Welcome to Rewind World Game-Chapter 1301 - 1297: Until Lv Shu and the Others Become Graves
He turned her book to the last page.
A simple sentence: [Soul lifespan approaching exhaustion, suicide.]
The previous sentence was: ["She said, ’You should be home by now.’]
The sentence before that was: [She arranged the furniture the same way as in the old days, sealed the sword in a wooden box, held the photo on the table in her arms, sat on the sofa, looked up at the sky outside the window, and then slowly finished a bar of chocolate, not knowing what she was thinking about.]
He searched for a long time before finding a time word: [Second Epoch].
Second Epoch.
It was... so long ago compared to now.
"Soul approaching exhaustion..." Su Ming’an muttered the words, looking up: "Approaching. Godfather."
He seemed to grasp something and repeated: "It is approaching, Godfather."
Li Mingyue lowered her gaze, sighing: "Yes."
"Then there’s still a chance. She must have found some method, dividing her soul into Si Yue and Yueyue, so their souls are identical to hers..." Su Ming’an immediately started thinking, planning on how to save her.
But Li Mingyue’s slightly melancholic words interrupted his thoughts:
"—But sooner or later, that day will come. Do you have to give your all every time?"
Even the audience outside the live broadcast room was already exhausted.
This was an unsolvable problem, every time, every time... even if saved time and again, that day would always come.
People who live long will die. This is an obvious truth, no matter how much effort is put into holding on, it remains the same.
The elderly in the intensive care unit, each episode consuming vast amounts of money and drugs, pulled back from the brink of death, but the doctors and relatives all knew, it was no use, just keeping life hanging.
Now, Su Ming’an is like this life-supporting machine.
The ninth, the tenth, he faced such problems. The eleventh, must he fully activate this life-support machine once more? How much energy and how many deaths would it take? The deeper exhaustion feared would not be her soul, but him.
"..." Su Ming’an lowered his head, not allowing himself to cry out.
The Godfather saw things too clearly, that day would come sooner or later.
Even in the Eleventh World, if he saves her once more, if he doesn’t meet her afterwards, she will still reach an end.
He felt something urgent in his throat, unbearably suppressing his tongue. He wanted to shout disregardful of anything, but could only softly murmur.
If the Number One Player were frenzied, it would affect countless people.
So, expressionless, he just pressed his hand lightly against his throat, searching as if there really was something foreign inside.
"Cough cough... gag gag..."
He almost self-destructively searched, tears of a physiological nature flowing, yet still expressionless as if his mind had sunk into a temporary blankness.
What should he think about.
What should he contemplate.
No results, no answers.
Until he vomited a pool of blood and stopped in a daze at this meaningless action, looking down at the pool of blood on the ground, not knowing what he was doing just now.
"..."
Then, a gentle touch came.
The Godfather took a white handkerchief, carefully wiped clean the blood on his fingers.
"...There will be a way." The Godfather folded the handkerchief: "Don’t hurt yourself."
Su Ming’an gradually calmed down. After a long silence, he spoke, his voice extremely hoarse, as if holding blood:
"Then Si Yue and Yueyue, are they her vessels for rebirth?"
"They are indeed vessels, their souls are imprinted, but they are independent individuals. Yuanyuan never intended to usurp them." Li Mingyue said:
"She just wanted you to see them and think she was not dead, so you wouldn’t be sad. After all, theoretically speaking, they are indeed equivalent to the incomplete Yuanyuan."
"She wanted you to make new friends so that you wouldn’t notice her departure—as long as ’Yuanyuan’ existed, whether it was her or not didn’t matter."
"Only, I thought for a long time and still decided to bring you to see the real Yuanyuan. Even the cruel truth is better than a warm fairy tale."
If Li Mingyue did not tell Su Ming’an the truth, perhaps Su Ming’an would really believe that Si Yue and Yueyue were Yuanyuan herself, he would only distinguish which one was the real Yuanyuan, and would not feel sad.
But Su Ming’an was glad to know the truth.
...How could she hide herself in the forgotten past, embracing death and solitude, leaving two ’her’s to welcome happiness and new life?
"...Is there any other way." Su Ming’an said softly.
"There should be a way in the Disciple Game. It doesn’t conflict with your Main Quest." Li Mingyue said: "If there is a similar Authority of Life, it should be able to extend her life."
