novellk Chapter 1698: Final - : Crossing the Shore Arc [41] [Third Trial: The Tested]
Chapter 1698: Final - : Crossing the Shore Arc [41] [Third Trial: The Tested]
"Ding-dong!"[Third Major Challenge: The Subject of the Test]
[Everyone will enter the infinitely extending mirror maze, and at random intervals, the space will peel away a person’s certain identity.]
[Pass Rule: Find and confront all identity mirrors that have been peeled away from you, persuade or defeat the opposite side, and obtain the lens of "yourself".]
[Finally, gather all the shattered lenses at the maze’s center—re-recognize and become yourself.]
[For life to transcend, one must have a clear understanding and affirmation of oneself.]
[Good luck to all of you.]
[Current Participants: 358,101]
...
Through the door, after the first challenge of the river issue, and the second challenge of several rounds of prisoner dilemma, Su Ming’an arrived at the third checkpoint.
Each entrance had only one person, who could only see endless mirrors. As he stepped inside, each mirror he passed showed a completely different him.
—Social Identities: Student, Warrior, Player, Creator...
The mirror showed him in academic clothes, him holding a sword, him thinking about a difficult problem, him holding an ink pen...
—Moral Identities: Savior, Observer, Perpetrator, Sacrifice...
The mirror showed him giving a speech on a high platform, him watching others die, him stabbing at others with a sword, him lying in the blood rain with closed eyes...
—Relationship Identities: Son, Friend, Enemy, Revered Person...
The mirror showed him sitting on a piano stool shaking legs, him celebrating a birthday with Lü Shu and others, him clashing swords with Noel, him cloaked and hemmed in by a fountain...
With each step forward, it felt like a layer of "him" was being gently peeled off, wandering into the maze’s depths.
Su Ming’an reached the first intersection.
Sitting there was a student, wearing a shirt and tapping on a laptop. The screen was showing a PR editing scene, frames of horror games. A cup of coffee was placed on the table, and the student occasionally took a sip.
Noticing Su Ming’an, the student pointed to the seat beside the table: "Sit."
Su Ming’an sat down, hands together, according to the game rules, he needed the lens that this version of "himself" embodied.
"Did you receive the invitation letter from Bilibili staff?" Su Ming’an asked.
"I did."
"This video won’t be finished today, not even if you stay up late." Su Ming’an glanced at the video progress and made a judgment.
"It’s okay, I can finish editing it tomorrow." The student seemed unaware of tomorrow.
Su Ming’an drew his sword. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw a dagger drawn from the student’s sleeve. Their thoughts were nearly identical.
"I’m sorry, but I think you’re a phantom derived from the game’s mechanism." Su Ming’an said, "I must obtain your lens."
"I think so too, you never back down and seldom hesitate." The student drew his dagger and looked at Su Ming’an, "May I ask a question?"
"Go ahead."
"What kind of person have you become?"
Su Ming’an thought for a moment, pointed at himself, then at the student: "Essentially, no difference."
"Really?" the student said, "Nothing changed?"
"Quite a lot has changed, I can tell you many things." Su Ming’an said, "But I just realized many of my small habits, editing thoughts, conversational tones... are still unchanged."
"That answer is too clever." The student sighed, "Haven’t you noticed a significant difference?"
"What?"
"Your sword-wielding moves are far more practiced than mine. Look... you already stabbed towards me."
"Swish!"
Su Ming’an had already stabbed forward, the student’s dagger briefly blocked but was knocked away by Su Ming’an, the sword blade pierced through the student’s body without hindrance. The precise thrust was deadly compared to the novice student. The student didn’t bleed, his figure with the nearby table, chairs, and coffee turned into drifting starlight.
The student gently laughed: "You really seem like someone who has traveled a long, long way..."
A lens gradually formed and lay in Su Ming’an’s palm.
At the second intersection, Su Ming’an saw a teenager sitting in a basement. The sticky sunset blood light fell on the teenager’s crown, the teenager held a bloodstained head, sitting on the ground, with a rusty steel bar lying at his feet.
