first player

Chapter 1621 Final Chapter: Crossing the Sea [53] "The Great Sage Yang Mermaid and the Unsincerous People Arrive (7)"

Looking closely, they discovered a red-haired girl crouching in the corner, her head bowed, her face covered in dust, as if she were hiding there.

“That’s Shi Ying, one of the eight protagonist candidates, and also the least favored one…” Lu Shu said, “She’s hiding here, probably with nowhere else to go. We’re just in time to help her win the ‘Sea Feast’.”

"Should we help her?" Lu said. "Her chances of winning don't look high. Shouldn't we consider switching to someone else?"

“Alger, Eland, and Mizushima Kawakami are definitely out of the question,” Lu Shu analyzed in turn. “Bai Ran is mentally unstable, so he’s no good. Hui Zi isn’t exactly normal either, so she’s no good either. That leaves Tian Yu, Shi Ying, and Hui Bai.”

“Isn’t that Ashley?” Lin Yin tilted her head.

“Shili is now a member of the Lin tribe, so she’s no longer the protagonist. Huibai has taken her place,” Lu Shu said. “Weibai can’t be found. Tianyu is far away on Sky Island, where his noble status means he has no shortage of companions. And I understand very well…”

He said softly:

"It is difficult to provide timely help."

He seemed to recall some memories, but quickly composed himself: "A protagonist who is disheveled and wandering is more suitable for us."

After some discussion, the four decided to support Shi Ying in winning the championship.

"Whoosh—!" Lin Yin strode up to the high platform, unfurled a yellow scroll, and began to read aloud, "Ladies and gentlemen, I shall introduce to you our deity. He is the Lord of the Lighthouse, the ancient god Arthastor, number one hundred and two..."

As they preached, they distributed bread and water, and the starving people were immediately moved to tears of gratitude.

"Aren't you afraid that the Radiant Mother Goddess will target you for proselytizing like this?" Qianqin pulled Lü Shu aside and asked in a low voice.

“That’s even better,” Lu Shu said. “Drawing Su Ming’an’s attention away is also one of the goals.”

Suddenly, a child's voice came from outside:

"—The army is here!!!"

Like cold water poured into boiling oil, the crowd, which had just calmed down due to hope, instantly erupted into chaos, and panic spread like a plague.

"The army? What are they doing here?"

"My child! Where is my child?"

Lin Yin's expression changed, and she quickly put away the scroll. Lu Shu's right hand rested on the black knife at his waist, his sharp eyes sweeping towards the doorway.

“I’m going out to kill…” Before Lu Shu could finish speaking, Lu grasped his hand and gently shook his head.

“Sometimes, faith is more effective than killing.” Lu turned to the bewildered crowd and called out, “Does anyone have offerings to the Radiant Mother Goddess, or ornaments, cloth, or clothing belonging to believers?”

Qianqin understood instantly and directed the people to search.

“I…I have one! My mother left it to me.” An old woman tremblingly pulled a small ceramic deity statue from her bosom.

"This! Will this do? A corner of the tablecloth I used to use for offerings!" A man tore off a piece of his cloth with religious patterns.

“The serving dish! The serving dish used for communion in the past…”

"Here I have! A pendant!"

"My scarf! It was given out at the church gathering!"

"This stone slab! It has half an emblem engraved on it!"

Unbelievable.

In a desperate situation where even survival was almost destroyed, objects related to faith were found one after another.

People held the broken and dusty "sacred objects" in their hands, their expressions changing from fear to pleading—they used to hate the gods, but now they had to rely on their faith to survive.

"Will this... will this work?" A little boy with a dusty face asked timidly from behind Lu Shu.

“I’ve been to some countries where faith is more important than life. Some residents live by carrying idols with them because shooting at them could break the idols and offend the gods.” Lu was very experienced.

"What did you do before..." Lin Yin couldn't help but ask.

"I'm just an ordinary arms dealer," Lu said with a friendly smile.

The smell of gunpowder and dust filled their lungs, and people moved away step by step.

Outside the door were the cold and wary faces of the soldiers, their expressions mostly obscured by the shadows of their helmets.

The moment people stepped out, the air froze, and time seemed to stretch out. The soldiers' fingers were on the triggers; with just the slightest command, tragedy would unfold in an instant.

The men at the front were trembling, their faces contorted with fear, yet they desperately pressed the idol against their hearts, exposing it to the sunlight.

On the terracotta figure, the blurred features of the Radiant Mother Goddess appear particularly "compassionate" beneath the dust. Perhaps this is the first time this high and mighty deity has so "truly" protected these poor souls struggling to survive in the dust—in a way that neither they nor He had anticipated.

