Chapter 1729: Finale · Crossing the Shore Arc [73] · "It’s Okay, It’s All the Same.
Rimu Sheng was silent for a moment, then nodded. Agnes was right, very rational.
"I will go back and digest the harvest myself, and I can become a Third-level God, protect many people," said Rimu Sheng, "but dying here is meaningless. Our group has brought our individual gains back, and we can become a tremendously powerful force for humanity."
Anqi also hesitated, he also wanted to return. This place was too dangerous! All thirteen rounds of the game were over, and now they were without the protection of the World Game mechanics, always at risk of being shattered, they had to quickly return to the instance’s protection.
"How about this, half of the people go back to preserve the Starfire. The other half continue forward, search for the Demon Mother Goddess, and chase hope." A clever Violet proposed a suggestion.
Going back would nullify all sacrifices made so far; even if Zhai Xing’s escape plan was temporarily activated, it wouldn’t be much different from when a hundred million people were displaced, with severe casualties. Fleeing under the Radiant Mother God’s gaze, they would inevitably be flayed.
Advancing, the chances of awakening the Demon Mother Goddess were very slim; the Source Point was too dangerous for beings at their level. If they were completely defeated, humanity would lose so much high-end combat power, causing even more damage.
It would be best for half to turn back, half to move forward. This was the most rational decision.
The ten people looked at each other.
Black water surged, flowing over their shoes, each person’s face was pale. Fear, excitement, adrenaline, retreat...
Choosing to turn back meant a glorious return, no matter what, they participated in the trial to save humanity and now return as victors, destined to become a pinnacle existence, enjoying power, authority, and immortality.
Choosing to move forward was highly likely to mean dying on the way, with their strength amounting to nothing. They called it seeking hope, but it was really like gambling on a miracle, akin to sending oneself to death.
"I’m leaving," Agnes said immediately.
"Sorry, I must go back, there are many people under my command waiting for me," said Rimu Sheng.
"I want to go back, the item I redeemed is Healing Series Authority, I can save many people if I go back," said Anqi.
"Hmm... I want to go back," Leslie did not say anything unnecessary.
"I want to go back to see if Zhenzhen is still there, and if she isn’t, I must resurrect her," Xiao Xiao said with guilt.
Seeing people turning back one after another, those who stayed moved forward.
Yang Changxu walked towards the shadows, with a tone extremely certain, as if it was his responsibility: "I’m staying. I came to finish what needs to be done. If those ahead couldn’t do it, then I’ll do it."
"Hehe... alright, I’ll stay too," said Joy, who leaned on a cane and laughed happily, "You are all young, let this old man try moving forward."
"I’m staying," Violet said calmly, "Since it was I who suggested it, I will move forward."
"..." Si Nian remained silent. His face looked unwell, it seemed his mood had been bad since he redeemed the item. As everyone looked at him, he slowly raised his eyelids, stroking the tattered puppet in his arms, and said in a low voice, "I’m staying."
"Huh? Brother Si Nian, weren’t you going to go back to resurrect Chun Tang..." Xiao Xiao said unexpectedly. He thought Si Nian would definitely go back.
"..." Si Nian said nothing, just shook his head.
"Violet, aren’t you going back?" Leslie asked, she had some interaction with Violet, she felt Violet wasn’t someone who would sacrifice herself, why stay?
"Hehe... Sometimes I feel proud of my acuity," Violet stroked the hair beside her ear, smiling charmingly, "I want to believe in that person, I think he has other plans, such a simple death isn’t like him. So, I will move forward. Actually, whether any of us go back or move forward..."
She glanced at the white beam of light behind, then looked towards the unfathomable dark ahead:
"It doesn’t matter; it’s all the same..."
As long as he’s still alive, regardless of who moves forward, there’s hope.
...
Consciousness Sea, Nine Serenities.
The view gradually deepened as Su Ming’an with the Lü God floated towards an area particularly dark, deep, and sinister.
Finally, the Lü God stopped:
"We have arrived. This place is called ’Nine Serenities’, the Demon Mother Goddess’ sleep domain."
Su Ming’an raised his eyes.
... Nine Serenities.
Beautiful and ferocious, strange yet sacred.
Different from the several times Su Ming’an has seen before, this was the Demon Mother Goddess herself, a vision of purple, black, dark red, indigo, dark gold... A deep and beautiful paste-like entity spread before his eyes. Numerous tentacles shimmering with iridescence and star dust extended out from the vast outline. On the structure atop the outline resembling a ’head’ were countless ’eyes’ that opened and closed.
