PFC Chapter 1752 - 96:
Chapter 1752 - 96:
[No matter where they go, they should remember that the past is false, memories are a path without return, all the springs that have gone cannot be restored, and the most tumultuous yet tenacious love ultimately is nothing but a fleeting reality.][——Marquez·"One Hundred Years of Solitude"]
...
[Warning, warning——!]
[Cabin temperature has exceeded the threshold, please check inside the cabin and prepare for evacuation.]
[Warning, warning——!]
[Fuel reserves are insufficient to sustain current flight altitude and speed, please adjust inside the cabin, reduce altitude and speed!]
...
Scarlet light flickers incessantly, the cold mechanical walls reflecting radiance, the mecha ascends amidst tremors.
Short strands of hair float, and for a moment, Yamada Machiichi feels like a hero in a film.
"10 seconds."
After defeating the Radiant Mother God, Su Ming’an should be able to rest, right?
Everyone should... rest.
Breathing brings tearing pain; he forcibly maneuvers divine armor with a human body, like driving metal rods into human flesh, causing intense rejection reactions that lead to labored breathing and continuous coughing of blood. The scorching temperature leaves him drenched in sweat, indistinguishable whether it’s blood or tears.
The glass reflects his image—a fiery, flame-like face, a comical, paint-smeared face.
"9 seconds."
...
[Warning! Warning!]
[Your actions are provoking the Supreme Lord of the World·Radiant Mother God·Kritchens! Challenging Him will lead to extremely severe consequences, your skill "High Tower Invitation" will cause unforeseen outcomes!]
[Warning! Warning!]
[Please confirm, do you wish to draw your sword against Him?]
...
Countless beams of light descend from the horizon, proud golden eyes coldly looking down, as if mocking the futile efforts of lesser beings.
Under the firmament, Su Ming’an stands expressionless, war-torn winds brushing past his long hair, carrying the taste of blood and charred remains lingering endlessly.
Countless eyes are upon him, filled with expectations, shock, trust, admiration, affection... and even more complex emotions.
Whether the millions of players present, billions of Luowasha locals, billions behind the bullet screens, or hidden high dimensions and deities... at this moment, they all only gaze at him.
Raise hand, draw sword!
Thousands of golden rays pierce into his pupils, yet he does not retreat, not a step back, his eyes reflecting the entire world.
"Accept my invitation, you have no right to retreat." Su Ming’an stares tightly at the sky, eyes filled with intense rage,
"——Kritchens!!!"
Countless white tendrils wildly flailing, his form resembling a cannonball, rushing towards the sky.
Clutching a glaringly white holy sword in his palm, like a sharp-as-ever golden blade edge, piercing straight to the firmament!
Everyone involuntarily follows his movement, looking up with clenched fists, breaths quickened. Their battlefield is on the ground, while he charges towards the sky.
...
"8 seconds."
It was said that before, there was a mock Noel just like himself, who sat in a mecha, soared into the sky... fortunately, he doesn’t need to worry about his own true or false.
Yamada Machiichi touches the cold glass, now frosted, outside is a silent eternal night, as if obscured by heavy ink, nothing can be seen, only watching the gently falling white snow.
Before his life ends, the white snow begins to dissolve his body.
They pass through the cold mechanics to land on his body, palms begin to melt, legs begin to melt, torso begins to melt... Strangely, he does not feel pain, instead there is a light feeling, like the joy after taking medicine... the brain is numb, the whole body is lightened, as if seeing a rainbow, feeling like flying...
Light, light.
On Brother Ming’an’s side, it should be eternal day, golden, brilliant, warm sky. The false sky belonging to the Radiant Mother God. While on his side due to the Snow of the End, it’s a cold void.
One is day, one is night.
"7 seconds."
Thankfully, he does not envy the sunshine, he has seen spring before.
In the just-remembered memories, in countless fantasies, in the bygone past... he has already seen spring, he’s not cold anymore.
Like an old cow ruminating over happy memories, these images are enough to soothe the pain whenever he feels it. He is a person with very small desires, just a bit of warmth is enough for him to regard someone as a friend. Thus, he’s often backstabbed by petty people, yet he repeatedly offers his true heart.
He truly doesn’t ask for much.
Just a group of friends who care about him and wave to him.
With this group, spring will come by itself.
...
"Hiss hiss hiss hiss——!!!"
Su Ming’an, full-body ablaze with white flames, charges directly upwards.
As if cutting through watermelon, no one can obstruct a full-burst First Level God, he has stifled for so long, held back for so long, until this moment of utterly burning like a moth to a flame, akin to a suddenly exploding firestone!
Will not stop until the last moment is burnt out!
Day and night seem no longer separate, because the brightest day cannot compare to the radiance now emanating from him. Red, yellow, orange... colors belonging to the concept of flame are all absent in him, only pure white, only the white that slays everything!
Holy, beautiful, turbulent, cold...
Pure killing intent, pure slashing!
Like a red-hot dinner knife slicing through butter, the golden eye-like creation has yet to organize a second salvo before he pierces through without hindrance.
