First Player

  Chapter 1021 Chapter 1019 · “The Thirtieth Day.”

 “Chao…Yan…?”

Su Mingan said stumblingly.

 He was like a blind man groping in the dark, groping for the name. He shouldn't have known this name. Chaoyan never mentioned it this week, but he just knew it somehow - she seemed to be called "Chaoyan".

 The name of a short-lived flower.

"...Hmm." She held his hand tightly, her smile like the rising sun.

The flickering lights of the train in the distance held up her thin back, and the black hair behind the light blocked the flickering light and shadow. And she was under such scorching light—

 His whole body began to break.

 It is indeed broken.

From top to bottom, from head to toes, from chest to limbs - everything turned into flying powder bit by bit, broken and flying.

Like little butterflies all over the mountains and plains, separated from her body and flying.

Su Mingan stretched out his hand, but could only catch particles one after another. Her eyes reflected him, and those emerald eyes began to break.

 “You finally… called me by my name.”

Chaoyan told the story of the "Great Reverse of the World", and she was wiped out.

There was reluctance in her eyes, and she knew that this was probably the last week. Now that Su Mingan knew this, he would never go to the prophecy stone wall again, and she would not wake up again.

 But if...she really won't get the next time. It means that the world will never be reset again, and she has finally achieved her goal.

That’s pretty good.

The heavy rain covered Su Mingan's sight, and there was nothing in his hands - the strange, unfamiliar girl talking to herself disappeared. All that was left was heavy rain.

 “…Chaoyan?”

There was nothing in front of him, only the lights of the evening train whizzing by. In the thin train glass, people were still looking down at the short video. No one knew what was happening here.

 Amidst the sound of the wind, the rain, and the sound of the train—he seemed to hear someone calling his name. He had smelled the scent of lemon in many times of déjà vu. A young girl walked up to him again and again, staring into his eyes that seemed to be shrouded in white mist. She might be wearing a sweatshirt, a village girl's cloth, or a pure white rhinestone dress - but she would always walk up to him, take his hand, and lead him under the stars.

 Then she would look back among the vast stars and write her name in his palm.

　　【Chao Yan】.

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　sheet

 He would also take her hand and write down the name she already knew. Then the girl will raise a mysterious smile, as if there are endless, sad, sweet and nostalgic memories buried in her heart.

 “Su…Ming…An.”

She would always chew the name nostalgically, close his hand, and then give him that bitter smile that looked like she was about to cry.

Now that smile is gone, and neither is the girl.

The world looks peaceful, the towers don't open, and people live in a stable social order—just like the ending of "The Tide of the Sea" in Destiny Simulator. But... what Su Mingan felt was full of numbness, depression, and hollowness.

 —Is this the ending of history that has not awakened?

He looked at all the living things on the ground, and for a moment he had the idea that "this looks good", but he quickly dismissed it - no, you know it will lead to destruction. The gods will destroy the world and now it is just a false peace.

 “...Su Mingan.” A voice came from behind.

Su Mingan turned around. During the heavy rain, a bright red umbrella was held in the palm of the god. His pure white robe was not stained by the rain.

　　They looked at each other through the thin layer of rain, with similar calmness in their eyes.

"You seem to have recalled many memories." The spirit said, "But it doesn't matter, you will forget it."

"Now is the ending you wanted - do you want to start the next week?" Su Mingan said.

He has almost no possibility of becoming a **** now, and the progress of the tower and dream patrol games is zero, which is too beneficial for the gods. There is no need to start the next week.

"Theoretically, this is already a very good ending, and it cannot even be reproduced. Because once you start the next episode, Chaoyan will not let you sleep like this again." The **** said slowly: "But it is not enough."

 “Not enough?” Su Mingan said.

The **** took a step closer, and Su Mingan took a step back. His leather boots swayed slightly, and he was almost standing on the edge of the rooftop.

“I want something better,” the **** said. “There is a better… possibility.”

Su Ming'an felt relieved. He instantly felt that at this moment, in this "game" with the world as the background, the **** has become a "player". He constantly opens new games, fine-tunes the game strategy, and wants to achieve a goal. The ending that satisfies Him the most. And he himself has become an "NPC" in this game. If there is no external influence, he will always follow the same behavior pattern.

 The positions of both parties have been completely reversed, and the "players" of all world games have become fixed "NPCs" in the eyes of the gods.

As long as there are enough observations, anyone’s reaction to a certain topic, words they say, actions they take, anyone’s likes, dislikes, and even hobbies, anyone’s dialogue, expressions, and actions. The gods will know that everyone is in his eyes - no different from game NPCs with fixed reaction patterns.

"Do you know? When you face me like this, you have the same scene and the same reaction... I have seen it at least three times." The **** held an umbrella and watched Su Mingan's expression: "Every time... you don't even have the same expression. It’s exactly the same, I can even guess what you will say next—”

Su Mingan frowned slightly, looked directly at the spirit, and said coldly:

"-Do not make jokes."

"-Do not make jokes."

 The voices from both sides sounded at the same time, almost exactly within one second.

The **** smiled, and Su Mingan bit her lip.

He felt the harsh sounds of heavy rain and strong wind in his ears. It was like a terrifying big hole had opened in his chest, endless cold had poured in, and his whole body was trembling.

 “Look, they are exactly the same.” The **** seemed to smile.

Su Mingan clenched his fists and slowly loosened his hands while breathing in the sticky and cold air. He felt cold all over, and sharp pain spread in his heart.

 …How is he going to win?

