Su Ming’an watched the number of people decrease, his gaze lowered, and he clenched his fist.
"Don’t worry." Suddenly, he heard the familiar voice beside his ear.
Soft, clear, and firm.
"...Yuanyuan!?" He imdiately looked up, but could not see her.
"It’s , I’m transmitting my voice to you from the World Ga. The rules said it might not be possible to rebirth, right? I’ve already researched with the Eleventh Thrones, the power of the firewall is gradually increasing. The deeper you variable players go, the greater the influence. In the early trial periods, we could use the chanism of the Universe organs to transmit the souls of the failed back to the World Ga, as you still have the ’Player’ identity for blessing, but it gets more difficult later on, potentially really no rebirth." Yuanyuan’s voice ca, "Advise them to leave now, there’s still a chance, we can still pick people up. Going further, it’s real death."
"Is everything fine now?" Su Ming’an asked.
"How could the failed be fine? Once they are here, there’s definitely an impact. Their bodies have fallen, only their souls remain; our authority can only do this much." Yuanyuan said, "People who exit now can only preserve their consciousness, their bodies will not remain. You transmit this to them."
"I an." Su Ming’an asked again, "Are you okay now?"
There was a pause on the other side.
Soon, a subtle stillness.
Transmitting so many consciousnesses back to the World Ga, even with the help of a chanism, wouldn’t she be affected?
"I... am fine." Ca the reply.
"Really?"
"Really, trust . There’s help from Starfire, and so other forces."
"Hmm, I trust you." Su Ming’an would not say more, he only said, "I wish to return ho with you."
"...Okay."
Among all, the hardest to return ho was Yuanyuan.
She had climbed the cliffs of High Dinsions early on, so Su Ming’an and others wouldn’t have to infiltrate among the Organizers, so they could travel the broader world. But how can the most passionate traveler be bound with chains of rules, trapped in an organ that can’t be broken.
He stood at the highest point, looking down as millions stood bewildered, like a field of black reeds scattered by the wind. They had just gone through a selection process, so are yet to recover from the tension of the "Prisoner’s Dilemma", others bewilderedly look around for their disappeared companions, eyes habitually casting toward the high Lighthouse.
Su Ming’an relayed Yuanyuan’s words to everyone.
Once the words fell, the silence was dead.
Starsand paused, black waters smooth, a million pairs of eyes, a million souls.
Then, soone shouted out.
"I... I quit! I want to go ho —!" A sharp female voice cried out, "Save , let go back! I shouldn’t have co, I shouldn’t have been greedy... Mommy, mommy..."
Her voice was like cold water thrown into boiling oil, countless emotions mixing into a giant wave.
"The body’s gone? What’s this but death!"
"Had I known, I shouldn’t have co in! Who dragged here!!"
"No, no way! Stay and fight, what if it succeeds? What if I understand sothing? Then what does losing the body matter! The riches are sought in danger!"
"Be rational! We’re ordinary people, what can we compete with high-dinsional chanisms? Su Ming’an said, the death rate will rise! Now the consciousness can go back, further ahead, even that can’t go back!"
"In reality, I’m a waste, lying in bed waiting to die, better to co in and fight! If I fail, it’s just a different form of dying, if I succeed I can stand up! I’m not leaving!"
"Ugh... but I’m really scared..."
"Don’t crowd! Let through!"
"Brother, don’t listen to their scare-talk, see Su Ming’an is still up there? He definitely has a way to bring us to clearance! Bet with him!"
"Why is it his duty to bring you? The rules are clear, he clears, then we all clear! We are, frankly, burdens! Leaving now still keeps so dignity, don’t beco the stepping stones, and dying without a mory!"
"Who you calling cannon fodder?! I volunteered to help!"
"Help? Don’t flatter yourself! What help can you offer? Back in that Prisoner’s Dilemma, did you help? It was Su Ming’an who made it through!"
The crowd began to move violently, like a black ocean stirred by the wild wind. So began desperately pushing towards the outer rim, others stood like nails in their spot.
