Chapter 925: Chapter 922: [He Has Summoned You to This Place.]
"Su, where are we going?"
In the sky above, Xia Jiawen’s voice was very soft.
The puppet threads and white tentacles carried them swiftly between buildings. Su Ming’an felt the pain from his clone, and instinctively hugged himself, a gesture that could slightly relieve the pain.
"The Land of Utter Darkness," Su Ming’an said.
"So... so it is." Xia Jiawen smiled bitterly, "The Exotic Species despised by the world have no place to stay, and can only go to the place shrouded in black mist. Su, you could clearly... have a bright future."
"I don’t need it," Su Ming’an said.
He is the Alliance Hierarch of the Human Self-Rescue Alliance.
He is the Deputy Minister of the City Guardian Department.
He has dual identities as an Eligible and an Exotic Species.
He is the Number One of the Dream Patrol Family.
He is the Number One Player.
Even if he went to the Human Self-Rescue Alliance’s base or the City Guardian Department now, he could have a place to stay, and could even immediately initiate a counterattack and declare war on the Church. He could still go to the Lighthouse Church founded by Boris and start from faith.
He never fears any adversity, rather, adversity makes him feel at ease. A path too smooth seems more like honey arranged in front of him.
Since the Main Quest required him to contact the Old Day Church, he might as well go with the flow and infiltrate the Land of Utter Darkness as an Exotic Species. This gave him an opportunity.
"So, you’re not going back to Dao Ya City?" Xia Jiawen asked softly, "Leaving behind the Bishop’s cathedral, Ms. Lin’s psychological counseling center, and your home with Su Luoluo... Are you never going back?"
Su Ming’an paused.
—But this means there’s no going back.
Warm, everyday, reassuring life, there’s no going back to it.
The kind female students in the church, Li Mingyue’s plain but caring words, Dr. Lin Yunting’s trust and admiration, the魑 still waiting bitterly for him in the dungeon, and... Su Luoluo, who maintains a cheerful smile despite any emotional pain.
The grandpa and grandma who gave him antiques, the bald boss in the tavern, the seamstress mother with a little boy, the stray girl in the park, the blond-haired businessman with a backpack, the kind soldier at the edge of the city.
No going back.
Su Ming’an’s fingers touched his pocket, and he paused slightly, taking out what was inside—a pink rag doll.
When he left home in the morning, he took this doll with him, thinking that after the exams, he could stop by the counseling center and give it to the魑. Although there were no Barbie dolls in the city, a simple rag doll was enough to comfort.
But now, there’s no chance.
The short-lived warmth of daily life is completely over; the life of a high school student will never be again.
[Little Cloud...]
In his mind was the smile of Su Luoluo.
Su Ming’an clenched the rag doll in his hand, the glass eyes of the doll reflecting his expression.
—It was clearly a somewhat sad face.
The corners of his eyes drooped, lips pursed, a soft trace of pain escaping from his pupils.
—At this moment, he finally understood the words Li Mingyue once said to him.
...
["Do you like this kind of work?"]
["I was thinking, if you like this kind of work, you could take over my job in the future. That way—"]
["Even if you don’t take the college entrance exam, don’t go to North Qing University, don’t get involved with the City Guardian Department... even if you don’t do these, it’s fine. It’s all fine. You could stay in this city forever, become a streamer with Su Luoluo. This city recruits civil servants too, you could try, you could get married, and your life could be happy."]
...
—Don’t step out of this small city.
—Once you step out, you’ll have no way to turn back.
When Su Ming’an stepped out of this small city, he inevitably arrived at the examination hall, inevitably exposed the white tentacles, inevitably started the escape. As if destined.
The military’s wanted list added the name "Su Wensheng," the Church remembered his face, and the burning flames seemed to reflect in front of him, burning away his past.
"Is it going to be darkness from now on?" Xia Jiawen murmured, "Never to see the light again."
"No."
Su Ming’an looked at the looming black mist, pulling Xia Jiawen along with him, both leaping into the thick darkness. He held the rag doll, thinking in his heart.
—There will always be dawn.
Actually, just a bit of warmth, and he already feels it’s enough.
These few days were enough.
It’s not right to ask for more.
His feet touched the ground, Su Ming’an stepped into the Land of Utter Darkness for the first time.
The land shrouded in black mist, exuding a sense of quiet, coldness, and emptiness.
