Welcome to Rewind World Game
Chapter 619 - 616: ’Acto is Damn.

Chapter 619: Chapter 616: ’Acto is Damn.

It was unclear whether it was malice or coincidence, but there existed a gigantic fountain here, much like the one in Main God World Square.

However, the sculpture of this fountain was not a Boss Rabbit, but a fist that faced upwards, its fingers distinct and edged, knucklebones protruding like sharp, pale swords seeming to shatter the sky.

This was the symbol of the founding of the City of Measurement, signifying "struggle for freedom," an ideal from the era of the Dawn War. Below the fist was a square obsidian pillar, facing the sun, inscribed with "Doomsday City - City of Measurement" and "Yasa Acto and the eight seats established together," shining brilliantly under the golden sunlight, as if gathering and storing the light into the recessed lines.

On the back of the obsidian, the sculptor’s name was blurred, barely discernible as a word representing "Ann."

The competitors, either sitting or standing, gathered around the fountain, none daring to contaminate the water, as that would be an insult to the city-state.

Most players kept their distance from the fountain, standing scattered around the perimeter of the square, somewhat fearful of it, as the Boss Rabbit fountain sculpture cast a deep shadow over them.

When Su Ming’an’s gaze slowly swept over the area, he had taken in the current situation.

At his first utterance, everyone stopped what they were doing and waited for his next words.

"I often wonder what the Dawn System really represents?"

His voice, carried by a transmitter, reached everyone’s ears.

"Does it represent absolute correctness? Or does it represent order and law, maintaining the peace and purity of the city-state? Or maybe ... does it represent the privileged class of high personae, justifiably oppressing those of inferior personae?"

At his words, the people fell silent.

In the past, Kaius Tower contestants usually just entered the competition without any opening speech. This time was special, as most were seeing the City Lord in person for the first time.

Dawn’s expression was unchanged, still softly staring at Su Ming’an’s back.

Under the brilliance, his soft hair whirled like a full pool of sun, exceptionally brilliant in its eyes.

It gazed at him under the sun, its eyes soft like water.

"I think many people here believe that the Dawn System represents the last of these," Su Ming’an said. "They think that I, with privilege, oppress the majority, making them rightfully become slaves of the city-state, the lower class, criminals, the ostracized."

After he finished speaking, the square fell into a brief dead silence.

But soon, a voice came forth.

"That’s not true!"

With one voice uttered, it was like it triggered a tide.

"—Without the City Lord, how could we have survived to this day!"

"We are definitely not ungrateful wretches!"

The voices gradually merged into an ocean.

The people cried out loudly.

The authority of Yasa Acto was evident. Had it not been for Ta Wei’s invasion, Acto’s image would have forever shone brightly in the people’s hearts. After the Rebel Army was uprooted, his reputation soared again, reaching a level akin to that of a deity.

—And he was indeed no different from a deity.

Surviving the Century Catastrophe, the Dawn War, he established the City of Measurement.

Mechanics, biochemistry, artificial intelligence, standing at the summit of humanity, he was the reformer of the Dawn System, the leader of the Dawn War striving for the freedom of Doomsday City.

When a person reaches a position others can hardly achieve, the initial envy and jealousy turn into pure admiration and even faith in a "God."

"Yasa Acto" was just such a person.

..."Number One Player" was likewise.

Amidst voices of approval and support, only some of inferior persona and the battle groups looked unfazed.

"We must absolutely kill him..." A blue-haired girl from the battle group popped a bubble with her mouth, her face stern, her eyes cold as ice blades.

"Han, calm down," Doris gently embraced her: "I know your mother was shot because her emotional value was measured too high... but now is not the time for revenge. Be patient..."

Han bowed her head in silence.

Lu, standing beside them, watched the scene indifferently. Currently, his character was that of a warm-hearted man, which in theory meant he should comfort the emotionally agitated girl.

But the girl’s evident intent to kill Su Ming’an, visible from the platform, made him really dislike her.

Lu had long noticed that the battle group’s hatred for Acto was excessively strong, to the extent that they "lived off this hatred." They had gathered together because of pure hatred, and although their unity was strong, this kind of emotionally supported organization would pose severe hidden dangers once it fell apart.

