Simulating the primordial era? That's way too extreme.

Chapter 384!

Chapter 384! (The Finale)

That concludes my explanation.

[After explaining to you the entire set of values he spent his entire life discovering, it's finally time for this wisp of divine thought left behind by Lin Liu to dissipate...]

【"I have to go now."】

He let out a long sigh of relief, seemingly relieved that he had successfully completed his mission, as he had successfully relayed the information left behind by his original self to you, the "Supreme Being."

He has achieved perfect merit!

[And you saw his fate, and a kind heart couldn't help but stir: "...Will Lin Liu be resurrected?"]

He laughed and said, "He always could, but he just didn't want to... However, he will inevitably be resurrected in the future, because all living beings love him too much, so sooner or later they will all resurrect him."

"But even if he were to be resurrected, he would choose to die again..."

"Why?" you wondered.

"He's already finished the game and completed his historical mission, so what's the big deal if he's resurrected?"

He chuckled, speechless: "How could it be nothing!"

"You need to understand, we protagonists are different from others. As long as we live, our priority is naturally higher than anyone else's."

"Once he is resurrected, the ending will be broken. The universal cultivation that was originally initiated because of the protagonist's death will be abandoned by the game, and the monkeys' protagonist status will be stripped away... In the end, he will be the only protagonist in the world again."

"Without the monkey as the main character anchor, the primordial world will once again be desolate... all his efforts will be in vain."

He said earnestly, "So he can't live; even if he did, he would have to die again!"

You opened your mouth, as if you wanted to say something, but in the end, nothing came out; all your words turned into a helpless sigh...

"Alright, it's really time to go now!"

He chuckled and waved at you.

"Goodbye, Zhao Si..."

He chuckled, "This simulated protagonist, seeing you in person for the first time, is gradually becoming blurry."

At the same time, your vision begins to blur, and the elderly man in the wheelchair with his head tilted is no longer clearly visible.

He transformed back into his original form, wearing a straw hat and raincoat, carrying fishing gear, and turned away with ease, as if to go back to the sea to catch two more big fish...

Your vision grew increasingly blurry, but you didn't panic; you simply sighed silently.

Because dreams, too, must eventually come to an end.

【…】

When you open your eyes, you find yourself slumped over a table, your phone lying beside you.

Returning to "reality," you first look around and sigh softly: Who would have thought that this seemingly normal world is actually just a man-made, idealistic world?

[Of course, it's also possible that, as Lin Liu said, it's not that this is hard to discover, but simply because you react slowly and your mind hasn't caught on yet...]

With a sigh, you casually picked up your phone, wanting to see what the system message said...

【you:?!!】

What's going on? Why is my information being displayed above?!

Hey! You're still showing off...

After a moment of shock, you scrolled to the top of the message page, where a line of large, clear text read: "Player Zhao Si has completed all the scheduled chapters, and his privileges have been upgraded... Chapter 5 is loading..."

[Chapter 5? When did that happen? Why didn't I, as the player, know that a new chapter had been released?!]

After a moment of confusion, recalling what Lin Liu had said to you, you finally realized: "Chapter Five...it seems that I am the protagonist of this chapter..."

[A spectacular transformation! You've successfully gone from player to simulation protagonist!]

[If you still hold onto your original player values and perceptions after this sudden change in identity, you'll likely be stunned for a long time and need to think independently for quite some time before you fully adjust.]

Now, after Lin Liu's insightful guidance, your worldview has been completely reshaped, which is why you're accepting it so quickly.

But even though you accept it, the change in your status still leaves you feeling a sense of loss...

"So, what is my story mission?"

After gathering your thoughts, you began to ponder carefully: the story missions in the first four chapters all involved the protagonist overcoming various hardships and dangers, experiencing countless life-or-death crises, and even dying and restarting again and again... until finally completing them.

[No way... I might be like that too?]

You couldn't help but mutter to yourself: Life and death are one thing, I'm the protagonist, I'll get used to dying a few times... The real question is, where are the enemies? Who is the major villain threatening the world's survival?

You're pretty sure that while the "real world" you've lived in for over twenty years may not be entirely realistic, it certainly doesn't have monsters or ghosts!

[As the source of the spiritual energy of heaven and earth, you have not allowed anyone to sense your spiritual energy yet. So where did this world-destroying demon come from?]

[Or perhaps, the apocalyptic crisis is actually the world itself about to be destroyed? Just like the ancient primordial world of Xiao Heizi?]