Before being enveloped by the black mist, this place was once 80% of human survival land. Now it was extremely silent, with an absurd feeling of the collective disappearance of all humans. Even the small stalls, like ice-crystal dessert stalls, barbecue stalls, stinky tofu stalls, remained in the state they were just before the disaster, with utensils still on the tables.
Tables and chairs were askew, hundreds and thousands of vehicles crammed the streets, reflecting scenes of people abandoning cars to flee. The light rail also stopped before reaching its station, paused between two platforms.
"Tap, tap, tap."
Su Ming’an gazed at this scene, a sense of loneliness surging within him.
"This used to be people’s home," Xia Jiawen murmured, "Before the black mist appeared, Ubang Nation wasn’t called Ubang Nation, but a vast kingdom with many provinces, many cities... And now, our land is reduced to so little."
His fingers brushed against a window by the street, a café with a sign on the bar still displaying "Today’s Special: Cappuccino," and after wiping off the dust on the window, Xia Jiawen said softly, "Maybe you could still find your grandpa’s or grandma’s home here, the homeland of the older generation is within the black mist."
The wind chimes by the street rang with a jingle, the February wind still blowing across this land, yet no one would push the door open to set the wind chimes off.
"By completing the dream exploration game and dispelling the black mist, the homeland can be reclaimed," Su Ming’an gazed at these lonely scenes, "One day, all this land will be recovered."
"Yes, maybe that day will come, with talents like the Number One Dream Patrol," Xia Jiawen smiled, "But I saw the world broadcast, and the Number One Dream Patrol is also suspected of being an Exotic Species. Humans are such a race that excels at turning their spears inward, both admirable and pathetic, generation after generation, unchanged."
As Xia Jiawen said this, he recalled the students, shaking his head, "But I happen to love this race."
They walked along the quiet streets, like two ghosts spiraling in the darkness, traversing the dark side of the world. No one could watch them anymore, and no one could judge them anymore.
"[The constant surge of goodness in my heart truly baffles me. I sincerely wish for the ’human’ race to attain happiness, yet seeing the face of each greedy individual disgusts me. This perplexes me greatly.]"
Su Ming’an slowly said:
"[If the world were to place the ’Savior’ destiny upon me, I would undoubtedly undertake it. Because I love this species, even if they constantly exhibit their ugly and selfish sides, I still hope for their survival, because their occasional brilliance moves me deeply.]"
"Are these the words of the Eldest Prince?" Xia Jiawen asked.
"Yes."
"The Eldest Prince... It turns out we are the ’Eldest Prince’ too. Even finding ourselves in this predicament, I still think that if one day, the Black Mist could be dispelled, Exotic Species would no longer harm people, and everyone could be happy... that would be nice," Xia Jiawen said.
"Professor Xia, you are an idealist too."
"This term is often ridiculed. If you think I am, that’s truly wonderful," Xia Jiawen shook his head.
They walked along the street until they heard another sound.
Several shadowy figures stood at the street corner, gazing at the two of them.
...Would there be people in the Land of Utter Darkness where humans cannot survive?
Those figures walked towards them, closer and closer. Someone lifted a lantern, the only glow appearing in this dark domain, like the first spark in The Dark Forest.
As the lantern lit up, Su Ming’an saw the faces of these people clearly.
They wore long black cloaks, with patterns of Flames embroidered on them. The leading person held the lantern and walked towards Su Ming’an.
"First of the Dream Patrol Family, greetings upon our first meeting." The man with long black hair tied in a high ponytail wore a demon mask with ram horns, revealing only a pair of deep black eyes.
"And you are?" Su Ming’an said. Surprisingly, this person recognized him as the First of the Dream Patrol Family.
The man smiled, raising the lantern higher, the warm light illuminating the demon mask on his face, which appeared eerily like a skeleton. He extended his hand towards Su Ming’an:
"I am Xiao Ying, the Vice Sect Hierarch of the Old Day Church."
"The location of the Old Day Church is here in the Land of Utter Darkness. Therefore, the moment you set foot here, I sensed it, and came to meet you. We finally meet in this realm."
Su Ming’an did not extend his hand. Although the Main Quest required him to join the Old Day Church, he remained highly cautious of this Xiao Jingsan.
