121. The Last Night

  Li Aozi closed his journal, the gloom in his heart dissipating signifitly.

  The campfire cast an e-red hue on his face, the beautiful sparks dang like butterflies. Not far away, some carefree pyers were causing a otion, gathered around Du Zexin's mecha and posting sshots on the forum.

  "Wow, Gundam! A man's romance!"

  "That design is clearly from Armored Core, you fake fan!"

  "Du Zexin, are you a 【Meist】 mentor?"

  Faced with these chattering pyers, Du Zexin, whose sciousness was residing in 【Future Watch】, seemed a bit bewildered.

  "Are these little guys yours?" Du Zexin poi the level 10 pyers. "Their strength is det, but what are they talking about—hey! Don't spray paint on my armor! And you—why are you taking off your clothes while drinking?!"

  The wrinkles on Li Aozi's face gradually faded, his youthful beauty returning. He rubbed his stiff facial muscles and waved his hand.

  "These little ones have their unique abilities. Don't treat them like ordinary people."

  "Special abilities?" Du Zexin picked up one unfortunate soul with his fingers and held him in front of a monitor. His eyes lit up, sing him for a while. "Everything seems normal, but... you're right, I tell they're not the same as us Blue Star humans."

  "Uh... put me down!"

  Caramel Snail was on the verge of tears. He had just driven all the way from Nuliang City, only to be picked up by a 20-meter-tall iron giant. His feet were dangling, and he shut his eyes tight, trembling in fear.

  "You call them ‘Desders.’ They have great potential. I pn to take them into space." Li Aozi said with a smile.

  Into space!

  The pyers were thrilled at the sound of that.

  For days, the pyers from the Murloc Guild had been grinding, leveling up, rushing to plete quests, and peting iriaown arena, w diligently.

  During this time, thanks to the pyers' hard work, Lord Oaknd made a fortune and mao eliminate several nearby bandit dens, even ughing in his sleep.

  However, there was ret: sihe Murloc Guild initially made the information public, most professional pyers and rge guilds ter joined in. In the final sele for entry into spaone of the 31 guild members made the cut.

  The final sele of 25 pyers included four professional testants:

  Veteran testant ‘Yu Tianxiao’ from Skydome—he appeared ordinary, dressed like a corporate drone 【Meist】, always amicable, seemingly harmless.

  Li Aozi g his profile: impressive, with the closed beta only halfway through, his main css was already level 12, and he had a level 3 【Hacker】, maxing his overall level.

  And this was a 【Meist】, one of the harder csses to level up in the early stages.

  No wohey used to say in the past life that Yu Tianxiao pyed PvE like he was cheating—he really had some skills.

  The testa by Old Dry Guy was an ID called [LGY] Galiton, who had reached level 10 【Warrior】. Surprisingly, he didn’t have a sedary css but had a lifestyle css—【Chef】.

  【Chef】... Li Aozi couldn’t help but twitch his mouth.

  Based on his experience, early-stage 【Chef】 creations were usually quite disheartening.

  Delicious, non-toxic, beneficial effects—early cooks could only have two of the three.

  Unfortunately, Li Aozi g Galiton’s css knowledge—great, he hadn’t even learned 【Basiutrition】. Hopefully, these pyers would fend for themselves.

  There were two other professional testants, one being [XXG] Powder, captain of the Spicy Chi Girls team. Her character had green and pink gradient short hair, looking quite cyberpunk, and her arm had an expensive recoil-redug impnt.

  It had to be said that professional pyers indeed had skills. Li Aozi looked at her equipmeimating it was about the same as his initial bank-burning starting funds.

  Normally, as a female pyer among a group of tough men, Powder would stand out, but her punk look wasn’t to everyoaste, and most kept their distance.

  The st testant surprised Li Aozi—a pyer named [IP] Night Sword Bearer from the Infinite Pioneers.

  Not to mention, his upright, old-fashioned niame stood out in a crowd of chaotic pyer names.

  Clearly, he was a young man with a heroic aura, wearing a samurai outfit and tied-up hair. But when pced among cybs, pig mask-wearing musclemen, and wastend-coated cool guys, he was the oddest one.

  Li Aozi remembered this poor kid quite well, but not because of his skills... let’s just say Night Sword Bearer was a very special professional pyer.