Su Ming’an’s pupils shrank, scalp tingled for a moment—this was a scene from one of his deaths in the first instance! This was a huge turning point. But clearly, this scene was covered by death rebound, why does it appear before his eyes?
He instinctively looked at the bullet comments—
[When did this scene happen?]
[As a fervent fan of Su Ming’an, I swear that since the first day of the World Game, I’ve watched all of Su Ming’an’s live broadcasts, never saw this scene!!!]
[Yeah, Yuanyuan never died here, she was sacrificed on the World Chessboard, why was she decapitated in the basement?]
[Look! Boss Rabbit! Why is it standing here?]
...
"—So, does the final winner’s reward include redeeming Zhai Xing in this game?" The black-haired youth in the basement asked, staring at Boss Rabbit.
"It includes." Boss Rabbit said: "You are one of the most unique individuals I’ve encountered among ten billion."
...
Su Ming’an suddenly realized that everything before him was generated based on his own perception, hence it surfaced.
He was a bit nervous but quickly reacted. He no longer was an inexperienced youth, his authority was already tacit, the organizers couldn’t do anything to him. Even knowing these, they couldn’t possibly jump to the Source Point to catch him.
Suddenly, he saw a pair of green eyes open from the shadows.
"I’ve come to repay a favor." The green eyes blinked.
...Lü God?
"I’ll find a way to throw this anchor point out," the green eyes said. "For the next period, no one in the live broadcast room will be able to see you, you don’t have to worry about them witnessing your past experiences... you don’t want to expose certain things, right."
Su Ming’an thought for a moment and nodded.
...
...
Main God World·United Team Headquarters, Third Strategic Analysis Room
The thick, soundproof door remained closed, the room was lit with cold white light, and the meeting had been ongoing for an hour.
"...As of this moment, the global number of casual players actively participating in the ’Source Point Trial’ has exceeded 180,000. Participants are mainly divided into three categories: one, the bottom populace regards the trial as gambling; two, those with certain combat skills looking to change fate as adventurer players; three, a few fanatic individuals deluded by the prospect of becoming a god."
"We must immediately activate the psychological counseling plan for trial participants’ families, coordinate resources across residential areas, and avoid triggering a chain of social issues. Twenty minutes... the time is too tight, we can only provide the most basic risk notification."
Political commissar Liu Jiahe tapped the table, speaking in a formal tone: "Keeping public emotions calm is paramount. We must emphasize three points: first, respect for personal choice. Second, regardless of participation, the key to passing the Source Point Trial remains Su Ming’an; all hope rests upon him, unity and trust cannot be shaken. Third, United Group has activated an emergency mechanism to ensure stability in the rear, avoiding panic spread and moral coercion."
"Knock, knock, knock!" At this moment, the conference room door was urgently knocked on, an intelligence officer rushed in, his face red with excitement: "Chief of Staff! Everyone! The live broadcast... Number One Player’s live broadcast! There’s been a Level One Alert!"
"Level One Alert" was a code within United Group indicating something extremely significant had occurred.
All sixteen or so people instantly stood up, along with the secretary officials behind them. Guided by the intelligence officer, the live broadcast room shown on the screen lit up.
At this moment, it seemed the air was instantly sucked dry.
Deathly silence.
"This... this is..." Deputy Chief of Staff Suzuki Kentaro gradually found his voice, "Is this an illusion? A trap presented to us viewers?"
Undeniably, his mind was highly cautious. Meanwhile, a report had been presented, faster than imagined.
"The time node matches the blank period of the first instance, and the behavioral logic aligns with the later turning points of Su Ming’an’s actions..." the report described some details, though with the suspicion of hitting the target first then shooting the arrow, but certainly enlightening.
In fact, they had long speculated, as the organizers essentially hinted, the dead rabbit repeatedly shouted "he has that that". However, when he no longer conceals, no longer pretends, even openly announces to everyone—yes! I do have a death rebound! I’m done pretending!
At this moment, everyone was astounded.
This had a benefit, he could openly have everyone cooperate with him, from now on, everything must yield to his actions, no matter how absurdly incredible the action plan, as long as he vocalizes it, it must be correct. Those shouting "organizers’ lapdog" no longer had space, those still feeling distrust completely shut their mouths.
