first player

Chapter 1576 Final Chapter: Guarding the Coastline: "OE: Die from the Ocean (7)"

Upon hearing the news, all the companions gathered together.

Besides Lu, who is in seclusion, and Beiwang, who has been sleeping for a long time, even Luna, who is in her hospital bed, called via video to inquire about Su Ming'an's decision.

“We must explore new planets,” Eni said, expressing her support. “The reason we fled is precisely to go home.”

“That’s not appropriate.” Isabella, being rather conservative, expressed her concerns: “The world game has only ended seven months ago. Although the world is generally stable, there are still undercurrents. Introducing the concept of a ‘new planet’ rashly would cause great turmoil.”

"When will that be?" Zhao Yuan unequivocally expressed his support: "Five years? Ten years? Fifty years? How much longer can we live? Who knows if the new planet will be a factor that brings stability? Who knows if we will still have the ability to reach the new planet in the future? Can Ms. Luna afford to wait?"

"Don't worry about me." Luna on the screen waved her hand: "Act according to... cough cough, according to the right idea..."

“I’ll listen to Su Ming’an,” Lu Shu said succinctly.

"Oh dear, everyone, please calm down..." Yamada quickly tried to smooth things over when he saw the atmosphere was getting tense.

Su Ming'an held the paper, which felt as heavy as a thousand pounds.

He had already discerned a clear conflict of opinion among his companions.

In the past, Lin Yin acted as a buffer between team members, Nuoer told jokes, and Lu helped to lighten the mood... However, they are all gone.

Each powerful player is like an invincible sword; when they come together, their sharpness is both admirable and terrifying.

To shoulder the heavy responsibility of being the Tower Master, Aini returned to his family, failing to fulfill his dream of becoming a world-traveling explorer. Therefore, he had to consider his relatives—Hubert, Giorgio, Hans… Exploring planets was beneficial to the player class, and the family could reap the rewards—it was that simple.

Zhao Yuan, on the other hand, was driven by an adventurous spirit. She had worked as a war correspondent and was someone who couldn't settle down.

When everyone's eyes were on Su Ming'an, it was as if he had become an emperor.

“Su Ming’an is still celebrating his birthday today.” Su Lin said calmly from the side, “Why can’t we consider this matter tomorrow? The key point of my birthday gift to him is the back.”

Su Ming'an turned the note over and saw a line of words: "Flying Coupon".

"This is……"

"You'll find out what it is at the latest time today," Su Lin said.

The companions realized something was wrong and quickly moved on from the topic.

"Alright, alright, quickly take out the route map of the millet shop that I made..." Yamada Machiichi pulled out the route map.

It was a great pity that, due to time constraints, they didn't have time to visit the millet shops, as that would take a long time. However, they did manage to see the cherry blossoms in Japan.

As promised, they went to Mount Taihua, the ice fields of the North, the Lantern Festival, the Australian grasslands, and the Grand Corridor in Scotland...

The map in my mind is gradually being illuminated.

For a moment, they thought time had frozen in time, that it would never go on, and that every minute and every second felt incredibly long, making them want to hold on to it all…

However, time continued to pass as usual, and soon night fell.

Until—the penultimate stop, the lavender fields of Yukuni.

On the French Riviera, white windmills slowly circled, while companions stood amidst the overwhelming purple sunset, exchanging glances.

"...Why did he still include this attraction in the itinerary?" Yamada-cho whispered to Mo Yan as he noticed Su Ming'an was standing quite far away.

"I don't know what my brother is thinking," Mo Yan said softly. "It was clearly that person who made things so difficult for us in the end..."

Lu Shu remained silent, gazing at Su Ming'an's retreating figure.

Su Ming'an slowly took out a notebook.

This is the notebook that Nor left at the New World Guild. It's mostly filled with travelogues, past feelings, and some landscape photos. During these time travels, Su Ming'an encountered the blacksmith Seror, who works at the World Hub, and obtained this notebook.

