first player

Chapter 1555 Final Chapter - Crossing the Sea [34] - "The organizers of the War God Dragon King are only fit to carry his shoes."

Within the world of the game.

The thirteenth seat, Su Ming'an, appeared in his lounge.

He was floating in an invisible, intangible, colorful fluid, with only a small square door in sight and a clown mask floating there.

"The lounge can be as large as a city or as small as a room; the furnishings are entirely up to you. The world game needs to settle accounts for Zhai Xing now, so we'll have to get back to work. Your promotion will have to wait a while." Casadia gripped the doorframe, a grin spreading across his face. "I'm looking forward to the day you kick that rabbit off the stage! Bye-bye~~~"

“Welcome, Su Ming’an.” Xinghuo stood at the door. “I didn’t expect you to become my colleague. With your abilities, you’ll definitely surpass us soon. I heard you’re a player with perfect scores in everything…”

Before Xinghuo could finish speaking, Casadiya pulled him away: "Stop eating, we have important things to do..."

Inside, Su Ming'an looked around. With a thought, the ceiling suddenly turned into a blue sky, the ground beneath his feet became concrete, and a residential building rose up in front of him. He opened his hand, and a small bird landed in his palm; he looked up, and a ginkgo leaf fell on his forehead.

The game world is like a colorful bubble; there is no concept of space. Pushing open any door leads to anywhere. There are no roads, no corridors, no beginning, and no end.

The god of Cloud City stood with his arms crossed under a ginkgo tree: "Su Ming'an, I thought you would choose to..." start over.

Su Ming'an curled his lips, but offered no explanation.

“Su Ming’an, what are we doing now…” Lu Shu looked over.

"I want to rest for a while," Su Ming'an said.

“Okay, then I’ll go to another space. You get some rest.” Lu Shu nodded. His current identity was that of a temporary resident in the world game, with his own small space. He reached out, pressed his hand against the edge of the bubble, closed his eyes and silently chanted, and in the next instant, his figure disappeared.

"The organizers are settling accounts," said the deity of Cloud City. "It's not bad to vacation here. You can recreate anything in the small space, including movies, novels, and anime from Zhaixing... It's similar to the casual players before. However, you'll definitely find it hard to adapt. As for more privileges, they probably won't be available until you officially become the thirteenth seat. If you want to leave the scope of the world game, you'll probably have to wait until the next civilization is selected and it's late in the game before you can infiltrate the instance like the other organizers."

Having said that, the god of Cloud City turned and left.

Su Ming'an stood up, touched the edge of the colorful bubbles, closed his eyes and said, "...the lake where Xiao Na is."

He was going to see Xiaona.

The next moment, the surrounding bubbles surged and rippled, like countless fiery clouds tearing and colliding with each other. The colorful liquid was like an overturned paint bucket. When all the colorfulness faded, what came into view was a tranquil lake.

The lake lay beneath the sky like jade, with a black and white piano and a pristine white door standing there. A lamb stood before the door, flanked by gold-threaded altars.

A wisp of white air sculpted into a woman with long, rose-red hair. Today, she was dressed exceptionally solemnly in a black-purple court dress.

"Welcome to the future 'Brain'! I'm sure you'll become the undisputed ruler of the universe, and all the organizers will be left to carry your shoes." Xiao Na chuckled, covering her lips as she said, "...Although I'd like to say that, I can tell you don't seem to have your sights set on that. Who are you plotting against by letting things unfold like this?"

"So, will you also carry my shoes?" Su Ming'an asked calmly.

"If you'd like to stay here... just kidding." Xiao Na shrugged. "If you choose to commit suicide in the future, there's nothing I can do to stop you, right?"

"I have a question. Now that the world game is over, can I still use my skills?" Su Ming'an asked.

“Of course, all the abilities you acquire during your player phase will naturally be considered your own. Even if you leave the world game, those abilities will stay with you,” Xiaona smiled.

"Hmm... If I'm in a soul state and don't have a body, can I still use those abilities?"

"Of course. You can change your body countless times, but you only have one soul, so your abilities naturally follow your soul."

"Is it safe here?" Su Ming'an looked around, with only the silent flow of the lake in his ears.

