Regarding the question of whether one thousand lives are enough to beat Honkai Impact 3rd.

A future that seems like an endless curse, yet even in such a tragic future, the gods must allow Su Qing'an to maintain his own will and make choices, letting him judge for himself and walk towards that future.

Su Qing'an's will has been tempered countless times, and even in the eyes of the gods, he is already a hero qualified enough to smash through normal game levels.

But that's not enough.

They still need to be tortured, whipped, and tempered.

If we don't do this, we won't be resilient enough; if we don't do this, we won't be strong enough; if we don't do this, we won't be qualified.

Su Qing'an was confused.

Why not restart?

Now she has buried a brand new heart imprint at the foot of Mount Taixu, and there is no more smile on her face; the [Calming the Waves] sword is sealed in the sword box, just like the old man's martial arts, which has been stuck in a dead end since he shattered his sword heart.

Kiana runs the coffee shop, and Bronya and Mei become regulars there; Himeko Murata quit drinking, and no one has seen her drunken state since.

Sato Yuno is rarely at the academy anymore; she travels all over the world doing missions, as if she can't forget anything without doing so.

They were not happy.

Someone inside him was mocking the boy's hesitation and cowardice.

That's an inner demon.

See, what's wrong with restarting?

Only in this way will a world where only you will get hurt be complete.

Different.

He would have naturally refuted it.

Su Qing'an would explain that his sadness was only temporary, and that even if he felt sorry for many people, the ending would only be better than when he was gone.

He would say that Himeko wouldn't have died in that battle if she had a natural stigmata, and that Yuno could fully control the power of the pseudo-Herrscher, so she didn't die in Changkong City.

Su Qing'an should refute this.

But he did not respond or speak.

because……

You should understand that if we don't restart, one day all those people will die.

Yes.

Su Qing'an understood; he understood the meaning behind Atropos's words.

In that future that continued to unfold, the gods showed him not only the reactions of those who cared about him.

He also showed the boy the ending.

An ending that was utterly tragic, without any process.

Therefore, Su Qingan must restart.

Hate being forgotten, refuse to be forgotten, and fear those pairs of eyes that may become unfamiliar.

Even so...

Something dark had seeped into his originally pure, golden will. He should have gritted his teeth, he should have been heartbroken, he should have been numb, he should have been utterly despondent.

But now... the boy overcame everything, crushed and suppressed everything deep within his soul, and finally, he alone bore all the despair and sorrow, and made his answer.

Su Qing'an whispered:

"Reboot it."

"I want to... change that ending."

For this, the boy was willing to endure any cost.

Even so, this is a price more painful than simple death.

...

...

Perhaps when someone learns about Su Qing'an's ordeal later, they will understand that transforming a person is such a simple thing.

All you need to do is give him an imperfect life and a little bit of love.

Take it away again.

Finally, give him the sweetest hope.

Just like this...

A soul even more resilient than the brave will gradually be forged.

As long as... it doesn't collapse.

...

...

Atropos whispered:

So, the journey begins.

May your wishes come true, gamer.

After it uttered those words, the boy's vision was filled with light once again.

There was almost no pause or hesitation.

The world has been completely rebooted.

In the collapsing worldline, time and the past, crushed into dust, vanished into the boundary of nothingness.

Before Su Qing'an could even process the utter emptiness in his heart, he had to face this completely unfamiliar world once again, with nothing left.

This is different from the previous times.

There are no cities, no people.

On the almost boundless plain, a lone boy gazed at the sky and the distant horizon. The dark color in his eyes grew even more profound, clearly reflecting the approaching Honkai Beasts, yet it did not stir much emotion, as if it were filled with a hint of loneliness and sorrow.

Su Qing'an was lost in these emotions when he threw a punch at the enemy.

That was an extremely domineering punch, its momentum as fierce as a mountain and sea surging back.