In the past, these images could never be released, and he couldn’t reveal the truth; if he spoke out, he would be punished by the rules... But now, he is in the "Source Point," it’s the cosmic mechanism of the "Source Point" that helped him release it, and the Organizers are powerless to act! When he completes the trial and ascends to become a First Level God, who can stop him?
This is actually the best time for public exposure. It’s enough to drive people all over the world crazy, willingly making way for it, even in awe.
"A hero is meant to be appreciated..." muttered Vice President Andrew as he touched his nose.
"Turns out he probed the truth of the Perfect Pass as early as the first instance... It’s ridiculous that our United Group, with so many people, even though someone raised the idea then, it wasn’t recognized. It wasn’t until he became a piece on the chessboard after the second instance that people began to take it seriously..." said Political Commissioner Liu Jiahe, shaking his head.
Andrew analyzed, "The public response will be polarized. A portion of people’s admiration and gratitude will reach unprecedented heights, while another portion will develop a barrier and fear. We must guide public opinion. But his stance is also more challenging to predict, which means he has experienced countless disagreements and betrayals, and witnessed extremely extreme futures."
If Su Ming’an has already seen the incompetence, betrayal, or shortsightedness of humanity and organizations in countless iterations, then his current attitude towards the United Group and humanity is likely very nuanced. He loves humanity, but also does not love humanity. This love is indescribable in words; he believes in it more than anyone, and also disbelieves it more than anyone.
Aishikel set a tone and calmly said, "Everyone, regardless of what abilities Su Ming’an holds, regardless of what he has gone through, he is the strongest individual combat power and symbol of heroism in the Human Camp to date, and always aligns with our goals."
"Immediately release a global announcement under the highest name of the United Group: First, emphasize that the Number One Player has made sacrifices for human civilization far beyond the imagination of ordinary people. Second, reassert the irreplaceable status of Su Ming’an as a Lighthouse and hero for human civilization. Third, once again call on all players to unite. No matter what lies ahead, supporting the Number One Player means supporting our own future. During the Source Point Trial, all internal disputes are to be set aside, and all efforts are to be made to ensure logistical and intelligence analysis support."
"Trust is mutual and based on accumulated actions. Perhaps we have already made significant mistakes in the early stages and cannot seek his forgiveness. But doing what we should, solving worries, providing necessary intelligence support, not becoming a burden, not making wild guesses, not attempting to control him, this is our best stance at the current stage."
"The World Game has entered its final stage, with no turning back."
"What we can do is believe in this young man who has walked through countless dead ends, that he can reach the next tomorrow."
...
Information Processing Center.
In front of the massive circular wall of screens, dozens of analysts were working. Chen Wei’s fingers danced over the keyboard when she suddenly realized it was very quiet.
The Information Processing Center seemed like the mute button had been pressed, only the glow of the screens reflecting on their faces, as they all received the news.
"Clatter." The electronic pen in her hand fell onto the console.
"Di...Death Rebound?" a young analyst murmured, breaking the silence, "The forum rumors... are true?"
Chen Wei snapped back to her senses. She suddenly remembered that she once lay in a healing pod for a whole week after an instance death, tormented by nightmares for months. Fifty times? A hundred times? What concept is that?
For a moment, she could hardly believe this truth.
...
Corner of the employee rest area.
Several business members from different departments gathered to smoke.
"Those contradicting voices should shut up now, right?" A technician from the Nevagang blew a smoke ring.
"Wishful thinking." A data analyst from the Glen Faction sneered, "Soon someone will say, since he can rebound, why not pass more perfectly? Why not save everyone?"
"Damn..." the technician cursed but was unable to refute it; such is human nature.
A man from the logistics transport team, with a dark complexion, said moodily, "I don’t care what they say, I don’t understand those high-sounding principles. I just know if it weren’t for the Number One Player holding the front in the Pulaya instance, my wife and kids might have long been gone."
"I won’t say anything idle, I just think it’s really impressive."
...
In a residential area of a certain Main God World, inside an apartment building.
