Night World Players

Chapter 120 I'm sorry I couldn't be your male protagonist (two in one)

On the outskirts of the royal city, on the top of the mountains.

The sea breeze brought with it the twilight, making Rast's clothes rustle.

The boy and the girl sat on the cliff like this, and below them was the sea dyed red by the sunset glow.

Rast was talking, and Helen was listening quietly beside him.

"From what I know, most people join the Shore Guardians not for seemingly noble reasons."

"To seek shelter, to have a better life, to become a transcendent and be superior to others... most of the shore keepers initially held only such selfish thoughts."

"However, through fighting, sacrifice and death, they will slowly change their minds and eventually transform into qualified shore defenders."

“This is the growth process of most shore keepers.”

Rast’s words echoed in the sea breeze: “But I am different from them.”

"Initially, it was because I saw the smile of the woman who rescued me from the ruins..."

"Because that smile was so happy, it made me unconsciously yearn for it."

“But what really made me become a shore keeper was the experience that followed.”

He glanced at Helen beside him, her pretty face bathed in the orange-red glow as she listened attentively.

"Just like you have never left the palace in the center of the royal city since you were born, and have spent hundreds of years in it in an unchanging way."

"In fact, I have had a similar experience to you... I was trapped in a port city for three hundred years. No matter how hard I struggled, I could never escape the same day that never ended."

“So, in the stagnant time that could never move forward, the world lost its sense of reality to me. I began to not understand the meaning of life. I treated everyone in that city as an NPC instead of a living person... I began to wantonly vent my desires and seek excitement.”

"Gradually, my memory became incomplete, and my perception of myself gradually collapsed... Even though I could occasionally recall past memories, I could hardly tell whether they were real experiences or hallucinations I had imagined."

"I began to lose track... Was I born in the border town of Canaan and had a normal childhood, but ended up in Deep Blue Harbor by accident? Or was I a member of Deep Blue Harbor from the beginning, and those memories of Canaan were just a fictional experience I imagined? Or maybe Deep Blue Harbor was just a highly realistic virtual game, and I was just a disordered program that had gained self-awareness for some reason."

"In that state, my longing for the shore guards in my memories began to deteriorate."

"Just like a drowning man grabbing a life-saving straw, I took that longing as a kind of proof... As long as I can still remember that smile, and can still feel the yearning and throbbing in my heart for "becoming a shore guardian", then the self called "Last" still exists. That is the proof that I have not given up, the proof that I have never given up on myself."

Rast looked at the setting sun on the sea level and said, "This is the whole story between me and the shore watcher."

This was the first time he revealed his state of mind in Deep Blue Harbor. Even when he talked with Hiltina, Last had never been so frank.

Because others cannot understand how it feels when life remains static on the same day for hundreds of years.

No matter how much they imagine, no matter how hard they try to empathize with him, it is just imagination after all... Without having had the same experience, they will never be able to empathize with Rast.

But Helen is different.

Monotonous time, a life that has stagnated for hundreds of years... The Queen of the Underworld has experienced it herself.

So Helen understood that for Rast, who could only watch his memory fade away and his self-awareness gradually become damaged at that time...how crazy and hysterical he would be in order to grab that life-saving straw.

Just like herself, in her past life, she had always regarded those worn-out fairy tale books left by her mother as treasures.

These are the prisoners imprisoned in cages. They are the only light in their lives for hundreds of years. It is the meaning of their lives and the proof that they are still alive.

Memories are washed away by time, and the self is gradually eroded... Hundreds of years have passed, and except for the obsession that cannot be forgotten, the prisoners of time have long been left with nothing, both their bodies and their souls.

"How lucky."

The white and slender fingertips danced in the air, and ice-blue words were written.

Luster looked at the beautiful handwriting and asked, "What is so lucky?"

"Because, no matter how bleak your past was... you finally escaped from that place called Deep Blue Harbor, didn't you, Rust?"

The girl tilted her head, her soft ice-blue hair falling as she moved.

"I realized my childhood dream and became a member of the shore guard. I formed my own team and came to my city..."

"These are all wonderful things that you, Rust, will never be able to experience in that cage. You should be thankful for them."

"And the same goes for me."

The icy blue handwriting that was being written paused slightly.

