Welcome to Rewind World Game-Chapter 1649 - 4: OE·Lighthouse in the Universe (4)
Since then,
Since December 31, 2118, there has been no more "World Master".
No one has been granted the title of "World Master". The highest decision-making body of the Union Government is led jointly by the rotating chair and committee, with power distributed and balanced.
It’s not that no one has the prestige to sit in that position, but the position of World Master was always a temporary one. Su Ming’an returned power to humanity, and humanity will no longer establish a World Master.
The highest office in the World Hub has been permanently preserved. The access permissions remain effective but are only open to a few intelligent machines responsible for maintenance. Everything inside has been frozen on the eve of "The Day of God’s Fall".
The wide desk seems to have documents spread out, waiting for approval. The fountain pen Su Ming’an once used lies quietly next to the ink stand, with the cap still off, as if the owner has just temporarily stepped away. The glass cabinet still holds Nailuo’s wooden carvings, necklaces, notebooks, and other items. The green plants in the corner keep growing, day after day, year after year.
It has not been turned into a memorial for public viewing, as that would be too noisy; nor has it been sealed away in dust, as that would mean forgetting. Everything about "him" is placed outside of time, like a wait that has yet to end.
Occasionally, Lü Shu comes for a look, but only stands at the door, never entering.
He fears that if his footsteps enter, the solidified time will be shattered, and he will have to face the fact that "he is no longer here".
The "Ming’an System" continues to operate efficiently, carrying out the century-spanning long-term plans that Su Ming’an had set up before his death. The highest authority remains in a temporary state managed by the system itself, with no one attempting to take over.
At the top of every formal document, in the space where the name or code of the highest authority should be, in all the signature fields that require confirmation—
There is always a small blank space.
That is the spot that belongs to Su Ming’an.
This is not an oversight; rather, it’s a gradually officialized format, as if humanity is proclaiming—our future extends because of him, our path opens because of him, our existence becomes possible because of him. We move forward, united as one, we light up the flame, but we never forget who tore open the darkness and brought the dawn.
Therefore, we will forever leave a space of three words for him, as a tribute to him.
Perhaps many years later, young children will forget why a line’s worth of space must be left at the top of every document; they will only see it as a standard taught in schools, silently complying. But there will always be those who remember, that it is forever reserved for one person.
The sunshine of the Dawn Era is warm and bright, illuminating the fused twin stars, illuminating every person stepping into new life.
—Humanity inherited the future he exchanged his life for, refusing to replace him in any form. They will use the eternal vacancy as a mirror, always reflecting their own responsibilities and limitations, reminding them of the boundaries of power, remembering the cost of sacrifice.
Thus, beneath the prospering New World, within the bustling administrative centers, atop the documents that determine the course of civilization—
He, forever "exists".
—[Su Ming’an].
This name is a new epic.
About responsibility, about sacrifice, about the hope of never giving up in desperate situations, and about the courage to perform divine acts with a mortal body.
The flame of civilization he ignited will burn throughout this beautiful spring, illuminating humanity’s long journey to the "new east".
["Everyone but you found happiness."]
—Yes, they found happiness.
Everyone found happiness.
...
This is the entire story about that once nineteen-year-old boy.
...
...
...
...Really?
...
Beyond the universe.
Amidst the star sea composed of countless bands of light, the World Game flows silently, like the eye of a pure white hurricane, drifting towards the distance.
A silhouette vaguely shaped like a rabbit withdrew its observational "gaze".
"...I didn’t expect such an outcome, he chose to die for humanity." Boss Rabbit’s fingertips shed fragments and stopped observing.
"Hasn’t he always been like this?" A charming yet slightly weary female voice resounded, "From the very beginning, when he stumbled through the first instance as a player, until now. Every step he took was irreplicable. As a human, he was able to achieve a perfect evaluation in the World Game, if he had chosen to stay here, maybe he would be the one controlling the World Game in the future. He insisted on dying for those humans, was it worth it?"
"It’s a pity our ’brain’ went through so much trouble to drive this game, and yet couldn’t even retain the ’perfect participant’ it valued most." Boss Rabbit mocked.
"It’s better than some mascot that had long forgotten who it is, crazy and numb. What else can they do besides saying some sarcastic things?" Xiao Na replied faintly, "If only Su Ming’an could have stayed..."
"Haha!" Boss Rabbit laughed as though hearing a joke, body trembling with laughter, "I’m simply stating a fact—people like him are born to wreck the stage. Do you think things like laughable Points and authority could bind him? He would eventually see through this so-called game and go further than our ending... perhaps even kick this stumbling block of yours aside. It’s a pity he moved so fast, too fast to even kick you once."
