owlsbooks Chapter 1751 Final Chapter: Crossing the Shore [96] "So none of us ever turned back."
Chapter 1751 Final Chapter: Crossing the Shore [96] "So none of us ever turned back."
Chapter 1751 Final Chapter: Crossing the Shore [96] "—So we never turned back."
Wherever they go, they should remember that the past is an illusion, memories are a road with no return, all past springs cannot be restored, and even the most passionate and tenacious love is ultimately nothing more than a fleeting reality.
—Gabriel García Márquez, *One Hundred Years of Solitude*
……
[Warning, warning—!]
[The temperature inside the cabin has exceeded the threshold. All personnel are requested to check immediately and prepare for evacuation.]
[Warning, warning—!]
[Insufficient fuel reserves to sustain current flight altitude and speed. Passengers are requested to adjust immediately and reduce altitude and speed!]
……
The crimson light flickered incessantly, reflecting off the cold mechanical walls as the mech rose amidst tremors.
With his short hair floating in the air, for a moment, Machiichi Yamada felt like a hero in a movie.
"10 seconds."
After defeating the Radiant Mother Goddess, Su Ming'an should be able to rest.
Everyone should... take a rest.
Breathing brought excruciating pain. He, in his human form, was forcibly wielding the armor of a god, as if steel bars were being driven into his flesh. The intense rejection reaction caused him to breathe rapidly and cough up blood continuously. The scorching heat left him drenched in sweat, unable to distinguish between blood and tears.
His image was reflected in the glass—a bright red, flame-like face, a comical face covered in paint.
"9 seconds."
……
【warn!warn! 】
[Your actions are provoking the Lord of the World, the Radiant Mother Goddess Kritsens! Challenging Her will have extremely serious consequences, and your skill "Tower Invitation" will cause unpredictable results!]
【warn!warn! 】
Please confirm whether you intend to raise your sword against him.
……
A myriad of rays of light descended from the sky, and proud golden eyes coldly looked down, as if mocking the futility of inferior life.
Beneath the sky, Su Ming'an remained expressionless, the wind whipping his long hair through the scorching flames of war, the air thick with the stench of blood and charred remains.
Countless people were looking at him, their eyes filled with expectation, shock, trust, respect, admiration... and even more complex emotions.
Whether it was the millions of players present, the hundreds of millions of locals in Rovasa, the billion players behind the barrage comments, or the higher dimensions and gods in the shadows... at this moment, they were all looking at him alone.
Raise your hand, raise your sword!
Thousands of golden rays pierced his pupils, but he did not back down or yield an inch, his pupils reflecting the entire world.
"Accept my invitation; you have no right to refuse." Su Ming'an stared intently at the sky, his eyes filled with extreme anger.
"—Klitschko!!!"
Countless white tentacles thrashed wildly, and his body shot into the sky like a cannonball.
He gripped the dazzling white holy sword tightly in his hand, like an extremely sharp golden blade, piercing straight into the sky!
Everyone involuntarily followed his movements, looking up, fists clenched, breaths quickening. Their battlefield was on the ground, while he charged into the sky.
……
"8 seconds."
I heard that in the past, there was a fake Noel who, just like me, rode in a mecha and flew into the sky... Fortunately, I don't need to be confused about whether I am real or fake.
Yamada-cho touched the cold glass, which was already frosted over. Outside, the eternal night was silent, as if covered by a thick layer of ink, and nothing could be seen except for the falling white snow.
Before his life ended, the snow began to disintegrate his body.
They passed through the cold machinery and landed on him; his palms began to melt, his legs began to melt, his torso began to melt… Strangely, he didn't feel pain; instead, he felt a light, floating sensation, like the pleasurable feeling after taking a drug… His brain was numb, his whole body became light, and he seemed to see a rainbow, as if he were about to fly…
Light as a feather, light as a feather.
Ming'an's side should be bathed in eternal daylight, a golden, brilliant, warm sky. A false sky belonging to the Radiant Mother Goddess. But here, due to the End of the Snow, it's a cold void.
One is day, the other is night.
"7 seconds."
Fortunately, he didn't envy the sunshine; he had already seen spring.
In the memories that have just come to mind, in countless fantasies, in the past that has already happened... he has already seen spring, he will not feel cold anymore.
Like an old ox ruminating on happy memories, these images are enough to soothe his pain whenever he feels it. He is a person with very small desires; just a little warmth is enough for him to consider someone a friend. That's why he is always betrayed by petty people, yet he gives his heart away time and time again.
He doesn't ask for much.
They were just a group of friends who cared about him and would wave to him.
With these guys around, spring will come on its own.
……
"Swish swish swish swish—!!!"
Su Ming'an, his entire body engulfed in pure white flames, charged straight upwards.
Like cutting melons and vegetables, no one could stop a first-level god who had fully unleashed his power. He had suppressed and held back for far too long, until this moment when he burned completely like a firefly drawn to a flame, like a spark that suddenly burst into flame!
They won't stop until the very last moment has burned!
Day and night seemed to have lost their dividing line, for even the brightest daylight could not compare to the radiance emanating from him at this moment. Red, yellow, orange… colors that belonged to the concept of fire were all absent from him; only pure white remained, a pure white that could annihilate everything!
Holy, beautiful, turbulent, cold...
