Welcome to Rewind World Game
Chapter 359 - 356: "Under the Protection of the New World

Chapter 359: Chapter 356: "Under the Protection of the New World

...

"This plan was very successful,"

the middle-aged man in uniform said with an unlit cigarette in his mouth, smiling as he watched the live broadcast on the display screen hanging on the wall of the brightly lit meeting room.

"Although Gelinton’s assassination didn’t succeed, Emma managed to speak out... and in front of so many people."

Next to him, a blond woman was looking at the screen, her red lips slightly open.

"Did Noel really do those things?"

Her snake-like gaze slowly came into focus through her silver-rimmed glasses, her eyes filled with shock.

"He did. I’m not wronging him," the man said as he fiddled with a lighter before putting it away:

"If Noel hadn’t done such a dirty deed, this lie would have been easily refuted. But the thing is... he indeed did it, and that’s beyond my control to utilize it."

"Then it’s not exploitation, Minister Dion," the woman sat up straight: "No matter where you are, human experimentation is unethical and inhumane. Exposing such matters is our duty. I didn’t expect such power of the World’s Number Two to come from this... so perhaps we can start from here and search for evidence of similar actions by other top players, and expose them."

"Ma Qiaoli, ah." Dion played with the cigarette box in his hand, making a "click-clack" sound: "You’re very righteous... extremely righteous."

Ma Qiaoli’s expression was stern.

"Minister Dion, please don’t treat me like a twenty-year-old girl," she said, her youthful eyes vaguely marked by the years: "I’m well over fifty, I understand what you’re saying. Are you implying that what I said is wrong?"

"...You folks sent down from above always cling to the old system and worldview," Dion laughed, "So what if I tell you that our protege, Edward, has similar dirty deeds behind him? What would you do?"

"..." Ma Qiaoli fell silent.

Since the Human Self-Rescue Meeting, she had gradually come to trust the Number One Player, who showed his mettle in the meeting room, and felt dissatisfied with Edward, who seemed a bit petty.

Now, Dion, with his special status as the "Prophet," was telling her that the top-ranked players she trusted might all have such disgraceful matters behind them.

"Let them do what they want to do. Let them become strong however they choose," Dion said: "Ma Qiaoli, do you realize what kind of world we’re living in? Those viewers are filled with righteous indignation, unable to understand this matter. You’re not a twenty-year-old girl, can’t you see it? Who exactly are we struggling against?"

"..." Ma Qiaoli remained silent.

"From the end of the Sixth World, at the start of the Hero Project, I told you that due to insufficient resources, we will adopt a ’strategic abandonment’ plan," Dion said. "So why can’t those children growing up to become strong players serve as nourishment in our struggle against this game? I exposed Noel because it was beneficial to our plan, as he is part of the New World Guild and outside our control. My reason for exposing him isn’t due to moral emotions, do you understand?"

Ma Qiaoli was still silent.

"Since time immemorial, what people gain, they must also give up. And this simple truth is something that most people cannot see clearly, do you know why?"

Dion stood up, the cigarette box in his hand "click-clacking."

He circled around the conference table while the person responsible for taking notes didn’t dare lift their head.

"...It’s because we are the ones who prevent them from seeing it clearly," he said.

Dion raised his hand, pointing at the rushing barrage of comments in the top-right corner of the live broadcast screen.

Among them, there were insults against Noel, shouts of disbelief, those who were muddying the waters for fun, and those who watched with cold eyes.

They were angry, shocked, sad, and schadenfreude, a diverse spectrum of emotions, a boundless sea of people, gathered in this small square barrage interface, like a microcosm of the human condition.

"Do you see these people? Look how indignant they are in their rebukes. They rush to forums and live streams, and talk of attacking the New World’s base," Dion said: "...Ma Qiaoli, this is exactly why we must ensure they cannot understand. Can you imagine what these people would do once they learn the truth about ’abandonment,’ once they realize our stance?

"Any decision needs to be embellished, and the making of decisions is better left to us. That’s our responsibility."

"This isn’t right." Ma Qiaoli finally spoke.

"No, it is," Dion replied.

"I don’t agree with the latter part of your words, but despite that, I acknowledge your action in exposing Noel." Ma Qiaoli stood up and picked up her bag, "I think our conversation can end here. I have understood, and I won’t interfere with your actions."

"I hope that when you report this upwards, you’ll choose your words carefully," Dion said, addressing Ma Qiaoli’s retreating figure.

"..."

Ma Qiaoli’s figure paused slightly.

"I will," she said, "because no matter what, I cannot tolerate the act of using children as sacrifices."

She hurried away.

The sound of her high heels echoed in the corridor.

Dion sat down in the chair with a smile, glancing at the documents in his hand that accused the so-called Number One Player.

Although the documents contained fabricated parts, the matters of human experimentation were indeed true.

"Don’t say that I’ve wronged you, Noel," Dion’s finger tapped on the paper, "... before doing anything, you should have considered the consequences of it being exposed."

He lifted his head and looked at the live broadcast screen in front of him.

"So," his face brimming with a smile, "... as a teammate, as someone who has always upheld the so-called ’Lighthouse theory,’ what choice will you make?"

...

Snowflakes were falling.

With the colorful outdoor lights, white feathers danced in the air, falling on the still people.

Lv Shu did not let go, just staring at Noel, waiting for his answer.

"... What if those children were willing?"

After a moment of silence, Noel spoke.

He looked extremely tired, as if he had aged a lot all at once, with bloodshot in his eyes, and red marks were left on his wrists from being squeezed.

"What if, I can bring them a future, bring them happiness?"

He continued,

"Lv Shu, you’ve only heard the words ’human experimentation,’ but you haven’t seen the beginning, process, or end of the story. You rashly think I’m wrong, without even understanding the whole picture. What right do you have to accuse me here?"

