First Player

Chapter 390 Chapter 388 · "I hope... to reach that happy place immediately."

"I……"

After hearing Noel's words, Luna was stunned.

Her words stayed in her mouth.

She had noticed before that something was wrong with the atmosphere on the city wall.

Those players looked at the small boat as if they were enemies, and kept complaining about "being implicated" and "blame the first player for taking the wrong approach." However, before that, when the Kraken attacked, they only had experience points in their eyes, but they actually rushed the fastest.

Once they are defeated, once the situation begins to reverse, they will be the first to complain.

Even Luna herself... realized with some shame that she seemed to have subconsciously put all the responsibility on Su Ming'an.

She even said the words "What is the first player thinking? Will we survive in the end?"

She has certain wisdom and strength, but she has become unconsciously dependent on the first player, which is terrifying.

"I have watched Su Mingan's live broadcast screen recording." Noel said: "In the first world, the second world is just that. At that time, the players were still independent and not so dependent. In the fifth world... players Their mentality began to change.

Follow, encircle and suppress, imitate, assassinate...

They don't seem to focus on getting stronger and clearing the game, but instead turn the dungeon into a siege battle with the first player's boss.

Now, this phenomenon is even more obvious.

Everyone's eyes were focused on him. Some of them even gave up thinking and only focused on looking at his shadow and following behind him.

... They have truly become a group that can be easily influenced, driven, and lose the ability to think - easily moved by his actions and easily influenced by his words. Their eyes have converged on one place uncontrollably. "

He stared at Luna who said nothing and paused for a moment.

Luna lowered her eyelids slightly and frowned, she seemed to be thinking too.

Heavy snow fell on her hair, gradually covering it with white. Even the four armored team members following her were motionless at this time, like stone sculptures covered with snow.

The air seemed to freeze at this time.

"...But maybe this is what he wants." But at this moment, looking at her frown, Noel suddenly smiled.

"What?" Luna had not yet come out of her thoughts.

"The lighthouse theory has been proposed since the first world." Noel said, his voice was very low, almost whispering.

He turned around and raised the corners of his mouth: "...He is really a very foresighted person."

Luna was slightly stunned.

The moment he turned around, she saw his eyes were very bright.

...It was as if there was a bright fire burning in his eyes.

Her eyes were still confused, and she didn't understand why Noel was so happy.

But when she thought about what he just said, her expression gradually became serious.

...the lighthouse theory?

It seems that she needs to study this thing after this copy is over.

It doesn't seem to be just an evil statement used to confuse low-level players.

She stood there, the wind and snow pressing on her shoulders.

In her field of vision, players were still communicating in the channel chat.

"Where is the number one player? Shouldn't he be responsible for handling this matter?"

"Yes, if it weren't for him, our dungeon wouldn't be so difficult at all! As long as players don't participate in the sea feast, they can still live well!"

"Don't scold him yet, just wait for his next move. The first player is probably going to have a hard time. I just saw him at the dock. He was covered in blood and looked very weak. He should be fighting against the Siren King. It took him a lot of effort, and he is probably still lying down to recuperate. Please stop saying a few words, the weather is very evil, and people are tired..."

"Yeah, maybe he's still recovering from his injuries somewhere. I don't know if he needs any care. I see that none of his teammates are around. It's so cold in this cold weather..."

…

"Crackling".

The warm firelight dances in the room where the temperature is gradually rising.

The shadow of the flame swayed on the yellow wall, and the air he breathed in was exceptionally warm.

Su Ming'an was lying on the sofa, keeping warm in an extremely comfortable posture.

A large heater made of flames was placed next to him, and the heat burned his hands that were soaked in sea water and looked blue and white. Waves of warm current gradually flowed into his limbs and bones.

The player's channel chat, shouting "This damn weather is so fucking freezing," appeared in the lower left corner of his field of vision.

Since the houses near the South District Pier were temporarily requisitioned by local soul hunters, the players who were busy moving bricks were as cold as dogs.

But this has nothing to do with him.

Because it's really warm inside.

He looked up.

The knight sitting opposite was writing quickly with his head down.

The firelight danced on Sherrod's somewhat pale face, and his slightly longer hair stuck to his ears. Perhaps because he hadn't had a good rest for a few nights, there was a very obvious blue and black under his eyes.

"I hope... to reach that happy place immediately." He murmured in a low voice, and Praya's words continued to be written under his pen:

"It looks like beautiful fertile land from a distance, a...fertile scene, containing lovely treasures."

As he wrote this, his pen paused.

"The next sentence is that such people are the happiest and happiest." Su Mingan continued.

As he spoke, he bit into the chocolate that replenished his energy and felt that the chocolate was all warm.

"Thank you." Xie Lude immediately lowered his head and wrote this sentence.