"I was able to see you at the maid selection half a month ago."

"I am so happy to have met you, Rast..."

“This is the luckiest thing that has ever happened to me in my life.”

In the glow of the setting sun, Helen's beautiful dark purple eyes were no longer covered by a layer of gray, lifeless mist...

Instead, it became vivid, as if there was a flame burning.

This is her inner voice.

Because of meeting the young man in front of him, the canary imprisoned in the cage opened the window for the first time and saw the sky.

Because of the encounter with Rast, the bird in the cage plucked up the courage for the first time, jumped out of the cage, and got a glimpse of the scenery of the outside world.

It was also because of the meeting with Rast.

So Helen's life... added colorful colors to the originally monotonous and static black and white sketch.

For Helen, the moment she and Last set out on their journey——

The light from all over the world seemed to gather around her. It was a dream journey bathed in sunshine.

……

The sun is still setting.

Originally, half of the solar corona could be seen above the sea level, but soon, less than a quarter of it remained.

In less than five minutes, the sun will disappear completely and long night will cover the world.

The night becomes darker and darker.

Not far away, the sea of trees, swaying in the wind, was gradually changing from pale red to red and black.

During the rest of the time, neither Helen nor Rast spoke on the cliff. They just stared at the scenery in front of them in silence.

After a long time, as if she had made some kind of decision, Helen stood up from the high cliff.

Ice-blue light flashed between her fingers... and then gathered into a somewhat old book.

Helen picked up the old book carefully, as if it were a treasure.

Then she placed the book in Rust's palm.

"This is a return gift."

Ice-blue words sparkled in the air.

The moment the book fell into his hands, Rast understood its origin.

On the book, there is a painting of a young knight holding a silver sword and a witch lady shrouded in black mist. Because it is too old, the cover of the fairy tale book still has mottled marks.

"Silver Wing Chronicles".

It was not the new version that Last had previously given to Helen, which he had copied by hand and re-edited.

But it is the original version, which is the relic left to Helen by her mother, the queen of the underworld of the previous generation.

This is Helen's favorite fairy tale book, and it is also proof that she has never given up on herself in the past hundreds of years of her life.

And now, she gave this fairy tale book to Rast.

So, in an instant, Rast knew Helen's feelings.

The original version of "Silver Wing Chronicle" represents the first half of her life.

And now what Helen wants to entrust to herself is the rest of her life.

Not far away, Helen took two steps back as she watched Rast take the fairy tale book.

Until she retreated to the end of the cliff, her lotus-like skirt fluttered in the mountain breeze.

Helen was wearing woolen boots, standing close to the cliff, her thighs were white and slender, with straight lines.

She turned around, with her back against the steep cliff, her ice-blue hair fluttering in the wind, and she opened her arms, her eyes fixed on the young man in front of her.

The scarlet lips trembled, and Rast heard a voice ringing in his ears.

These were not words written in the air, but words spoken by Helen herself.

Her voice was pleasant, mixed with the evening breeze, reminding Rust of the sound of wind chimes at midnight:

"Lassiter, am I really evil?"

This is a line from "Silver Wing Chronicles".

In the last scene of the fairy tale, the lonely poisonous witch who would bring plague to the world stood at the end of the cliff and said these words to the male protagonist.

And at this moment, the scene in the fairy tale book has become a reality.

The glow of the sunset slowly faded in Helen's eyes, and the sky seemed to be dyed by molten copper, burning into the color of flames.

In the increasingly dark night, the stars seemed to be reflected in Helen's eyes.

The queen of the underworld already knew the truth of everything.

She knew that her kingdom was only a paradise for the dead, and her blessings and power would only bring disaster to the living.

She also knew that she and Rast were not originally friends. Rast's arrival, whether dressed as a woman or sneaking into the palace by participating in the maid selection... all had some special purpose.

She knew even more clearly that the dreamlike half month she had experienced was a coincidence painstakingly created by the shore guard team, a carefully prepared false performance.

But even so, Helen still strives to pursue happiness.

Just like the story in "Silver Wing Chronicles", even if the boy who dreams of becoming a knight and the witch who brings disaster seem to be in an irreconcilable position, in the end, they may not be unable to understand or tolerate each other.

