Chapter 149 - · BE8 ·

Chapter 149: Chapter 147 · BE8 · "AliveThe voice sounded not far from Su Ming’an. Following that, Su Ming’an heard a soft female voice reply:

"Yes. There will be no errors in this ritual, it will definitely... be as you wish."

"I hope so."

He heard the sound of a door closing.

He had already seen the daily barrage rollover, and the audience had started their daily check-ins. However, he still seemed to be in the adaptation phase of the start, unable to fully open his eyes.

The teleporting white light gradually dissipated.

Su Ming’an felt as though he were lying down, feeling the gentle touch of a blanket by his side.

If he wasn’t in an enclosed space like a basement, by now it probably wasn’t noon, as he didn’t feel the sunlight.

He smelled a light refreshing fragrance, and as he slowly opened his eyes, he saw that he was lying on a bed, within view was a vase holding bunches of white daisy-like flowers.

This was a room.

He saw European-style decor around him.

Beside him was a white gold round table, on which lay a feather pen with a tail color of cinnabar. Bunches of pristine small daisies decorated every corner of the room. The floor-to-ceiling window’s immaculate white columns appeared to be made of jade, and the elaborate patterned curtains, completely red, covered the outside view, letting no light in.

The whole room exuded an obvious aristocratic air, meticulously maintained, even the curtains beside the table were embroidered with orderly patterns.

But what caught Su Ming’an’s attention was a person sitting in front of the door.

She was looking at him, her eyes clear and thin like glass, reflecting like mirrors. The warm light from the ceiling lamp shone on her, illuminating her flawless skin.

...She looked like a delicate porcelain doll, or an elf from a fairy tale. Her features carried a special beauty from Otherworld and her eyes contained tranquility, she didn’t move even when she saw him suddenly awaken.

It seemed the woman who had just spoken was her.

Or perhaps... It wasn’t quite right to call her a "woman," she seemed more like a little girl who hadn’t yet grown up.

The man from earlier must have already left, as he saw no one else.

He began to ponder his current situation, like Third World, he was supposed to be playing a role similar to "Su Jian," with an identity of a native of this world, yet he still hadn’t figured out the specifics of this identity.

"You’re awake?" The little girl suddenly spoke, her tone carrying an indifference not matching her age. She slowly stood up; her luxurious palace dress dragging over the crimson carpet, like the feathers of a firebird.

She used honorifics.

It seemed his status in this world wasn’t low.

Su Ming’an thought for a moment, just about to speak, when he heard a system notification follow immediately:

"Ding Dong!"

"You seem to be in good spirits," the little girl said. Though she used polite language, her tone was reserved and indifferent, "Please attend the coming-of-age ceremony in ten days as promised... we would be tremendously honored."

She stood up, picked up the complex hem of her dress to bow, then turned to push the door.

It seemed she wanted to leave this place.

"Wait a moment," Su Ming’an called out to her.

She turned her head, meeting Su Ming’an’s gaze.

...Was she the target of the Ruler’s quest, Hui Shuhang?

The initial favorability was already that high?

Su Ming’an looked at this system notification.

Su Ming’an watched as the girl, originally intending to turn away, suddenly stopped her steps.

Her face turned bit by bit towards him, her eyes showing a distinct surprise.

"I..." Su Ming’an activated the skill to extract some initial information, getting ready to rollback after acquiring it, but just as he was about to speak, he saw the dignified little girl suddenly move closer a few steps, reach out, instantly lift his blanket and grab his hand.

Her hand was cold as ice, like a piece of cold jade.

"I’m sorry, I still can’t forgive myself," her eyes carried a touch of sorrow:

"Can you come with me?"

Su Ming’an was surprised. He wanted to bring up the System Mirror to see what character he was playing this time.

The little girl looked at him, her gaze extremely earnest:

"...You are the future of this world, you shouldn’t die here."

"Wait a moment," Su Ming’an did not want to leave here yet.

According to the normal progression of games, the initial spawn point is relatively safe for a while at the beginning. Leaving rashly without sufficient information could lead to errors due to deviation from the normal trajectory.

"Sorry." She suddenly exerted force, "We have so little time, please come with me first. I’m afraid His Majesty might..."

Though the little girl appeared frail and elegant, her strength was terrifyingly great. Su Ming’an, even with his Bright State strength value, could not resist. She pulled him out of bed with one hand and immediately grabbed a coat from the rack beside and draped it over him.

"Pardon the discourtesy." Her hands quickly fastened the extremely complicated buttons of the coat, saying apologetically, "It’s polar night now, it might be a bit cold outside, please be careful."

The coat seemed quite unusual. As it settled on his body, Su Ming’an noted the cold gradually fading and a warmth slowly rising within him.

He noticed the coat also had unusual patterns on it.

"...where are we going?" he asked.

"Anywhere is fine, I have thought of a place. As long as you prove your identity, they will surely protect you—anyway, I must get you away from here as quickly as possible." Hui Shuhang suddenly drew back the curtain.

A breeze momentarily drifted in.

Su Ming’an saw a sky hidden beyond the blood-red thick curtains, mingled in blue and purple. There was no sun, no white moon, and no stars, only a pearl-like luminescence hanging above.

Under a dreamlike palette, tiny luminous specks floated in the air, resembling dancing elves.