“It’s not very safe here, after all, so many uninvited guests have barged in before, like the blue-haired guy, the red-haired guy, the blond guy…” Xiao Na counted on her fingers, turned her head, and glanced at the clean white door: “But, that’s an absolutely safe place.”

“I remember you first came out through that door.” Su Ming’an walked in that direction: “Is that the central control point of the world game?”

"Of course, that's a place that even the organizers can't enter."

May I enter?

"You're not even one of the organizers yet," Xiaona laughed. The implication was that if the organizers couldn't get in, how could you, who weren't even organizers, possibly get in?

"May I?" Su Ming'an remained unmoved and asked again.

The lake water murmured, and Xiaona's eyes flickered.

A moment later, she pressed her fingers against her lips:

"You...you really can."

After all, he's a "perfect player," the one who best meets the world's game design requirements, the future genius, unlike those who were forcibly dragged in. Xiaona doesn't address him as "you," but as "you (formal)." This speaks volumes.

If he stays here and behaves himself, he might actually become a cosmic overlord in the future... That would truly be the return of the War God Dragon King.

"Lend me this secluded spot." Su Ming'an walked towards the pristine white door. He didn't specify what he wanted to "avoid."

Xiao Na was also a little puzzled, but she still tactfully stepped aside and slightly lifted her skirt, saying, "Please."

The white-haired youth stepped across the lake, the water flowing gently. Sheep tilted their heads and looked at him, while he touched the door.

"You look very different today," Xiao Na's soft voice sounded from behind.

Su Ming'an turned his head and looked at the woman in a black court dress.

"It's like a clay Buddha falling to the ground, the outer layer of clay shattering to reveal the beautiful, glittering gold inside." Xiao Na loosened her skirt: "Is it because most of humanity has survived safely, and you no longer have a heavy burden on your shoulders, so you finally shattered that clay shell?"

"No need for flattery." Su Ming'an pushed open the door and entered.

Before entering, he turned back and said:
"...If I don't make it back, please send Lu Shu and Su Lin away. Thank you."

What he wants...

It's not just that "most of humanity survived safely."

If this is truly the outcome, why bother moving forward in the first place? Since you chose greed, then be greedy to the very end. Since you chose to gamble, then gamble with yourself to the very end.

Otherwise, how can we find a way out of this desperate situation, how can we... fight our way out of that sliver of light?
Make a bet with me, Noel Agnes.

—Let's see if things go as you wish this time.

……

Su Ming'an returned to his small space.

He sat under the ginkgo tree, closed his eyes, and then slowly opened them again:

"Noel Agnes".

He called out to the air.

The next moment, the blond boy appeared in front of him, wearing a top hat and leaning on a rose cane, just as usual.

"Good evening, Su Ming'an~" The boy greeted them as before, as if the rift between them had never occurred.

This is the embodiment of Noel's soul within Su Ming'an's soul.

"I'll give you my body," Su Ming'an said, uttering a shocking statement.

Even Noel was stunned. He had prepared for a protracted battle with Su Ming'an, but he didn't expect to get such an answer.

...No. The Su Ming'an of the past never said such a thing. He would only fight to the very last moment, until Noel perished. What subtle thing changed? Where did the trajectory of fate shift?
Noel raised an eyebrow: "Oh? Sure." He was naturally happy to accept.

Su Ming'an closed his eyes.

"Wait a minute!" Noel frowned. "You're just giving it to me like that? No conditions? No words of thanks?"

"You should know the conditions: help me keep watch over Zhai Xing," Su Ming'an said.

“No problem. Even if you don’t give it to me, I’ll still bring it up.” The veins on the back of Noel’s hand bulged, but his expression remained calm. “And then, if you want to keep it for me?”

"I have nothing more to say to you," Su Ming'an said.

Noel's eyes flickered.

...Something's really not right.

Could it be that some subtle butterfly effect has occurred this time, causing Su Ming'an to become completely disheartened upon arriving here?
This gave Noel the feeling that he was being schemed against by someone like Su Ming'an, who was considered a BOSS. However, this feeling did not make him panic; instead, it brought a long-lost excitement to his heart.

However, the next moment, Su Ming'an closed his eyes, leaned against the tree trunk, and slowly lowered his head.