After reading it a few days ago, Su Ming'an realized that it was left by Noel before the eleventh instance, and it contained no key information.

It can only be regarded as a pure travel souvenir.

"Whoosh—" He slowly turned the pages of this thick travel journal, turning to the page that recorded his hometown.

……

[September 29, 2020, Sunny]

I stood once again in this vast ocean of lavender, before me stretching an endless purple expanse of the Valensole Plain. The scorching Southern California sun, like a thousand golden needles, poured down, sharply piercing the depths of every lavender stem and leaf.

[Smelling the sultry scent of the southern land, I removed my heavy hat and gazed at the vast sky. A wind arose, and propelled by this invisible breeze, the purple waves of lavender surged and billowed towards the distant horizon, until they melted into the shadow of the jagged, pale blue Alps.]

At the foot of the mountain stand several ancient windmills, their white sails turning slowly. I see each sail gently cutting through the sunlight, cutting through the wind, and cutting through the ceaseless flow of time on this land.

Our group of several people was immersed in this boundless sea of ​​purple flowers, like a few specks of dust that had inadvertently fallen into a purple brocade. My travel companion, Alice, who came from a remote village in the land of lavender, casually picked a small handful of lavender spikes and twirled them between her fingers. She said, "Noel, do you think these beautiful days will last much longer?"

I don't know these travel companions very well; we're like the wind, some join, some leave. But I know her illness is in its late stages, and this trip is solely to fulfill her last dream.

Standing beside us was a young traveler from afar—Jacques, a newcomer to our travel group. Pointing to the hazy silhouette of the Alps in the distance, his voice was filled with anticipation: "Look behind those mountains, behind those outlines, how many unseen landscapes are hidden? How many wonders await us?"

The fervent hopes of youth almost overflowed from his trembling pupils, merging into the distant and mysterious vast mist.

I also know that he comes from a family devastated by hardship, and this trip has cost him all his savings. Once it's over, he will have to return to a life of hardship, working day and night to make ends meet.

The last figure was an old painter, Tarclère, his hair and beard streaked with gray. He gazed silently for a long time before letting out a soft sigh: "Ah, tomorrow..." He didn't finish his sentence, only looking at the purple waves rising across the sky. He was a veteran of the battlefield, driven mad by war in his youth, only recently regaining his senses, and he was incredibly grateful for these final days.

The wind swept over every lavender bush around us, over Jacques's dreamy gaze, over Alice's fingers covered in flower petals, over the wrinkles of time on Takles's brow, and over me, the raven at my fingertips.

I don't know what the future holds, nor where we'll be going. But I do know that in the eyes of a genius, all scenery should appear equally bleak. I can clearly explain the growth process of lavender, how that windmill in the distance was built, and the pathogenesis of Alice's illness. Yet, I cannot explain where this world came from.

This is a problem that even a "genius" has not yet solved.

This leaves me restless and unable to sleep. I should accept my own ignorance, accept that all things in this world have an end, because I am so certain of the truth, and therefore aware that I am not omniscient or omnipotent—but why can't a mortal body reach for the heavens? How can I soar into the universe?

[With my feet firmly planted on the earth, inhaling the familiar scent of lavender, I've gazed at the sky more than once. Because I know this land so well, I'm eager to venture into the unknown. Even if I'm shattered to pieces, even if I'm consumed by flames, but... but oh world, tell me, when will that moment arrive?]

Night fell, and we were about to leave this land. I took one last look in the direction of my parents' house. Alice was coughing, Jacques was counting the coins in his pocket, Takles plucked a gray hair from his temple, and I gazed at the sky.

I am a prisoner beneath Plato's Cave, and though I exert all my strength, I am still unwilling to accept my fate.

If the world gave me a chance to leave the cave and see the light of day...

I will stop at nothing.

Make all the unknown submit to me.

Yesterday, the Arctic expedition team finally sent the final data, which convinced me that the man named "Chen Qingguang" would be my last hope.

