Welcome to Rewind World Game-Chapter 1315 - 1309: Noel Had a Dream
Noel had a dream.
In the dream, he felt himself soaring high above, the vast world open for him to explore.
In the vast star sea, he was like a free flying bird, completely free from the earth’s constraints. Endless distances, endless journeys, like a high-hanging crescent moon, awaited him.
Flying from day to dusk, from dusk to night... After a long high flight, he finally approached the dreamt universe, countless landscapes ahead, filled with the scent of freedom...
A french fry suddenly appeared in front of him.
Noel: "?"
He tilted his head, shaking the feathers on his shoulders.
The french fry was golden crispy, radiating an alluring glow, bending towards him:
"The dream should awaken, adventurer bound to the earth."
"The only thing you can do is have some fries at the dock."
...
Noel awoke startled.
Before him was a dim blackness, a black silhouette appeared in front of him, holding a bag of french fries. The sound of crunching filled the air, the aroma crispy.
"Who are you? Why invade my dream?" Noel calmly asked. He realized he was still dreaming.
"Master of the End of All Things," the silhouette said blandly.
"So the hobby of the Master of the End of All Things is to run into others’ dreams to eat french fries," Noel said.
"..." Without seeing how the Master of the End of All Things ate, the fries slowly disappeared from its hand: "I’m here to make a deal with you."
"Oh?" Noel raised an eyebrow: "Speak."
"For the entire three hundred million adventurer players, I inform them of opportunities with an attitude of charity, but exclusively with you and another player, my attitude is a fair trade."
"So I should thank you for your respect?" Noel said with a smile.
"...Don’t you find something off?" The Master of the End of All Things said.
"Hmm?"
"...At this time, why are you in a dream?"
Upon hearing this, Noel’s expression didn’t change; instead, he laughed: "Indeed, at this point, I should be playing the third level of the Disciple Game, yet I find myself dreaming... You did it, right? The ’Noel’ who’s playing the Disciple Game right now, that’s not me."
The next moment, a bag of fries appeared in his palm.
Since this was his dreamscape, anything he imagined would materialize.
He raised his arm—
Blue sky, sea, Ferris wheel.
Leaves, roses, seesaw.
A swing appeared behind him, and he sat on it, holding the rope with one hand, clutching a french fry with the other. The carousel flowed with music and colorful lights, illuminating the black silhouette of the Master of the End of All Things.
This was the first person to take control after the Master of the End of All Things had descended upon billions of dreamscapes. Facing its arrival, Noel was not fearful, nor ecstatic, nor angry, but changed the dreamscape to a more beautiful form, as if hosting a guest.
The voice of the Master of the End of All Things held no waves, yet each sentence struck a chord: "You possess wisdom, vision, ability far beyond ordinary humans; you shouldn’t lead a mundane life of birth, aging, illness, and death on Zhai Xing."
"You’re right," Noel said, eating fries: "That’s why I chose to have some fries in the universe."
"That’s why I’m offering you this bridge."
Noel made a sound of surprise, without showing delight, only curiosity: "Master of All Fries, you wouldn’t be an incarnation of Dieying, would you? Did he finally burn himself out and come to tempt me to join?"
"Don’t lump me with that fallen individual."
"Well... He is the big boss of the tenth; you are the boss of the eleventh. In sequence, you are indeed a bit more formidable than him. So, who are you an amalgam of? Lv Shu... Uh. Yuanyuan? Su Rin?"
Though Noel spoke with a tone of derision, he knew well the tenth and eleventh weren’t merely a "plus one" relationship. The eleventh was far larger than the tenth, directly hitting the ultimate source.
The Master of the End of All Things walked to his front; under the colorful light, both were bathed in a layer of warmth.
"Take this."
A red blade appeared in Noel’s hand, like a red hard tendril.
Noel caught it, weighing it, the feel was pleasant.
The Master of the End of All Things said: "This item is called the ’IP Modification Blade’."
Noel ridiculed: "Such a straightforward name."
The Master of the End of All Things said blandly: "Under narrative anchor point deviation, timestreams become chaotic; even the World Game can’t guarantee full control over players, especially during the Red Sun Descending, Luowasha will be plunged into violent chaos. Those pierced by the blade will have their game IP temporarily shielded. At that time, the player can step in and replace."
