Welcome to Rewind World Game-Chapter 1642 - 26: Guardian Shore Line – “OE: Death by Ocean (26)”
[No matter where they go, they should remember, the past is false, memories are a road without a return, all past springs are irrecoverable, and the most intense and tenacious love ultimately is nothing more than a fleeting reality.]
[——Marquez, "One Hundred Years of Solitude"]
...
The Tower of Creation shines brightly, people feel a gentle pull, consciousness as if detached from the heavy shell, flying towards the glorious IF line. They see the spires of a fantasy castle, the flowing light of a future city, the wheat waves of a pastoral song...
The torrent of words flows along the "barrier" on the surface of Yizhu Star, etched inside Yizhu Star.
Spring is so close to them, as if it could be touched with a reach...
Then the touch stops.
Humans did not pass through the barrier with the torrent of words, but remained in the small world, firmly blocked outside by the barrier.
The only success was the words.
When the first light of dawn arrives on the morning of December 31, 2118, people look up in confusion, their bodies heavy as iron, not flying into the sky as desired.
Above the high platform, Su Ming’an’s expression is frighteningly calm.
Soon, some news spreads quickly, voices of informed people appear.
Initially, it was on an edge forum, an account certified as "Frontier Physics Research Institute", posting a complex energy waveform diagram, accompanied by only a few words: [We can’t cross... Never have! The so-called IF line is... is a lie!]
Afterwards, inside the Tower of Creation, images from staff reveal - the life support pods of ten thousand creators do not stabilize but are in overload. They are not "writing" the world, but being ground and purified by some force... Their life aura is rapidly dissipating. As if, they are not saviors, but sacrificial ink.
A former researcher under the online name "Sweet Mountain" discloses: "I sensed it early, ’Creation Pen’ can never break through the World Barrier! It is essentially an information reconstruction device based on our current physical rules, only able to create isolated virtual worlds within the rules of Yizhu Star, which is to say, it can only replicate our world inside Yizhu Star, not carry people over! From the beginning, the World Master knew we couldn’t cross!"
Then, more "insider news" spreads quickly:
"My uncle is in the tower’s maintenance department, he said these creators are not ’writing’, they’ve long become fuel!"
"Books pass, people can pass? We’ve all been deceived! This is not creation, it’s sacrifice! It’s the suicide of the entire civilization!"
Once a lie is torn open, doubts, anxieties, and the dark imaginings hidden beneath splendor accumulate over seventy years, surging forth.
This leaves people puzzled, since these people knew the truth, why does it only explode now? However, they quickly realize, perhaps it’s because the Ming’an System has always firmly controlled public opinion, the World Master’s rollback ability suppressing all beings, until this moment where the truth can no longer be buried, these voices finally have a chance to rush out.
This also indicates... the World Master no longer suppresses these voices, letting them rush to all people.
"Choosing the IF line was just to give us a notion before despair! The real plan was to extract the informational characteristics of the entire civilization, creating a New World for the tens of thousands who can pass through the barrier! We’ve all been deceived! Seventy years of effort, just to create a grand sacrifice!"
"World Master Su Ming’an... he is no longer the hero who led us to win the World Game! He is the Evil Dragon that devours our hope!"
Panic and anger, like wildfire spreading, gradually engulf the once hopeful civilization.
Some question whether this emotional shift is too fast, yet they quickly merge into it.
A multicolored bottle floats behind Su Ming’an, transparent, invisible.
"Liar!"
"We’ve been deceived for seventy years! Sacrificed everything!"
"What are we to them? Ants under the pen?!"
"Perhaps the World Master has hidden intentions, he’s plotting something else..." The few rational voices, however, are overwhelmed by the emotions seemingly ready to erupt, even though the Ming’an System could quickly quell the chaos, it remains quiet.
Riots erupt almost instantly, cities fall into flames, mobs assault the World Hub. The military is prepared, firmly maintaining the defense lines.
Gesang Jiacuo listens dumbfounded to the insane messages in the communicator and the distant explosions. He recalls the words of a black-haired woman, the farewell-like gaze of the World Master.