Not necessarily, there will be no happy and perfect ending.

"Fairy tales are fake, but love is real."

This is the view that Helen has always believed in... She believes that even if their encounter originated from a hypocritical lie, it can still give rise to sincere emotions.

She stood on tiptoe slightly, waiting with longing and hope.

Waiting for Rast to become the protagonist of his story.

Become the one who is willing to give up his ideals and the whole world for her——

A justice partner that belongs to her alone.

……

Last was also looking at the girl standing on the cliff in front of him.

He knew that Helen was waiting for his answer.

And at this moment, what I should do is to open my arms and hug the girl in front of me.

Just like the scene at the end of "Silver Wing Chronicles" -

He ignored worldly obstacles, and the constraints of morality and good and evil... The young knight abandoned the ideals he had always adhered to and embraced the only thing that belonged to him.

But what comes after that?

What happens after the finale?

The male protagonist betrayed his ideals and accepted the witch lady. His selfless dedication to love was truly touching.

However, if we do this, will the plague that lingers around the witch and brings disaster and death to the world no longer exist?

If one day, the lonely and vicious witch loses control again and kills innocent people with her own hands, how will the male protagonist deal with it?

"Silver Wings Chronicles" may end at the moment of the ending, but the real story will not stop there.

The conflict between the dead and the living, the ownership of the remains of the god of death, the plan that Cecil and I had prepared for a long time, and the legendary gravekeeper who had already arrived...

If you don't solve those potential problems that may lead to irreparable consequences, but let your behavior be controlled by your emotions... this is not romance, but just an irresponsible escape from reality due to being in love.

And the vice-captain who fulfilled his duties until the last moment of his life and paved the way for the hero as a "soldier" -

If I really did that, wouldn't the sacrifice of Shadow Servant become a joke?
and so……

From beginning to end, there is only one thing you need to do.

It is not about being dominated by emotions and disregarding everything for a momentary heartbeat.

But... in order to create a longer-term and more visible future with our own hands.

Thinking so, Rast walked towards the end of the cliff step by step.

Not far away, the queen with long ice-blue hair gently closed her eyes.

……

Present world, the Mystery Tower.

In the light curtain, the young man opened his arms and gently hugged the girl in his arms.

At this moment, the sun completely sank below the sea level and the long night fell.

Just like the finale illustration of "Silver Wing Chronicle" -

The hero and heroine embraced on a high cliff, their silhouettes falling against the black sky, like stone sculptures.

"Gan oh!"

"Little Tina is really going to be cuckolded now."

Dean Yin covered his eyes with his furry white tail, as if he didn't dare to watch his good student being cheated on. But his pupils were wide open between the fur, just like a primary school student deceiving himself while doing eye exercises.

"Well, although Tina was wronged, I am still quite satisfied with this dating variety show. It has a good ending."

"It was worth it that I watched the live broadcast for a whole day and night."

Dean Yin sighed.

Although little Tina was cuckolded, little Xia is also her good student, so it's better to keep the benefits within the family.

But then Dean Yin noticed something strange. He glanced around quietly and found that the victim's relatives were still calm.

"Little Snow Ferret, don't you think it's a little too early to open the champagne yourself?"

Ophelia's calm voice came from not far away.

"Is it too early to pop the champagne? But they all hugged each other, just like in the fairy tale book."

Dean Yin retorted: "It started like a fairy tale, and ended like a fairy tale. It was so fatalistic that I couldn't help but shout 'It's over, haha.'"

“The reason why a fairy tale is a fairy tale is that it can end at any time and anywhere at the moment when the princess and the prince hold their wedding… without having to consider the trivialities of family life, the dullness and boredom that follow, or even the second half of life that is full of disputes, regrets, and death.”

Ophelia's words were shockingly cold, yet they seemed to carry some long-suppressed emotions: "But reality does not have a fairy tale filter."

"It is irresponsible to say something like 'I would give up the whole world for you' just because of the testosterone that is running rampant for a moment."

"But……"

Dean Yin subconsciously wanted to refute.

But then.

"I'm sorry, Your Majesty—"

In the dim yellow sky, a flash of enchanting scarlet suddenly appeared.

"It seems that I failed to become the hero in your story."

(End of this chapter)