He said, "Let the world turn upside down, and then there will be vast, sunny skies. If you remain where you are, Noel Agni, a hundred years from now, who will you be?"

……

The windmills continue to turn, indifferently cutting through the boundless sky.

Su Ming'an closed his notebook, and the night seeped into the depths of the traveler's gaze as he stared at the horizon.

Tomorrow will no longer be an empty curtain.

He arrived at a long-abandoned wooden house, glanced at the family photo on the wall, left his notes on a small bed, and never looked back.

For their final stop, they returned to the Dragon Kingdom and stood atop the towering Pearl Tower—on the tower, not inside.

The wristwatch, Adu, was still on Su Ming'an's wrist. Su Ming'an had already severed their master-servant relationship, but Adu insisted on coming closer, saying it didn't want to leave An-chan. Thus, it became Su Ming'an's bridge for remotely contacting the world's central hub.

At that moment, those serious old guys were having a meeting, discussing whether or not to explore that planet. Their voices were so loud that Su Ming'an turned them off.

He looked at his still worried companions, smiled, and reached out his hand, holding the slip of paper that read "Flying Ticket".

“I’m very curious about the gift that the gods of Cloud City have prepared for us. So please, gods of Cloud City, spread our wings and let us see the vast sky,” Su Ming’an said.

Su Lin appeared quickly and raised his hand.

Behind each person, a pair of small, snow-white wings appeared.

Behind Su Ming'an, white tentacles rose slightly, transforming into a pair of enormous wings. Holding Lu Shu with his left hand and Yamada Machiichi with his right, they formed a V-shape like a flock of geese, taking flight with their companions!
Machiichi Yamada had never experienced such a thrilling flight before, and he screamed.

Apart from Lu Shu, who became a god, most people have never tried to fly.

Flying has always been one of humanity's freest fantasies; everyone has dreamed of growing wings and soaring through the skies.

To this day, Su Ming'an has led them to soar to new heights.

Instead of staying on the land and looking at various landscapes, they soar through the sky and launch themselves into the air.

—They have emerged from the “cave” and are looking up at the sky with torches in hand.

In the instant you soar into the sky, even though it is a pitch-black night, it makes you feel as if you can see molten gold and a blazing sun.

The sky is as vast as a mountain, and the universe and stars are reflected in my pupils.

They flew above the night sky like free birds, skimming over clouds, over the Yangtze River, over the Yellow River, over cities, and over all the bizarre and wonderful things.

Amidst the fluttering of his white hair, Lü Shu turned his head to look at Su Ming'an. Lü Shu was the quietest; while the others cheered and screamed, his voice was so low it was almost inaudible:
"Are you afraid?"

"Me? I'm already used to flying." Su Ming'an held onto both sides, soaring above the distant bustling traffic.

"Flying into the unknown?"

“I’m afraid,” Su Ming’an said. “I’m afraid that sadness awaits us ahead.”

"Then we won't go see it."

“But I understand that we can’t avoid contact with new planets forever. Fortunately, I can jump through time. I will look back, and if it ends badly, I will come back and let you avoid it.”

For a moment, Su Ming'an saw hesitation in Lü Shu's eyes.

"Is there really no cost?"

"what?"

"The price of time travel is that you're already the World Tree. Can you really still so flexibly ignore time?"

Su Ming'an gave a faint smile.

Lu Shu didn't like this smile; Su Ming'an would always give this comforting smile whenever he was about to lie.

"There's no price to pay, don't worry." Su Ming'an looked up at the sky.

The wind blew through everyone's hair, and their smiles were so genuine and so free.

"...Having walked on the land for too long, it would be nice to try flying."

No one knows whether this phrase refers to the flight at this moment, or to something higher and farther. In those dark pupils, it seems as if they have already traversed countless mountains and rivers, shining brighter than the blazing sun.

Suddenly, someone shouted, "Ah—look!!"

这是2026年12月31日的晚上11点50分。

Suddenly, fireworks tore through the thick darkness of the night.