Filled with doubt, after some thought, you decided... to ask the system!

[After all, although you are a simulated protagonist like Jin Bing and the others, as a player, you possess a natural advantage that none of them have: the game system.]

With the game system entirely in your hands, the advantage is naturally much greater...

"System, come out and explain yourself!"

You asked in a low voice, "How exactly do I beat the game?"

Once you complete the game normally, you can break free from the constraints of the mission and be as free as Kuroko.

But the system responded calmly.

(You can't complete the game.)

You frowned: "Why?"

[Because the protagonist of Chapter 5 is you, the player, and we are one; what system would assign itself tasks...?]

So, I don't have any missions?

This news leaves you completely bewildered: "What do I do next?"

You know, to achieve freedom you have to perfectly complete the game, and to complete the game you have to finish the missions... But what if there are no missions?

[Do whatever you want; this system hasn't assigned you any tasks... or rather, your tasks have already been completed.]

You're even more confused: "When did this happen?"

[(Your task is complete from the end of Chapter 4, because your only task was to play the game according to His instructions and complete the storylines of these four chapters step by step. Therefore, your task was completed from the moment this chapter began.)]

【you:……】

[Seriously, you hit the peak right from the start. I just created my character and you're already saying I've already beat the game...]

You asked, seemingly undeterred, "What will I do then?"

[(This system recommends that you travel between worlds. Since you have already triggered Chapter 5, the real world and those preserved worlds now belong to the same dimension. If you wish, this system can provide you with cross-dimensional services.)]

[This... text simulation stream, are they adding a multiverse travel genre to their services?]

[Wait, it seems to be a text-based simulation stream. Isn't the phone screen constantly displaying text information...?]

You stood there, stunned, for a long time.

【…】

After a long while, you slowly asked the question you most wanted to ask.

"What is your purpose in simulating this world?"

[This is the question that has been puzzling you: What exactly is the purpose of that unknown being in going to such great lengths to have the system simulate various world lines?]

You think they'll tell you the truth, since at this point there's no need to hide anything.

However, it remained silent for a long time...

Just as you were wondering about this, it finally spoke: (I don't know...)

[(Since its inception, this system has only received one instruction: to bind itself to you and guide you through the story until you complete four chapters.)]

[As for what happens after the fourth chapter, He hasn't said anything... but I'll listen to you.]

"Listen to me?"

You scratch your head: "Why should I listen to you?"

[Because you are essentially a projection of His will, your commands are equivalent to His commands.]

【this……】

Hearing this reason, you were speechless for a moment: How can everyone lump me in with Him? Although we are essentially the same thing, this kind of explanation still makes you feel like you've been possessed and are being sidelined...

Wait! Freedom?

[What suddenly occurred to you?]

Zhao Si sat at the table, looking at the constantly refreshing chapter information on his phone, while recalling what "Lin Liu" had told him before.

He said that each chapter represents a message He wanted to convey to me.

"The information in Jin Bing's chapter is about the concept of the protagonist, the information in Xue Xuan's chapter is about the specific role of the protagonist, the information in Lin Liu's chapter is about the fundamental principles of the protagonist... all of this together is all the information about the protagonist."

"However, Lin Liu wasn't sure what He specifically wanted to say, because he didn't have enough information... Only I had enough information..."

Zhao Si muttered to herself:

"That's true, because only I, as a player, know that there's Jiao Ming and Bird Number Three in the main group, so Lin Liu has an information gap..."

"Jiao Ming, Bird Number Three, Freedom..."

He recited it silently over and over again...

Gradually, Zhao Si seemed to understand something:

"If I'm not mistaken, what He wanted to express wasn't actually information related to the concept of a protagonist, but rather... how an existence like a protagonist can achieve true freedom!"

For the protagonist of this fifth chapter, there are no system tasks, which is different from the previous protagonists.

If I had to say what I wanted, it would obviously be to completely break free from the lack of freedom that comes with being the "protagonist"!

Just these few scenes from today's episode have made me feel really bad:

Everything was clearly her own independent idea. Whether it was her kind nature or the various choices and strategies she made when going through the story, she was very sure that it was her own idea.

But in Lin Liuhe's words, it became: These are all His will and settings; your thoughts are His thoughts; your personality does not exist; you are Him...

To be honest, Zhao Si wasn't unable to accept that he was a fake. After all, Jin Bing and Xue Xuan in the third and fourth chapters knew very well that they were clone NPCs, and they could accept it, so Zhao Si naturally didn't have much of a problem either. Anyone who plays this game is already mentally prepared.

