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Chapter 422 - 419: "Mother

Chapter 422: Chapter 419: "Mother

Su Ming’an had already realized that Noel’s affinity was somewhat beyond his expectations.

Although at their first meeting, he merely wanted to use each other with Noel, but after just one instance of the Seventh World, Noel had silently broken down that sense of distance, coming closer to his side.

Su Ming’an’s criteria for recognizing "companions" had always been very strict, yet Noel managed to swiftly wedge himself in with just a short dozen days.

From meeting Lv Shu to truly trusting Lv Shu, he had gone through five instances, but Noel needed only one.

Even now, his interactions with Noel surpassed those with Lv Shu, and he would prioritize asking for Noel’s thoughts when he had something to ponder.

... Although this included the reality that Noel was indeed smarter than Lv Shu, the affinity that Noel displayed had startled him.

In the way Noel gradually adjusted his attitude towards him, he saw the shadow of his own attitude towards NPCs.

... This was a very alarming omen.

Su Ming’an didn’t mean to speculate on others with malice, but his position simply didn’t allow him to be sentimental. The approach of Noel was abrupt, and his background was still unclear.

Moreover, during one cycle in Pulaya, someone pointed out the secret "deal" between Noel and the children, a fact that Noel had kept hidden from everyone.

So, even though he knew that it was highly probable that Noel was just purely enthusiastic in character, just because Noel was an "adventuring" type who liked to make friends, he wouldn’t hand over all his trust directly.

Emotions and sensibility are major reasons for human failure, and it’s not uncommon for those entangled in interests to be betrayed by friends.

He would nip any possibility of being ensnared in such situations in the bud, from the very beginning.

He would celebrate his birthday, and he had the desire to relax, but in celebrating this birthday, he definitely wasn’t doing it just for celebration and happiness.

In his opinion,

Even the nineteenth birthday could be something to exploit.

It was great for testing other people’s thoughts, gauging the movements of large organizations, or assessing the extent to which people were influenced.

To people, a birthday was merely one of three hundred and sixty-five days, it might have some symbolic significance, but given the current situation, this symbolism representing sentimentality was starting to seem more and more negligible.

...

Su Ming’an went to the United Group.

The setup here was still the same as during the initial human self-rescue meeting.

Perhaps due to the inexpensive cost, the grandeur of this place was immense, with the kilometer-long red carpet laid out at that time still not having been removed.

Because it was during the festive season, there were lots of bells, red bow ties, plush toys and the like hanging around, with Christmas trees and snowmen as decorations along the road. Many players were walking around in cool red and green short skirts and shorts, and he even saw some staff dressed in military and uniform attire.

Even at the end of the year, with the holidays approaching, these people still dutifully wore these dull clothes, bustling around for the greater good. Su Ming’an could even see the evident weariness on their faces, looking like they had stayed up for several nights.

So, those who had been working hard weren’t just him.

It was just that the direction of their efforts differed.

After meeting with the Receptionist, the blue-sited residence hospital main gate of the United Group’s headquarters appeared before him. This place was jointly managed by the World Peace Dove Medical Division, the General Technology Department of the United Group, and the United Group’s Psychological Bureau, constituting the most authoritative hospital in the current World Game.

The World Game had methods to repair the human body, and such hospitals were mainly for treating mental health issues.

The leader responsible for receiving Su Ming’an was Liu Jiahe, one of the main leaders of the United Group, Yang Changxu’s immediate superior, currently serving as the Minister of the Yangtze River System in Dragon Country.

This middle-aged man with a smiling face is very polite, avoided asking offensive questions, and naturally led Su Ming’an, still shrouded in privacy-invoking black mist, into the hospital.

"...Welcome to the General Hospital of the Blue Territory, Number One Player, we thank you for your immense contribution to the human Points progress bar," Liu Jiahe said warmly, with fine laughter lines creasing at the corners of his eyes as he smiled, making him appear very approachable.

He was dressed in a simple black long robe, reminiscent of the Sun Yat-sen suit, but with an ornamental gun at his waist.

Casual Players, without Combat Power, subconsciously feel some fear when facing Adventurer Players, because Adventurer Players naturally exude a sense of danger from the instances they emerge from.

This has become an increasingly apparent sign of the contradiction between the two types of players.