  Five times in five years, he was runner-up, the champion’s perennial runner-up, always the st to qualify in solo matches, and out in the sed round.

  His debut year, he reached runner-up, faced the version’s golden boy, and accepted his fate.

  The sed year, he ged clubs and was overshadowed by a rookie from his old team, begrudgingly accepting another runner-up.

  Ihird year, he was recruited back for his and abilities but lost in the finals when the dueling champion of that year pulled off a fwless bo with low health.

  The fourth year, he returned with a vengeance, only to be bombarded by a targeted strategy, his teammates floundering and exposing his weaknesses, and he was once again runner-up.

  The fifth year, he came back stronger with a top-tier team and God-tier gear, only for his on to be stolen at the start by a 【Plunderer】 from the opposing team, who the against him.

  His gamepy was solid, but his record always gave the impression that he was half-hearted. Some even suspected match-fixing because his individual performance was det, but his overall record was just toe.

  Eventually, people started saying, ‘Are you pulling a Night?’ whenever a teammate seemed to be sabotaging the game.

  The two streamers weren’t familiar to Li Aozi, not colleagues he reized.

  The rest were main forces from majuilds.

  Due to the version cap on pyer levels, most professionals weren’t too ied in going to space. They still had quests, resources, aations to grind, crucial for enhang their skills and bat power quickly.

  But majuilds were different. Their goal was to moize game assets quickly. Heading to space meant expl a ne, the most profitable venture, so they pooled their elite talents together, aiming to rake in profits in space.

  Although Du Zexin didn’t fully uand the pyers’ value and potential, seeing them willing to pay for basiowledge or buy what he sidered scrap equipment, he agreed.

  Li Aozi sat on the side, waiting for Du Zexin to upgrade his biopool while tinuing to i Awakened Potions to accumute gene fragments.

  The 25 pyers gathered, and after renting some Omega Energy from Li Aozi, another few thousand experience points were added. Although it wasn’t much to Li Aozi, raising pigs is a long-term iment; he wasn’t in a hurry.

  Sooner or ter, pyers would get hooked on drawing aing Omega Energy.

  Du Zexin hadn’t truly killed the 【White Knight】, and the threat of the Hidden Society still loomed. But after crossing paths once, he had some ideas for termeasures.

  “Without Aether Blood, Youhei is no mate... I need a body that resist Aether toxicity.”

  He had nearly killed Youhei, but this impnted body couldn’t withstand the Aether Blood’s judgment.

  Li Aozi fell into ption.

  Finding a C3 Luka-type ic Human body patible with Aether toxicity was now too te, not to mention that even repg a cyberig on-site wouldn’t work—cyberic impnts required a 72-hour advance booking, with 48 hours post-surgery during which strenuous activity rohibited.

  However, the absence of a C3 Luka-type body didn’t mean there were no alternatives.

  He pulled out his phone and dialed a number:

  “Ms. N4, about our previous cooperation, we add one more dition?”

  “Yes, I need a biological e.”

  “Expehat’s not an issue. I pledge my Omega Energy. trolling gravity is nearly irresistible to researchers…”

  “Haha, don’t worry. Why would I deceive you? Omega Energy is important to me, but this is all for your sake.”

  Li Aozi chuckled and put dowerminal.

  “Who did you tact?” Du Zexin asked as he upgraded the biopool, turning the monitor towards Li Aozi.

  “The person in charge at Abyss Heavy Industries.”

  “What do you need from them? You’re not buyiilizer.”

  “You’ll find out soon.”

  Li Aozi stroked his and squinted.

  He suddenly realized he had a talent for selling dreams. It was ohing for pyers to fall for it, but now Du Zexin and even N4 were getting drawn in.

  Not bad at all.

  Seeing Li Aozi’s fidence, Du Zexin said:

  “You’d better cherish this night. It might be your st on Blue Star. I might never see you again.”

  “What, feeliant now?” Li Aozi nudged his armhing. “Dumbass, I’m going to spaot heaven. Why’s it the st night?”

  “This pn seems crazy no matter how many times I look at it. Even if you’re the one proposing it, I ’t instantly accept it.”

