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Chapter 439 - 436: "Will You Go with Me?

Chapter 439: Chapter 436: "Will You Go with Me?

"..." Su Rin had no reaction, he would not be angered by such words.

"I saw the look in other people’s eyes, they were filled with ambition." Su Rin said, "These people... seem very eager to bring down their leader. Have you not tried to impose a faith-based rule over them? During that ritual, you were not lacking fervent believers, you should have had the ability to do so."

Su Ming’an lifted his eyelids.

Through the white light of teleportation, he saw the gazes of the people looking at him.

Ambition, desire, admiration, expectation, hatred, friendliness...

The yearning for cooperation, the hatred for past grievances, the ambition to go further...

And among these expressions, there was a distinct absence of the reverence that signifies faith.

"These people..." Su Ming’an said, "are also the ’gods’ you spoke of."

These people, the remaining ninety-nine, were not content to be worshippers of anyone; they were ’gods’ who desired the ’Divinity’ for themselves.

They would not submit to another ’god’, nor were they content to merely look up to someone’s silhouette; they all had the will and ability to fight for their own ’divine authority’ and faith, all of them had the spirit to chase after the foremost guide, to walk with them, or to pull them down from their divine throne.

They were different from those so-called "Light Pursuers".

They were the ’gods’ according to Su Rin, the ’Lighthouse’ according to Su Ming’an.

And at this moment, standing on this circular platform, looking at each other, they embodied the phrase:

[Voyagers gaze across from separate ships].

...Here was gathered the pinnacle of strength from a world, they were beings who could almost look each other in the eye.

Su Rin responded with a voice barely audible under the black robe: "They are not your equal."

"That’s an overestimation." Su Ming’an said indifferently.

"You’re too modest about yourself." Su Rin said, "At least... before this, you’ve successfully schemed against a real deity."

Su Ming’an did not expect Su Rin to use him as an example.

He was about to speak when in the next moment, white light enveloped his vision.

"Whoosh—"

During teleportation, a player’s five senses would dull, as if they were amidst the clouds.

Upon opening his eyes again, Su Ming’an saw a dark space.

A globe of light floated in front of him, tinting the surrounding darkness with a faint yellow hue.

He stood alone in this dark space for a moment, and then an icy system voice came:

[Contestant No.1]

[——You will now be matched with a "Guide".]

Guide.

Su Ming’an knew this was a crucial part.

Guides were of utmost importance in the Eighth World.

[In the Eighth World, there are one hundred Guides, each wielding different abilities and authority.]

The globe spoke, its voice as cold as the system’s prompt:

[Barrier, Explosion, Destruction, Genesis, Puppet, Undead, Insight, Mirror Image... One hundred "Guides", each corresponding to one of a hundred different abilities.]

[In the following time, you will answer five questions. Based on your responses, you will be matched with the most compatible one out of the one hundred Guides. He/She will aid you in the battles to come.]

[Please "cherish" your Guide, for all your subsequent actions will be closely linked to him/her.]

The globe’s speech ended there, and simultaneously, Su Ming’an’s vision was filled with fleeting images of various figures.

These "Guides" varied in form, each with distinctive features. Although their specific abilities were not clear, one could make rough guesses based on their appearance.

["I coexist with curses and death, unforgivable sins. With that said, are you willing to walk with me?"]

A mysterious figure wrapped in a cloak, with an indiscernible true face, appeared on the screen exuding an aura of death and ominousness. He spoke softly to the screen, his voice hoarse.

The next moment, the screen flashed.

A girl with golden hair and sea-green eyes, as beautiful as an elf, opened her eyes slightly. A branch full of new green leaves was held in her fair hand, and as her wrist gently lifted, a small tree grew in front of her.

["Life is my good friend, adventurer. I like you, do you also wish for rebirth?"] She spoke cheerfully.

The screen flashed again.

A middle-aged man, stern in demeanor, holding a magic wand and a red-covered book, appeared on the panel.

His eyes were calm, his posture erect, like an oak tree standing on the screen; faint chanting could be heard in the background.