Noel’s eyes flickered with thought, he touched the pretty blade, and the colorful light fell into his blue eyes.
Game IP... So that’s it.
The Master of the End of All Things leveraged this logical basis to allow many players’ accounts to be stolen, even Su Ming’an was nearly successfully hacked by Sique.
"The potential strength after Dimensional Ascension is most likely determined by authority; whoever holds the strongest authority can become powerful in the High Dimensions." The Master of the End of All Things approached: "If you wish to create a pure white New World, becoming a Cosmic Adventurer stronger and freer than Dieying... With your intelligence, you know what to do."
"You should be able to see, I am not deceiving you. If you’re doubtful, you can take this blade and find someone else to test it."
"The road is already laid before you. This is a win-win situation."
"You are not someone’s accessory; no one controls you. You only follow him because of a desire to embrace the New World. But now, the answer lies before you, and you’re not someone who will abandon ideals due to emotion."
"You journeyed together for a time, but in the end, you must part ways. He is attached to the land, whereas you belong to the sky as a flying bird."
"If you don’t seize this Dimensional Ascension opportunity... When he ascends in Luowasha, overturning the board, you might struggle to find another chance."
"Destined separation, it is time."
"You aren’t anyone’s shadow, you can also be the [Protagonist], Noel."
Crunch, crunch.
The golden crispy fries were eaten, kingfishers sang in the sky.
Noel stroked the blade, tossing it lightly, then catching it.
"...Really?" His voice was soft, yet his tone lacked the usual lift: "...Is this the end of the road?"
The sense of diverging paths grew stronger.
Noel lowered his eyes, his thick eyelashes casting shadows in the blue sea, making it impossible to discern any decision he had made.
With a "clatter," a bag of fries fell to the ground. He attached this white blade to the rose cane, replacing the previous dagger.
He tossed the rose cane. It felt comfortable in his hand, perfect for piercing someone’s heart. In the past, this cane had pierced Su Ming’an’s heart more than once, and although Noel had never witnessed such a scene, he could imagine those farewells buried in abandoned timelines.
Mostly, golden-haired boys would bid farewell to time-travelers, with rivers flowing beneath their feet, heading towards the unceasing distance. The golden-haired boy would smile, remove his hat, and bow, showing respect for the time-travelers. Meanwhile, the time-travelers, with serene expressions unafraid of mortal pain, peacefully embarked on their next, better journey.
Now, the boy stood on the shore, his gaze no longer directed at the river but raised to the starry sky.
The traveler stood behind the boy, his gaze in a direction completely different from his.
One looked at the warm earth, the other at the sky.
One clung to what lay beneath, the other roamed the heavens.
Noel suddenly recalled the memory of Dieying he saw that day—a figure with a similar face floating outside the World Barrier, frantically pounding on it, screaming for humanity not to harm Acto. Yet, despite all their strength, they were powerless, watching helplessly as Acto and Lin Guang both perished.
Once the decision to go to the distance had been made, even in death, the body would be separated by an unbreakable Shield.
"..."
"Clatter." With the blade fastened, Noel looked up to find the Master of the End of All Things was gone.
In the amusement park, only warm colored lights and sounds of joyous music remained.
The swing swayed, the breeze ruffling his golden hair, with the sky so blue in his eyes.
Noel picked up the bag of fries from the ground. Inside was one short, golden-brown fry.
—Would you like to get some fries at the pier, free adventurer?
"Crunch." He took a bite.
The fry crackled in his mouth, as if his entire body resonated with the sound.
It was almost as if he could hear the rumbling echo of destiny within his chest.
...
World Master’s Hall.
After reverting the timeline once, Su Ming’an exchanged the codeword with the World Master. The World Master confirmed Su Ming’an’s authenticity.
The World Master stood up: "Let’s go. Since the Master of the End of All Things has already created two ’you’s, it means they have officially made their move. Since we cannot influence the Disciple Game for now, let’s act outside... I’ll take you to meet the God of Oblivion."
They walked out together.
