...As expected, she had been led astray. She should never have agreed to let her daughter adventure. Her daughter was becoming increasingly estranged, no longer the obedient and sensible child she used to be.
"...Fine, you’re grown up, you’re independent, but even if you like sothing you need to know your limits. Don’t beco more and more introverted each day, refusing to even go down and socialize...Mom can’t control you, and won’t stop you from chasing after stars..."
"Mom, he’s not a star." Su Ming’an looked at her mother, who also seed sowhat unfamiliar, "...He’s a hero."
"—— Boss, a dozen beers!"
A custor’s shout ca from below.
"Coming!"
Su’s mother turned her head and shouted downstairs, casting a glance at her daughter with a look of disappointnt, then helplessly sighed and clanked downstairs with the beers the custor had ordered.
Su Ming’an withdrew her gaze.
She looked at the screen below with tired eyes, where the "work of art" she had held in high regard was displayed.
As the strongest player in Dragon Country, and the world, it was only fitting that his live stream would be played on such an occasion.
The barrage of comnts, although shrunk to a small block in the upper right corner, was updating relentlessly, like a tide.
Downstairs, people crunched on seeds and peanuts, sipping their drinks, laughing and watching as he struggled for victory in a level on the screen.
The "work of art" was now standing in a plaza, appearing to say sothing to Lv Shu beside him.
Su Ming’an heard his voice, amplified by the speakers, as he was watched like a character in a movie.
But she had once seen the vast ocean in his heart.
Her gaze flicked to her pocket, and then, she clenched her left hand around sothing within, akin to a piece of rope.
"Just wait a bit longer, just wait a bit longer..." she murmured to herself for no apparent reason.
She felt stiff from sitting for so long, but she turned around nonetheless, listening to his voice that ca from across worlds, and picked up her pen.
On the screen before her, an unfinished painting.
"...Why does this Lv Shu always listen to Su Ming’an? He seems way too indecisive." Voices of discussion floated up from downstairs.
Such discussions were a common occurrence, ever-present.
"He’s probably too dumb to think for himself. I rember you, Xiao Wang, being just as subservient in university."
"nm, bro, keep it down, don’t let everyone know about your love history!"
"Damn, Edward got eliminated just like that, I had my money on him, such a loss, damn!"
"Hehe, good thing I had the sense to bet on Su Ming’an. Looks like it’s a sure win, I’m making a killing here, learn from , you see?"
Downstairs, the clinking of beer bottles continued incessantly.
It was like a night festival, peaceful and joyous.
Su Ming’an couldn’t help but shift her gaze to the screen below, where the cross still bore traces of blood.
The young man slumped in the chair, his golden hair gleaming with luminescence under the sunlight. The remnants of cannon fire left distinct scars on the ground, chairs scattered ssily, both sides of the conflict in dire crisis.
Another wave of laughter erupted; the crowd seed tipsy, drunkenly oblivious to the outside world.
Su Ming’an’s vision blurred as she added a shining lighthouse behind the figure of the "work of art" in her painting; she touched her face, finding it wet with glistening tears.
She bent her head low, gripping the pen tightly, and began to sob within the warmth of the indoor heater.
Laughter erupted from below, as if soone’s risqué joke had hit the mark, or as if soone had rembered their salad days. In the mont when tears soaked her sleeve, surrounded by laughter, Su Ming’an felt like she suddenly beca an isolated island, cast adrift in the vast sea, with only the distant, unreachable sunlight still existing.
As if a sealed valley suddenly burst open, the unreserved laughter from below surged in like a ceaseless gale. Facing the wind, she opened her eyes only to see a world blurred by tears.
...Absurdity overflowed in reality, constantly threading through the the of life; the human world was inherently chaotic enough.
Travelers gazed at each other across ships, their lights piercing through the fog while people on the shore enjoyed their leisure, taking pride in their safe circumstances.
Su Ming’an flipped open her diary and wrote down a passage.
[——Will they be the ones you wish to save, my Lighthouse?]
[No, and they never could be.]
[Striving heroes, what you are truly saving is not these people; all the rescue acts you perform for others, what you’re saving, is yourselves.]
[In this process of gradual despair and rot, what’s being saved is the unassimilated—the yourselves.]
[Stop saying it’s for the sake of soone else you fight.]
