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Chapter 66 Chapter 65 · TE · Flower of the Abyss
"...you sound like you're crying."

"...but why are you smiling?"

"... Has anyone been distributed happiness today?"

"...you said that, with tears streaming down your face."

The guitar sounded.

This is the "instrument", the sensibility and intellect that human beings have lost.

On the counter, a CD is playing music - a relic of a traveler.

……

"Big brother. Big brother."

……

Su Mingan opened his eyes.

He stretched out his hand, as if trying to grab something, but there was nothing else.

He sat up from the bed, the aroma of sweet potatoes and potato porridge came from around him, and people were cooking breakfast.

"The leader is awake!!"

"Boss, you are awake! Call the doctor!"

People filed in and surrounded him.They called him "hero", "chief", "great man".

"Leader, we have won, and all the reformed people in the inner city have been saved, thanks to you for killing Bai Xiong." Dingyue's eyes lit up and bowed to him.

"Leader, regarding the transfer of power after entering the inner city, the abandonment plan of the reconstruction plan, the disposal of prisoners, the division of interests after the war, alliance gatherings, etc., you need to deal with it..." A rebel boy reported.

"Boss, your body is fine. After the wound has subsided, there is no serious problem. It's just that you need more rest. I'll give you some medicine..." The doctor who came to hear the news took care of him.

They gathered around his bed, their eyes earnest and their expressions respectful.

Su Mingan got up, his eyes calmed down little by little.

He is Su Ming'an, the No. [-] player in the world game, and his goal is to pass the level perfectly.so……

clam down.

He withdrew his empty hand, his eyes calm.

……

【Big brother……】

……

He closed his eyes, ignoring these hallucinations.

He led the people out of the camp with the splendid flag in their hands.

"About the post-war casualties, chief..." Vincent walked beside him and took him to a cemetery.Su Mingan saw dark tombstones.

- This is the war, thousands of victims.

A young man said in a low voice, "Now that Bai Xiong is dead, our 'Han' has won. As 'Han''s comrades, they have no chance to see it."

Dingyue looked at Su Mingan.She thought of the young Kuqiu who died in the war, and couldn't help crying.

"Chief, is this a dream of ours? In fact, we are just the dust of history?" She said tearfully.

Su Mingan squatted down.

His shoulder emblem, representing the chief, shone brightly.The black clothes that Alyssa gave have been thrown away, and now they are wearing a brand new uniform.

This cemetery does not have Alyssa's name.Because she is not a human being, in the eyes of people, just a... machine that can cry, laugh, and be afraid of death.

He stretched out his hand, but a butterfly stopped at his fingertips.

He put his fingers together and pinched the butterfly's wings.

"It will die if its wings are torn off, but it still has to struggle desperately, trying to escape the bondage... The same is true for us, we always have to do our best," he said.

He let go.

The bright red butterfly leaped into the sky, evoking a blood red.

Even though there are no flowers here, just icy tombstones and broken bricks, it is still flying forward, towards the place where the flowers exist.

"We are not the dust of history." Su Mingan looked at the golden butterfly in the sun:
"We are 'Flame'."

"We... are history."

……

Later, he and Vincent went to the old villa site.

The villa had been completely burned, and only black ash dust remained. Under the violent fire of Guan Na that day, there were almost no relics left.

Vincent hugged the dirty stuffed bear and knelt in the direction of the sun.

Only then did he discover that the mother he had been blaming was not a traitor, but a lurker hero who endured humiliation and finally brought the chip out.

"sorry."

Beneath Vincent's thick black eyebrows were a pair of bleak eyes.He moved towards the ruins and said softly:
"Mother."

"Sorry……"

Both their mother and son have said sorry here,
But no one could hear it...

……

Finally, Su Mingan came to Baixiong's original central laboratory.

The bodies of the residents have been polluted, and it is difficult for them to reproduce. Baicheng really needs a reproduction machine - whether it is Noria, which is composed of core energy, or thousands of victims in the outer city.

