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Chapter 1581 Final Chapter: Guarding the Coastline: "OE: Die from the Ocean (8)"

"Fortunately, you received timely psychological treatment. Your mental threshold was already close to its limit. If it had been delayed for a few more days, you would have burst like a balloon."

"Thank you, Dr. Yi."

"I prefer you to call me Yi Song, Su Ming'an."

In the warm-toned interior, Su Ming'an and Yi Song shook hands.

Recently, Su Ming'an finally underwent complete psychological treatment. He received treatment programs funded by various countries and took the world's most advanced drugs. Although his condition has not improved significantly, it has at least stabilized.

Nevertheless, he would still wake up in the middle of the night with recurring nightmares of death; or he would suddenly feel terrified while walking down the street, suspecting that someone was about to stab him from behind; when he saw the ocean, he would have the urge to plunge into it and drown; when he stood in the rain, even if it was just a light drizzle, he would feel a heavy, suffocating feeling, like a sheep about to fall.

He would occasionally lose sight of reality and hallucination. He would see the figures of victims walking past him: red hair like a fiery girl, pale eyes as silent as death, white hair as flowing as mountain snow, and black hair as heavy as his own…

He would see those figures, still tinged with regret, again and again: Su Wensheng's smiling eyes, Su Liujin standing in the sea, Si Que's gaze before falling asleep, and Nuoer's back as she turned away without looking back...

He failed to do his best and left them behind.

Will they blame him?
"...In short, please try to avoid recalling the past, as it may trigger a reaction similar to 'post-traumatic stress disorder.' Every time a person recalls pain, it's like pricking another needle into their heart. How can a heart riddled with holes welcome tomorrow's spring rain?" Yi Song's gentle voice rang out, waking Su Ming'an from his hallucination once again.

As the world's number one game psychologist, Yi Song never uses well-known techniques. Instead, he accompanies his patients like a gentle friend, slowly soothing their past traumas.

He was indeed a charismatic man, and thankfully, few of his patients were young girls experiencing their first stirrings of love, otherwise they would have found it hard to resist. Ignoring the unforgettable images left behind by the Demon Mother (can they really be ignored?), he certainly appeared mature and dignified.

A light drizzle falls slantingly outside the window, a pot of tulips is blooming, seedlings are sprouting in the yard, and the lamps are dimly lit, casting a hazy, pumpkin-colored glow.

Su Ming'an gazed at the lamp and suddenly asked, "...What would have happened if I hadn't escaped and had stayed in the World Game?"

Yi Song lowered his head and wrote, his handwriting clear and bright: "Perhaps with your amazing willpower, you can hold on for a while longer, but what awaits you is a long, lingering pain... You will experience confusion in your five senses, dizziness, and be unable to distinguish who you are. You will occasionally lose your memory, act on instinct, and even kill those you care about with your own hands." He twirled his pen: "According to my observation and that of more than a dozen doctors, your mental state was already at its limit when you were holding Noel's head and carrying all his belongings as you rushed towards the World Tree. What followed was just a last gasp of energy before you died. Fortunately, it's over now, otherwise, I really don't know what would have happened. Even so, you are now experiencing severe visual and auditory hallucinations, and whether you can recover is still unknown."

Hearing this, Su Ming'an smiled and shook his head, saying, "It doesn't matter if visual and auditory hallucinations don't get cured, as long as you can maintain a normal life."

"Why?" Yi Song asked, puzzled. Everyone wants to be healthy, so why would Su Ming'an want to retain some symptoms?
“Because…” Su Ming’an looked out the window.

The peach blossoms are in exceptionally good bloom today, and with the temperature-controlled system in place, the garden feels like a real springtime. Yi Song's orange cat is sleeping under a tree, all curled up in a fluffy ball, covered with a blanket of peach blossoms.

The gently falling peach blossoms reflected in Su Ming'an's eyes, and his smile was like the pure, vibrant flowers:
"Because that's one of the few ways I can see them again."

He was not afraid of the figures of those old friends; on the contrary, their images became clearer and clearer in his mind.

The stories he shared with them, even just glimpsing their backs, are enough to bring tears to one's eyes. Amidst the surging, complex emotions, he doesn't want to forget them, doesn't want to forget those unique stories, the stories that belong to him and them.

Perhaps one day, people will forget the stories of saints, rebels, knights, patriarchs, gods, doctors, judges, programs, godfathers, teenage news anchors, jellyfish, and magpies; they will forget the laughter and tears of the past; they will close the pages and bury those dramatic stories in the dullness and dust of life; they will naturally grow up, mature, and grow old, becoming mature adults. But he dares not forget, he will not forget.

Yi Song paused for a moment, then slowly nodded.

“Yi Song.” Su Ming’an gazed at the misty drizzle.

"what happened?"

"This winter is over, and in March, it will be the first spring after the end of the world game."

“Yes, the first spring.” Yi Song suddenly realized this as well.

