Chapter 261 - · BE11 · Arrogance (“Good Dreams Are Empty” Helmsman added more)

Chapter 261: Chapter 258 · BE11 · Arrogance (“Good Dreams Are Empty” Helmsman added more)The courtyard was bathed in bright sunshine.

The connected blue and white long fence that enclosed the courtyard was colored in a gentle and beautiful hue.

Bird feathers floated down, a flash of brilliant gold passing before his eyes.

Su Ming’an reached out to catch the falling feather.

The tail feather, bathed in light, landed gently in his hand, its delicate white fluff brushing against the palm of his hand.

In front of him, the path led beyond the iron fence, into a forest lush and verdant.

"Big brother, no enemies have been detected nearby."

A familiar voice came from behind him.

The young man carrying a sword, bathed in brilliant sunlight, walked beside him, and the signature engraved on the blade sparkled with a glimmering pattern.

The young man smiled, his face bloodless, the sunlight showering down on him, everything clean and brilliant. He smiled like a college student just out of the Ivory Tower.

"Big Brother?"

Getting no response, Mo Yan leaned forward.

Su Ming’an smiled back at him.

Mo Yan immediately pulled back:

"Big brother, your smile is really terrifying... Big brother, maybe you should stop smiling..."

"Is it?" Su Ming’an didn’t know when even a mere smile had become frightening.

He did not dwell on it too much but shook off the feather from his hand.

The feather fell to the ground, twinkling like a star.

He clenched his fist and then swiftly turned around and stretched out his hand—

The bright red numbers, accompanied by a series of descriptions, leaped into view for a moment.

The air vibrated violently before his eyes, like boiling water.

Standing behind him, the small girl with black hair still had a look of confusion in her eyes.

The next instant, her body was violently torn apart by an invisible force.

She didn’t even have the chance to use her skill before being instantly suppressed by the sudden spatial vibration.

Her body was torn inch by inch by an invisible strength. Blood sprayed and splattered on the iron plate, sparkling under the sunlight.

The small, bloodied body lay on the ground.

"Ah—!"

Zhuang Guo beside him was so frightened that he shuddered, nearly falling to the ground.

Su Ming’an withdrew his hand.

He suddenly burst out laughing.

"Ha, hahaha, hahahaha..."

He laughed and laughed as if he couldn’t stop, facing Suzune’s bloodied corpse, laughing as if he was gasping for breath.

In his vision, it was as if countless fragments were piecing together, spattering blood in his eyes, appearing as splendid as midnight fireworks.

Dark curves lingered before his eyes like illusions, his memory still lingering in that pitch-dark heavy rain.

Streams of blood, the icy raindrops, ants gnawing at his phantom pain...

Mizushima Haru’s eyes back then, wolf-like, flashing with the light of blood, still lingered in his memory.

Her words from that time now seemed extremely ironic.

He laughed and laughed, then suddenly began to cough violently.

"Big, big brother..." Mo Yan, trembling with fear.

He was so frightened that he no longer held his sword, extending his hand as if wanting to touch Su Ming’an: "Big, big brother, are you okay, big brother, you’re not brain-damaged, are you? It’s really scary, big brother..."

"I’m fine."

Su Ming’an grabbed his hand back, smiling radiantly: "You’re fine, we’re all fine."

No one would have any more trouble.

Mo Yan was momentarily stunned.

Next to him, Dong Xue looked on blankly at this scene, unclear why Xia Luoyang suddenly attacked his comrade.

"Xia Luoyang, Xia Luoyang, what happened, did Suzune do something wrong...?" Dong Xue spoke out.

She clutched the ruby pendant at her chest, continuously caressing the bright crystal stone, appearing to cherish it deeply.

She didn’t know the danger hidden beneath the pendant’s beautiful exterior.

She looked at Suzune’s horrific corpse, asking questions, expecting Xia Luoyang to answer her softly as before.

But in reality, Su Ming’an just lifted his foot, headed towards a nearby building, and never looked at her again.

"Shua."

Having organized the last file, Xia Luoyang straightened his white lab coat and walked out of the files room.

He glanced at his wristwatch, confirmed the time, then started considering tomorrow’s tasks.

—It was precisely because of this contemplation that, upon opening the door to his office, he found someone had already been sitting beside his desk.

That person also wore a similarly large white doctor’s coat, casually leaning back in his office chair.

He twirled a pen in his hand, looking extremely relaxed and carefree.

A pair of deep grey eyes with a somewhat decadent look observed the office’s setup.

Upon seeing Xia Luoyang enter, the young man looked over with a somewhat scrutinizing gaze.

"Xia Luoyang?" Xia Luoyang was not surprised: "This time, did you choose the escape route?"