—The sky of the Otherworld.

It wasn’t because it was night that sunlight was invisible, but rather that this Otherworld inherently possessed a dreamlike blue and purple sky.

He felt himself starting to float, turned his head, and saw a black pattern mark lighting up on the back of the girl’s hand. As she opened her palm, he found himself flying towards the outside of the window.

"...You at least shouldn’t die here."

She said, and pushed on his back, then together, they floated out of the open window.

"—You are the future."

She said, taking him flying towards the distance.

Su Ming’an looked down.

He saw a large, jade-white square.

Many people in white robes glowed, objects like chairs and tables floating beside them as they orderly walked towards the center of the square, the scene resembling a major sacrificial event.

The breeze was mild and flags of various colors fluttered.

The soldiers, orderly and holding golden spears, slowly passed by, their bodies adorned with crystal-like pattern marks.

He saw a very tall building, pointed at the top, carved, surrounded by a huge golden halo, its lowest end not touching the ground, without visible stairs, the entire building appearing as if floating in the clouds.

He looked up and saw a dreamlike canopy, the glimmering specks floating around him in the air.

The audience had gone crazy, each regretting they couldn’t leap through the screen because, after all, such a scene was far better than any Apocalyptic World or White City World, just like many old anime fans dream of being summoned to an Otherworld.

Others were urging him to quickly look at himself; the audience could choose either first-person or third-person view, some of them had already seen what he looked like.

Su Ming’an called up the System Mirror.

—He saw a face that could roughly be described as SS in charm.

No wonder the audience was frantically urging him to look into the mirror. Searᴄh the Novelƒire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

Su Ming’an looked ahead at Hui Shuhang.

The black pattern mark on the back of her hand was glowing.

Su Ming’an guessed that the power system of this magical world might be related to this pattern mark.

He began to check the back of his hand, but only saw three pattern marks representing Perfect Pass. He turned his palm, and then, on his wrist, he saw a complex white pattern mark.

...A different color?

Does this color represent different levels, or does it signify different abilities?

"You needn’t worry too much about it," Hui Shuhang noticed his expression and smiled, "Your worth is far beyond this pattern mark."

"Why do you want to take me away?"

The young girl turned to look at him.

She had a pair of beautiful burgundy eyes, and when gazing at someone, that look was very profound, as if locking in endless years that belied her youthful appearance.

"The coming-of-age ceremony in ten days... is just a trap," she said, grasping his hand. "You should understand, Your Majesty... he will always choose the safest method. I thought so too, but after seeing you, I changed my mind... No one is born a sacrificial victim, and you are the future."

Su Ming’an realized.

Combining what he had heard before opening his eyes, his identity was supposed to be a key role in the "festival" — likely the most tragic sacrifice.

If Hui Shuhang hadn’t acted in vain, the fate awaiting him would be to be sacrificed at the festival called the "coming-of-age ceremony" in ten days.

"Your Majesty," mentioned by Hui Shuhang, must be the one who planned to push him onto the sacrificial altar, and she was one of his valued subordinates.

Now, it seemed she had already betrayed him, intent on taking him away.

But, why...

"I am, the future?" Su Ming’an cared about this point.

Specks of light swirled around him, and he suddenly noticed that these airborne specks felt much closer to him than to Hui Shuhang.

He squinted slightly, facing the breeze of the Otherworld, and saw that he and Hui Shuhang had moved away from the gold and white buildings and the plaza, approaching a lush forest and a lake that nestled like a piece of jade amidst the greenery.

He also saw a distant city with domed buildings of gorgeous colors, the gem-like tiles on the rooftops sparkling under the fantastical blue-purple sky; he could vaguely make out the bustling crowd hidden in the market.

Small animals glowing with various types of light hopped between houses, exotic beasts with iron spikes on their backs carrying bags passed by, he could see towering fire lizards, and transparent bubbles pushing streams into the sky... as well as countless landscapes he had never seen before.

The little girl looked very relaxed, pulling his hand, riding the wind with a certain relief in her eyes.

This girl, who seemed to have always behaved impeccably according to strict rituals and perhaps had never defied any orders boldly, appeared curious after the initial tension faded.

"Yes, you are the future," she responded to his words, her gloved hand slowly wrapping his hand into her palm.

"...I will make sure you survive the festival," she said with utmost seriousness.

"You need to survive too," Su Ming’an said.

He remembered that his Ruler’s Quest was to ensure her survival, meaning they both had to stay alive through the fifteenth day completely.

The little girl’s gaze slightly startled.

Her eyes, still as brilliant as gemstones under the beautiful sky, glittered with joy, like twinkling stars.

"...Okay," she tightly held his hand.

"We both need to survive... Thank you for your blessing."

Su Ming’an nodded, ready to ask for more information.

Then, he saw her expression briefly seizing up.

It was as if she had seen something terrifying, he could even feel her cold, jade-like hand trembling incessantly.

She stood in mid-air, looking at him with an extremely guilty expression, and then, the life in her eyes gradually faded away.

"...I’m sorry," she said, and then with a slap on his back, she pushed him further away.

Su Ming’an swiftly turned his head.

He saw the girl’s body being enveloped and dissolved by a beam of light emanating from the golden-white building, and then completely disintegrated.

He saw a white shadow standing atop the building.