Chapter 274

Chapter 274: Chapter 271: "Offering the Heart to the Number One Player!If you could say the crowd just now was like the surging waves in the sea, rushing past him,

then his current feeling was like seeing the Milky Way hanging down from the heavens.

It was not only chaotic and crowded,

...but also painfully noisy to the ears.

"— Damn, I didn’t hear that wrong, did I!"

"Did the Great God Noel just shout...Su Ming’an?"

"It’s not a common name, it’s definitely—"

"Quick! Mina-san, search the people nearby, hurry and catch him, just snap a photo and post it—"

People nearby glanced around, their gaze sweeping left and right like searchlights, looking for any suspicious individuals.

And someone wearing a cloak, not showing his face, stood out extraordinarily among a crowd of exposed faces.

He was just a bit conspicuous originally, but now, with Noel’s shout, it was as if all the spotlights were suddenly focused on him, and for a moment, he felt as bright as a lightbulb.

It was like suddenly finding himself at the scene of a celebrity chase.

Gazes instantly fixed, and he met countless eyes that seemed to glow.

Although he probably knew that exposing his identity in such a place would inevitably lead to falling into a lake with piranhas, when the scene actually occurred...

"Aaaaah—Husband—I can’t believe you’re so close to me! Aaaaaah!"

Loudly beside him, the girl with hair clips let out another ear-piercing scream.

...You really have a lot of husbands!

Her figure sprang forward like a bear while at the same time, a sudden upsurge of screams erupted.

"— Damn, that’s him, right!"

"I got a screenshot! Posting it on the forum will definitely get me a bunch of points!"

"Grab his clothes, I must at least keep a piece of clothing—"

Initially, hearing these screams, Su Ming’an didn’t feel much of a sense of crisis.

Not until he felt as if countless piranhas were preparing to devour him, did he realize something was amiss.

The cloak was being forcefully pulled from all directions, the fabric emitting a groan as if it might burst at any moment.

"— Sect Hierarch! Lighthouse Sect Hierarch say something! Su Ming’an, say something!" a bespectacled aging anime fan bellowed.

"It’s real, right, it’s the one from the screen, right! Ahhhh I see a living person—"

"—Offer your heart to the Number One Player!" someone shouted out of nowhere, and then, incredibly, many others started echoing it.

"Offer your heart!"

"I will always love Su Ming’an!"

"Stop shouting, stop shouting, you’re scaring the kid."

"Number One Player, you’ve got to show some spirit!"

"We unite! Damn the boss bunny! Damn Edward!"

The voices around him grew more and more noisy.

Su Ming’an clearly felt his standing space getting smaller and smaller as countless people seemed to be swarming toward him.

Facing an overly enthusiastic, and even what could be described as "presumptuous," crowd, he felt somewhat at a loss.

...he remembered his experiences after the end of the First World.

Back then, the crowds weren’t as insane as they are now—most people stopped when they had enough.

When he raised his sword near the fountain, most people didn’t come closer—they just watched from a distance, screaming and continuously taking photos and screenshots.

But now...

These people were like a swarm of piranhas, full of aggressive words and actions, like crazy fans with their brains fried, almost trying to pounce on him and feeling satisfied by tearing off a piece of his clothes.

Just as that girl was about to throw herself at him, Su Ming’an instantly drew his sword. The Sword of Yarman, still sheathed, appeared in his hand, and with a thrust forward, he hit her in the chest, instantly knocking her back into the crowd.

The Main God World did not allow direct attacks. This sword strike wouldn’t cause harm, but the minor pain and knockback effect were not insignificant. The girl instantly turned into a tumbling gourd, hitting people’s legs behind her, rolling like a bowling ball, toppling a bunch of people where she struck.

Su Ming’an switched to Visible Mode, and with the 66 points of strength added by his occupation bonus, his strike was like an overwhelming force. Holding the sword hilt, his body was propelled by the system’s movement, spinning, and with a flash of the sword light within its sheath, the surrounding frenzied crowd collapsed in a ring.