"Xia Luoyang, let’s talk."

Su Ming’an suddenly raised his hand.

"Whoosh—"

The papers he had been holding in his hand, now like snowflakes, scattered all around.

He sat amid the flying papers, his gaze fixed intently on Xia Luoyang:

"—Talk to me about, the destruction of White Sand Paradise."

Upon hearing this, Xia Luoyang quickly reached into his embrace—

"Boom—!"

The air instantly steamed.

Bright red numbers leapt from Xia Luoyang’s body, fluctuating over him, and he immediately felt a surge of blood roiling in his chest.

"Don’t move, Xia Luoyang." Su Ming’an stared at him, his hand pressing down a beautiful luster, "...otherwise, I wouldn’t mind killing you directly."

Faced with such a Su Ming’an, Xia Luoyang temporarily gave up the idea of drawing his gun.

He felt a needle-like sense of crisis pressing down on him from the young man beside the office desk.

He steadied the nauseating dizziness in his chest, forcefully suppressed the blood in his mouth, took a breath, and slowly asked, "...So, Ming’an, are you here this time to destroy White Sand Paradise?"

"Yes." Su Ming’an said, "This place is too disgusting, I want to destroy it. Do you have any advice?"

"But you almost know nothing about the truth here." Xia Luoyang said, "Are you going to destroy it so quickly?"

"No." Su Ming’an tapped the desk with his fingers, smiling, his words leaving no room for negotiation, "Don’t ask unnecessary questions, you just need to give advice."

Xia Luoyang frowned.

For some reason, he felt that today’s Ming’an... was particularly abnormal.

Although he had always vaguely sensed that the other’s personality was very peculiar, today, from the gaze that watched him, he read a very clear word.

...This guy who voluntarily took his office chair in front of him, was surprisingly arrogant today.

"I am also a teacher here, why should I offer suggestions on destroying this place?" Xia Luoyang said.

As soon as the words left his mouth, he felt pain in his right arm, and upon looking down, he saw his arm detaching from his body.

Blood spurted out.

Pain struck instantly, hammering his nerves like drumbeats.

Su Ming’an, flickering with the cross light of space, appeared in front of him, the blade in his hand covered in a pitch-black shadow. Searᴄh the Novelƒire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

"Can you talk now?" Su Ming’an asked.

"You really are extraordinarily arrogant today, Ming’an." Xia Luoyang said, "If you want to know, then convince me."

"Swoosh!"

Hearing Xia Luoyang’s words, Su Ming’an swung his sword without hesitation.

Blood exploded in an instant, the sword blade swept past, meeting no resistance.

With a muffled "thud," Xia Luoyang’s left arm fell to the ground.

Xia Luoyang sharply inhaled but didn’t cry out, his expression still as calm as ever:

"...Forceful methods won’t work on me, Ming’an, stop trying."

His tone was very calm.

He knew that this Ming’an, who still knew nothing and only found scattered clues, would not easily kill him.

At most, he would use method nearly torturous to extract information from his mouth.

But this violent route of extraction wouldn’t work on him.

He was bound by the entire White Sand Paradise, even though he was one of the rare beings who had partially awakened his self-awareness, and initially helped Ming’an integrate into this place, when it was time to remain silent, he still had to be silent.

...Unless the other party could convince him.

This was the regulation, the hidden school rule.

He maintained a steady gaze, waiting for Ming’an’s questions.

Then, he saw the stark black blade, swiftly veering towards his left shoulder.

"Hmm... okay?"

Ming’an spoke to him:

"Then goodbye, Teacher Xia."

The next moment, blood spurted explosively, the world spun.

Xia Luoyang’s head flew off, his eyes still filled with astonishment.

...Xia Luoyang never understood, why this Ming’an before him, would kill him outright without any negotiation.

Indeed, keeping him alive, even just to extract a word or two, could have yielded clues from his mouth.

...Yet, the other party moved to action directly.

Xia Luoyang’s head fell to the floor and gradually rolled away, leaving a trail mixed with bright and dark red.

Blood soaked into the floor, staining it through red.

The enticing system prompt popped up.

Su Ming’an crouched down, quickly rummaged through Xia Luoyang’s body, found a box of half-smoked cigarettes, a lighter, and a box of matches.

With a "click," a light blazed, and a dim blue flame burst forth, dancing gracefully between his fingers.

The beautiful flame, like a blue elf.

He held the lighter with the flickering flame as he walked out of the office, over the creaking floor, to the front door.

He opened the door, stepped out, his fingertips rubbing the smooth body of the lighter, then threw it upward.

The dim blue color traced a parabola, like a shooting star.

The fire landed on the floor, falling like star-dust.