Pure killing intent, pure slash!
Like a red-hot knife slicing through butter, the golden eye-shaped creation was pierced through without any resistance before it could even organize a second volley.
Twelve enormous angels with three pairs of wings of light on their backs appeared in front of Su Ming'an's ascent path, all raising their holy swords and chains in an attempt to block his impact.
Su Ming'an did not slow down in the slightest, holding the holy sword horizontally with the tip aimed at the core of the array.
It charged straight ahead without hesitation!
Turbulence, cut it down!
Slay the angel who blocks my way!
Demonic energy, slay!
Golden gelatinous substance, slash!
"Boom! Boom boom boom—!"
The pale, sharp holy sword became the wedge that split the heavens and the earth. The first angel's flaming longsword shattered the moment it made contact, followed by his chest, wings of light, head... like a glass sculpture struck head-on by an invisible giant hammer, exploding into countless rays of light that scattered across the sky!
The second, the third... like a pale lightning bolt tearing through all the curtains, wherever it passed, the array of angels was brutally pierced! The chains that touched him were ruthlessly devoured, he was like a silent, gaping maw, swallowing everything around him!
"Swish, swish..."
Those watching up close were stunned, a brief silence falling over them. The impact of this scene was breathtaking. The billowing white smoke engulfed and swallowed everything in its path!
Upward, upward!
Towards the heavens, towards the world beyond!
Like a pale bird burning its entire body, nothing can stop its wildly flapping wings!
All of this happened so fast, in just a few seconds. One moment people could still see Su Ming'an, and the next he was already deep in the clouds, soaring to an infinite height!
……
"6 seconds."
Yamada Machiichi exhaled a puff of white breath through the porthole and saw the legendary "double seam".
—A soft, expansive, and dark background lies against which lies a bizarre, blue-purple ribbon, reminiscent of the depth and chaos of a black hole. The space presents a crumpled yet unfolded translucent texture, like gazing upon a constantly floating kaleidoscope. It is as beautiful as the first ray of light at the dawn of the universe, where the boundary between reality and unreality gradually blurs.
The closer he got, the more he saw the snowflakes crystallize into numbers, the formula symbols into streaks of rainbow, the metal into transparent coral, and even his own comical reflection in the glass, the colors transforming into incomprehensible characters…
The incomprehensible cosmic landscape was reflected in the boy's astonished eyes.
Like a toddler seeing a picture of a black hole for the first time, he opened his eyes wide and took a deep breath. A sense of satisfaction and awe at glimpsing the vast unknown welled up within him, as if he had glimpsed the truth.
Just like Wan Hu, who sacrificed himself to fly into the sky in ancient China in order to glimpse the heavens, Yamada Machiichi understood why a formula or a photograph is worth the life and even the sacrifice of many scientists.
His body was covered in snow, pitted and scarred, with a piece missing from his chest and a piece missing from his thigh, like an animated character erased by an eraser.
The next instant, a snowflake landed on his cheek, and he suddenly couldn't hear anything.
There was complete silence around him, but thankfully he could still see the two slits so close to his ears.
Did the snow "wipe away" my ears? The snow that wipes everything away... amazing! On a higher-dimensional scale, humans are truly insignificant.
"5 seconds."
He reached out and gently touched the glass in front of him, trying to feel the beautiful and magical outline through the glass.
"4 seconds."
……
"Shh! Shh! Shh!"
Su Ming'an flapped his wings and ascended into the air at an incredible speed, faster than the human eye could see.
Troposphere, stratosphere, ionosphere...
He rarely flew this high, after all, he couldn't see the ground. But at this moment, all he wanted was the highest.
As a human being, he would naturally fear the vastness of the universe, the vacuum, the extreme cold, and the unknown and the profound. However, as a god, he should be the first to fly beyond the world.
At first, all I could hear was a deafening finale, mixed with the muffled thud of explosions, the whistling of wind pressure, and the cacophony of shouts from millions of people rapidly receding below.
Suddenly, the altitude increased dramatically, and everything became quiet.
The thin air could no longer transmit sound; only the roar of his own blood surging and divine power boiling echoed within his skull. The temperature was extremely low, but it was irrelevant to his divine power.
Then, the blue of the sky rapidly faded to inky black, and stars lit up one after another. An extreme cold seeped in from all directions, approaching minus one hundred degrees Celsius—a cosmic chill capable of freezing even the soul. The air pressure dropped to near a vacuum, and the air became so thin it was almost nonexistent.
Looking up, the target is within reach—no longer the distant sky, but a "lid" that is slowly creeping, flowing with rich liquid golden light, as thick as amber walls.
It was as if he had crashed into an invisible and resilient gel; with every meter he advanced, he had to crush something. His speed visibly slowed down, the pale light and the golden barrier locked in a fierce battle of attrition.
right here.
—White or gold stretching across the sky.
Once the lid is broken, the scene will instantly shift. The false gold will vanish completely, replaced by the seamless expanse of deep space.
Planets hang as giant arcs in the darkness, while stars appear as extremely bright fireballs, silently gazing into the vacuum.
Su Ming'an's movements finally froze slightly, like a ship plunging into an extremely viscous golden ocean. His speed visibly slowed down; for every meter he advanced, he had to sever a tentacle of rules. More tentacles and golden light surged in from all directions.