"Sing along with me!" Qianqin shouted.

She was a Knight of Dawn, and she was sincerely grateful that she had learned hymns. At this moment, these tedious and monotonous hymns became their lifeline.

“Klitschneider, Klitschneider,” Thousand Harp sang.

Following closely behind were even more people. Their heads were bowed, their bodies trembling like leaves under the soldiers' cold gazes.

"—Klitschneider, Klitschneider."

With hoarse voices and intermittent coughs, they sang along with her.

"Knight, Redeemer, Order Keeper, Chanter, Angel and Loksa." Qianqin raised her hand and sang loudly.

"—Knight, Redeemer, Orderer, Chanter, Angel and Loksa."

Like toddlers learning to speak, white-haired old people and young adults chanted hymns, trembling as they held dusty old objects and slowly walked past the dark muzzles of guns.

"Birth, sun, flame and eye."

"—Birth, sun, flame and eye."

The old man stumbled along with his cane, while the children clutched the adults' sleeves, like a group of believers walking the road to hell, with the radiant Mother Goddess leading them away ahead.

However, Lü Shu knew this clearly.

There is no god here.

"Nancy endured three thousand nights of asceticism."

"—Nancy practiced asceticism for three thousand nights."

The soldiers' cold gazes swept over the bizarre "sacred objects" in people's arms like searchlights. They looked at each other, a few traces of hesitation flashing in their eyes.

"A sigh is sung in praise of the divine presence."

"—A sighing hymn to the divine presence."

The singing of praises to the Radiant Mother Goddess grew louder and louder. The officer's brow furrowed beneath his helmet, and his hand, which was about to give the order to fire, hovered in mid-air.

"Songs of praise and blessings spread throughout the world."

People were like a flock of lambs being driven to the edge of a cliff, inching forward step by step, under the silent gaze of the soldiers and amidst countless gun barrels aimed at them.

"May you be blessed with abundant grace..."

Slowly, shakily, as if traversing a minefield of death, the "ants" moved forward step by step.

"I borrow the blue moonlight to write about the unknown and vastness of the universe."

"You gave me eyes and peace with the dawn..."

Qianqin's fingers, which were pressing on the hilt of the sword, turned bluish-white from the excessive force.

She stood at the doorway, her equestrian attire casting a long shadow in the slanting sunlight, like a silent boundary marker separating the tranquility inside from the clamor outside.

Dust settled slowly around her, standing silently on the edge of the storm.

There is a god here.

There is no god here.

……

"The Palace of the World Lord is special, and is not under the jurisdiction of the Radiant Mother Goddess." A charming voice came from beside her ear, "Before Klitschneider turned this place into His own... thanks to the help of the Demon of Joy, only this place has been preserved as a pure land."

The female demon leaned against the iron railing, her face as beautiful as a peach blossom, her eyes as gentle as a spring breeze. She wore a long, peach-pink dress adorned with dark lace, her high heels like transparent swords, and a peach-pink tail swayed behind her.

Su Ming'an quietly met her gaze.

At this moment, Su Ming'an had already left the blood pool. Now was not the time to make a move. He would wait until he got the key before seizing the Holy Sword in one fell swoop.

"That's why people here dare to worship the Demon Mother Goddess," Su Ming'an said.

“That’s right.” Evelyn suddenly leaned closer, her breath sweet as orchids. “Klitschko can’t do anything to us, which is why we dare to forge the Holy Sword here.”

Her hand lightly brushed against his chest: "What a pity, those commoners can't understand. This is clearly the only chance in this world to break free from its shackles."

Su Ming'an shook his head: "Even if it's for forging a holy sword, it can't change the fact that evil was done. People who die don't deserve to die just because their reasons are noble."

“Yes!” Evelyn laughed, a blush creeping onto her face, pleased with Su Ming’an’s words. “How absurd it would be if butchers and executioners like us could also find happiness. Therefore, the only end for evil people is death. Only death can make the public forgive the sins of evil people, and instead exchange them for more valuable tears, and begin to mourn the death of evil people.”

She picked up a plain-colored pipe, took a puff, and exhaled softly: "It seems that as soon as the wicked die, the public will forgive the wicked on behalf of the victims, all sins will vanish, and instead praise the wicked for their righteousness and forbearance, all for the sake of the world."

Warm-colored smoke rushed towards him, carrying an exotic floral fragrance. Su Ming'an immediately stepped back, covering his face with his hands, his gesture showing utter disgust.

