first player

Chapter 1575 Final Chapter: Guarding the Coastline: "OE: Die from the Ocean (6)"

Beyond the door lies the weight of the world.

I stepped across the icy white ground and walked past rows of lights.

Master Lü Shuta led me to a door, gave me a few instructions, and then left me there.

The solid mechanical door stood before me, so heavy it seemed to separate two worlds.

Inside the door was no ordinary patient—he was a savior who had once held the reins of power and manipulated the fates of countless people, yet also a soul struggling in agony. He refused my entry for treatment, insisting that he was not ill.

I am used to dealing with patients who are unwilling to talk about their problems. They often claim to be normal, but in reality, their hearts are rotten like worm-eaten holes in a tree.

So I started the conversation with a steady, practiced voice that seemed to penetrate the door: “When a soul takes on the responsibility of guiding the world, every decision he makes, the complex situations he faces, and the enormous responsibilities he bears far exceed the scope of ordinary people’s experience.”

I deliberately emphasized the complexity of the decision-making situation, trying to separate his choice from a simple right or wrong dimension.

The psychological problems he had accumulated over a long period of time had far exceeded the limits, but he was too good at hiding them, and he himself was not even aware of what the problems were. He should have received treatment when he first ended the world game, but he never did.

If I weren't one of the world's top psychological counselors, I wouldn't be meeting this savior today. His heart is like a withered flower riddled with holes; even if a hundred doctors gathered around to study it, they probably wouldn't be able to heal it.

I know he went through a difficult choice that most people would find hard to accept—to kill tens of thousands of his compatriots with his own hands.

"The choices made by those in high positions are never fairy tales that bring benefits to a few without harming others; they inevitably involve an unavoidable 'zero-sum' dilemma. You have chosen the path that allows the majority to continue to survive—a choice that inherently includes pain and loss." I didn't use any soft techniques, just laid it out plainly. For him, reason was more useful than any flowery language:

“You are not a god and cannot foresee how all the seeds of betrayal will sprout. Based on all the information you had at the time, you made the best judgment under the bounded rationality—you did your best to protect the lives that had to be protected. Those who later turned to betrayal are not proof that you chose the ‘wrong’ option, but rather the fate of the uncontrollable free will of humankind.”

“When guiding the fate of humanity at a macro level, those in high positions inevitably become intermediaries of some kind of tragic force. You examine your own actions and feel this pain—this is what distinguishes you from a tyrant. True numbness is not even feeling this pain.”

A long, almost frozen silence fell behind the door. The air stopped moving, and time seemed to stand still. I waited patiently.

I understand perfectly clearly that it was undoubtedly a struggle between survivor guilt and existential anxiety—he was being torn apart by the life he had protected and the betrayal he had personally severed, and his understanding of the future direction of the world and the foundation of his own choices was undergoing a fundamental collapse.

If this collapse is not repaired in time, it will be fatal.

But I also feel that my coming today is superfluous. If I hadn't come, it seems he could have healed these wounds of confusion on his own.

But if he fails to fix it... then are we too trusting and too dependent on him?
"Click."

Finally, a barely perceptible sound came—the door was pushed open a crack. A silhouette, shrouded in shadow, could be vaguely seen, like an ancient sculpture bent under the weight of the entire world.

He sat there, in the dimly lit room, dressed in white, like a piece of paper without any color.

I solemnly addressed the blurry outline seen through the crack in the door:
"The answer you seek is neither inside nor outside the door. It lies in every choice you make in the future—the power to write the final chapter is always in your hands. You are not a prisoner bound by yesterday, but a person with a clear free will..."

The room remained silent, but I heard his call:

"...Yi Song?"

He recognized who I was.

I am the best psychologist in the world.

I lost a wonderful patient, Isabelle. I never imagined he'd become a patient. He always had this resolute, composed, and invincible air about him; I even considered learning "friendship" skills from him.

However, it seems that he really doesn't have any skills.

Just by standing there, he already deserves full marks.

True friendship doesn't require any skills; it's about being able to feel someone's sincerity just by looking at them.

“It’s me,” I said. “If you ever feel sad in the future, you can talk to me. No matter what time it is, I will always be an excellent therapist.”

The door closed slowly, and I heard his laughing voice:
"I'm perfectly normal. I understand everything you're saying."

"I'm fine, really."

……

Su Ming'an initiated his fourth jump.

He has reached the point of the "fourth month".

Having learned from his previous experience, he instructed Su Mianbao to keep a close eye on the radicals, relax control over players, focus on praising them, and not openly discriminate against them.

As long as players believe they are still heroes, and that surveillance is not about being wary of them, but about praising and caring for them, they will not become psychologically unbalanced.

After making this decision, Su Ming'an couldn't help but sigh, realizing that not only Lu Shu, but he himself was also becoming more and more aware of these things.

The future leader of the radical faction, Yuriklu, was utterly bewildered. He had barely entertained a radical idea when he was arrested and placed under surveillance on trumped-up charges. Despite not having committed any crime, he was being watched like a prisoner.