How can he win against such a terrifying enemy? Once the situation deviates from the control of the gods, the gods will lead him to the prophetic stone wall and start a big reversal, and he will have to start from the beginning. The **** can easily control all situations from beginning to end, obliterate all accidents that are beyond control, and keep the whole world on the path he wants from beginning to end.

"This is...the enemy who has the power to reverse." Su Mingan suddenly smiled. He suddenly felt taunted.

 …So this is,

 So this is—

— Mizushima Kawaharu’s feelings when she faced him.

No matter how many tricks are exhausted, no matter how many plans are made, even if you are about to reach victory, your memory will be erased and returned to the beginning. The enemy can block the path he wants to take in advance based on the information from the previous week.

 As the number of tours increases, his road is blocked in advance time and time again, and the routes left for him will become fewer and fewer and more difficult, until there is absolutely no way to go.

Mizushima Kawaharu was so desperate at the time because she felt that she just missed the mark and accidentally lost to Su Ming'an.

However, Su Ming'an knew clearly that Mizushima Kawaharu had no chance of winning from the beginning. What she thought was a "missing move" was actually just a dead end that Su Mingan had already blocked. Long before the current week started - she had already lost.

 Now, he has been blocked eight times, and he will still forget it next time. After how many games, he will have no way out from the beginning?

"Let me guess what you are thinking now..." The **** put his finger on his chin: "You are thinking that it would be too difficult to be my enemy. This is not a level of difficulty that normal people can pass. You can hardly see it. My hope is to win.”

 “…” Su Mingan said nothing.

"So, you can stand on my side and always do what I say." The **** said: "Look...I am doing it for your own good from the beginning to the end. I said from the beginning that it is easiest to stay by my side. Yes. Because the path you are taking now is not the path that normal players should take. Those who have always listened to me can easily pass the level."

Su Mingan stretched out his hand and stared at the lines on his palm. The raindrops fell on the palm prints, which quickly blurred his vision. He stared at the palm prints that seemed to be flowing in the raindrops.

“…I just want to ask, what day is today…when the dungeon is opened?”

“The first game lasts for two days, the second game lasts for four days, the third game lasts for five days, the fourth game lasts for four days, the fifth game lasts for three days, the sixth game lasts for two days, and the third game lasts for four days. The seventh week lasts for three days, and the eighth week lasts for more than a day..." The **** thought for a moment and said, "Today should be...the thirtieth day."

Su Mingan's heels swayed slightly, and he almost fell backwards.

The evening train roared past on the winding track, and the window panes blocked people's sight. No one would notice that two people who could change the world were facing each other on a dark tall building.

"The train has arrived...Xindu Station. Passengers who want to get off the train, please bring your belongings and get off in an orderly manner..."

Su Mingan turned his head and looked at this city. People are bustling like ants, scattered among the night lights. He saw lovers kissing, fluttering scarves, chestnuts and the steaming white mist of hot porridge. I also saw white doves, night lights and crows.

The girl selling flowers walks among the neighbors, a family walks in the park, and the lights of the library shine on the students who stay up late studying - it looks no different from Zhai Xing.

No one can see the darkness it hides, and no one can see what is at the end of the black fog.

Suddenly there was silence above his head. A bright red umbrella was held on his head, blocking the heavy raindrops.

The **** stood close at hand, almost standing on the edge of the rooftop with him. His snow-white hair had an almost transparent texture, like white flames burning in the heavy rain.

Su Mingan should have raised his sword, but he did nothing. So what if the **** is killed? He still has so many bionic bodies.

So the two of them were very quiet, just staring at the city.

For a moment, it seemed that they were not standing in the rain, but looking at the endless wasteland. The distant river rolled from the skyline, and the clear-blue star marks hung high in the sky, and then disappeared in the heavy rain curtain.

Ancient bells ring in the distance, clang-dang-dang-

At this time, the voice of the **** sounded: "...Although I am very satisfied with this ending, I think...it is still a little bit worse. Therefore, I will still take you to the prophecy stone wall to start the next week."

Su Mingan understands the mentality of the gods.

 The spirit knows that he will forget everything, so He is confident in guiding him in a more satisfactory direction. Even if the spirit makes a mistake, it can do it again. The **** is like a player who... longs for a perfect ending.

 Back again and again, just for the most satisfying ending.

 —He and his mentality are almost the same.

It’s just that his return required a painful and crumbling death to initiate, but He didn’t. So he doesn't seem so lucky.

"I think you are not satisfied with the ending of this week. Let's go together." The **** said.

Su Mingan shouldn’t have refused, he really should have started the next week’s show.

but.

 He suddenly turned around, raised his foot, and there was a "bang"!

The shoe prints were **** the back of the god, and the **** was kicked out by him without expression. Since this was the edge of the rooftop, his figure fell straight down towards the light rail.

“…” The **** said nothing. He looked at Su Ming’an who was getting farther and farther away. In his opinion, Su Mingan's resistance was just to vent his anger and was of no use. He has to start the next show after all.

Su Ming'an's face was also expressionless, with only vertical and horizontal raindrops. Even at this moment, he remained calm, not because he was angry, but just for...a last try.

 He wiped the rain off his face and took a deep breath. The moist breath went straight into his lungs and was exhaled tremblingly.

 This is already the situation.

 This is already such a life.

 He raised his hand and pressed his fingers to his temples.

Then, he slowly showed an expression that looked like crying, but also like laughing——

 At least...retain a little...the courage to refuse to admit defeat.

 Even if there is little hope. At least...try to roll back once.

Chao Yan…

 …

 “Cluster.”

 …

 (End of this chapter)