first player

Chapter 1582 Final Chapter: Guarding the Coastline: "OE: Die from the Ocean (9)"

2027 9 Month 30 Day.

Humans have discovered a second planet.

However, this time they were not as lucky as the first time. Even traveling at full speed, it would take at least several decades, so humanity turned its attention inward.

After more than a year of preparation, the player system has been gradually revealed, and everyone can learn skills.

The control is very direct—people can earn "player points" through various means, such as working, performing acts of bravery, joining the military, making significant scientific research achievements, etc. Any good deed can be included in the point system, while bad deeds will deduct points. The "Ming'an System" monitors the data in real time and provides feedback to the wristwatches on people's wrists.

In this way, we can use "interests" to govern human "morality" and use tangible benefits to restrain the darkness in their hearts.

However, as many people think, a completely new world is like a balance scale. Whether you add weight or remove weight, even if it's just a slight change, it will create huge waves.

Although those who now possess firearms no longer face intense discrimination, a new chaos quickly erupts—some begin to seek revenge. They brandish knives at exploitative bosses, biased teachers, and even neighbors with whom they've had brief arguments…

Many people do not deserve to die, but they have guns, and guns can kill.

Su Ming'an repeatedly retraced his steps to minimize the damage. He knew he couldn't allow only one-seventh of the population to possess violence forever, nor could he cut off the upward mobility of ordinary people; therefore, this step was a necessary sacrifice.

Occasionally, he would hear some faint sounds:

"I heard that Lu is creating a god, and his followers are almost going mad, even wanting to sacrifice people. Is that true...?"

"Do you know Lu Shu's divine position? It's called the Lord of the Abyss! Lu Shu needs to kill and drink blood to become stronger. Who knows if he's killed anyone in the past year in order to become stronger..."

“If it’s murdered criminals or war criminals, I think it’s alright.”

"I also heard that Isabella is conducting human experiments..."

"Times have changed. We are already in a rather dangerous period, so there's no way we can cross some moral boundaries."

"A hero is a hero after all. People forgive him no matter what he does, just because he saved humanity. Does that mean all his sins afterward will be wiped clean?"

"They were doing it for our own good. Do you think they wanted to suffer this kind of sin?"

"I just hope I don't become that kind of victim..."

These are voices that Su Ming'an cannot quell no matter how many times he revisits them. Because some of these voices are indeed real.

The repeated regressions left him exhausted, and he began taking more and more medications.

These days, Lü Shu realized that he hadn't seen Su Ming'an for a long time.

Zhu only told him that the Realm Lord was busy.

Lu Shu closed his eyes, and demonic wings resembling bat wings sprouted from his back. Using "Evil Perception," he quickly sensed a strong aura of blood, indicating that a life was dying. He followed the aura stealthily, passing through the tightly closed door and arriving inside the highest level of the World Nexus.

He shouldn't have seen what happened next.

In the pale room, a young man in a white coat sat in a chair, surrounded by many people who looked almost identical to him, cutting into his flesh and skin and collecting his blood.

Countless pieces of flesh and blood surged in the experimental dish, creating various liquids and bubbles. Nutrients permeated the slices of organs, as if a vibrant flame was growing within them.

Lu Shu froze on the spot, his heart almost stopping, and an uncontrollable chill spread through his hands and feet.

He finally sensed the chill of early spring, and the sound of falling leaves echoed in his chest.

Upon seeing Lü Shu arrive, Su Ming'an, who was sitting in the chair, was startled for a moment. He tried to stand up, but the countless blood-drawing tubes around him held him back. His snow-white hair fluttered in the wind, and he seemed to be chained to the iron chair by layers of crimson thorns, like a bright heart connecting arteries and veins.

“I didn’t expect you to find this place. I clearly set up a shielding barrier… Is it the power of the God of the Abyss? You sensed me…” Su Ming’an looked up while tidying the hose.

His face held an almost innocent surprise, as if Lu Shu's knowledge of this matter was more painful than anything he was experiencing.

"What are you doing?" Lu Shu almost bit his lip before he could speak.

“First, after several retrospectives, I realized a fact—it’s wrong to rely on me to control the world forever. I can’t keep going back and forth a dozen times for every major event; we must address the root cause,” Su Ming’an said. “Second, the nearest planet we’ve discovered requires at least several decades of travel time, which means our companions won’t be able to return home before they die. It’s necessary to accelerate our journey. Third, I hope to settle this world before I disappear and ensure it can function on its own.”

"Aren't you immortal?" Lu Shu's face went blank for a moment.