Su Mingan glanced at it and saw that the new pages of the notebook on Xie Lude's lap were almost full.

Just now, Xie Lude asked many questions.

He asked about the taste of chocolate, what Christmas was, the poems read by young lovers, and what the distant world looked like.

Like a child who has just opened the door to a new world, he is like a sponge absorbing water, eager to ask for stories about the new world.

"Spencer, a love sonnet." Su Mingan looked at the text that Xie Lude continued to write: "There are actually players who are still in the mood to read poems in the dungeon?"

"When I was patrolling the royal city, I saw a noble man and woman walking." Sherlude said: They were chatting about poetry. "

"Enjoy the hardship." Su Mingan said.

He glanced at the system prompt that just sounded. Xie Lude's favorability level was now 75.

"Yes, it's very romantic." Xie Lude said with a smile: "I have only read sacred texts and oracles before, but I have never heard of such a poem. Changying likes this."

Speaking of his sister, his eyes darkened a little, but quickly returned to normal.

For what he calls "sacred texts and oracles," his attitude is not as respectful as before.

His faith was broken.

The gods who control humans and soul tribes to fight each other are completely contrary to the image of the benevolent, kind, just and great gods of Yunshang City that he believes in.

The princess whose soul had been corrupted and who was willing to transform into the Siren King was completely inconsistent with the image of a dignified, beautiful, noble and kind royal princess that he had sworn to.

Part is faith in gods, part is loyalty to loyalists.

But now, both were bloody torn open in front of him, revealing the ugly reality beneath the disguise.

Even his only support, his sister Changying, has been missing.

He was extremely confused for a moment.

Everything he had learned and believed in burst like bubbles before his eyes. Even though he was still standing on this familiar land, he was still like a ship lost in the sea.

"Captain." Sherrod looked at him: "I still don't understand why you did these things."

In his eyes, if Su Mingan did not choose to take action against the princess, the princess would not be so desperate that she would completely sacrifice herself and transform into the Siren King.

In fact, he was not angry at Su Ming'an's behavior, nor did he think it was a rebellious behavior.

However, the calm on the surface is also calm. If the peace of Praia can be continued, there is nothing wrong with maintaining the lies of the gods and the mask of Princess Tulip.

Playa's stability is built on the sacrifices of generations. It has experienced disasters and storms, and each time it has been extremely difficult. This kind of stability is too scarce and too rare. No one expects it to disappear completely because of a stray act.

He wanted an answer.

Su Lin must choose to break this situation and reveal the false answer.

"Crackling".

The fire danced.

Facing Xie Lude's serious gaze, Su Mingan put down the chocolate in his hand.

"Suppose a house is dangerous, and there is a biting cold wind outside." He said: "If someone living in the house pulls out a brick to check whether the house will collapse, there may be cold wind coming in." . But if he didn’t pull this brick, he might never know whether the place he lived in was a dilapidated house, and he might be buried under the entire house at any time.

certainly. The house is not necessarily in danger, but is at risk of collapse.

But if he doesn’t pull out this brick, he will always live in fear of the house collapsing - then if you know the danger of the house, you will choose to freeze for a period of time and pull out the brick to check. Or continue to live in ignorance? "

"..."

Sherrod was stunned.

His green eyes fluctuated slightly, as if he was thinking about this issue seriously.

…

[NPC (Xie Lude) favorability: 75+5 (encounter with confidant)]

…

"Your ink."

Su Ming'an pointed to his hand, and Xie Lude's fingertips trembled, only to realize that the ink had melted under the pen tip that was resting on the page, blocking the half-copied poem.

He put down the pen, and the green in his eyes fluctuated slightly like the surface of a lake blowing in the breeze.

"I will smoke this brick." After a pause, he said:

"I understand. Captain, from your point of view, you have no problem...but, do you want to fight against the gods in the sky as a human being?"

"That's right."

"...That's a god, Captain."

"But this is my mission." Su Mingan said: "As a player, I will do many things that you think are impossible. Because in my eyes, these things are just some difficult tasks. Since they are given to me It’s not unattainable in your hands.”

"Player..."

Sherrod slowly closed the note.

Those green eyes are like fireflies on a summer night.

He looked at Su Ming'an and seemed to be making a decision.

"I've heard them call you before." He said, "Captain, your real name is... Su Mingan, right?"

"yes."

"They call you the number one player. You are almost indispensable in everyone's communication. You are the strongest among these travelers from another world, right?"

"right."

"Miss Lin Yin once told me that there are many people in your world who can see us through your eyes. Is this true?"

"Yes." Su Mingan nodded.

"Then, can you ask me a question, just this question." Xie Lude said softly: "...am I considered an independent creature in their eyes?"

Su Mingan ignored the barrage rushing through his eyes.