  Ign his teasing, Du Zexin’s joints twisted, the axles turning, and he slowly lowered his head to nearly eye level with Li Aozi.

  “I once dreamed of esg the surface, and you did it for me. You dared to dream and act beyond what I could fathom. I don’t even know what else to say… Maybe, I o ge my vis.”

  “I don’t know, Du Zexin. Your path should be yours to choose, and I ’t and won’t interfere.”

  Li Aozi shrugged.

  “You ’t decide your ins and circumstances, so you have to strive to ge the future. It’s like a marathon—you just have to keep running.”

  “But what if I sprint all out and still ’t catch up to others’ starting lines?”

  “Then the problem isn’t you—it’s this screwed-up race.”

  Li Aozi habitually reached for a cigarette, only to remember he’d quit for Alexia. He shook his head and said:

  “Du Zexin, a people couldn’t imagine a future without a sun, nor that future people would use o reach space… Times and enviros limit your progress. If you ’t win on this track, go dive, go swim.”

  “Maybe you’re right,” Du Zexin said. “Li Aozi, thank you for talking to me. I haven’t opened up to anyone like this in a long time… You’re my first friend.”

  “I’m honored,” Li Aozi replied.

  “I want to give you this.”

  The mecha cockpit opened, and a chip appeared on the puter s:

  “I’ve uploaded my sciouso this Lotus chip. If one day, I’m no longer myself, then—”

  “Don’t say that, it’s bad luck.”

  “I’m a materialist,” Du Zexin said. “Li Aozi, trust me. Just promise me this.”

  “…Alright, I trust you, Xiao Ze.”

  “This chip stores my soul and personality. If this mecha ’t withstand the pressure, take this Lotus chip, and bring it baini City, Hive Apartments, West Road, No. 210. The room code is 1204.”

  “Is that your birthday? December 4th?”

  “You don’t o worry… Li Aozi, take this chip to the server. You’ll receive a big reward.”

  Du Zexin tinued:

  “I also gave a copy to Ms. Yavanna, so don’t worry. I have backups. Don’t worry, I’m afraid of death, Li Aozi, don’t worry, I’m scared to death.”

  He said “don’t worry” three times, but Li Aozi still felt like he was saying his st goodbyes.

  “…Say no more, Meibi, you’ll be fine. You still have to ge that shitty Frost-Pted.”

  “Yeah, my try—it’s rotted to the core, but I still want to ge it. The future of 600 million people shouldn’t be turned into a farce by that moronic Mai Dewei hag.”

  Du Zexin paused and asked:

  “Li Aozi.”

  “Yes?”

  “I suddenly realized, I don’t want to go to spaymore.”

  “Why?”

  “Because I feel like I’m no longer afraid of the future.”

  Du Zexin pced his hand on his chest armor:

  “I’ve found the ce to face it—the ce called responsibility. With it, I suddenly feel powerful.”

  “e on, you just said you’re a materialist,” Li Aozi teased. “Now you believe in subjective initiative?”

  “It’s not tradictory, Li Aozi. No flrow on Frost-Pted’s circuit boards, but people will still praise the future in front of a fake sun. Someone has to face this ugly world, this disgusting ro mess, and then…”

  “And then?”

  “I’ll use guns and ons to destroy it and rebuild it brick by bri its ruins.”

  Du Zexironic voice was emotionless, yet he spoke the most romantic words:

  “And finally, I’ll love her to the fullest. I think, a Blue Star like that—I wouldn’t fear, I wouldn’t hate, and I wouldn’t o run away, nor want to go to space.”

  “Frost-Pted, Tianhuan, Zhengxu, Red Arrow… everything on Blue Star is overshadowed by Camity. But even without Camity, there would still be wars, pgues, hunger, death… I’ve seen it, I’ve seen it all…”

  “You’ve seen it? What are you talking about? What did you see?”

  Li Aozi grew wary and pressed for answers:

  “Du Zexin, who showed you all that?”

  “It doesn’t matter—I think, Li Aozi, I mean, I think I uand now. What Blue Star needs most isn’t old teology, but hope. As long as there’s a glimmer of hope, this world still be saved.”

  In the eleic eyes, Li Aozi’s silhouette was reflected:

  “Li Aozi, please bring hope back to us.”

  FAL