"I knew it! I said so long ago!!! The special ability hypothesis on the 32nd floor of the world forum was posted by me! You guys laughed at me for daydreaming then! See? See? This is the truth!" a young man with messy hair excitedly slapped the table, gesticulating brightly at the screen.
His roommate adjusted his glasses, his face still a bit pale, "Is this ability a blessing or a curse?"
The young man’s eyes sparkled, "Of course it’s a blessing! If it were given to me..."
His roommate said, "Given to you? You probably would have collapsed at the first death. Last time after coming back from an instance, you had nightmares for half a month, saying you never wanted to go again."
The young man was at a loss for words, opened his mouth, but couldn’t retort.
Outside the apartment building, a middle-aged man in an old jacket was emotionally agitated, "It’s so unfair, we work so hard, why can he..."
A girl who looked like a college student retorted, "Each death is real pain! Would you be willing to exchange for this opportunity with the pain of dozens of deaths? Without his trial and error, we might trigger a worse overall instant death judgment!"
...
Some people quietly wiped away tears after the children slept, clasping their hands, whispering prayers.
Some kept refreshing the forum, searching for resonant viewpoints to calm the surging storm in their hearts.
Some watched silently, joining no discussions.
Shock, admiration, jealousy, doubt, sudden realization, fear, gratitude, relief, unwillingness, fanaticism, reflection, numbness... innumerable emotions ferment in the Main God World, the complicated humanity surfacing beneath the lake.
Su Ming’an is the sharpest stone of them all.
...
"Am I on the right path?"
In the basement, a boy asked the Number One Player who had reached the end.
"There’s no right or wrong... it’s just the beginning of countless branches." Su Ming’an said. Just as a tree grows countless fine branches, the boy is still on the thick trunk, yet to walk towards farther bifurcations.
"In fact, I wasn’t thinking about anything at this moment... I just thought, since I was going to die here, I shouldn’t waste it, so I test the rabbit." The boy smiled, "Fortunately, I tested correctly."
"Indeed." Su Ming’an murmured, "Back then... you weren’t thinking about anything, actually."
It was only at the moment he got the answers, he walked onto a path that was extremely difficult, painful, and not understood.
"The game is about to start." said the boy.
"The game is about to end..." Su Ming’an replied.
The boy and the youth standing on the initial and final roads, separated by a distance, looking at each other.
Behind lies not only a long road filled with pain and despair, collapsing multiple times, enduring non-human tortures... but even so, it is also a warm and soft road.
Ultimately, standing at the end of the road, looking back, countless shadows, countless blessings, countless gravestones, countless rivers.
—This journey is not in vain, and my path is not lonely.
The boy laughed: "Thank you, do your best. Wrap up for this long and troublesome affair!"
Su Ming’an could no longer remember many details; some instances’ impressions are gradually fading, his soul weary and damaged, unable to recall many things. But he still curved his lips at this moment.
He laughed.
He was sure he was walking on the furthest path... what a joyous fact this is.
Though mixed with fear, regret, and hesitation, he’s glad that everything in front of him remains bright, reachable.
The boy opened his arms.
Su Ming’an was taken aback for a moment, then opened his arms in understanding.
"Slap."
A warm feeling spread from his back, his chest filled with something like cotton candy, he smelled a sweet scent, though everything was full of blood in front of him. But he felt as if he was hugging a small stove, the two similar figures overlapping, gradually merging the gaps.
He felt hot breath being released, the boy whispered in his ear: "...do your best."
With a dull thud, the boy slowly fell, turning into a lens. Su Ming’an picked up the lens, seeming to hear an echo from a distant past...
—GAME START.
...
The end is near.
...
Stepping over the black water, moving against the river of time. Su Ming’an didn’t care whether people would feel regretful, grateful, jealous, or apologetic, he only moved forward.
He didn’t care who would evaluate right or wrong.
...
[—Returning home beneath the bright, night-lit village.]
[—Sleeping long before a bright, quiet future.]
[—Smiling amidst the torrential downpour.]
[——Are you in...]
...
"Tap, tap, tap." The footsteps continued forward.