Of course, Liu Jiahe did not show any signs of fear, he had seen too many turbulent situations, and in front of Su Ming’an, his tone remained gentle, the two communicating on an equal footing.

Liu Jiahe didn’t bring up the topic of Su Ming’an’s birthday, but instead directly wished him all the best in the Eighth World.

"..." Listening to Liu Jiahe’s greeting, Su Ming’an realized that these people had truly understood his mental state.

They had noticed that he disliked the topic of "birthday." Therefore, when everyone else was wishing him a happy birthday, they didn’t mention it at all.

"Thank you, I heard from Gao De that my mother is here?" Su Ming’an asked.

He had already detected the unique scent of the hospital in the air.

Due to its special location, this place generally housed important figures, so it was not as noisy and chaotic as hospitals in other regions.

The volunteer doctors and nurses that moved around here did so with light footsteps, there were none who called out loudly, let alone made scenes or threw tantrums — in fact, such behavior was commonplace in other region’s hospitals, almost ubiquitous.

This place seemed a lot quieter and more solemn, almost creating the illusion of stepping into a holy land.

The entire grey and white building, as if resting in tranquil slumber.

"Yes, your mother is in the innermost room, a single room, where we have given her the best treatment," Liu Jiahe said, pointing to a room on the inside.

He spoke very softly, not letting everyone know that "Number One Player had arrived."

Over time, their attitude towards the "Number One Player" had changed, and accordingly, their actions had altered; they did not force relationships upon others and spoil their good impressions.

Su Ming’an took a few steps forward and pushed open the door of the room.

The room was grey and white.

Grey and white walls, grey and white ceiling, grey and white floor and bed, everything seemed to be a still, heavy grey and white, monotonous and oppressively subdued.

A hint of sky blue then appeared in his vision.

By the window shaking the silver tree, a layer of pale blue curtains fluttered, like blue sky mixed among the white clouds.

He sensed something, his gaze shifting downward.

Beneath the gentle, clear blue sky, lay a woman sleeping soundly on the bed.

The woman was very quiet, her black hair cascading like a waterfall on the grey and white bed, her expression peaceful with eyes closed, completely different from her madness when awake.

Her emaciated body, like a skeletal frame, was curled up in the grey and white blanket, as if enshrouded by heavy clouds, leaving only that stroke of ink-like black hair smeared across the blank paper of the bed.

With respect to this person, Su Ming’an’s memory was filled only with pain and blood.

He did not approach, only watched from a distance. After standing still for about ten seconds, he turned away.

Liu Jiahe was waiting outside and immediately greeted him as he came out.

"...Take good care of her," Su Ming’an said without elaboration, just this.

Regarding the woman who had abused him, who since childhood had smashed his hands with various objects, who had a proven mental disorder, he had nothing else to say.

Moreover, she had fallen into a deep sleep, reportedly due to a mental issue, and had not awakened for a long time.

Since the United Group had found her, they should treat her well.

Beyond that, he had no desire to invest more emotions in this matter. The incidents of the past had brought him nothing but pain.

Boris had mentioned that in the world game, there were no lack of props that could change one’s appearance or physique, as well as Mentality Series players skilled in illusions that could alter appearances. He could not be certain that the woman lying on the bed was her.

But whether it was truly her or not would not affect his emotions or judgment. This person held no sway over him and would not become an obstacle on his path.

Besides, the United Group surely wouldn’t be foolish to such an extent. It was unlikely that they would deceive him with a fake that could easily be exposed later.

Su Ming’an left the United Group.

His visit was brief; he came and went quickly, not even half an hour in total. The United Group showed no intention of asking him to stay, and even Liu Jiahe did not utter any superfluous words, but simply offered him a few blessings and expressed some goodwill.

Clearly, this group had already determined their attitude toward him.

With the launch of the "Hero Project," their stance was almost akin to "free-range."

—If you have the ability, then you may as well be the Number One Player. We will not interfere, nor will we slander; you should receive everything you deserve, whether it is praise or scorn.

—If you lack the ability and the Number One Player fails, they won’t kick you when you’re down. They have many reserve "Number One Players," and not all who Perfect Pass are non-existent.

Regarding Su Ming’an, whom they could not control and could not understand why he was always successful, their attitude had always been cautious.

This was also a reflection of a big-picture perspective.

The methods of these people... had matured a lot, completely different from the assertive measures of Edron and the others at the beginning.