Vast and ancient, the aura elicited the most primitive feelings of awe and veneration, surpassing human cognition. It reminded Su Ming’an of the grandeur of galaxy birth, the sinister deep-sea monsters, the sticky fishiness of life’s origin...
Just ’seeing’, made one feel a wave of consciousness, as if enchanted by its beauty and danger.
(Ah... it’s you.)
A voice resonated on the consciousness level, imbued with the laziness and joy of awakening from a long dream. A tentacle, like a lover’s fingertip, teasingly reached over.
(I remember you... previously at the Divine Envoy selection, you killed Qi Jue... no, Lotasha. You made a memorable impression on me.)
Su Ming’an grabbed the tentacle and cast it aside, his expression unchanged.
(It’s noisy outside, isn’t it? That sparkling sister insists on making trouble.) The tentacle slowly lifted, its tip blossoming like a flower bud, (She wants to turn Luowasha into a wonderful fairy tale... so annoying.)
"You’ve slept too long, I came to take you out," said Su Ming’an.
The unruly tentacle curled back, as if talking heart-to-heart, spilling out words like flowing water: (Do you know? Becoming High Dimensions is a perpetual prison sentence. You can see all the lines, all the colors, all the joy and sorrow... but you are forever the ghost outside the drama. You cannot become a knight to charge, cannot become a poet to sing, cannot become even a speck of dust... you can only watch, eternally watch, outside the star, between the Star Sea, lonely, wandering, silent.)
(Thus, I chose to sleep. Until I saw you. A man who tried jumping out of the cat box, even dismantling the high platform... an interesting man.)
"Anyone is interesting to you?" Su Ming-an retorted.
(Hmm... not entirely, I have high standards, all these years, just a few.) The tentacle circled a few times, flicking his side hair,
(In the First Epoch, I was keen on reproduction, so many lives could be born, creating the immortal epic called ’Heroic Era’... Ah, Hero Salmos, he was such a good person, a shame he died too early.)
(Bai Qiu, the founder of the Wheel of Destiny, my most beloved Favored... He had such Potential, but it’s a pity he was killed by the Awakener. I hadn’t even gotten him on my side yet.)
(Su Wenjun, a rebellious little fellow, is he Olivius’s son? At the time, I just glanced at him with some interest, but unexpectedly, he was corrupted by me, turned mad, and became a Tyrant... Then you erased him from existence, truly fortunate, vanishing just like that from this drawn-out script.)
(Ah, my favorite is the Doctor... Do you know my Doctor? He really is my dearest little one. My Doctor has mentioned you to me.)
(Now, you’ve come.) The tendrils affectionately nudged Su Ming’an’s shoulder, curling up his disheveled hair, (Do you want to accept my terms and become my lover?)
The gigantic silhouette drew closer, looming with an oppressive gaze.
(I know you’ve come through endless hardships to call me out to confront the Radiant Mother God. But I’ve slept for too long, while Kritchens has continually gathered human Faith, almost becoming the sole Sun. His Strength already surpasses mine... Why should I make a move for those ’rights’ or ’wrongs’ that have nothing to do with me? This World has turned into a puppet show fairytale controlled by others, what does it have to do with me?) Isabelle smiled faintly.
After hearing her, Su Ming’an immediately pulled out a pre-prepared set of words, ready to persuade—
However, a tendril instantly pressed against his face, silencing him.
(I know you’re eloquent, but I don’t want to listen. To get me out, just...)
(...become my lover.)
Strangely, this invitation lacked any sensual or possessive undertones, more akin to an Observer’s curiosity toward the impossible-to-experience event of "forming deep bonds with others," wanting to taste the essence of friendship and connection through Su Ming’an, even if it’s twisted.
Su Ming’an immediately refused: "I—"
(This time, you don’t have the option to reject.) Isabelle’s voice suddenly deepened, revealing the greed and gloom of a Deity’s nature, (You offered yourself up.)
"Swish——!"
Countless tendrils swept over.
The Lü God instantly shifted into fox form, fearing being seen as a "good man" by Isabelle as well, waved his hand and said: "Su Ming’an, bringing you here already posed great risk for me. From here on, I trust you can succeed." He folded his paws together, bowed to Su Ming’an, and flickered out of sight.
"Whirr...."
Tendrils entwined, purple-black like night-soaked, as if a frozen Constant Star simulating its first embrace, clumsy yet greedy.
Thousands of eyes half-open, half-closed, the silhouette frigid, like a brush attempting to sketch a strange shape, Su Ming’an’s vision was instantly overtaken by vibrant rainbows, his body stiffened, attacked by a colossal, ancient, chaotic Consciousness.
