first player

Chapter 1689 Final Chapter: Crossing the Shore [33]: "Going home with you."

Seeing the number of people decreasing, Su Ming'an lowered his gaze and clenched his fists.

"Don't worry." He suddenly heard a familiar voice beside him.

Soft, clear, firm.

“…Yueyue!?” He immediately looked up, but could not see her.

"It's me, I'm speaking to you from the World Game. The rules say it might be impossible to resurrect, right? The Eleventh Seat and I have already studied it. The power of the firewall increases gradually. The deeper you variables go, the greater the impact. In the early stages of the trial, we can use the mechanism of the cosmic organs to guide the souls of the losers back to the World Game, since you still have the protection of your 'player' status. But it will become more and more difficult later on, and it might really be impossible to resurrect." Yueyue's voice came through. "If we persuade them to leave now, there's still a chance; we can still pick them up. If we go any further, it's true death."

"Are you alright now?" Su Ming'an asked.

“How could the losers be unscathed? Since they entered this place, they must have been affected. Their physical bodies have perished, leaving only their souls. This is the extent of our authority,” Yueyue said. “Those who are leaving now can only preserve their consciousness; their physical bodies will be gone. Pass this message on to them.”

"I mean," Su Ming'an asked again, "are you alright now?"

The other side was stunned.

Immediately, there was a subtle stillness.

Even with the help of mechanisms, how could she be alright after so many consciousnesses were brought back to the world game?

"I...I'm fine," came the reply from the other end.

"really?"

"Really, believe me. With Spark's help, and some other forces as well."

“Yes, I believe you.” Su Ming’an didn’t say much more, he only said, “I hope to go home with you.”

"……it is good."

Of all the people, Yueyue had the hardest time getting home.

She had climbed the high-dimensional cliffs long ago, so that Su Ming'an and the others wouldn't have to infiltrate the organizers, and so that they could travel to a wider world. But how could someone who loves to travel the most be bound by chains of rules, trapped in an unbreakable organ?

He stood at the highest point, looking down at the millions of people standing blankly, like a black reed ruffled by the wind. They had just gone through a selection process; some had not yet recovered from the tension of the "prisoner's dilemma," while others were looking around in bewilderment at the disappearance of their companions, their gazes habitually turning to the lighthouse high above.

Su Ming'an relayed Yueyue's words to everyone.

After he finished speaking, there was a moment of deathly silence.

Stardust settles, black waters remain still, a million eyes, a million souls.

Then, someone shouted out.

"I...I don't want to play anymore! I want to go home—!" a shrill female voice cried out, "Help me, let me go back! I shouldn't have come, I shouldn't have been greedy...Mommy, Mommy..."

Her voice was like cold water poured into boiling oil, a cacophony of emotions swirling into a massive sonic boom.

"The physical body is gone? What's the difference between that and being dead!"

"I shouldn't have come in! Who pulled me in?!"

"No, that's not right! I'll stay and take a gamble. What if I succeed? What if I gain some insight? What does losing my physical body matter then? Fortune favors the bold!"

"Be rational! We're just ordinary people. What can we do against the mechanisms of higher dimensions? Su Ming'an already said that the mortality rate will only increase! Right now, our consciousness can still return, but after that, our consciousness won't be able to return at all!"

"In reality, I'm a useless person, lying in bed waiting to die. I might as well come in and take a gamble! If I fail, I'll just die in a different form. If I succeed, I can stand up again! I'm not leaving!"

"Waaah... But, but I'm so scared..."

"Don't push! Let me through!"

"Brother, don't listen to their alarmist talk. Look, Su Ming'an is still standing up there, isn't he? He definitely has a way to lead us through! Follow him, let's gamble!"

"What obligation does he have to take you along? The rules are crystal clear: if he clears the level, we all clear it! To put it bluntly, we're just a burden! Leaving now will at least leave with some dignity; otherwise, we'll become his stepping stones, and no one will even remember us when we die!"

"Who are you calling cannon fodder?! I came here to help voluntarily!"

"Help? Don't flatter yourself! What help could you possibly offer? Did you help with that prisoner's dilemma earlier? Su Ming'an still had to get through it all on his own!"

The crowd began to surge violently, like a black ocean churned by a gale. Some people desperately pushed their way out, while others stood rooted to the spot.