Those golden eyes looked over with a mocking gaze, as if to say:
mortal,
You cannot break me.
……
"3 seconds."
“This is it…” Yamada Machiichi looked at the navigation map and saw that his red dot had completely overlapped with the light band of the “double seam”, ready to be detonated.
Inside the mech, all non-essential systems were shut down one by one, leaving only the self-destructing core in the center, emitting an unstable red light.
In the driver's seat, Yamada Machiichi, his body ravaged by the snow of the end, could barely feel himself. He gazed through the observation window at the twin slits that shimmered with the beauty and danger of the universe.
"So beautiful..." he murmured silently. His hand tightened on the self-destruct trigger.
Suddenly, he felt a pang of regret. He would never know the reason behind it all, who the Lord of Dreams really was, or whether Su Ming'an could truly win in the end... He would never get an answer to any of these questions.
Outside the window, the deep black night sky grew ever purer, the stars coldly gazing upon this tiny creation. The familiar world below was now so distant that nothing could be seen.
Snowflakes brushed against his earlobe, and his eyes disappeared with them.
……
It felt as if countless hands were pressing down on him from behind—Su Lin, Lu Shu, Dragon Emperor Ian, the players on the ground, and all those who had already perished. They stared at him, at the countless arms, countless hands, countless wildly beating tentacles, and even at his own weight…
"Give me--"
The countless pale tentacles behind the god retracted frantically, merging completely with the holy sword on his arm. He transformed himself into a chisel that split the heavens, driving it fiercely into the golden wall!
The moment of contact—
"break--!!!"
……
"2 seconds."
Yamada-cho closed his eyes.
He originally didn't want to say anything anymore, since no one could hear him now.
After the live streams were merged, no viewers could see or record this moment.
……
[Warning! Arrived at designated location – “Double Seam”.]
……
But for some reason, he still gently opened his mouth:
"Sorry……"
……
[WARNING! Self-destruction is about to begin! Driver has not yet disembarked!]
……
"I'm too weak, I can't find a better path..."
"1 seconds."
……
I know you can succeed. I believe in you. This stage belongs to you.
……
"I really love you all..."
"Click".
He will use the self-destructing wrench, pulling it all the way down.
Without hesitation. Without looking back.
—For the tomorrow you can see.
……
[Current number of survivors in the squad: 12/15]
……
"Snap—!!!"
A shattering sound, seemingly echoing through eternity, exploded from the point where Su Ming'an's sword met the sky.
Su Ming'an gripped the holy sword with both hands and thrust it downwards with force!
Isabelle also stopped causing trouble at this moment. Before her was the number one enemy. She helped him unleash one hundred percent of her divine power and pierced the holy sword, which was forged by time and life, with the crimson and the blue.
"Whoosh—!!!!"
A pale radiance, billions of times more dazzling than the birth of the sun, erupted from the point where the sword pierced the sky, like a supernova bursting forth after being suppressed for countless epochs. The entire sky seemed to be being forcibly torn apart from within by an unparalleled pale force.
At the very core where the sword's edge pointed, a tiny speck of darkness appeared.
Darkness spreads!
The next moment, starting from that "break point", cracks spread, the river of light poured back, and the sky shattered!
"Click-click-click-click-click-click—!"
For an instant.
The heavy, golden "sky canopy" was brutally cleaved open by this sword strike, which embodied all power and will, leaving a gap shimmering with pale cracks. A deep blue, yet realistic, cosmic light surged in like a torrent through the opening!
"boom!!!"
Almost at the same millisecond, in the silent deep space on the other side, at the location of the "Double Slit," a ball of destructive light mixed with mecha debris violently expanded!
It devoured the beautiful yet dangerous crevice, distorted the surrounding space and rules, and, along with the last trace of Yamada Machiichi's existence, was submerged in a grand and unknown cataclysmic explosion.
—The sky has fallen.
Above the sky, the Eye of Radiance showed a moment of panic. The Twin Seams were the transport channel through which it obtained power from the Lord of Dreams. It originally thought that it could rely on this power to deal with Su Ming'an, but it did not expect that the Twin Seams would suddenly explode at this moment.
On what grounds? On the grounds of those guys in the normal timeline?
"Look—!"
"Su Ming'an shattered the sky!"
Everyone standing on the ground witnessed this scene, even from an immense distance; they could see it clearly.
The sky is shattered.
The golden filter that had always shrouded Rovasa was completely torn off, like a cheap stage curtain.
Thus, the true universe, obscured for countless millennia, for the first time without reservation, crashed into the eyes and consciousness of every living being looking up—
……
There is no sun.
……
Rovasa and Zhai Xing are not in the same star system at all; they are far apart... while the Sun is a star in the solar system.
Why does everyone take it for granted that Rovasa has the sun?
There is no red sun.
There is no Blue Moon either.
When Su Ming'an abruptly shattered the illusion of the sky, people awoke as if from a dream, a layer of mist seemingly lifted from their minds, and they looked up—
In the sky,
There was no star that they believed should exist, providing light and heat.
Instead, there was a vast, deep, and chilling blue...
This is the color that the Rovasa celestial sphere should truly possess. It is the radiant light dragged down by distant galaxy clusters, the nebulous glow diffused by cosmic dust clouds…
A uniform, tranquil, and boundless deep blue.