Su Ming’an watched silently, he saw the player who once called him "Mommy," now crying her heart out, dragged out by companions. He saw Xiao Xiao and Wang Zhenzhen huddling closely, discussing matters in a low voice. He saw Hang Xin, pale, leaning against Talia, Hang Xin holding her, lips pursed tight, eyes looking towards Su Ming’an. He saw Mo Yan with head up, staring at him through the chaotic crowd.
All living beings, displayed. No pure bravery, nor complete despicability.
Chen Yuhang tightly grasped the smooth edge of the Blue Whale, knuckles white. He, closest to Su Ming’an, clearly saw Su Ming’an’s hand hanging at his side, fingers slightly curled.
God... does he feel the weight too?
If Brother Wang were here, what would he choose? Probably boast saying "We’re here anyway" and be scared out of his wits.
Chen Yuhang kinda wanted to laugh, but his nose prickled sharply.
"Lu." Su Ming’an suddenly said softly, "Do you think, how many will survive among those who remain?"
Looking at this number, more than half still choose to stay. After all, they’re here already, hoping to take a chance, or desperately wishing to support Su Ming’an.
Lu stood by his side, silent for a mont: "I don’t know, at least they are brave."
Su Ming’an’s gaze swept over the faces filled with fear, frenzy, resolve, and apathy. He saw Alger curled in another corner of the whale, arms tightly wrapped, seemingly trying to isolate from the chaos; he saw Evelyn and Perlo, the two demons levitating calmly nearby, indifferent to the turmoil below; he saw Najasha, the crazy sea monster standing at the edge of the crowd, gazing emptily at the boiling masses, as if watching a drama unrelated to itself.
Su Ming’an shifted his gaze.
He had no right to choose for anyone, waiting for people to decide on their own, waiting for the tide to separate.
Gradually, amidst the confusion erged two distinct streams, one flowing outwards, one against the current, converging towards Su Ming’an’s center. Among them, so eyes steadfast, so steps hesitant, so faces filled with tears.
The number remaining visibly decreased. From more than a million to less than a million, although it surprisingly didn’t reduce too much.
Looking at the faces marked by tension and fear, Su Ming’an exhaled a breath.
Where there are players, it’s always unbearably noisy, like ten thousand ducks quacking. It’s the sa now, lively like a big market.
"We’re already here, in the base, going back before even fighting? Captain Yang will whip with a belt! Anyway, I’m not going back, whoever wants to go back can." said a man firmly. The "Captain Yang" he ntioned might be Su Ming’an’s old acquaintance, Yang Changxu.
A boy who looked South Asian, with dark skin and teeth appearing very white in the dim light said: "I’m not going back, I want to earn points at the last mont to buy a house for my parents to live in! So they don’t have to live under gunfire anymore!"
"I want to defeat Su Ming’an! I want to live in a big house, I want to et my mom and dad!" Fla Lolita Bonnie blended in among them, clearly deceived by so mischievous player into spouting these words.
"I want to help him, I must help him... my radiance, Su Ming’an..." Su Shi stood quietly among the crowd, wearing a mask to hide his face, fiddling with the necklace around his neck.
This ti, the most interesting chanism is that the Casual Players’ score wasn’t cleared after participating. They remain Casual Players, unable to buy anything adventure-related or gain Adventure Points, but they can receive rewards inherent to the Source Point. Rewards like comprehension of concepts, skills, finding treasures, or store items.
They are like a bug, not transferring from Casual Players to Adventurer Players, but appearing inside the Source Point as Casual Players. It’s this incentive chanism that dares so many Casual Players to co over.
Among the crowd, a young girl hugged a white dog doll, her eyes moving: "I have to be strong... I want to et my idol... Oh, didn’t my idol Lü Shu co in..."
Su Ming’an listened quietly to these words, and spoke again, still intending to persuade: "The following levels will likely require competition..."
There was a mont of silence in the crowd.
Then, soone shouted first.
A hearty female voice rang out: "If it’s competition, then so be it, there are so many of us. At worst, we’ll just rely on our abilities! Maybe we can even catch a bit of the Number One Player’s glory and get so leftovers! Isn’t that right?"