The power to choose between the two, Su Mingan handed over to Vincent.

"The resistance army has won, we have become the ruler of Baicheng, what are you going to do next?" Su Mingan looked at him.

"Chief, the problem of fertility in this city needs to be solved urgently, and those out-of-towners cannot continue to sacrifice." Vinson said.

The deputy leader with thick eyebrows and big eyes had a painful expression on his face, and he clenched his fists, as if making up his mind.

"What are you going to do?" At the same time as she asked these words, Su Ming's heart felt a strange sense of shock.

He vaguely felt something.

"I'm going to... set up a laboratory." Vinson said, he had already thought about the next path: "I want to repeal the decision to contribute the people from the outer city. In order to replace them, I decided to start a brand new one. The android project..."

Su Mingan laughed.

He felt a sad sense of reincarnation.

"Are you going to continue this [Noriya]?" he said with a smile.

"Chief, White City must need descendants, people have suffered heavy casualties in this war, we need to replenish the population..." Vinson said:
"Whether it is agriculture, animal husbandry, machinery manufacturing, or the manufacture and repair of houses, the maintenance of weapons...we all need 'people'...if this is not the case, sooner or later the inheritance of mankind will be cut off.

Chief, I will not fall in love with my own experiment like Bai Xiong, I will be a fair and selfless leader of Baicheng, and my experiment will become a great existence that continues to reproduce - in order to save the people of Baicheng, this is necessary sacrifice. "

A smile gradually appeared on Vincent's face.But it was just an expression that simply mobilized muscles, made up of endless expectations and despair.

Su Ming'an couldn't see any emotion related to smile.

...If one day, Vincent will also become selfish like Bai Xiong, dazzled by desire and interests.

Like Bai Xiong, he will be attacked by a new generation of rebels. People will take over his scepter and become the new leader of Baicheng, nurturing the next generation of [Noriya].

reincarnation.

Never ending reincarnation.

What has already happened will happen again in the future.

What has been done will be done again.

Su Mingan gradually realized—perhaps the former Bai Xiong thought the same way. When he started the android project, he also thought that he would always be just and selfless...until he became selfish.

After the rebels personally destroyed everything in Baixiong and killed him.From the person staring into the abyss to the abyss.

They will gradually become people like him, changing the "future" of the city endlessly, repeating today's situation.

Su Mingan thought of the words in Baixiong's diary.

……

[Everything I'm thinking and thinking about now--as a human being, the ardent love and devotion to her emotionally,

Or... that was already engraved on the memory chip time and time again by the predecessor "I", and it was already written in the program called "Love Her"?
She will kill me, inherit everything from me, my three views, emotions, thoughts, inherit the scepter of the mother goddess, and become the strongest and most tolerant ruler of this city.

She will kill me, she will be me.

She will walk with all of me in her arms and carry all of my love and ideals.

She will tread on my corpse and ashes with the gentlest curse of my faith. 】

……

[...And the me who passed away will always be with me. 】

……

[Perfect clearance progress: 100%]

……

【Hakuo's Laboratory】

Countless long pipes run across the room, and this is where Shirao used to make Noria.

On the operating table, is Alyssa's broken body.

Her remnant was transported back, full of broken mechanical bones, like a broken glass bottle.

Vincent was silent and implanted the "core energy" that was beating like a heart into Alisha's body.Gradually, the dead bionic heart seemed to have a spirit, and it started beating "puff-puff".

A subtle electric light flashed, and "Alyssa" opened her eyes.

She sat up stiffly, looked directly at Su Mingan beside her, and said nothing.

"Alisa?" Su Mingan tentatively called out to her.

She watched him silently.

She has beautiful, long blond hair that shines like the sun.

Her eyes are as deep as the sea.

Her skin was as white as pearls, and anyone who saw her would think she was beautiful.

She tilted her head, pursed her lips, and looked at Su Mingan, still with Alisa's smiling face.