[Your every action is independent and free; you bear no burdens, you save yourselves.]
Her mind was clearer than it had ever been. Amidst the festive atmosphere, she threw down her pen and suddenly spread her arms wide, tightly embracing herself as if embracing another non-existent person, as though trying to convey her own emotions outward.
Her tears fell uncontrollably, like a breached dam, yet her mouth was turning upward, unable to contain the laughter of freedom that was bursting forth.
It was as though the laughter was squeezed from her throat, her voice choked up a bit with sobs, and the laughter carried a hoarse tailing sound as if it were wet.
Her laughter was loud, reaching all the way down to the first floor, drowning out the people’s guffaws. The people looked up in confusion, and Su’s mother ca running up the stairs "thump, thump, thump," upon seeing her daughter in such a frenzy, she hastily tried to take her to find a psychiatrist.
"Su Ming’an! What’s the matter with you... stop laughing, stop it! Don’t let outsiders mock us! Don’t worry, Mom will take you to the doctor, there’s a private clinic next door, just a short walk... "
Her mother’s words were very clear, ringing clearly by her ears, and the force of her mother’s pull was strong, with an undeniable intent.
But she wasn’t sick. Su Ming’an knew this clearly.
...It was the world that was sick.
Incurable, riddled with endless holes, those who fought valiantly had instead beco the spectacles.
"The world is becoming more and more laughable, the lectures and calls for action on the forum are aningless, the Main God Space lacks laws, institutions, proper rules..." Su Ming’an murmured to herself.
Her mother pulled her forcefully, wanting to quickly drag her inexplicably laughing daughter out of people’s sight.
"...People off-track, overstepping, who don’t understand respect... why don’t they receive the punishnt they deserve?"
Suddenly, she pushed her mother away, unable to contain her emotions any longer.
"Su Ming’an was right, I must learn to ’Grading’!"
She began to laugh, her laughter blooming like fireworks. Finding a steadfast faith, she ran to the top of the stairs. Faced with the puzzled looks of everyone, a bright red fuse appeared in her hand, instantly changing all the faces below.
"Su Ming’an—what are you doing!"
Her mother shouted, her voice panicked.
"I don’t want to do anything." She said with a smile, her tone calm, as though making a holy oath, "Those who are not worthy of being saved should not remain in this world. I’m going to help rid us of these ’abandoned goods’."
"——Have you gone mad too? Were you led astray by that Su Ming’an fellow? Mom should have forbidden you from looking at his stuff long ago! Now be good... obey, co back quickly, put down what you have in your hands..." Su’s mother imdiately tried to rush over. She thought her daughter was threatening her, just like those children who claid they would starve themselves just to get their parents to agree to their demands. She regretted not heeding the advice from the forum, forbidding her daughter from reading all those strange opinions, which seed to have ssed up her mind.
...But then, she suddenly saw.
Upon her own daughter’s hand, a sudden burst of fla appeared, vibrant and glaring.
...This was real.
"Crazy, this is absolutely insane..." Su’s mother’s legs gave out in an instant, tears streaming uncontrollably down her face.
Everyone’s expressions changed in a flash, and they lunged forward like madn, attempting to stop the girl who seed to have lost her mind all of a sudden.
"I’m not crazy, you are the ones who are crazy, I am the most lucid person here. I follow in his footsteps, and he is always right."
Su spread her arms wide, her brows and eyes curving upward.
"Now, rember my na."
Her laugh was like a blaze, reflecting off the fire of the fuse in her hand.
"—I am a Light Pursuer, Su."
...
"Now, it’s ti for you to repay your debt, Guard."
The young girl in front of her was looking down, gripping the hem of her skirt tightly.
"Starting from now, every single person you protect is of utmost importance." Su Ming’an said, "I need to know the information of the people you’ve been guarding for the past two nights to arrange your work. Report to ."
"I, I..." Yamada Machiichi raised her head, and Su Ming’an saw a dull light in the depths of her eyes.
"The first night... I guarded myself, the second night I guarded Lv Shu..."
After a mont of thought, Su Ming’an said, "Then tonight you go guard Eni, do you understand?"
"Yes, yes..." The girl nodded obediently, as if she couldn’t conceive of defiance.
As Su Ming’an was assigning tasks, he suddenly saw the barrage of comnts flying like a fierce storm.