Within his soul, the golden-red color rapidly expanded, occupying the entire space.

When he opened his eyes again, his golden pupils faintly revealed a dark blue hue.

He stretched out his hands, looked at his palms, touched his ears, and then slowly looked up at the sky.

"You really gave it to me...?"

After a moment of silence, he extended his right palm and muttered something.

A small, golden-red sphere appeared in his palm.

He closed his eyes and concentrated, and then his figure transformed into a stream of light and entered the small sphere.

……

Inside the sphere.

The sky was a bluish-pink hue, and the ground was bathed in the warmth of spring. A small building was covered in climbing vines.

A boy with grape blossoms and leaves adorning his head sat on a swing, surrounded by kingfishers and butterflies. He swung on the swing, gazing at the distant sky.

Suddenly, a white-haired young man appeared on the flowerbed.

The boy on the swing immediately stood up and drew his sickle: "...Su Ming'an?"

“It’s me, Yuritilola,” Noel said.

"you made it?"

“No, he gave it to me…” Noel put his hand to his lips, lost in thought: “Where’s Huibai? Did he come in?”

This is Noel's "small world," which is far smaller than Su Ming'an's. There are only three intelligent beings in the world: Noel, Yuritilola, and Huibai, all of whom are in spirit form.

As for why Huizhou Bai is here...

“Tell Huibai to wait a little longer, I will find what he wants,” Noel said. “Until then, he needs to put on a show.”

"What drama?"

“Although Su Ming’an gave me his body, because he did so without a fight, his consciousness hasn’t dissipated and he’s still alive.” Noel thought for a moment: “I need to completely separate his consciousness, but I can’t let him interfere with me, so…”

“Why not just lock his consciousness away? Find a small, dark room with nothing in it and stuff him in,” Eurydilora said.

“There’s no need,” Noel said. “In my little world, time flows extremely fast. A few months here might only be a few tens of minutes outside, so…”

"Let him have a relatively happy life."

……

Su Ming'an opened his eyes.

His mind was hazy, and he couldn't remember many things.

At this moment, a blond, blue-eyed young man pushed open the door. His slightly long sideburns were neatly combed against his ears, and he wore a low ponytail. He was dressed in a moon-white robe with a frosted gemstone belt around his waist.

"You're awake?" the blond youth asked gently.

“You are…” Su Ming’an frowned.

“Have you forgotten? The world game ended, and most of humanity was saved by you and left in your little world.” Hui Bai said, “When the bet was settled, you were supposed to be one of the organizers, but the spacetime rift went out of control, and you accidentally stepped into this place—a peaceful world.”

Su Ming'an stared at Hui Bai.

Hui Bai smiled and said, "I am your... former friend, Hui Bai. I also wandered into this place with you by mistake, but fortunately, the material conditions in this world are quite good. By the way, I heard that you used to like reading detective novels, and I have collected a lot of them here. Since we can't go back for the time being, let's enjoy the wonderful life here for now."

He felt a chill run down his spine under Su Ming'an's gaze. After a moment, Su Ming'an nodded: "Okay."

Hui Bai showed him around this world. The city was very beautiful, with dazzling glazed tiles that reflected colorful light in the sunlight, like a fairytale castle.

“This architectural style reminds me of someone,” Su Ming’an said.

"Who...are you thinking of?" Hui Bai asked.

“I remember most things, but I just can’t remember who that person was,” Su Ming’an said.

“He’s definitely not someone worth paying attention to,” Hui Bai said.

Su Ming'an spent a good time here. He used to be a homebody and wouldn't go out unless necessary. He could spend a long time studying all kinds of detective works, and this place had everything.

However, their bodies are somewhat transparent.

“We are all in spirit form; it must be a characteristic of this world,” Hui Bai said.

“Really?” Su Ming’an said.

"This feels like a truly magical world. It must have been left behind by some higher dimension. No one's managing it, and there are still plenty of resources left," Hui Bai said. "Once your strength has recovered enough, you can leave this place."

“Really?” Su Ming’an said.

Hui Bai's brows twitched. He looked into the air for a moment, then whispered in someone's ear, "The suspicion is justified, but I can't tell you much."