"What are you thinking?" Su Ming'an chuckled. "If I could escape this world in time and successfully head to the universe, I could certainly live for a long time, but the problem is... I haven't found a way yet."

He is now merely an incarnation created by the authority of "faith"; his true self remains the World Tree.

Therefore, he wanted to learn the concept of the Turritopsis dohrnii jellyfish. The Turritopsis dohrnii can regenerate infinitely because it is itself a "world," and Su Ming'an is also a "world" now; he also possesses the skill of a visible state.
……

【Life is Bright and Peaceful (Passive): Your body contains a stronger life force. Broken organs or massive blood loss will not quickly render you incapable of fighting. Consuming your body can help others restore their life force.】

……

It was this skill that made him realize that he was now also a kind of "Turritopsis dohrnii" of Zhai Xing.

So, if you cut off your own flesh and blood, could a group of players quickly become stronger, allowing them to become gods, break through the limits of humanity, and further explore planets outside the small world?
So, if one studies the divine power within one's own bloodline, could one uncover the mysteries of the world's origin and further enhance the status of one's small world?
"Tap, tap, tap." Just then, a series of footsteps came, and a white-haired, golden-eyed boy stood beside Su Ming'an.

“It just so happens that Su Liujin is here, so I asked for his help to explore the mysteries within my body.” Su Ming’an, like a cold and rational researcher, pointed to his rapidly healing skin: “I have already experimented and fed some animals with my flesh and blood. Their intelligence and strength have increased significantly, and they have even shown signs of sublimating into intelligent life… I suspect that the flesh and blood of gods are completely different from those of humans.”

“…Su Liujin?” Lu Shu looked to the side and pursed his lips.

Lu Shu understood everything Su Ming'an said.

However, Lü Shu felt as if he were immersed in ice water, with the sound of flowing water filling his ears.

He saw a statue of a god.

The statue peeled away its gold-leaf-covered outer garment, bit by bit, and distributed it to the cold-stricken people; then it peeled away its flesh and skin, and distributed it to the starving people; then it peeled away its blood, and distributed it to the poor and weak; finally, it peeled away its bright red heart, and distributed it to the world…

"Why did you do this?" The question echoed in Lü Shu's mind.

"Don't worry, I know what I'm doing." The statue sat dignifiedly amidst layers of crimson "roses": "These people are bionics I created, and they will experiment according to my ideas."

Why don't you want to run away?

The statue picked up a bottle of blood from the table and handed it to Lü Shu: "I heard you need to drink blood for cultivation, and my blood should be the most effective. You can come and get it regularly; there's plenty here anyway. Once I've researched the characteristics of the Turritopsis dohrnii jellyfish, I'll give each of you some of its flesh and blood to help you break through the limitations of your lifespan. And... if social order allows, I'll distribute it to the general public to alleviate the conflicts caused by the gap between the strong and the weak."

Why are you so good to them?

"Oh, right," the statue seemed to remember something, "Don't worry, I'll make it into an acceptable form, like 'nutrients,' 'cultivation pills,' or 'holy water,' something like that. I won't give it to you in a bloody mess, and I won't make you feel disgusted."

Why do you even have to consider things like this?

Lu Shu gazed at the surging crimson-gold blood so close at hand.

—"Li Xue".

This is the name Su Ming'an gave it, something that seems detached from humanity, belonging to some kind of sacred and dignified concept.

Lu Shu silently reached out his hand, as if he himself had become a silent statue.

[You've already ended everything, the story is already considered a "happy ending," isn't it?]

He stared at the glass bottle in his hand. The crimson-gold blood, like stardust, reminded him of a television program he'd seen near the bridge, showing the Singing Sand Dunes of Dunhuang. The sand there seemed to dance, and Crescent Lake was as beautiful as a painting. He fantasized about going there himself, a landscape his barren eyes had never seen.

The scorching sunlight beat down, the sand so hot it felt like dancing. Shivering and laughter echoed across the vast sand dunes. The intense heat made people's fingers ache, and they dared not touch it.

"Snapped--!!!"

Glass shattered all over the floor.

Lu Shu's hands trembled as he stared blankly at the ground. Although the glass bottle was completely cold, his fingertips were red and swollen, as if he had been burned with several pimples.

Why should we consider "after it's over"?

【why? 】

Doesn't ending the world game guarantee that all the princes and princesses will find happiness?

He felt as if he were scalded by sand, retreating step by step, trembling with each step.

His heart felt like it was being squeezed by something, the pain making him hesitate all over, his blood burning hot.

No, no, no.

This shouldn't be the case; something is wrong.

—We've gone the wrong way, we've gone the wrong way.

