Ironclad Group Chat: Red and Black Lists Engraved with Heroic Epics

[Mikhail: Gopher...has your life become even more difficult since you were squeezed out of the core of power?]

[Qingque: Why does it feel like Pinocchio is putting pressure on good people?]

[Sunday: This is the inevitable consequence of Tongxie's limitations. That turmoil brought irreversible damage to Mr. Gopher, and at the same time, it slapped Tongxie hard in the face. Or rather... Tongxie brought this humiliation upon himself.]

[That summer: Of course. A villain would just laugh when he hears someone wants to reform him, laughing at the thought of a long-term meal ticket arriving.]

Recalling that shameless betrayal, Gofemu looked at the "pain" before him and sighed deeply: "Not long after, the mansion was decorated like this."

Liu Ying pondered, "Is he trying to use this to remind himself?"

Gopher wood evokes the resounding echo of "pain".

The scene titled "Who is Imprisoned in the Dream?" says, "If your beliefs have led you to this state, why remain so stubbornly unrepentant?"

[Yao Guang: Who is imprisoned in the dream...? What a fine name. The one imprisoned by the dream master is the dream master himself, someone who has drawn a circle around himself, making it difficult to return to reality.]

Gopher nodded, indicating that Firefly's guess was spot on: "—That's exactly what I was referring to."

[Star: Oh no, this is going to be a complete collapse of faith. But I'd be the same way, except I'd kill those ingrates. I'd probably just cower under the covers, crying and slapping myself.]

[Fireworks: Just curious, does Gopherwood do this too?]

Mikhail: Hmm... that guy is probably even more outwardly strong but inwardly fragile. He probably wouldn't even want to take the lives of those who rioted.

[Potio: This is so damn chimera-like! Damn it, it makes me want to draw my gun and carry out justice for the Dream Master! What villains truly deserve isn't copper coins, but copper bullets!]

Fireflies embraced their arms, and sorrow welled up within them.

Even if you are on the opposite side, a good person who has suffered evil is still worthy of sympathy.

"At least for now... I can understand that feeling."

Gopher sighed softly, "And I think I've come to understand why I exist here."

A memory flooded back: "Back then, Gopher stood at a crossroads, pondering whether [Harmony] was still the right path. Where it ultimately led, my fragmented memory didn't reveal..."

"But since he is about to commit a great evil, the 'Dream Master' who left behind the decree is probably hoping that I will move towards another possibility."

He didn't spell it out, but many people outside the light screen gradually came to understand.

Xing frowned slightly, somewhat incredulous.

If that's really the case, then Gopher is such an awkward person, isn't he?

[Xing: He's hoping, hoping someone can prove his path is wrong, even if it means slapping him in the face or even killing him, as long as someone can point out the truth, point out the right way?!]

Those who witnessed this scene were all enlightened.

Exactly! What exactly did this guy do all those years ago? After his physical body was destroyed, didn't he cherish his life even more? Instead, in order to find a way to truly save all living beings, he disregarded life and death?

Instead of becoming more selfish, they have become more selfless?

[Fireworks: Holy crap! I've only ever seen anti-heroes in movies before, like those who snap their fingers to wipe out half of all life to prevent the universe from being overwhelmed by too many life forms. I never imagined I'd see an anti-saint in real life!]

[Yao Guang: Now it seems that's exactly right. After suffering a huge setback, he was determined to use every means to force the righteous path out. He not only chose the one he believed in most, but even left the opposing side vacant, giving Pinocchio a chance to turn back at any time. The only problem was... he didn't give himself that chance. Success would bring everything to a good end; failure would mean sacrificing himself to lay the foundation for the righteous path.]

To accomplish all this, his hands... were stained with the blood of innocent people.

He abandoned all his personal desires, but at the same time, he went to extremes. It is highly likely that he sentenced himself from the beginning, believing that even if he successfully established a paradise of order, he would not deserve to enjoy the fruits of his labor.

[Qingque: He really knows how to navigate the crossroads; he even prepared a return ticket.]

[Qingque: Is this the legendary enlightenment at Longchang?]

[Tibo: It's a pity that the trials fate dealt him were too cruel. If the setbacks he suffered hadn't been so devastating, or if he had a reliable friend by his side who could stand by him through thick and thin, perhaps he wouldn't have gone to such extremes. Maybe he could have found the right path on his own, and then... his fate wouldn't be what it is today.]

[Gallach: What's even more regrettable is that there are no "what ifs." Hanunu died a violent death, and three nameless individuals sacrificed their lives one after another... Although Pinocchio grew stronger, the first generation of idealists and principled individuals all died, fled, or were injured. That vibrant team, whose knowledge, insights, and abilities complemented each other, completely disintegrated. The remaining members of the family may have genuinely cared for Pinocchio, but they were clearly not on the same side as Gopher. Let alone eradicating the dark side of the family, some of them might even be part of that dark side themselves.]

Gopher Wood has lofty ideals, but for such a person, the ever-growing decadence behind the increasingly prosperous Pinocchio will not make him happier, but will only make him more suffocated.

Because hope is gone.

That prosperity before our eyes is a dead end! It's a reckless celebration by cancer patients before they die.

A person who should have become a saint was forced into this state by the dark side of harmony and cruel reality.

If Zandal has his own flaws, one could say he has only himself to blame, but Gopher is simply a victim of God's blindness.

[Star: But, here we come.]

[Gopher: Ah… thank goodness for your arrival. Descendants of the Nameless Ones, vibrant young people, just as the Last King entrusted you with his hopes. The right path for Pinocene lies in you, and the hope for the galaxy lies even more in you. That is good. As for whether order or pioneering leads Pinocene… it doesn't matter.]

Inside the light curtain.

Liu Ying's eyes flickered slightly, and she quickly understood his words. But then she sighed, "But it's too late to change anything."

Even if she knew this now, what good would it do? Could she possibly persuade the dream master to change her mind on the spot?

Gopher said, "Not necessarily. We might as well continue on our way. Good intentions are always the last product of evil, because they know they should be stopped. And his past choices will reveal his conspiracy to us."

Liu Ying looked at the base of "Suffering". There were two signs on the left and right in front of it, each with a statue standing on it.

The left hand holds a scepter, while the right hand holds a glass of wine.

Does this seem to have some kind of symbolic meaning?

Liu Ying asked, "In your opinion, which side would the dreamer choose?"