Welcome to Rewind World Game
Chapter 596 - 593: "I Will Give You to Lv Shu.

Chapter 596: Chapter 593: "I Will Give You to Lv Shu.

"—Theodore, your healing has caused emotional overload in many people," the Dawn System has judged you unfit to continue this work, you’re dismissed!"

With a cold verdict pronounced, a briefcase was thrown out, and Lv Shu left the psychological consultation office with a stoic face, embracing the case.

Walking past desks and down the corridor, facing the pitying gazes of his colleagues, he, who had not yet stepped into society, finally experienced what it felt like to be dismissed by a boss.

He hung his head low, wishing he could crawl into a crack in the ground. He had thought that by staying in this position, he could at least help Ming’an, but now he had lost his job...

"Counseled 78 cases, 56 of which worsened emotionally, 17 direct emotional overloads, you really are a genius Psychological Counselor," he heard a colleague’s mockery as he passed the pantry. And what made his face turn dark was that his colleague was not wrong.

In just five days, to have half of the patients’ emotions worsen... He was the first in a century, the level of failure could be recorded in history.

"Scram." Lv Shu, in an extremely bad mood, left the high-rise—he wasn’t that bad at talking, was he?

Normally, when Ming’an talked about the strategy to charm those NPCs, he memorized every word and phrase. Why weren’t the criminals touched when he talked to them about Lighthouse theory for the past few days?

He stood lost at the street corner by the traffic light, watching pedestrians come and go.

The aroma of roasted sweet potatoes and fried chicken filled the air; the lights of the Central TV tower twinkled like Morning Star; children with backpacks hopped along the streets... The familiar urban scenery reminded him of life on Zhai Xing.

Before his home was destroyed by fire, he lived in a small city, he had been to temples and parks, attended school, walked through malls with his parents, and witnessed the bustling city lights at night.

After nine years of education, he never went to school again, but he clearly remembered the fireworks of the Mortal World on Zhai Xing, every street of the small city... and every moment of life with his family.

He looked down and rummaged through the briefcase in his hands, where stacks of papers written with various psychological reports were piled up.

...He looked dazed, as if he saw the notice of disease the doctor handed him on the day he came of age.

...He had counted his falling hairs in the mirror, just like counting the few remaining days of his life on the calendar.

He was not reconciled. He did not want to die, he wanted to avenge his parents, but humans were helpless against the disease, could only accept fate, and he returned to the city where he went to middle school.

In that vast city, he didn’t know how to use a phone, couldn’t pay with a scan code; everything about modern society seemed disconnected from him, who had lived in the outskirts for so long.

He had no money, no acquaintances; when it rained, he could only hide under a bridge cuddling the Black Blade to sleep, and on sunny days he stood on open ground practicing with his sword. Later, he found an unfinished building to survive in.

That period was the most confused and hate-filled time when he felt powerless, where he could only dream of his deceased parents at night, dream of the building burning in the storm. When he woke up, he could only feel his body getting worse and worse, to the point where he could not even lift his sword.

Even if he were to die from his illness, he didn’t want to breathe his last lying stiff in bed like a zombie; if he were to die, he wanted it to be alongside his sword, in his last practice.

He vaguely understood why the City of Measurement had assigned him the identity of a psychological counselor; indeed, he had a serious psychological illness, and his teacher had approached his parents about it, but his family was conservative and didn’t understand much about it, so he wasn’t treated.

The instance arranged such an identity for him... was it mocking him? Mocking the shattered first half of his life? Or mocking the potential sad fate that may follow?

He wasn’t clear.

But he knew—one thing for certain: such misfortune was not enough to crush him.

When he was about to die, the World game began.

He wandered blindly through the first half of the First World. He didn’t understand how powerful the encounter with two insects was, only planning to continue with his previous life after the year ended.

Of course, if he could make a strong comeback, return to Zhai Xing, unearth the truth, and seek revenge... that would be best.

But could the World game cure his body, teetering on the brink of collapse? Could he stick it out to the end with the rules of death resetting everything? As a young man targeted by others, could he rise in the midst of their watchful eyes?

If he couldn’t gain anything, it was best not to harbor too much hope from the start.

...

...And then in the First World, almost possessing nothing, he met Su Ming’an.

Many people told him, that person was known as — "Number One Player".