Su Ming'an looked at Hui Bai for a few seconds, then a smile played on his lips: "What are you doubting? Your words are flawless, and I really can't remember anything more. Since we really can't leave here, wouldn't it be better to enjoy a peaceful life?"

“Okay…” Hui Bai was silent for a while, then nodded: “Yes, there’s nothing to worry about anymore.”

However, Hui Bai noticed that Su Ming'an was calculating something on a piece of scrap paper.

"These are...numbers?" Hui Bai glanced at the discarded draft paper. "Distance? Time? What are you calculating?"

“A numerical puzzle in a detective novel.” Su Ming’an waved the detective novel in his hand and turned his head: “By the way, I saw a figure swinging on a swing in the garden before. Was that person… Seventh Seat Yuritilora?”

“Yes, it seems He also wandered into this place by mistake with us. However, He didn’t intend to attack us,” Huibai said.

"Hmm." Su Ming'an nodded: "Is there only the three of us in this world?"

“Yes.” Hui Bai nodded.

Su Ming'an didn't say anything. Soon, he returned to his room and continued reading detective novels and watching cartoons.

Gradually, Hui Bai noticed that Su Ming'an's sleep time was getting longer and longer, sometimes even more than ten hours a day, as if he could never get enough sleep.

When Hui Bai asked, Su Ming'an said, "Maybe... I was too tired before. By the way, did you remember your memories? About Zhai Xing?"

"No." Hui Bai shook his head: "I really can't remember that memory. Maybe I only have one chance in my life."

"Why don't we try it now?"

"I can't leave here now. I'm afraid that if I think about the past, I'll miss home even more."

"Is that so? Does forgetting make it easier to accept?"

Facing Su Ming'an's gaze, Hui Bai smiled and said, "That's where we differ. You are determined to pursue the truth, even if it's bloody behind it. As for me, I yearn for a sunny place, even if some dampness goes unnoticed, I'll accept it."

It was here that Su Ming'an met Yuritilola.

He discovered that this previously annoying enemy was actually like an ordinary child. He asked Him why He became a higher dimension, and Eurydilora said that He had lived in a school with an endless cycle of reincarnation for a very, very long time until the end of time. He finally grasped the concept of "eternity" and was chosen by the World Game, thus becoming one of the organizers.

Su Ming'an continues to spend his days here in peace, with long sleeps and leisure activities.

Until one day, he woke up from a sixteen-hour sleep, walked into the garden, and held the sheet of numbers in his hand.

He looked up at the beautiful glazed tile roof and the pale blue sky.

"Boom—!" Without warning, he unleashed a series of spatial tremors at the flowerbed, nearly exhausting his mana, causing roses to flutter everywhere.

A flash of blue light passed between his fingers.

In an instant, he collapsed to the ground, weak, as if all the blood in his body had been drained.

……

[Aurora Ring (Purple Tier): This is the brightest future, and also the gentlest curse.]

[Lucky + Level 3 (maximum cannot exceed A)]

【Spirit +5】

[Special Skill (Dawn's Glow): Every 5% of your health can be temporarily converted into 1 point of Spirit, provided your health does not fall below 5%. The conversion rate changes as you level up.]

……

He converted 95% of his health into spirit, leaving him with only a sliver of health.

Then, in a near-death state, he activated his skill—

……

[Core Skill 2] Pioneer Undying: When you are near death, you can freely choose whether to enter a "Feign Death" state. During "Feign Death," your body will remain in a state of no breathing and no heartbeat, and can withstand three fatal blows. If you suffer more than three fatal blows, you will fall into true death. (Cooldown: 72 hours)]

[Note: You can bind one player as your "fake death notification person". When you enter a "fake death" state, the other player will receive the message immediately: [I am Su Ming'an, I am dead! (This text can be changed, but cannot exceed 10 characters)]]

……

At this point, he had already prepared the copy in advance as follows:

……

[Lu Shu, let Su Lin severely injure me!]

……

The outside world, the world game.

Lu Shu returned to his room and took a nap. He was exhausted after the world game ended, and it was a rare treat for him to finally get some rest.

In his sleep, a system notification suddenly rang in his ears:

"Lu Shu, have Su Lin severely injure me!"

