Chapter 1721: Final Chapter · Crossing the Shore Arc [64] · "Hero and Him.
Up to five rounds at most, if we want to catch the undercover, we must say something substantial. The key point is, the undercover doesn’t know they are the undercover, and if they say something substantial, they risk exposing themselves... it’s a kind of game theory.
The Gray Mist Person drew a question card, reading:
"——Please answer, do you think this kind of person is guilty?"
"Not guilty," Noel said blandly,
"Such a person has already been pushed to the narrow divide of history, with the survival of billions of living beings behind them. It seems there is still a choice, but in fact, freedom has long been stripped away by responsibility and expectation. It’s like questioning a firefighter who is the only one going the other way in a forest fire—’Why did you step on the seedlings under your feet?’ The death of the seedlings is a fact, but why pin the sin on the one fighting the fire? The sin of this kind of person is essentially the sin of the era and civilization, therefore, such a person is not only not guilty, but they try to end the original sin of civilization. I think they are not guilty."
As the initiator, Noel dared to say so much, those who followed had to say as much, or else they would be seen as timid and consequently suspected.
The Gray Mist Person remained silent for a while, his voice unclear, as if coming from a distant time and space, with a worn texture:
"Guilty."
"When I say guilty, I am not judging this person’s morality, but saying... when this person chooses to walk the hardest road, they must bear the guilt for every life that is inevitably crushed along this road.
"’Knowing and still doing’—that is this person’s sin. The mediocre can evade and become numb. But this person cannot, and will actively shoulder the sin on themselves. Therefore, I think they are guilty. Because this person is clear-minded."
It was Su Ming’an’s turn.
He slightly lowered his gaze, as if staring at the lines in his palm.
"Guilty," he looked up, "but not now."
Noel and the Gray Mist Person looked over simultaneously.
"Noel said, not guilty because of lack of freedom. Gray Mist Person said, guilt comes from decision making. Both of you are right," Su Ming’an said slowly, "However, during the time of massive floods, the most important thing is to block the dam, not to immediately judge the water official. Even if the water official’s orders are destined to make some people lose their homes, whether declaring them not guilty to exonerate them, or declaring them guilty to impose blame, will lead to only one result, disaster strikes."
"The key is whether this person is on the road most likely to approach the future? Has this person done their utmost to reduce unnecessary sacrifices?"
"No rush, we will have the qualifications to review all that happened on this road. On that day, the sun will illuminate all shadows, survivors and newcomers can sit down and slowly sort and remember."
"Therefore, I think they are guilty, but not at this moment."
The fourth round ended, still no one raised a hand. Clearly, whether it was Noel, Gray Mist Person, or Su Ming’an, they all hit the point, with no oddities.
The final round.
Su Ming’an drew a question card:
"——If, just if, you had a chance to directly say one sentence to ’this kind of person,’ what would you say?"
The question was so direct, it almost tore off the final veil of the game.
Noel clasped his hands together, raising his head slightly, seeming to contemplate with raised brows. After a moment, he lowered his gaze:
"——[Bloom like Ophelia, before the river water engulfs your eyes. Allow me to offer you congratulatory flowers if you have recognized all knowledge and punishment.]"
The Gray Mist Person remained silent for a moment, then said quietly:
"——[If there’s a way back, then go toward it. If you dare to trek, then go toward the turbulence. Do not hesitate whether you have deprived choices, that will be a world that no longer needs anyone to wear a crown.]"
Su Ming’an’s eyes were calm.
——He now could fully ascertain that he was the "undercover."
Noel and the Gray Mist Person’s word cards clearly wrote...
He slowly spoke:
"——[You are not hope, nor myth; you are only swimming in endless void, a prisoner trapped in obsession... you already know you are merely yourself.]"
His heart seemed to be gripped by something.
Concern, blessing, sharing, understanding... the dialogue between the three had far exceeded the description of an abstract concept of a "hero."
Individual’s mundane happiness and the continuation of civilization are hard to reconcile in extreme situations, choosing one side means betraying the value of the other.
Yes, this is his baseness. When the destructive tide has risen to his feet, it is hard to pile stable sandcastles on the beach.
His empathy was genuine, and so was his utilization.
