Shi Ying held onto it, feeling a refreshing coolness in her palm, gradually easing her body heat.
At this mont, a loudspeaker blared from the city:
"——The esteed Divine Envoy Lin Yin said! Those lacking materials can pray to the Dawn Angel, maybe the angel will respond to us..."
Upon hearing the announcent, the nearby refugees halted their weary steps, closed their numb and despairing eyes, and prayed for the heavens to rain Strawberry Crisp.
Shi Ying noticed the elderly woman standing motionless and asked, "Aren’t you going to pray?"
"Alas." The elderly woman shook her head:
"Even the angel could get tired, saving only a few hundred, a few thousand, but what about all the others?"
"I truly envy those living in the Central State. The best houses, the most valuable land, the most abundant resources... and we have nothing, our life is just begging and praying."
Shi Ying sighed inwardly, glanced at the rough-skinned, frail-looking elderly woman, and turned to leave.
She’s not a great kind person, beyond her strategy targets, she had no spare emotions or help to give.
The white stone in her hand got warm, Shi Ying discarded it and picked up a new white stone, held it for a while, and found that this white stone was consistently cooling her.
...This white stone has an exceptionally strong cooling ability! Shi Ying touched it.
At this mont, she suddenly heard a system notification:
...
"Ding dong!"
[A Five-star Strategy Object has appeared: [Special White Stone]!]
...
Shi Ying was amazed. She had encountered plenty of female targets on her journey, beast clans, elves, giant dragons, insect races, but how could even a stone be possible!
At this mont, the white stone leaped from her hand and bounced towards the elderly woman. This special white stone seed to possess life, considering the elderly woman who picked it up as its mother.
The elderly woman was also startled, not expecting a white stone to bounce around her.
Shi Ying’s pretty eyes flickered with an idea.
She walked back and gently asked, "Grandma, what’s your na?"
The elderly woman smiled seeing the young girl return: "Martha, Marthalia. I nd soles for people, but once the Red Sun cos, there’s no more work."
"Let’s go together, Martha," Shi Ying promptly said. Now this five-star strategy object [Special White Stone] was obviously more interesting than any [Eni] target. She decided to strategize with the white stone! She wanted to see how a stone could escape her charm.
Since the white stone saw Martha as its mother, inseparable, she could only walk with Martha.
Shi Ying silently reprimanded herself: Shi Ying, you’re really sothing, you’ve turned into a greedy villain for the sake of points, even wanting to use an old lady...
Martha’s clouded eyes lit up with joy, nervously rubbing her hands: "Girl, you want to go with ... I only have a half-eaten piece of flatbread. You can take it..."
Seeing this refined, pretty girl, Martha thought of her saliva-covered flatbread, feeling sowhat embarrassed, she added: "Or if your clothes or shoes are torn, I could nd them..."
But this beautiful girl even had perfect clothes, a delicate purple bow, exquisite white lace dress, little leather shoes polished to a sheen. Her cheeks were as white and red as the finest face powder.
"No worries..." Shi Ying’s attention was entirely on the white stone, she picked it up and gazed at it.
Stare——
"White stone, white stone, do you like ?"
The white stone instantly stopped bouncing. Clearly, it did not.
"Hmph..." Shi Ying thought to herself, she’d soon exchange points for [Moving Voice], [Eyes as clear as a lake], [rose petal rain]. Such a romantic attack, the little white stone would surely succumb!
She handed the white stone to Martha.
"Hmm?" Martha looked puzzled.
"I’m not hot, you keep it." Shi Ying feigned casual indifference. This special white stone was exceptionally good at cooling, better for Martha to hold it.
Avoiding Martha overheating and losing her strategy object... Yes, that’s the reason.
At this mont, a childish voice ca from the white stone: "Didn’t expect you to have a bit of conscience, little bird."
Shi Ying flicked her pink braid, touched her ear, and discovered a few feathers sticking out. She inhaled, forcing a smile, "Yes, yes, my dear Stone Lord. You’re absolutely right."
A talking stone, this would be easy to handle. Watch her strategize it!
"I am Baibai, not Stone Lord." The stone was haughty.