Su Ming'an watched quietly. He saw the player who used to call him "Mom" now crying uncontrollably, being dragged away by her companions. He saw Xiao Xiao and Wang Zhenzhen huddled together, whispering something. He saw Hang Xin, pale-faced, leaning against Talia, her lips tightly pressed together, her eyes fixed on Su Ming'an. He saw Mo Yan looking up at him through the chaotic crowd.

The myriad aspects of human nature are laid bare before our eyes. There is no absolute courage, nor utter depravity.

Chen Yuhang gripped the smooth skin of the blue whale tightly, his knuckles turning white. He was closest to Su Ming'an and could clearly see Su Ming'an's hand hanging by his side, his fingers slightly curled.

Even a master like you might feel burdened?

If Brother Wang were here, what would he choose? He'd probably say with a flourish, "Since we're already here," and then tremble with fear.

Chen Yuhang wanted to laugh, but his nose suddenly stung with tears.

“The road,” Su Ming’an suddenly said in a low voice, “how many of those who stayed behind do you think will ultimately survive?”

Judging from this number, more than half of them will still stay. After all, they've come all this way, and they're all either hoping to take a chance or desperately want to help Su Ming'an.

Lu stood beside him, silent for a moment: "I don't know, but at least they are brave."

Su Ming'an's gaze swept across faces filled with fear, fervor, desperation, and numbness. He saw Alger huddled in the corner of another whale, his arms crossed, as if trying to isolate himself from the chaos; he saw Evelyn and Perlo, the two demons hovering calmly not far away, oblivious to the commotion below; he saw Nagasha, the crazed siren standing at the edge of the crowd, her eyes vacant as she stared at the boiling throng, as if watching a drama that had nothing to do with her.

Su Ming'an looked away.

He has no right to make choices for anyone; he must wait for people to decide for themselves and for the tide to diverge on its own.

Gradually, two distinct streams of people emerged from the chaos: one flowing outwards, the other moving against the tide towards Su Ming'an's location in the center. Among them, some had resolute eyes, some hesitated in their steps, and some had tears streaming down their faces.

The number of people remaining has visibly decreased. From over a million to less than a million, but surprisingly, it hasn't decreased by much.

Looking at the faces filled with tension and fear, Su Ming'an let out a breath.

Wherever there are players, it's always incredibly noisy, like a million ducks quacking and chattering. It's the same now, bustling like a giant vegetable market.

“We’re already here, we’ve already entered the position. If I go back before we even fight, Captain Yang will whip me with his belt! Anyway, I’m not going back. Let whoever wants to go back go.” A man said resolutely. The “Captain Yang” he mentioned was probably Yang Changxu, an old acquaintance of Su Ming’an.

A boy who looked to be of South Asian descent, with dark skin and teeth that appeared very white in the dim light, said: "I'm not going back. I want to earn some points before I die so I can buy a house for my parents! So they won't have to live in the midst of war!"

"I want to defeat Su Ming'an! I want to live in a big house! I want to see my mom and dad!" The fiery loli Bonnie mingled among them, clearly tricked by some wicked player again, and these were the words that came out of her mouth.

“I have to help him, I must help him… My light, Su Ming’an…” Su Shi stood quietly in the crowd, wearing a mask to cover her face, and stroking the necklace around her neck.

The most interesting aspect of this system is that casual players don't have their points reset upon exiting the game. They remain casual players, unable to purchase any adventure-related items or equipment, and unable to earn adventure points. However, they still receive rewards inherent within the "Source Points," such as comprehending concepts, learning skills, finding treasures, and exchanging items in the shop.

They essentially exploited a bug; they didn't switch from casual to adventure players, but rather appeared within the "Source Point" as casual players. It's precisely because of this incentive mechanism that so many casual players dared to come.

In the crowd, a young girl hugged a white dog plush toy, her eyes darting around: "I have to be strong... I want to see my idol... Oh, hasn't my idol, Lu Shu, come in yet...?"

Su Ming listened quietly to these words, then spoke again, still wanting to offer some advice: "The later levels will likely require competition..."

The crowd fell silent for a moment.

Then, someone shouted out first.

A cheerful female voice rang out: "Let's compete! There are so many of us. At worst, we'll each rely on our own abilities! Maybe we can get some scraps by riding on the coattails of the top player! What do you all think?"