Walking past each intersection, Su Ming’an picked up one piece of mirror after another, holding more and more mirrors in his hands.
The drab tones gradually took on colors, the saturation of this labyrinth increasing, as black walls appeared like childish crayon drawings, gradually showing a few crude stick figures, donning cat ear hats, wearing bows, wielding knives, and donning top hats, following behind him.
The white ahead increased, the black decreased.
Then, he saw a red-robed girl like a wild wolf.
He saw Mizushima Kawa Sora high in the sky. She looked down, judging the Number One Player who was not trusted by the world in the name of justice.
Suddenly, Su Ming’an noticed a detail.
"So, I propose..." Aylan said softly, " ...let’s not rush to kill him."
...Hmm?
This proposal, was it by Aylan at that time? Su Ming’an only now discovered this detail.
Letting Su Ming’an be transformed, causing him to lose his mind, was a permanent soul trauma. Even if Su Ming’an rebounded from death, the trauma would follow him persistently. Su Ming’an always thought it was Mizushima Kawa Sora who proposed this, and always believed it was Mizushima Kawa Sora who committed this cruel act, but now, reviewing the details, it turned out it was Aylan who suggested it?
This guy, inconspicuous in the middle stages, was stirring trouble everywhere, making extremely insidious suggestions targeted at Su Ming’an but not obvious, making the high-profile Mizushima Kawa Sora the weapon...
Interestingly, Su Ming’an even saw some familiar faces in this scene rounding him up. Lu, Hua De, Zhong Xi, Sean... Yet now, Hua De guards under the World Tree, Zhong Xi and Sean fight bravely in the succession ceremony, and Lu even fights side by side at the Source Point.
Times have changed.
Former opponents can become teammates, and once most trusted teammates can also become opponents.
He looked at the ’himself’ shivering from the cold, and spoke:
"Nothing can defeat me."
The boy immersed in the pain of metamorphosis slowly raised his head, meeting his gaze.
"I don’t like the phrase ’what doesn’t kill you makes you stronger,’ it disregards the pain and struggle a person endures. Bloody wounds are real, scars that fall will not heal, a person becomes unafraid of the cold because he has lost the normal sense to feel cold, this is a deficiency, not strength." Su Ming’an said,
"I never believed suffering should be celebrated, nor do I think tragedy is a necessary element of elevation, a person’s ideals cannot separate from suffering, but this suffering should not be just a sharpening stone, but merely a pain to be avoided."
"I stand on the mountain of blades and swords, not because I am afraid of pain, but simply because I am strong enough."
"They are just violence inflicted upon me, the only function is to make me realize, I don’t want to become the person inflicting such violence."
Because I have endured the cold rain, I don’t want anyone else to feel the cold."
Because I suffered the judgment pointed by thousands of people, I don’t want anyone to suffer injustice again."
So, strength is never the result of suffering, it’s just that I don’t want others to endure this suffering. It is my own core that is powerful."
Though pierced by blades and swords, yet not pointing them at the weaker; though burned by fierce flames, yet not casting the fire onto others; when frozen on the skyscrapers of the Ruined World by the extremely low temperature frost, what I thought in that moment is how warm it is inside the house; so when Noel stabbed me with the Blue Rose Scepter, what I always thought of is if he had hidden intentions."
Because even after seeing the deepest malice and betrayal, I still hope to believe there is a flickering light as faint as a bean."
I am willing to think about human possibilities with a more tolerant mindset."
I am willing to speculate on the vastness and breadth of good intentions from a more inclusive standpoint."
Therefore, I am willing to save you with a sincere, passionate, and gentle heart."
...
Therefore,
I am willing to love you."
...
A piece of mirror.
Another piece of mirror.
The number of mirrors in Su Ming’an’s arms increased continuously, each equivalent to a part of his own death."
From being questioned by the whole world to being respected by the whole world, from an "ordinary student in the Ivory Tower" to a "well-deserved Number One Player," from a "lap dog of the organizers" to being at the forefront of human civilization’s struggle, in half a year’s time, through twelve instances, he accomplished the most difficult proof in the world.