Unfortunately, there are no ’ifs’.
Some people, with a vast future ahead, decide to willingly fall and return to their homeland to die.
"At least he was once recognized by the system, achieving a perfect score." Xiao Na countered, "And what about you? Chen Qingguang, do you still remember what perfection feels like? Do you still remember the grandeur of your civilization? Or is there only madness hiding under that decaying rabbit skin that even you abhor?"
The rabbit silhouette remained still in the light.
Then, an awkward laugh followed: "Eeheehee, eeheehee! What has Chen Qingguang got to do with me, Boss Rabbit? I’m just a cute and innocent little bunny, I don’t know anything!"
Disgust flickered in Xiao Na’s eyes.
The white space remained still for a long time, countless floating world scenes coming together and apart like blocks. Two inhuman figures were silent, supposedly in a ’father-daughter’ relationship, yet seeming like complete strangers.
No one knows how much time passed before a voice said:
"(...Enough. The old story has come to an end, a new ’player’ must be found. Set off, next station.)"
The mission of the World Game isn’t over; it is tasked with selecting and evolving civilizations, like a cosmic ship that must head to the next civilization to start the next game.
The rabbit silhouette took a step forward.
Throughout the years of operating the World Game, Su Ming’an was Boss Rabbit’s most memorable participant... What a pity, had Su Ming’an decided to stay in the World Game, oh how fascinating it would have been. Yet, Su Ming’an chose to meet his end.
In the white space, Xiao Na initiated the next voyage. It was something they had done countless times—ending one game, moving onto the next.
"The game regarding Zhai Xing has ended, a new game is about to begin, start scanning adjacent dimensional areas, searching for new targets meeting the potential evaluation standards of civilization."
Xiao Na lifted her hand, and a vast star map display unfolded before her. Innumerable light points of civilizations flickered like summer night fireflies. Streams of data extended like tentacles, filtering, evaluating—
[Scanning... Detected high activity consciousness fluctuations in sector numbered K4237... Discovered a medium-level civilization!]
[Initial adaptability to rules assessed: Good.]
[Entropy increase trend: Moderate, with purification value.]
[Commence deep information sampling, deciphering the civilization’s history, technology tree, cultural characteristics...]
[Preparing to head to this civilization, to begin the next game...]
Just at the moment when the journey was about to begin and system resources were heavily inclined externally—
"——Boom!!"
A surge of dark red energy full of corruption struck the outer shield of the World Game from the depths of the universe unexpectedly! The entire core space shook violently, light bands flickered crazily!
"Buzz——!"
Alarms sounded!
[Warning! The World Game is under high-intensity attack from an unknown dimension!]
[High concentration negative aggregate characteristics detected... Identified as: Demon Mother Goddess Isabelle!]
In an instant, several figures appeared simultaneously around Xiao Na.
The Fourth Throne Aria, Eighth Throne, Lord of Thought and Faith, Ninth Throne Laplace Monster, and Tenth Throne Master of Emotions appeared simultaneously, sensing the World Game was under attack.
In past years, the World Game had also been attacked; however, the World Game is a mechanism monster, it has absorbed all twelve high-dimensional beings. If they do not wish to be destroyed together, the twelve high-dimensional beings must fight for its survival. Now is precisely when the World Game is at its most vulnerable. The Second Throne, Third Throne, Sixth Throne, and Seventh Throne are all absent.
"(Isabelle...? To dare attack here, is she courting death?)" Xiao Na looked towards the star map. A mere high-dimensional being daring to challenge the universe’s organ is tantamount to seeking a dead-end.
"(Ah... I have to fight again, I’m not in the mood to move...)" Aria lay languidly.
"(Go and stop her immediately.)" Under Xiao Na’s command, several of the organizers’ projections appeared outside the World Game, tracing towards Isabelle.
Xiao Na focused completely, sitting in command.
No one noticed...
The Eighth Throne, Master of Thought and Faith, who had been silently waiting on the side, surrounded by a grayish haze, suddenly acted without any warning!
He unexpectedly targeted Xiao Na!
The gray fog condensed into a gray spear, stabbing directly at Xiao Na’s form! This attack came too suddenly, none of the present high-dimensional beings anticipated this abrupt strike.
Xiao Na is the "brain" incarnation of the World Game, an innate life born from the World Game, her authority is higher than all Twelve Seats. The Eighth Throne’s attack will be ruthlessly sanctioned by rules, leading him to demise and soul destruction! The Eighth Throne had absolutely no reason to attack Xiao Na, he had always been purely self-preserving!
