Night World Players

Chapter 281 Congratulations, you have completely conquered the Night World!

When he regained consciousness, Rust found himself in an incredible place.

What came into view was the setting sun, which seemed to set the entire sky ablaze.

Beneath my feet was a thick crystal floor, beneath which flowed slowly clouds bathed in a fiery red glow.

Looking into the distance, you can see the sky, dyed red by the setting sun, stretching endlessly into the distance.

Below this, in the clouds shimmering with golden-red light parallel to Last's line of sight, many crystal-clear, translucent objects, like crystals, were rising and falling in the sky.

Each crystal is enveloped in a thin veil of night, and each facet of the polygon reflects a distinctly different and magnificent scene—

A kingdom of knights where summer flowers bloom everywhere, an island community shrouded in gray mist year-round...

There are also wizarding civilizations with towering mage towers rising from the ground, and a technological age with skyscrapers standing tall...

"If I'm not mistaken, those crystals are symbols of the manifestation of different night worlds."

A girl's clear voice reached my ears.

Hiltina appeared beside Rust at some point, and together they gazed at the crystal formations floating in the sea of ​​clouds.

“Each glint of these crystals marks an era, the rise and fall, prosperity and decline of a civilization.”

"Even though I've long been accustomed to traveling through different night worlds as a night traveler... I still feel a strange sense of awe when I look at the physical reality of each night world from the outside."

Hiltina spoke softly.

"However, if all seventy-two Night Worlds that have existed in the past are now appearing before us in this form, it means that this is the origin of the Night World, right?"

"in other words--"

"We have already cleared the final Night World instance of that mythical era."

She blinked gently, her light brown eyes reflecting the fiery red glow of the sunset.

"Although from the very beginning, I was prepared for a long battle, and even to dedicate the rest of my life to it."

"But it really is a long journey."

"How many years has it been since we entered the World of the End of Night and arrived in the Age of Gods... It should be over two hundred years now, right?"

"Two hundred and thirty-seven years."

Last smiled. "To be more precise, it is two hundred and thirty-seven years, nine months, and thirteen days."

"It took nearly a century to lead the human tribes of the Age of Gods to rise and establish a new technological civilization... It took nearly another century to use technological means to fight against the mythical races protected by the ancient gods until all the mythical species were wiped off the surface of the world and an era belonging only to humans was established."

"But it was only in recent decades that the Age of Gods finally declined completely, and all the ancient gods were expelled from the material plane, either perishing forever or barely surviving at the edge of the Sky-Bridge."

"More than two hundred years... that sounds rather unreal."

Hiltina's voice carried a hint of surprise.

“I know that you and Xiao Ai have both spent hundreds or even thousands of years in the Night World before this, and are already used to the passage of time…”

"But for me, more than two hundred years is ten times the total length of my previous life."

"I was initially worried that more than two hundred years would be enough to completely change my mindset and make it impossible for me to go back to the way things were before."

"But now it seems that this period of time hasn't changed me too much."

She gently reached out and looked at her fair palm: "Now that I think about it, it's all thanks to you, Rust, and Little Ai."

"I was planning to complete the Night World of The End by myself..."

"But now that I think about it, if it weren't for your company, I would have wandered alone in the age of gods for more than two hundred years. Even though the bodies of angels don't age, my mindset would probably have turned into that of a lifeless old woman long ago..."

"They can never return to their original state of mind, return to a normal life... They have even completely lost their sense of being human and have become creatures no different from those high and mighty gods."

Last nodded slightly.

He could completely understand Hiltina's feelings at that moment.

After all, before meeting Hiltina and returning to the present world, Rust himself had experienced more than three hundred years of time loops in the historical echoes of Deep Blue Harbor, falling into the abyss of mental breakdown countless times.

If it weren't for the safe haven called Canaan and the girl named Amys, even if his physical body could be reshaped by the time loop, his soul might have already died in that echo of history, becoming a living dead who is neither alive nor dead.