It silently loomed over the shattered gap in the sky, coldly gazing down at the biosphere below, whose "roof" had just been breached. Like a searchlight, it cast the first massive, eerie blue beam of light onto the scarred earth below. Within the beam, the dust in the air, the drifting blood mist, and the remaining fragments of energy all shone with an eerie blue hue.
Then came the second, the third... More and more pale blue light poured in from the ever-growing gaps in the broken surface, rapidly washing away the original gold on the battlefield.
All the Rowasa natives and players bathed in this deep blue sky were stunned and bewildered.
They looked up at the deep blue sky they had never imagined, feeling the cold "sunlight" falling on their skin.
The sun... is golden, warm, rising in the east and setting in the west. This is a truth etched into their civilization as naturally as breathing.
Now, the "truth" is shattering before their eyes.
The "sunlight" they received was, from beginning to end, merely a simulated fake.
They lived in an ecosphere. The owner of the ecosphere lit a carefully disguised golden ceiling light for them, and they never questioned the reality beyond the lampshade.
They finally understood why Su Ming'an had persevered in moving forward, never stopping for a moment, and willingly embraced "peace" and "happiness".
A young man with flowing black hair hovered beneath the shattered sky, his pale figure appearing ghostly in the eerie blue light of the universe. He slowly lowered his sword, gazing at the battlefield below, which was rapidly being transformed into a world of vibrant colors.
He broke the "sky".
Ran Bo is right, science no longer exists. But science ceased to exist long before the Second Age—the Age of Creation. When the fundamental rules of the world are merely written stories, when the stars above are just background textures… the edifice of science built upon observation and induction has long since vanished.
Su Ming'an looked up at the cracked hole.
His holy sword cleaved through the first "box," allowing Rovasa and the others to glimpse the true sky beyond. Is there an even larger "box" beyond that universe... waiting for him to cut it open like he did today?
Heumis, Lord of Dreams.
Will you be the one who, like the Radiant Mother, covers up this larger "box"? Are you the one who controls the switch of this "box," so each time, in the end, you cover everything with "blank space," restarting everything...
Above the hole in the sky, a humanoid figure made of golden light is falling.
—After the sky shattered, the Radiant Mother Goddess was challenged by Su Ming'an's "invitation from the tower" and forcibly dragged into the mortal world, falling into the mortal realm that she despised the most.
His radiance remained dazzling, and his power still made all beings tremble. However, the god who had fallen into the background was no longer an invincible god. Like a fallen star, he was forced into this cat box.
He crashed into this mortal world, stained with the blood, will, and smoke of mortals.
A pure white figure, suspended beneath the shattered sky.
A golden god descended upon the ravaged earth.
……
"—Seize this opportunity to annihilate the Radiant Force!!!"
On the ground, Ward roared into the communicator. Su Ming'an had used the "Tower Invitation" to hold off the Radiant Mother Goddess alone, precisely to isolate her from the world's influence. Now, without the Radiant Mother Goddess's interference, they were finally no longer rejected by the world and could unleash their full potential.
Come on, let's fight!
The warriors raised their shields and charged toward the golden object.
"Whoosh whoosh whoosh—!" The mages raised their staffs and cast spells from afar.
It was as if billions of bowstrings were pulled to their limit at the same time, or billions of volcanoes erupted simultaneously.
At this moment, the entire battlefield, from the sky to the ground, was completely submerged by a dazzling surge of energy.
……
On the ground, the group of players who had chosen to return from the origin point gradually finished resting and went back onto the battlefield. Agnes, Sunset, Anchi, Leslie, Xiaoxiao...
“I redeemed the reward, not to go home and be a coward.” Agnes donned her armor, looking heroic.
"I'll assist Su Ming'an," Rimu Sheng said succinctly.
"Hehe... Everyone's so energetic, it would be too rude of me to slouch in the back." Anchi smiled with narrowed eyes.
"There's nothing I can do... I'm short of points in my account." Leslie shook her head.
“Zhenzhen, let’s go together.” Xiao Xiao squeezed Wang Zhenzhen’s hand. He returned to the source point and was pleasantly surprised to find that Wang Zhenzhen was still alive; she had used Silver Star to teleport out. Although neither of them gained any particularly powerful abilities this time—Xiao Xiao had exchanged for the “Right to Resurrection” instead of some abilities—it didn’t matter; Xiao Xiao didn’t regret it.
This is a time of global crisis.
The group of players who chose to move forward from the origin failed to arrive, while those who chose to turn back and preserve the flame were not content with the honor they had already gained, and instead stepped onto the battlefield once more. Whether driven by a thirst for glory or a desire for battlefield points, their actions speak louder than their intentions; they came forward.
"Follow me—"
With a wave of his hand, the highest-ranked Oxie unleashed a thunderous roar and caused purple snakes to dance wildly.
A chilling thunderclap, rising above the sun.
"--charge!!!"
……
After completing their mission in the normal timeline, Siber, Danshuang, and Asagao arrived on the battlefield.
The players were all taken aback when they saw them:
"I heard they weren't helping Yamada Machiichi in the normal timeline?"
"Great! It seems the mission in the normal timeline went smoothly, and they've escaped and come back to help us!"
