"——Su Ming’an!!"
Si Nian hid in the room by the rooftop and finally saw the arriving Su Ming’an.
In the raging fire, the black-haired young man ca running, covered in soot, with a silent deanor, and an eruptive wind surged in his eyes. He was like a bird casting a shadow in a cage of flas, scarred all over, picking chestnuts from the fire as he strode quickly.
"This place is about to collapse, grab my hand!" Si Nian carried the pregnant woman and extended his hand.
Su Ming’an reached out high and gripped tightly.
The red-haired man exerted force, and in the cage of flas, the pitch-black "bird" leaped high and jumped over the suddenly collapsing floor.
The man’s strong body suddenly crouched, and with an iron-like arm, he held Su Ming’an’s waist and abdon, ensuring the pregnant woman on his back was stable. In the next mont, the man unleashed all his strength, rushing towards the exit, while his foot hooked onto the already warming hemp rope!
"Hold on!" Si Nian roared.
Si Nian grabbed the hemp rope with one hand, swiftly sliding his legs upwards, reaching the rooftop in just three seconds!
[00:03]
[00:02]
The next mont, the rooftop door opened, the light of dawn poured in massively, stinging the three people’s eyes.
As they climbed onto the rooftop—
"Boom... Crash——!!!"
As if gathering all its destructive power, the entire burning wooden building emitted a thunderous sound, its load-bearing structure collapsing completely, like toppled building blocks, splitting and dumping inward!
Towering flas and thick smoke soared, turning the night sky into a terrifying orange-red.
In the last dozen seconds before the wooden building completely collapsed and was devoured by flas, through the rolling fire tongues and collapsing gaps, Su Ming’an’s irises imprinted a clear image:
In the corridor of the third floor, the Horror Grandma, who hadn’t reached the rooftop, raised her head.
The flas greedily swiped at her white hair, the sparse sticky strands turned into jumping golden light threads. The hot wave twisted her scarred face, the bumpy burn marks seed to transform into flowing rivers.
She tightly held a blackened cocoon-like object to her chest, her other withered hand clutched a piece of scorched, yellowed, and crisp paper, the words "dical University Admission Letter" faintly visible.
The flas devoured her lower body, the scorching pain made her convulse violently. She suddenly lunged forward, her knees grinding out sharp sounds on the burning floor, blood mixed with carbonized flesh.
She raised her head towards the burning ceiling, towards the direction of the son and grandson long gone in mory, muttering silently.
Her five fingers stretched wide as if grasping for the non-existent starlight, reaching for the long-departed figures.
"Crackle——!"
The next second, the flas built to the limit roared like a giant beast, exploding! The scorching tongues completely swallowed her, the white coat turning instantly into fluttering gray butterflies, the fragile admission letter becoming flying ash, the children’s sweater and broken projection lamp vanishing in the red sea of light.
The old woman’s hand, reaching into the void, froze in the last mont, then slowly dropped, completely buried by the collapsing burning beams.
The flas completely engulfed her.
Engulfed the cries, engulfed all remaining stories.
The heatwave surged forward, dragging Su Ming’an back rapidly with Si Nian, away from the collapsing building and flying burning debris.
He stood, chest heaving violently, face a mix of soot and sweat, as his irises still seed to hold the disappearing figure in the flas.
...
"Ding dong!"
[Congratulations, you have successfully escaped!]
[Three minutes later, you will be transmitted back to the space...]
...
"March 12, 2023, my son ca ho..."
"March 18, 2023, spinach, academic conference, braised pork..."
"April 4, 2023, Dragon Well, white chrysanthemum..."
"April 16, 2023, gleaning collection, old drafts, cake, iris flower, long-lasting, long-life..."
"May 12, 2023, birthday, observatory, star lamp, seven connected stars like Lighthouse..."
"May 20, 2023, a day of happiness, long-life noodles..."
"... Can doctors heal, can they heal grandma?"
"They can, definitely can."
"... Silly child, doctors are not gods..."
"... Xiulan..."
"... Xiulan ah..."
...
Su Ming’an felt as if he was walking through a carousel.
The people in the carousel ca and went, went and ca.