Upon seeing Su Ming'an, Yuriklu couldn't help but roar:

"Are you going to convict me for something I haven't even done yet?"

"How is your behavior any different from the Dawn System? It simulates our future behavior, calculates our personality scores, and then condemns us in advance!"

"Do you want to become the next Akto? Do you want Lü Shu to become the next Lin Guang!?"

Su Ming returned the gaze quietly.

If Yuri Kru is not controlled, how many people will die when he uses his "wireless communication" skill to gather a large group of radicals?

Those arrested along with Yuri Kru were all perpetrators of the previous heinous crimes. Each of them had killed people and tested positive for strong antisocial tendencies. Letting them roam freely would inevitably lead to something terrible. Prevention is better than cure. As for those who had merely gone with the flow last time, Su Ming'an did not arrest them.

"boom!"

A piece of glass candy was thrown at me through the glass.

A little boy screamed at Su Ming'an outside the glass, his voice filled with bloodlust and hatred.

His figure was so small, it was unimaginable what terrible things he would do in the future. His face was so youthful, as if he were just a child in kindergarten.

"Go to hell! Go to hell—!" The boy glared hatefully at Su Ming'an outside the glass.
"I would never kill anyone! What right do you have to arrest me! I hate you! I hate you! You are not some savior at all—!"

His angry little face was reflected in Su Ming'an's calm pupils.

Last time, this boy detonated himself as an explosive in a busy downtown area, where ordinary people gathered, causing blood and flesh to fly everywhere and killing or injuring hundreds of people.

Suddenly, due to excessive emotional excitement, the iron ring around the boy's neck released a large amount of electric current, knocking him to the ground.

Large tears streamed down his face as Su Ming'an turned and left.

……

After a mechanical door opened, Su Ming'an's wheelchair came to a stop.

[They were a group of people imprisoned in a glass room, huddled in a corner like monkeys in a zoo, with beeping metal rings around their necks.]

The Dawn System determined they had "potential criminal" personalities, so they were detained early.

"Akto...you deserve to die..." Su Ming'an muttered to himself.

……

"Once they've calmed down, we'll guide and educate them," Su Ming'an instructed the Ming'an System after leaving.

The electric current from the iron rings was not fatal, and people were given treatment after being imprisoned; this was the best he could do.

For a moment he suddenly understood Akto’s behavior, because Dawn had indeed “observed” that some people would commit crimes in the future, and Su Ming’an had indeed “seen” that some people would commit crimes in the future.

“When guiding the fate of humanity at the macro level, those in high positions inevitably become the intermediaries of a certain tragic force…” He leaned against the wall, muttering to himself, and slowly moved forward.

The world is developing very well this time, so he decides not to return, but to jump backward again to see what happens next.

He arrived at the "fifth month" point in time. The world remained peaceful, with no major loopholes except for small-scale struggles.

He then jumped backward again, arriving at the "seventh month" point in time, where the world was still at peace.

This finally brought him some relief, proving that his coordination was effective and that he wasn't just a Sisyphus constantly pushing the ball.

Just as he was about to jump backward again, Yamada and the others grabbed him.

"Have you forgotten?" Yamada Machiichi, now the tower master, had shed some of his youthful exuberance and gained a more mature air; seven months of training had made him more composed. He revealed a set of pearly white teeth, his bright eyes fixed on Su Ming'an:

……

"—Today is your twentieth birthday, Su Ming'an."

Happy birthday, our savior.

……

For a moment, Su Ming'an felt as if he had drunk a pot of strong liquor.

A complex mix of emotions—bitterness, joy, astonishment, and intoxication—overwhelmed him, filling his pupils and nasal cavity. His heart felt like a balloon with a hole punched in it, leaking air in wisps. Suddenly, his mind went blank, as if he had fallen into a silent river.

twenty.

I'm twenty.

So, it turns out, I really did... step onto this day.

"Nineteen" has almost become his mark. People would tell everyone he met that he was "the young savior at nineteen," as if everyone thought he would stop at that number. Until this day, the one who was most caught off guard was himself.

He then realized that the end date of the World Game was May 31, and seven months later, it would be December 31.

Their companions brought a birthday cake, candles, flower wreaths... everything seemed unchanged, as if they had returned to the past. It was as if they had returned to their nineteenth birthday, which had just ended in the seventh instance, only the number had increased by one.

Su Ming'an felt guilty. He had been jumping through time and hadn't noticed his companions' birthdays, yet they all remembered his birthday in unison.

“When you have some free time, when everything has settled down, you can make it up to us.” Yamada Machiichi was very “meticulous,” but everyone knew that the emphasis of his words was in the first half of the sentence.

On that day, all the pinned posts on the forums changed, as if swept away by a crimson wave, and the homepage of the website instantly turned into a whole page of bright red—

[Happy 20th Birthday to First Player in 2026!]