Walking in the "present," he has no right to take lightly the weight of current life with the future, death is merely death. He acknowledges the cruelty of this war and does not seek to beautify it. He accepts all contradictions and accusations, he grips all unfulfilled wishes—then, he will carry his nobility, his ruthlessness, his empathy, his utilization, his certainty, and his guilt, and move forward together.
Until, either proving the end of this path is worth all the stakes, or he himself becomes one of the stakes.
——To retrieve all that is lost, one must first reach all that is lost.
Must go to the end... then turn back to save such sacrifices.
When the voice fell, the room fell into silence.
...
[Five rounds are over, please point from behind to who you believe is the undercover. Discussions are not allowed, raise your hand together, slow lifts are invalid.]
[Three.]
[Two.]
[One.]
...
As if the sound of destiny’s bell rang——
Dong.
Dong.
Dong.
Su Ming’an pointed at the Gray Mist Person.
Noel pointed at Su Ming’an.
The Gray Mist Person pointed at Noel.
...
"Oh, that’s interesting," Noel raised his brows.
"..." The Gray Mist Person’s fingers slightly curled.
"Unfortunately, that doesn’t count, we’ll have to do it again," Noel clapped his hands.
...
[Please once again point from behind to who you believe is the undercover. Discussions are not allowed, raise your hand together, slow lifts are invalid.]
[Three.]
[Two.]
[One.]
...
This time.
Su Ming’an pointed at Noel.
Noel pointed at Su Ming’an.
The Gray Mist Person pointed at Noel.
The Gray Mist Person was successfully deceived by Su Ming’an, believing Su Ming’an was not the undercover.
...
[Noel’s identity was (civilian), wrong identification, undercover wins.]
...
Su Ming’an looked up and said confidently:
"The words in your hands... are ’Someone like Su Ming’an’, right."
Both the Gray Mist Person and Noel used "this kind of person" to refer, it indeed wasn’t a name, but unlike Su Ming’an’s "hero," their words were—"Someone like Su Ming’an."
Throughout the five rounds, all three were probing and speculating about each other, unable to determine who exactly was the undercover. Because the words they held...
——were essentially interchangeable.
Su Ming’an thought the two had been describing concepts like "hero," "Savior," "Pioneer"... but what the two were describing was always himself. In retrospect, he realized these two had been praising him vigorously, using various descriptions and rhetoric to praise him while he humbly exalted himself...
The reason for the Gray Mist Person’s misjudgment was the word "Lighthouse" mentioned by Su Ming’an in the second round. Clearly, this word referred to Su Ming’an himself, causing the Gray Mist Person to be unsure whether Su Ming’an was the undercover. This was the smoke bomb Su Ming’an threw out; he connected that the word could be related to himself and successfully detonated this smoke bomb.
"Since that’s the case, then keep moving forward," the Gray Mist Person said calmly, as if accepting his defeat.
"Aren’t you regretful? Not being able to stop me. You Gray Mist People seem to regard stopping me as a mission," Su Ming’an said.
"Cannot say to stop..." the Gray Mist Person was silent for a moment then said, "It should be said, ’test’."
Su Ming’an suddenly reacted.
——Indeed, stopping could also be considered a form of test.
"Oh? Your Lord of Dreams is so pompous behind you that you were sent to collectively test me. If I can’t pass, am I unfit to step into their home?" Su Ming’an said.
"It’s not the Lord of Dreams behind us," the Gray Mist Person said, "I should leave now."
The Gray Mist Person lifted his head slightly, the Damocles Sword of erasure was about to fall, he stood under a beam of white light, extended his right hand, placed it on his left chest, and bowed slightly.
Then, he raised his head, his voice still indistinctly male and female:
"[Please forever remember why you set out, and never let the scenery along the way change your original enthusiasm.]"
"[A hero is called a hero because he always remains himself. If you look back, the long night will be endless—so, please keep moving forward, hero.]"
As the words fell, the Gray Mist People turned into a cloud of gray mist and dissipated.
Soon after, a white light descended, and Noel disappeared, leaving Su Ming’an alone in the sunlit glass greenhouse.
The air retained the scent of wine, roses, and a clean, refreshing sunshine-like fragrance.
The sunlight poured down with near-reverent grace, crashing against numerous glass slopes and shattering into billions of diamonds. Visible light particles floated in the air, slowly swirling among the flowers and leaves. At this moment, it seemed as if the sturdy glass had vanished, leaving only the fusion of light and life. It felt as if one were immersed in a dream realm filled with sunlight.