At so point, this carousel grew long and plentiful, even revealing the parts long buried, as people walked through it, laughing and waving at themselves.
"Su Ming’an, Su Ming’an...!"
Soone was calling him.
In front, the anxious red-haired man shook him: "Are you okay? Your injuries are serious, hold on, don’t sleep, endure these three minutes, and we will go back!"
Blood slid over his face, his whole body burned, and he felt very tired.
He almost wanted to close his eyes, but in the next mont, he suddenly noticed sothing by the corner of his eye.
——A splash of blue.
He widened his eyes in astonishnt, looking down the rooftop, in the collapsing wooden building, through the gaps of flas and wood, she was still there.
The blue-haired girl was pinned under a giant corridor column, her body below the chest almost shattered, only her head and hands exposed, blood completely dyed the surroundings red, as her body gradually beca transparent.
"Lin Yi!"
The flas still burned around her, she was dissipating.
The blue-haired girl trembled as if hearing his voice, she gasped her last breath, striving to look upwards, vaguely seeing Su Ming’an in the gaps, standing under the dawn, covered in soot.
She was stunned for a mont, quickly, with all her strength, she revealed a big, toothy smile. The bright powder on her face sparkled, and the blue-red eyeliner was bright and smooth.
She trembled as she extended her hands, using her last strength, made two gestures.
Without earphone translation, yet Su Ming’an understood this ti.
It was very simple:
——Goodbye.
And,
——Thank you.
"Boom——!!!"
Having lost all support, the wooden building let out a final, earth-shaking wail, collapsing. All the burning planks, furniture, mories, pain, and obsessions were rcilessly crushed at this mont, turning into soaring flas and a sky-covering gray ash.
The electric current sound in the earphones completely vanished, turning into dead silence. Then, with a light "crack," the last bit of dim light extinguished.
"Whish!"
The next mont, ti was up, Su Ming’an was transmitted back to the slot machine in front, all injuries repaired.
In the silent, void, quiet space, only his figure remained.
His hand was still pressed on the earphones, reluctant to let go.
A mont later, his fingers slowly released, dropping down.
"Tick-tock tick-tock~" The slot machine in front emitted a cheerful sound, urging Su Ming’an to proceed to the next ga. The bright red lever automatically slid, revealing the screen of three new gas.
Su Ming’an remained silent for a mont, lifting his finger, subconsciously glanced at the Ring of Ti.
Nothing.
No new na of "Lin Yi" appeared.
She wasn’t even considered as real life, she’s already dead, so wouldn’t enter this picky ring.
He raised both hands and pressed them against the headset, trying to take it off slowly...
"Beep."
At this mont, it seed like he touched so trigger key, a sizzling sound erupted. Su Ming’an thought it was one of Lin Yi’s voice adjustnts.
Unexpectedly, the sound of flas ca from the headset.
His breath beca moist, Su Ming’an’s hands froze on the headset; he feared that if his fingers left so button, the sounds would vanish.
...
[Do you know? My prop "Heart Stone" has a powerful function, it can instantly gather all of a person’s thoughts in one second and convert them to voice.]
[Because one’s mind is changing at lightning speed, thoughts and what is heard cannot be translated in sync. When using it, I have to pay attention to my ntal state to try letting the listener hear complete sentences at a normal speed.]
[But when ti is limited...]
Her laughter echoed in the headset.
[It’s possible to use this function to leave many, many thoughts within a few seconds, converted into a piece of audio.]
[When I left this audio, the wooden building was collapsing. You should have already returned to a safe space, right!]
Su Ming’an held the headset and slowly squatted down.
He seed sowhat tired, unable to maintain standing. Although the physical injuries were healed, it felt like sothing inside him had been burned, scorched, so places were aching, and he trembled slightly.
The ears felt like they were burning; hearing each word caused an itchy numbness.
[Listen up! (￣▽￣)]
["I might not rember every encounter..."]
["But I will let the end of this one not waste any possibility."]
[These are words I saw in an ani, sent to you! I think it’s perfect for you!]
[I know your journey is not just for "this ti" victory, but to not waste all those who, like you, swam across their solitary islands in loops — the end you must reach should be a shore where all islands gain peace.]