It broke free from the depths of the earth, soaring into the sky, bursting forth with a roar of burning light. Then, a second, a third… countless dazzling flowers of light bloomed in the vast night sky. In the instant the fireworks exploded, crimson as blood, golden as the sun, indigo as the deep sea, emerald green as jade… a dazzling brilliance instantly filled the heavens and earth.

"Look!"

"Holy crap, that's amazing!"

"It's like flying through a canvas!"

They soared amidst the dazzling fireworks, the entire world becoming their backdrop.

Light fragments streamed down like rain, crisscrossing and illuminating everyone's bright eyes. Fireworks burst forth, burned, and fell, only to be replaced by new light in the next instant. The entire sky seemed like a vast, unparalleled canvas, being freely painted with light and fire by unseen deities, as magnificent as the surging mountains and rivers at the very beginning of creation.

In the darkness, an undying hope rises from the tiny human world beneath our feet.

At the very moment when the brilliance reached its peak, in the most intense and glorious instant of the fireworks, all the companions suspended high in the sky suddenly looked at each other and shouted in unison with perfect tacit understanding.

The shouts merged into a massive wave of sound, vibrating the air still thick with the smoke of the fireworks:
"—Happy 20th birthday, Su Ming'an!!!"

The sound was like a signal, instantly illuminating the slumbering earth. Everywhere the eye could see, enormous light screens lit up one after another—the massive screen of the Eiffel Tower in Paris, the bustling giant advertisements in Times Square in New York, the kaleidoscope at the Shibuya intersection in Tokyo… Countless light screens flickered in every corner of the world, regardless of language, words, or images, ultimately transforming into a single, sweeping message that covered the entire planet: 【Happy 20th Birthday, Su Ming'an! Thank you for your hard work this past year!】

Countless points of light flickered on the plains, in the mountains, and in the harbors, like a galaxy turned upside down and falling to earth, making the earth itself shine.

He—the young man who spread his wings to carry everyone—was lifted up by the shouts of his companions and the thunderous roar of the earth, hovering in the center of the grandest fireworks display. He turned his head slightly, his dark hair shining brightly in the light of the fireworks and the screen, as if he himself were radiating light.

—His clear eyes were now filled with the brilliance and clamor of the entire world.

The vastness of the sky, the shouts of hundreds of millions of people on the earth, his calm profile under the radiance... all of this stirred up the surging emotions in people's hearts, and an indescribable warmth churned in Su Ming'an's throat.

In the end, that warmth transformed into something heavy and burning in his eyes, blurring the overly grand and dazzling scene before him.

"Tick."

People gazed at the tiny yet resilient humanity that lay beneath Su Ming'an's wings. Fireworks flickered, and rivers of light surged across the cosmic curtain—the cries of humanity were converging into a torrent.

At that moment, an overwhelming wave of emotion engulfed everyone.

"Splash—splash—!"

All the fireworks bloomed behind his wings.

The backlight illuminated his back, making the edges of his hair resemble stars.

—He soared beneath the flames, like an inextinguishable lamp.

So-called salvation is nothing more than someone, before the world collapses, using their own body as fuel to light the lamp that refuses to succumb to the darkness.

He offered the world his deepest prayers, and thus the earth rewarded him with its grandest coronation—

Beneath its wings, the myriad voices of humanity converge into a river.

This wasn't a gift from any comrade, but a birthday present orchestrated by Su Lin, Zhu, and countless others. The timing, location, and altitude were all perfectly timed. The combined effect of humanity working together on a single task is truly awe-inspiring.

It's unclear whose handiwork it was, but the fluttering petals landed on their faces and shoulders, as if all the love in the world had come pouring in.

On the ground, some children, with wings, excitedly pointed to the sky, wanting to fly into the universe. The light in their eyes seemed familiar, as if it were a legacy passed down from generation to generation.

In a daze, under the firelight, Su Ming'an heard Yueyue's familiar voice:

“Hey, Ming’an, I’m still in the world game, but before you left Rovasa, I quietly left a timed blessing for your soul. Even if I never see you again, my birthday wishes will be delivered to your ears every year on time.”