"Lie...? Is it really, a lie?"
On the streets, people turn from ecstasy to attacking each other, blaming each other for not doubting earlier, for believing such an obvious lie.
"Didn’t anyone question it?"
"Of course! Online voices have always questioned, but some insisted experts endorse it, no way all upper echelons are deceiving us, no one dared to speak."}
"What use is knowing the truth, speaking out means getting invited for tea, public opinion tightly controlled."
"We’re just ordinary civilians, what can we do. Wait for death it is."
"I still don’t believe..."
Those still believing the World Master, are the elders experienced in the World Game of a hundred years ago. Yet, the majority are the new generation, not experiencing the World Game firsthand, only admiring the World Master’s former elegance through history and various image memorials. History and firsthand experience ultimately differ, facing the "rebellion" of the great, how do they stand firm in trust against the devastating despair?
World Master Su Ming’an, the deity they have believed in for a century, led them adrift, struggle, entrusted the final hope, personally wove a seventy-year lie that sent the entire civilization to the brink!
He is not the Savior.
He is... Demon.
Perhaps he grew tired long ago, after all, a hundred years have passed, he has gone from being human to God, each appearance in camera is extremely indifferent, even issuing several extremely merciless orders, purging those without crime. In his view, perhaps civilization long surpassed everything, knowing crossing the barrier is hopeless, he’d naturally choose to protect the few as fireseed, is this not a common move for the ruler of civilization?
Hence, he used lies to deceive the world, letting the majority work for the survival of the few for seventy years, this is completely reasonable.
He truly... deceived them.
...
World Hub, command hall.
Union Government’s fifth-generation commander Sotuya’s face is pale, he stiffly raises his head, looking towards the white-clothed figure, voice filled with sobs: "Why... World Master! Why do this! We clearly... clearly still have a chance..."
Su Ming’an opens his eyes.
The golden pupils aren’t deep, nor exhausted, only filled with the void.
He ignores all chaos and despair, ignores the apocalypse unfolding globally, slightly raises his head, gazing at the star map where Yizhu Star is gradually devouring the small world.
"Tired."
He softly says, his voice clearly echoes throughout the silent hall.
"Searched for a hundred years, too tired."
"Few live, all die together... I chose the former."
"This way... it is quiet."
His figure starts to blur, colorful long hair begins to disperse like burnt embers.
"As for you..."
His gaze sweeps over familiar yet strange, faces filled with despair and hatred, mouth curling into a weary arc.
"Goodbye."
As the words fell.
The white-cloaked figure completely vanished, as if it had never existed.
It "slept."
A hundred years of steadfastness finally exhausted its ability to act, and it transformed into a stream of light, returning to the World Tree to slumber, leaving behind only the immensely chaotic people and the small world about to be devoured by Yizhu Star.
At the edge of the small world, corruption, devouring, and dissolution have already occurred, some abandoned city relics turning to dust.
Extreme hope shattered into the most complete despair.
The Deity personally wrote the ending for His people.
And He himself sank into that vast, boundless, never-to-be-disturbed... blue ocean He had long chosen.
...Liar.
...
What the people didn’t see was that after the World Master disappeared and the broadcast cut off, the Chief of Staff Sotuya, who had just been questioning the World Master, quickly collected his angry expression. All the officials, researchers, and players located on the highest level of the World Hub calmed down, as if they were already prepared, each taking action.
"According to the World Master’s prior arrangements, proceed," Sotuya said calmly, unwavering.
...
On December 31, 2118, one person stood out.
He was the "second person" residing in the small world, only below the World Master, also regarded as the right hand of a Prime Minister-level figure.
Perhaps detecting the World Master’s indifference, he had drifted away from the World Master over the past twenty years, rarely appearing in the same occasions. There have been whispers suggesting that he might no longer consider the World Master a "good person" in his mind.