Perhaps even among them, there were power struggles and personnel changes.

...

Afterward, Su Ming’an went alone to see Xu Yunying, asking for an update to his wristwatch.

Although this wristwatch performed pitifully in the Seventh World, with no use other than keeping accurate time, playing music, and emitting light, considering it was a growable Red Level prop, Su Ming’an didn’t discard it.

Since it was an item gifted to him and was not sellable, he certainly could not just throw it away.

"Number One Player, let me tell you, I heard that the Eighth World has something to do with the wilderness. Stocking up on survival knowledge is the right move. I’ve already organized the files for you; I’ll add them to your device... Oh right, can I ask you about the changes to the body after a significant increase in Attribute Points..."

As it happened, the "Transnational Human Scientific Research Organization" to which Xu Yunying belonged was gathering. When these people caught wind of Su Ming’an’s visit, they swarmed over like they were watching a giant panda, barraging him with many questions.

After finally shaking off this crowd, Su Ming’an, with his updated wristwatch, began his journey back.

He took a look, and the conditions for the Fourth Rank advancement task aligned perfectly with his current needs.

[Advance Occupation to Level 20].

Different occupations require different advancement conditions; his condition was to participate in various good or bad deeds to earn Occupation Points. Other players might have completely different conditions. For example, Boris, his occupation task might be to bewilder a certain number of people to work for him, and he could advance upon reaching a certain magnitude.

But no matter what, advancing to Level 20 in one’s occupation is a very difficult condition. If it hadn’t been for Su Ming’an, who had never neglected his occupation skills and had early on raised them to Level 17, it would have been almost impossible for other players to meet this condition, even for those at the top of the leaderboards.

Su Ming’an gradually realized... Unlike advancing to the Second or Third Rank, starting from the Fourth Rank, the leveling system began to bottleneck players.

No matter what tricks you used in an instance or how much Experience Points you farmed, without fulfilling these hard-to-achieve mandatory conditions, you couldn’t get promoted.

He guessed that even after the end of the Eighth World, it would be difficult for other top-ranked players to advance to the Fourth Rank.

...However, he was different.

For him, the Points needed to buy Occupation Points were just enough; the remaining Points could be used to get suitable equipment or for auxiliary improvements such as gemstone and equipment upgrades.

Or, he could also try to swap out some of the skills he had equipped...

As he pondered this, he was suddenly bumped into by a running child.

Su Ming’an stepped around the child, looked up, and noticed that the place seemed to be getting livelier.

Compared to the Sixth World, where no one went out and terrorist attacks happened frequently, the streets now seemed much more joyful.

The festive atmosphere was gradually thickening.

Colorful lanterns hung at the entrances of street-side shops, while a myriad of music—harps, guitars, rock—blossomed in the streets, and red, orange, yellow, and green lights twinkled in the dusk, creating an illusion of walking through a tapestry of sound and light.

Gentle snow fell from the sky, and couples holding hands, women holding children, kind middle-aged spouses wandered leisurely along.

...And Su Ming’an, shrouded in privacy-concealing Black Mist, seemed conspicuously out of place among them.

As a rule, players didn’t cover themselves with privacy Black Mist when they went out; in the eyes of Casual Players, cloaking oneself in such a thing was akin to someone cloaked in a black cape on the street—they were either mad or up to something.

The men and women whispering and laughing became tense when they saw Su Ming’an approaching.

"...Stay away from him."

"Be careful, I’ve heard that some suicide bombers like to cloak themselves in this stuff..."

They nibbled on their candied hawthorn sticks and quietly steered clear of Su Ming’an.

To the side, a child who had been joyfully playing in the snow was scooped up by his mother, who, as if avoiding a plague, steered clear of Su Ming’an.

"...Xiao Dai, be careful of these kinds of guys shrouded in black mist in the future," the young mother whispered, her figure quickly receding.

Su Ming’an continued to walk forward.

The previously cheerful walkers immediately began to circumvent him, looking at this pitch-black figure with an expression of fear on their faces.

With him at the center, it was as if the sea had parted, with the waves of the crowd slipping by his sides.

Joy and laughter brushed past him, while the vacant snow fell before his eyes.

Su Ming’an stopped wandering and directly returned to his personal space.

He gradually realized that this place, this environment, seemed to be gradually no longer blending with him.