First Player

"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.

"...Yeah." 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 her dark hair blocked the flickering light and shadow. And she was under such scorching light——

His whole body began to break.

Broken indeed.

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 immediately 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", so 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 see the next time. It means that the world will never be reset again, and she has finally achieved her goal.

That's... 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.

In the sound of wind, rain, and 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 on his palm.

【Chao Yan】.

【Su Mingan】.

He would also take her hand and write 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 show him that bitter smile that looked like she was about to cry.

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

The sea of ​​stars above the sky has long been obscured by clouds and mist. Even if he looked up at the sky, he could not see the overlapping shadows above the stars. No one in this week traces history, so Duiying, as the alien king, will not be awakened.

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

——Is this the ending without awakening history?

He looked at the living beings on the ground, and for a moment he had the idea that "this looks good", but he quickly gave it up - no, you know it will lead to destruction. If you don't become a god, the gods will still destroy the world, and now it's just a false peace.

"...Su Mingan." A voice came from behind.

Su Ming'an 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 stared at each other through the thin rain, with similar calm eyes.

"You seem to have recalled a lot of memories." The god said, "But it doesn't matter, you will forget it."

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

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

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

"Not...enough?" Su Mingan said.

The god 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 god said, "There is a better... possibility."

Su Ming'an felt relieved, and he instantly felt that at this moment, in this "game" with the world as the background, the god has become a "player". He constantly opens new games, fine-tunes the game strategy, and wants to achieve An 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 were completely reversed, and all "players" in the world game became fixed "NPCs" in the eyes of the gods.

As long as there are enough rounds, anyone will react to a certain topic, say something, take actions, 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.

How much emotion will you place on the NPCs in the game?

Some people may regard NPCs as friends or even lovers, but most of them are just spices in life. Because you know all their plots and reactions.

"Do you know? When you face me like this, I have seen the same scene and the same reaction at least three times." The god held an umbrella and watched Su Mingan's expression: "Every time... you... The expressions are exactly the same, I can even guess what you will say next——"

Su Mingan frowned slightly, looked directly at the god, 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 god 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 god seemed to smile.

Breathing in the sticky and moist air, Su Mingan clenched his fists and slowly released his hands. 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 prophecy stone wall and start a big reversal, and he will have to start from the beginning. The god 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 Ming'an suddenly smiled. He suddenly felt taunted.

...it turns out this is,

It turns out this is——

——Mizushima Kawaharu’s feelings when she faced him.

No matter how many traps are exhausted, no matter how many plans are made, even if victory is about to come, the 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 path is blocked in advance time and time again, and the routes left for him will become less and less 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.

And 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 god 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 clear at all. You can hardly see it. To win my hope."

"..." Su Mingan said nothing.

"So, you can stand on my side and always do what I say." The god said: "Look... I am doing it for your own good from the beginning to the end. I have said it from the beginning, staying by my side is the best thing." Easily. Because the path you are taking now is not the path that normal players should take at all. Those who have always listened to me will be able to pass the level easily."

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, today is...what day is the dungeon 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 god 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 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, no one can see what is at the end of the black fog, and no one can see that there is another world outside this world.

This world is difficult to save.

——He has no way to change the original destiny, because he will forget.

——Even if he commits suicide and triggers the death rollback, he is still in a deep sleep and unable to control himself. Unless he was lucky enough to go back to sleep, but then...

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

The god 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. He knew it was useless. Even if he killed the god, what would happen? He still had 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.

The ancient bells sounded in the distance, clang-dang-dang-

At this time, the voice of the god 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 understood the mentality of the gods.

The god knew that he would forget everything, so he had the confidence to guide him in a more satisfactory direction. Even if the god made a mistake, he could do it again. The god is like a player who... longs for a perfect ending.

Go back again and again, just for the most satisfying ending.

——He and his mentality are almost the same.

However, his return had to be initiated by a painful and crumbling death, but He did not. So he doesn't seem so lucky.

"I think you are not satisfied with the ending of this week. Let's go together." The god 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 hard on the back of the god, and the god 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 god didn't say anything. He looked at Su Ming'an who was getting further and further 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, only raindrops falling in vertical directions. 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 the 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...a little...retain a little...the courage to refuse to admit defeat.

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

Chaoyan...

…

"cluster."

…