His appearance now responded well to this speculation. 𝒻𝑟ℯℯ𝑤𝑒𝑏𝑛𝘰𝓋𝑒𝓁.𝒸𝑜𝘮
"Do not panic, the World Master... Su Ming’an’s soul couldn’t hold on and has fallen asleep. He failed to complete the final step to completely send us to the guillotine. Now, we have a chance to reverse our destiny and can take advantage of His slumber to destroy His layout." In the camera, the white-haired youth, eyes empty, spoke in a deep voice, "I think you’ve all heard a name—Bei Wang. He has been committed to documenting extraterrestrial information for a hundred years, and has touched upon the domain of High Dimensions, even possessing a small world. If we want to reverse Earth’s fate of being devoured by Yizhu Star, we can leave Earth and head to Bei Wang’s small world, abandoning this doomed sinking ship!"
"Migration after migration, is this our destiny?" someone lamented.
"Great! There really is still hope!" someone seized the hope of survival.
"I knew there was a backup plan from the upper echelon; they wouldn’t give up on such a big matter!"
"Could this be another conspiracy?"
"But there’s no other choice."
"We exhausted a lot of energy moving from Luowasha to the small world. Where will we get our energy now?" someone asked from below.
Lü Shu’s eyelashes trembled slightly.
His fist clenched and then relaxed, blood seeping out, hidden beneath the wooden lectern, unseen by anyone.
"The small world is destined to become a sinking ship..." Lü Shu said slowly, his voice hoarse, like wood scraping. He quickly realized the mishap in his voice and raised it immediately,
"I will... together with the Cloud City God..."
"Slay... the World Tree."
"Draw energy from it and dedicate it to our last journey."
...
When the people heard the news, their minds hollowed for a moment.
Slaying the World Tree... isn’t that equivalent to slaying...
In truth, many can understand Su Ming’an’s actions; rather than die together, it’s better to save a few. But being part of the sacrificed group themselves makes it hard for them to remain calm.
Boarding Bei Wang’s small world with neither adjustments nor defenses is akin to severing the path of civilization’s development, uncertain of success, with the World Tree’s death as the cost, no turning back. Thus, the World Master chose the safer method, saving only a few...
But even with just a sliver of survival chance, people wish to live rather than march towards certain death.
Friends nearby, childhood sweethearts who grew up together, lovers about to marry, old couples holding hands... The desire to live is human nature.
How could anyone... willingly abandon this nature, drowning in a destined sinking sea.
How could anyone.
...
"Boris, if you were here, you’d probably understand what that guy is doing, wouldn’t you..." In the cemetery, the gray-haired Laine leaned against a tombstone, clutching a small golden pendant, drunkenly murmuring.
...
"Liar! You liar!" In the tavern, Eli shattered the wine bottle, crazily yelling at Su Ming’an’s image on the screen.
...
Bei Wang opened his eyes from a long slumber, raising his palm where a blue hexagonal prism rotated. The next moment, Yuanyuan’s voice echoed from the prism, "Has he decided?"
"Long ago," Bei Wang said, "It was decided long ago."
...
Su Rin returned from a long voyage, placing a crystal Lighthouse Pendant into his pocket.
...
In the highest office of the World Hub, the blond, blue-eyed Kelsa sat behind a wide desk, a leather-bound diary spread before him. His pen moved fluidly, leaving behind the final few lines of clear and neat handwriting:
[New Epoch Record Morning December 31, 2118]
[World Master Su Ming’an fell into slumber at dawn today.]
["Genesis Plan" terminated. Migration program halted.]
[According to the Emergency State Act and pre-authorized by the World Master, Lü Shu, Bei Wang, and the Union Government’s Emergency Committee will temporarily assume civilization’s command.]
[Personal duties fulfilled.]
[May civilization... continue forward.]
The pen tip paused slightly on the words "continue forward." He closed the diary, slowly tightened the cap on the pen, placing it aside, meticulously as if it were just another routine task among many.
At that moment, the office door opened.
Lin Yin stood at the doorway, dressed in a sharply-tailored military uniform, the epaulettes cold, with strands of white hair more than yesterday at her temples. Behind her followed two expressionless interior department officers in black uniforms.
