Chapter 52

Chapter 52: Chapter 51: "Pursue Light"Sounds like a disgusting mission, are you going to complete it?" Noel caught up with Su Ming’an under the corridor bridge.

"If possible, I’d like to choose another way to pass." In stark contrast to his attitude toward Qin Ze, Su Ming’an displayed an excellent demeanor, "I understand what you mean, we can choose to destroy the root source of this city, which might allow us to bypass such a disgusting mission. I’m willing to team up with you, but could you wait here for a moment?"

"How long might that be?"

"Just a moment." Su Ming’an’s smile became more genuine, "I’m going to show the audience a little trick."

Noel curiously watched as he walked into a deserted alleyway, until he was out of sight.

The barrage on Su Ming’an’s view became excited:

The barrage was buzzing with discussion while Su Ming’an moved to a corner.

He opened the live stream panel, and then his finger moved over a mass of flying barrage—until it landed on the "temporarily close the live stream" button.

With a "pop," the barrage instantly cleared, and all the viewers were kicked out in a flash.

...Very good.

Su Ming’an stood in the corner of the alley, now devoid of any gazes.

He needed to summon his clone here, in such a complex and huge city, teamwork in searching for clues would be more efficient. Even the viewers, he didn’t want them to see such a skill with clear, extreme shortcomings.

He stretched out his hand and quietly uttered the name of the skill.

The next moment, a white light gathered before his eyes—

An identical Su Ming’an appeared before him, and at the same time, he felt a dual consciousness sensation, although it wasn’t as clear as before, almost like having a small window opened in his field of view, no longer causing him dizziness.

The clone opened its eyes, and with its self-awareness, its gaze was completely different, gently and calmly looking directly at the real Su Ming’an.

"Hello, original." the clone said.

"How should I address you?"

"Don’t worry about these...I am you, we’re essentially the same, I’m just a variant of your character that might have happened in an endless future...I am you, you can control me and give commands to me any time, and even if death lies ahead as long as it’s for the future, it doesn’t matter." The clone’s voice was warm and steady, his eyes always holding a hint of a smile, "If you insist on a name, just call me Ming, I adore everything bright and beautiful in the world."

"Hard to imagine my personality turning out like this." Su Ming’an looked at the young man identical to him, but whose nature was like that of a knight, perhaps this was his "nice guy" version...truly unimaginable.

"You go with Noel, and I’ll search the city for some finer clues." Su Ming’an seemed to have thought of something, he took off the Sword Bag from his back and handed it to his clone, "Don’t blow your cover, carry this and protect her."

"That’s left by that gleaming, selfless warrior, understood." The clone solemnly strapped on the Sword Bag, "No need to put too much focus on me, I will eventually feed back the situation to you, if needed, please command me through the spirit at any time."

The clone said, then turned and left the alley.

Su Ming’an also turned around and entered the shadowy parts of the city through the dark alley, he switched the live stream’s view to the clone, making sure the audience would think the clone was the real Su Ming’an, while he would not be seen by any eyes.

Thus, when the live stream reopened, the viewers who were suddenly cut off from the stream began howling on their own:

"Yes, apart from the Lighthouse, Ming’an looks coldly at Adventurer Players and even more so at us viewers. In his grading, we’re definitely all trash..."]

"Not trash, though," said the Cloning, smiling as it spoke. "Although you can’t become a Lighthouse, you also have your own light. In my eyes, you still shine like stars... Never give up on your future, because the victory of Zhai Xing ultimately belongs to each of you."

The live stream comments eerily quieted for a moment.

Then, like an explosion, they surged with overflowing tears of joy, excited screams, and chaotic characters of elation.

The Cloning continued chatting with the comments along the way, its tone incredibly gentle.

"...It’s not that I ignore you, it’s just that sometimes, I can’t be distracted."

"...Don’t think less of yourselves, hey, you are also the future of humanity."

"...Believe in your Potential, no one is born strongest, there’s still time, you still have the right to carry on."

"...Like this side of me? Thank you, but I believe to love a person, you have to love all of them. If one day I change into another form, I hope to still receive your sincere affection."

The live stream comments cried as one, the heat higher than ever before.

"Wuuu, I’m in love! This man suddenly got so gentle, I can’t resist!"

"Old Ya Sa west now, it’s over, I’ve fallen!"

"Having endured so much pain and still able to smile at us... He truly is the Lighthouse."

"I apologize for previously not understanding his philosophy; now that he’s explained, I realize I’ve been constantly hurting him due to my misinterpretation..."

"Why couldn’t the host be like this earlier? Always looked so arrogant, thinking he was the ’best in the world’."

"Indeed, he should have been like this from the start, his previous attitude was so offensive, it was bizarre. Acting like being the Number One Player makes him a god, ugh."

"I declare I’m officially joining the Lighthouse faction! Next world, I’ll become an Adventurer Player! I want to follow his steps, eternally pursuing my Ming Yue—even though minute, I too want to shine!"

Noel stood still, watching as Su Ming’an emerged from the alley.

"Let’s go, Noel," said the Cloning with a smile, "Although the world currently disgusts us, it is still worth saving... Go explore the secrets that spoiled it, heal it, save it, I believe it can become the way we like."

His words, deep and convincing, were also filled with invigorating hope in his eyes.

"Hmm... Let’s go." Noel, stirred by his smile, hesitated slightly then followed him.

The live stream comments were excited, but Noel could sensitively perceive human emotion and accurately capture it. The Number One Player in front of him seemed more approachable than before, yet there was a subtle hint of danger in his words.

...He said, "the shape we like," not "the shape the city should take"—the fearless Knight of the Pursue Light, if only transparent light remains in his heart, then for him, all things that dwell in the gray areas are inferior things that need to be eradicated.

...That’s terrifying. Noel thought, and then started to follow him.

Su Ming’an walked deeper into the dark alley, seeing many people living like sewer rats along the way. They huddled next to trash or by underground water pipes, wearing ragged clothes, exuding the stench of garbage, their gazes wolf-like as they watched him pass; some eyes flashed with greed, but those looks receded when they fixed on his suit, as if fearing something.

He walked for a while and noticed that all the people passing by were male, he saw no women anywhere; on a flyer on a utility pole, he spotted a recruitment notice.

It stated that if you send the women in your household to undergo "Perfect Transformation," she can become superior, and your family will receive a substantial reward.

Su Ming’an tore down the advertisement, then ripped it into shreds, but not before he noticed the address on it—Central Inner City, Hongshan Street No. 169.

Looking at the homeless cowering in the corners, Su Ming’an thought to pull one out to ask for directions, but suddenly intense footsteps and shouting came from ahead, followed swiftly by a dusty figure rushing toward him.

"—Stop her! Don’t let her escape!"

"—Hand her over for a whole fifty thousand Nuke Currency, don’t let some other bastard snatch her!"

The coarse shouting of men merged into a single block, the girl, seeing Su Ming’an, had despair in her eyes initially, but they lit up when she noticed the suit he was wearing.