Su Ming'an also looked back at her, he waited for her to speak——

It was as if invisible quicksand was flowing between them, and time fell into a temporary stagnation, as if some kind of emotion that had been accumulated for a long time was brewing.

After a while,
She smiled slightly:
"Hello, leader of 'Flame', what should I call you?"

……

Su Mingan was stunned.

"My name is... Su Mingan." After a while, he spoke.

- She's not Alyssa.

The one who wakes up now is [Second Generation Noria].She has all the knowledge of Baicheng and the most fair evaluation standard. After implanting the core, she is the most perfect 'machine'.

Her mind is composed of the most vast calculations and data. As for the part of the human being that shouldn't have, it has completely died with dormancy. No chip can retain this emotion.

She's astoundingly perfect, and the part that seems out of place, "Alyssa", has been automatically formatted with waking.

She became the most perfect Noria, and she no longer remembered him.

"..."

Su Mingan turned around.

But behind her, suddenly came her voice.

"...I don't know why, but I think you're familiar," Noria said.

She was confused by this, but she searched all the 600 ​​billion data in her database, exhausted the 63 billion calculations per second in her mind, and found no experience of walking with Su Mingan.

But why—why was a part of her body so uncomfortable when she saw him turn around and see him leave?

"Strange." She burst into tears.

Now she is just a machine, why should she cry?

"Strange, strange, who are you...?" she cried.

Su Mingan turned around and glanced at her.

The blonde girl was sitting on the operating table. Behind her, there were data cables spreading like a galaxy. They strangled her like a long snake and restricted her dignity and freedom.

She stared at him blankly, stretched out her hand, and her eyes flashed with scarlet electric light.

……

【Big brother. 】

[We used to... Did we know each other? 】

……

"I am." Su Ming'an said, "Su Ming'an."

After saying this, he repeated it again:
"It's just Su Ming'an."

He turned around.

The cold iron door closed behind him, and everything that had passed was dissipated with this dull sound.

This city is rotten to magnificent.Countless lights streamed like streamlines, and the passing vehicles pulled bloody long taillights like wandering stars.

Fireworks in the world, traffic is busy.

The city regained its former peace - because Noria took over the responsibility of reproduction, so everyone was freed.

Beautiful.

... What a "beautiful" to ironic world.

Su Ming'an is not far from Tier [-].At night, the copy is coming to an end.

While arranging the hat, he found a chip hidden in it. He found a computer and inserted the chip, and Alisa's voice came from inside.

"Big Brother, I'm Alisa."

Her voice was as clear as a stream, like the first ray of spring wind.

"Alisa?" Su Mingan asked in surprise—could it be that Alisa still retains consciousness?

"However, I think that I should be completely gone at this time. This is the recording I prepared when you and Bai Xiong were fighting. I guess that I may not be able to grow up, so I want to tell you the last words. "Alisa's voice came out.

"..." Su Mingan's throat seemed to be choked by something, his eyelids drooped, and his fingers dropped.

Alisa's voice continued:

"Big Brother. When I was very young, when I picked up garbage in the dark alleys to eat, when I was shivering in the cold wind... I often wondered, what is free will? "

"Is it a unique product of the human brain? Or is it an independent mode of thinking? If it is a program, can it have such a thing as 'free will'?"

"I have been absent from you for so long that I cannot touch everything about you. Sometimes, when I look at your profile, I wonder, what are you thinking about? Is it the future of this city, or the first of tomorrow? Breakfast?"

"What does spring look like? Would you like it? I'm thinking now, if I feel warmth, is that a reflection from my emotional module, or am I really moved by that emotion? If I like you, Is this caused by my favorability system, or am I really attached to you?"

"These questions confuse me."

"But when you reach out to touch me, when you look at me gently, when you play the piano... I really feel the warmth."

"It's like..." she said softly, as if in an invisible void, she hugged herself: "Someone hugged me, like."

"This is something that I can't achieve in my life, and I can't wait for it."