Lu Shu immediately woke up with a start. Without any hesitation, he jumped up and rushed to the small space where the Cloud City deity was resting, shouting, "Cloud City deity, Su Ming'an wants you to severely injure him!"

—The god of Cloud City, who was a second-level god, did not hesitate at all and immediately used his usual teleportation skill to come to Su Ming'an's side.

At this moment, Noel was studying the divine power within Su Ming'an's body. Although Su Ming'an's consciousness had spent dozens of days in Noel's small world, only a dozen minutes had passed in the outside world.

The moment Noel saw the god of Cloud City, he showed a moment of surprise, then gently curled the corners of his lips.

"Shh!"

The god of Cloud City decisively pierced Norl's body, the light blade severing his flowing white hair. Although Norl offered some resistance, he was not yet familiar with this body, and the next moment, blood splattered everywhere as he fell to the ground.

In a small world.

Amidst the swirling, broken rose petals, Su Ming'an opened his eyes.

……

[Note: The "Feign Death" state will continuously consume mana. When mana is depleted, the "Feign Death" state will immediately end, and you will awaken with 1 health point, lasting for 1 hour.]

……

He had nearly exhausted his mana beforehand, so he quickly emerged from his suspended animation. As long as he controlled his mana, he could control the duration of his suspended animation.

At the same time, he felt the fog finally dissipate from the parts of his consciousness that had been blocked. Noel, in order to allow him to spend the rest of his life peacefully in the small world, had blocked all his memories of Noel.

The next moment, the blond boy appeared in front of him:

"You've always remembered?"

“Remember what?” Su Ming’an shrugged.

"Remember my existence, remember the body I took from you, remember that I put you into this little world?" Noel said.

"No, I don't remember. Your shielding was very successful. I really don't remember anything about you. So I was almost fooled by Hui Bai's lies. I really thought that after saving humanity, I accidentally entered this world." Su Ming'an slowly raised his palm: "However, you overlooked one of my skills."

……

【Hand of Redemption (Red-tier, Evolvable): "Asar, not a single person stands by my side."】

[Type: Special hand equipment.]

[Skill (Copy): You can copy one skill owned by another player, enjoying 60% of that skill's effectiveness. This copy requires the consent of the player whose skill is being copied.]

……

This skill has been consistently overlooked.

Its bugs have been overlooked by everyone.

Since obtaining it, Su Ming'an copied Noel's "Puppet Silk" skill, as it was indeed very useful. The puppet silk in Su Ming'an's heart only broke at the moment Noel died.

However, it has endless possibilities.

Is the Cloud City God considered a player? He is Su Lin fused with the Cloud City God, but is essentially still Su Lin, so of course he's considered a player. Then—can the Soul Authority be copied?

When the Cloud City deity approached Su Ming'an beneath the World Tree and entered the skill's range, Su Ming'an tried to replicate it.

It failed; authority truly cannot be replicated.

The god of Cloud City also said that His power system is different from that of the players. However, he is still a "player" who was pulled down by Red Rose. As long as you are a "player", your ability is considered a "skill". For example, Su Ming'an's "devouring" authority has also been transformed into one of his equipment skills, "Thessalonians' Devouring Claw".

Having understood Su Ming'an's meaning, the deity of Cloud City split his authority, creating multiple abilities, and allowed Su Ming'an to choose one to copy.

This attempt was indeed successful. Su Ming'an could not replicate the entire authority, but he could replicate a specific ability within it.

He chose to copy—the "Dream Technique" within the "Soul" authority, which is the original form of the "Dream Weaving Technique".

Before giving his body to Noel, he wove many dreams for himself, so that every night when he dreamed, he could recall the memories that Noel had blocked out of him.

Humans, for a period of time after waking up, can remember what they dreamed about the night before.

He used himself as bait to search for what he was looking for in the small world, and after several months, he finally found it.

So, after waking up this morning, he activated the "Aurora Ring" to force himself to the brink of death, and then used the "Dawn of Immortality" skill to send a message to Lu Shu.

This skill has more than just the effect of feigning death. When Su Ming'an obtained this equipment, he wondered if the truly divine skill lay in its ability to transmit messages without being bound by time and space.
Even if Lu Shu is thousands of miles away, as long as this fake death skill is triggered, Lu Shu will immediately receive the message, "I am Su Ming'an, I am dead!"

