first player

Chapter 1561 Final Chapter - Crossing the Sea [38] - "If he hadn't turned back to read it."

Su Ming'an instantly became alert.

But he showed no sign of anything amiss, simply standing calmly in place.

The inhuman figure approached, "gliding" towards them like a stream, drawing the gaze of millions of eyes of different colors.

A book ended up in Su Ming'an's hands.

Su Ming'an thought it was some kind of cosmology or ancient mystery, but upon closer inspection, it turned out to be a book called "Lighthouse Strategy Manual".

"...?"

"With trust and love, with sacrifice and steadfastness." The words of the Lord of Dreams danced around you like rainbows: "'Lucky Koi System' has bestowed upon you exceptional luck. If you wish, you will definitely come into contact with him, leading to a series of events that will bring you closer. Through those events, his affection for you will increase. Finally, you will die in front of him with a spectacular sacrifice. Before you die, you will guide him to this dream. He will most likely agree, after all, you have gained his trust through your death."

...So skilled?

Su Ming'an thought he had been exposed; it turned out that the Lord of Dreams had only come to talk to Hui Zi.

“I know you are disgusted by this and have been passively avoiding him, even choosing to stay in a remote village,” said the Lord of Dreams. “Don’t forget, you are a dead man. Do as I say.”

Su Ming'an understood the situation, curled the corners of his mouth, and imitated Hui Zi's arrogant tone, saying, "Your High Dimensions are really all of the same ilk. Can't you come up with something new?"

First, there was Dieying who manipulated Xiaoying with kinship; then, there was Mengzhu who manipulated "Huizi" with his life. Perhaps they simply viewed human life as worthless, not caring whether the means were despicable, and only prioritizing their goals.

The Lord of Dreams remained noncommittal, glancing back at the sleepy-eyed Beiwang.

A slender sword, entirely purple with a golden-red hue, landed in front of Su Ming'an. Its material was like crystal, clear and translucent, like a slender glass pen.

"To show your loyalty, kill him." The Lord of Dreams' words caused Su Ming'an's expression to change slightly.

“I don’t know this guy at all. How can I show my loyalty by killing him?” Su Ming’an stood with his arms crossed.

“He is a threat,” said the Lord of Dreams.

Su Ming'an's eyes flickered... Was Bei Wang a threat? It seemed so. Bei Wang had entered this place unconsciously more than ten times, and could even bring people in with him. This might be related to Bei Wang's talent for dreaming. After all, what normal person would sleep all the time, let alone achieve a state of sleep within sleep? Bei Wang's talent for the concept of "dreams" was extremely high.

In the past, Su Ming'an would never have imagined that the white-haired youth who slept all day would become the final breakthrough point in this long journey, which was simply laughable.

So, shall we take action?
If we don't act, the connection with Hui Zi will be severed. Killing Bei Wang will gain the Dream Lord's trust, and we'll surely receive information about the "Perfect Golden Path" in the future.

If we take action...

Su Ming'an made up his mind in just half a second. He calmly looked back at the Lord of Dreams without making a move.

At that moment, he realized exactly where his differences with Noel Agni lay.

The silence lasted for several seconds. Just when Su Ming'an thought the master of the dream was about to make a move, a snow-white light came into view.

The young man had a slightly sharp face, and his eyes were a deep, dark green, as if he were gazing at the world with the smoke of his vision. His white robe was contrasted with the jet-black datura embroidery, and his boots, worn from stepping on the stream, left several deep nail marks.

"—Lord, a threat can also be an opportunity." Lu Shen stood in front of Su Ming'an: "My struggle with the successor of 'Magical Girl' has been going on for a long time. Since this Bei Wang has such talent, why not let him become the one who is clear-headed?"

...A succession dispute?

Su Ming'an remained silent. The Lord of Dreams was selecting a successor; were Lu Shen and a lucid being called "Magical Girl" in competition?

"You want me to deliberately leave hidden dangers?" The Lord of Dreams' words carried a rusty tone.

These were harsh words, and Lu Shen remained silent, causing the atmosphere to become tense.

