novellk Chapter 1694 Final Chapter: Crossing the Shore [38] "It is about seeking perfection."
Chapter 1694 Final Chapter: Crossing the Shore [38] "It is about seeking perfection."
Chapter 1694 Final Chapter - Crossing the Shore [38] - "Seeking completeness".
Perhaps it was because Lin Wang'an had gone through some years and the wounds in his heart had begun to heal, so he no longer vented his resentment on his children.
Oh well...
What does it have to do with me?
In the space, Bai Chun recounted the days she spent with her daughter. Lin Wang'an seemed to have truly mastered the art of raising children, rarely resorting to physical punishment, mostly using verbal reprimands. The two lived a harmonious and joyful life. Bai Chun could also cook, and the two often busied themselves in the kitchen together. Sometimes, when they had free time, they would plant flowers in the courtyard. Lin Wang'an enjoyed grinding coffee and experimenting with perfumes, and they created many perfumes using flowers they grew themselves. They went to the market together, and went on excursions to distant picnics together, living a very harmonious life…
If parents stop hitting or scolding their children, does it mean they are disappointed in them?
If the saying "spare the rod and spoil the child" is true, should it be seen as a manifestation of parental responsibility?
Perhaps Lin Wang'an stopped hitting the child because she didn't love Bai Chun that much, so she didn't have high expectations of her, and she genuinely wanted to raise Su Ming'an... But does that excuse the pain she left behind? Are ten months of pregnancy and years of patient upbringing enough to turn a child into a parent's puppet? If the child disobeys, is that considered unfilial?
If life is given, does that life need to be lived with a devout heart for a lifetime?
Su Ming'an didn't want to listen anymore.
As darkness fell, his gaze fixed on the button, but Shiratsubaki's voice continued to drift over:
"...Mom is really good. She tells me bedtime stories and sometimes mentions you."
"...She told me about your embarrassing childhood stories... Haha, apparently when you were little, you would cut out a golden cudgel from colored paper, see mosquitoes as monsters and flies as demons, mutter their crimes, raise your weapons to 'fight for justice,' and even accidentally break a water glass..."
"...She said you really liked red bean paste, and the red bean paste in the kitchen was always hot. Sometimes you would sneak in, and the bowl would be empty, and it would be cleanly washed and placed in the cupboard."
"...You liked to lean against Grandma's lap and listen to stories, those old-fashioned hero stories, over and over again..."
"...Once things are settled here, you can go home."
Su Ming'an closed his eyes.
At the last second, he pressed it.
"Click".
……
The two sides made different choices: Su Ming'an chose betrayal, while Lin Chunchun chose forgiveness.
Lin Chunchun suffered severe injuries.
……
"puff!"
As darkness fell, Su Ming'an took a step back, blood splattering onto the tips of his shoes.
The girl was covered in blood, her muscles and bones were weak, and bright red blood flowed from all over her body, as if she had been suddenly and severely injured by something invisible. Even her beautiful face was covered in blood.
She braced herself on the ground with both hands, staring blankly at him.
"Why...?" she said softly, "I won't blame you, I know you don't trust anyone..."
Su Ming'an looked at Lin Chunchun indifferently.
He knew she would never choose betrayal, so he decisively chose betrayal himself. She wasn't angry because this wasn't her body; she could leave at any time after death, like logging off a game.
If he kills her, he will gain her power, similar to Nagasha's situation, where he cannot guarantee that he will not absorb something tainted by the Lord of Dreams.
He turned around, leaving her alone, and walked out the door.
The comments section seemed quite pleased with this:
I hate Lin Wang'an my whole life. Please, don't come any closer; it's disgusting.
[Some people are disgusted by Su Ming'an's actions. Who hasn't been abused at home as a child? My dad whipped me in the street for half an hour, my buttocks were covered in blood, and we're still on good terms now.]
[Don't forgive Su Ming'an on behalf of some people.]
If Lin Wang'an truly "reforms," what conflict can't be resolved? A meal of dumplings will do the trick.