Su Ming'an's clear gaze fell upon him, and several people with identical faces quickly came over, swept up the broken glass, and soon, a brand new bottle of "Li Blood" was placed in front of Lü Shu.

Lu Shu trembled all over, unable to utter a single word. Looking into those clear eyes, he felt as if he had returned to the most powerless time of his childhood, when he couldn't even catch things.

"It's okay if you accidentally fall, there are plenty here," the statue told him.

Lu Shu could no longer remain silent. He gripped the statue's wrist, staring painfully into its sincere eyes—

……

"I have a feeling."

"If this continues, we will all die."

"You will become an idol, you will become firewood, you will become food... You may never be able to go to the universe again, nor be able to escape this world."

"Let's leave here, taking the others who can escape with us, and not look back, okay?"

……

Shall we run away?

……

The operating light shone on Su Ming'an's forehead, making his eyebrows and eyes appear somewhat sharp.

His clear eyes looked at Lü Shu, revealing a sober and rational mind, rather than a madness that led him to such an action.

He is awake.

He reached out and pointed to Lu Shu's waist. Only then did Lu Shu notice a silver bell hanging from his waist. It was given to him a few days ago by a child who had lost his parents when he saved a group of children who were about to die in the war. The child looked a lot like him when he was a child, covered in burns, so he accepted it and casually hung it on his waist.

He's been too busy these past few days and forgot to take the bell down and put it away properly.

When Su Ming'an's fingers lightly touched the bell,
"Ding-dong—ding-dong—"

A sound came, soft as a feather and clear as a bird's song.

Lu Shu had just noticed that a glass cabinet was standing behind Su Ming'an.

The room was filled with all sorts of objects: a cat ear pendant, a pair of black earrings, a notebook, a human skin mask, a miniature white cat doll, a compass, a quill pen, a wood carving, a cross necklace, a mechanical ring, a withered flower...

A single seed, a season, a god.

“You’ve saved them all…” Lu Shu murmured.

they.

They're all here.

The bell at his waist jingled, and the few burnt candies in his pocket were still warm. The colorful knot on his wrist was from a mother who had lost her only child. Around his neck hung a whistle given to him by Lin Yin. The whistle, in turn, bumped against a dove badge on his chest, a peace dove medal that a group of civilians who had suffered under the oppression of warlords had pooled their money to make and present to "Judge" Lu Tazhu.

"Lord Lü, thank you so much! It's all thanks to you for coming..."

"Oh dear, those people, relying on their experience in the World Game, have committed all sorts of atrocities, including arson, murder, and looting. Thank goodness you came. This is just a small token of our appreciation; please don't refuse it..."

"Brother Lü, you're so tall! When will I be as tall as you?"

Lu Shu remembered a girl he had rescued yesterday. She unfolded a crumpled piece of paper in her arms. Bathed in the flames, the paper depicted not pain or hatred, but several large stick figures holding hands with a little girl stick figure, standing in the firelight, under the dawn.

Those stick figures each had hair in various colors, such as black, white, and blue; one could easily recognize them.

The girl's large, eager eyes, like the scorching spring sun, instantly struck his wounded heart.

"I……"

His voice began to tremble. He had been lonely for too long and was realizing for the first time that life could be so vibrant and exciting.

But even so.

Even so, does it have to end here? Does it have to be this painful?
"There's no escaping it..." Lu Shu's throat tightened, and he clenched his fist, slowly placing it on his chest:
There's no escaping it.

……

You remembered that little soldier who died before your eyes long ago.

Then you remembered the moon, Revelation, and Theresia. You remembered the Dawn System built with your lives. You remembered that black and white tombstone and the candy jar.

【"It's over."】

You muttered to yourself, a lump forming in your throat, and slowly pounded your fist against your chest.

"There's no escaping it..."

……

There's plenty of time in the future.

This word originally carries a beautiful meaning, full of longing and expectation, but why does it make people cry so much?

"It's only temporary, don't cry, don't be sad." Su Ming'an grabbed his hand and shook her head earnestly:
“I believe that once everything is settled, we will still be able to travel to the universe. Don’t forget, I am the World Tree, and as long as the authority of ‘faith’ exists, I will have an ever-resurrecting incarnation.”

"When that time comes, we will meet again at the highest point of the bridge and tower made of love."

"There is ample time."

Is this happiness? Is this the end?
Lu Shu heard laughter coming from the finish line.

The wind brushed against my cheeks, like scraping across a rock in the early morning. The rock was smooth after the rain, and even the dew dripped slowly down.

Blood enters the mouth, causing a dry sensation in the throat.

This time, there was no more struggle in his eyes.

……