Night World Players

Chapter 251 I Don't Want to Shoot Her a Second Time
The night, like a thin veil, gradually faded from Last's sight.

With his current status, he naturally wouldn't experience the dizzying, mesmerizing feeling he had when he first became a Night Traveler, every time he entered the Echoes of History.

In fact, quite the opposite, with his mental power, Rast was even able to briefly trace his journey from the mortal world to the night world, and even the operating principles of the echoes of history.

That was a temporal divergence solidified by the power of the "Eternal Night Stele," hidden within the long river of time... To the true history, the night world is like a reflection in a mirror.

Just like the name "Night World"—day and night alternate, yet they never intersect.

……

As the pale night completely dissipated, what came into view for Last was a clear and spacious cityscape.

The wide streets were teeming with people, and skyscrapers rose up on both sides of the road. The giant screens on the buildings reflected neon lights, and the contrails of aircraft could be faintly seen in the azure sky...

A hint of disorientation flashed in Last's eyes.

The scene before him made it seem as if he were not in the historical echoes of the night world, but had returned to the modern city before his time travel.

However, Rust soon noticed something unusual about the cityscape before him—in the distance, in the heart of the city, a magnificent steel building rose from the ground.

It looked somewhat like an elevator, but it was tens of thousands of times larger than a typical civilian elevator... Steel tracks soared into the sky, reaching the end of the firmament, with cargo-carrying discs rising and falling along the tracks at the boundary between the sky and the earth.

Last recognized the colossal, futuristic-looking building—

A "space elevator," also known as an orbital elevator, is a technological invention that transports goods or people from the surface of a planet to space at low cost.

Whether in his past life before Last traveled through time or in the present world of the Western Continent, the "space elevator" was a science fiction concept that only existed in fantasy works... The mechanics, led by Dean Agatha of Star University, had discussed the feasibility of the orbital elevator many times, but until Last fell asleep, the project remained at the design blueprint stage, with construction far from being completed, let alone being officially put into use.

So, the place where Xiao Ai sealed herself away and slumbered was actually a near-future science fiction world? Just like the Sixth Epoch Historical Echoes that she entered last time?
Last waited for a moment, but the usual mission prompt from the Night World did not appear in his mind.

This did not surprise him, since he had bypassed the rules of the Echoes of History when he entered the Night World this time. The Night World did not match him with the corresponding mission echoes; he chose his destination on his own initiative.

Just like the illusion called Canaan that I would visit every time I cleared the Night World—not all Night Worlds are standard Echoes of the Past instances; there are also some special places. The plane where Xiao Ai sealed herself is most likely such a special place.

But then he heard a soft exclamation from a young girl.

The voice was clear and melodious... yet its direction was unclear, as if it came from a very distant place.

Immediately afterwards, the scenery around Last changed abruptly.

When his vision cleared again, he found himself inside a sci-fi-style tower building.

Through the huge quartz windows, you can see the view outside the tower: below is a vast sea of ​​clouds, above is the starry expanse of the deep universe, and beside you are steel tracks connecting the sky and the earth.

"Last!"

A familiar voice called from behind, followed by the scent of sandalwood in her hair.

A slender figure with long, pale golden hair embraced Rust from behind like a swallow throwing itself into his arms, with a soft touch.

After a long while, she gently released her arms and looked at Rust in front of her.

Those beautiful sky-blue eyes held undisguised surprise and excitement.

"After countless years of slumber, an entire era, Rast... I have finally waited for you to come and take me away."

Last gazed silently at the girl before him.

Her fair and delicate face was filled with the joy of a long-awaited reunion, and her crystal-clear sky-blue eyes were brimming with longing and love... Her voice, figure, and appearance were exactly the same as the blonde girl in Rust's memory.

After a moment, Last slowly shifted his gaze away from the girl in front of him.

He turned his gaze to the sea of ​​clouds outside the quartz window, and to the platforms that traversed between the clouds and the starry sky.

"what is this?"

"It's just what you think, Rust... it's a 'space elevator.'"

The blonde girl's voice was clear and melodious, full of energy: "Last, you once told me about the principle of a 'space elevator,' and that because the known materials don't meet the strength requirements for space elevator cables, it's currently just science fiction and hasn't been truly applied in practice."

"And after I successfully completed the 'Artificial Angel Project' and became a mechanical angel in the 'Judgment' sequence... these materials science problems that had troubled human scientists for so long were no longer a major obstacle for me."

"Since I was sealed away in the night world anyway, and was just idling around during my slumber, I used the long time I've been sealed away to create that science fiction product that originally only existed in fantasy works. It's no longer an ethereal fantasy, but a real and feasible science and technology."

She walked briskly to the quartz window and stood shoulder to shoulder with Last, gazing at the sea of ​​clouds outside.

"If we have a space elevator, then humans will no longer need to rely on expensive and luxurious means such as rockets to travel between the Earth's surface and outer space, and the cost of entering low Earth orbit will be greatly reduced."

"At that time, traveling to the space station in low Earth orbit will no longer be the privilege of a few astronauts... Even civilians will be able to easily leave the Earth's surface and live in space using the space elevator."

"At that time, the difficulty of exploring the universe will be greatly reduced. Collecting energy from stars, and even mining rare minerals from nearby planets... things that were previously only described in science fiction will gradually become reality."

The girl's clear and melodious voice was filled with longing and yearning, like a dream.