But he only said "extend her life."
Like treating a centenarian, everyone knows the elderly will soon reach the end, all the procedures are merely to extend it for a year or two.
Observers, how free they are, enjoying life in every world, but excessively long time also means there is a deep temporal chasm between her and the players. His six months was equivalent to her millennium, so when he reached nineteen, she was already aging.
This is the natural outcome, it had been foretold in The World of Old Days. Yet he thought she could enjoy her youth until he too passed away.
But she clearly came before him.
Now, at the very end, it was finally his turn to face this lingering, unsolvable issue.
"...There is another once-for-all solution." Li Mingyue pursed her lips, sighing: "Help her... achieve Dimensional Ascension."
Become a person like Dieying. Forever free, and forever solitary.
Luowasha has a very high Positional Rank, if kept going, should be able to find some opportunities for Dimensional Ascension, just like the Fun Demon and Starfire. Believe Starfire is willing to help.
"I see." Su Ming’an subtly moved his lips.
He thought, he had a high probability of Dimensional Ascension, unable to return home. He could help her ascend with him, and along with Noel who wants to ascend... perhaps they could even form a "High Dimensional Group"! Tour the universe, leisurely gaze at their planet through the Shield, watch Lv Shu and Yamada tour Taihua Mountain, watch them visit Lin Yin’s hometown for hot pot, experience the North Country’s snowy vistas, see lavender in the absence of a guide, until Lv Shu and the others grow old, until they become tombs, till no familiar ones remain on the planet. And then tour the vast universe, seek new landscapes... it sounds quite interesting, yes, quite interesting.
Ha, hahaha, hahahahaha...
The laughter arose in his heart, yet his expression was like stagnant water, forgetting how to maneuver his muscles. The parched laugh pulled at his lips, indistinguishable whether crying or laughing.
He was already used to thinking of happy things when feeling down, even forcing himself to laugh aloud even if it wasn’t funny. This way, he seemed to have returned to normal.
The inner fragmentation, as long as no one saw it, it was fine. The wound of course wouldn’t heal, it would only become more broken with each wear, impossible to piece together, but what if he purposely ignored his wound?
When he was gradually forced by busy tasks to forget, forget his displeasure, he would be "happy".
After all, if even he were to be down, Lv Shu, Noel, Isabella, they would worry, with no benefit at all.
So, he stretched out his hands, touched the corners of his lips, made them curve up a bit, maybe such a gesture really did work, strangely, he felt a kind of "happiness" surging from his desolate and barren heart, like a clear spring flowing from a stone. And so, he smiled, put away Yuanyuan’s book, smiling toward Li Mingyue: "Alright, Godfather, I need to go back and prepare a bit."
The third round of the Disciple Game, he couldn’t present himself in a fragile manner.
Li Mingyue looked down at him, eyes misty with clouds, full of indescribable emotions.
"Alright." Li Mingyue said.
Su Ming’an turned around, walked out step by step, the exhibition hall particularly quiet, footsteps clearly audible. Cold lights illuminated his trembling eyelashes, lips curved upward, smiling, like the fitting Number One Player.
He walked a few steps and was suddenly called.
"Wait a moment." The voice drew closer to him, Li Mingyue walked towards him.
Then, Li Mingyue’s white hair blew onto him, and he extended his hand.
He slightly widened his eyes, looking perplexedly at Li Mingyue’s extended hand. He looked down at his bowtie and cuffs, finding nothing amiss. Earlier, in the church of The World of Old Days, Li Mingyue had tidied his clothes, but it didn’t seem necessary now.
He no longer needed to tidy his clothes, nor depend on the Godfather.
But that warm, dry palm didn’t adjust his collar; instead, it moved slightly upwards, fingers bending—
... Gently brushed past the corner of his eye.
Took away something imperceptible.
"... It’s fine now." Li Mingyue put his hands behind his back, gently wiping and nodding to him: "Go ahead."
No one pointed out the meaning of his actions.
They all seemed to tacitly let go of that topic.
Su Ming nodded, turned around, and walked out. Once he stepped out of this solemn and dignified Tomb of Books, beneath the starry night—his expression was as usual.
Starlight fell upon his face, his eyes clean and clear, still as before.