"(Lilia, are you crazy?!)" Xiao Na was both shocked and angry, the rules around her automatically responded with a white data chain interweaving instantly into a net to block the gray spear tip!
The Eighth Throne’s strike was premeditated, the gray spear clashed fiercely with the chains, producing a teeth-gritting corrosion sound!
"Sizzle——!" 𝒇𝙧𝙚𝓮𝙬𝙚𝓫𝒏𝓸𝓿𝓮𝒍.𝓬𝙤𝓶
This is clearly a moth to a flame act, the Eighth Throne attacking Xiao Na has no benefit whatsoever, even if he succeeds, Xiao Na would execute him using rules before her destruction—why does he attack Xiao Na knowing he will die?
"That is...!" Aria turned back.
Suddenly, from the depths of layers of gray fog, under the misty body of the Eighth Throne, a pair of eyes gradually emerged.
A pair of human eyes.
A pair of pitch-black, bright eyes with a hint of smile.
Why does his body have a pair of human eyes inside!? Aria vaguely felt familiar, as if he had seen these eyes somewhere before, the next moment his pupils narrowed into a line!
That’s it!
Those eyes, those eyes, that is—
"You are—!" Xiao Na’s gaze was icy.
"Heh..."
A low, joyful laugh emanated from the gray fog.
Those are a pair of eyes.
Pure, deep, seeming to absorb all light in pitch black.
A voice expelled from the Eighth Throne’s body, with a mockery and madness, as if two souls spoke simultaneously—one being the Eighth Throne’s roar, the other a human will:
"Athena, thank you for taking care of my body for so long..."
"You are—" Xiao Na found this name from the depths of memory, but in everyone’s impression, this person had been missing for a long time—
"What a pity..." "The body of the Eighth Throne shuddered, those eyes filled with blood and smiling, "I truly survived..."
For a moment, those pupils turned into pure black without any whites...
...
[Clack clack clack—]
[A few golden chains suddenly appeared from Ming’s throne, clacking as they locked his wrist and ankle.]
[Hui Mo walked to the front, pouring a wine glass...]
[Ming’s face still wore a smile, but the light in his eyes had already turned cold.]
...
"Apologies, I will prepare a new suit for you."
At the beginning of the Luowasha instance, in the silent room, Hui Mo handed a towel to Ming.
The young man in a white suit wiped the red wine off his face, his anger turned into silence. He silently wiped for a moment, suddenly raising his head: "Now, no one is observing us?"
"Yes." Hui Mo nodded, "Their eyes have been drawn to Su Ming’an, and our performance has already ended."
"How can you be sure that after you poured wine on me, those eyes won’t continue to watch?" Ming stood up from the chair.
"The narrative anchor point has only one... It only favors the most dazzling protagonist." Hui Mo held up one finger, "Even if it occasionally falls on others, it’s because these people have directly connected with the protagonist, able to highlight some traits or actions of the protagonist. When the protagonist’s actions are more important than other people’s highlighting, the narrative anchor point will turn back to the protagonist."
"So—you made something very significant happen with Su Ming’an’s side? At the moment you poured wine on me, the narrative anchor point turned back to Su Ming’an. As long as the narrative anchor point doesn’t return to us, in ’their’ observation, our movements are akin to disappearing, a vacuum period." Ming folded the towel and gently placed it on the table, "You’re really something, Mr. Hui Mo, not just a rash kid only knowing to charge at things."
"Just joking. My siblings are all extraordinary, I can’t lose to them." Hui Mo gently shushed, his ink-colored eyes flickering, "Shh... To prevent [our importance] from exceeding [Su Ming’an’s action importance], stopping the narrative anchor point from turning back to us, follow me please."
"What situation is happening on Su Ming’an’s side?" Ming, more concerned about this.
To cover their key conversation, there must be a very severe situation on Su Ming’an’s side.
"A threat to his safety appeared—Xi Li incarnated as a yandere, backstabbed him in a cave, leading him towards Asasi Hell." Hui Mo said, "The protagonist under attack, the narrative anchor point immediately turned back, certainly can’t let the protagonist die in unnoticed darkness, right? So now no one can observe us."
"An attack?" Ming frowned.
"Only the situation where the protagonist’s life is threatened can ensure our conversation won’t be observed. When plotting big events, disregard minor details. Rest assured, I won’t let our Savior truly die, it’s just an act." Hui Mo glanced sideways, "If you can’t accept it, just leave. I don’t need indecisive collaborators—even if it means losing the chance to save him forever, does it matter to you?"
One second later, Ming followed up.