And that young leader, Che Kylstia, could he rally this emotionally rich team?

This group of people... had almost gone mad. They struggled against the flow of public opinion in the city-state, wanting to kill someone the people adored.

Lu sighed. He couldn’t save these people.

"——Enough." Su Ming’an said.

Under his words, the voices of the people gradually subsided.

"Perhaps, some of you are insincere, that’s okay," Su Ming’an said: "To me, I believe... the Dawn System is neither the so-called enforcement machine nor an expression of legality and law, but— all of you."

He faced the astonished crowd with a smile:

"Every action of each of you represents this correctness— you are the best supporters of the Dawn System."

"It’s your way of thinking, your every move, your ability to work or live, the will to rebel or comply—all of these together form the entire Dawn System, forming this city-state named after measurement."

"This compliance with the broader societal needs, a value system formed from small to large, almost like the collective unconscious, creates viewpoints and logic. Whether you support or oppose, love Dawn or hate Dawn, your free actions have formed vast data, and this vast data has formed the optimal measurement singularity, allowing the city-state to continue to this day."

"So,"

He raised one hand as if to cradle the sunlight.

In the sight of the people, his eyes were exceedingly bright:

"——You are Dawn."

A double entendre.

The city lord’s gentle voice transmitted through the speakers, reaching every corner of the city-state, and people far away raised their heads, gazing into the distance.

The slight buzz of discussion stopped.

Faced with this unprecedented concept, people were shocked.

They themselves... were Dawn?

"Quite the speaker."

Yamada Machiichi thought to himself: "This could easily reduce the people’s resistance to being ruled by Dawn, but the problem is, what he said isn’t wrong at all, it’s just rhetoric..."

He glanced over and noticed that not far away, Lv Shu was busy taking notes, his notebook filled with what Su Ming’an had said.

Yamada Machiichi was shocked; he suddenly realized that perhaps he was only a notebook away from being the most loyal follower... a Light Pursuer.

...

"...Hmph."

Among the crowd, a blond man wearing a black round hat lowered his head. He was wearing a face-changing mask, disguising his originally handsome features into something utterly ordinary.

The hem of his clothes was empty, and he could only walk with the help of a pair of mechanical legs.

"I’ve already learned the importance of Kaius Tower, Su Ming’an..." he murmured, "Standing tall, elevated status, is that impressive? Sooner or later, I’ll pull you down."

Edward lowered the brim of his hat, suddenly spotting a girl with jade green eyes standing not far away. She was lowering her head, carving a piece of wood in her hands, her expression focused, as if pouring all her love into the artwork.

"Is that, Dong An’an?" Edward exclaimed, as his intelligence gathering revealed that this girl was no simple matter, "How could she also be participating in the Kaius Tower..."

...

"Before the commencement of the Kaius Tower, Dawn has some matters to inform everyone," Su Ming’an said, then stepped back slightly.

In the people’s gaze, the inviolable deity of the city-state appeared before the high platform, with its transparent eyelashes overshadowing a pair of galaxy-like vast pale eyes—clearly reflecting everyone’s shadow.

"I’ve emphasized before—every Kaius Tower is related to the fate of the world," Dawn’s cool voice echoed.

When facing the residents, its tone was utterly devoid of fluctuation, as cold as a machine.

That unique gentle tone seemed reserved only for Su Ming’an. Before formally turning hostile, it was always gentle towards him.

"This time is no different. The ’Source of Civilization’ within the Kaius Tower can help prolong the survival of the city-state.

"Every ’Source of Civilization’ you find, I will reward accordingly.

"Elimination of archival stains, removal from criminal records, access to high-end technology learning permits... these rewards are all feasible.

"Remember, the ’Source of Civilization’ is the most important thing."

Its voice was extremely cold, like a winter breeze.

People listened quietly, even players felt the authority and dared not speak.

When Dawn spoke no more, Su Ming’an revealed a smile.

"Well, that’s it." he said, "You may all move freely within the venue, and at twelve o’clock sharp, the teleportation will commence."

His presence effectively dispelled the coldness brought by Dawn.

In the eyes of the people, only humans could empathize with humans. With Acto around, they could always feel at ease.

After Su Ming’an and Dawn left, the crowd revived their noise, and the sound of conversation was endless.