The head of the tank-class Honkai Beast was pressed into its massive shell in an instant. Scattered fragments of Honkai energy, like sparks or blood, burst forth like fireworks, scattering across the land and obscuring the view.

The white, inorganic body collapsed unconsciously to the ground. Su Qing'an remained expressionless as he watched the horde of Honkai beasts continue to surge forward, his resolve unwavering.

The boy's fist was bleeding, but he still managed to kill a tank-class Honkai Beast with a single punch.

Unbeknownst to him, Su Qing'an's martial arts skills had improved once again.

But no one can see it anymore.

No one can understand how much martial arts knowledge Su Qing'an accumulated to achieve such rapid mastery through his hard work.

He stepped into the Honkai beast horde without flinching, as if entering a stormy night, where he could be swallowed by the cold darkness at any moment.

Then, over the long period that followed, the boy tore the scroll apart with lightning speed, his punches and kicks striking it.

After a long ten minutes, Su Qing'an, covered in blood, walked out of the ground littered with the corpses of Honkai Beasts.

He was injured, which shouldn't have happened.

An opponent of this caliber wouldn't have injured Su Qing'an long ago, but the boy is currently in a very special situation.

Su Qing'an understood her current situation. Within her heart, which had transformed into a clear mirror, a gray mist covered everything, and a dark color gradually spread out fine cracks beneath the heart.

In the original version of the Taixu Sword Qi, Su Qing'an's situation undoubtedly indicates that his sword heart is on the verge of shattering.

Even if you make a choice and suppress your pain, it's impossible for your heart to remain completely unmoved.

Sometimes, growth is a rapid process of breaking free from the cocoon and transforming into a butterfly; you can suddenly grow up in just a moment.

But Su Qing'an faced something completely different; he wasn't facing the so-called growth in his values.

Rather, it is something much deeper and darker.

The sword's heart is tarnished.

The divine version of the Taixu Sword Qi will enter a dusty stage when the user cannot fully understand its intent.

In this situation, the ability to control Honkai energy will be reduced to an extremely low level.

The boy no longer had his armor, nor did he possess the "Calming the Storm" skill.

Under such circumstances, Su Qing'an was able to survive this initial crisis and successfully walk out of the mountain of Honkai Beast corpses without suffering much injury, which is enough to prove that his martial arts have surpassed the old man who originally taught him.

The concentration of Honkai energy here is very high.

After entering the third stage, the Honkai energy cycle expanded again. Based on the Honkai energy resistance given to him by the artificial stigmata, Su Qing'an was actually on the verge of becoming a suicide soldier.

The reason he is still alive is that even though the manifested part of the [Stigmata] is in a semi-dead state, it is still connected to the Honkai energy in the body and a portion of it is drawn into the [Stigmata].

This prevented his body from being eroded by Honkai energy beyond its limits, and he could even feel a long-lost sense of ease. However, these feelings were no longer within Su Qing'an's consideration.

Lifespan? Future? Blockade of combat power?

These issues, which should have been important, have now become so insignificant, like a burden that can be discarded at will.

The boy glanced indifferently at the bloodstains spreading across his clothes, then walked forward.

If we arrive at an era where humanity has been utterly defeated by the Honkai, and the world is devoid of human habitation, then perhaps the future Su Qing'an will face will be one of utter darkness.

Even if that wasn't the case, he still had to spend a long time crossing this desolate plain on foot.

Regardless of the outcome, the young man must endure a long period of loneliness and hardship.

The plains are vast.

Without any supplies, given normal human stamina and physical capabilities, such an almost endless plain could practically guarantee semi-death and prolonged social disconnection.

But Su Qing'an did not waver.

All this so-called loneliness pales in comparison to the possibility of never seeing familiar faces again.

For someone like Su Qing'an, restarting itself is the greatest torment. After experiencing this pain, no matter how turbulent everything else may be for a short period of time, it is difficult for his numb heart to be stirred.

The sword's heart is tarnished.