["Adventurer, if you walk with me, I shall grant you the secrets of spells. Please learn from me with a humble heart."]

He proclaimed loudly, his tone as calm as a declaration.

The next moment, an elderly figure appeared with white hair, a benign smile, and dressed in a snow-white sacrificial robe. Warm golden light radiated around the elder, making him feel approachable.

["I shall teach you the power of faith and light—if you are a devout believer."] The elder said with a chuckle.

...

Images flashed by one after another, with various Guides appearing on the screen.

Su Ming’an counted, there were a total of twelve images.

Soon, the display closed.

["These are twelve of the one hundred Guides willing to reveal their forms to the adventurers."]

The orb continued speaking:

["As adventurers summoned by the altar, you and your Guides will form a symbiotic relationship. Over these fifteen days, you can obtain props to enhance the Strength of your Guides, to arm him/her. Likewise, a Guide who has a fondness for you may also teach you their abilities."]

Su Ming’an understood.

This was why the "matching" with the Guides was necessary.

If a Player’s affinity with their Guide was not harmonious, the two would struggle to achieve this cooperative, symbiotic relationship. For someone like Noel, known for his playful nature, pairing him with a serious and earnest Guide would likely result in the Guide not taking a liking to him, not willing to teach him abilities.

["In the end, only one pair of winners will remain—you and your Guide."] The orb said, ["Be in good standing with your Guide, defeat the other ninety-nine pairs of enemies, and achieve the ultimate victory."]

Su Ming’an nodded.

It seemed that the importance of the Guides was much greater than he had imagined.

He suddenly realized that he seemed to have stumbled upon a great advantage.

—As the Ruler bound to maintain a "friendly" relationship with NPCs, as long as he did not sabotage himself, almost no Guide would be hostile toward him. If he made an effort to engage with them, it was conceivable that his Guide would be fond of him, possibly imparting knowledge generously.

Therefore, the current matching phase was critical.

—He needed to choose a Guide who could teach him suitable abilities to ensure that he could learn the best things possible.

For instance, a Guide with mastery over Space Skills.

Space Skills had always been his primary method of attack, and if he could advance further through this opportunity, it would greatly enhance him.

On the contrary, those Guides who mastered abilities like "Curse," "Arcane Spells," or "Plant Growth," were not suitable for him.

Thus, he had to strategize starting with this inquiry. He just didn’t know what standards the five questions of affinity matching would follow...

As he was contemplating, the orb continued to emit a sound:

["Now, please answer the first question."]

Su Ming’an looked up.

[Please listen to the question.] The orb glowed faintly:

[First question: In your heart, which of the following three do you think is the most important? (Family, Friendship, Love)]

...So that’s the type of question it is.

Su Ming’an thought.

If he wanted to match with a Guide who had space abilities, he would at least need to know the character of the Space Guide, then choose an answer that matched the Guide’s temperament.

Even so, it would still be nearly a blind choice because there was no way he could know right now what kind of personality the Space Guide had, nor what answer was needed to match well with him/her.

In the live streaming room, the barrage became excited when they saw this scene:

[Oh, it’s this kind of question! I’m getting excited!]

[This has to be love, right? What could be more important than love?]

[Stop kidding, if your mother and your wife fell into the water, whom would you save? The correct answer is always the mother! I think there definitely is a correct answer to this kind of question.]

[But Su Ming’an probably wouldn’t choose family.]

[Hmm... I’ve heard that the Number One Player’s relatives aren’t all that great, except for his father...]

[Someone, that idiot Hacker, brought up his painful past, revealing the Number One Player’s background. Everyone knows about it.]

[...]

Su Ming’an thought for a moment.

Between giving the true answer and giving the answer that would placate the Guide, he hesitated for a while.

"Family."

He ultimately chose the answer that was true to his heart.

If it was still going to be a blind choice anyway, it was better to go with his own thoughts, at least to match with someone he could get along with.

Family was more important to him due to his father’s influence. As for love, he had never experienced it and didn’t know.