“We will have many more springs, springs we have summoned.” Su Ming’an stroked the ring, dozens of names engraved on it, each word glaringly obvious. Another mechanical ring gleamed, remaining silent.

The warm yellow light fell on his eyebrows and eyes, outlining tired yet serene lines. He lowered his eyes, like a dozing cat.

"That spring will be filled with flowers, and vibrant new leaves everywhere. The sunlight will feel like a warm, sun-dried blanket. We'll sit in chairs, watching the wind, and sing on the flower-covered hillside, letting the spring breeze carry away our youthful voices." Yi Song put down his pen, picked up a stack of medical records, and placed several boxes of medicine in front of Su Ming'an, each labeled with the dosage and timing for three doses a day. His beautiful peach blossom eyes were lowered; he seemed to be reminiscing about something, and he smiled softly.

Spring will come.

……

The decision on whether to explore new planets was left to the Tower and all of humanity.

After a vote, 62% of humanity agreed to explore new planets, 17% were neutral, and the remainder expressed opposition.

Su Lin approached Su Ming'an and warned, "Although I provided the coordinates, we're unsure what planet it is. It could be an advanced civilization, an invading civilization, or just a desolate wasteland. Getting close to it does pose a certain risk."

That evening, Su Ming'an took his medicine while sitting on the roof, gazing into the distance with a thoughtful, confused, and hesitant look in his eyes.

Suddenly, Dieying's voice rang in my ears like a thunderclap: "I guess you miss me."

"You can harass me without using a communicator now?" Su Ming'an asked, startled.

“It has always been possible. The communicator is just a way of transmitting sound,” Dieying said. “You can’t stay away from new planets forever. Even if you put that most crucial issue out of your mind, it can’t be nonexistent—the development of small worlds requires energy and the absorption of other civilizations.”

“Not yet,” Su Ming’an said.

“Yes, within the next hundred years, it’s not necessary. But you’ve already entered the space age, just like the original Zhai Xing era. The original Zhai Xing was already facing a shortage of various forest and biological resources. And you, traveling in space, need even more power.” Dieying said, “Admit it, sooner or later you will walk the path of dawn—choose [reality] or choose [fairy tale]? I’m looking forward to the dragon slayer becoming the dragon.”

“Or, there is another way,” Su Ming’an said.

In the past, humanity worked tirelessly to develop space technology in order to fly into space and out of the solar system.

But now, they themselves can fly into space.

Su Ming'an has turned into a tree and cannot leave in the short term, but Lu Shu, Lu, Ailand and others all have the potential to fly into space, and they can replace the "spaceship".

"Will you go to approach that new planet?" Dieying asked.

“Yes,” Su Ming’an said. “I will ask the opinions of several gods and see if they are willing to explore that planet. Once they confirm that it is okay, we will proceed with the rest of the group.”

"Hmph... A wise decision." Dieying's voice faded away.

Su Ming'an drank his medicine while enjoying the night breeze, his mouth feeling dry and bitter.

The Sea Emperor is conducting a pilot project to create gods. Su Lin is looking for new routes. The only god who can explore new planets is Lu Shu, but Su Ming'an is really worried. Leaving the planet is too dangerous. Lu Shu is only a third-level god. If something goes wrong, not even ashes can be found.

Just then, an unexpected person came to the door.

"Wow!" A woman with black pigtails, dressed in a white robe, graceful and ethereal, arrived on a sword, her hands behind her back, like a sword immortal floating in the clouds.

Seeing a Japanese person become a sword immortal, Su Ming'an felt a mixture of amusement and disbelief.

Mizushima Kawakami said, “I’m going to explore that new planet. I know you don’t want Lu Shu to take the risk. But if it’s me, it’s okay, right? I don’t know if you hate me. You seem to hate nothing, but I have a demon in my heart. My master, Bai Wuyai, told me that I cannot become an immortal if I don’t resolve it. Therefore, I will take this tribulation for people.”

She is different from everyone else; she follows the cultivation system and is equivalent to a third-level god.

Su Ming'an agreed to her request, but still added a surveillance device to her account. Mizushima Kawakami saw it but said nothing.

Then, Su Ming'an jumped through time again, arriving three months later.

Three months later, Mizushima Kawakami returned. It was early spring when she came back, flowers were blooming everywhere, and all things were thriving. The white-robed swordsman stood with his hands behind his back, bringing back the photos he had taken.

After research by the joint government, it was determined to be a planet with certain resources. Although it was not Zhai Xing, it was possible to take away a considerable amount of resources to alleviate social conflicts in the small world.

Although it's a bit of a shame, it's still great news.

The small world stopped its wanderings and stayed near this planet for a while. It sent out several spaceships, carrying hundreds of thousands of people, to the small planet, starting a massive resource extraction and transportation operation.

Social conflicts have been significantly reduced, and the abundance of resources has dazzled people.

Su Ming'an repeatedly jumped through time, curbing all mistakes, patching up all loopholes, and doing his best to steer the ship on the right course time and time again.