But then, Last noticed that the chestnut-haired girl beside him suddenly smiled.

"Oh right, I just remembered that it's been quite a while since we did that."

“You’ve been spending all your time with Xiao Ai these past few days, and you’ve been ignoring me.”

Hiltina's lips curled into a charming smile: "Times have indeed changed. The childhood sweetheart trait is still a bit too overpowered in the current version. Someone like me, who just appeared out of nowhere, is no match for her anymore?"

"What do you mean by neglecting you for days... We just did it the day before yesterday, didn't we?"

Last said with some helplessness, "Besides, according to the schedule you and Xiao Ai agreed on, yesterday should have been her exclusive time."

"Besides, I was just playing a two-player game with Xiao Ai yesterday."

They spent over two hundred years together in the mythological era. Besides leading the development of human civilization and fighting against the mythological species of the age of gods, Rust and his companions also had a lot of free time.

To pass the time and to maintain his original intentions throughout the long years, Raste used his power as an angel and Amys's ability as a mechanical creator, based on his memories of his past life, to create a large number of classic games and entertainment works from his previous life.

From novels, comics, and animations to TV dramas, movies, and games, it has everything, fulfilling my dream of being a plagiarist.

“Since you and Xiao Ai went on a two-player trip together, you can’t favor one over the other. After we leave Night World, you have to go on the Two Shadows adventure with me.”

"So that's what you were waiting for here."

Seeing Rust's somewhat helpless expression, a hint of cunning, as if her scheme had succeeded, crept onto Hiltina's pretty face.

After saying that, she raised her head slightly and looked towards the infinitely distant sky.

"So, is this the end of our journey?"

Hiltina was met with a long silence and the sound of breaking clouds.

In the sea of ​​clouds dyed red by the setting sun, the crystals that were shrouded in the darkness of night are gradually fading and becoming more and more transparent.

"They...are disappearing."

That's Amy's voice.

The mechanical angel, its steel wings folded, stood quietly behind Rust, gazing at the crystals that were fading into the night.

These echoes of history, reflections of the past, fragments of history that form the foundation of the night world, are now irreversibly flowing away and disappearing.

It became increasingly illusory and transparent, cracking and spreading until it completely collapsed and returned to pure nothingness.

Occasionally, crystalline fragments would shatter from the crystals of the night world, some flying away, some peeling off downwards... If you listened carefully, you could also hear the heavy rumbling sound mixed in with the wind.

This is the end of the world, the end of something called the "Night World".

With the completion of the End Night world, these historical echoes that once recorded, witnessed, and carried the weight of six epochs will naturally be completely erased and never exist again.

What disappeared was not only the crystals that symbolized the seventy-two night worlds, but also the world itself located in the clouds.

Sometime later, that oppressive dome disappeared.

Instead, a magnificent starry sky appeared, filled with countless stars.

The sky was so vast that it took your breath away.

Is it because I've been imprisoned in the Night World of the End for over two hundred years, or is it just a coincidence that the starry sky is exceptionally clear tonight...?

But at this moment, the winter starry sky was so beautiful that it made people forget everything and soothe their wounds.

At this moment, both Last and Hiltina couldn't help but recall the motto they had seen inscribed on the obelisk at the entrance of Star University.

"Every star in that vast constellation is a tombstone for someone who has passed away."

"One by one, travelers fell in the echoes of the past, becoming sources of light and fire that watch over this land from afar, their names unknown to anyone."

"They bask in the darkness, yet shine as brightly as the stars."

……

"It's a beautiful view, isn't it?"

Suddenly a voice rang in Last's ears.

When he turned around, he realized that a man was already standing there.

Judging from his physique, the other person should be middle-aged, but his face is not clearly visible.

But for some reason, when his eyes met that hazy gaze, Last could clearly sense that the other person was very, very old, having lived through an infinitely long period of time.

"Whom should I address you?"

"The creator of the Eternal Night Stele, and the first leader of the Tomb Keepers organization..."