Happy 20th birthday, Ming'an.

"If you're tired, come and sleep in your dreams. During the four hundred million cycles of the world game, I foresaw that you would eventually be able to escape from here. So, I wove ten thousand beautiful dreams for you and buried them in your soul. You can dream one every night. That should make you happier, right?"

Even if you never see me again, believe that my voice and my dreams will always be with you.

"Believe in yourself. You don't need anyone to define your ending. This is the good ending you've achieved."

"As for me, I will remain in the World Game to prevent it from heading towards you again."

"I will continue this cause. Don't be sad for me, don't grieve for me. This is the direction I have chosen for myself, a decision made by my own will."

"I imagine you must have received countless blessings by now."

"Then, you wouldn't mind adding me to the list, would you?" Her voice held a hint of amusement.

"Ming'an, I wish you all the best..."

……

Under the sunlight, spring has come in full bloom.

Fleeting clouds pass before my eyes, but mountains and seas reside in my heart.

My baggage is full, and the spring fields stretch endlessly.

Wherever I went, there was a refreshing breeze.

Everywhere you look, heaven and earth are the same.

……

—Everywhere you look, heaven and earth are the same.

……

In that instant, figures appeared on screens representing the Eiffel Tower, Times Square in New York, the Oriental Pearl Tower in China, the Tokyo Tower in Japan, and many others.

Just as it happened in the past, just as it is now.

Happy birthday, Su Ming'an!

A young girl in a cotton-padded coat waved excitedly at the camera.

Happy birthday, number one player!

The coalition government's leader, Ashkel, stood before the conference table, removed his hat, and bowed deeply.

Happy birthday, Lord of the Realm.

Yu Zhu, sitting in her wheelchair, smiled.

Happy birthday, the greatest guardian!

An elderly man with white hair, leaning on a cane, looked at the camera with a smile.

Happy birthday, and thank you for choosing this land.

A young couple sat on a bench, holding steaming sweet potatoes, looking at the camera and making a "V" sign.

See you next year! See you tomorrow!

A group of children ran wildly along the Yangtze River, laughing and cheering at the camera.

See you in the New Year! See you tomorrow!

Fishermen on the Yellow River, carrying fish baskets, wave with smiles.

"Tell us the story of the universe again when the flowers bloom next year!"

A dozen or so maintenance workers, suspended on steel cables, took a break and waved.

"Su Ming'an! See you next year! See you at twenty-one!"

At the foot of Mount Everest, a group of climbers in orange protective suits raised their trekking poles and laughed at the camera.

"We will have a long tomorrow!"

In the distant mountains of Siberia, amidst the biting wind, explorers, carrying heavy instruments, gazed at the stars.

"We'll be heading towards the end of the universe. See you next year!"

On the space satellite, two astronauts high-fived and chuckled, their voices coming through the crackling signal.

"Homage to freedom! Homage to the future! Homage to tomorrow!"

Inside the joint government laboratory, a group of researchers in thick protective suits smiled and sprayed fireworks at the camera through the glass.

The twenty-year-old youth's eyes reflected all this dazzling splendor.

"If you disappear in the future, we will search the world and the universe... until we find you."

His companions held his hands tightly.

A little further away, Su Lin crossed his arms and gazed at the colorful lights below and the even more dazzling sky, his golden pupils reflecting the vast universe.

If you can't go back, then leave.

If you can't walk in time, run.

No matter how far, no matter how long it takes... they will catch up with the future, catch up with home.

As they looked around, everything was dazzling and radiant.

At the very moment the clock struck midnight, they slowly landed amidst endless flames.

"clatter."

They returned to earth from the sky.

The philosophers outside the cave had witnessed the brilliant sunlight. They returned to the ground, back to the soil. And wherever they went, wherever they came from…

……

—The places they went to were all fertile lands.

……

Happy 20th birthday!
Su Ming'an.

You have finally completed this long journey.

……