Suddenly, a white warbler appeared out of nowhere in the dream. Its silver eyes lingered on Su Ming'an for a moment before quickly landing on the dream master.

"I'd like to invite you for a cup of tea." A voice as clear and soft as snow came from the bird's beak, bringing an inexplicable sense of cleansing the mind and body.

The Lord of Dreams withdrew his attention and walked into the distance with the warbler. Soon, both of them disappeared from sight.

As soon as He left, the tense atmosphere immediately eased. Everyone patted their chests and breathed heavily. The Lord of Dreams was extremely majestic, and everyone's golden finger was attached to Him. No one wanted to offend Him.

"Thank goodness Lord Warbler has arrived." A sunflower hurriedly patted its petals, still shaken.

"What is that? The Dream Lord's pet?" a blob of blue slime asked.

"Shh... Be careful what you say! That's a friend of the Lord of Dreams. He often comes over for a chat and tea, so he must be an important person."

"Lord Nightingale has been visiting more frequently lately, which must be related to that civilization called Rovasa. They seem to value it highly." A thin sheet of paper extended a noodle-like hand and wiped away non-existent sweat.

Su Ming'an stared in the direction the oriole had gone. He could feel a faint connection between himself and the oriole; it was... the card Su Qing had drawn for him, [SSR·Darkest Tower], Saint Revelation. This oriole was clearly the consciousness of Saint Revelation himself.

Minghui's Holy Revelation died during his coming-of-age ceremony, but Holy Revelation should have a higher-dimensional form in the universe, otherwise, why would his clone have a combat power of 9999?

"Little Lucky Star, according to what the Lord of Dreams just said, you really went to Rovasa to seduce Su Ming'an?" At this moment, an hourglass studded with pink sand came to Su Ming'an's side. Its eyes were adorned with jewels, twinkling as it blinked. "What kind of person is he? Is he gentle?"

Immediately, the surrounding life forms crowded around, one after another:
"I heard he saved my world, is that true?"

"Is he the savior of my civilization's history named 'Su Leqing'?"

Is he easy to get along with? Does he like you?

"Could you please pass on a message for me? I've liked him for a long time! He's a great benefactor of my ancestors!"

Amidst the chatter, Su Ming'an finally understood what it meant to be "extremely popular among the Dream Patrol family." Most of them had probably read the joint story "Welcome Back to the World Game" and knew about Su Ming'an's exploits; it was hard not to admire him.

Moreover, since the world game has cycled over 400 million times, Su Ming'an has saved countless civilizations along his journey, making him arguably a "cosmic savior." He travels through different civilizations like a white egret skimming the water, overturning the darkness, piercing the light, clearing the clouds and revealing the bright sky, leaving behind a glorious era before quickly disappearing, like the most dazzling ephemeral flower, leaving only historical records of his name and achievements.

He eradicated evil in the dark British era, piloted an SSS-class mech to perish alongside the Zerg Queen in interstellar civilization, sacrificed himself for his country during the revolution, and ascended to immortality by leaving behind supreme immortal techniques at the pinnacle of immortality...

Upon closer reflection, what a sight it would be if Akto were to suddenly resurrect a hundred years later and appear alive before the people he had saved—this is exactly what Su Ming'an is facing now.

“This is the World Tree, no, the kind that Captain Mu likes to see... Does the whole world mourn the death of a big shot…” Nonsensical thoughts flowed through Su Ming’an’s mind. Soon, he thought this was a very good opportunity to retain the identity of “the awakened little lucky star Hui Zi” and access more information.

At this moment, some people handed over gift boxes, wanting Hui Zi to help them pass on some gifts to Su Ming'an.

"This is my gift, you must deliver it to Su Ming'an!" they instructed.

Su Ming'an looked down.

Freshly preserved chicken drumsticks, razor blades, lighthouse ornaments, dog food, glow sticks, Oscar trophies, silver rings, golden palace ornaments...

The gifts given by this group of "sober-minded people" were not so varied; they all fell into these eight categories, as if it were a rule.

“Other gifts can’t be taken out, only these eight gifts are acceptable.” At this moment, the pitch-black mandala came into view, and Lu Shen walked over: “These are all items they exchanged using their memories, formed by the magic power of the Lord of Dreams, and can transcend time and space. The most expensive one here should be that golden palace ornament, which requires extremely precious memories to exchange for.”