"Very good……"
……
After joining you guys, Lin Yin always casually put her arm around my shoulder, and Lü Shu never gave me strange looks. Although he was quiet, he always took good care of me. Lu often complimented me on my looks; he's such a gentle person.
This feeling is hard to describe, like my inferiority complex is nothing to them. I'm just Yamada Machiichi, a slightly timid, sarcastic friend who loves anime and skirts...
……
"—They're here! They've arrived too!!!"
"Holy crap, who is it?"
"Such a powerful aura, this...this must be a god!!"
"I heard the name of the god had changed before, and it really is them! Top players on the leaderboard!"
On the ground, players were shouting.
Nine streaks of light, like shooting stars, flew in from the distant horizon, their imposing momentum instantly overwhelming most of the battlefield. Leading them was Aiden, ranked fifth on the leaderboard. He possessed divine strength, wore golden armor, and wielded a massive warhammer overflowing with endless divine light.
— "Thunder Knight" Aiden arrives bearing the name "Angel of War".
"Thankfully, we made it in time!" Derrick, the ninth-ranked Golden Lawbringer, was enveloped in golden light like the inscriptions of a contract, holding a heavy legal code in his hand. He quickly wiped his sweat and breathed a sigh of relief.
— Derrick, the “Golden Law,” descends bearing the name of the “God of Contracts.”
"Hey, looks like we've arrived just in time! Looks like Ward did a good job, controlling the situation." Anthony, the Heavenly Judge ranked sixteenth on the leaderboard, shouldered a giant cannon and wore studded heavy armor. He quickly glanced at the players' legions and breathed a sigh of relief when he saw that there was no sign of a rout.
—Anthony, the “divine judgment,” arrives bearing the name of the “God of Steam.”
"Everyone, prepare for battle." The Prophet Eleven, ranked eighteenth on the leaderboard, had data streams cascading down his body like a waterfall, and countless codes flashed in his eyes.
— "Prophet" 11 arrives bearing the name of "Lord of the Internet".
"It's all because some people are too slow. They absorb for ages, but if there's no compatibility, they should be replaced." Lin Jiang, ranked 59th on the list, casually held a balance scale. This artifact in her hands was like a weight used for buying vegetables at the market, swaying back and forth.
— Lin Jiang, the “Twin Scissors,” enters the scene bearing the title of “God of Trade.”
“After all, it’s not quick to gather my followers, and I’m afraid I’ll be picked off one by one if I come alone.” Sherry, the Hand of Enlightenment, ranked 77th on the leaderboard, smiled. Flowers bloomed where she stood, and the wheat in her hand radiated a golden glow.
—Sherry, the “Hand of Enlightenment,” arrives bearing the name “Angel of Harvest.”
"Su Ming'an! Look, it's Su Ming'an who's broken through the wall!" Mei Yani, the Eye of Resurrection, ranked ninety-sixth on the leaderboard, had long hair that danced like vines and eyes like an emerald forest. She saw the person who broke through the wall straight into the sky at first glance and didn't care about anything else.
—Meiani, the “Eye of Resuscitation,” arrives bearing the name of “Angel of Nature.”
"May my God protect me..." Angor, the Shadow Shepherd ranked 121st on the leaderboard, stood as steady as a mountain, gently making the sign of the cross on his chest and praying with his hands folded.
—Angol, the “Shadow Shepherd,” arrives bearing the name “Earth Angel.”
"Go, comrades!" Angelica, ranked 328th on the leaderboard, cradled a glowing scroll and wore a laurel wreath. Floating tomes and dispelling mist surrounded her. Her gaze was intense and piercing.
—Angelica, the "Lightbringer," arrives bearing the name of the "Angel of Wisdom."
"Holy crap!" The players were stunned as nine dazzling meteors fell. Nine players, radiating various colors of light, stood in the sky, their divine light shining brightly, their forms either beautiful or handsome.
"Awesome!" they couldn't help but exclaim.
"Wow, that's amazing! Nine at once!"
"Is this the legendary 'Nine Seats'?"
"Go on!"
A divine army descended from the heavens—this was a true divine army descending from the heavens. Actually, judging by the timeline, they shouldn't have made it in time, but they witnessed Su Ming'an's astonishing feat of ascending to a first-level god in just ten minutes through the live chat…
This was truly shocking, and they immediately felt a wave of embarrassment. They had gone through so much trouble to reach the Court of the Star Gods and usurp their divine positions, and were still slowly absorbing the new power. Mayani suggested that they first elevate them to the level of gods, even if it was only a rudimentary level, it was better than falling behind completely. After all, once the battle with the Radiant Mother Goddess was over, they would likely no longer be needed.
So the nine of them hurried as fast as they could and finally caught up with the war.
Their arrival was perfectly timed. Su Ming'an was fighting the Radiant Mother Goddess alone, and the ground needed god-level power; the appearance of the nine people perfectly filled that gap.
……
Rovasa, before the abyss, the battlefield, the command post.
The Joint Mission's Supreme Strategic Command Center was established at the Rovasa front, and Liu Jiahe slowly raised his head. He saw the pale figure resolutely ascend into the sky; the lofty deity was finally being dragged down to the mortal world.
He heard sounds coming from all around him.
"The sky has broken..."
Where is the sun? Where is our sun?