"Rip—"

Dozens of black fabric pieces fell to the ground; his clothes had been torn ragged, so Su Ming’an simply removed his cloak.

He initially thought that this would calm the crowd down, that they could see his hostility, but instead, the fallen people began screaming again.

"The Sword of Yarman—it’s the real Sword of Yarman! Totally different from those replicas in the cosplay stores!"

"I will always love The Number One Player—"

"So this is what being slashed feels like. What a pity it barely hurts; if only this were in a game instance..."

"The real person—it’s really Ming’an; Mom loves you—"

The girl with the hairpin made a third attempt, almost stepping over others as she lunged forward again.

Su Ming’an lowered his eyelids.

At that moment, he saw many people.

The girl with the hairpin, a handsome youth in casual clothing, a muscular man in a white sweatshirt, a stylish girl in a pink dress...children, youths, middle-aged people...Their gazes towards him, fiery and almost swallowing him whole.

They were infected by an extreme surge of emotion, willingly blending into the crowd.

He stood amidst the crowd, sword in hand, watching them get up again, watching another wave of people surge towards him like a tide.

The scene was entirely unlike the aftermath of the First World. It was as if the air were lit aflame, and he could smell gunpowder coming from all around.

He sighed, then used Spatial Displacement.

The place where Noel was located was very high; Su Ming’an teleported twice to barely reach the back of the black crow.

He had still managed to escape from the sea of people and ascended into the sky.

"—Why is he running away, damn it..."

"Take pictures, take pictures, I see someone on the forum has already gotten ahead..."

"Ming’an! You must keep going, don’t listen to what others say; Mom will always love you—"

The swelling shouts came from below, men and women, old and young, a split second reminded Su Ming’an of the speech he had made at the opening of the world game. Back then, those staring at him also had endless eyes.

Noel sat next to him, propping his cheek with his hand, watching him while twirling a round block in his other hand.

Upon seeing him climb up, Noel laughed, patted the back of the black crow, and the black crow began to fly.

The fierce wind scraped Su Ming’an’s cheeks, he quickly grabbed the bird feathers below, barely sitting on the back of the black crow. Voices of regret came from below, and people started to fight over the black fabric on the ground.

The scene was like piranhas devouring flesh, with human figures swirling like a stream, and the black fabric being the remnants left.

The world chat was exploding at this moment, and many people came to "witness the Holy Land" as teleportation formations continuously manifested their white light.

Su Ming’an turned his head away, no longer watching the scene.

"How does it feel?" Noel asked him with a smile.

"Not too good."

"Not too good? But those are all people who love you."

Su Ming’an sighed and remained silent.

"Strange," Noel said, "I thought you would be pleased to see this scene. Those flatteries on the world forum, those words... it even makes my skin crawl. If those people view me merely as an idol, a star, their admiration for you... feels almost like worship of a deity."

"Unhappy?"

"Watching ordinary things about oneself being exaggerated and turned into lauded videos, and seeing those viewers indulge in emotional resonance—it’s really not a pleasant experience," Su Ming’an said.

Noel said, "I heard that some people have already formed a church about you."

Su Ming’an shook his head.

"People’s so-called faith is a kind of quid pro quo. When the worshipped cannot fulfill their expectations, the balance of this faith-coated quid pro quo tilts. People feel cheated and disappointed, like a failed transaction. They turn their anger into harm, whether it’s dismantling shrines, destroying statues, persecuting other believers, propagating anti-deity rhetoric... or striking at the deity themselves. All these are quite normal because people are accustomed to reaping rewards. Once their efforts are not reciprocated, their psychological balance is easily disturbed," he said. "That’s why I prefer that their affection for me stays within reasonable bounds."

"What they want is unity of interest—they can accept you ascending to divinity, but not your losing control. Some can become their gods, but only if shackled by their chains," Noel said.

Su Ming’an smiled at that.

"A god, am I eligible?"

He looked down at the back of his hand.