"Master Baibai," Shi Ying coaxed, "Master Baibai, do you like listening to songs? Shall I sing for you?"
...then use "Quaint Song Declaration" to capture it! Shi Ying inwardly smiled crookedly.
"Alright, I’m too bored, sing away." The stone considered and agreed.
A mont later, on the wasteland filled with refugees, yellow sand, white stones, prayers, and sobbing, an enchanting song resonated.
The girl’s clear voice was like a gentle breeze alleviating the unbearable heat.
...
Eleven twenty in the morning.
Kelsas Border, Gezi City.
A young man wearing a jester hat and dressed in a blue and white striped long shirt casually tossed a colored ball in his hand. He kept his head down, intently listening to his headset, then sneered:
"The broadcast said the highest-ranked points holders would first enter the small world... The Number One Player really isn’t hiding it, just straight-up protecting his entourage now."
Beside him, a pale man in a Daoist robe nodded: "They’re trying to escape..."
Hearing this, a woman wrapped in machinery clenched her fist, gritting her teeth: "What about people like , whose strength was fully wiped out in just the first two instances of the World Ga? My damn enemies are thousands of ranks above , I’ll be killed if I return!"
"Exactly, Feng Sheng! Li Dan! Qiao Cheng!" A young man riding a fla motorcycle stopped abruptly, striding forward: "The World Ga shouldn’t end here! They should give more players a chance! With the top players eager to end the ga, we’ll never rise up again! I don’t want to go back to being a Workhorse for the company anymore!"
"The dreamlike days, I don’t want them to end..." soone lanted and cried out.
"I’ve got withdrawal symptoms, I can’t imagine life without the World Ga..."
"I’m too weak, I feel like I can’t even protect my parents if I return... Just give a few more chances with other instances..."
"If only the World Ga could go on, I’ve been indulging in comics, novels, and TV shows for over half a year, delightfully shopping every day, wearing ani cosplay to various conventions. I don’t want to go back to school..."
"I want to explore more otherworlds! See more beauties! Taste more delicious food! I want to go to the Steam Age! The Ice Age! The interstellar galaxy! Experience British Style! I refuse to go back to eat premade food, delivery als, gutter oil..."
"What should we do then?" A curly-haired young man with a tear mole at the corner of his eye stepped forward, his voice very magnetic. He was DeWitt, the ’Chanter’ of the Holt Wizard Alliance: "Just stand by and watch the destruction of Luowasha?"
"—Of course not."
At this mont, the crowd suddenly quieted down.
A figure clad in a black robe, revealing a strand of shining golden hair, slowly walked into the center of the crowd, exuding a calming aura: "Once Luowasha is destroyed, we can’t survive either. But ’Prophet’ Atlanda and ’Blasters’ Alger said that if in this struggle for the new world master, the World Master wins, and the Number One Player doesn’t achieve a Perfect Pass, the World Ga can continue..."
The crowd fell silent for a while, then burst into discussions. So shook their heads in opposition, while others hesitated.
"We fight Su Ming’an? Are you serious?"
"Atlanda is a ’Prophet’... His prophecies have been precise since the Fifth World."
"I don’t want to be an enemy of the Number One Player, that’s too traitorous."
"Why, if the Number One Player doesn’t achieve a Perfect Pass, can the World Ga continue? Do you know so inside information?"
"Enough!" A loud shout rang out. A person pulled off their mask, revealing Swordsman Wang Chaoze, who once danced with pigs but now showed great courage, shouting angrily: "Do you have brains? You’ve been incited so easily! Even if it’s true, you are simply not worth anything!"
So people’s faces changed, subconsciously feeling guilty.
"...Do not bla them." The black-robed golden-haired person gently spoke: "Tycoon strife, various discriminations, class divides, human trafficking, aging population, capitalist exploitation, economic downturns, tens of millions of war refugees... Compared to the peaceful World Ga, the original Zhai Xing was hell."
"So people want to go back because they were very happy before. So people don’t want to go back because they’ve been robbed of family, money, and hos. What right do you have to demand they go back to await death?"
"Here, there’s a 24-hour holiday. Going back ans nine-to-nine exploitation."
