First Player

 Chapter 1053 One Thousand and Fifty One · "Alice."

  830 years in the old days - 832 years in the old days.

 Cemetery.

Lu Shu held a bouquet of white daisies and stared at the people coming and going. This cemetery is located at the 20% land dividing line, and most of the people who died in the war are buried.

 “Son, my mother is the only one left now.”

At the end of Lu Shu's line of sight, there was a middle-aged woman. Her black hair had accumulated a lot of white silk. She faced the tombstone and placed chrysanthemums one by one in front of the tombstone: "Son, mom went to see her again today. You... I opened the door and saw that the originally locked window was open. Are you back? If you come back... remember to come and see your mother in your dream... The Jiaojiao that I raised yesterday also died. The air quality Too bad, too much shell smoke, cats and dogs will not live long..."

“How many more years will this battle last...Son, you said you were going to **** the Old God to rain, and it rained too. When will you come back...when will it be the end..."

Lu Shu watched silently.

 A ginkgo leaf floated down from the forehead. It is already autumn, but most people are wearing very thin clothes. They come and go in the cemetery, petals fall off, and the world changes.

“Can the Old God resurrect the dead? If we are pious enough, can we get a glimpse of Him?”

"Old God...I can dedicate all my property to you, and I can be your devout believer for the rest of my life. I just ask you...to resurrect my father..."

"The war will never end. It lasts three years and three years. Neither side is at fault. Who is at fault..."

It was not until sunset, when the crowds of people changed one after another, that Lu Shu threw the white daisies in his arms into the trash can. He has no one to pay homage to, and if he does, he may need to pay homage to himself.

The setting sun dyed the tombstones into flame red, and also dyed his flowing white hair into magenta. He didn't know what he should do. His personal mission had been completed long ago, and there was no heavy burden on him. It was as if staying in a safe small town was his only mission.

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　)

He waved the black knife in his hand, and deep confusion fell on his shoulders like falling snow.

 He knew early on that his acuity was not enough to penetrate the dungeon deeply. He was not as smart as Noel, and not as good at dancing as Lu Changsleeve. In the fifth and seventh worlds, he always helped Su Mingan as a follower. In the eighth world, he became the boss, the man in black robe. In the ninth world, he became an electronic ghost floating in the three dimensions. Wherever he made great achievements, he achieved it by burning himself desperately, but now there is no place where he needs to burn, and his teammates don't want him to burn himself.

 So, the moment he saw Su Mingan being pierced in the sky, a huge amount of regret and unwillingness suddenly emerged in his heart.

 What can he do?

 What can he do?

 Yamada Machichi and Yue Yue immediately mobilized the army. Noel went to pick up Su Mingan, but he... didn't realize that it was a fake death.

Even after Su Mingan was resurrected, Su Mingan did not convey any new tasks to him.

　　　…”

Lu Shu swung his knife again.

He was wondering, if Su Ming'an never conveyed a new task to him, did Su Ming'an hope that he would let him go and do it? They had agreed before that Su Ming'an respected all Lu Shu's decisions and would not restrict Lu Shu's actions. He just hoped that he would value himself more.

 But what should he do? Go to the front line to fight? If you have more of yourself there, it will not be too much, and if you have less of yourself, it will not be too much...

 At this moment, he suddenly heard a voice:

 …Confused?”

 Lu Shu raised his head. The **** suddenly appeared on the path of the cemetery, with a few newly opened peach blossoms dotted on his shoulders.

"If you are confused, I can tell you what is best for you," said the god.

Lu Shu took a step forward.

The **** showed a gentle smile and watched Lu Shu approach.

 A "swish" sound.

The black knife pierced the body of the god, as if shattering a burst of white light and shadow.

 “Get lost,” Lu Shu said.

 What confuses him is his ability, but he will never be deceived by his enemies.

"I won't listen to anything you say." Lu Shu said: "Your reaction tells me that I am real and not a character you fabricated. Otherwise, there is no need for you to trick me. Stay away from me, you liar."

 The **** smiled slightly and disappeared.

 Lu Shu stood quietly for a long time.