Twelve massive angels with three pairs of light wings on their backs appear ahead of Su Ming’an’s ascending path, all raising holy swords and chains, intending to block his onslaught.
Su Ming’an’s speed does not slow down a bit, holding the holy sword horizontally, the tip aimed at the heart of the array.
Moved forward relentlessly!
Turbulence, slash!
Angels blocking the way, slash!
Demonic Qi, slash!
Golden gelatin, slash!
"Boom! Boom boom boom——!"
The pale sharp Holy Sword became the wedge that split the heavens and the earth. The Flame Long Sword of the first angel shattered upon contact, followed by the chest, wings of light, and head... like a glass sculpture struck by an invisible giant hammer, it exploded into a shower of light!
The second, the third... like a pale lightning tearing through all curtains, wherever it passed, the array of angels was brutally pierced! Chains were devoured upon touching him, he was like a silently wide-open mouth, devouring everything around him!
"Swish, swish, swish..."
The spectators in the live broadcast room watched in stunned silence, a brief pause ensued. The impact of this scene was soul-shaking. The wild beating of the white smoke covered and devoured everything!
Upwards, upwards!
Towards the firmament, towards the outside of the world!
Like a bird burning its whole body in white flame, nothing could stop the wild flapping of its wings!
And all this happened so quickly, within just a few seconds, so fast that one moment people saw Su Ming’an, and the next, he had already plunged deep into the clouds, infinitely ascending!
...
"6 seconds."
Through the porthole, Yamada Machiichi exhaled a breath of white vapor, catching sight of the legendary "double slit."
—A wide and soft vast ink-colored background, adorned with a bizarre blue-purple ribbon, reminiscent of the depth and chaos of a black hole, with space displaying a wrinkled yet outspread translucent texture, as if gazing at a perpetually shifting kaleidoscope. As beautiful as the first ray of light in the inception of the universe, the boundary between reality and non-reality gradually blurred.
The closer he got, he saw the crystalline snowflakes become numbers, the symbols of equations turning into rainbows, metals transforming into transparent coral, and even his comical face reflecting on the glass, with colors morphing into incomprehensible texts...
Unfathomable cosmic scenes were mirrored in the shocked pupils of the teenager.
Like a child seeing a picture of a black hole for the first time, he widened his eyes, breathing lightly. A sense of fulfilling discovery and awe emerged as he glimpsed the vast unknown, as if witnessing the truth.
Like Wan Hu of ancient Dragon Country who sacrificed himself to fly high and glimpse the firmament, Yamada Machiichi understood why one equation or a photograph could be worth the dedication and even sacrifice of many scientists’ entire lives.
His body was covered in snow, full of pits and hollows, missing a piece on his chest and thigh, appearing like an animated character "erased" by an eraser.
In the next moment, a snowflake landed on his cheek, and suddenly he couldn’t hear anymore.
Silence surrounded him, but at least he could see the double slit up close.
Was it his ears being "erased" by the snow? The white snow that wipes away everything... truly remarkable. In the scale of high dimensions, humans like him are indeed insignificant.
"5 seconds."
He reached out, gently touching the glass in front of him, attempting to feel the beautiful and magical silhouette through the glass.
"4 seconds."
...
"Swish! Swish! Swish!"
Su Ming’an’s wings flapped as he ascended rapidly, exceeding the limits of human eyesight.
Troposphere, stratosphere, ionosphere...
He rarely flew this high; after all, he couldn’t see the scenery on the ground. But at this moment, all he wanted was the highest.
As a human, he naturally feared the expansiveness of the universe, feared the vacuum, the extreme cold, the unknown and unfathomable. Yet, as a deity, he should be the first to fly out of the world.
Initially, his ears were filled with deafening echoes, mixed with muffled explosions, the shrill whistles of wind pressure, and the rapidly receding shouts of millions below.
Suddenly, as the altitude rose sharply, silence fell.
The thin air could no longer transmit sound, leaving only the sound of his blood coursing and the roar of divine power boiling echoing within the cranial cavity. The temperature dropped to extremely low, but it was insignificant for divine power.
Then, the blue of the firmament quickly faded to ink black, stars lit up one after another, ultimate cold seeped from all directions, approaching minus a hundred degrees Celsius, capable of freezing even souls. The pressure dropped to near vacuum, and the air thinned to near inexistence.
Looking upward, the target was within reach - no longer the distant sky, but a layer moving slowly, flowing with rich liquid golden light, solid as an amber giant wall "lid."
It seemed he crashed into an invisible yet resilient gelatin, needing to crush something every meter he advanced, his speed visibly slowed, the pale light and golden barrier fiercely contending,
this was it.
—Transcending the white or gold across the sky.
Upon breaking the ’lid,’ the scene would switch instantly. The false gold would vanish completely, replaced by the seamless deep space of the universe.
Planets hung gigantically in the dark, stars manifested as extremely bright fireballs, silently gazing in vacuum.
Su Ming’an’s figure finally showed a hint of stagnation, like a ship rushing into the overly viscous golden ocean. His speed visibly slowed, requiring him to sever each touch of rules every meter advanced. More tendrils and golden light surged from all directions.