Su Ming'an touched these objects and sensed a very strong energy.

"Is the 'Blue Hat' hairstyle popular among the Awake Ones?" Su Ming'an asked Noel immediately, remembering something.

“Very high. As you know, World Games are the hottest topic right now, and any powerful player involved in World Games has a great reputation. Plus, 'Blue Hat' is also one of our companions, and we occasionally see her in our dreams, so her reputation is even greater.” Lu Shen said calmly, “Among us, 'Blue Hat' is second only to 'Magical Girl' in popularity.”

Su Ming'an understood... No wonder Noel had so much energy before; it turned out he got it from the Awakened Ones. As long as he maintained his high popularity, he could receive gifts from other Awakened Ones, which were transformed into a vast amount of energy.

Noel had given him a gift box containing these eight items, but Noel had absorbed all the energy from it, leaving only an empty shell. Su Ming'an had wondered what it was; it turned out to be a hint.

This hint is too subtle. Who knows what those eight items mean? They look like trinkets you can buy at Sanfu on the street. I thought the Lord of Dreams was trying to rip me off.

"Wait, now that you mention it..." Su Ming'an suddenly thought of the card shop at the start of the dungeon.

……

【1. Su Jingtang - Interstellar Mech (Quality: Epic) (Price: 500 words)】

2. Su Jingtang - Garden Stroll Long Gown (Quality: Excellent) (Price: 300 words)

3. Su Qing - Magical Boy (Quality: Legendary) (Price: 1000 words)

[4. Su Qing - Desiring to Buy Osmanthus Flowers and Share Wine (Quality: Epic) (Price: 500 words)]

【…】

[13. Gift to Show Favorability: Lighthouse Sculpture (Price: 500 words)]

[14. Gift to Show Favor: A Chance Encouragement (Price: 500 words)]

[15. Gift to Show Favor: Oscar Trophy (Price: 1000 words)]

【…】

【25. A Glimpse of the Gods (Price: 3000 words)】

……

These things, ostensibly created by the God of Trade, are actually likely the work of the Lord of Dreams. The gift system is exactly the same for all of them.

The sober buy these things, spending memory. The Rovas buy these things, spending words, words written with inspiration.

Therefore, memories and flashes of inspiration... these are what the Lord of Dreams needs.

He used this trade system to amass a great deal of wealth, taking advantage of information asymmetry and transit points to gather people from various civilizations throughout the universe, selling them some anime-style fashion junk, and obtaining memories and inspiration from multiple worlds across the universe.

Su Ming'an wasn't interested in cards; he believed more in his own power, so he had never touched the card system. Little did he know that this would cause him to miss this trap—the Lord of Dreams hadn't gained much of his memories and inspiration.

He remained clean throughout.

Just then, an excited voice came from the other side:
"—It's 'Magical Girl'! 'Magical Girl' has arrived!!!"

Then, half of the crowd left in a flash, while the remaining half continued to give Su Ming'an gifts. The living beings all surged in one direction, creating a scene reminiscent of a celebrity fan meeting.

Su Ming'an even saw a group of life forms jumping around, welcoming the "magical girl".

"Is that your competitor?" Su Ming'an looked at Lü Shen. Lü Shen was feared by everyone, while the "magical girl" was loved by everyone; the difference was quite significant.

"Yes. My beliefs are completely opposite to hers," Lu Shen said calmly.

"This is the Lord of Dreams' 3,030th selection of a successor. The successor needs to collect enough spiritual light. At the final settlement, whoever has the most spiritual light will win."

"The Lord of Dreams has set three rules."

"Firstly, the scope of our collection of spiritual light is limited to the world where Su Ming'an is located. Su Ming'an is in Rovasa, and so are we. If Su Ming'an goes to a small world, we will find a way to sneak into that small world. As for the settlement time, it will be until Su Ming'an's fate is determined."