"The God of Oblivion Klimens has two main believers. The first is the [Reaper], a group obsessed with collecting beautiful eyes and entrails. The second is the [Tower of Babel], dedicated to building high towers, believing the higher they build, the more they can hear the voices of the sky. These are the only two channels through which the God of Oblivion can be contacted," the World Master said blandly.
"Which one should we choose?" Su Ming’an asked.
"The second one." The World Master looked at Su Ming’an’s eyes: "Your eyes and entrails draw too much attention. The [Reaper] is too dangerous, I’ll take you to the [Tower of Babel]."
"... Can I take that as a compliment?"
They stepped through a portal, arriving at a towering high tower. This tower was like a white blade, piercing the clouds. Around it, wraiths, witch monsters, and other believers were transporting materials, continuously raising the height of the tower.
Su Ming’an looked up. He thought of some places of pilgrimage he had seen on television, where one had to prostrate with every step upwards. Could this be the same...?
"No." The World Master saw through his thought, led him to the side of the structure, and with a "ding," an iron door opened, revealing a panel with floor buttons. The World Master pressed the button for the 999th floor and walked in gracefully, his purple hair billowing: "We’re taking the elevator."
... Keeping up with the times!
Su Ming’an followed, and the sightseeing elevator began to ascend. Through the completely transparent glass, he watched as the dawn fell in the distance, with the glow suffusing the sky, the wheat fields below resembling a frozen sun shower, as if the entire earth was awakening.
100th floor, 200th floor, 300th floor...
The sunlight wrapped the elevator like orange-red solidified honey, viscous honey dripping along the shell, and at that moment, the World Master’s voice suddenly came:
"... If I were to make a move against you here, could you escape?"
The unexpected remark disrupted Su Ming’an’s enjoyment of the view.
"Don’t joke about that," Su Ming’an said.
The World Master chuckled. He was ruthless and unpredictable, yet at this moment, there was an unexpected hint of defenselessness in his calmness.
Perhaps long brooding, he said slowly:
"I was born in Luowasha, just like Li Mingyue, appearing out of thin air in this world. But unlike Li Mingyue, I have no memory, no idea who I was before."
"At that time, under the moon, I confirmed my appearance in the lake—purple hair, golden eyes. Though this face was beautiful, it felt foreign to me, so I wore a mask."
"Later, for a long time, I was a mediocre person. I was exploited by superiors, humiliated by high-class races, crushed by life, until by chance, I found a piece of ’Twelve Stories,’ which I used as bait to deceive several high-class races, tricking them into mutual destruction. I also incited those as unfortunate as myself to rise in rebellion."
"Under the pressure from both inside and out, I won, I inherited all the spoils of victory, and I transformed from the oppressed to the oppressor."
"From having nothing to reaching this position today, what have I experienced, what have I lost—it’s hard to say. I admit many of my methods were not honorable, and my goal isn’t grand—I simply crave power because I’ve witnessed too many tragedies born of powerlessness."
"And your existence can help me acquire everything."
Su Ming’an gazed at the rising sunlight.
The World Master, ever shrewd, quickly noticed Su Ming’an’s aversion to his brutality, so he straightforwardly laid everything bare. Having heard these secrets, even if Su Ming’an wanted to abandon ship, he would have to reconsider.
"We are allies. I need your strength, and you need my presence. That is enough," Su Ming’an said calmly.
The World Master smiled.
Rooted in barren soil, having nothing, any hardship could easily befall him. Yet now, having clawed and wrestled his way, covered in scars, he had finally caught the Protagonist’s attention and engaged in dialogue from the same stage.
"What do you ultimately want?" Su Ming’an said.
The World Master looked into the distance.
The morning light colored his silver mask in hues of dawn, the mask seemingly exuding an ancient scent of blood.
"—I want to acquire all the books collected by the World Tree," the World Master said.
Su Ming’an lifted his eyelids. Could it be those titles like "The Overbearing Jellyfish Ate Me," "Rebirth: I Got a Happy Ending with the World Tree," or "All Bosses Are My Clones"?
"When you charge the World Tree, remember to help me find those books," the World Master said.
"What use are those books?" Su Ming’an said.
"I suspect whoever acquires those books will become the new World Tree," the World Master said.
"Ding—" The 999th floor arrived.