Although he’d grown accustod to turning a blind eye, his high ntality Points always allowed him to catch so of the rapidly passing texts.
[Su] [Light Pursuer] [United Group action team ordinary division] [24873 riot]... Similar words kept flashing by, fluttering through his field of vision like snowflakes.
Su Ming’an looked at the barrage.
[...Is that thing with the 24873 service real?! I saw a post on the forum! There are pictures and photos!]
[Still don’t know if anyone died... The Main God World is really not safe. I didn’t take it seriously before since direct attacks aren’t allowed, but I didn’t expect soone would actually use a bomb...]
[The streets are now empty, this ti everyone truly hid in their personal spaces.]
[Wasn’t it said that the United Group ford action teams like security guards in every server? Doesn’t seem very useful.]
[Even security teams can’t stop you from carrying a bomb in your backpack...]
[Thanks for the invite, the incident just happened, and the United Group hasn’t made an official statent yet, waiting for one.]
[I heard that the attacker is related to Brother Ming’an, seems to be a girl nad Su.]
[Su? Isn’t that the freebie from the Second World?]
[I’m still in the tea house! Damn it, if it’s that dangerous, I’ll rush back to my personal space with my mom imdiately!]
[Waiting on the forum announcent.]
[...]
Su Ming’an was aware of the United Group in the Main God World, and organizations like the action team.
During the progression of the previous World Replicas, humanity was in chaos, the friend function was restricted, social systems akin to QQ groups were not fully explored, and with the capture rate of one-in-seven limiting the numbers of humans, forming any team organizations required ti.
But as ti passed, so new and old organizations began to be assembled.
Because the foundation of this World Replica was completely different from the original world, and to uphold the purpose of maintaining human survival, so people started to form new organizations through communication, among which the United Group was the largest and most authoritative one.
But in fact, in a new "mini-World" like the Main God World, where people have personal spaces, all interests are shuffled, and traditional positions of power rapidly decay, what brings these people together again is more the advocacy of personal relationships—the United Group does not wield real power. Its declarations and initiatives lack coerciveness; it’s rely a symbolic presence, its influence built on endorsent and consent.
It has an official account on the world forum and often publishes strategies and statents of practical reference.
—For a considerable number of ordinary people, it’s a lifeline.
Su Ming’an had long since closed off direct ssaging from non-friends and hadn’t received invitations from such organizations, but he had already heard about these organizations after the end of the Third World...and their invitations to top-tier players.
Edron, the middle-aged man by Edward’s side, appeared to be a figure within the United Group.
...Only it remained unknown if Edron’s series of actions were acknowledged.
"Su Ming’an." Lv Shu walked over, "Did you hear the news?"
"..."
Su Ming’an had roughly gathered what had happened from the various voices in the barrage.
And... if he wasn’t mistaken.
This could be an act of imitation akin to a "child who watched a violent cartoon and then started a fire."
And this wrongly imitated "cartoon"... might just involve himself.
"Let’s not worry about that now," Su Ming’an said.
He knew that if he opened his ssages, he would be bombarded with a myriad of invites, much like those guild invitations.
He never paid attention to them before, and even after returning to the Main God Space, he gathered information in his personal space.
His intent was not to get involved in the petty squabbles among humans, nor did he wish to join any faction and negotiate with political and business leaders... He was just a college student who had just completed his university entrance exams, ignorant of these intricacies, unaware of the entanglents of interests back in Zhai Xing, and couldn’t even match faces to the presidents and pri ministers of countries. In terms of global dynamics, he only knew about the nearby nations; in terms of economy, only about the Fortune 500...
His horizons were limited, unable to discern whether what was extended to him was an olive branch or poison. He didn’t want to beco soone’s pawn, like Edward.
...But now he felt a hindrance and a sense of urgency.
...The urgency of fighting a lone battle.
"You plan to..." Lv Shu looked over with a touch of concern.
"I’m planning to go to the Mayor’s house and find soone," Su Ming’an responded, sidestepping the question.
...But he was currently in a World Replica.
Engaged in a task that could make one a "Ruler," a crucial mission that gradually pulled away from the chaos.
He was walking away from these people.
...
In his eyes now.
—Only Moli, whose wickedness was about to be revealed, remained.
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