It was Xiao Jingsan who drew his blood in the Louyue Nation. It was Xiao Jingsan who exposed the Eldest Prince’s Exotic Species identity. And now, it was Xiao Jingsan again who quickly found him and came to greet him in the Land of Utter Darkness.
"Xiao Jingsan..." Su Ming’an began.
"No, do not call me Xiao Jingsan." Xiao Jingsan suddenly erupted in anger upon hearing it, as if a nerve had been struck: "Call me Xiao Ying! If you do not call me Xiao Ying, then you are not... I will kill you!"
...What the hell?
Su Ming’an was taken aback, fearing he had encountered yet another inevitable madman in the instance, speaking incoherently.
When dealing with a madman, appease them first. Once the Main Quest is completed, then strike hard. After all, the Old Day Church members are all antisocial lunatics with unstable Spirits.
"Alright, Xiao Ying," Su Ming’an said.
Upon hearing this address, Xiao Jingsan’s aura immediately calmed, like a cat being petted. The light shone on his eerie white ram horn mask, and he seemed to smile, making the hair stand on end:
"Yes, that’s the tone, so familiar."
He slightly bowed his head.
"My Deity... it’s finally an honor to meet you."
...
"Cough, cough cough!"
Shadow awoke from bed, coughing up a few mouthfuls of blood.
...He wasn’t dead? Was he saved?
Shadow sat up, seeing a young girl sitting at the room’s entrance. The girl had long black hair, emerald eyes, and wore a simple floral dress, seemingly a local from a village.
"Are you a girl from the nearby village? Thank you for saving my life," Shadow said.
"It’s nothing. As a Medic Girl from the village, I couldn’t leave the wounded to die," the girl said. "By the way, a group claiming to be from the City Guardian Department just arrived in the village, saying they’re looking for someone from the ’First Dream Patrol Family,’ is that you?"
Shadow thought for a moment: "Yes, that’s me."
According to the Main Quest of the original body. Since the original body joined the Old Day Church, he would join the City Guardian Department.
It’s rather interesting. As an aspect of Shadow, he ended up joining the City Guardian Department, a symbol of light.
Shadow pushed the door open, just in time to see a group from the City Guardian Department. They wore uniforms of red and gold, with silver pistols at their waists, standing in the golden fields like warm ears of rice.
"The First of the Dream Patrol Family is here!" a young man spotted Shadow.
The people were delighted to see Shadow: "Great, we found you first. We didn’t let the military and Union Government snatch you away."
"First of the Dream Patrol Family, are you alright? We have Talisman Family experts in healing techniques, able to help you recover." They warmly surrounded him, concerned about Shadow’s condition.
"First of the Dream Patrol Family, the Union Government publicly apologized to you on the internet. They said Mizushima Kawa Sora is just a part of the radical faction, most people are willing to trust you, please don’t be upset, we’re here for you."
"First of the Dream Patrol Family, you’re really incredible. Can you tell us the secret to clearing the game?"
The members of the City Guardian Department were filled with righteousness, and they did not doubt a Hero. As long as the First of the Dream Patrol Family did not reveal an Exotic Species side publicly, they were willing to believe he was human.
Within humanity, there might be decisive racists, but there are also good people willing to believe in Heroes. It is precisely due to this that the race known as ’humanity’ continues to prosper to this day.
"Yes, I am fine." Shadow felt somewhat unaccustomed to their enthusiasm.
He looked up and recognized a familiar face. The person carried a long sword with engraved signatures, it was Mo Yan.
"You’re my big brother’s clone, right?" Mo Yan approached him: "The City Guardian Department is the safest, everyone is kind, come back with us, rest well tonight."
It was already late, and the street lights began lighting up one by one. Shadow nodded, setting off on the return journey amid concern and support from everyone. He felt a hint of warmth inside, with everyone caring about him.
On the other side.
Su Ming’an, under the shadow of the Black Mist, saw the Old Day Church headquarters resembling a Demon King Castle. A sense of madness, Evil, and loneliness welled up in the air.
Under the covering Darkness, this chilling atmosphere was suffocating.
"This is..." Su Ming’an said.
"The organization most deeply despised by the world, the headquarters of the Old Day Church." Xiao Jingsan said with a muffled laugh, holding the lamp in the Black Mist.
City Guardian Department. Old Day Church.
—At this moment, it seemed as if the same figure walked into both the light and shadow of the world simultaneously.