"There has never been a sun..."
Some people knelt down, some were in tears, like infants opening their eyes for the first time.
Liu Jiahe recalled seventeen years ago when he first read the briefing on "Remains Left by Extraterrestrials in the Arctic." During several secret meetings of the United Government, scientists speculated about the existence of extraterrestrial life above the solar system, a life form that seemed to observe everything. He himself had once walked alone to the rooftop of the command center late at night, gazing at the stars, imagining what extraterrestrial life might look like—God? Buddha? Or some indescribable being?
He thought at the time: If Zhai Xing is a weak box, the farthest footprint of mankind is only the moon, and they cannot even step out of the solar system. If one day someone can break this lid, what will that person be like?
Now he sees it.
It is neither a demon with three heads and six arms, nor a saint with boundless radiance.
He was just a young man covered in blood.
"General Liu."
Footsteps sounded behind me.
"explain."
"Yes, sir." The soldier stood at attention and saluted. "Report: During the clearing of the remaining enemy forces at the forward positions, an unusual energy crystal was discovered at the edge of the abyss. The identification department has preliminarily determined that it does not belong to any known enemy unit and suspects it to be a friendly relic."
Liu Jiahe finally withdrew his gaze:
"Friend's belongings?"
"Yes." The soldier presented it with both hands.
A gemstone. About the size of an adult's thumb, dark blue in color.
The instant Liu Jiahe reached out his hand, his fingertips touching the surface of the gemstone—
The world went silent.
He saw it through the gem.
In the center of an endless expanse of gray and pitch black, a darkness imperceptible to the naked eye, like a wasteland abandoned at the edge of the universe, Liu Jiahe, at his level of existence, could not determine where he was. But in the very center, he saw a familiar person—
Yang Changxu, a soldier with torn clothes and covered in blood.
Yang Changxu and Joey unexpectedly got separated from the return team at the source point, and in the end only Violet and Chen Yuhang successfully returned to Rovasa. Everyone thought they were dead; after all, with their strength, it was impossible for them to survive getting lost in such a place.
People immediately surrounded Liu Jiahe, as if they had witnessed a miracle.
Yang Changxu floated, still wearing his military uniform and epaulets, his face calm, but his figure gradually became transparent.
“…Commander Yang,” Liu Jiahe began.
This gem must have been delivered by Yang Changxu and Qiao Yi with great effort. I don't know how they did it; perhaps they used a reward they had exchanged to send it. Later, it was picked up by a soldier and passed on to Liu Jiahe in time.
But there was nothing the Liu family could do. They had no means of rescue, and without the protection of the World Game, no one could go to the Source Point. It was now a sunken ship with no way to return.
Yang Changxu opened his eyes.
For a moment, his eyes were blank, as if he had just woken from a deep sleep. But less than a second later, his focus was on him again, and with a reaction speed ingrained in a soldier's bones, he immediately recognized Liu Jiahe.
"General Liu, what's wrong with you...?" Yang Changxu asked in surprise.
"Someone found the gem you gave away," Liu Jiahe said solemnly. "Commander Yang, you have completed thirteen rounds of trials, exchanged for key resources, and chosen to continue the 'Awakening of the Demon Mother Goddess' mission. The United Government highly appreciates and thanks you for this. We have already received Violet's post-war briefing. Your contributions in this operation have been recorded."
Yang Changxu's pupils glazed over for a moment before he realized his situation. He saw the Liu family and the faces behind them filled with admiration and sorrow. He knew he couldn't go back.
But he nodded and said calmly, "That's good. Before Joey died, he gave me what he had exchanged... At least one of them was delivered to you. This thing can communicate across dimensions. I've also given my exchanged items to Su Ming'an. I've finally completed my mission."
Upon hearing the news of Joey's death, a trace of sorrow flashed in people's eyes.
In the gray void, the edges of Yang Changxu's body became even more blurred.
“…The sky has broken.” He looked up at the distant shore.
"Yes, Su Ming'an cut it open."
Yang Changxu lay in the black water, his eyes focused, as if trying to imprint this moment into his mind.
“…It looks good,” he said.
Liu Jiahe remained silent, and so did everyone else. Everyone knew this was Yang Changxu's final farewell.
“When I was a child, my father took me to see the sea,” Yang Changxu said. “At dusk, the sun set, and the sky was golden red. I asked my father: Where did the sun go? He said: The sun will not disappear, and the sun will rise again tomorrow. Day after day, the sun in the east will always rise.”
"Later I joined the army and didn't watch the sunrise properly for many years."
"General Liu..."
"I'm here."
Is that sky the real one?
Liu Jiahe looked up and glanced at it. A deep blue light was pouring in continuously from the crack. It wasn't the man-made dome that had been altered over billions of years; it was the light of countless stars that had traveled thousands of light-years to finally fall on this planet.
"It's true. Commander Yang... is there anything else you need to convey?"
Yang Changxu thought for a moment.
"General Liu."
"exist."
"Please watch the sun rise tomorrow for me."
"……it is good."
The static in the headset gradually faded, and communication became unstable. The void at the source was swallowing up the last signal.
"All personnel at the United Government Frontline Command Center."
Liu Jiahe paused for a moment:
"Everyone stand up."
The fabric rubbed together, the heels pressed together. Neat and uniform, silent and solemn.