"Number One Player", signifying the strongest — the strongest in the world.

Lv Shu suddenly realized — if the other person was the strongest, if he could help them, then maybe his vision, his motivation to keep living, his purpose to avenge his family... could eventually be fulfilled?

He heard them talk about Grading and the Spotlight Theory.

That theory... was almost identical to what his most respected elder, his deceased grandfather, had told him.

His family held an almost blind faith and obedience to their elders.

At that moment... he suddenly understood, he had found his reason to keep living.

In such a vast, blind city filled with mediocre mortals.

In such a hopeless, calm life where one could see the end at first glance.

He found a companion to walk with him.

No matter how much others said he was fawning, how dog-like he was, or described him with mocking words, he didn’t care about the worldly views. In this life, one is just looking for a reason to keep on living.

He had found it.

In his and that person’s eyes —

There clearly existed a death wish.

"Don’t be nervous... Su Ming’an, Number One Player. I am attracted by your theory."

"So what?"

"I’ve decided to follow you, I like those who always hold the future in their heart, I like you, and I think you are worthy of being my light."

...

Lv Shu stepped forward.

He crossed the zebra crossing, heading in the direction outside the city — since he’d lost his job as a psychological counselor, he was going to find Su Ming’an while the city’s red alert still hung in people’s ears.

It must be said, the Ninth World is the world closest to Zhai Xing’s scenarios. This moved many players to tears, to the point where they even forgot they were in the World Game, began to abandon their missions to stroll and play, reminiscing that "taste of home".

"...have they all gathered over there?"

"Yes, not just us, but also the remote-control legion... Feng City... It’s said that there’s also... "

"Isn’t it said... the Number One Player..."

"..."

Suddenly, Lv Shu turned his head.

Through the crowded throng, he faintly heard these fragmented words.

Among the crowd, players were hiding, gathering in some direction.

Most importantly, they mentioned "Number One Player".

He was now Theodore, unrecognizable to others, so he simply followed the noise of discussion, walking towards a more secluded area.

The scent of the food street gradually faded, and here was an abandoned construction site where a group of gathered players sat on stacked rubber tires, gnawing on their skewered food.

...I must say, there is something comically incongruous about the scene.

"Most everyone should be here by now," said a man with golden hair and blue eyes, perched atop the highest stack of tires. He squinted his eyes, a donut dangling from his mouth.

Beneath this unfinished building, a crowd of over a hundred had gathered. The sausages, fried chicken cutlets, and plum juices in their hands gave them away as players. They walked and ate simultaneously, unable to keep their mouths idle.

Ordinary office workers wouldn’t attend a meeting in such a desolate place after work. They are busy heading home to comfort the emotions of a day’s labor, preventing emotional overload. Only players would be unconcerned about the glow of the chips in the back of their necks.

"Close enough. The message was sent effectively; this is the number of people who received the signal," a Western woman whispered into the ear of the golden-haired man. She was by his side, her black hair tied in a long ponytail, towering at 1.8 meters tall, clad in leather jacket and pants.

She is Natalie, a former special agent from North Country, a bodyguard officially appointed by North Country. Now, she mainly kept an eye on the golden-haired man to prevent any signs of mental instability.

They contacted the Remote Legion Guild and made a deal with the hacker players within, convening the players hidden in the Third Ring District.

The golden-haired man was ready to speak when the noise below continued unabated.

"Damn! Who’s eating stinky tofu and snail rice noodle soup? The smell is overpowering!"

"— And who’s got the roasted durian? Ugh... Guys, my dear pals, can’t we eat something human?"

"This feels great, getting back to a modern city like this feels like coming home. How wonderful it would be if we were still on Zhai Xing..."

That’s the problem with players, none of them respects the others, even if someone possesses a high-status NPC, players treat them all the same.

"Ahem." The golden-haired man cleared his throat into the microphone on his face.

After a moment, the players finally quieted down.

They wanted to see what someone would go to such lengths to gather a bunch of players for.

"Ladies and Gentlemen," the golden-haired man made a shocking statement, "— I’ve found Su Ming’an’s whereabouts."

At those words, a volley of sounds rose from below, filled with surprise and skepticism. Lv Shu slightly furrowed his brows.

"Many people know he’s in The Fringe, but don’t know the exact location, right? This lady beside me, who possesses radar skills, can lock onto his precise coordinates," the golden-haired man said.