Those mocking golden irises stared at him, seemingly saying:
Mortal,
—You can never break me.
...
"3 seconds."
"It’s... here." Yamada Machiichi looked at the navigation map, his red dot completely overlapped with the light band of the "double slit," ready to detonate.
Inside the mecha, all non-essential systems shut down one by one, leaving only the unstable red glow of the self-destruct core at the center.
In the cockpit, the incomplete Yamada Machiichi wiped away by the Snow of the End, could barely feel his body. Through the observation window, he gazed at the twin slit flowing with the universe’s beautiful and dangerous glow.
"So beautiful..." He silently mouthed. His hand clenched the self-destruct trigger.
A sudden regret emerged; he wouldn’t know the reason behind all this, who the Lord of Dreams really was, whether Su Ming’an could truly win in the end... he’d never get an answer.
Outside the window, the pure black night sky grew even more pure, and the cold stars gazed down at this tiny creation. The familiar world below was now so distant it was invisible.
White snow brushed past the rim of his ear, his eyes disappeared likewise.
...
Behind him, seemingly gathered the strength of countless hands, Su Rin, Lü Shu, Dragon Emperor Ian, the players on the ground, all who had sacrificed. They watched him, countless arms, countless hands, countless wildly dancing tendrils, along with his own weight...
"Give me—"
The countless pale tendrils behind the deity frantically retracted, completely merging with the holy sword in his arm. He transformed himself into a chisel capable of splitting the heavens, and fiercely wedged it into the giant golden wall!
At the moment of contact—
"Break——!!!"
...
"2 seconds."
Yamada Machiichi closed his eyes.
Originally, he didn’t want to say anything anymore, after all, no one could hear him now.
After the merger of the live broadcast room, no audience could see this moment, record this moment.
...
[Warning! Designated location reached——"Double Slit."]
...
But for some reason, he still gently opened his mouth:
"I’m sorry..."
...
[Warning! Self-destruct sequence about to initiate! The driver has not yet evacuated!]
...
"I’m too weak, can’t find a better way..."
"1 second."
...
[I know you will definitely succeed, I believe in you, this stage belongs to you.]
...
"I really love you all..."
"Click."
He pulled the self-destruct lever down fiercely.
No hesitation. No turning back.
—For the tomorrow you can see.
...
[Current squad survival count: 12/15]
...
"Crack——!!!"
A shattering sound that seemed to echo through eternity exploded from the point where Su Ming’an’s sword edge met the firmament.
Su Ming’an gripped the holy sword with both hands, thrusting down with all his might!
Isabelle also ceased her interference at this moment, before her was the number one adversary, she assisted him to unleash a hundred percent of divine power together, stabbing this holy sword, forged with the life and years of Hui Chi and Hui Bei, powerfully to the deepest point.
"Swish——!!!!"
A pale radiance a billion times more blinding than the birth of the sun burst forth from the sword’s point of impact, resembling a supernova unleashed after eons of suppression, as if an unparalleled force was tearing the sky open from the inside.
At the core of the sword’s target, a minute speck of pitch-black appeared.
The darkness spread!
In the next moment, starting from the "break point," cracks spread, rivers of light reversed, the firmament shattered!
"Crack crack crack crack crack crack——!"
In a single instant.
The thick golden "sky cover," was boldly sliced open into a gap flashing with pale fissure, by this sword carrying all the strength and will. The azure and true cosmic rays surged in through the breach like torrents!
"Boom!!!"
Almost simultaneously, in the silent deep space on the other side, at the position of the "Double Slit," a destructive ball of light mixed with mecha debris violently expanded!
It devoured the wondrous yet perilous slit, twisted the nearby space and rules, along with the last trace of existence of Yamada Machiichi, engulfed in a grand yet unknown martyrdom explosion.
—The sky has broken.
Above the firmament, the eye of radiance revealed a momentary panic, the Double Slit was its power transportation channel acquired from the lord of dreams, it had thought it could rely on this power to contend with Su Ming’an, not expecting the Double Slit to suddenly explode at this moment.
Why? Because of those people in the normal world line?
"Look——!"
"Su Ming’an shattered the sky!"
Everyone standing on the ground saw this scene, even though the distance was infinitely far, they could clearly see—
The sky shattered.
The golden filter that had always shrouded the heads of all living beings in Luowasha was thoroughly torn down like a shoddy stage curtain.
Thus, the true cosmos that had been concealed for unknown thousands of years, for the first time without reservation, crashed into the gaze and consciousness of every upward-looking life—
...
No sun.
...
Luowasha and Zhai Xing are fundamentally not in the same star system, they are far apart... and the sun is a star of the solar system.
Why did everyone assume as a matter of course that Luowasha has a sun?
No red sun.
Nor blue moon.
When the false sky was suddenly shattered by Su Ming’an, people woke up as from a dream, as if a layer of mist in their minds was suddenly lifted, they looked up—
In the sky,
there was no star they recognized, one that should have existed to provide light and heat.
Instead, there was a vast, deep, soul-chillingly cold... cerulean blue.
This is the true color that the exterior of Luowasha should have. It’s the radiance dragged out from distant galaxy clusters, the nebula glow spread through the stimulation of cosmic dust clouds...