Su Ming’an calmly watched himself in the bad file pouring out negative emotions, sobbing in secret.
His eyes dried up, standing by the stream, he felt no sadness at all.
It is often said adult breakdowns happen in a moment. Now, he doesn’t even have that instant. So, can he be considered a mature and outstanding adult?
"[I see... Your authority isn’t prophecy and deduction.]"
"[Is it, death instead?]"
The words of Boss Rabbit brought Su Ming’an’s thoughts back, he was stunned for a moment recalling the words.
"Where does ’death rebound’ truly originate from still remains unknown. Boss Rabbit simply calls it ’death,’ which sparks one’s imagination. Why wasn’t it called ’time retrospection’? but rather ’death’?"
Su Ming’an pondered silently.
The road opened up in front of him, each time he passed through a person’s silhouette, the color behind him deepened."
Finally, it was the boy in school uniform, quietly squatting by the lake, hugging his knees."
Su Wensheng turned his head, looking at Su Ming’an, there were no earrings on his ears."
He held Su Ming’an’s hand, gently pinched it, yet couldn’t leave a crescent moon imprint."
"You’re almost at the end," Su Wensheng noticed, though time hasn’t passed long, the aura of the person in front has completely changed."
This is the aura unique to one who has reached the end. Like spent joss paper, like the last ash in the stove when the great snow falls."
"Go," the boy revealed a soft smile, stroking the orange cat in his arms, "towards your story."
"It’s our story," Su Ming’an said.
This story, not only of him, but contains the stories of companions, and of others. Their stories combined... are this largest and most complete story.
There’s no need to praise it as an "epic," no need to admire it as a "legend," no need to crown it with any glorious phrases or rhetoric, it’s merely a story of a group of people persistently pursuing different ideals, dreams, goals... or simply not pursuing, just enjoying a peaceful life, many of them...
Su Wensheng’s pupils contracted for a moment.
Then, he showed a pure, sincere, moonlight-like serene smile."
"Yes, ours."
"No need to look back, go ahead..."
...
The last intersection.
Su Ming’an paused here, and the stick figures behind him stopped, the road ending here.
The only appearance, is a figure.
That person sat by a delicate white porcelain round table, holding a magpie carved gold-white porcelain cup, several small pieces of cube sugar floating, the red tea exudes a golden glow and fresh fragrance. A fresh red feather garment draped to the ground, a white bow tie adorned with rubies, draped with wheat ears and tassels, like a still oil painting."
Golden emerald-like eyes gazed over, a smile at the lips."
"Mr. Lighthouse, please sit."
Su Ming’an sat down across the table."
The purple-haired youth extended both hands, fists clenched: "Mr. Lighthouse, would you like to play a game with me? Guess in which hand the cube sugar is? If you guess right... I’ll give you a special reward, how about it?"
He always spoke with a sense of unhurried elegance, a richness like honey, leading people unknowingly into the trap he weaved. However, the Number One Player wasn’t buying it, directly extending his hands."
"You know I hate multiple-choice questions." Su Ming’an pried open the two fists, both containing the cube sugar.
"I couldn’t bear to let Mr. Lighthouse guess wrong, but I didn’t expect Mr. Lighthouse to choose such a greedy method." The purple-haired youth withdrew his hands, but Su Ming’an held them tight."
Two cubes of sugar fell onto the table, shattering into colorful granules."
"Did you exist with deception before?"
"Mr. Lighthouse, it’s sad that you would imagine me in such a way. It’s true, everything I felt for you, every blessing, every friendship... such beautiful poems weren’t false, and the time we spent together wasn’t false either..."
"Please answer me," Su Ming’an said, "Why did your attitude change so abruptly? One moment you didn’t want me to replace your identity, and then you entrusted everything to me, even letting me become Olivius?"
"When I dyed your hair green, you clearly couldn’t live past eighteen, so how did you later succeed in attending the Creator Conference and even win the championship?"
"Why did I rewrite Tao’er’s death, and yet she still died from the townsfolk’s beating? Did you anchor her death?"