"— Who are you?" Someone asked.

"Don’t worry about who I am. I’m just someone who will share his coordinates with you lucky few in real time. It’s fine if someone wants to leak this news; I’ll still give you the coordinates. There will just be more competitors, that’s all," the golden-haired man said.

"Huh, you think everyone’s like you, out to target the Number One Player?"

"...Exactly, I don’t want to wade into these muddy waters and face the backlash from the audience later on."

"I’m going to post on the world channel right now, telling the Number One Player to keep his distance."

Some people left the gathering, and some spoke up in the world channel. Most of their words were drowned out amid the sea of chatter in the channel, a place filled with numerous false pieces of information.

All the while, the golden-haired man simply watched, a silent chuckle escaping him, a hint of neurotic pleasure in his smile.

He knew, even if some were reluctant to do such things, there would always be those who supported them.

Human nature—he understood it too well, all too well. Even those who genuinely liked Su Ming’an stayed. With the notion of going to meet a star, they mingled with those harboring malicious intent.

...

"...According to traveler reports, someone spotted the Lord of Acto City here."

"You lot go that way, and the third squad heads over there..."

Shadowy figures flittered outside the gate, and not far away, figures of the mechanical army had already begun to appear.

"Come back! You can’t go out now; you’ll run right into them." Xiaomei also heard the sound of the search and immediately pulled Su Ming’an back to his wheelchair.

"It’s okay, I can walk." Su Ming’an had already planned to use his one-time privilege to teleport straight back to Central City.

Just as he was about to teleport, the man lying unconscious on the ground opened his eyes—Xiaomei’s father had woken up.

The man stared blankly at Su Ming’an’s wheelchair and suddenly realized something.

"—Hey, the City Lord is—" The man abruptly stood up and started to shout out an alert, his voice fast and fierce. Su Ming’an couldn’t even stop him in time.

The next moment, a flash of white light, a white shadow appeared abruptly.

Accompanied by a spatial rip’s glow, the man fell down silently, his voice cut off abruptly.

[HP-198! (Incapacitated! Combat Power Suppression!)]

"Meow~"

The white fat ball "plopped" onto the floor, jumped disdainfully onto the nearby bed, and pulled at the sheet to wipe the dust from its paws.

...That was just in time.

Su Ming’an realized he was still lacking a covert skill that could quickly finish off an enemy. Spatial Vibration’s range was too broad, and Obliteration’s attack range was too short.

If the white cat hadn’t automatically leaped out, the alarm would have been raised.

"Daddy!" Xiaomei knelt down, her hands trembling as she felt the man’s pulse. When she discovered he wasn’t dead, just knocked out by the blast, she breathed a sigh of relief.

Even if relatives no longer had humanity, they were still relatives, certain things were disgusting but impossible to cut away from.

"You stay here and look after her." Su Ming’an said to the white cat.

Xiaomei was related to TE2 and she didn’t want to leave, so he couldn’t just let her be bullied. Leaving a white cat with a combat power over a thousand would at least ensure her safety, anyway, the white cat wasn’t very useful, not as useful as Hei Yu, which could add charm.

The white cat immediately bristled; it had no intention of taking care of a young girl.

"If you don’t stay, I won’t feed you in the future," Su Ming’an said.

The white cat looked unconcerned.

"If you don’t stay, I will lock you up forever and not let you fight," Su Ming’an said.

The white cat was still indifferent, even casually shaking its fluffy tail; it was not afraid of such threats at all.

"...I’ll give you to Lv Shu," Su Ming’an said.

The white cat leaped up in an instant.

It moved next to Xiaomei’s feet, like a knight guarding a princess, its eyes filled with anger, clearly saying, "Don’t don’t give me to Lv Shu!"

...Lv Shu really is so disliked.

Su Ming’an glanced at Xiaomei and pushed open the door.

"You..." Xiaomei watched in astonishment as Su Ming’an voluntarily headed out.

"Teleporting back to Central City would be too wasteful," Su Ming’an looked at the approaching mechanical army and said, "I haven’t done anything wrong; let them ’invite’ me back."

He was also curious to see the player team that had been mentioned in Lv Shu’s team channel, the one that was supposed to besiege him, and see what they were made of.

He extended his hand, holding an Amber Knife that surged with the white light of space.