He took out the box of matches, struck one.

"Crackle."

A sound with a slightly grainy texture arose, the orange-yellow fire dancing at the tip of the petite stick, under the sunlight, the flame was like a firefly in the light.

He flicked his hand, a bright yellow parabola flared up.

The fire fell to the ground and quickly spread, sprawling wildly without restraint, swiftly sweeping over the entire wooden panel like painting.

"Crackle."

Another "firefly" leapt at his fingertips.

He stretched out his hand, and the rising firework, dazzling in the darkness inside the door.

The fire spread.

He stood in the sliver of daylight, back against the brilliant sunshine, watching a layer of fiery twilight rapidly splash out, the fire devouring the wooden floor.

He had wondered why the buildings in White Sand Paradise were all made of wood.

Wooden doors, wooden floors, wooden stairs... and along the way, he hadn’t seen any fire control facilities.

Looking back, this was the opportunity they were given.

...an opportunity left to destroy this place.

He continually struck matches, feeding the flames into the doorway.

The flames flickered before his eyes, and smoke slowly began to billow out.

The licking flames, the white creatures that hurried over, their outlines intermittently visible within the inferno.

While they began to extinguish the fire with water, Su Ming’an had already teleported to the second floor, continuing to set fires.

He walked along the corridor, throwing matches into the offices on either side. These matches seemed to be of a special kind, igniting extraordinarily fast, as if they were coated with oil. In this all-wood building, the fire spread like wildfire, instantly engulfing his entire field of view.

The matches were something Xia Luoyang had on him.

...Xia Luoyang might have been prepared. He, too, might have thought about destroying White Sand Paradise before.

Yet, constrained by the structures of White Sand Paradise, even he, who had awakened his self-awareness, still had to bear the "sin" of being a teacher, passively playing his role.

Xia Luoyang was also seeking redemption.

In this world that continually reset.

Su Ming’an raised his eyelids.

Down the dark corridor, the firelight flickered and leapt.

It seemed eager to tear through the endless night, to break free from the darkness and leap forward.

The crimson flames filled his vision; the building was completely ablaze.

A cool breeze passed, causing specks of fire to dance joyfully.

He dropped the last match, climbed onto the windowsill, and leapt from the second-floor window.

"Plop."

He felt as if he had landed on something soft.

Looking down, sure enough, it was Mo Yan again, who he had stepped on, once more.

He wondered when this guy had come over, considering he had told him to wait in the same spot.

"Big, big brother..." Mo Yan, rubbing his body, looked genuinely in pain.

"Why did you follow?" Su Ming’an stepped off him, extending his hand, "Sorry."

"Ah, wh-what?"

Mo Yan, still rubbing his body, showed an almost terrified look upon hearing his words.

Had he heard wrong? Did big brother actually apologize to him?

Could big brother actually...show such a good attitude towards him, someone who hadn’t completely perfected his mission?

"Big brother you..." He stood frozen, forgetting even to get up.

Su Ming’an withdrew his hand, turned around.

He looked towards the building’s doors he had shut.

They weren’t locked. In theory, even if there was a fire, those white creatures could have rushed out.

But at that moment, none came out.

They were like a group of trapped white animals, accumulating inside, scurrying around, desperately fighting the fire, even though they knew there was no way out and that the flames were destined to destroy the place.

...Perhaps, these people were also constrained by some rules, unable to abandon the building.

Unfortunately, no matter which playthrough, Su Ming’an had never discovered this clue.

Otherwise, his path wouldn’t have been so difficult.

After all, these powerful white creatures, who seemed as if they shouldn’t exist in this instance, could only be completely eliminated through such a workaround.

Although there were no prompts concerning experience points, other players in different instances, whether they burned these creatures or took the car keys, were completely able to escape.

...But that playthrough, he completely overlooked this clue.

Mizushima Haru.

As a being who had long been infiltrating this instance, perhaps she deliberately hid relevant clues.

He watched as the building in front of him caught fire, listening to the sound of collapsing wood inside.

Because the windows were sealed, even the smoke was not very noticeable; all he could see was the building visibly shrinking before his eyes.

A massive fire engulfed everything.

The door cracked open slightly, and the light gradually shone through.

Through the crack, he could see the smoke that filled the entire room, covering everything like dancing clouds, the fierce fire wildly blazing.

The fallen creatures were covered in fiery scars.

Seeing this scene, he let out a light laugh.

Unfortunately for Mo Yan, it startled him once again.

"Big, big brother, what’s the matter with you...do you need a mentality recovery potion? But from what I heard, that stuff only works physiologically, not sure if it would work on you..."

Su Ming’an waved his hand.

"I’m just, happy," he smiled, "Happy."