Last looked at the hazy figure whose face he couldn't make out:

"Or perhaps—" "The original owner of the 'Library of Fools,' the nameless fool who brought an end to the Age of Gods?"

……

"A name is nothing more than a label. Compared to things that will be forgotten after thousands of years, only things that can be truly passed down with human history are more precious."

"I think you should understand this principle very well."

"The current guardian of the shore, who has inherited my 'Library of Fools'..."

Hearing the nameless fool's calm words, Rast couldn't help but ask, "You actually know about things after the Age of Gods, so what exactly is your current state?"

"A ghost, a consciousness? Or a remnant soul like the old man with the ring?"

"It is neither a ghost nor a consciousness, nor is it, as you imagine, an old man with only a wisp of soul left, ready to possess another's body at any time."

As if guessing what Rast was thinking, the hazy, illusory figure seemed to smile.

"In real history, the nameless fool who created the Gravekeepers, the Stone Tablets of Eternal Night, and the 'Library of Fools' has long since passed away."

"Right now, I am merely a mark remaining within the Eternal Night Stone Tablet, and it won't be long before I am completely obliterated."

He slowly turned around, his gaze sweeping over the three of them one by one, finally settling on Rust.

"I have been waiting to overcome all the previous trials..."

"Enough to replicate the path I once walked, or even to allow the emergence of humans who surpass me."

“Wait, are you saying the trials of the Night World were within your expectations?” Last raised an eyebrow at the Fool’s Mark before him. “I thought you only created the Eternal Night Stele to record history, and that the Night World was born only because of Gray’s wish.”

"Once a sufficient number of historical echoes have been recorded, the night world, which will be used to test civilizations, will inevitably be opened up. This is the reason why I originally created the Eternal Night Stele."

The nameless fool shook his head: "The grand wish made by that little girl favored by fate only accelerated this process further, pushing the birth of the Night World forward by several eras."

"So why did you do that?"

Hiltina's voice rang out in the evening breeze.

This is a question that she, or rather every extraordinary person who has ever fought in the Night World as a Night Traveler, must have.

Her response was a brief silence from the nameless fool.

"Why? — This happened a very, very long time ago. What was the reason?"

"I was born in the most prosperous period of the mythological age, when humans lived entirely as appendages, supporting characters, or even servants of the mythical species that walked the world at that time."

"And so, from that time on, my only wish became to enable humanity to have a place on the land of mythical beings, no longer as vassals and slaves, but as an independent civilization."

The Fool's gaze, filled with a serene light, lingered briefly on Last, but quickly shifted away, landing on the distant, misty sea of ​​clouds.

"As a human being, I know better than anyone how weak the human race truly is."

"It has no sharp teeth and claws, no powerful physique, no bloodline or magic eyes that allow it to cast spells by birth... and it does not have the long lifespan of those mythical races that can easily last for thousands of years."

"All we can rely on is knowledge and experience."

His voice paused slightly.

"I believe that for every enemy, every danger, and every problem in the world, there is corresponding knowledge, as well as skills and tools derived from that knowledge, to fight against them."

"However, the knowledge, skills, and tools that each person can memorize, master, and accumulate in their lifetime are limited."

"Therefore, in order to fight against dragons, elves, vampires and other naturally powerful races with the inferior bodies of humans... I wove a kind of ability that only dull humans could use, which is what later generations called extraordinary knowledge."

Humans certainly don't have sharp teeth and claws, nor do they have powerful blood talents and long lifespans.

However, the transmission of knowledge and the inheritance of civilization... are treasures that only weak humans can appreciate and use to defeat powerful enemies.

Even in the beginning, the knowledge passed on was just a few insignificant summaries of experience, such as hunting techniques and how to make fire.

But as long as it can be passed down from generation to generation, as time goes by, the progress of civilization history... will be improved, completed and filled in by generations.

Then, one day——

The seedlings that just sprouted in the past can also grow into towering trees, encompassing everything in the world.

