Elegy from Another World

I arrived alone at the small village that the player representatives had perfectly recreated. The afterglow of the setting sun shone on the familiar thatched roofs and wisps of smoke rising from the chimneys; everything was exactly the same as when I first arrived, even more peaceful and serene. I walked across the stream and saw children playing on its banks; I passed the old locust tree and heard the old men playing chess and chatting.

Finally, I stopped in front of the little wooden house that had given me my first taste of the world's kindness. The man was chopping wood in the yard, the woman was sitting at the door mending clothes, and the lively child was running around her. When they saw me, they both smiled with surprise and warmth, as if I were just a family member returning home.

"Lizia! You're back!" The man put down his axe, wiped his sweat, and smiled simply and warmly.

"Come in and sit down, I just baked some bread!" the hostess invited.

I stepped inside. The familiar furnishings and warm atmosphere almost made me feel like I was in a different time. I sat down, took the warm bread, but my heart was filled with an indescribable bitterness.

"I've come to say goodbye," I said softly. "I'm leaving here to go to... a very, very far place."

"Leave?" The couple were stunned, and the child stopped playing and looked at me curiously.

"Yes, to go 'outside'." I tried to explain, even using my magic to project images of the "Netway" and those white nodes recorded by Xiaobei into the air. "You see, the world we live in might just be... part of a larger world. Like a page in a book, or a model in a box. I want to see what it's like outside the box."

I tried to describe the concepts of "virtual world," "data ocean," and "other servers," pointing to the flashing white spheres and telling them that each one could be a completely new and different place.

However, as they gazed at the fantastical sights, their eyes held only curiosity and a touch of confusion, as if watching a captivating magic show. The man of the house scratched his head and chuckled, saying, "Lizia, what you're saying is too profound. All we know is that this is our home, we have fields to cultivate, and we have lives to live. No matter how vast or beautiful the outside world may be, it can't compare to the peace and security we have here."

The hostess gently echoed, "Yes, Liscia. This will always be your home. You can come back whenever you want. Why take those unknown risks?"

Looking into their sincere and innocent eyes, my last hope vanished. I understood. They weren't "awakened"; their thoughts, emotions, even their "goodwill" towards me and their past "proposal," were deeply embedded in the underlying logic of this world. They were characters pre-set in this idyllic script, incomprehensible and unable to escape its framework.

That initial warmth was ultimately a product of the program. But although its foundation was illusory, it felt incredibly real to me at the time.

I took a deep breath, suppressing the melancholy in my heart, and smiled: "I understand. Thank you... thank you for taking me in and giving me my first 'home'."

I stood up and took one last look at this little house filled with memories, and at these three "family members" who gave me warmth in the early days of my life.

"May you...live here in peace and happiness forever."

After saying that, I turned and left without looking back. The setting sun cast a long shadow of me. This farewell was the final goodbye to a preordained, warm past.

Back on the Drei, her last remaining companions were waiting. Edseysis greeted her: "Lady Lydia, is everything settled?"

I nodded and glanced around at the group of people who were all ready to go—Edseysis, Noreljun, Kavey, Zoymem, as well as the invisible Little Paradox and Sylbreth.

"Yes, it's all over. It's time to start..."

"Wait!" A hurried voice came from the entrance of the passage.

We looked in the direction of the sound and saw Yisen running in, panting, with a resolute expression on his face.

"Yi Sen?" I was a little surprised. "What brings you here?"

"Miss Liscia... no, Your Majesty Liscia," Yisen calmed his breathing, looking at me with unwavering determination, "I want to go with you too!"

"Why?" I asked. "The outside world has been 'repaired,' your caravan can resume operations, and life here will return to normal."

Yi Sen shook his head, a shrewd businessman's smile on his face, yet also carrying a hint of longing beyond profit: "I've asked Tia, and I know everything. This world is fake, it's a stage. But precisely because it's a stage, the rules and wealth here are ultimately illusory."

He paused, his eyes gleaming with the light of a true adventurer: "But 'outside'! Those 'networks' connecting countless worlds! Your Majesty, just imagine how vast and boundless that market will be! It will be filled with unimaginable treasures, technologies, and civilizations! This is no longer a business confined to one world; it's a cross-dimensional, unprecedented opportunity! Moreover, the adventure I'll be on with you will likely far surpass anything I've ever experienced! For this even bigger business, and for this even more thrilling adventure, please take me with you!"

Looking into Yisen's eyes, at that familiar yearning for wealth and the unknown, I smiled. His reasoning was very much in line with Yisen's own words, but it was also undeniably genuine. Perhaps, beyond this virtual world, we need precisely this kind of pioneering spirit.

"Alright then, welcome aboard, Mr. Yisen, the great merchant." I extended my hand.

Yisen shook my hand solemnly: "It is my great honor, Your Majesty!"

I looked around at all my companions again, and their eyes were all fixed on me, filled with trust and expectation.

"I'll ask one last time, is everyone ready? Once it starts, there may be no turning back."

"Alright!" Everyone said in unison, even Noriljohn's electronic voice and Kawei's sword clinking carried a hint of determination.

"Alright!" I turned to face the "Network Beacon" emitting a ghostly blue light, placed my hand on the control core, took a deep breath, and issued the final command:

"Activate the 'Network Beacon'! Drew, depart!"