"Salute to Commander Yang Changxu!"
In the temporary command room on the edge of the battlefield, in front of the huge holographic screen in the command center, the generals, staff officers, communications soldiers, technicians and other personnel sent by the joint regiment... regardless of their rank or which faction they belonged to, all faced the void at this moment, their right hands raised to their foreheads, their gazes solemn.
Towards someone who is adrift deep within the source, never to return to their group.
Towards a soldier who chose to move forward and could not turn back.
Towards a hero.
Yang Changxu slowly straightened his back and raised a hand so transparent that its outline was almost invisible. His posture was perfect, exactly as he had looked when he graduated in his youth.
He returned the gift.
A standard, meticulous military salute.
Seventeen years have passed. From military academy to the battlefield, from Zhai Xing to the world of gaming, from repeated retreats to this time with no turning back, his posture has never changed.
“Yang Changxu received it,” he said.
His voice was steady.
His voice suddenly became distant, like the last tremor before the wind ceased, but his gaze remained calm, the look of a soldier on his final mission.
May the sun of Zhaixing rise as usual.
As a child, he loved the sun and believed in tomorrow. Later, he witnessed many tomorrows without the sun and didn't think about sunrise for a long time.
Seeing the blue star of Rovasa, he was reminded of the sun of Zhaixing—a star that had burned alone for 4.6 billion years. Located at the very center of the solar system, it appeared on every ordinary morning that every Zhaixing inhabitant was accustomed to.
He suddenly wanted to know what time it was outside the window of the United Government Command Center in the world of the Supreme Gods. Was it dawn or dusk?
What will tomorrow look like? What color will it be?
The signal is lost.
In the hazy, gray void, Yang Changxu closed his eyes. His consciousness began to dissipate, like ink dripping into clear water, slowly and gently spreading. There was no pain, no struggle. He gradually lost the sensation of his limbs, torso, and heartbeat.
May the sun of Zhaixing rise as usual.
Whether under a fabricated dome or in the real, boundless universe.
Whether in the eyes of those who were able to rejoin the team, or in the eyes of those who were forever left behind.
Whether it was brought by Su Ming'an... or witnessed by everyone, the first player who shattered the illusion will bring dawn to everyone.
To the outside world, Liu Jiahe had taken off his military cap.
—The sun will rise as usual tomorrow.
……
recording.
Commander Yang Changxu lost contact in the origin area after the thirteenth round of trials in the World Game, while en route to carry out the "Awakening of the Demon Mother Goddess" mission. It has been confirmed that he will not be able to return to the team.
He displayed bravery during the mission, remaining steadfast in his military post until the very last moment.
He was posthumously awarded the First Class Medal of Honor by the United Government.
That's all, archived.
……
11:59 PM.
The ward is on the seventeenth floor.
A narrow crack was left in the east-facing window, allowing cosmic sunlight from beyond the dome to stream in and fall on the woman's face.
Violet Elshorp.
A top-ranked player and one of the decision-makers for the Origin team.
The disinfectant smell was faint, and the green ripples on the heart rate monitor pulsed regularly. Her exquisite and charming long hair was spread out on the snow-white pillow, and her makeup had long been removed, revealing her originally pale and thin skin.
The door opened a crack.
The nurse peeked in, then gently closed the door. Leslie had come two minutes earlier; the doctor said Violet's brain and nerves had suffered extensive necrosis, and the injury at the source was untreatable.
Is it worth it?
Violet drifted into a hazy, feverish coma, occasionally regaining consciousness. She recalled a job interview she had at nineteen, when the boss asked her a seemingly random question: "Do you believe the universe has boundaries?" She replied, "I believe boundaries are meant to be broken." The entire room laughed.
From a timid newcomer to a top player, from "a clever red-light district girl" to "Violet Elthorpe," to a name that can be written into the history of human civilization's struggle.
In the hazy light, she seemed to be standing on that patch of black water again.
"Violet, aren't you going back?" Leslie asked her.
She heard her own voice. She was laughing then, a charming smile, her eyes clear, as if she were discussing something completely ordinary:
Hehe... Sometimes I'm proud of my own keen perception. I want to believe that person; I feel he had ulterior motives. Such a simple death is too easy for him. So, I will move forward.
She walked forward.
The final result proved that the key he risked his life to escort was not crucial. So, was his decision not to turn back worthless?
Is the action wrong simply because the final result is useless?
Nobody thinks that way.
"Give me..." she mumbled incoherently amidst her high fever, "...a chance to drive a luxury car and be surrounded by flowers..."
The green ripples on the heart rate monitor began to change, and the regular beeping slowed, like a clock winding itself to its final revolution. A soft blue light seeped in through the gaps in the curtains, evenly illuminating her face.
Violet didn't open her eyes. She seemed to see the starry sky of when she was eight years old, her mother telling stories of space travel by her bedside. Before her family's decline, she had also dreamed of becoming an astronaut. Who would have thought that a red-light district girl once had such lofty ideals? It's almost laughable.
She saw the black water, saw her teammates' backs disappearing one by one into the darkness, and then she finished walking the path herself.
Dark blue, cold, real, eternal.
The first light of the universe.
A solitary journey of 4.6 billion years, just to fall upon the corner of her eye for this one moment.