And the tiny spark will turn into a raging fire, setting the whole world on fire.

then--

slowly.

After who knows how many years, the era of mythology came to an end.

Ancient dragons, high elves, magic wolves, giants, vampires... these mythical races have withdrawn from the stage of history.

Human beings have become the only protagonists of this era.

"However, at that time, I also saw the end of civilization, the inevitable end of an era."

"I tried every possible method and deduced all the possibilities, but in the end I found that it was an apocalypse that I could not fight against or reverse with my current level of civilization and knowledge."

"Therefore, I created the 'Library of Fools' to pass on my power, and the 'Eternal Night Stele' to record and safeguard the civilization of future generations... Just as my ancestors passed on their knowledge and experience to me, I also choose to entrust everything I have to future generations."

There was a slight pause in his words.

"I choose to believe in the accumulation of knowledge over time, and in the power of passing on knowledge from one spark to another."

"I believe that even dull-witted humans, as long as they continue to accumulate and improve... will one day be able to weave a power that surpasses that of the gods and find a way to reverse the fate of civilization."

"This was the original intention behind the creation of the 'Gravekeepers'."

As he spoke, a sigh crept into his words.

"However, I overlooked human nature."

"Even the purest ideals and perseverance will eventually deteriorate over time if they are forgotten. They will forget their original intentions and decay to the point that they can no longer be seen as they were, which almost caused this kind of inheritance to be completely cut off."

"The tomb guardians that I created to watch over human history have instead become the greatest obstacle to the transmission of civilization."

"However, fortunately—"

"That library, which belonged solely to fools, after being sealed away for many years, finally found its owner in someone like you..."

His gaze once again settled on Last.

"Angels can occupy the entire river of time, existing simultaneously in every moment where their 'footprints' remain."

"Therefore, among angels, the more a being can leave its mark upstream in the river of time, the more powerful it is... because it is ancient, therefore powerful."

“You were merely angels born in the Seventh Age before, and the oldest traces left by the Eternal Night Stele were only from the Sixth Age.”

"But at this moment, as you have cleared this final night world and accomplished the great feat I once achieved—the footprints I left in the Age of Gods have been completely replaced and occupied by you."

"In other words, you at this moment are the beginning and the end of the entire river of time, occupying every node of history, surpassing all the gods existing in the world... the truly oldest beings."

The voice of the nameless fool was fading along with his figure, becoming almost transparent in the twilight glow.

As he said, he was indeed just a mark left in the Eternal Night Stone Tablet... After being baptized for seven epochs, his remaining power was already negligible, a flame on the verge of being extinguished without the need for wind to blow it out.

"Back then, I was unable to lead humanity to that glorious, infinitely vast future."

“But I believe in you…you who have surpassed me in the past, perhaps—you really can do what I couldn’t do back then.”

He looked at his increasingly ethereal body, which was almost disappearing, and spoke softly in a steady voice.

"It seems my time is almost up."

Silence returned to the twilight sky, and neither the nameless fool who seemed to be carried away by the wind, nor Rust, Hiltina, or Amys spoke again.

Looking into the distance again, one can see that even the parts outside the Night World Crystals have begun to crumble.

You can see the once boundless sea of ​​clouds and red sky gradually disappearing as they are swallowed by white light in the distant distance... The erosion of light is happening everywhere, and it seems to be slowly approaching here.

This is a self-evident fact. The so-called Night World is a world formed by the convergence of countless illusory historical reflections. And now, with the end of the Night World, all the magnificent reflections and echoes will cease to exist.

"Oh right, I almost forgot to tell you guys..."

As the white light finally reached the feet of the three, Rast heard the fool's voice once again in his ear:
“Last, Hiltina, and Amys.”

"Congratulations."

"Congratulations, you have completely conquered the Night World."

As the old man finished speaking, a blinding white light destroyed everything.

Then, the continuously evaporating particles of light carried everything to another world.

……

P.S.: This story will end tomorrow.

(End of this chapter)