[Your calmness, your precision, your helping hand, your tranquility amid the fire, your leading forward, your respect for my attire and makeup... these traits all belong to you.]
[They tell , on the sea of ti filled with unknowns and dangers, in this never-ending cruel ga, in the dark forest surrounded by wolves, once there stood such a lighthouse... You once shone light upon .]
[Thank you, Su Ming’an!]
[Even if you forgot , it’s not your fault! (●｀∀´●)]
[Whether you choose to accept those "you" or reject those "you," as long as the thought arises from your "free will," it is correct.]
[— Because only you can decide what kind of person you are.]
[Only you have the right to recognize yourself, define yourself. No one else does.]
[However, I must apologize; during these short forty-three minutes, I spent the first forty-two minutes misjudging you. Those were mories you could not recall, but I associated them with this ti’s you. I am very sorry.]
[Fortunately, in the final minute and fifty-six seconds, I correctly understood you, t you, got to know you, held your hand.]
[Using a cheesy yet accurate phrase to describe... You are the most noble soul that shines and fades in countless cycles.]
[Together with countless others, you make up the ever-burning flas in this dark forest nad "Universe."]
[I sincerely think so.]
[My head feels dizzy and light; I cannot rember every star’s na and trajectory, but I know the existence of flas, know that they bring light.]
[A long, long ti ago, in the primitive age, soone lit a fire, thus there was light in the world.]
[Therefore, I do not suffer from your forgetfulness, it is an unforgivable fault of war. I am joyous and elated for your existence.]
[Thus, I, Lin Yi, and all the possibly forgotten "us" by you:]
[I just want to say...]
...
Sowhere inside was burning, causing unbearable pain and bitterness, like the heart being pierced by a sharp pin, and bitter liquid flowed out.
His head of blue hair scattered ssily, as if his crimson eyes locked onto him for a split second.
Like blazing fire, like a butterfly fluttering its wings.
Su Ming’an did not know, in that cycle, what kind of story he and she had... He saw the tears reflected in her eyes.
She smiled at him, as if she’d been looking at him like this for a long ti.
Knowing well that he forgot her, she still slowly, slowly, opened her mouth.
It wasn’t a sad smile, nor a forced smile, or even a relieved one. It was... clean as the lting of first snow, bright as if piercing through all flas and haze, a pure smile. The tear light in her crimson eyes had not yet dispersed, yet she was smiling.
As if those long, joyful, low, gritty scenes would slowly descend in this smile—
...
[My first-t old friend, Su Ming’an.]
[eting you in the chaos of ti... It’s wonderful.]
[（^O^）]
...
...
"Ding-a-ling-a-ling..."
"Co choose a ga! Co choose a ga!" Joyful prompts sounded.
Su Ming’an raised his gaze, looking at the colorful screen.
The first player to die, the player who died later, Violet, a little girl, a man who died from a headshot, Si Nian, Su Ming’an, a pregnant woman, two players who set fires.
All together... ten people.
From the beginning, she was always the extra one.
She never interacted with any player, except for Horror Grandma who could see her, no one spoke a word to her. Even at the end, Si Nian didn’t interact with her, always talking to Su Ming’an.
She was the "ghost" only he could see.
Was the "friend" only he could interact with.
Was the glance from a departed soul crossing the seam of loops.
Was an old battle companion.
Was the echo of yesterday’s cycle.
Was the silhouette cast in chaotic ti.
A Dragon Country girl nad "Lin Yi" who had already "died" in so past seventh instance, soone who originally did not exist in this cycle. She accompanied him for a brief journey.
Her last words seed to have been spoken within the flas’ embers and the night wind’s whimpers...
...
I hope you win this ti.
Even if the ending doesn’t include .
Even if everything is set.
...
"—Su Ming’an!!!"
Suddenly, Su Ming’an heard a signal-like call.
This made him abruptly startle; this was a single space, no one else should be here, where did this signal co from?
... Not from his side, could it be, from the outside?
"We... outside... thinking of ways... transmitting... information..."
"Hang in there..."
"Good luck..."
Intermittent signals ca through.
Reviews
All reviews (0)