Uniform, tranquil, boundless cerulean blue.
It quietly enveloped the broken gap of the firmament, coldly gazing at the ecological box below that just pierced through the "roof." Like a searchlight, it cast the first giant pillar of cerulean light onto the ravaged land below. Within the pillar of light, the dust in the air, the floating blood mist, and the remnants of energy fragments all glowed with a cerulean hue.
Then came the second, third... More and more cerulean skylight poured in through the ever-expanding broken gap, swiftly washing over the originally golden battlefield.
All of the native Luowasha inhabitants and players bathed in this cerulean skylight were struck with shock and bewilderment.
They looked up, watching the cerulean sky they had never imagined, feeling the lukewarm "sunshine" falling upon their skin.
The sun... was golden, warm, rising in the east and setting in the west. This was an undeniable truth etched into their civilization as natural as breathing.
And now, that "truth" crumbled before their eyes.
The "sunshine" they received was simulated, a counterfeit from the beginning to the end.
They lived inside an ecological box. The box’s owner had lit a carefully disguised golden top lamp for them, and they had never doubted the reality beyond the lampshade.
——They finally understood why Su Ming’an persistently chose to forge ahead, never stopping at any moment, content with "peace" and "happiness."
The dark-haired youth fluttered in the sky beneath the shattered firmament, his pale figure reflecting the cerulean cosmic light like a ghost. He slowly lowered his sword, gazing at the battlefield below being quickly soaked in true colors.
He broke the "sky."
Ran Bo was right, science no longer existed. But science had already ceased to exist by the Second Era—before the age of Genesis began. When the foundational rules of the world were just scripted stories, when the stars above were mere backdrops... the tower of science based on observation and induction already no longer existed.
Su Ming’an looked up towards the ruptured hole.
His Holy Sword had struck the first "box," allowing the people of Luowasha to see the real sky beyond the "box." Was there an even larger "box" beyond the universe... waiting for him to slice open like today?
Master of Dreams, Hermes.
Are you like the Radiant Mother God, the one covering this larger "box"? Is it you controlling the switch to this "box," so every time, in the end, you cover everything with "blankness," letting everything restart...
Above the hole in the sky, a humanoid figure of golden light was falling.
——After the firmament shattered, the Radiant Mother God was forcibly dragged into the Mortal World by Su Ming’an’s challenge to the High Tower Invitation rules, falling into the very dust she despised.
Her light remained as dazzling and powerful, her presence still terrified all beings. However, a deity that fell into the background was no longer an invincible deity. Like a fallen star, she was forced to walk into this cat box.
She crashed down fiercely onto this land stained with mortal blood, willpower, and smoke.
A pure white figure, suspended beneath the broken firmament.
A golden deity, falling upon the ravaged earth.
...
"——Seize this opportunity to annihilate the power of the Radiance!!"
On the ground, Hua De shouted into his communicator. Su Ming’an used the High Tower Invitation to single-handedly hold off the Radiant Mother God, precisely to isolate her influence on the present world. Now, without her interference, they were finally no longer rejected by the World, able to use all their strength.
Come on, fight!
The warriors raised their shields and charged at the golden figure.
"Swish swish swish—!" The mages lifted their magic wands, casting spells from afar.
As if a billion bowstrings simultaneously stretched to their limits, a billion volcanoes erupted at once.
At this moment, the entire battlefield, from sky to ground, was utterly submerged in a multicolored tide of energy.
...
On the ground, a group of players who chose to return from the source point finished resting and entered the battlefield. Agnes, Rimu Sheng, Anqi, Leslie, Xiao Xiao...
"I exchanged my rewards, not to go home as a coward." Agnes donned her armor with vigor.
"I’m here to assist Su Ming’an." Rimu Sheng stated concisely.
"Hehe... Everyone is so energetic, it would be remiss of me to shrink back." Anqi smiled as he squinted his eyes.
"Can’t help it... I still need more points in my account." Leslie shook her head.
"Zhenzhen, let’s go together." Xiao Xiao held Wang Zhenzhen’s hand tightly. He was surprised to find Wang Zhenzhen alive when he returned from the source point; she had used Silver Star to teleport out. Although neither achieved very strong abilities this time, Xiao Xiao exchanged for a Resurrection Right rather than abilities. But it didn’t matter, Xiao Xiao did not regret.
At this moment, in the world’s time of crisis.
A group of players who chose to move forward from the source point had not arrived, but those who chose to hold back the Fireseed were not satisfied with the honors they had already received; they stepped onto the battlefield once again. Whether out of a desire for honor or for battlefield points, regardless of their intentions, they stepped forward.
"Follow me—"
Ocxi, with the highest rank, waved his hand, thunder rumbled, and purple snakes danced.
Lofty thunder, superior to the sun.
"——Charge!!!"
...
After completing the mission of the normal world line, the figures of Xiber, Dan Shuang, and Chao Yan arrived on the battlefield.
The players saw them and were surprised:
"I heard they were assisting Yamada Machiichi in the normal timeline, weren’t they?"