"Secondly, neither she nor I can significantly change the world, nor can we expose the existence of the Awakened Ones. In the early stages, we can show our faces and steal the spotlight from the protagonist, but once the world begins to develop through our efforts and officially begins to collect spiritual light, we must retreat behind the scenes and can only secretly encourage others to create spiritual light."

"Thirdly, the quantity of inspiration depends on its quality. The richer, more complex, and more philosophical the world we secretly promote becomes, the more inspiration we generate."

"She believed in the inherent brilliance and goodness of humanity, and that as long as humanity had the ability, it could independently escape its predicament. Therefore, she chose to listen to people's wishes in secret, grant them abilities, and become a 'wishing cup'-like figure. Through the World Tree, she bestowed upon Rosa and the eight protagonists a golden finger, hoping that they could make this world more complex and wonderful. She hoped to build an 'ideal' paradise."

"She supports the world's goodness; she is pure, kind, and aspires to save the world."

"She was like a pure white line."

Upon hearing this, Su Ming'an looked into Lü Shen's somber eyes.

“Then, you…” Su Ming’an began.

“I am the complete opposite of her.” Lu Shen’s palm brushed against the datura on his robe, a highly poisonous flower. His eyes were filled with solidified dust. “I don’t believe that humanity can be saved on its own. Fate cannot be changed unless there is a mechanical deity or an external hand. Humanity has certain inherent flaws. Rather than helping them, it is better to act as a higher-dimensional hand, holding resources to change the situation on a larger scale, rather than relying on the actions of a few individuals.”

"Therefore, I secretly orchestrated the fall of the gods, turned the Radiant Mother Goddess against the gods, and turned Chins against the gods. I believe that the brilliance is maximized in tragedy and struggle. A stagnant world is a boring assembly line world, while development with conflict and death is the means to create paradise."

"I believe that the world is inclined towards evil and that human nature is inherently inferior; it is difficult to break free from these shackles without guidance."

"She is a pure white line, and I am a black line."

Su Ming'an pondered.

The possibility of self-redemption, and the inevitability of external intervention, constitute a profound proposition that has plagued the human spirit for thousands of years.

Some firmly believe that the potential power of the inner light and goodwill within each individual should be empowered rather than replaced, and channeled rather than blocked. Others believe that human limitations are stubbornly persistent, and that macro-level systemic intervention plays an indispensable corrective role.

Just like market economy and macro-control.

—【If Su Ming'an's death and rewind were not the "external intervention," could humanity have been saved through "self-redemption"?】The conflict between the magical girl and Lu Shen can be compared to this proposition.

If Su Ming'an hadn't desperately tried to reverse the situation and break the deadlock, would humanity have fallen in some high-difficulty dungeon? Or, would humanity still have the means to launch such a breakthrough war against higher dimensions, or would it simply repeat its inherent tragedy?

Should their honor be based on "external intervention," "self-redemption," or both?
One side argues that the greatness of life lies in its inherent capacity for reflection, creativity, empathy, and yearning for "goodness." "Aura" should be built upon human self-realization and elevation; it is the courage, mutual assistance, and resilience of ordinary individuals that constitute the main force in combating darkness, igniting aura, and triggering global change.

The other side argues that the "magical girl's" help is merely a condescending act of charity, failing to ignite the individual's inner strength. When resources, information, and violence are highly monopolized, even the greatest individual "brilliance" cannot withstand systemic crushing force; the gap between humanity and higher dimensions is like an insurmountable chasm. Rather than inefficiently watching humanity erode itself and waste resources, it's better to concentrate resources on key areas that can leverage change, using the "invisible hand" to help the whole rise and narrow the gap. This is the only way to inspire humanity to break free of its true shackles, rather than relying on the individual heroism of eight people to solve problems, whose "efforts" may only reinforce the shackles.

It's less a conflict between two people and more a universal existential dilemma.

"...Whether it's micro-level assistance or macro-level intervention, its ethical value lies in creating conditions for individuals or groups to realize their potential." Su Ming'an looked at Lü Shen and said slowly, "rather than depriving them of their responsibility and agency."

Pareto improvement.

This theory refers to improving the welfare of at least one individual by altering the existing allocation of resources without reducing the welfare of any individual. It emphasizes improving the overall welfare of society by optimizing resource allocation without harming anyone.