At this time, a burst of exclamation came, and people looked up in one direction. Lu Shu's heartbeat suddenly accelerated, and he looked at the sky—

At the end of the western sky, a fiery red light suddenly burned up. High-rise buildings, mountains, and rivers were all covered in golden-red light. Even though they are extremely far apart, they can still be seen.

-That is…

Lu Shu’s pupils narrowed.

—The resurrection of the alien king?

 …

 While the heavy rain fell, Su Mingan remained stationary.

 Alice hugged him tightly and came to the second tower.

The Holy Alliance troops lined up, their faces obscured by solemn iron masks. The gods didn't want Su Mingan to join the tower, so how could they let him go down to Jiuyou.

 “Witch, it is forbidden to set foot in the Nine Netherworld.” The bishop recited her crime.

…Yeah? Has she become a witch again?

Alice laughed out loud, as if she had jumped between these two identities too many times.

 What an irony—the gods need her, and she is the [goddess]. The gods don't need her, she is the [Witch]. Just like a puppet, which direction the puppet faces is completely determined by the big hand above. This is "correctness".

 She lowered her head and saw Su Ming'an's pupils in her arms moved slightly. He should be able to feel the rapid passage of time around him. To him, this is just a moment, but to an NPC like her, it feels like two real years. It's just the beginning now, there are still more than 700 days.

 He suddenly made a very soft sound, just a murmur in his deep sleep.

“...Huh?” Alice turned her head and let him lean on her shoulder, afraid of waking him up.

His time is frozen and will not be disturbed by heavy rain. It is better for him to sleep through such hard and long years...

"Actually, you are more reassuring when you look like this." Her voice was very soft, and for the first time she did not use any words of honor to him: "Every year after you disappear, I worry that you will not come back, but you are always in my sight. Li...you know? I have grown very tall, and you seem to have never noticed."

 She is over 1.7 meters tall, and it is effortless to hold him. The facial features have also grown longer, the bridge of the nose has become very straight, the lips are slightly thinner and have a beautiful lip shape, and the chin is somewhat rounded, just like the face shape of Snow White in the fairy tale, very cute.

 That little girl who shivered and was malnourished in the cold winter...she has grown up.

 She raised her sword, raised her shield, and put on thick armor. Her cheeks were no longer green and her pace became steady... She had successfully walked out of the snowy night.

 Countless attacks came towards Alice.

The bright red boa constrictor flowed in Alice's pupils. At this moment, she no longer resisted the strange power in her body.

—When Yamada Machichi and his troops arrived, this was what they saw.

The girl's black hair is fluttering in the wind, and her pupils are completely dyed bright red. She is wearing wings made of tentacles, and the light of the bright red python is lingering around her. At her feet are fallen soldiers, and the sharp tower Standing upright in front of her, it was like a sharp sword piercing the bones, and she was like a female war goddess.

 She held the still young man in her arms, her movements could be described as gentle. She spoke softly to him and walked step by step into the silent black mist.

“No one can stop me from going to Jiuyou.”

"After all this is over, if I can still maintain my sanity... Detective, let's find a quiet place. The flowers in Beihai are said to be very beautiful, and the wheat cakes there are delicious. We must... leave happy memories "I once had a dream. I dreamed that you and I spent our whole lives in the castle. Until I retired from the position of knight, we were gray-haired and hunched together, watching the iris by the lake. Hua...you once said that retired Knights of Light will have a very leisurely life for the rest of their lives, and children will respect us..."

“I had a lot of worries in the past, but now it’s not suitable for me to tell you. Fortunately, you can’t hear me.”

“I said the porridge you cooked is delicious, but I actually lied to you. It really tastes terrible... It’s just that I really want you to stay...”

“You said you wanted to wait for me to go to Jiuyou together, but in two years...how many more people will die in two years, how many parents will lose their children, and how many children will lose their elders in two years...We can’t delay it any longer..."

 "I'm sorry, Mr. Detective, I...won't wait for you. You have to remember..."

 “Alice is, in the end, just Alice.”

In the past, the neighbor's aunt often scared her, saying that if the detective got married in the future and had a mistress of the house, she would kick her out as an orphan.

 …How ridiculous.

 …

 She was the one who reached the legal age of marriage first.

 …

When Su Mingan opened his eyes, he was sitting in a mechanical wheelchair.

