Am I going to be controlled by the players too?

"But just then, the leader and the second seat went to the abyss..."

She paused, then smiled bitterly: "No, the cause and effect are reversed. It should be that the demons dared to run rampant in reality while the cult leader and the others were away."

Cheng Cheng listened without interrupting.

"But why are you able to retain your memories and carry the flame from the previous cycle?" Mu Yuan looked at him, her eyes full of confusion.

"Maybe it's because I'm the main character."

Like a certain blond traveler, he is an irreplaceable protagonist, whose memories cannot be erased even if the skirmisher crashes into a tree.

"Come on," Mu Yuan glanced at him. "The Witch's Night can only end by killing the demon lord leading the group. But this time it might be the Cycle Demon—everyone is trapped on this day, there's simply no time to find it! Unless..."

"Unless what?"

“I’ll give you a safe word,” Mu Yuan suddenly said.

Cheng Cheng was taken aback.

What safe words? Are you into BDSM?

“If you retain the memory in the next cycle, say this word to me. I promise I will believe you.”

Mu Yuan was silent for a moment, then uttered that word—

"Kasyapa Rumo".

"what?"

“This is something only I know. The fact that you know this proves that I must have told you, it’s that simple.” Mu Yuan scratched her head and stood up. “Next, come with me to the war room. The whole world is looking for the Demon Lord’s shadow. Remember the places they’ve searched, and tell me in the next reincarnation, then we’ll search in a different direction.”

She looked at Cheng Cheng: "This is the only way for now."

Cheng Cheng followed her out of the laboratory, through the corridor, down to the first floor, and finally into a large room.

There was a huge round table in the room, and the walls were covered with screens. The screens displayed images from all over the world—some were burning, some were smoking, and some were pitch black and indistinct. A dozen or so illusory figures sat around the round table, typing away at computers, some making phone calls, and some shouting something.

Mu Yuan walked to a wall and pulled back the curtain.

It was a world map, densely covered with red, blue, and green dots.

“Red indicates areas where demons have been confirmed to be present, blue indicates suspected areas, and green indicates areas that have been ruled out.” Mu Yuan pointed to the map. “What we need to do now is to go through these red and blue areas—look carefully and remember which places have been searched.”

She began to speak.

East Africa, excluded.

Northern South America, suspected case, investigation underway.

Three locations have been confirmed in Central Europe; searches are ongoing...

Cheng Cheng stared at the map, trying to remember the location of every mark.

“We can’t just wait for the leader and the second seat to return from the abyss,” Mu Yuan said. “Currently, you are the only one who remembers the last cycle. In other words, the task of saving the world can only be done by you.”

“I know that suddenly taking on such an important task will be a heavy psychological burden... and it all depends on your will. If you are unwilling to tell me about any of the cycles, then all your previous efforts will be in vain.”

Cheng Cheng nodded: "I understand."

He continued looking at the map, chatting with Mu Yuan from time to time, or watching her argue with the other members of the council. The nurse would occasionally bring him food and coffee...

It lasted until 11 p.m.

He memorized most of the red and blue dots on the map. The rest he simply couldn't remember—there were too many, densely packed, like a swarm of ants crawling on the paper.

"That's about enough." Mu Yuan patted his shoulder. "Don't go back tonight, stay at my place."

Cheng Cheng did not refuse.

The two sat in the living room, took a few sips of coffee, and stared at the clock on the wall.

If nothing happens, it proves they misjudged the situation; there is no reincarnation, and the leader of 'Witch's Night' is not a reincarnation demon.

But if Cheng Cheng returns to this morning, it will prove that they have indeed entered the cycle.

Time passed second by second.

11:40.

11:50.

11:55.

Neither of them spoke; they simply stared at the clock.

Just then, the door to a room on the third floor opened. Cheng Cheng subconsciously looked up and saw a girl in cucumber-colored pajamas walk out of the room: "Sister, aren't you going to rest tonight?"

Her light green hair was loose over her shoulders, as if she had just woken up and hadn't tidied it up yet. Her skin was so white it was almost transparent, and her features were as delicate as a doll's.

Petite and slender, she stood there like a fragile piece of porcelain.

It's not the kind of look that can be described as "pretty" or "good-looking"—it's the kind of look that will leave you stunned at first glance, unable to look away at second glance, and at third glance, you'll think that this is not the kind of face a real person should have, like a character from an anime who has come to life, or an AI-generated image.

Cheng Cheng was stunned by this face for a moment. Apart from Sylvia in the game, he had never seen anyone so good-looking in real life.

However, Mu Yuan's reaction was intense—

"I have something to do tonight, and we have guests at home. You should go home now!"