Unable to stand it any longer, Su Ming’an thought, since words are futile, he might as well resort to some Force.
His left palm suddenly burst with a sinister purple-black light, striking down!
"...!!!"
The tendrils tightly wrapped around Su Ming’an convulsed instantly, twitching madly, as if struck by a scorching brand. Then came the overwhelming thrusting force. He was suddenly "propelled" out, consciousness tumbling in Chaos.
Looking up, Isabelle’s indescribable majestic form quaked violently, as though the surface of a lake into which a giant stone was thrown, distorted and boiled. Thousands of eyes stared wide, all "fixed" on the inside of Its own body.
The cause of the Demon Mother Goddess’s scream seemed to be not this palm strike, but rather...
Within Its contour, a point of gray chaotic light ignited without warning, swiftly spreading, emitting a sizzling wail wherever it touched.
—The Eighth Throne, God of Chaos!
...
[Beware of the Eighth Throne still lingering within you, it’s a ticking time bomb. If you lose the World Tree Seed in your heart, you might be assimilated instantly.]
...
The World Tree Seed within Su Ming’an’s heart weakened due to the stab from Lu Likalpos, reducing its suppressive power on the Eighth Throne. As the Demon Mother Goddess attempted to "consume" Su Ming’an, the Eighth Throne’s consciousness took the opportunity to emerge, aiming to devour the Demon Mother Goddess’s consciousness from within.
The timing of this move by the Eighth Throne was so precise, with massive internal destructive potential, and since Isabelle was in a Weakened State, there was a real chance for Its success.
The Demon Mother Goddess’s struggle caused the entire deep sea to boil, countless consciousness fragments whipped into a frenzy.
Meanwhile, the gray chaotic consciousness also lunged towards Su Ming’an!
"Swish!" A flash of white light passed by, the "Faith" Authority flickered, and a floating cannon like a Jellyfish appeared behind Su Ming’an, blasting fiercely!
Having lost its physical form, Su Ming’an’s intensity did not weaken; his defense indeed lessened, but the strength of the "Faith" Authority’s Power of Imagination was unprecedented in this state! The pure ideational form enhanced Su Ming’an’s mental acuity, any concept he imagined could rapidly become reality.
From the arduous journey to this day, his capabilities surpassed imagination, any misstep could deal a severe surprise to the enemy.
"Boom boom boom——!!" The floating cannon’s power exceeded even that of real floating cannons, bright light and high heat surged towards the advancing gray fog, shattering it into scattered fragments.
Meanwhile, before Su Ming’an’s hand, a platinum Oath Victory Sword took shape.
...Wait, what sort of sword is this?
The "Faith" Authority sure is mysterious and unfathomable, the human mind is something beyond control, even occasional fleeting thoughts can easily materialize...
Resolutely, Su Ming’an grabbed the Oath Victory Sword, and slashed it down, blazing white light cutting through the heavens and earth, spreading instantly, daylight brightening his view!
His thoughts shifted, wanting to don armor for protection, and the next moment, he found himself inside a Mecha...
Indeed, secondary-dimensional attack methods are largely the same, Kasadia’s Power of Painting is so, as is his Power of Imagination... No, he’s not secondary-dimensional.
"Boom boom——!!!"
The Mecha’s eyes lit up with icy blue light, sword edge pointing forward, white-hot light streams plowed through the air, rapidly evaporating the surging gray Chaos. Blue particle streams gushed from the Mecha’s joints, propelling the steel giant to execute agile strikes, sword light flickered like a silver serpent, frenziedly dancing within the abstract domain of consciousness.
The "Faith" Authority thrived effortlessly. With a thought from Su Ming’an, the Mecha’s shoulder unfolded a beehive-like launching port, over a hundred rays furiously erupted. The Eighth Throne’s chaotic consciousness shrieked, dissipated by explosive mist!
Just then, a small sphere rolled to the foot of the Mecha.
Su Ming’an deftly flicked the tip of the Oath Victory Sword, placing the small sphere into the Mecha’s palm—
"...Brother Ming’an! Can you hear me?" Wang Xingkong’s voice resonated, "Agnes, Rimu Sheng, Anqi, Leslie, and Xiao Xiao have all left the Source Point... They’ve returned to Luowasha... Chen Yuhang, Yang Changxu, Violet, Joy, and Si Nian haven’t left... They’re heading towards you... looking for you and the Demon Mother Goddess! Brother Ming’an... I know you’ll be okay, I’ll keep sending messages for you from outside...!"