"Throughout history, the killings, struggles, and wars between people have always been essentially about competing for limited resources and territory."

"If a space elevator is invented, the threshold for exploring outer space will be greatly lowered—at that time, in the face of the almost inexhaustible resources and territories of the deep universe waiting to be exploited, wars between humans will naturally cease to exist."

"Lust, don't you think this is a dream come true?"

“Hmm.” Last nodded calmly: “If all of this comes true, then I think Hiltina will be quite happy—she won’t have to waste time and energy every day dealing with those foreign envoys and engaging in empty pleasantries.”

He turned his head to gaze at the distant sea of ​​clouds, and below the clouds, the continental landmass that looked like a map from a high altitude.

On a vast and boundless continent, bustling modern cities and prosperous kingdoms stand side by side, presenting a beautiful scene of peace and prosperity. "This, this continent, can't possibly be a real world, can it?"

Last suddenly spoke, his face expressionless.

"Yes."

The blonde girl nodded slightly: "This place is actually a product of my spiritual power, a landscape reflected from my mind."

"This is what is known as the 'ocean of the spirit' or the 'world of the mind.'"

She gazed out the quartz window at the thriving continent beneath the sea of ​​clouds: "Last, you must know by now—"

"When extraordinary individuals achieve legendary status, or even break through to the level of angels, their souls undergo a transformation... transforming from their originally ethereal spiritual power into a substantial 'spiritual ocean,' a manifested 'world of mental images.'"

"And this is my inner world as the angel of judgment."

"During the long period of self-imposed seclusion and slumber, it took me many years to gradually perfect my mental landscape to its current form."

Rastian nodded in agreement.

Ordinary superhumans, although they may also possess spiritual power and a soul, are mostly formless and intangible, and cannot exist independently of their physical bodies.

But legends and angels are different. Their souls and spirits are too powerful, having transcended the limitations of the physical body, forming their own spiritual ocean, like an independent little world or sub-plane.

Because his spirit had been tempered by the countless cycles of time in Deep Blue Harbor, his mind far surpassed that of others... Even before he achieved legendary status, he already possessed his own spiritual ocean—

That crimson wasteland with gears spinning in the dark sky is the mental world of Rast, and it is the source of his confidence in resisting the corruption of the evil god and even in hunting the resurrected god of death in the Abyss.

As an angel, it's not surprising that the girl before us, after a long period of slumber, could perfect her mental world to such an extent that it appears no different from a real, prosperous civilization.

The so-called "eternal paradise that one can go to after death" promised to their believers by the gods who now hide on the threshold of the blazing sky is, in essence, the mental world that those gods themselves have evolved over a long period of time.

"However, although this world is merely a mental landscape of my own imagination, the things I study within it—whether it's the technology to build the 'space elevator' or other technological creations—are all real."

The girl's sky-blue eyes sparkled with a sincere and passionate light, like a female knight with lofty ambitions and a strong sense of justice.

"Even if this is just an ideal world in my imagination, once we return to reality together, with the help of my technological power as the Angel of Judgment... we can work together to transform that originally dilapidated and scarred world into the kind of world we desire."

"That would be a truly perfect, ideal utopia—without oppression, without fraud, without war, where everyone is equal, and without distinction of race or nationality."

"Human probes have descended to the deepest parts of the ocean and reached the edge of star systems... The entire civilization has explored the stars together, created solar sails, and obtained inexhaustible energy from the stars."

She warmly and cheerfully took Last's hand, her smile as bright as the sunshine.

“Lust, I want to change the world and save those who are trapped in famine, war, and disaster.”

"I want to witness this beautiful scenery with you."

As she spoke, the blonde girl lightly tapped her pale fingers in the air.

In the next instant, a radiant door slowly appeared before her.

The illusory door was radiant and dazzling, as if it led directly to the void beyond.

Last knew that the gleaming door was the path to the real world, and that once he stepped through it, he could escape the night world and return to reality.

How could the rules of the mere Night World possibly restrain a true angel in his prime?

However, listening to the girl before me, whose eyes sparkled with light, her lofty ambitions and ideals encompassing the whole world...

Last simply watched in silence, letting the other man pull him toward the radiant doorway, as if to lead him away from the prison of this night world.

When the two were only a few steps away from the radiant door, Last sighed softly.

"No matter how hard you try to imitate... a pirated copy is still just a pirated copy."

He raised his hand slightly.

In an instant, illusory silvery light gathered between Rust's fingers, outlining a revolver.

The gun's body was entirely silver-white, reflecting a sharp metallic luster, like an iron moon—the real "Iron Moon" had been destroyed by Rast two years ago, but in the world of mental images, delusions can also be materialized into reality.

Last raised his gun and slowly aimed it at the back of the person in front of him.

But at the last moment, he did not pull the trigger.

Not far away, seemingly noticing Rust's actions, the blonde girl also stopped.

Why didn't you fire?

Her voice was no longer as cheerful as before, but rather carried a hint of indifferent stiffness.

"Not long ago, I personally shot that girl in the illusion of Canaan."

"It was a very unpleasant experience," Rust said softly. "Every time I think about it, it breaks my heart."

"So I don't want to fire again, even though I know you are the embodiment of the will of the 'Star Cup: Judgment'..."

"It's just a fake that stole Xiao Ai's memories and has her appearance."

(End of this chapter)