When he lost composure, he closed the live broadcast room, but upon confirming his expression was intact, he reopened it. So people saw the same steady, calm Number One Player. He wouldn’t lose composure or break down crying; even after hearing news of a companion’s death, he remained strong as ever, confidently walking under the spotlight.
This is the protagonist.
This is... the beloved protagonist.
However, before entering the Disciple Game, he took out that thick book from his backpack, fingers caressing it, flipping through her story page by page. From the initial alley meeting, to playing hopscotch, evading domestic violence, sharing chocolate, playing Overcooked together, dancing under the moonlight...
...
Unconsciously.
She filled his life.
He reshaped her years.
...
"Disciple Game·Stage Three·Dream of Alice" has opened.
Soon, you’ll be transported to the competition venue—
...
At the last moment, he slowly pressed the book against his forehead, just like that, as if he could feel the warmth in her eyes.
The crystal cat ear pendant swayed, tapping against his eyelids.
"Ding—ding—!"
At this moment, his eyelashes trembled slightly.
...
—As if touched by a painful embrace.
...
Participant 0000003030, welcome to the Disciple Game!
...
Disciple Game·Stage Three·Dream of Alice
Task for all participants: Protect those you "love," banish those you "loathe."
Key NPC for this stage: Shen Xue
Key clue locations for this stage: Teaching building, auditorium, laboratory
Your identity is: Su Liujin·Art Teacher·Alice
Your second identity is: Wang Xingkong·Student·Cheshire Cat
...
"Whoosh—!"
Su Ming’an opened his eyes.
He thought he would appear at Mingxi campus, but found himself in an endless plaza—where the Disciple Game originally began.
Billions of participants stood here, blankly looking up, unsure why the game hadn’t started.
"Woohoo—!"
At this time, light shone from afar, and a figure flew in.
"Probably Boss Tu about to say some nonsense, act cute, really annoying." Someone beside him said.
"Who wants to watch! Start the game already. I’ve killed over twenty people in reality these days, finally getting the feel of killing... I’ll definitely win in the end..." Said a teenager already twisted by the game.
Su Ming’an also felt it was a waste of time, this rabbit was about to spout nonsense again.
Under people’s impatient gazes—the host appeared.
However, it wasn’t Boss Tu.
Instead, it was a graceful, slender cat-eared youth dressed in a black lace dress. He leaned on a Rose Scepter, black hair fluttering, deep dark almond eyes.
Under people’s shocked gazes, he landed on a stone pillar in the sky.
"Good evening, everyone." The youth spoke softly, bowing slightly, tipping his black top hat: "From today onwards, the Disciple Game has been overthrown by the Disciple Game. I am the new host—Cat Boss."
... What?
Su Ming’an almost thought he heard wrong.
People also had shocked expressions, unable to understand what had happened.
"As is well known, piracy is endless. One falls, and another stands. Like a phoenix rising from the ashes, impossible to fully suppress. As long as there’s profit, they’ll forever cling like parasites, reviving with the breeze." Cat Boss said calmly: "And the Disciple Game you’ve seen before was merely the most resilient among them. Unfortunately, these days my Disciple Game took them down, so it’s my turn to host now."
"But you don’t need to worry, all data will be retained. Besides switching hosts, there are basically no differences. The game originally had only six stages, today’s the third stage."
"I am not as cheap as Boss Tu, won’t act cute or dance. Now, let the game begin."
Upon hearing this, Su Ming’an was extremely shocked. Could it be Boss Tu really got knocked down?
Turns out there are more than one piracy game. No wonder... There must be more than one dreamer like Boss Tu trying to counterattack the World Game in Luowasha. Bound by an information cocoon, Su Ming’an had only seen Boss Tu before.
However, no matter their schemes, he’ll crack them in the end.
Thinking of this, he wondered aloud: "Then why call it Disciple Game...?"
His voice was low, originally meant for himself, but found that the high and mighty host, at some unknown time, had glanced down, gazing at him, voice echoing to everyone:
"Because I couldn’t think of a name."
People looked around in confusion, unsure who the host was responding to—who could be so impressive? Actually having the host personally answer a question, what kind of person must this be?
Su Ming’an raised his head.
Coincidentally, locking eyes briefly with the host’s dark gaze, the cat ears twitched.