"Fantastic, it seems the mission in the normal world line went smoothly, and they managed to come back to help us!"
"Wonderful..."
...
[After joining you, Lin Yin always cheerfully hugged my shoulder, Lü Shu didn’t look at me weirdly, he was silent but very caring. Lu often praised me "beautiful," he’s really a gentle person.]
[It’s hard to describe this feeling, it’s like my inferiority is nothing to care about in their eyes. I am just Yamada Machiichi, a somewhat timid, sarcastic companion who loves 2D and skirts...]
...
"——They’re here! They’ve also arrived!!!"
"Whoa, who?"
"What a powerful presence, this... This is a god!!"
"Earlier I heard the divine name changed, turns out it’s them! Players from the top of the rankings!"
On the ground, a player shouted.
Nine beams of light like meteors flew in from the distant horizon, their momentum vast, even briefly overwhelming most of the battlefield. Leading them was Aiden, ranked fifth on the leaderboard, clothed in divine power, wearing golden armor, wielding a giant warhammer that radiated endless divine light.
—"Thunder Knight" Aiden, arriving with the name of "War Angel."
"Luckily, we made it!" Derek, ranked ninth on the leaderboard, encircled by golden light resembling contract terms, held a heavy tome. He quickly wiped his sweat and breathed a sigh of relief.
—"Golden Decree" Derek, arriving with the name of "God of Covenant."
"Yo, seems we arrived just in time! Looks like Hua De did well controlling the situation." Anthony, ranked sixteenth on the leaderboard, carried a huge cannon on his shoulder, clad in spike-heavy armor. He swiftly scanned the player’s army situation, glad to see no rout, sighed in relief.
—"Heavenly Judgment" Anthony, arriving with the name of "Steam God."
"Everyone, prepare for battle." Eleven, ranked eighteenth on the leaderboard, surrounded by data streams like waterfalls, eyes flashed with countless codes.
—"Prophet" Eleven, arriving with the name of "Master of the Internet."
"It’s all because some people are too slow, absorbing forever, if not fitting, should switch others in." Lin Jiang, ranked fifty-ninth on the leaderboard, casually carrying a balance scale. Such a divine artifact in her hands was like a market vendor’s weight, swaying back and forth.
—"Twin Scissors" Lin Jiang, entering with the name of "God of Trade."
"After all, summoning followers, it’s really hard to hurry, coming alone would risk being picked off individually." Sherry, ranked seventy-seventh on the leaderboard, smiled, flowers sprouted where she stepped, the wheat ear in her hand emitted golden radiance.
—"Hand of Enlightenment" Sherry, arriving with the name of "Harvest Angel."
"Su Ming’an! Look, Su Ming’an is charging up!" Mei Yani, ranked ninety-sixth on the leaderboard, her long hair danced like vines, eyes like emerald forests, in the first glance she saw the figure breaking the sky, disregarding everything else.
—"Eye of Resurgence" Mei Yani, arriving with the name of "Nature Angel."
"May my God bless..." Anger, ranked one hundred and twenty-first on the leaderboard, with a steady form like a mountain, gently drew a cross on his chest, hands folded in prayer.
—"Shadow Shepherd" Anger, arriving with the name of "Earth Angel."
"Let’s go, comrades!" Angelica, ranked three hundred and twenty-eighth on the leaderboard, holding a glowing scroll, crowned with a laurel. Around her floated texts and brilliance dispelling the mist. Her eyes burned brightly, full of spirit.
—"Light Shower Envoy" Angelica, arriving with the name of "Angel of Wisdom."
"Whoa!" Players watched as nine dazzling meteors descended, stunned. Nine players emitting various radiances stood on the firmament, divine light dazzling, forms either beautiful or handsome.
"Amazing!" They couldn’t help but exclaim.
"Really became gods, and nine at once!"
"Is this the legendary ’Nine Thrones’?"
"Go!"
Heavenly warriors descended, in a true sense of heavenly warriors descended. Actually, calculating the time, they should not have caught up, but through the barrage, they saw Su Ming’an astonishingly ascend to First Level God in just ten minutes...
This fact was truly shocking, they instantly felt a blush, having struggled so long to reach the Court of the Gods of the Stars and seize the divinity, still slowly absorbing. Mei Yani proposed a perspective, raise to Divine Level first, even if just half-baked, better than not catching up at all. After all, if the battle with Radiant Mother God ended, likely they wouldn’t be needed.
Thus, the nine hurried, finally caught up with the war.
Their appearance was perfect timing. Su Ming’an alone fought the Radiant Mother God, divine level strength was still needed on the ground, the arrival of the nine perfectly complemented this.
...
Luowasha, before the abyss, battlefield, command center.
United Group’s top strategic command center entered Luowasha frontline total coordinator, Liu Jiahe slowly looked up. He saw a pale figure resolutely ascend, the high-above gods finally dragged into the mortal realm.
He heard sounds around him.
"The sky is broken..."
"Where’s the sun? Our sun?"
"There never was a sun..."
Some knelt, some shed tears, like infants in swaddling opening their eyes for the first time.