"So people face terminal illness, man-made disasters, or vendettas upon returning to reality; it is human nature not to want to die. I admit Su Ming’an is great, but most of the world is filled with selfish, shallow, and cowardly normal people."
Wang Chaoze’s face alternated between blue and white.
He threw his sword on the ground in anger, then bent over to pick it up reluctantly, pointing and spitting at the black-robed person: "I don’t know what kind of high-impurity Divine Gold you are, purer than Su Rin and Noel’s hard mouths. I can’t argue with you, I’m leaving!"
He turned to leave, panting on the surface, but thinking of reporting the news in his mind.
"—You cannot leave." The black-robed golden-haired person’s lips curled up, fingers interlocking: "None of you can leave."
...
"Poof!"
When Su Ming’an was counting heads, a fireball was hurled towards him.
A Dawn Knight beside him promptly raised her sword blade, cutting the fireball.
"Attacker, co out!" Qianqin shouted.
Since leaving the Divine Mountain, Qianqin chose to beco a Dawn Knight, wielding light, upholding justice. Upon learning of the new Olivius rising to power, she ca to protect Su Ming’an for free.
Su Ming’an glanced sideways, and with a thought sensed the attacker, extending a white tendril to bring a player out from behind a building.
The player, upon being discovered, instead of anger, was full of tears, clasping their hands in constant pleading:
"—Su Ming’an! I’m begging you, don’t end the World Ga, please!"
"Let it continue like this! Even if it’s a cycle, even if it’s a dream, we’re willing!"
Seeing this, the dozen or so players hiding behind the building also ca out, standing in front, shouting:
"We would rather have a happy dream!!!"
"You don’t have to pay the price, nor sacrifice! Just continue being the Number One Player! We beg you!!"
The heartfelt, hoarse pleas.
Among them were even a few children.
The tense string in Su Ming’an’s heart trembled. Since making the choice, the fear that had always existed surged at this mont.
For a mont, he doubted whether he made the wrong choice.
He actually knew very well that more than 90% of people preferred a happy dream over a harsh reality. But still, he chose to throw away the chocolate candy.
Now, the echoes of the decision began to backfire on his heart.
But soon, his heart hardened, quickly halting the inner conflict, calmly saying: "I will organize the truth and publish it, the people of Main God World should have seen the earlier broadcast. When the final decision arrives, I will give everyone a chance to vote. Now—step aside!"
The white tendril twitched, and the players scattered like candy beans.
They did not curse, remaining quiet, just a mournful, mournful... like eyes of a dried-up lake.
Thump! Thump!
The sound of players falling to the ground echoed in sync with the heartbeat inside Su Ming’an’s chest.
Inexplicably, though there was nothing to mourn, water mist filled Su Ming’an’s eyes. In a daze, he rembered a phrase from his college universal studies teacher:
[In essence, "self-sacrifice" and "self-indulgence" are entirely the sa, equally noble and equally base. The world needs a lot of "self-sacrifice," so it also needs a lot of voluntary "self-indulgence."]
"When the bullet screen is moved by my sacrifice... perhaps so do not need it." A ripple passed through his heart.
When everyone praises Yasa Acto’s nobility, those implicated and killed by the Dawn War, still have the right to bla the "great man" who initiated it.
"I save you, what’s it to you," this phrase is truly selfless, truly arrogant.
His hand pressed against his heart, as if to gain peace.
"...You don’t have to mind their opinions."
At this ti, a voice as clear and pleasing as streamwater ca to his ear. The young female knight looked at him, her black pupils solid with steadfastness: "Though I can’t understand your argunts, I know that even if you make another choice, there will always be those who criticize you. Human hearts will always reach for the distance, and the collective can never be fully satisfied. You just need to trust that any outco is the best for the mont."
Su Ming’an turned his head slightly, responding simply: "Thank you, Qianqin."
She didn’t know that he had been her senior brother once. Sique has already fallen asleep, let this matter be buried in the wind...
He walked forward, as if to the end of the sky.
...
Wisteria swayed, black water raged.
Star sand shimred, red tea lingered.
The Magpie received a letter.
A letter from "Lin Hejin".
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