Like Akto back then, he simulated the future again and again, just to find the most correct timeline.

Time stands still for most people, but it began to accumulate in Su Ming'an's case. Sometimes he felt like he had spent months in the future, only to find that a few days had passed when he returned. Sometimes he would look in the mirror and wonder who he was, but the bitter taste of the medication would quickly bring him back to his senses.

On May 31, 2027, a full year after the end of the World Game, the Little World left the Nova and embarked on another journey of wandering.

To celebrate the first anniversary of humanity's victory, various celebrations were held around the world, including online forums, television, offline exhibitions, museums, and historical exhibitions. The glorious deeds of Su Ming'an and others were once again sung. Their images could be seen in almost every corner of the streets and alleys.

Su Ming'an and his companions also held a party at the villa.

Over the past year, Lu Shu gradually learned to write official documents. Although he was still inexperienced, he was already at the same level as students preparing for civil service exams, as if he had actually gone to school. Lu became the true Sea Emperor. He claimed a large area of ​​the Pacific Ocean and a kingdom as a place to cultivate faith, and the people there revered him as a god. Yamada Machiichi, as the tower master, never had the spare energy to draw, but he did cultivate some capable assistants, who might one day break free and become great manga artists.

Aini returned to her family, using their power to solidify her position as Tower Master. Among her companions, she possessed the most outstanding political acumen, and her year-long dedication to charity earned her widespread renown. Eleven continued her work as a hacker, no longer destroying firewalls, but instead becoming a hardener for the world's central firewall. Zhaoyuan became a war photographer, venturing deep into war-torn lands to take pictures and personally punish bloodthirsty warlords. This even led to a farcical situation: a warlord, overjoyed to learn that only a photographer was guarding the city, dispatched an army of ten thousand to storm it. Unexpectedly, the photographer transformed, pulling out a large sword, causing the entire army to cry out in despair…

Mo Yan was the most decisive among his companions in retiring at the height of his career. He refused to become the Tower Master, refused power at the center of the world, and chose to become a university teacher. He often stood on the university podium, recounting his memories of that world game, mentioning society, order, and everyone worthy of remembrance and respect. He mentioned his eldest brother, Su Ming'an, saying that Su Ming'an was omnipotent, like the superhero from the cartoons he imagined as a child. Students laughed at him for being a fanboy of the World Master, to which he readily admitted, then asked with tears in his eyes: "Isn't there someone else who isn't?"

Xiao Xiao is still a husky at the World Hub, but a husky that's gradually maturing. He's become adept at all the odd jobs, and his colleagues praise him endlessly. Lin Jiang has unexpectedly become a big star; no one could have imagined that such a gloomy girl would step onto the world stage, and her singing voice is so beautiful. Angel has taken over from Boris and established the Lighthouse Church around the world. Although Su Ming'an said not to create gods, Angel believes that this path cannot be completely abandoned. Violet has become Yu Zhu's strategist, which has broadened Su Ming'an's horizons. However, she had spent a long time by Lin Guang's side, which proves her intelligence and high emotional intelligence. It turns out that she, who was once deeply mired in the quagmire of society, has become so dazzling after emerging from it.

Isabella remained immersed in her laboratory, developing dozens of scientific products that greatly advanced the field of mechanics; Anthony joined the army, becoming a leading figure in the United Government's Borderless Army, leading troops in battle and quelling hundreds of wars large and small; Ward, as the president of a major guild, led his brothers and sisters through chaotic zones, lobbying various nations to end wars, forging alliances, and keeping the flames of war away from millions of innocent civilians; Eli, with his Black Card organization, lurked in the shadows, assassinating those who oppressed civilians by taking advantage of their player status, saving thousands of families; Mayani joined the Peace Dove Association, working as a doctor in the most dangerous war zones, her list of saved lives is countless…

Fortunately,
—They all became very, very good people.

Unfortunately, Beiwang has been asleep for a long time, and the reason is unknown.

Inside the villa, under the watchful eyes of his companions, Su Ming'an walked into the hall and took out a pen and a large black machete.

He raised his quill pen and began to draw with great skill and precision, his face growing paler with each stroke. Under the worried gazes of his companions, he gritted his teeth and continued to draw until he finally stopped.

—A girl with black hair and a white bow slowly appeared in people's eyes.

She opened her eyes, revealing a pair of bright, butterfly-like green pupils.

"Lin Yin." Su Ming'an put increasingly larger doses of medicine into his mouth, revealing a clean, beautiful, spring-like smile:
"Welcome back."

"Your arrival marks our first spring."

……

Outside the window, spring is in full bloom, and peach blossoms are fluttering in the breeze.

It's as if they still have countless springs ahead of them.

He wanted to be a green boat, hoping that one day he could cross all the rivers and seas, endure all the harshness and cold winter, sail past the end of spring, and sail towards the vast and boundless spring light.

"We can be cowards fleeing our hometown, or we can be travelers heading back home."

After a long period of silence,

This is a spring of endless vitality.

……