"According to Qiqiao Network’s statistics, four hundred Ajincour players want to transfer to the Fiery Sumr District’s server, eighty percent of whom are coming for Baizhu Star’s leader, ’Li Aozi.’"
The cara shifted, and Dewey, now wearing a pain suit covered with posters of Li Aozi, proudly held a banner of Li Aozi and declared:
"It’s normal. My wife Li Aozi is the top brand of ’Starry Abyss,’ launching nuclear bombs into space, becoming an alien president, establishing a new ho, and now even engaging in colonial expansion. She truly deserves to be my wife!"
"It’s undeniable that Li Aozi is currently the most popular character in ’Starry Abyss.’ As a novice ntor of the [Sovereign] system, he is the only NPC character capable of guiding players into space and opening new territories."
"But unfortunately, they might never see the real Li Aozi again."
Johnny Stein changed his tone, adjusted his duck mask, and said:
"More than five thousand players have reported: Since declaring the expedition, Li Aozi hasn’t launched any new activities and has been silent for a long ti. Players can’t receive new tasks, and even the old tasks accepted cannot be submitted to Li Aozi."
"The famous PVE blogger ’Thick Gift Crab’ believes: Actually, Li Aozi’s historical mission is already complete. He guided players out of Earth, led them against Old Frost Plating and Sky Ring, and unveiled ’Society’ as their arch-nesis, opened the Starfield – for the players, his story has been thoroughly explored, and there’s nothing much left to play on Azure Star."
"In the next version, everyone will go to space, but Li Aozi of Zeta Rank (6) would no longer be significant. ’Starry Abyss’ is a ga for all players, not just Li Aozi’s personal saga of valor. If Li Aozi continues to dominate the rankings, how would players develop? How would other NPCs and plots, crafted with equal effort, be introduced?"
"It must be understood that Qiqiao Network is a large company with thirty thousand employees, including dozens of writers responsible for storyline creation. Allowing only Li Aozi’s storyline to shine obviously isn’t fair to the others. From a capital perspective, success from just one Li Aozi can’t satisfy everyone."
"Based on the available information, we can almost confirm that Li Aozi is being gradually shelved by Qiqiao Network. When version 2.0 arrives, Li Aozi will fade from our vision. Particularly after the storyline of Azure Star concludes, Li Aozi might completely retire from the historical stage."
Johnny Stein put down his card, and Dewey, beside him, imdiately hugged a Li Aozi pillow and cried:
"Ah! Li Aozi! My wife whom I’ve never t, how could you vanish like this? – At least leave your head for before you go!"
"What you said is quite right. As version 2.0 approaches, Qiqiao Network plans to launch a ’Li Aozi’ thed set, including headgear from various versions of Li Aozi’s implant gear, priced at 94,500 point tickets. It’s a bit expensive, but interested players might consider it. If you’re a fan of Li Aozi, this will be the best nto of an NPC about to exit the version."
Johnny Stein sat upright and solemnly delivered the closing the:
"Throughout his life, from rising in Qian Mo as a hero against tyranny to battling the mundane and leading the era of the stars, even if facing a shelving and fading outco due to company considerations, Li Aozi remains a legend."
"We admire heroes not only because of our envy for their strength but also because they embody those great aspirations we once fantasized about, brought into reality by heroes. They appear countless tis in novels, animations, comics, gas, and movies, bringing comfort to our souls. Yet, fantasies remain fantasies, every story has an end, and even heroes retire one day."
"And you, my friend. The one who bravely faces life and persists in striving for your ideals – you are the true hero."
Beep –
Caral Snail turned off the "Starry Abyss Daily." He stood in the ship’s corridor, turned his head, and looked towards the direction of Dragon Satellite.
Li Aozi was about to be shelved.
This rumor had been confird by major dia outlets, and it seed even the officials had implicitly acknowledged it.
Caral Snail also sensed sothing strange.
Since the great bombing of Ziluo Star, Li Aozi had completely severed contact with the players.
A period later, the always silent Li Aozi suddenly ordered the X fleet to head to Dragon Satellite.
Now, the President had been missing for several weeks. They had been on standby. Many players, having nothing to do, resorted to entertaining themselves and finding their own tasks.
On the forums, posts about Li Aozi were decreasing in traffic, and secondary creation works could not be seen for days.
Whichever perspective you viewed it from, Li Aozi’s figure was indeed gradually fading.
Caral Snail clenched his fists, feeling a wave of confusion.
Initially, after the Ziluo Star incident, he had fallen out with Li Aozi, but now, with Li Aozi gradually disappearing, his original anger and discontent felt like a punch on cotton, with residual resentnt having nowhere to release.
War criminal Li Aozi, who committed planetary massacres, eventually ended by exiting the Starry Abyss stage.