"You asked me why I was so nice to you. Actually, I have a personal reason. "

Her voice paused, and gradually became warm:
"—Because I know that you love me. You love me like a brother."

"No matter what your reason or purpose is, I feel 'love' from you."

"Love is not limited to the sexual desires of men and women, nor is it simply giving, sacrificing, and obtaining, but to continuously develop and improve our own personality in getting along with each other. In this process, we will become more and more independent and complete, and thus establish a harmonious relationship. A world connection. Good love keeps a person positive, healthy and stable."

"...As a program, it's ridiculous for me to say this."

Her laughter is rare and muffled:
"But you love me that much, so I also want to try... to love you."

"Although I'm just a robot, a reproductive tool, I don't even know what 'free will' is. But I want to tell you that my love will not disappear with my death. Although it is fragile, it will last forever."

"I can't grow up, and I can't see what spring looks like."

"But I'm thinking."

"I hope my 'love' can last forever in your life."

"If one day, you came across a faded wedding photo, or a book of fairy tales about mermaids, or a story about kings and witches."

"...I hope you can think of me, a girl who once wished to cook you breakfast, fight for you, sing along with your piano, and grow up safely."

"[Life is but a brief interlude between two eternal deaths,]"

"[And even in this episode],"

“[Conscious thought also exists only for a moment].”

“[Human thoughts are nothing but a star shining in the long night.]”

“[But the flash is everything.]”

"Big brother."

"Actually, I want to live too."

"Just live—maybe I can make you smile from the bottom of my heart, I can be with you and experience good things. Maybe we can grow flowers together, you can play the piano, I can be there for you Sing. We can also build homes for those displaced children, and I'll make you a cake..."

"As long as you can survive, anything is possible."

"but……"

There were tears in her voice:

"It seems that there is no chance."

"Looks like I'm going to say goodbye to you."

"I was born as 'Noria', so I can't give you the warmth of a human being. So, I can only say 'good night' to you at the end."

"Good night, big brother."

"Go plant flowers."

"Although I don't even have a body, I will turn it into a memory and bury it in the tomb of your memory. From then on, every flower you see in Baicheng is me."

"I wish your path—flowers and all is well."

"..."

"I love you, I love you, I love you."

"Goodbye."

……

At this moment, the countdown of the dungeon came to an end.

Su Mingan stared at the computer in front of him, and Alisa's voice was no longer heard.

His throat was stuck for a moment.

"Alyssa..."

The sticky blood-colored sunset came to an end, as if there was a blond girl standing in the last ray of light, turned around, put her hands behind her back, and smiled at him.

That smile is very warm, like a sunflower in full bloom.

but,
The girl soon disappeared.

The setting sun is also gone.

The teleportation white light at the end of the dungeon enveloped him, and the last thing he saw were Vincent and Dingyue waving at him, as well as countless residents and rebels who had regained their freedom.

Vincent's fiery red hair and Dingyue's black ponytail swayed in the wind, like two flags gradually unfolding.

The last ray of sunset, ending in the distance.There seemed to be an invisible barrier spreading between them—as early as the moment Vincent decided to cultivate Nolia, the rebels were no longer rebels.

Even if the city's technology is advanced, it is only passed down for future generations and civilized for the sake of civilization.The emergence of the rebel army can only barely extend the life of the city, and sooner or later it will usher in the end.

This is the "price".

The continuation of civilization, the continuation of the next generation, the inheritance of human civilization... "the price".

It makes the blind believers fool, the cool ones mad, and the pioneers at dawn.

"Boss, we are just..." Vincent said finally.

His eyes were full of confusion:
"Struggling to survive in the wrong way."

At this moment, Su Ming'an seemed to see a dark shadow behind Vincent - that was Bai Xiong's shadow.

The shadow firmly restrained Vincent, as if the soul and flesh were firmly embedded in Vincent's body, rooted in Vincent's bone marrow, and growing wildly along the veins of the whole body.