"Oh, you don't like people who smoke?" Evelyn tapped her pipe, then immediately put it away. "I thought it was cool, very charming, and kids liked it."

Su Ming'an thought he was seeing things—he actually saw apology on a devil's face.

He remembered reading a book at the beginning of the book, "The Trickster Demon's Thirteen Lovers' Dating Records"... Could it all be a fabrication by later generations, and that He was actually a shy person?
"What do you want to do?" Su Ming'an frowned. "You killed me once, are you trying to forcibly turn me into a demon?"

“You’ve already refused, they can’t force you, can they?” Evelyn pitifully pointed her finger.

...She wasn't this gentle before.

“Your Highness,” Evelyn said, stepping forward and whispering in his ear, “I advise you not to make promises to demons lightly, even if it’s just a perfunctory gesture. You broke your promise before, which is why I had to kill you. If you make promises lightly again in the future, I won’t just kill you; I’ll take your soul…”

Su Ming'an subconsciously wanted to say "okay," but immediately realized that this was also a promise, so he kept quiet.

Evelyn Tanados Agrina.

He heard His laughter, and His finger gently tapped his chest:
"Your Highness, please remember my name."

"I won't tell Huichi that you went out late at night, but if it happens again, you'll have to make it up to me in some way, my master."

……

...The demons in this world are truly dangerous.

As Su Ming'an walked down the corridor on his way back, a chill ran down his spine as he thought about the Demon Mother Goddess's treatment of Yi Song. He resolved to stay far away from demons next time, especially those of such improper nature.

Suddenly, he felt dizzy, covered his forehead, and felt faint auditory hallucinations in his ears.

"I love you……"

"I love you……"

"Ming'an...you are my child, Mom will always love you..."

……who?

He looked around abruptly, only to find the candlelight flickering in the corridor, the grass and trees outside the window silent, and the blue moon still.

He gasped for breath, leaned against the wall, pressed his forehead against the soft, floral wallpaper, and rested for a moment until the sounds around him gradually faded away.

...Was it Lin Wang'an? He carefully recalled the voice he had just heard, but it was extremely vague. She shouldn't be in this timeline, unless the Radiant Mother Goddess "kindly" included her in it as well.

He made sure no one was around and continued back. Just as he was about to return to his room, he suddenly saw a person standing in the corridor.

With blond hair and blue eyes, wearing glasses, and holding a book, he appeared refined and cultured.

...Imperial Tutor, Huibi.

"What would happen if a snail accidentally fell down?" Hui Bi suddenly asked.

Su Ming'an stopped abruptly and looked over warily.

But Hui Bi just stared at the book in her hand and muttered to herself, "It will be very embarrassing because it fell flat on its face."

Su Ming'an pondered what philosophy Hui Bi was talking about, and after a while, he realized—was Hui Bi telling a lame joke?

Standing in the hallway late at night, telling lame jokes to someone...

Su Ming'an left without a word, this poet from the Meiyi Pavilion of the Hui family.

Hui Bi's gaze shifted slightly as she looked at Su Ming'an's departing figure:

Why is Xiaoming's schoolbag always so heavy?

"Because it contains history books, geography books, math books... all heavyweight books."

……

Back in his room, Su Ming'an saw a delicate meal on the table, with a note attached: "Since His Highness is asleep, the meal is placed aside. If you would like something hot, please call my name. —Perlo"

“I remember, Perlo was Locke, the top player in the first World Game…” Su Ming’an remembered him as a shrewd and intelligent young detective, who, over the long years, had turned into a gambling and drinking devil.

Is it the Locke before he lost his memory, or the Perlo who grew up again in Rovasa? Can these two people, who have become so different, still be considered the same person?

Su Ming'an retracted his clone, lay down on the bed, and finally had a chance to sleep. He closed his eyes...

His consciousness instantly became hazy. He realized something was wrong; normal sleep wasn't like this. He tried to open his eyes, but his body felt like it was being pressed down by something, and he sank into a deep nightmare.

...Is it Hui Chi? He really doesn't want Su Ming'an to wake up and still wants to hold onto power, so he wants to trap him in a nightmare.

Suddenly, my eyes lit up.

— Su Ming'an successfully opened his eyes.

What came into view was not a room, but a dazzling candy house. The eaves were made of chocolate, the glass of crystal candy, and cotton candy grew in the garden. The little king, draped in red silk, held his scepter and stood surrounded by his people.

Su Ming'an realized that this was still a dream.

—"The Tenth Story: The Sunfish Will Not Come" is an eternal dream wrapped up in "The Eighth Story: Saints and Sinners".

Someone is trapped in a dream.