 A red-haired young man was pushing his wheelchair, his pupils were like blazing flames. The cold golden fire burned around him, dispersing the all-pervasive black mist.

“Old God, you’re awake, it’s the year 832 of the old day, and the second rain has pushed us forward two years.” Li Yuxuan said.

Su Mingan’s heart felt empty.

 …Where’s Alice?

They agreed to go to Jiuyou together when the rain stopped. Where did she go?

Li Yuxuan replied: "Alice put you deep in the black mist when the rain first fell two years ago, and the people of the old Holy See protected you, and then she went to Jiuyou alone."

 “She stayed in Jiuyou for two years?”

"Well, it takes time for the Alien King to resurrect. Now that two years have passed, it's almost time for him to revive. We are escorting you to Jiuyou now just to witness the Alien King's rebirth." Li Yuxuan's voice was very low: "As a carrier, Her consciousness...should be gone long ago."

Su Mingan looked around, but could only see silent soldiers. They escorted him to Jiuyou, but where was Alice?

 …She was left behind by him two years ago, and she left herself somewhere where he couldn't see her. She couldn't wait two years anymore. How many people would die in two years, so when time accelerated at the beginning of two years, she jumped off Jiuyou alone.

 In this way, when he opens his eyes, the alien king will be almost revived without wasting time. Jiuyou is seriously polluted and will not harm him.

 She is right. But...this means...

 He has no chance to cut off her destiny, which means that he has never defeated destiny once.

She stayed alone in a dark place like Jiuyou for two full years without anyone to accompany her, until the alien king completely replaced her consciousness.

 Before the rain stopped, her fate was over.

Su Mingan lowered his head and found a white dried flower on his knee. This is the flower that Alice once held in her arms.

 She left the flowers for him.

The ribbon on the flower branch has a small line of words written on it.

 …

  【For more flowers. —Alice]

 …

In order to have more blooming flowers in the future, she left herself alone in the depths of the Nine Netherworld.

At this moment, he seemed to hear the overwhelming heartbeat. The girl's smile was silent in the vast black mist, and then broke into thousands of petals.

　　　…”

 A deep sense of fate surrounded him, and he felt unspeakable pain for a moment.

 The narrow alley, the astrology stall, the fireworks in the lake, the sea below the airship, the spring cakes in the cupboard, the steaming black tea on the table, the crackling fire in the fireplace, the girl's purple eyes, and the "Master Detective".

 He remembered the wish on the wishing card. The wind was very cold that night. Under the tree with red ribbons floating all over the sky, a fifteen-year-old girl with a slightly red face stood on tiptoes and whispered in his ear -

I want to save one wish every year, and when I grow up, you can make it come true for me. 】

  【Okay? 】

Su Mingan seemed to feel something. Amidst the bumps in his wheelchair, he suddenly lowered his head and opened the white flowers that Alice left for him. On the inner petals, he saw three lines of text.

 …

【do not die. 】

【be happy. 】

【forget me. 】

　　—Alice’s accumulated wishes. 】

 …

 From the age of fifteen to eighteen, her three wishes.

The girl who was never willing to accept her fate finally shattered into thousands of future flowers. She threw herself into the Nine Nethers, the most terrifying and dark place in mythology, and stayed alone for two full years until she lost her mind.

 Alice's life ended in early winter at the age of 21.

 Until the end, she did not give herself a real name.

Su Mingan picked off the petals and put them to his lips. He suddenly felt a stinging pain, and a deep hole seemed to open in his heart.

 …It is like a touch of snow full of regret.

 …

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　』

The white snow outside the window is floating in the air, rubbing against the blurred window glass, like pure white goose feathers, and like the touch of angel wings. Su Mingan fell asleep amidst the crackling sound of fire. The warm firelight danced on his face, and his closed eyelids glowed with a warm light. 】

　　　　When Su Ming'an fell asleep, the girl's voice floated softly. 】

  【"...Sir Detective, the heavy snow today is so beautiful."】

【"Good night."】

 …

　　　…”

“I told you earlier...it tastes terrible. I eat it so happily every year.”

 “If I had told you it didn’t taste good... I wouldn’t have made it...”

 (End of this chapter)