He heard the system’s prompt:

"Let’s go."

Su Ming’an turned around.

"Ah, big brother, we’re not running anymore?"

Mo Yan paused.

"White Sand has already been destroyed, what’s there to run from?" Su Ming’an said with a smile.

"Then, is that to find clues, or..."

Su Ming’an shook his head: "Can’t look for clues now, I don’t have the energy to tell stories with Dong Xue."

"So, what is it now, big brother..."

Su Ming’an basked in the full sunlight, stretching languidly.

"I’m just relaxing," he yawned, "San value at 80 points, simply wonderful for relaxation."

Mo Yan blinked.

He was gradually failing to understand what big brother was talking about.

He saw his older brother walk back and then sat on the glittering golden flowerbed, closing his eyes.

The sunlight evenly draped over his black hair, like a slowly descending golden veil.

He just closed his eyes, saying nothing.

...as if he had fallen asleep.

Mo Yan stood still, with a wildfire gradually igniting the exterior wall behind him.

He glanced at his older brother, who seemed asleep, and turned around.

Flames in brilliant red and bright yellow leaped from the building, like a burning giant hand reaching for the sky.

"Older brother."

He spoke softly,

"...are you asleep?"

"Not yet."

"Then can I say a few words?"

"Go ahead."

"..." Mo Yan paused for a moment: "It really hurts me to see you like this."

"Mmm, I’ve always known that."

"So, I hope, you don’t have to bear everything on your own."

He shifted his gaze and fixed it on Su Ming’an, watching as he slowly opened his eyes.

"Could you share with me what’s troubling you?" he asked. "Why you are resting at this moment... Why you suddenly killed Suzune—I don’t care about these things; I just want to understand you better."

"My older brother once told me that sharing worries is far better than keeping them bottled up inside."

"So, I really want to know what you’ve been through."

Su Ming’an looked intently at him for a while.

In that look, Mo Yan saw emotions he couldn’t comprehend.

"...It’s about time," Su Ming’an said.

"What?"

Su Ming’an smiled and did not answer.

He closed his eyes again, feeling the warm sunshine, and drank a Mentality Recovery Potion from his hand.

Although this potion didn’t have a direct effect, it made his body feel comfortable, like a traveler exhausted from a journey suddenly taking a hot shower.

It had a restorative effect, but it was limited, not as good as a good sleep would be.

After all, he had known that this time reset would undoubtedly be a bad one.

Because he had just returned from a death with very low san values, his initial condition was bound to be completely abnormal, making it easy for others to see the contrast.

So, he had already classified this return as a "recovery save."

Rest for one save, and then, in the next save, mask this contrast.

...It was a save he was destined to abandon.

But it truly gave him a sense of leisure.

For him now, the pain of annihilation-induced death had gradually become less apparent.

...After all, he had gotten used to it.

His hand trembled slightly, a flicker of black at his fingertips, and then he was about to lift it.

"—But big brother." Mo Yan suddenly reached out, forcefully, grabbing his arm: "You’re still here, so why act like we’ll never see each other again—"

Su Ming’an looked at him.

Mo Yan suddenly shivered, and he couldn’t help but let go.

...He found it hard to describe his older brother’s current expression.

It was like looking at a passerby who was destined to leave, like looking at an NPC, like looking at a stranger.

That’s exactly how his older brother was looking at him now.

He suddenly felt afraid.

"...Big brother?"

He spoke softly, as if afraid to disturb something.

"I sometimes think about it... never mind."

Su Ming’an moved his hand.

Facing Mo Yan, who was looking at him with complex eyes, he closed his eyes.

He was feeling the brilliant afternoon sunshine.

After experiencing that nearly soul-searing death, he had now become somewhat fond of warmth.

Light shone on him, everything was bright and shining.

It was like being completely enveloped by something warm, like sinking into the warmth of early spring.

It was beautiful.

He raised his hand.

With an extremely swift movement, he touched his temples, the action without any hesitation.

Then, he saw familiar darkness.

Su Ming’an, too, sometimes felt afraid.

If his reset wasn’t really a reset, not a true timeline reset but a jump between different parallel worlds... what should he do then?

Those countless possible ’if’ lines, countless parallel worlds left entirely behind by his death... Did such a chaotic world really exist?

He feared this possibility, and it was why he couldn’t fully be at peace.

...But he could only prefer to believe that this was a true timeline reset.

If a person doesn’t hold onto a goal that keeps them from regrets, they will gradually go mad in such a hopeless world.

He was already showing signs of approaching madness.

He needed a hypnosis called "salvation."

In such times, no one is luckier than anyone else.

Nor is anyone more unfortunate than anyone else.

The sky was clear and bright.