So this is what a boundary is.
So it turns out the universe can be reached.
World of Games...you make me feel so lucky.
She gently curled the corners of her lips into a tired smile.
"drop--"
……
In the next room, Chen Yuhang slowly opened his eyes.
High fever and pain tormented his nerves, and he thought he would die several times. He finally managed to get up and saw the rainbow of the universe outside the window.
"Brother Wang... Brother Wang... cough cough cough!" He dragged his body covered in IV drips and immediately tried to get out of bed.
The nurse quickly helped him up and told him about Wang Xingkong. Chen Yuhang was stunned for a moment, and then suddenly burst into tears.
"Brother Wang..."
"You promised to go to college with me..."
……
……
[...Alright. Let's stop recording here. My white crane is almost here. Everyone, raise your weapons. We're almost at the platform for the Creators' Assembly.]
Although I'm a little reluctant, and not even sure if anyone will hear me... with so many people watching, I have to go.
"Is it eternal daylight where you are? Su Ming'an."
Keep winning.
No need to hesitate, no need to waver. If you regret it because of my death, then that's exactly what I want.
【sorry.】
I'm sorry, Su Ming'an, Lu, Beiwang, and everyone who believed in me.
[Just consider these words as something I said when I was out of my mind. If I'm lucky enough to survive, you can bring them up at the New Year's Eve dinner to make fun of me, and I promise I won't be angry, really.]
That means it's all over. You're all still alive. The world keeps turning.
That would be so wonderful.
[Yamada's heart was once a desert, a river waiting to be plunged into; it has transformed into a flower garden because of you.]
Thank you for approaching this desolate and lonely desert. Thank you for planting a seed of flowers in the heart of this oddball.
You have kept me from withering.
【Thank you.】
【Bye now.】
No, or rather... I hope we can meet again.
"When I was in junior high school art class, I saw a quote from Leonardo da Vinci in my art book that I thought was really good and wanted to tell you..."
……
"Once you've tried flying, you'll look up at the sky even when you're walking..."
"[Because that's a place you've been to, and a place you long to return to.]"
……
"Whoosh!" The holy sword pierced the god's arm, drawing blood.
The black-haired youth, wings outstretched, had a raging fire in his eyes.
[HP -11428! (Holy Sword Damage! Devour! Targeted Strike!)]
A section of blood was visibly drawn from the top of the Radiant Mother Goddess's head.
This is the first time that life within the sandbox has harmed Him.
……
"Boom boom boom boom—!" Fireworks exploded in the sky.
Countless players shouted and roared as they unleashed their skills at the broken dome.
……
"Whoosh—" Su Lin, Lü Shu, Dragon Emperor Ian... took off in unison, drew their swords, spread their wings, and rushed toward a coordinate.
……
"Everyone, follow me!" Aiden charged ahead, leading eight player gods, leaving nine streaks of fire like shooting stars.
……
"Come on, it's our turn!" Sunset, Leslie, Anchi, Agnes... hundreds of top-ranked players drew their weapons, chanted skills, and followed closely behind.
……
"Zhenzhen, stay close to me!" Xiaoxiao gripped Wang Zhenzhen's hand tightly. Behind them were a vast number of ordinary players.
……
"Whoosh!" Siber, Dan Shuang, and Asagao instantly took to the air, their eyes blazing like fire.
……
"All personnel, prepare!" In the world of the Supreme God, the entire staff of the United Government's temporary command center focused their attention, the lights blazing like lightning.
……
"..." In the world of the main god, people on the streets stopped and held each other's hands. Even the old man playing chess in the park looked up at the ubiquitous screen.
……
"They've started..." In the normal timeline, Bei Wang, Ryan, and Qin Ze all raised their heads and looked into the unseen distance.
……
"You still became the last god..." In the Sea of Immortality, Hui Bai looked up at the sky.
……
"Su Ming'an..." On the plain, the white fox that Xili had transformed into ran, gazing into the distance.
……
“Father God…” In the small world, Su Bread seemed to sense something, and the pen in his hand paused.
……
“My God…you always manage to do things that surprise us…” Boris, clutching the red card, suddenly burst into laughter, rubbing his forehead.
……
"Please let me witness...this ten thousandth..." From the gap in the mist, Aland's figure slowly emerged.
……
"...This is the first time someone has tried to stab Him." The god of reincarnation, Möbius, turned his gaze to the human world.
……
In the sky, Ming's figure appeared and disappeared.
……
In the depths of the water where wisteria blossoms float, a colorful sugar cube floats quietly.
……
In the Blackwater Dream, Lu Shen opened his eyes.
……
“What a long and arduous journey…” In the cosmic library, the purple-haired administrator leaned against the bookshelves and closed his eyes.
……
From the depths of the starry sea, the Supreme Lord cast his gaze.
……
As the AI master Dawn watched everything, a torrent of billions of waves flashed in his eyes.
……
"Can we look forward to this time?" On the world chessboard, the lonely king raised his head.
……
"Hehehehe... Hehehehe...!" Seven-colored figures emerged from the dimensional rift, accompanied by sharp and piercing laughter.
……
"..." In the void, blue eyes stared silently.
……
Finally, there was a pair of extremely silent pupils.
He waited quietly in the depths of the dream, watching and waiting... for the final "game".
……