He didn't even look at the audience's answers.

"Of course you count." Su Mingan said: "In the previous world, I met a girl named Hui Shuhang. She told me that everything we saw and thought was our personal experience. Real reality. We don’t regret the choices we make at the moment. Every moment we experience belongs to us. So, it doesn’t matter whether the world is fake or not. You have to believe that you are talking to me at this time. You are an independent and free creature."

After he said this, he accurately heard the prompt from the system.

…

[NPC (Xie Lude) favorability: 80+10 (we stand together through thick and thin)]

…

Su Mingan felt a little sad.

Seeing the way Xie Lude's eyes brightened after hearing this, he felt even more sad.

Even if he said such words, the system prompt that sounded with incomparable precision still reminded him of the identity of the NPC in front of him.

Even though he said that Xie Lude was an independent thinking creature, he knew very clearly that Xie Lude could not escape the shackles of the system at all.

The system can listen to his voice, measure his emotions, and feed back his favorability in a numerical format. Including what Sherrod is saying now, it seems to be consistent with the setting of an "NPC who has awakened his self-awareness".

This mechanism and this character are no different from the favorability games Su Mingan has played before, and from the NPCs that exist on the computer screen.

After all, the young man in armor in front of him is regarded as a character in the story, as a microcosm of the image of the "Knight of Light" on this land.

Or should we regard him as a free soul, a "person" who can communicate independently with "players" like him?

…

[...Captain, I envy you very much. 】

[You don’t need to carry unforgettable hatred, implement the ideals of generations, passively fight for the origin of history, and then die on the battlefield where you belong. 】

【...But I can't. 】

[Even if I know that my world may have been invaded, my thoughts may only be composed of purely mechanical elements. Everything I say and do is just something written down on paper step by step. In fact, the mission I bear and the chivalry spirit I implement are all for the so-called "setting". 】

[...And to this day, I am still troubled by the emotions stirring in my heart and the chivalry spirit I uphold. 】

…

【Free soul. 】

[Will you also have a mission? 】

…

Su Mingan suddenly heard the vague voice of the person in front of him.

The clear "cracking" sound of the fire sounded just at this moment, and he couldn't hear what Sherrod said.

But when he looked up, he could see the young man holding the pen tightly, with the struggle beating in his eyes.

Like a bright fire burning in his eyes, like a free soul dancing in the fire.

The young man stood up and suddenly knelt down.

"Dong dong"

A dull sound resounded in the room. The young man put his hands on the ground and lowered his forehead.

Su Mingan didn't move.

His eyes were fixed on the other party's golden hair with a ring of warm light, and he watched the other party's figure getting lower and lower.

"...Free soul, player." Sherrod said softly: "I know my request is difficult for people, but the strongest among travelers, the captain.

Can you... free me from this inescapable hardship? "

With his faith broken, those who swore allegiance fleeing, and his ability to think for himself questionable, this knight's spirit is on the verge of collapse.

Even now, he doesn't know whether the reason that prompted him to say this was the so-called "personality" and "system" at work, or whether he had an independent thinking brain.

He just wants a new, independent path that allows him to walk independently.

"What do you want?" Su Mingan asked.

Sherrod raised his head.

There was an extremely sincere emotion in his eyes, which was rising more and more intensely.

Mission, spirit, light and affinity, these are all innate to him, and they are the "inevitability" that has shaped him into what he is today.

But at this time, he had the idea of ​​breaking away from these "necessities" and seeking "accidents".

Like a fish living in the deep sea, unexpectedly seeing a flying bird.

Bird is the strongest among the travelers from another world and the number one player.

——For such a bird, his talk about players, his words about independent creatures, his eyes and words of encouragement are all like light, swaying on the small body of water above his head, tempting. With.

"The princess has left, my sister is dead... I have no nostalgia for this land anymore."

He said softly:

"I no longer want to be the epitome of a knight with monuments and names, and I don't want to... be bound by the so-called 'system' for the rest of my life until you all leave."

…

"I want to...become an independent, free, independent-minded 'player' who is no longer bound by so-called images and beliefs."

"...Can you take me away? Captain."

…

The fish had the idea to leave the sea and pursue the birds.

The betrayal of the princess and the death of his sister were the last straw that broke the camel's back, leaving him with no nostalgia and pushing him to the edge of the bridge of the new world.

The Knight of Light...he is not a mechanized gear, a sword in someone's hand.

He hopes,

The first half of his life, covered by broken beliefs and ruled by a false world, was over.

In the days to come, he will be able to have people like those "players" who laugh softly, who are not controlled by personalities and thoughts, who dare to struggle out of this world...

…

【future】.

…

He will not be a so-called "Npc".

…

[NPC (Xie Lude) favorability: 90+5 (we stand together through thick and thin)]