No, no, I'll throw up.
What's it like outside? I can't see anything!
[Wang...wai...]
……
Upon exiting, one is still greeted by a vast sea of stars and ripples of black water, and figures appear one after another.
Su Ming'an could vaguely see the number of other people. Apart from his own group, the other groups were like thin films of different levels in the illusory space, like a honeycomb, with shadowy figures moving about.
"It hurts, it hurts...!"
A teenager rolled on the ground screaming, splashing water everywhere. A blue-haired youth next to him held a microphone, singing and performing therapy at the same time.
"What happened?" Su Ming'an walked over.
The two answered in a flurry of voices, explaining that Chen Yuhang and Alger had bumped into each other, both choosing "betrayal," resulting in injuries. Meanwhile, Xiaoxiao's full-power healing form required singing, meaning she would likely be listening to the heartfelt songs of resident singers along the way.
Perhaps due to his stubbornness, Alger refused treatment. He leaned on a crimson scepter, his right trousers soaked in blood, revealing the twisted bones beneath. The pain should have been excruciating, but Alger remained silent.
“Alger,” Su Ming’an wanted to resolve this conflict, “you should know from the previous issues that Ayland can’t save your sister, but I can.”
Alger's attitude was no longer resistant. He stared silently for a second, this time without looking away: "But you saw it, it wasn't just me, this kid surnamed Chen also chose [betrayal]. I want to save Gloria, provided that I myself am alive. Su Ming'an, you went through a roundabout way to save Ashley's life because you were tired of sacrifice, but you still have to face sacrifice."
Su Ming'an half-closed his eyelids: "It's about seeking perfection."
Sometimes, decisive action means high efficiency, but it also means sacrificing certain things. These things may seem unimportant to some, but they are meaningful to someone like Su Ming'an. Many people become more indifferent as they grow up, but Su Ming'an becomes more colorful and flesh-and-blood with each step. However, he is also aware of certain necessities—if mercy would lead to the loss of all previous efforts, if some things are truly unchangeable, if his weary behavior is also a form of "induction"... he cannot stand still.
He spared Ashley because his emotions had been suppressed to the extreme, and there was indeed a possibility that he might not necessarily die. But he knew very well that he was an idealist, not a utopian; this was a war, and there was no future where no one was injured and the winner took all.
Alger chuckled: "Out of a million people, there are only two people who absolutely cannot die. One is you, and the other is Chen Yuhang, who holds the key. You two have already occupied two precious survival spots, so are you prepared to make the 'necessary sacrifice'?"
“Necessary sacrifices, including you?” Su Ming’an asked.
“Not including me,” Alger said immediately, his tone serious.
...Then what are you saying? You speak with such righteous indignation, but in the end, you still have to survive.
Su Ming'an sighed, feeling less tense after Alger's interruption.
Undeniably, he and Alger did have a serious conflict. However, under these special circumstances, knowing that Su Ming'an could save his sister and that Su Ming'an also needed Alger's cooperation to successfully complete the level, their relationship became rather delicate. It was as if they were holding something that couldn't be revealed, pretending not to understand, and having normal conversations as if nothing had happened.
"Click-clack—"
A colorful halo rippled, several large doors rose, and the sixth question arose—
……
[The Question of Color - Question Six]
[Question: In the 110181st cycle, the ideal scenario occurred—a perfect completion of all challenges, Su Ming'an's wish to save Zhai Xing without any conflicting wishes, and everyone returning home safely—a perfect outcome… In the end, who destroyed all of this?]
[A. White Gate: "Them"]
【B·Shimen: High Dimension】
[C·Grey Door: Noel Argine]
【D·Mirror Gate: Su Ming'an】
【E·Dust Gate: Humanity Itself】
[F·Ice Gate: Players of the Blackwater Dream]
Please walk towards the door that represents your answer.
……
A colorful hexagonal prism floats in the air, like a flowing ball of light, and six doors resemble white jade, boulder, gray mist, mirror, dust, and frost.