Liu Jiahe remembered seventeen years ago, the first time he read the briefing "Arctic retains remnants of aliens," in several secret meetings of the Union Government, scientists speculated a supreme alien life overlooked the Solar System. He also once walked alone to the command center rooftop at night, gazing at the starry sky, imagining the form of aliens, would it be God? Or Buddha? Or indescribable life?
At that time, he thought: if Zhai Xing were a weak box, humanity’s farthest footprint was only the moon, unable to step out of the Solar System, if one day, someone could break this lid, what would that person be like?
Now he saw.
Not a three-headed six-armed Demon God, not a radiant Saint.
Just a blood-soaked youth.
"General Liu."
Footsteps sounded behind him.
"Speak."
"Yes." The soldier stood up and saluted, "Report, during the cleanup of enemy remnants at the frontline, discovered an unusual energy crystal at the edge of the abyss. The initial judgment of the evaluation department is not belonging to any known enemy unit, suspected to be friend relic."
Liu Jiahe finally retracted his gaze:
"Friend relic?"
"Yes." The soldier held it in both hands.
A gemstone. About the size of an adult’s thumb, in dark blue.
Liu Jiahe reached out his hand, fingertip touching the surface of the gemstone—
The world went silent.
Through the gemstone, he saw.
In the endless dark central gray shadow, was a black hard to observe with the naked eye, like a wasteland abandoned at the universe’s end, with Liu Jiahe’s life level, he could not determine where this was. But in the center, he saw a familiar person—
The soldier’s clothes torn, body stained with blood, Yang Changxu.
Yang Changxu and Joy had unexpectedly fallen behind in the Source Point return team, only Violet and Chen Yuhang successfully returned to Luowasha. Everyone believed, they were dead, for in their capacity, getting lost in such a place couldn’t survive.
Behind Liu Jiahe, people suddenly gathered, like seeing a miracle.
Yang Changxu floated, still dressed in military uniform, epaulets still there, face calm, form gradually transparent.
"...Commander Yang." Liu Jiahe spoke.
This gemstone should have been sent out with the combined effort of Yang Changxu and Joy, unknown how they managed it, perhaps used the rewards exchanged for transmission. It was later picked up by a soldier, promptly delivered to Liu Jiahe.
But Liu Jiahe can do nothing, they have no means of rescue, and without the protection of the World Game, no one can enter the Source Point now. It has become a shipwreck that cannot return.
Yang Changxu opened his eyes.
His gaze was momentarily confused, as if waking from a deep sleep. But in less than a second, his focus adjusted, as if the reaction speed rooted in a soldier’s marrow, and he immediately recognized Liu Jiahe.
"General Liu. Why..." Yang Changxu exclaimed in surprise.
"Someone found the gemstone you sent out." Liu Jiahe said solemnly, "Commander Yang, you completed thirteen rounds of trials, exchanged crucial supplies, and chose to continue executing the ’Awakening of the Demon Mother Goddess’ mission. The Union Government highly appreciates and thanks you for this. We have already received Violet’s post-war report. Your contribution in this operation has been recorded in the archive."
Yang Changxu’s pupils lost focus for a moment, realizing the current situation, he saw the faces full of admiration and sorrow behind Liu Jiahe. He knew he couldn’t go back.
But he nodded, calmly saying, "That’s good. Before Joy died, he handed over what he exchanged to me... At least I managed to send one to your hands, this thing can communicate across dimensions. What I exchanged has also been given to Su Ming’an, the task is finally completed."
Upon hearing of Joy’s death, a trace of grief flashed in the people’s eyes.
In the gray void, the edges of Yang Changxu’s body became more blurry.
"...The sky has broken." He looked up, gazing at the distant shore.
"Yes, Su Ming’an cleaved it open."
Yang Changxu lay in the black water, his gaze focused, as if to engrave this moment into his mind.
"...Beautiful." He said.
Liu Jiahe did not speak, nor did anyone else. Everyone knew this was Yang Changxu’s last farewell.
"When I was young, my father took me to see the sea." Yang Changxu said, "At dusk when the sun set, the sky was golden-red. I asked my father: where did the sun go? He said: the sun will not disappear, it will rise again tomorrow. Day after day, the sun in the east will always slowly rise."
"Later, I joined the army and didn’t seriously watch a sunrise for many years."
"General Liu..."
"I’m here."
"Is that sky real?"
Liu Jiahe looked up and glanced. The gentle blue light was continuously pouring in from the gap, not the artificially altered dome of billion years, but the light of the stars of innumerable billions of years, traversing the long light-years, and finally landing on this planet.
"It is real. Commander Yang... Is there anything else you need to convey?"
Yang Changxu thought for a moment.
"General Liu."
"Here."
"Watch tomorrow’s sun for me."
"...Alright."
The static in the earpiece gradually weakened, the communication began to destabilize. The void of the Source Point was devouring the last signal.
"Union Government frontline command center, all personnel."
Liu Jiahe paused:
"All stand up."
Fabric rustled, shoe heels joined together. Uniform, silent, solemn.
"Salute to Commander Yang Changxu!"