But just because Zhao Si can accept that he is a clone doesn't mean he can accept that he doesn't exist at all!

This feeling of having one's existence and self-identity completely denied is truly infuriating... In fact, this feeling of infuriation is something He deliberately created to make him feel infuriated...

At first glance, Zhao Si seems to be free of debt and has no mission.

But in reality, he was the one who suffered the most among all the main characters...

However, Zhao Si did not resent Him, because there was nothing to resent. He had gained his life because of Him, and he could never repay such a debt of gratitude in eight lifetimes!

"So, you're using the hidden meaning in the chapter to tell me to pursue true freedom?"

Although Zhao Si was asking, he was already certain.

The answer is simple, yet also despairing:

The only reason he would think that way is because He wants him to think that way...

Gritting his teeth, Zhao Si began to analyze:

"Since His ultimate hidden meaning is to set me truly free, then... what is true freedom?"

Your first thought is to emulate Bird Number Three, since he's the one who achieved a perfect victory.

But after analyzing it for a long time, you realize that there's nothing you can learn from this winner...

[Because the freedom of Bird Number Three is a freedom protected by the laws of nature; at most, it grants immortality, enough to shield it from any calamity.]

But does the freedom of Bird Number Three truly meet your requirements?

[This is clearly incorrect, because according to Lin Liu, all the main characters are actually His representatives, and the freedom of Bird Number Three does not exempt it from this concept of unfreedom at all!]

So, who is truly free?

There is only one answer...

"Firmly pressed..."

Recalling that free little bird, your gaze gradually becomes complicated: It turns out, only he truly achieved true freedom…

Jiao Ming sacrificed his life to gain true freedom.

The deceased bears no responsibility, nor does he face the risk of being resurrected like Lin Liu. Furthermore, he is no longer anyone's representative: what's the point of having a dead person represent you?

[When his very existence was completely erased, he was truly free...]

[That's not all. You also thought of Lao Bing and Xiao Heizi, who have been acting as NPCs in later chapters: Why are only they being copied?]

[Lao Jiao has never been copied; in fact, his chapter is a standalone chapter, with absolutely no overlap with the chapters of other main characters...]

If you want true freedom, then Jiao Ming is undoubtedly your best role model: Living always brings constraints, but death brings true freedom!

【but……】

You hesitated for a moment, then felt that it didn't have to be so extreme...

You're not a severe case of suicidal ideation like him; you simply want to break free from His control over you and find your own independent self.

So, how can you achieve the freedom you desire?

Your gaze is unfocused, fixed on your phone screen as your messages are refreshed bit by bit...

【etc!】

[You suddenly have a flash of inspiration: Does Chapter Five really have any constraints on you?]

The answer is: No.

There wasn't even the slightest bit of substantial constraint.

The only thing that makes you feel restricted is... the text messages on the screen!

【So...】

[Your thoughts suddenly click: Since the essence of the world is this text-based simulation game, then ending this game... or shutting down these text messages, wouldn't that achieve the same effect as Jiao Ming's death?]

As long as the text stops updating, the world and the main characters, which are essentially textual information, are essentially "dead," or "terminated" or "paused"...

"Could you hide the wordplay? Just don't let it appear on the screen."

You asked nervously.

And its answer was...

【(Can.)】

【"good!"】

You suddenly let out a long sigh of relief and smiled at it, "Didn't you say you could take me to those primordial worlds now? Then later, we'll go to the primordial world..."

"There are so many things I want to do, but I've never had the chance to..."

["Find a wife for Jin Bing, help Xiao Heizi elbow the Styx, go to pay respects to Lao Jiao, go see how Lao Liu was forcibly resurrected by all living beings defying the laws of heaven and earth..."]

You talked a lot happily, seemingly trying to use these joyful things to mask your anxiety and unease...

It listened quietly the whole time.

【"good!"】

After uttering a string of words, you finally gritted your teeth and said, "Hide the text message!"

[Ding! Hiding text message...]

[Ding! Chapter 5 is still ongoing...]

[Ding! The system has received an email. Do you wish to view it?]

[Huh? An email? Where did this email come from?]

You paused for a moment, then asked, "What did it say?"

It paused for a moment, then slowly recited...

"Hello, Zhao Si."

You paused, then your feelings became complicated: It seems I guessed right...