【! ! ! 】
【? ? ? 】
It was obvious to the naked eye that the audience was startled by this question, with exclamation marks and question marks floating all over the screen.
So they actually succeeded?
It turns out that they once had the possibility of getting through a year peacefully.
It turns out they could have a happy ending too.
This was once the hope of all humankind. However, increasing conflicts and contradictions have led them to abandon their dreamlike vision.
—But if all of this is truly perfect, if this development is eternal, why is it ultimately destroyed?
This proves the correctness of Su Ming'an's actions. One moment of happiness is not enough; we must find the final possibility, otherwise happiness is as fragile as a bubble.
Six beams of colorful light fell upon them, as if draping each of them in a soft, shimmering silk. The correct answer was unknown; it seemed every answer was possible.
"The answer... is most likely A," Alger speculated.
“I think it’s because higher dimensions haven’t spared humanity, and B is the correct answer,” Perlo said.
“Although I don’t want to say it, the truth is that Noel has been trying to end us. It should be him, so choose C,” Xiaoxiao said.
“Perhaps even our savior could lose control, I think it’s D,” Nagasha said with a slight smile.
At this moment, Su Ming'an noticed something strange—A "them" and F "the players of Blackwater Dream" are essentially the same kind of people, so why are they being distinguished? Logically speaking, as long as there is overlap between the two options, they should not appear at the same time.
"What do you think?" Lu looked over.
“…Let’s go with B,” Su Ming’an said. “A and F have overlapping concepts. The other options have relatively lower probabilities.”
Lu pursed her lips, stared intently at the distant, deep starry sky, her shoulders slumped slightly, and she let out a sigh of relief: "I'll go choose."
“You can’t go,” Su Ming’an said.
“I can’t let you go.” Lu shook his head.
Originally, time was frozen in the normal worldline, and Su Ming'an was certain he could rewind to the point when he first started flipping through the pages of the World Tree. However, after Lu Shu and other top-ranked players arrived, time resumed its flow, and he now had no idea what the normal worldline was like or how much time had passed.
Since he started flipping through the pages, he has already far exceeded his judgment of the "shortest time to roll back to death"—six hours.
Moreover, what's puzzling is that since this is inside a cosmic organ, would a death rollback still work?
"—Let me answer that."
At that moment, someone came out.
Surprisingly, the person was neither Nagasha, who was prepared to die, nor Evelyn, who had sworn allegiance to Su Ming'an, but rather Hang Xin, an ordinary local from Rovasa.
But with a 16% accuracy rate, how can you possibly guess correctly?
Hang Xin stopped in front of a door and looked at Su Ming'an.
“Hey, savior.” Her tone was arrogant, as if what she was about to do was nothing more than a trivial matter. “Is the whole world watching you now?”
"It's just my world," Su Ming'an answered truthfully.
"Is that so...? That's enough." Hang Xin raised her chin and straightened her collar. "I've been a burden to my mother since I was little because I'm a mutated short-lived species, causing her to be ridiculed all the time. I know my lifespan is limited; my peers are still in school, and I'm about to die..."
She stared at her few strands of pale hair for a few seconds.
“You’re all very capable, so I’ll do it. Anyway, I don’t need to be super strong to try and fail; I just need to get through it. It’s very simple…”
“I will prove that the short-lived race is second to none. I helped the savior and am far better than those races who have been eating and waiting to die for hundreds of years… I will prove that my mother was never wrong.”
Su Ming'an subconsciously looked at Talia, thinking that her mother would dissuade her daughter. However, Talia only lowered her eyes for a moment and walked behind her daughter.
"clatter."
The blonde mercenary girl burst through the door.
Without even a moment's hesitation, she rushed in, a few strands of pale hair fluttering in the wind, her slender back resembling a blooming sunflower.
She stepped into E.
Then, the door, which had never been the source of any trouble, suddenly burst into a scarlet red light.
A blood-red hue shone above their heads, like a blazing sun suddenly falling.
"Shh-!"
……
[Incorrect answer. The correct answer is F.]
……