The girl then noticed Cheng Cheng, paused for a moment, and then immediately retreated back into the room in fright.

The door slammed shut, and the corridor fell silent again.

Am I that ugly? Did I scare you so much that you ran away?

Cheng Cheng looked away: "...You have such a cute little sister."

"Mu Zimi is indeed beautiful, but I advise you not to make a move on her," Mu Yuan warned, her tone serious. "Mu Zimi... is very dangerous."

"what?"

"She was a victim of a magical disaster."

Mu Yuan sighed as she finished speaking. She leaned back on the sofa, her gaze fixed on the ceiling, as if she were recalling something.

"She was in the practice room with her bandmates when the disaster suddenly struck... She gained a strange ability as a result, which would automatically absorb the souls of everyone within a five-meter radius into her body, transforming them into her own personality and coexisting with her."

“Her bandmates… are inside her right now.” Mu Yuan sighed softly. “I was only able to get close to her through a strange object.”

Cheng Cheng was stunned for a moment: "Does this... count as being in a band for life?"

Mu Yuan glared at him, annoyed.

"Anyway... that's why I joined the Genshin Impact cult." She sighed. "At first, I just wanted to find a way to heal her... but eventually, I slowly embarked on the path of fighting demons and saving the world."

She looked at Cheng Cheng with a sense of emotion: "Even the largest tree originates from a tiny seed. The reason why I, and many others in the Primordial God Cult, embarked on the path of 'saving the world' was initially just 'for self-salvation,' which forced us into the raging tide of fate."

"Important friends and family, undiscovered truths of the world, great undertakings yet to be completed... I don't want to see all of these destroyed."

Just then, the clock struck 11:59.

Both of them looked at the clock on the wall at the same time.

The second hand ticked away, one tick at a time.

Mu Yuan took a deep breath and looked intently at Cheng Cheng:

“Cheng Cheng, saving the world, becoming a hero… these are just choices for you. You are completely free to do whatever you want, and no one can stop you—perhaps you already have.” She paused. “But now, this burden rests on your shoulders, and I don’t know if you will continue. Therefore, I want to ask you a question—”

In your opinion, is the reason of "self-salvation" sufficient to be a reason for "saving the world"?

Cheng Cheng opened his mouth, but before he could answer.

The world has gone dark.

When I opened my eyes again, the sunlight had filled the entire room.

There are three messages on my phone:

"Mu Yuan: Call me back when you wake up."

"Mu Yuan: Before 10 o'clock"

Mu Yuan: Never mind, just come straight to the lab when you wake up.

Time has been reset.

Chapter 39, Am I also going to be controlled by the players?

Cheng Cheng looked at the three familiar messages on his phone, then glanced at the time in the upper right corner of the screen—July 21st, 10:40 AM.

My heart was filled with mixed feelings.

He leaned against the headboard, recalling the last question Mu Yuan had asked him last night—

In your opinion, is the reason of "self-salvation" sufficient to be a reason for "saving the world"?

Cheng Cheng didn't have time to answer at the time.

Now I have time to think about it.

"Saving the world is too much trouble..." he muttered to himself. "Anyway, there's the Primal God Cult in reality. If the sky falls, someone tall will hold it up. Why should I go up there and sacrifice myself?"

"Heroes have their way of living, and ordinary people have theirs. It's not that you have to live like someone else, but... is it really necessary?"

Cheng Cheng's requirements for life are actually very low.

He doesn't seek great wealth or immortality. He just wants to stay home, play video games, occasionally chat with friends, have meals with his family, and live a happy life—that's all.

His reason for living in this world is that simple.

but--

but.

Cheng Cheng's gaze fell on the virtual reality headset lying quietly on the computer desk.

He remembered many things.

Thinking back to those years in high school, he was tormented by the precious possessions of his family of origin, to the point of insomnia until three or four in the morning. The only thing that could keep him going was to secretly turn on his phone at night to see what new updates "Yuanshen" had, browse character fan creations, and check out the forums for new entertainment.

I remember the excitement of drawing Walnut for the first time, the sense of accomplishment of clearing the Abyss for the first time, and the sense of loss of watching a version of the story for the first time.

Thinking back to those days of aimless wandering on the continent of Teyvat—just looking at the scenery and listening to music—it made me realize that life wasn't so bad after all.

The book "Yuanshen" cured his depression.

"If the demons destroy Kugou, I can kowtow twice to them. But if the demons destroy Miyou, making it impossible for me to play 'Yuanshen' anymore—" Cheng Cheng raised his head, his eyes burning with an unprecedented determination: "Then I must fight them to the death!"