Welcome to Rewind World Game-Chapter 1332 - 1325: Demon Line - "Su Ming’an Is Dead.
This is just an ordinary gun, a spare gun that top players always have in their backpacks. Lv Shu never thought he would use the gun at a time like this—to help him stay awake.
Amidst intense pain, he barely reclaimed his soul through the ebb and flow.
"Bang! Bang! Bang!"
It feels like plunging into an abyss of endless darkness, no matter how much he struggles, he can’t see a glimmer of light.
Instinctively, he kept firing the gun.
Don’t die.
Don’t die, don’t die, don’t die.
The temperature of his body surface dropped, but quickly rose again. His senses faded, but swiftly intensified. He fired the gun at himself time and again, his divinity rapidly repairing his body, while the sharp pain helped him resist the erosion of divinity.
Finally, the never-ending laughter by his ear vanished.
This was good, it meant he was temporarily free from the erosion of divinity, far away from the illusion.
—Replaced by his own laughter.
"Ha ah ah ah, ah ha ha, ha ha ha ha—"
The laughter was chaotic, shivering, his fingers tightly gripped the chains, joints whitened, as if strands of steel were tightly stretched.
With each breath, it was like forcefully pulling at a wound hooked by iron, the pain pierced the heart like a sharp blade, pushing his vision into blackness, almost fainting away.
The laughter slowly ceased.
He knew his spirit was on the verge of collapse, hence the senseless laughter. But amidst this chaotic joy, he deceptively sensed a trace of pleasure... This feeling was like the embrace of the maternal body, like warmth he had long lost, like the first ray of morning light he saw on the tea table after rising early to practice the blade as a child.
Warm, safe, joyful.
But perhaps it should be called the secretion of dopamine.
It turns out that firing at oneself could indeed bring a hint of happiness.
This happiness made him temporarily forget his current situation, entirely indulged in the subtle physical pleasure.
However, soon, a tide of agony returned. This was not only from the body, but also from... the events of today.
...
"—Move aside!"
After swallowing the divinity, Lv Shu wielded the Black Blade glowing with a brilliant array of colors, slicing down, the branches and leaves broke open.
He was like a burning flame, charging forward without looking back.
"Lv Shu, I got your back!" Noel ran behind him.
The teammates stood outside the World Tree, anxiously waiting for Lv Shu to successfully rescue Su Ming’an.
Facing the trunk within reach, Lv Shu swung the blade.
The brilliant colors exploded open, like an invisible giant hand, violently tearing the bark.
Lv Shu panted heavily, stepping forward, the scene before him came into view—
Inside was a moist, soft internal cavity like that of an animal, filled with pink and vermilion colors, a snow-white rabbit sitting on a synapse, legs crossed, gazed at Lv Shu with slight astonishment: "Oh? You, kid, are quite lucky, able to pick up Kasadia’s divinity, you actually managed to get in, but..."
Its body began to twist, laughing wildly:
"—You’re still a step too late! Ha ha ha ha! Still a step too late, too late!!!"
The sharp ridicule pierced into Lv Shu’s ears.
Lv Shu widened his eyes.
The purple-haired young man lay silently between the soft cavity, branches pierced through his shoulders, arms, legs, and abdomen, the crystal-colored branches had turned deep red, as if filled with blood.
The youth’s face was pale, without a trace of blood, as if all traces of life force had been drained. The pupils were sunken in the sockets, golden eyes hollow and soulless, even fingers were bony and emaciated.
—He resembled a dried swallow.
"...Su Ming’an?" Lv Shu called softly, unable to believe.
The young man didn’t respond, eyes still open but hollow, completely unreactive to the outside world.
"...Su Ming’an!" Lv Shu raised his voice, the laughter in his ears driving him insane.
He still received no reply.
Those usually bright and clear eyes were now only desolate and withered.
Where did that soul go?
Seeing the Boss Rabbit made panic surge strongly within Lv Shu’s heart, he knew the Boss Rabbit wouldn’t appear here for no reason. Every time it came, it was never for good. But he didn’t expect the Boss Rabbit to be so shameless!
Didn’t it say "Be dear to the Number One Player"?
Didn’t it ambiguously say "Rabbit loves him"?
Is this what love is? Is this love??—What on earth is this!?
Lv Shu swung a blade, Boss Rabbit twisted its body, and the colorful light fell onto the World Tree, smashing a big hole.
"Oh dear~ why so angry, I just stirred the waters a little~" Boss Rabbit twisted: "But even if you save him, it’s useless! You don’t still think he can go home with you, do you? Impossible! It was never possible! Hahahaha—"
Lv Shu’s pupils shrank.
A thread that had hung in his heart for a long time silently snapped.
Chapped lips rubbed against each other, and a sentence was spoken:
"...What do you mean?"
He could barely hear his own voice.
But Boss Rabbit’s cheeky reply was crystal clear.
"He told you not to lie to him, yet he is a super liar himself! He spouts lies to you, comforting you with promises of going home together, while he had long gambled himself away~" Boss Rabbit twisted:
"In the gamble, if he loses, he falls into our hands. Even if he wins, he has to come to us to save the fallen Zhai Xing!"