And all you have to do is adjust the content of the message yourself...

—It is an informational superpower capable of transcending time and space.

“I already said, his consciousness should be locked in a dark room,” Yuritilora couldn’t help but say.

“No, that won’t work either…” Noel said slowly.

As long as Su Ming'an remains conscious, he will definitely be able to use his skills, and as long as he uses his skills, he will definitely be able to escape control.

This was Su Ming'an's calculated move, and Noel was truly powerless to counter it. Who else could possess so many overpowered skills like the "Number One Player"?
This is what he deserves for his journey, the reward for his constant struggle on the brink of life and death in the game. As a "player," this is the power he earned through his own hard work, a power that transcends authority.

"You risked your life, deliberately giving me your body. What is your consciousness looking for in my little world?" Noel said.

“No.” Su Ming’an held up one finger and shook it:
"I should say, I'm looking for something in your dreams."

"You wanted to give me a happy life, you wanted me to have a vacation here, so you put me in this little world."

"Indeed, this is the best mercy you can show as an adversary. However, whether you put me in a small world or throw me into a dark room, you cannot stop me."

What I'm looking for is your dream.

"Because your soul has become one with mine, when I dream, I also use the art of dreaming to touch your dreams."

His words ended there.

He's not a villain from an anime who has to explain the whole story to the other person. Besides, Noel is smart enough that he doesn't need to explain further.

The reason he didn't choose to revert to his previous position and instead opted to become the thirteenth seat was because he knew that even if he reverted to his previous position, it would be difficult to change the situation unless he obtained enough information to break the deadlock.

Where does the information to break the deadlock come from?

It comes from the greatest enemy—Noel Agni.

Su Ming'an kept wondering, how did Noel know about the cosmic cycle? How did he know about his actions in multiple timelines?
There is only one answer—the sober-minded.

Since Noel didn't switch sides until the eleventh instance, Su Ming'an speculated that in the first ten instances, before encountering the concept of "the awakened one," Noel indeed didn't remember anything about the cosmic cycle. Even if he did, it would be very little, so little that he wouldn't take any outrageous actions and would firmly stand on Su Ming'an's side.

The sudden change in Noel's attitude in the eleventh instance must have been because at this point in time he came into contact with the concept of "the Awakened Ones," and thus learned about the cosmic cycle and other events, leading to a huge contrast in his attitude.

Therefore, it is highly likely that Noel entered the dream world where the lucid beings gathered and learned a lot of information there, rather than suddenly having a "flash of inspiration" and recalling the memory of the cosmic cycle, which is illogical.

Therefore, Su Ming'an speculated that as long as he knew how Noel came into contact with the dreams of the lucid ones, he would be able to access information about the lucid ones, and then he would trigger a death rollback, return to Rovasa, and thus break the deadlock.

He decided to give his body to Noel, to induce Noel to merge with his soul, and then use his dream magic to access Noel's dream, and through Noel's dream, find a way to enter the dream of a conscious person!

However, this plan has three major difficulties.

First, how can we ensure that Su Ming'an completes this series of actions within six hours to prevent the system from becoming stuck and unable to return to Rovasa?
Secondly, how can we ensure that Noel remains unaware of Su Ming'an's actions?
Thirdly, how can we ensure that the authority to roll back after death remains effective after Su Ming'an becomes a higher dimension?

These three difficulties, from easiest to hardest, are all very difficult to solve.

However, Su Ming'an had come up with a solution.

Firstly, because humans can remember their dreams from the previous night for a period of time after waking up, Su Ming'an pretends to be solving puzzles in a detective novel every morning, but in reality, he is calculating how much time has passed in the outside world to ensure that the distance between "his becoming a higher dimension" and "the current time" is no more than six hours.

He couldn't really figure out how fast time flowed in Noel's little world, but he had experienced the development of the little world himself. He knew that the more primitive the period, the faster time flowed. For example, when Su Bread and others were first born, a few hours had passed outside, but several years had passed inside.

Therefore, as long as he didn't stay in Noel's little world for more than half a year, not much time would have passed in the outside world. Just to be on the safe side, he came out soon.