Su Ming’an sat on the white chair, gazing at the sunlit greenhouse, until the transmitting white light enveloped him...
...
Luowasha, Standard Timeline.
"Drip, drip, drip..."
Red rain swayed.
After Alauddin’s story, Yamada Machiichi devised more methods.
Makes conflicts vanish, and everyone reaches a seemingly ideal destination.
The sunshine is always bright, life always tranquil, even the dust dancing in the air carries a golden edge.
People who once lost their homes in war now live and work peacefully in the brand-new towns; adversaries with conflicting ideologies shake hands and reconcile over drinks; the Dragon Clan and Celestial Clan, along with other high-class races, no longer regard themselves as superior, no longer initiating wars and plunders...
The red rain continued to pour.
At the main venue, Yamada Machiichi began distributing balloons, inscribed with "Victory" and "Peace." He handed them to every participant able to move, regardless of whether they were esteemed scholars or arrogant noble representatives.
"Ridiculous! A world where conflicts vanish cannot exist, and we can never regard those insect-like lives as brethren! Luowasha’s food chain always exists, you are dreaming!" A noble angrily shouted, "How absurd... How laughable!"
Yamada Machiichi shook his head and said: "Who cares how proud you are, I want to live, people want to live. Or, would you rather stay in the rain and let the world become a game called the ’Ring of Rosasha’?"
The noble was frightened, subconsciously took the balloon, and remained silent.
Yamada Machiichi could sense an intuition beyond the five senses. High Dimensions, Deity, Supreme Lord, Master of the End of All Things, Organizers... all were nearby.
The sunshine was so bright it was nearly dazzling, the saturation seemed distorted, the sky was an unrealistically clear azure, adorned with a few fluffy white clouds resembling cotton candy, and the air was filled with an invisible sweet scent. This was the result of Bei Wang’s authority, Laine’s adjustment, Qin Ze’s assistance, plus everyone’s efforts.
...
Life Goddess Temple.
The Little Prince and the Knight strolled in the Royal Court, where the flowers in the garden were in full bloom.
The versatile Knight taught the Little Prince to play the piano, the melody flowing as beautifully as water. In the garden, the sunflowers they planted together thrived.
"Qi Jue, play me another piece, please!" the Little Prince requested.
...
Mechanical Zone.
"Please welcome our new leader—Lan Qie!" Fireworks splashed and cheers were unceasing. A dignified Mechanical Man emerged on the platform, wearing a well-fitted suit and a stylish tie. He spread his arms, promising all the Brethren:
"I am Lan Qie! I have become the new Mechanical Master."
"Here I promise, Brethren—"
"Starting tomorrow, every day is a brand new beginning!"
"You can earn wealth with your own hands, instead of being exploited layer by layer! You can taste real food, not low-cost nutrient solutions! You can freely allocate your time, to sing, to shop, to travel... instead of working 24/7!"
"From now on, no high-class Mechanics will monopolize the channel of advancement, will not look down upon your persona, your contribution, your dignity!"
"The sky is blue, the grass is green, and peach-flavored mechanical juice is delicious!"
...
Daisy Hillside.
A white-haired girl sat in a wheelchair, reciting poetry, and gradually stood up.
She took her steps, walked faster and faster... She recovered! Her legs recovered! Although she was born a part of the Demon Race, her parents did not break her legs out of fear, she need not bear the strange looks of people, she did not have to be constrained by the identity of a seed, she could have her own freedom!
"I want to run to faraway places, see faraway scenes..." She discarded the wheelchair, running with big strides on the hillside, as if there is no end.
...
If all the life-and-death struggles were nothing but a play on the stage.
If all the entanglements of good and evil were nothing but a recorded act.
If the dead do not die, but merely wipe off fake blood to hold a steaming lunch box.
If those who are alive wouldn’t suffer, if they could still see familiar faces below the stage.
If enemies harboring deadly grudges could, at the sound of the director’s "cut," smile and forgive past enmities.
If the madness of divinity and the perplexity of philosophy were merely attribute tags in the game’s settings.
If the instincts of love and hate, the sparks of thought, the shivers of the soul were merely lines of pixels.