Che stared at the City Lord gradually moving away, feeling as if a barrier was interposed between them. The man was no longer the familiar Lewis, but a coordinator who accompanied the cold city-state deity.

Che withdrew his gaze.

"Alright, we have mostly discussed the specific strategies. Each Kaius Tower is different, and strictly confidential, we can only adapt as things unfold," Che addressed his members, "Our goal is to penetrate Central City, so, we cannot be satisfied with just picking up survival resources, our aim is ultimate victory..."

Yet, in his mind, he thought that the survival of the majority of the members was the priority, never to risk their lives for victory.

Just to reassure the members, he would participate in the Kaius Tower, in fact, he himself did not expect victory.

"Kill him, we must kill that Acto..." Lei Xiao’s eyes were full of bloodshot.

"Exactly, no matter how great the tribulation, we must kill Acto..." Han’s eyes were cold.

Watching his teammates blinded by hatred, Che sighed quietly to himself.

"Kill whom?"

A clear voice came through, and the battle group was momentarily stunned.

Che looked over and was almost shocked out of his wits.

A youth in a black coat and wearing a mask approached, his eyes brimming with amusement beneath his slanted, long eyebrows.

"Hey, isn’t this Guest Elder Lewis?" Bald man Beiji exclaimed happily, "You’ve come to participate in Caius Tower too? That’s great, we’ve got another Think Tank."

"Lewis, you’re here too, that’s wonderful," Doris said with a smile, patting his shoulder, "We were discussing infiltrating Central City and killing Acto."

"Oh, oh," Su Ming’an nodded, "That’s good, he deserves to die, Acto really does."

"Exactly..." People echoed in agreement.

Che was plunged into confusion.

He couldn’t imagine why the City Lord himself would mingle with the battle group—wasn’t Acto afraid of revealing his identity and being torn to pieces by the group?

"Everyone, let’s welcome the addition of Lewis," Beiji clapped his hands enthusiastically.

People clapped their hands, welcoming the newcomer warmly due to their desperate situation.

"Thank you, everyone," Su Ming’an knew it was because of his high Charm value that people found it hard to be wary of him.

He stood next to Yuanyuan, locking eyes with her silently, then spoke no more.

Since Caius Tower was about to start, the group members held hands to prevent being separated during teleportation.

Beiji stretched out his hand, grabbing onto Doris next to him, then Han, Wells, Lei Xiao, Sa, Mo Li...

The members of the battle group were mostly destitute, their cheeks gaunt, their complexions dull, yet their eyes were bright. They wore clothes in a dark palette of black, white, and gray, but draped over them were capes as red and vivid as blood, a stark contrast, waving like a blood-red flag in the wind.

"Click, click."

A hand reached out in front of Su Ming’an; it was Che’s, who was closest to him. The outstretched mechanical hand had wide joints, its surface icy white.

Su Ming’an looked up, clasping that mechanical hand, his gaze meeting Che’s.

Che’s eyes flickered with bright red electronic patterns, a symbol of integration between human and machine, the flame-like light shooting upwards as if leaping into flight, involuntarily drawing one’s attention to Che’s pupils.

For this Caius Tower, there were a total of 19,809 participants, of which about 6,000 were players.

Participants also included members of the internal structures of the city-state, though in minimal numbers.

With Ming’an as leader of the 20-member Hawk Hound Department, with Dong as leader of the 20 members of the Sanctuary, as well as single-digit numbers from the Psychological Counseling Department, Artificial Intelligence Research Group, and Mechanical Beacon Development Group. They were merely symbolic participants, responsible for observation and detection.

There were 169 competitors in the battle group; the historical death rate in Caius Tower was high, making elite combat more suitable.

After waiting until noon, Su Ming’an felt himself becoming lighter.

Brilliant radiance spilled over the square, gradually connecting each person to the entire circular area of the square—it spread out from the center like a white wave—

White light surrounded everyone, their forms gradually becoming diffused.

Watching this scene, Su Ming’an suddenly had a sense of déjà vu.

...This seemed like a scene from the opening ceremony of the World Game. Everyone gathered in the square, listening to that huge rabbit that was so blood-red it seemed about to melt.