This is the ideal state for both sides, but it is too difficult to achieve.

“If I remember correctly, your story is called ‘Black and White’.” Su Ming’an suddenly realized this and understood.

“That’s right. She’s white, and I’m black.” Lu Shen said, “I see the ambition in your eyes… Will you support me? None of the previous successors have satisfied the Lord of Dreams, but I must take this position and fulfill one of my wishes.”

"If you are on my side, I will fully support your path."

He leaned closer and whispered, "I know who you are... Su Ming'an. The Lord of Dreams has been very busy lately and hasn't been observing Rovasa, but I happened to see your movements. If you help me, I will cover up the traces of your time jump."

"I will not interfere with whatever perfect path you choose to take, and I can even cooperate with you. All I want is the position of heir."

Su Ming'an's heart stirred.

He understood the philosophies of both parties, and if he wanted to obtain more information, it would be best to choose one party to assist him.

Should we choose black or white?
Is it better to choose evil or good?
He finally understood why Lu Shen had suddenly disappeared halfway through; it turned out that the mission of "collecting spiritual light" had begun, and Lu Shen had to retreat behind the scenes.

……Wait a moment.

Following the same line of thought, the person who also suddenly disappeared without a trace midway through Rovasa's journey was Lu Shen's competitor—the super-popular awakened "Magical Girl".

Moreover, she was a young girl.

So, who is this heir...?

Su Ming'an seemed to sense something and turned around.

The creatures shouted her nickname "Magical Girl," tossing flowers and candies into the air in a frenzy to welcome her arrival and beg for a smile from her.

—And at that moment, the girl who had entered the dream looked in Su Ming'an's direction.

Long pink hair, a captivating gaze, and a quirky short skirt embroidered with jelly patterns.

……

"I am the heroine of Rovasa," the girl said. "I know all the events that will unfold in the future. And you, you are my hero."

Next, she acted like a tutorial instructor in a game, teaching Su Ming'an the definitions of "protagonist," "character role-playing," "male supporting character," "disciple game," and "cards."

……

Su Ming'an was a little unaccustomed to the girl's way of speaking; she seemed to genuinely treat Rovasa as a game.

"Is he the righteous one who enthusiastically helps the protagonist, the hot-blooded troublemaker in the group, the mature and steady older brother, the comedic relief in the group, or..." the girl listed.

……

The girl then explained her identity, stating that her true identity was a secret, and that the princess of the Red Tower Kingdom was merely an identity she was playing.

……

The girl seemed to know a great deal about Su Ming'an's past; the entire layout of Samanthain University closely resembled Su Ming'an's former university.

"Go to the cafeteria for breakfast at 7:30 in the morning, and at noon at the east gate..." the girl said.

……

To her, the sorrows and joys of billions of lives, the grand scale and the untold story, seemed like nothing more than a game, or a book already written.

Her eyes remained empty.

[...It seems I've already "seen" Rovasa's happy ending.]

……

She is a sober person.

She has indeed "seen" countless happy ending scenarios.

—In her eyes, she had seen Rovasa's future development countless times.

As someone who is clear-headed, she understands Su Ming'an perfectly.

Therefore, the places she took him to were all perfectly suited to his preferences.

She wants to rely on humanity itself to obtain "inspiration," believes in human initiative, and hopes that the protagonist can lead the world to progress.

Therefore, she was the first to approach Su Ming'an and teach him a great deal about Rovasa.

She is Igul's OC, but also a person with independent consciousness.

—As the tides of the world began to rise, she handed over the stage anchor to Xiaobai and quietly retreated into the shadows.

When the pink-haired girl's gaze fell on Su Ming'an, her eyes widened in surprise for a moment. Then, she strode forward, followed by a large group of followers.

“Hello, I am…” Pudding extended her hand to Su Ming’an: “'Magical Girl'.”

Hui Zi, an outsider, had never spoken to the "magical girl" who was the center of attention, but the "magical girl" took the initiative to come to her.

"Hello." Su Ming'an extended his hand and slowly shook hers.

“I am… ‘Little Lucky Star’.”