"Children lack the ability to judge for themselves, and you have the ability to lure them," Lv Shu said.

Noel chuckled.

Facing the burst of barrage comments and the eyes of others gathered around, he laughed with a sense of ease.

"Lv Shu," he said softly,

"You will never understand the emotions of those children.

You may be living in your own world, living within your judgment of whether others are good or bad, unable to comprehend the sufferings of these children.

These children... they live in disasters they can’t escape from, they may have no relatives left, or may have lost friends. Thus, they are forced to live in the orphanages of the Main God World, like soulless corpses, spending their repetitive days with new friends they do not really know.

I understand their pain, I communicate with their bound souls.

A part of these children have told me in person—they are unwilling to be confined here, they want to join the game, to take the field, to experience a more colorful, more thrilling world. Even if as a result, their emotions, still like a blank canvas, will be twisted, their eyes, which have never seen the world, will be contaminated.

I satisfied them, I led them out of the orphanage, I took them into the New World, I fulfilled their wishes, I told them what the instance world would be like, what players would need to learn to fight."

I taught them that everything requires equivalent exchange, so I collected a part of their bodies as the price to perfect myself.

...I don’t feel guilty about it, nor should I bear any sin.

I helped them become the people they aspired to be, leading them out of bondage, out of a life of ignorance. I prevented them from ending up as ordinary children, unable to protect themselves, their wings still bound, after a year in the world game.

They live under the protection of the New World, in the brilliant sunlight.

Yet some think I’m a demon, abducting those children who were stored in the orphanage as if they were mere objects.

...But even children who lack judgment shouldn’t have their futures chosen by others.

I didn’t lead them on; I simply asked. I didn’t utter a single self-serving word for my own sake.

And the facts prove that these children will no longer be objects tied to the whims of others.

They are doing well.

Perhaps some have become Adventurer Players, others Forging Masters, or perhaps exceptionally skilled information retrievers.

Their potential should not be bound by their age.

Before I made these decisions, I was prepared to be exposed.

Perhaps for me, this is not "exposure"; I am without fault.

I have clearly identified my stance and accepted these innocent children for it.

I taught them to grow, to be their life mentors.

From now on, only their abilities and luck can decide their growth.

No one should be an escapee by default unless they wish it in their heart.

And once they have decided to strive for this land, I satisfy them,

Death will not spare someone simply because they’re a child.

The explosion at the auction, Lv Shu, do you think there were no innocent children who perished because of it?

If they had been Players capable of self-protection at the time, would their lives have been lost meaninglessly?

So you who accuse me, can you take responsibility for their meaningless deaths?

If you cannot take responsibility, what right do you have to stand here, grabbing my hand, and accuse me?

The strength and growth of humans are built on their desire for power and the future.

...And I have taught them this.

I have enabled them to grow naturally."

...

When Noel said these words, his tone was very calm, his voice very slow.

All the complex emotions mixed together, all reflecting in his deep, clear pupils.

His gaze towards Lv Shu was unprecedentedly serene.

There was no embarrassment from being exposed, no anger from being accused. He simply spoke these words facing the snowy night sky as if he did not see the barrage of projectiles.

The night was very still at this moment.

...Only the green-haired woman was still screaming.

"—You admitted it! You admitted it! You admitted to abducting my brothers and sisters, using them for human experiments, you admitted— you deserve punishment, deserve condemnation, someone who lays hands on children like you has no right to be a top Player—"

"Shut up."

Noel lifted his head.

His originally mirror-like, calm eyes now surged with sudden killing intent.

The snow falling on him was evaporated by an eerie heat, his eyes gradually taking on a blood-red hue.

"You do not deserve to question the effort of those children." He suddenly took a step forward.

In his hands, an extremely sharp thread appeared.

"Look at you." Noel looked down at the woman lying on the ground in a sorry state: "—Have you ever seen how desperate your brothers and sisters were living in the orphanage?

You use love to mask your ignoble peace of mind, distancing yourself from the trouble of caring for children.

I haven’t stopped the children from returning, nor stopped them from seeking their relatives. If you wish, you can take your brothers and sisters back home, as long as they are willing.

Yet you, instead of seeking help from major organizations before, came to me after I’ve nurtured these children, with interests from other organizations, to insult me—How are you different from those who sell their children for personal gain?"

"It’s nothing but abduction in the name of love." Disgust showed in his eyes: "You’ve made me utterly sick, human."

The green-haired woman bit her lip.

In her eyes burned a flame-like hatred.

"Move aside, Lv Shu, you heard my words." Noel turned his head to Lv Shu: "You can understand me, right? I hear you can tell who is good and who is bad, so do I fit the image of a ’good person’ in your mind?"

Lv Shu didn’t budge.

His hand still tightly gripped Noel’s wrist.

The ooze from the burn slowly seeped out, sticking to Noel’s wrist.

"You admit it?"

Lv Shu suddenly said.

"What?"

"Admit that you laid hands on children." Lv Shu said.

"I don’t think of it as ’laying hands’." Noel replied: "I see it as giving them the right to choose. They could have refused me, perhaps even left me, but in truth, they are mostly willing to stay in my ’New World’—I’ve given them the power to pursue the future."

Lv Shu released his hand abruptly.

Noel stepped back.

His wrist was now showing a bruise, having been pinched by Lv Shu.

The ooze from Lv Shu’s palm still clung to his wrist, and he quickly took out a handkerchief to wipe it off.

...And as he looked up.

Lv Shu had already moved to Su Ming’an’s side, who had been silent all along.

"Let’s go, Su Ming’an." Lv Shu extended his bloodstained hand: "He doesn’t deserve to be your teammate."