"He absolutely cannot go home!"
Lv Shu’s ears buzzed.
He opened his mouth, silently swallowing blood.
Boss Rabbit simulated the tone exaggeratedly:
"When we go back, we will travel, go to Lin Yin’s hometown to see pandas, climb Taihua Mountain, visit Noel’s hometown to see lavender, watch Lu launch an aircraft carrier..."
"Ah hahahaha—ridiculous, making wishes he knows won’t come true, fantasizing about a tomorrow he can never reach with you all!!!"
"He is fully aware of this, yet he promises you happiness that doesn’t belong to him, deceives you...!!"
"Enough." Lv Shu said heavily.
"He’s a big liar! Big liar! Big liar hahahaha—!!" Boss Rabbit laughed wildly, the laughter inexplicably carrying a trace of sorrow.
"Enough."
"When he said these words, what was he thinking? Definitely indulging in wishful expectations—ah hahahaha!" Boss Rabbit laughed, dancing around.
"Enough!" Lv Shu raised his voice.
His face—showed a dazed and thin expression, the excessive impact making him forget anger, not knowing how to respond, as if only instinct remained.
Liquid ran across his face, his eyes red, he didn’t even know when he started crying. Maybe it was just the pain brought by the divinity impact.
Liquid dripped into the mask, stifling against his cheeks, as if the mask’s concealment made them unseen.
Between breaths... the sensation was dull, wet, and blocked.
He gasped heavily, placing a hand on his chest, drawing air with weight.
...Why deceive them?
...Why lie to them and fantasize about a tomorrow they can’t possibly reach together? Why choose solitary suffocation, forcing a smile?
Why can’t it be spoken?
Why walk alone into the abyss?
He suddenly recalled, before entering the Eleventh World, he quietly talked to Su Ming’an. He had noticed Su Ming’an’s bad mood ever since returning from the auction.
That day, he lightly knocked on Su Ming’an’s door. Su Ming’an was not resting but sitting at the piano, fingers gently against the keys.
Upon hearing the door open, Su Ming’an looked at him: "What’s up?"
Lv Shu hesitated for a moment.
"What bet did you make with the Organizers?" Lv Shu abruptly asked.
Su Ming’an’s eyes widened, completely unprepared for Lv Shu’s question. He hadn’t mentioned the bet to anyone. He immediately covered up: "What bet? What are you talking about?"
Lv Shu asserted: "You definitely made a bet with the Organizers."
He truly didn’t know what Su Ming’an discussed with the Organizers, but he could guess.
Su Ming’an was accustomed to using himself as a chip, and Lv Shu could keenly sense the Organizers’ interest in Su Ming’an, so he guessed.
"...If I deny it now, will you go back and sleep peacefully?" Su Ming’an asked. He was shocked, Lv Shu was the first to see through his bet with the Organizers, not even Noel had mentioned it.
"No, I know you have definitely made a bet." Lv Shu said.
Su Ming’an moved his fingers away from the piano.
With a dull thud, he closed the piano lid.
Rain pattered on the window pane, casting shadows between them. One sat to the left of the window, the other to the right. As thunder flickered, a sudden white lightning drew a dividing line between them.
The half face of the white-haired youth was also hidden in the black and white flicker, his eyes steeped in shadow:
"If in the end it is destined to be a tragedy, I would rather you stay in the instance forever, Su Ming’an."
Su Ming’an turned his head to look at him, not understanding the meaning behind Lv Shu’s words.
"What do you mean?" Su Ming’an said, "How could it be... a tragedy in the end? We will win."
"I mean, your tragedy," Lv Shu said.
Su Ming’an lowered his gaze slightly.
Lv Shu was too perceptive.
For Su Ming’an, it was a tragedy no matter what. But for Zhai Xing and his teammates... this would most likely be a happy ending.
Outside the window, the wind blew fiercely and the rain poured down, causing the lilies planted by the mantis to sway in the rain, making a pattering sound.
The slanted rainwater landed on the piano keys, and Su Ming’an closed the window.
"Click," a sound, as if all silence had ended.
Another clap of thunder, the sudden white lightning illuminating the two of them.
"You made a bet with the organizers, didn’t you? Bet whether Zhai Xing will fall. If you win, the organizers will spare Zhai Xing. If you lose, you will be taken away..." Lv Shu said in a low voice.
Su Ming’an let out a breath.
Lv Shu was perceptive, but Lv Shu ultimately couldn’t guess the correct bet. The cost... actually required only Su Ming’an to pay.
Therefore, Lv Shu still believed that as long as they won, everything would turn out well.
"Hmm." Su Ming’an smiled: "Well guessed, Lv Shu."
He deceived him again.
... He had still become the little liar he despised the most.
The last bit of moonlight outside the window disappeared.
As darkness covered, there was no trace of light in the room.
Those dark eyes, like the faintly shining morning star in the night. Not much light, yet right here.
"Su Ming’an, if you really can’t win in the end, please don’t let the conclusion come." Lv Shu seemed to realize something, suddenly stood up, his hands leaning on the table, raising his voice:
"If all effort ends up in vain, if the result yields nothing, then it shouldn’t have existed in the first place!"