The orb flashed with white light as if recording his answer.

The next moment, the second question was thrown out:

[Second question: In your heart, out of the following four, which do you think is the most important? (Force, Intelligence, Charm, Luck)]

"Intelligence," Su Ming’an said.

He answered this one quite quickly, as he was someone who didn’t believe in luck, while charm had so far not brought him much help, only a heap of troublesome identities. As for physical force, to him, it was less important than intelligence.

He actually thought all these questions were quite random, with no background provided nor any other conditions. If you wanted to judge, you needed at least to give a relevant environment. For instance, in the World game, physical force would definitely be more important, whereas intelligence would be more important for a perfect pass.

Such random queries would naturally yield casual answers.

[Third question.] After a flash of white light, the orb continued to pose a question:

[—In your heart.]

Its voice remained as mechanically cold as ever, yet gave Su Ming’an an uneasy premonition.

Sure enough, the next question was somewhat surprising to him.

[—Out of all your current companions, who do you think has been the biggest help to you?]

"..." Su Ming’an blinked.

He opened his mouth as if to answer immediately, but then quickly shut it again.

He had thought it would still be a philosophical choice question about weighing options. He didn’t expect it to directly involve the people around him.

At that moment, the previously chatty barrage in the live stream exploded instantaneously.

The audience seemed to be extremely excited about the answer, with various Player names flooding the screen as if they were desperate to boot the screen and make the choice for him.

The spectators who were watching the drama unfold were calling out noisily, and someone was already sneakily ready to record the upcoming response.

For them, Su Ming’an’s next reply would become a prime opportunity to mock certain people on forums.

Su Ming’an seemed to be pondering, trying to come up with a reasonable answer.

After a moment of silence, he suddenly looked up.

"I think this question isn’t just a straightforward choice," he said.

The orb didn’t respond to him; the darkness of the space remained silent.

Seeing this, Su Ming’an nodded, as if confirming his own guess.

"Then, this question," he said, "my chosen answer is—’no answer’."

The orb he was gazing at flickered slightly as if it were faithfully recording even this response.

[Fourth question—] It continued in a tone that seemed to have moved past the previous issue.

A hint of a smile appeared on Su Ming’an’s face.

Indeed, he hadn’t guessed wrong. Such questions just wanted an "answer," one way or another.

Thus, whether it’s choosing from the options of companions, choosing all, or choosing none, all qualified as a type of "answer."

[Fourth question: Adventurer, if you knew some outcomes are destined and unchangeable—would you still give it your all? What is your reason?]

Su Ming’an raised his eyebrows.

Compared to the previous questions, this one seemed to be far more targeted.

"I would," he nodded, "because there’s no need to evade."

He thought this question probably related to the storyline of the Eighth World’s instance and would directly affect the Guide he matched with.

He’d still prefer to be matched with Guides who are willing to strive towards their goals, rather than someone from the Chaos Faction looking for fun.

[Fifth question: Please state your personal "Guide" preference.]

The final question.

After contemplating for a moment, Su Ming’an spoke:

"Ability-wise... one that can coordinate with me. Probably spatial," he said. "As for temperament, reasonable is fine. I don’t want my companions to be backstabbers with hidden agendas."

The orb’s light flickered, then the glow dimmed in an instant.

[We have matched you with a suitable "Guide," initiating teleportation—]

...

Light burst forth.

Su Ming’an, surrounded by the teleportation light, left the matching room.

"Ding-dong—"

Before he could fully open his eyes or regain his hearing, Su Ming’an faintly heard the clear sound of an object falling to the ground.

He smelled a scent of dust.

As he gradually recovered control of his body, he opened his eyes.

He was greeted by a woody structure, finding himself indoors.

It was a somewhat crude cabin, with a fireplace that held no firewood as if it was long unused.

An oil lamp rested quietly on a wooden chair, next to it lay an old broom, as well as various items such as potatoes and sweet potatoes scattered in a corner. It appeared that the owner’s life was not wealthy, and perhaps even difficult.