A series of questions came tumbling out, full of suspicions. The farewell lens was too beautiful before, the letters and poems were mesmerizing, and Su Ming’an couldn’t feel Sique’s malice at all. However, as Sique fell into a long sleep, doubts emerged one by one.
"Then, Mr. Lighthouse." Sique reached out his hand, "Let’s play a thrilling game of Turtle Soup."
"..."
"Haha... though I’d love to say that, I suppose you’re not in the mood now." The purple-haired young man withdrew his hand, "But I can promise you, all my friendship towards you is absolutely real, without a hint of falsehood, nor any intent to harm you. Mr. Lighthouse, let me see the story you’ve written, the story of the War God Dragon King Jellyfish, to what extent it’s been written."
"Just up to the third Chapter."
"Oh? Why?"
"This task itself is a trap. A trap leading people to destruction," Su Ming’an said, "If you truly are the mastermind behind everything, you will become my enemy, Sique."
Previously, Su Ming’an’s information was: Sique, as one of the Awakeners, comes from an obscure civilization; he created the Black Water Dream to attract Awakeners from all worlds. This action is entirely consistent with the behavior of the Lord of Dreams, but it’s also possible that the Lord of Dreams later replaced Sique’s position.
Sique was valued by the Boss Rabbit of the World Game and was invited to become the second main organizer. He foresaw that the Master of the End of All Things would destroy everything in the future; he paid the price, giving up his status and High Dimensional abilities as the second organizer, reincarnating as an ordinary magpie in Luowasha. In the end, the magpie became friends with Su Ming’an, and after enduring the winds and rains of the Eleventh World, lay down to sleep and never woke up again.
"Adventure stories tell you that if all the evidence points to one answer, that answer is the truth." The purple-haired young man said, "But if it’s the World Game, this conclusion is completely opposite. If the answers are all laid bare, that answer is instead wrong."
"Is there something you can’t say?" Su Ming’an asked.
"I always believed in Mr. Lighthouse’s wisdom," the purple-haired young man said.
"But you can use my cognitive bias to make me think there’s something you can’t say."
"That’s certainly a way to think about it."
"Or perhaps the one before me is merely an illusion fabricated by the Lord of Dreams to stir my suspicions, and the real Sique still sleeps."
"That’s an interesting answer too."
"Or perhaps you’re deliberately inciting these doubts and thoughts in me, acting in this manner."
And if the deception continues, it becomes an intricate puzzle.
"No matter who you are, I will stand before you," Su Ming’an rose.
This stance was like a declaration of war, yet also a promise of reunion. To be his enemy or his friend.
If Sique is truly the mastermind, Su Ming’an will reach the end to meet Him. If Sique is merely a poet of Luowasha, Su Ming’an will also stand before him after all ships have sailed.
In any case, they will meet again, at the final moment.
Friend, or foe.
As Su Ming’an took a step forward, the round table and porcelain cup vanished, and the smiling poet disappeared, leaving only a colored cube sugar.
Su Ming’an picked up the cube sugar and heard no system notification; it was just an ordinary cube sugar.
Then, he heard fragmented sounds.
All the collected mirror shards floated out from his pocket, hovering in the air, each piece as clear as morning dew.
The mirror shards flickered, displaying the appearance of each "self" at the moment of death: burning, decapitated, pierced, drowned, exploded, shot, poisoned, throat slit... Countless "selves" frozen in death, pupils dilated. Hollow and unfocused gazes all converged on him, like countless mirrors reflecting one source.
He had reached the end.
— Yet, before the finish line, he turned back.
He saw the countless beings still trapped within the maze, unable to find their way out.
His journey was smooth because most of his "selves" were on the brink of death, making it easier to collect mirror shards. But other participants weren’t so lucky, and this challenge would likely eliminate the majority. Even the strongest player, faced with countless "selves," might easily get lost.
Su Ming’an paused for a moment, gazing at the nearby finish line, silhouettes wavering, he vaguely saw countless people still ensnared in the maze.
But he had already emerged from the "cave," knowing where the finish line was.
"Tap."
He turned around and walked back in the direction he came from.
The philosopher of the cave raised the torch—he stepped back into the depths of the cave.
He was going to bring them out.