Bai Xiong is obviously dead, but the ideas left behind after his death are like gangrene attached to the bones, hovering over this white city, never dissipating, and implanted in people's hearts.

The madman's laughter in the church before his death seemed to be still in his ears.

"Ha, ha, ha ha ha - young resistance leader, let me tell you, human civilization... is not something that can be interpreted in terms of 'freedom' and 'justice'."

"After I established the White City, I knew that sooner or later I would die like this."

"Then--"

"I'm looking forward to the same ending for you and I... being spurned by all the people and killed by the people you saved..."

……

Like a shadow.

Vincent became the next generation of Bai Xiong.

……

……

at the same time.

In the organ exchange, a young man in a sick suit opened his eyes.

The young man stared at the medical examination report and transaction contents in his hand, and smiled slightly:

"Finally let me in, then, to subvert this sinful White City, start with getting the clues of the 'White Hero Replacement Plan'..."

He pulled out some pieces of the machine from under the bed, "click" and "click" to spliced ​​out a communicator and connected it to the keyboard.

[Although the rebels have now won and killed Bai Xiong, but they have also become rulers, it is inevitable that this group of people will not become corrupt and change their minds.We are neutrals in White City, and we want to live. ] The youth tapped the keyboard and sent a message to the contact person in the outer city.

【how do you want to do it? 】The contact person asked him.

[It is more appropriate to establish a new resistance army.Even if it is not in a hurry to resist, it is at least an armed force. ] The young man replied.

After a moment of thought, he tapped:
……

[What is the name of the new resistance army?To have a nice name, is it 'Dawn', 'Bonfire', or... 'Flame'? 】

……

Idealists are hopeless.

If they were thrown out of heaven, they would make an ideal hell again.

Some people are dead.

Some people are young.

Alyssa's consciousness was freed, and she was relieved, but her remaining memory fragments, her remaining body, still repeated the next reincarnation.

Are the masses free?Yes, they no longer have to lose their freedom for reproduction, they are intoxicated with songs of victory, brief romances, and dreams of stability.

Did the Rebels succeed?Yes, they beat Bai Xiong.

Bai Xiong will take root in this land, lurking in everyone's blood, the power of the world is constantly changing, the old rulers are overthrown, and the new rulers step on the bones of their comrades, greeted with applause, and move towards The brilliance of honor repeats itself in circles.

But fortunately, this reincarnation interval is very long-maybe 200 years? 300 years?
White flowers can always bloom in the dark abyss, and the flames will try to dispel the darkness in front of them.Someone will always stand up and bring a little bit of hope, even a little bit.

As long as we survive, can we find a bright future?

Who knows?

……

……

Surrounded by white light, Su Mingan heard a system prompt.

"Ding dong!"

【Achieve the Perfect Clearance Route·Redemption Route·(TE) Flower of the Abyss】

[“It is said that in the old days, happy men and women were able to obtain free love, and they had the right to choose the future.”]

[“According to legend, in the old days, people could play all kinds of musical instruments, whether it was guitar or piano.”]

[“However, the old past is gone. I am trying to find a new dawn in such an icy white city.”]

【“Dawn, where are you hiding?”】

[“Why did we lose countless lives, but only win a false peace?”]

[“Why do we ignite the flame of the future, but it is extinguished in the morning after the war?”]

["Countless people woke up in the dawn."]

【"They used the sins of the previous generation, the cold corpses, the gradually cooling blood, and their ideals and lives—in exchange for a false dawn of reincarnation."】

["Dawn, Dawn, where is the real you hiding?"]

["I walked past the girl's body, but I didn't see you. I walked past the burning fire, but I didn't see you. I walked past the pictures and marks of the old days, but I didn't see you."]

【“Ah, I found it.”】

[“—It turns out that you were hiding in the abyss because—”]

……

……

[“—When you stare at the abyss, the abyss is also staring at you.”]

……

(End of this chapter)