Two curved lines cradled a central line encircled by a water droplet pattern, resembling a half-bloomed flower.

And representing the fifth perfect pass, a new line ran straight along the stalk of the flower, extending from the center of the back of his hand to just above his wrist.

This was the new change on the back of his hand after the system broadcast ended.

He saw the scene below.

As the black crow flew, the crowd below also surged, as if trying to reach their destination just as eagerly. But soon, he saw a series of bizarre structures—it was actually a long chain of walls.

"Where are we headed?"

"To the New World Guild headquarters. I spent some points to enclose the headquarters with walls to prevent anyone from bombing in," Noel smiled.

Su Ming’an glanced at the walls shimmering like glaze under the daylight, "It must have cost quite a few points."

"Yes, indeed, to fully build up the New World Guild, I spent nearly a quarter of my points on it."

"Compared to you, I am more like a hands-off boss."

Su Ming’an had forgotten how long it had been since he last checked on his own guild.

Sometimes he even doubted if he had been dismissed unknowingly, but a glance at the interface showed that everything was still in order.

[Management: (President) Su Ming’an

(Vice Presidents) Eni, Mizushima Kawa Sora

(Ministers) Hubert, Avril, Alauddin, Gad, Boris...]

[Guild Headquarters:

Trade Department (2/2), Minister: Jin Minhao Sёarᴄh the Novёlƒire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

Finance Department (3/3), Ministers: Bra, Nata, Nickel]

Administrative Department (1/1), Minister: Grett

Resource Area (3/3), Minister: Kore

Military Zone (3/3), Minister: Liu Jiahe

Foreign Affairs Department (1/1), Minister: Ma Qiaoli

Information Department (1/1), Minister: Hubert

Su Ming’an just glanced over it briefly and saw a heap of things he didn’t understand, as well as a series of familiar names.

Although guilds didn’t play any substantive role, they served as platforms for extensive interaction and cooperation among players, and many casual players depended on them for survival.

As time passed, many departments had been established to maintain the order of players in the Main God World.

Ever since he became the president, he knew he had no time to manage these matters, and was just a name holder. As long as his name was there, this place would serve as the best promotion point. Sure enough, even though he did nothing, it seemed the guild was running well.

"You’re right not to manage," said Noel. "I need to manage... only because I have a group of capable and trustworthy friends behind me. Your goals should be more far-reaching, and these people’s united struggle... should not affect you."

Standing against the wind, Su Ming’an listened to Noel’s words, seeing the black crow gradually enter the territory of the New World Guild.

At the onset of the World Game, an energy problem had emerged.

The oil, electricity, coal, and gas from Zhai Xing were not brought here. Due to the scarcity of resources and lack of experimental equipment, it was difficult to produce new energy. The energy currently used, similar to electricity, was supplied by something called a Resource Stone.

In this situation, the production of cars was successful; they could be powered by Resource Stones, although their energy consumption was much higher than usual, but they could still be operated with effort.

However, the production of airplanes was hindered.

Perhaps bound by some rule, these large-scale transport vehicles could not be powered by Resource Stones. Even the cars, which could barely operate, required a vast amount of energy.

Thus, what was now more commonly seen on the streets were people riding bicycles. Cars were only visible in controlled service areas of large organizations, and nowhere else. Even the United Group, when initially hosting the Human Self-Rescue Conference, had used it briefly just for display.

Humans seemed as if they had been thrown back to the century before last.

What replaced cars and airplanes were various oddly shaped pets. Many who were originally proficient in riding horses showcased their skills prominently, and sometimes you could see those galloping down the streets.

Those riding giant earth dogs or unicorns were all influencers. At this stage, very few people owned riding pets, let alone flying ones.

As Su Ming’an was pondering, a panel was turned towards him.

"Seventh World information," Noel said. "Take a look."

Su Ming’an’s gaze momentarily faltered.

["The old, the past, it can be reshaped by struggle."

"——In the cycle of the present world, death will restore our dignity."]