Secondly, how can we ensure that Noel is unaware of Su Ming'an's series of actions?
The eyes of the sober are everywhere. How can Su Ming'an ensure that they cannot see his actions?
“Narrative…a trick?” Noel murmured.

—If we only use an ellipsis to separate the tangent, who can tell whether the "protagonist" in the previous text is the same as the "protagonist" in the following text?
……

"It's like a clay Buddha falling to the ground, the outer layer of clay shattering to reveal the beautiful, glittering gold inside." Xiao Na loosened her skirt: "Is it because most of humanity has survived safely, and you no longer have a heavy burden on your shoulders, that you shattered that clay shell?"

"No need for flattery," Su Ming'an said as he pushed open the door and entered.

【…】

Su Ming'an returned to his small space.

He sat under the ginkgo tree, closed his eyes, and then slowly opened them again.

"Noel Agnes."

He called out to the air.

The next moment, the blond boy appeared before him, wearing a top hat and leaning on a rose-covered cane, just as always.

……

Inspired by the black and white lines, Su Ming'an devised a time-space trick.

It seems that after he pushed open the pristine white door, he returned to his own little space. In fact, within this omission, he had already undergone a death rewind.

After pushing open the pristine white door, he immediately reverted to his previous life. After the revert, he saw that he had successfully returned to Rovasa and found the answer—his revert was still valid.

He then repeated all the actions from his previous playthrough: killing Su Bread, entering the world game, visiting Xiao Na at the lake, and finally returning to his own little space.

The enlightened ones observe them through the "Book of the Universe." The principle is the same as that of Rovasa, just as the World Tree observes them through the "Book of the World," the enlightened ones are simply on a higher level.

Since it is a book, it will not repeat the exact same development!

This was Su Ming'an's two-pronged plan. He believed the "Book of the Universe" wouldn't record his death reversal, since it was too high a point—it truly reversed time and should overwrite the "Book of the Universe." But in the unlikely event that the "Book of the Universe" could record his death reversal, he also needed to ensure it didn't record it!

In other words, if the exact same behavior is repeated in two cycles, the "Book of the Universe," being a book, will naturally not repeat the same development, but will only be replaced by "..." ellipses!

As it turned out, his preparations were far too thorough, and he was simply overthinking things. The "Book of the Universe" should not have been able to record his death and rollback, and his actions went completely undetected.

Subsequently, Su Ming'an began to act boldly. He used the Soul Yellow Gem to inform the gods of Cloud City of his actions and cooperate with them, including using the "Hand of Redemption" to copy skills.

However, there was one point that Su Ming'an truly couldn't guarantee, and it was completely unsolvable. He couldn't be sure that after the world game ended, the death rollback would still belong to him, which is why he said to the god of Cloud City, "Let's gamble together."

I'm taking a gamble; I still have a chance to revert to a previous state after death.

If I don't take this gamble, what's the point of standing still?

He was fairly confident that the death rollback would still belong to him, since it was something rooted in his soul and most likely a cosmic organ, so it was unlikely to fly away just because the world game ended.

In a fit of madness, he pushed open the pristine white gates of Lake Xiaona and, with a single, annihilating shot, killed himself.

Whether he opens his eyes again or falls into eternal sleep, he is gambling with his life.

What if they never return...

That would be a good ending to this life. At least, I didn't end up in Noel's hands.

One's own life is insignificant compared to the gains from winning the gamble.

The only thing he couldn't let go of was Lu Shu and the gods of Cloud City, so before pushing open the pristine white door, Su Ming'an said to Xiao Na:
"...If I don't make it back, please send Lu Shu and Su Lin away. Thank you."

He certainly couldn't guarantee that Xiaona would do as he was told, but he really didn't have the energy to send them away, and he felt sorry for them.

Fortunately, he won the gamble with his life.

—He did indeed open his eyes as he wished and saw the sky over Rovasa.

"This guy is terrifying!" Yuritilora couldn't help but exclaim.

He was a clever man and quickly figured out this series of tricks. This was a masterful use of authority and skill, and he even managed to deceive the "Book of the Universe" along the way.