If all the scars and splendors washed out by the torrent of time were merely patterns on a beach that could be easily smoothed and redrawn—
All of this...
Would it be alright?
...
The "clown" dances.
With the help of a strange white-haired bishop, Yamada Machiichi inquired about the thoughts of the deceased, planning these theatrical scenes. He put on a red nose, donned the clown costume.
Alauddin burned Dara’s Sky, burned away the freedom flying above the clouds. Yamada chose to don the clown costume, Bei Wang squeezed out rewards by issuing missions, Laine was busy to the point of exhaustion and almost fainted, people started treating life and death as drama, performing with great gusto... this wasn’t the right path, just a helpless choice.
Perhaps the truly perfect golden path doesn’t really exist, even the most universally perfect path is not without filth and flaws.
In a universe like a "game," do people choose to live as an exciting game character, or do they choose merely to survive?
When people no longer dance within predetermined frameworks, they start to consciously lower their glorious qualities, thereby falling from their positions as game characters... merely making the simple choice to live on.
At the cost of self-flattening, just as Hui Chi and Hui Bei jumped off the chessboard...
Then, Yamada Machiichi noticed an interesting conclusion:
—When real concepts are elusive, the only way to defend reality turns out to be by interpreting the false.
How absurd, how interesting.
...
"Ding-a-ling..."
Amidst the black waters, a fruit machine shook with colors.
Su Ming’an stood in the water, staring at the passing images, the flickering light reflecting in his pupils.
Suddenly, a small ball rolled to his feet. He picked it up, and inside came Wang Xingkong’s voice:
"Brother Ming’an... outside... the current situation... we are..."
"The entire high-level combat power of Luowasha has been mobilized to the side of the abyss... Su Rin, Lü Shu, Eni, the Dragon Emperor and others support the sky... Lin Yin, Ali, Fang Yuanyi and other players and Luowasha people defend the abyss... we are fighting against the followers and zealots of the Radiant Mother God."
"Cross Judgement... Sword of Justice... Several player guilds are staying under the World Tree... to protect the World Tree... Phoenix and Qianqin are still in standoff... but... it’s unclear who is behind them..."
"Nine players... have usurped nine divine thrones, at critical moments they summoned dozens of followers to assist in battle, bringing millions of lives..."
"Additionally... Yamada Machiichi... and 99% of the players remaining on the original world line... are performing dramas to divert the High Dimensions... Brother Ming’an you can rest assured..."
The words from the ball were intermittent, but Su Ming’an understood.
Firstly, the battlefield under the World Tree. Phoenix stands off against Qianqin, gathering candidate protagonists and major guild players.
Secondly, the battlefield outside the abyss. Followers of the Radiant Mother God and a group of players, including Su Rin, Lü Shu, Eni, Lin Yin, and others, as well as millions of followers summoned by nine divine-level players. Although the nine players have not arrived, this decision makes the battlefield feel rejuvenated.
Thirdly, on the normal world line. Yamada Machiichi and 99% of the players bear the task of diverting the High Dimensions. Using the abilities and special identities of Bei Wang, Yamada Machiichi, Qin Ze, and Laine, gathering everyone, performing a world-class drama.
Fourthly, the Source Point Trial within the abyss, where Su Ming’an, Lu, Chen Yuhang, Violet and others awaken the Demon Mother Goddess.
—Everyone has their own position, their own tasks, their own directions, their own battles. Presumably, on the fifth battlefield, the Main God World also has people acting independently, maintaining order, discussing strategy.
No longer needing Su Ming’an to worry like a caretaker, humanity has taken up their own burdens. He only needs to push forward, and countless will follow behind him.
That’s great... really great.
The ball in his hand had fallen silent, and Su Ming’an exhaled a breath.
This... is finally achieving what he aimed for when he made those speeches in the first instance?
The lights might be weak, but under the same night sky, they light up like a wildfire... the weight is shared among countless hands, borne by countless shoulders. They follow behind him.
Just like long ago, in the initial instance, the green and resolute youth once declared what now might sound somewhat "cringey" to a still bewildered group of companions. What burned in his heart then was precisely this scene—a multitude igniting the light, becoming the dawn themselves.
...
[May 31, 2026, 21:23]
[The tenth round of games is about to begin...]
...