Videos of blessings from thousands of people, official speeches from the coalition government, lengthy articles, retrospectives of world games, various forums and chat rooms, and even small groups... all were filled with blessings.

Mo Yan, Xiao Xiao, Mei Yani, Lin Jiang, Anthony, Yang Changxu, Ashkel, Marjorie... Compared to last year, the number of people sending blessings has increased six or seven times, and various "Su Ming'an's neighbors" and "Su Ming'an's high school teachers" have emerged.

Unlike last year, no one spoke of the Savior's past, no one recounted his embarrassing childhood stories, and no one tried to establish a connection with him. They revered him, thanked him, and admired him, daring not to offend him. They regarded him as a god, as the Lord of the Realm, as the greatest person; no one considered him an equal. Even Su Ming'an's high school teacher only addressed him as "Lord of the Realm," not daring to call him by his name.

These subtle changes did not affect the mood of the partners.

They arrived at the villa once again; it was a replica of Su Ming'an's villa in the world of the main god. Every part of it was exactly the same as when they celebrated the New Year.

They put on similar clothes once again, as if nothing had changed. Lu Shu wore a short jacket embroidered with pine and bamboo, Yamada Machi wore a two-dimensional anime-style shirt, Kita no Kou wore an ice-blue robe, and Aini wore a color-blocked oil painting robe and took off his silly tiger-head hat.

They went to a similar place again. Su Ming'an drew a "Great Fortune" fortune slip. This time, he knew the group had definitely changed all their slips to "Great Fortune" again, but he didn't expose them. They secretly observed the electronic music festival, watched the "Cat & Her" e-sports competition, and visited the "World Games Annual Culture Exhibition," seeing large-scale maps, walkthroughs, NPC introductions for each instance, and rows of their livestream clips and achievement descriptions…

"Ah, Zhai Xing, my Zhai Xing, I love you..."

Since Su Ming'an no longer claims to love the Lighthouse, those awkward stage plays have adapted to the times and changed their titles. They are no longer "The First Player and His Transformed Lighthouse Lover," but rather "The First Player and His Transformed Zhai Xing Lover"...

Looking at the dancer on stage with a blue planet-shaped headpiece, Su Ming'an covered his face and left.

He had covered his face out of embarrassment, but the moment he touched his face with his palm, tears suddenly streamed down his face.

Tears fell uncontrollably, soaking my palms and also the bitterness and sorrow that had lasted for more than half a year.

"Hahaha, this embarrassing show is truly timeless! I'm a country bumpkin, and I love watching it! Hahaha!" Someone pointed at the stage and burst into laughter.

"Zhai Xing and Ming An 99, I will always support them."

"Don't call me Ming'an, call me Realm Lord!"

"I remember last year there was a Praia pre-war speech, a group of people were giving passionate speeches, and suddenly they jumped up and danced awkwardly with the Siren, it cracked me up."

"Look, there's even a virtual reality system over there... It seems technology has really improved; they've even brought this kind of thing over. Playing virtual reality games in my lifetime is just around the corner."

"It's great that I can experience that kind of game without pain or death."

"The world is gradually becoming more stable, and I truly hope there will be no more sorrow..."

Amidst the bustling river, Su Ming'an covered his face, laughing and crying at the same time.

He was surrounded by noise, yet he still seemed lonely.

He laughed wildly, sincerely grateful for this outcome, yet for a moment he felt an unspeakable pain and panic.

Smiles from men, women, young and old brushed past him. Some were young students, some were elderly people with white hair, some were fathers holding children, some were daughters holding their mothers' hands...

He wanted to see more of those smiles.

He wanted to see this tenderness and happiness.

...God, I have never believed in God, nor do I want to become God.

But if it's just about fulfilling a birthday wish, I want to express my naivety just this once... God, I beg you, on my birthday I beg you, with my birthday wish I beg you, just this once—

Can I continue to see this happiness?

Can we keep people smiling?
Can we make this ravaged world free from sorrow?

"despair."

A footstep sounded from behind him.

A hand fell down, slightly blocking Su Ming'an's view, seemingly deliberately preventing him from continuing to watch the stage play, an awkward play called "Heilan Home," which appeared to be a product of a replacement.

Su Ming'an turned his head and saw a pair of golden pupils.

The young man, wearing a dark blue coat, leaned slanted against the wall.

“…I went to check the course, so I’ll be back a little late.” Su Lin took out a note and handed it to Su Ming’an: “Happy 20th birthday. This is your gift, both sides.”

Su Ming'an quickly closed her eyes and then opened them again, silently concealing her tears.

...Is this person going to give me another indulgence? I already have one...

He took the paper and saw a line of coordinates written on it. The numbers were brief, yet profound and powerful.

His pupils suddenly contracted, and he instantly realized something; his breathing became heavy.

His fingers trembled involuntarily, and he curled his lips into a smile, revealing genuine joy.

"We have discovered a new habitable planet." The god of Cloud City smiled.

"There's a certain probability that it's your Zhai Xing."

……