In the temporary command room at the edge of the battlefield, in front of the huge holographic screen at the command center, generals, staff officers, communication soldiers, technicians sent by the United Group... Regardless of rank, regardless of affiliation, all faced the void at this moment, with their right hands on their foreheads, eyes solemn.
Towards one drifting deep within the Source Point, never able to return.
Towards one who chose to move forward but could not turn back, a soldier.
Towards a hero.
Yang Changxu slowly straightened his waist and raised a hand so transparent it’s almost invisible. The posture was standard, no different from when he graduated young.
He returned the salute.
A standard, meticulous military salute.
Seventeen years. From military academy to the battlefield, from Zhai Xing to the World Game, from countless retreats to this one where he will not look back. His posture has never changed.
"Yang Changxu received." He said.
Voice steady.
His voice suddenly became distant, like the last gentle tremor before the wind ceases, his gaze still peaceful, still the look of a soldier executing his final mission.
"May the sun of Zhai Xing rise as usual."
As a child, he liked the sun, and believed in tomorrow. Later, he saw many tomorrows without sun, and hadn’t thought of sunrise for a long time.
Seeing Luowasha’s blue star, he thought of Zhai Xing’s sun - the star that burned alone for 4.6 billion years. Located at the center of the Solar System, appearing in every ordinary Zhai Star person’s usual morning.
He suddenly wanted to know, at the Main God World, the Union Government command center windows, what time it was now. Dawn, or dusk.
What would tomorrow look like? What color would it be?
The signal cut off.
In the gray void, Yang Changxu closed his eyes. His consciousness began to dissipate, like ink dripping into clear water, gently, softly spreading. No pain, no struggle. He gradually felt nothing of his limbs, torso, heartbeat.
May the sun of Zhai Xing rise as usual.
Whether beneath the falsified dome, or in the true boundless universe.
Whether in the eyes of those who can return, or those forever left behind.
Whether brought by Su Ming’an...or witnessed by everyone together. The Number One Player who cleaved the falsehoods, he will bring dawn to everyone.
Outside, Liu Jiahe took off his military hat.
—Tomorrow, the sun will rise as usual.
...
Record.
Commander Yang Changxu went missing at the Source Point area after the thirteenth trial of the World Game while executing the ’Awakening of the Demon Mother Goddess’ mission. Confirmation confirmed no possibility of returning.
His performance during the mission was heroic, maintaining his military duties to the last moment.
Posthumously awarded the Union Government First-class Meritorious Service Medal.
Above, saved.
...
23:59.
The hospital room on the seventeenth floor.
A narrow slit was left in the east-facing window, and the cosmic light from beyond the dome fell on the woman’s face.
Violet Elsop.
Top players, one of the decision-makers of the Source Point team.
The smell of disinfectant was faint, and the green waves on the heart rate monitor pulsed rhythmically. Her exquisite and charming long hair was scattered on the white pillow, the makeup on her face had already been removed, revealing the original pale and fragile complexion.
The door opened a crack.
The nurse peeked in for a moment, then gently closed the door. Leslie had come by two minutes ago, and the doctor said Violet’s brain and nerves had suffered extensive necrosis, injuries from the Source Point were beyond healing.
——Was it worth it?
Violet fell into a vague high fever and coma; occasionally, she was lucid and remembered when she was nineteen, looking for a job. After the interview, the boss asked her an inexplicable question: Do you believe the universe has boundaries? She replied: I believe boundaries are meant to be broken. The whole room laughed.
From a timid newcomer to a top player, from "a smart red light district lady" to "Violet Elsop," a name that could be written into the history of human civilization’s struggles.
In the haze, she seemed to be standing on that stretch of black water again.
——Violet, aren’t you going back? Leslie asked her.
She heard her own voice. Back then, she was laughing, her smile charming, her gaze clear, as if discussing something mundane:
Hehe... Sometimes I am also proud of my acuity indeed. I want to believe that person; I feel he is plotting something else. Such a death is too simple, unlike him. So, I will move forward.
She moved forward.
The final result proved that the key she desperately escorted didn’t play a critical role. So, was her behavior of not choosing to turn back unworthy?
Because the final result was useless, is this action erroneous?
No one thought so.
"Give me..." In the heat, she muttered to herself, "an opportunity to hold flowers in a luxury car..."
The green waves on the heart rate monitor began to change; the regular beeping became sluggish, like a clockwork reaching its final round. The bluish light leaked through the gap in the curtains, evenly covering her face.
Violet didn’t open her eyes; she seemed to see the starlit sky at eight years old when her mother talked about cosmic voyages by the bedside. Before the family fell on hard times, she had dreamed of becoming an astronaut. Who would have thought someone from the red light district could have such grand aspirations; it seemed laughable.
She saw the black water, saw teammates’ backs disappear one by one into the depths of darkness, while she walked down this path.
Bluish, cold, real, eternal.
The initial light of the universe.
Four point six billion years of solitary journey, only to land on the corner of her eye at this moment.
So, this is the boundary.
So, the universe can be reached.
World Game... you indeed make me feel fortunate.
She lightly curled her lips, revealing a tired smile.
"Beep——"
...
In the next room, Chen Yuhang slowly opened his eyes.