What kind of end is this...
Caral Snail’s feelings were incredibly complex.
At this mont, he looked down at his equipnt, checked his skills, the weapon at his waist, and even the arcane energy within his body and his whole implant gear body – all given by Li Aozi.
...Maybe there really was so misunderstanding between him and Li Aozi.
He thought he would resent Li Aozi until Li Aozi died because of the Ziluo Star bombardnt, but when the ga officially intervened, Caral Snail felt empty inside.
It seed that he didn’t really want Li Aozi to be ruined but wished for Li Aozi to return to normal and beco the hero who saved Grante and Sky Ring.
But it was too late for that.
Such an ending was overly dramatic.
Caral Snail loosened his fist and sighed.
"...I should have realized long ago, this is just a ga."
What unresolved grievances would ultimately be dulled by the comforts of life.
The virtual world was just the virtual world.
Maybe, this was Li Aozi’s curtain call.
Caral Snail looked at the isolated Dragon Satellite in the distance – a planet without even a moon, seeming like Li Aozi’s fate.
—Loneliness.
[Version major update detected, logging out soon...]
With the version end countdown, the number of online players gradually dropped, and Caral Snail also relaxed.
[Estimated version update ti: 28~30 natural days (in-ga ti: about 15 years)]
In any case, although Li Aozi made mistakes, he also made many contributions and was a distinguished ntor who guided him.
[Please note to submit tasks, saving your progress]
[’Lai Anding dical Protocol’ read and write complete]
[Disconnecting from ’Starry Abyss’...]
In the next version, without Li Aozi, what kind of characters would "Starry Abyss" push to the stage?
Caral Snail’s body turned into virtual shadow fragnts, and in the last mont before he was logged out of the ga, he vaguely saw sothing.
On the Dragon Satellite, covered in purple mist, a bright light seed to flicker.
Like a cold moon...
He didn’t have ti to confirm whether it was an illusion or reality, as everything before him instantly turned dark.
[Look forward to your return to save Starry Abyss.]
Hiss—
The ga pod door opened, and Jiaozi Niu’s neural connections disconnected. He stepped out, his body having lost a lot of fat due to excessive gaming; originally muscular but now skinny.
He sat naked on the floor for a while, planning his next steps.
"A huge update of thirty days... well, it’s just the right ti to go back to school and study."
He shook his head, grabbed a mug, and went to the drink machine given by Xia Yubing to get a soda, chugging it down.
"Gulp—Gulp—Ah! Refreshing!"
Jiaozi Niu wiped his mouth with the back of his hand, feeling delighted:
"In this hot weather, cold water is the best!"
A voice ca from behind:
"It’s not advisable to drink cold beverages right after intense exercise."
"Oh, whatever."
Jiaozi Niu waved his hand but suddenly realized sothing.
He slowly turned his head towards the source of the voice in the living room.
There sat a woman with short brown hair, dressed in formal attire, sitting on his couch. His phoronic butler PT lay on the floor as if it had shut down.
Jiaozi Niu’s eyes narrowed.
Swoosh!
He imdiately sprang up, kicking up a practice steel sword from the ground, grabbing it mid-air, and lunged forward. The blunt blade instantly rested against the woman’s neck.
Clatter—!
Jiaozi Niu stopped in place. From the bookcase and behind the TV, a team of ard personnel with stun guns imdiately erged.
"I advise you all not to act rashly."
Jiaozi Niu coldly spoke:
"After all, I am a nationwide runner-up. If your trigger speed is slower than 0.045 seconds, my sword will be faster."
The woman smiled faintly, raised her hand to signal the others to lower their weapons, turned to Jiaozi Niu, and said:
"Mr. Jiaozi Niu, you’ve misunderstood. We an no harm."
"No harm—referring to 12 ard employees in bulletproof fiber uniforms breaking into my house and subduing my maid?."
Jiaozi Niu had no intention of lowering his sword, coldly saying:
"Who are you? What do you want? Who gave you the authority?"
"Don’t be nervous, Kiddo, Caral Snail... Your Excellency Gio Zieou."
"...Gio Zieou?" Caral Snail was puzzled. "Who is that?"
"You only need to know that we are here to discuss sothing – about your good friend, Li Zi."
The woman gently moved the sword aside, revealing a nurturing smile, her brown eyes seemingly glowing with warmth and composure, and said:
"Let’s start with a brief introduction."
"My na is Chen Dingxiang, Minister of Logistics at Qiqiao Network Co., Ltd."
"Of course, you might know by another na, one you should find more familiar."
She stood up slowly, and Jiaozi Niu noticed that the woman was nearly three ters tall, sothing that wasn’t apparent while she was seated. Her physique was almost perfect, exuding a maternal beauty.
The woman opened her arms, gently saying:
"Livending."
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