"If the road leads to inevitable tragedy at its end, with nothing waiting there, then don’t proceed further!"
"Su Ming’an, do you have a way to prevent the conclusion from arriving?"
He inched a bit closer, his white hair drifting, his gaze landing in empty space, as if there were a few butterflies fluttering there. His eyes seemed pleading, blood vessels trembling, like a string on the verge of breaking.
Su Ming’an did not reply; his gaze was distant.
Preventing the end from arriving?
He could indeed keep dying and rebounding, freezing time, preventing it from advancing, but then what?
Just confinement, just shackles.
Just his own stagnation against civilization, unwilling to let the river flow to its end.
So close, the white-haired youth’s eyes heavy, his green gaze seemingly speaking.
— We just don’t want you to die, Su Ming’an.
In the quiet room, only the sound of rain.
A swallow flew by outside the window, soaring high in the rain.
"Do you hope I win or lose?" Su Ming’an asked suddenly, looking steadily at Lv Shu.
"I hope you realize your desires, stay alive." Lv Shu said firmly.
"Is that hoping I win?"
"I hope you stay alive."
"Is that hoping I win?"
"Alive." Lv Shu repeated, as if only this word remained, everything else drowned out:
"...Alive."
He hoped everyone would stay alive.
Outside, the rain poured relentlessly, moonlight faint, distant violin sounds reaching them.
On the glass, raindrops pattered, Su Ming’an’s gaze trembled slightly, patting Lv Shu’s shoulder lightly and sincerely. The force was small, almost like brushing dust off his shoulder.
As if it took a century, he slowly opened his mouth:
"...Lv Shu, I will win for sure."
He made no extraneous promises.
No longer so firmly promising they would go home together.
No longer confidently saying he wouldn’t leave.
No longer joyfully saying he would stay alive.
He just said softly.
— I will win.
But only he knew what this win meant in the bet.
He knew that revealing the truth would surely lead Lv Shu and others to act impulsively. So... allow him this little verbal loophole, let him be cunning this once.
Lv Shu seemed to finally receive forgiveness, exhaling deeply. In his eyes, winning the bet meant a happy ending; it was akin to Su Ming’an promising they would stay alive together.
So he nodded joyfully, saying firmly:
"Okay."
Then we will wait for you to go home together.
The rain was too heavy; he couldn’t see the thin moonlight tonight.
— Naturally, he couldn’t see the deep sorrow hidden in Su Ming’an’s eyes.
They looked up at the sky, as if through the rain, they could see the profound starry sky.
The universe so vast and boundless, stars forming lines, beautiful blue-purple nebulae overlapping, as if endless expanse.
The scale of the universe so grand, humanity occupies but a millisecond in eternity, generations’ linked time merely a drop of rain in the long evolution.
But this raindrop... paved from beneath their feet toward the whole world.
If the universe is a long and vast concerto, humanity is just a brief note in it, people would still render this note soft and melodious, like their fragile yet precious nature.
They quietly watched this rain, until a rapid knocking at the door broke the silence, Lin Yin calling them for dinner.
"Come have supper, busy folks! Luna is cooking today, it’s unique North Country cuisine! And Bei Wang personally made creamy little puddings, Eni also prepared grilled fish..."
The girl’s voice broke the night’s darkness, like warm light.
Su Ming’an stood up, smiling:
"I’ll skip it, I’ll catch up on sleep, you go eat, Lv Shu."
From beginning to end, he played only the first note.
Lv Shu nodded and walked out; downstairs, Yamada Machiichi and others, carrying steaming dishes, smiling, waving their hands.
"Come for supper!" Isabella waved, holding a mango pastry made by Lu.
"If you don’t come soon, you’ll fall asleep..." Bei Wang yawned.
"Eni’s grilled fish is delicious, even better than his Fire Mystery..." Yamada Machiichi chuckled quietly, holding a plate of strawberry pudding.
Eni, upon hearing this, suddenly grabbed Yamada Machiichi, urging him to take back his words. The two huddled together, the hall filled with joyful laughter, everyone’s eyes sparkling, the fireplace crackling, warmth pervasive.
Lv Shu’s lips carried a brief smile, nodding as he turned and closed the door. Suddenly, within the room, Su Ming’an’s barely audible voice sounded —
The voice was too faint, Lv Shu almost thought it an illusion. Almost having to lean against the door to hear clearly —
"Give me a little more time..."
Su Ming’an’s voice trembled, carrying a slight sobbing tone.
Saying scattered, broken, uncertain words:
"I’ll definitely... find a way to have it both ways..."
"I want to win."
...
"Also don’t want to die..."
...
In the latter half of the night, the rain fell hard.
Cleaning up, Lin Yin found a dead black swallow in the yard.
The swallow, soaked too much, fell dead in the mud, its wings broken, its black eyes full of dirt, staring emptily at the sky.
She buried it, erected a small mound, and transplanted a newly blossomed lily for it.
On the nameless small grave, using the swallow’s body as nourishment, a white and pure lily bloomed beautifully.
— It danced gracefully in the rain, like a spring yet to be touched but extraordinarily beautiful.
...