...
Alger quietly gazed at the sleeping girl inside the ice coffin. The girl had a similar face shape, a plain long dress trailing down. Beside her stood several blurry "Alger."
"You must continue to be despicable, without the resources you seize, without the power you acquire in dirty trades... What will you maintain this ice coffin with? What will you use to find that slim hope of resurrecting her?" said one Alger.
"Let her come back to life, even if it defies everything..." said another Alger.
"You’re not sly enough in your despicable ways, nor are you noble enough thoroughly, should you be on the brink of death, you would definitely abandon her quickly. What are you hesitating about? You dare not face yourself," said yet another Alger.
Alger sat with his spine stiff. He couldn’t face these "selves." Self-respect and life, which mattered more? Life and his sister, which mattered more?
He was trapped in a nightmare unable to extract himself until the blade pierced the air—
"Swish! Swish! Swish!"
The three nagging "selves" fell, someone came against the light.
The young man with black hair fluttering carried a full spectrum, illuminating the dark and dreary water flow. He seemed to have completed his own perfection, with eyes absent of confusion, only expansive and grand like Cang Mountain and vast sea.
—The hero, radiant immensely, extended his hand.
"Wake up." Su Ming’an said.
Alger became clear-headed for an instant.
He stared in a daze at the suddenly appearing Su Ming’an, realizing something: "You already... passed? You came back?"
Su Ming’an remained silent, simply extending his hand.
"...Even someone like me who hurt you, you want to take me away?" Alger said.
The whole world saw Alger’s betrayal, he is a pure egoist, willing to pierce the Savior with a blade to become stronger. Countless people condemned him on forums as a sinner who disregarded civilization. Initially, he harbored thoughts of never returning to human civilization, following Eighth Thrones single-mindedly, never expecting Eighth Thrones to choose Aylan and abandon him, now, like a prisoner with a neck bound beneath the abyss... he can go nowhere.
If not for Su Ming’an returning, Alger would have been lost here, unable to overcome his past self, unable to achieve a mind as clear as a mirror. His soul was bound to Atlanda, even if he successfully emerged from the Source Point, he would be but a walking dead.
One must pay a price for erroneous choices, Alger doesn’t regret his egoism, only he lost to Atlanda by a stroke. If he had won, standing here trapped in a nightmare, unable to move, would not be him but Atlanda.
Yet, he lost, now confined in a suffocating shell, nearly indistinguishable from death. He has no way to break free...
But someone came forward.
The Savior extended his hand, his face with no forgiveness or redemption, only tranquility.
"It’s not my place to forgive you, nor do I have the energy to pardon you," Su Ming’an said, "I only know now is a shared human challenge, I can help you, and you can help me too."
"You don’t mind... my previous actions?" Alger said blankly.
"I do care. But you won’t have the chance to repeat those behaviors again."
The Savior, with downcast eyes, bathed in light overlooking from above, extended his hand as if lowering a life-saving spider silk to the prisoner in the abyss.
"Under the gaze of the whole world, swear to me—you will help me with all your might, and I will find a way to revive Gedoria for you, reclaim your soul." Su Ming’an said, "If you break this oath, let heaven and earth extinguish."
Su Ming’an was not clear on the procedures of high-dimensional beings making wager, whether some notarization was needed for the rule to take effect. He was merely imitating, but with the information gap, others didn’t know if this vow had rule efficacy. Besides, it was an extremely unequal vow, Alger needed to help Su Ming’an with all his might, while Su Ming’an only needed to "find a way" to help Alger.
Alger discerned the inequality in the oath, yet he still extended his hand.
The prisoner in hell, even if facing fragile spider silk, would grasp it and strive to climb up. Especially for someone extremely selfish. His desire to live surpasses many here.
Even if this desire requires him to sever others’ throats, kneel his proud knees, sink his feet into mud, let sins crawl up his back like a snake, he must live.
"No matter what, you indeed saved the lost me in the labyrinth." Alger said, "I’m an egoist, now I can help you because you grasped my desire and greed. Lord Alliance Hierarch."
"Let’s go, Lord Alliance Hierarch."
...