Laughter broke out, easing the tense atmosphere slightly. Then, a cacophony of voices joined together:
"Exactly! Can the pro player help us out?"

"Gaining some experience points would be good too!"

"Since we're already here..."

"Consider it a publicly funded trip..."

"Master Su, please let us leech some experience points with you!"

"Don't worry, if it really comes to that, we know what we're doing! At least for now, let us walk this most difficult part of the journey with you!"

"Give me a chance! What if I get lucky and pick up some power that nobody wants?"

"Brother Deng, don't listen to those nonsense comments, like you're deliberately dragging out the battle. What's wrong with striving for perfection? If you stop before the adventure is over, won't that leave a huge hidden danger? I believe you, I'll go with you! No matter what, I'll follow you, whether you're the Lord of Eyes, the Lord of Nose, or the Lord of Butt!"

These words are sometimes subtle, sometimes straightforward, carrying the accents of people from all over the world and the different textures of their life experiences. There are not many grand pronouncements, but they are full of pragmatism, and even a little bit shameless.

A group of fearless fourth natural disasters, a group of vibrant people who are also fearless...

At a glance, Violet, Mo Yan, Leslie, Higurashi, Agnes, Joey, Xiaoxiao, Wang Zhenzhen...

Although the crowd was undoubtedly filled with people who disapproved of or even hated Su Ming'an, seeing this adventure only as an opportunity to reap benefits, thankfully, all that could be heard were pleasant voices. Even those who truly disliked Su Ming'an, lacked faith in humanity, or even wanted to destroy the world... wouldn't voice their opinions at this moment.

Su Ming'an looked at them, a subtle ripple spreading across his calm eyes.

In the corner, Chen Yuhang secretly wiped his eyes, sniffed, and muttered to himself:
"Why all the sentimentality... With Brother Wang gone, nobody's complaining anymore."

Su Ming'an nodded very slightly, as if in agreement.

He turned around and stopped looking at the line behind him.

"gone."

On the Blackwater, the crowds were no longer suffocating. The people who remained kept their distance from each other and were no longer huddled together as they had been at the beginning.

The new door slowly opened.

……

World Game, Control Room.

In the dimly lit hall, where the smell of burning paper money lingered, a figure sat on a high chair at the far end, with a pair of cat ears vaguely visible.

Yueyue gripped her longsword, the tip pressed against the heart of a tattered rabbit doll. The doll's eyes drooped limply, its stuffing leaking from the torn seams.

Behind Yueyue were Xinghuo and the eleventh seat. Opposite them, Xiaona had transformed into a crimson humanoid figure.

“Brain, we are not attacking you, we just need permission for soul transfer,” Starfire said calmly.

Xiao Na looked at him coldly.

Xinghuo said, "When cosmic organs and cells meet, the Source Firewall manifests as a 'game trial' because of the 'player's' identity. The mechanism for the player's soul to return after failure conflicts with the Source's annihilation mechanism, which is a gray area. We are not stealing souls from the Source; at most, we are exploiting a loophole in the conflict of rules, which is not a violation."

“We both know that the real trouble right now is that the two cosmic-level entities, ‘Source Point’ and ‘World Game,’ are clashing. Su Ming’an’s actions have caused ‘cells’ and ‘organs’ to come into direct contact, which is a headache for both of us.”

Who could have imagined that Su Ming'an's search for the Demon Mother Goddess would cause the World Game and the Source Point to collide? Even the Cosmic Organ World Game, which rashly impacts the Source Point and has undergone data interaction from millions of players, is extremely vulnerable at this moment.

Su Ming'an, the player, crashed headlong into the source point, like a spark splashing into the interior of a sophisticated instrument. The chain reaction it triggered made the world game, as one of its "organs," suffer as well.

Xiao Na's gaze fell on the cat ears in the shadows.

That person watched quietly from beginning to end, without revealing any emotion.

A tense standoff ensued in the main hall, with only the faint scent of burning paper money.

Finally, Xiaona stopped stopping Yueyue; she didn't want to perish together with these three rebellious "parasites." Meanwhile, Yueyue successfully connected the souls of the losers into her dream world.

As the tense atmosphere eased, Yueyue gradually looked at the cat ears in the shadows.

Who is He?

As early as the third instance, this being summoned Su Ming'an and handed him the Black Card of the Power Holder. It was neither just any organizer nor a primordial being like Xiao Na; who exactly was it?