The fever and pain tortured his nerves; several times he thought he would die from illness, struggling hard to climb back up, he saw the cosmic rainbow light outside the window.
"Brother Wang... Brother Wang... cough cough cough!" Dragged by the infusion bottles, he immediately tried to get out of bed.
The nurse quickly supported him, telling him about Wang Xingkong and Chen Yuhang froze for a moment; the next second, tears suddenly filled his eyes.
"Brother Wang..."
"You promised you’d go to college with me..."
...
...
[...Alright. Let’s record up till here, the white crane I’m sitting on is arriving, everyone is raising their weapons, we’re about to reach the high platform of the Creator Conference.]
[Although somewhat reluctant, and even unsure if anyone could hear these words... but with so many watching me, I must leave.]
[It’s eternal day over there for you, Su Ming’an.]
[Keep winning.]
[No hesitation, no indecision. If regrettable due to my death, then it falls right into their hands.]
[I’m sorry.]
[Sorry, Su Ming’an, Lu, Bei Wang, everyone who believed in me.]
[Consider these words as my nonsensical rant from an unclear mind. If I’m lucky enough to survive, you can bring them up over New Year dinner to mock me, I promise not to be angry, really.]
[Then it’ll mean, everything has passed. You are all still alive. The world still turns.]
[How wonderful that would be.]
[Yamada’s heart was once a desert, a river waiting for a dive that became a flower garden, it was because of you.]
[Thank you all, willing to approach a barren and solitary desert. Thank you, willing to leave flower seeds in the heart of this odd person.]
[You never let me wither.]
[Thank you.]
[Goodbye.]
[No, rather say... I hope we can meet again.]
["Back in middle school art class, I saw a quote in the art book by Da Vinci; I liked it a lot, wanted to share it with you..."]
...
"[Once you’ve tried flight, you will forever walk the earth with your eyes turned skyward...]"
```
"[Because it is the place you once reached and long to return to.]"
...
"Swish!" The Holy Sword pierced through the Deity’s arm, bringing forth a trail of blood.
The black-haired youth with wings raised, his eyes burning with anger.
[HP-11428! (Holy Sword damage! Devour! Critical Strike!)]
At the Radiant Mother God’s head, a visible chunk of health was deducted.
This was the first time a life within the sandbox had hurt Him.
...
"Boom boom boom boom——!" Fireworks exploded in the sky.
Countless players shouted and roared, casting skills towards the fragmented firmament.
...
"Swish-la-la——" Su Rin, Lü Shu, Dragon Emperor Ian... soared into the sky in sync, drawing swords and spreading wings, charging towards a coordinate.
...
"Everyone, follow me!" Aiden charged at the forefront, leading eight player gods, trailing nine comet-like fiery tails.
...
"Come on, it’s our turn now!" Rimu Sheng, Leslie, Anqi, Agnes... Hundreds or even thousands of top-ranked players drew weapons, chanted skills, and followed closely.
...
"Zhenzhen, stay close to me!" Xiao Xiao tightly held Wang Zhenzhen’s hand. Behind them were vast numbers of ordinary players.
...
"Swish!" Xiber, Dan Shuang, Chao Yan instantly ascended, their gazes like fire.
...
"All prepare!" In the Main God World, the entire temporary command center of the Union Government focused their minds, the lights as bright as lightning.
...
"..." In the Main God World, people in the streets stopped, holding each other’s hands. Even the elderly playing chess in the park looked up at the ubiquitous screens.
...
"They’ve begun..." In the normal world line, Bei Wang, Laine, Qin Ze all raised their heads, looking towards the unseen distances.
...
"You have still become the final Deity..." At the Eternal Sea, Hui Bai looked up at the sky.
...
"Su Ming’an..." On the plains, the white fox that Xi Li transformed into ran, gazing into the distance.
...
"Father God..." In the small world, Su Mianbao seemed to sense something, paused with the pen in his hand.
...
"My Deity... you always manage to do the surprising..." Boris held the red card, suddenly laughed and covered his forehead.
...
"Please let me witness... these ten thousand points..." In the Gap of Mist, Atlanda’s figure slowly emerged.
...
"... This is the first time someone has struck at Him." The Reincarnation God Mobius cast his gaze towards the mortal world.
...
In the firmament, Ming’s form faintly appeared.
...
In the depths of water flowing with wisteria flowers, a colored cube sugar floated quietly.
...
In the Black Water Dream, Lü God opened his eyes.
...
"What a distant and long journey it has been..." In the Cosmic Library, the purple-haired manager leaned against a bookshelf, closing their eyes.
...
Deep in the Star Sea, the Supreme Lord cast a glance.
...
Watching over everything, the Master of Intelligent Mechanism Dawn, a torrent flashed through his eyes.
...
"Can we expect something this time?" On the World Chessboard, the lonely King raised his head.
...
"Hehehehe... hehehehe...!" In the dimensional gap, seven-colored figures emerged with sharp, ear-piercing laughter.
...
"..." In the void, blue eyes silently gazed.
...
Finally, there is a pair of extremely silent pupils.
He quietly waited in the depths of the dream realm, watching, waiting... for the final "game."
...