He willingly surrendered his body to Noel, having prepared by repeatedly rewinding time beforehand. He silently replicated the Dream Technique, recovering his memories despite losing some of them, secretly calculating time, and exploring Noel's dreams to find the dreams of the awakened ones. Then, he deliberately triggered a near-death experience through his ring, delivering a message across time and space, allowing the Cloud City deity, who already knew the plan through the "Yellow Gem," to pierce Noel with a single blow.

The reason why Noel's consciousness appeared here was because a sword strike from the god of Cloud City outside the city instantly brought Su Ming'an's body to the brink of death. Noel's control weakened, while Su Ming'an woke up and his control strengthened. With this ebb and flow, Su Ming'an and Noel's consciousnesses appeared together in the small world to confront each other.

That body was currently in a state of being uncontrolled.

—And now, this guy called "First Player" has figured out the dream world of a lucid person through dozens of days of dreaming!

“A calculated scheme,” Noel laughed.

So what if he knew all this beforehand? Even if he didn't throw Su Ming'an into the small world, as long as Su Ming'an starts dreaming, the Dream of Nor, which has already merged with Su Ming'an, will inevitably be unable to escape the exploration of Su Ming'an's dream techniques.

After he used his wits to "devour" Su Ming'an, why couldn't Su Ming'an also use his wits to use himself as bait to "devour" him?

The former devours the body. The latter devours dreams.

The former "uses itself as poison," while the latter "uses itself as bait."

Both sides were engaging in a life-or-death struggle.

The only perplexing question is why Su Ming'an was able to devise these schemes this time? In many previous instances, they all ended with Noel's demise and Su Ming'an's suicide after a long period of time.

"You...remembered something?" Noel looked at Su Ming'an.

“Only a tiny bit,” Su Ming’an said. “I heard an auditory hallucination; a voice said to me—”

……

【Hey, you. 】

Don't linger here.

—Do not repeat this cycle.

[If given another chance, even if every step were to repeat the tragedy of the previous one,]

[At the final moment of consuming Noel,]

[At the last moment I saw Su's bread,]

You must too...

……

It was this auditory hallucination he heard before killing Su Ming'an that made him begin to have doubts about the future.

Therefore, he was not content to be one of the organizers, but decided to take a huge gamble, betting that he still had a chance to recover from death, and did this extremely radical and daring thing.

If it weren't for this auditory hallucination, he probably wouldn't have been so radical, and wouldn't have entered Xiaona Lake to try to rewind time.

“That’s not good,” Noel said seriously. “You absolutely cannot become a sober one.”

He gently tapped his chest:

"Leave this identity to me. You just need to hold on until the world game ends, then you can rest."

He spoke as if the two were still working together harmoniously, as if they were dividing up the tasks.

“I will see those secrets with my own eyes. Now, we must fight to the death,” Su Ming’an said.

He had one last thing to do.

—Here, engage in a deadly battle of consciousness with Noel, seize this small world, and enter the dream as "Noel".

He wants to seize Norl's consciousness, to seize Norl's soul.

He only believed what he saw, a principle he had always kept in mind. Since Noel's secret was bound by certain rules and could not be spoken, he would see for himself.

He will not passively wait for others to deceive, hurt, or present him with things.

"This guy's got some nerve, I'm starting to get scared." Eurydilora turned her head: "What should we do, brother?"

He was genuinely starting to panic.

Su Ming'an's series of actions, up to the very end, were entirely likely to achieve his goal.

"Then," Noel tilted his head, "how do you plan to kill my consciousness? You know my willpower isn't weak either. Even if you kill me once with your sword, my consciousness will revive and quickly hide in some corner of the small world. You won't be able to catch me."

...Oh, right.

Yuritilola also realized this. Without a long time, how could Su Ming'an erase Noel's consciousness?
Su Ming'an smiled slightly.

Countless white tendrils suddenly sprouted from his back, like branches and leaves sprouting wildly, like a vast and passionate spring day.

These countless "spring days" rushed towards Noel, which was right before their eyes.

……

"To date, no one who has experienced the pain I went through has survived."

"Noel Agnes".

"—Now that your consciousness is exposed to me, then let's 'coexist' together and experience all my pain, grief, and despair."

"Until death do us part."

……

(End of this chapter)