Alliance's Information Department has identified the girl!]
What?! Speak your mind! Get to the point!
Her name is Lin Yi, she's from China, 17 years old, and her profession is "Paint Bomb Master," specializing in using paint bottles and explosive bombs against enemies. She doesn't usually stream and keeps a low profile. Judging from snippets of screen recordings, she's calm, makes accurate judgments, and possesses strong overall abilities. If nothing unexpected happens, she should become a world-renowned top-ranked player...
【should??】
Why don't we know her?
I think I vaguely remember her, but I don't know where I've seen her before...
[Since they are skilled players, why haven't the Alliance and the Human Self-Rescue League been able to find them? What exactly are these experts looking for?]
[Because she was killed in the seventh instance when she tried to save a mother and daughter player, her soul was devoured by a siren, and she is now dead and cannot be resurrected... Therefore, the alliance did not initially search in the direction of the dead body...]
【What?】
【ah……?】
……
Lin Yi.
She is dead.
……