Laughter erupted, slightly easing the tense atmosphere. Then, nurous voices rged together:
"Exactly! Hey Su the God, lead us along!"
"Even picking up so Experience Points is fine!"
"We’re already here..."
"Let’s treat it as a company-sponsored trip..."
"Su the God, just let us tag along for so experience!"
"Rest assured, when it cos to it, we know our limits! At least let us accompany you through this toughest part of the journey now!"
"Give us a chance! What if I get lucky and pick up an unwanted Authority?"
"Brother Deng, don’t listen to that nonsense about dragging out tilines, what’s wrong with seeking perfection? If you stop before the adventure’s over, it’ll leave big hidden dangers, right? I trust you, I’ll follow you! No matter what master of the eyes, nose, or backside shows up, I’m with you!"
These words were a mix of subtlety and bluntness, carrying accents and life experiences from across the world. Not too many bold declarations, they conveyed pragmatism, even a bit of cheekiness.
A group of death-defying Fourth Catastrophe victims, a group of death-defying lively people...
Among them, Violet, Mo Yan, Leslie, Rimu Sheng, Agnes, Joy, Xiao Xiao, Wang Zhenzhen...
Even though the crowd surely contains so who don’t respect or are hostile to Su Ming’an, treating this adventure as re opportunism, thankfully, what he hears is all pleasant. Even those who genuinely can’t stand Su Ming’an, have no faith in humanity, or even wish to destroy the world... wouldn’t say it at this mont.
Su Ming’an looked at them, slight ripples in his calm gaze.
In a corner, Chen Yuhang secretly wiped the corners of his eyes, sniffling, muttering softly:
"Why so emotional... Brother Wang isn’t here, no one’s making jokes."
Su Ming’an nodded very slightly, as if in approval.
He turned around, no longer looking at the team behind him.
"Let’s go."
Over the black water, it’s no longer suffocatingly crowded, with so distance now between the remaining people, not jostling shoulder to shoulder as at the start.
A new door gradually opened.
...
World Ga, Control Room.
An altar with the sll of burning joss paper, at the deepest seat, a figure faintly revealing cat ears.
Yuanyuan held a longsword, its tip resting on an old rabbit doll’s chest. The rabbit’s eyes drooping weakly, stuffing leaking from the torn seam.
Behind Yuanyuan were Starfire and the Eleventh Thrones. Opposite them, Xiao Na transford into a humanoid of striking red.
"Brain, we’re not attacking you, just need a Soul Transference permit." Starfire said blandly.
Xiao Na looked coldly at him.
Starfire said: "The universe’s organs et cells, Source Point’s firewall manifests as ’Ga Trials’ due to ’Player’ identity, creating conflict between soul return chanisms post-failure and Source Point’s obliteration chanism, it’s a gray area. We’re not grabbing souls from Source Point, just exploiting rule conflicts, technically not violations."
"You and I both know, the real trouble now is ’Source Point’ and ’World Ga’, these two universe-level existences are clashing. Su Ming’an’s actions brought ’cells’ and ’organs’ face to face, giving us both headaches."
No one expected Su Ming’an’s search for the Demon Mother Goddess would cause the World Ga and Source Point to collide. Even the cosmic organ World Ga, recklessly impacting Source Point, experiencing interaction with millions of players’ data, is extrely fragile now.
Su Ming’an, this player, plunging into Source Point, is like a spark falling into sophisticated machinery, triggering a chain reaction that discomforts the World Ga, one of the "organs".
Xiao Na’s gaze fell on the cat ears in the shadows.
That presence watched silently from start to finish, without any emotion revealed.
The grand hall fell into a standoff, with only the sll of burning joss paper in the air.
Finally, Xiao Na stopped blocking Yuanyuan; she had no desire to perish together with these three rebellious "parasites". anwhile, Yuanyuan finally successfully guided the souls of the defeated into the Dream Realm.
As the tense confrontation relaxed, Yuanyuan gradually looked towards the cat ears in the shadows.
... Who is it?
As early as the third instance, this presence had summoned Su Ming’an and handed him the Ruler’s Black Card. It’s not any of the Organizers, nor a native life form like Xiao Na, who could it be?
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