Super Righteous Player-Chapter 1163 - 211 Nightmare: The Long Night Has Come, Cleared!
Chapter 1163: Chapter 211 Nightmare: The Long Night Has Come, Cleared!
Annan looked down at his main quest.
[Main Quest: Decision]
[Reduce the number of Purifiers to "one" (Completed)]
[Meet ██████ (Completed)]
[Until Dawn]
The first two objectives had already been completed by Annan.
Now he just had to wait for dawn.
"As expected."
Annan murmured softly, relaxing his body.
He leaned back in the chair behind him, slightly tilting his head up to look at the ceiling of the Notre Dame Cathedral, illuminated by the faint candlelight.
The first objective, "reduce the number of Purifiers to only one," obviously required either killing or rescuing the others.
And since this was Annan’s main quest, it meant that he would be the one to complete this step.
At that time, Annan wondered, by what means could he rescue his teammates who had fallen into complete despair?
Now Annan finally understood.
—Heaven helps those who help themselves.
It was precisely because they never gave up, still embraced hope in the deepest despair, and could immediately seize the fleeting thread of fate, that Annan’s assistance was effective.
If they gave up themselves, there was no way Annan could save them.
One could even say...
Neither with Ofelia nor with Isaac did Annan need to employ his "ability to change fate" much at all. With Ofelia, only four absolute points were used—allowing her, who would not have met Jason otherwise, to have that encounter.
Without a doubt, it was also an encounter destined by fate.
Because Annan, well-versed in mythology, realized at once... The name Jason could be translated another way.
That is, Jason.
This name was the new one bestowed upon Diomedes after being adopted by Chiron.
Although their identities were different, their genders were different, even the eras were different... Despite crossing different worlds, he was also the very "captain" whom Ofelia loved.
In one world, Jason and in another world, "Orpheus" eventually met again.
And the only thing Annan did was to create a "chance" between them. It was precisely because they seized the opportunity that they did not have to part with "fate unfulfilled."
The Power of the Chariot could only provide an opportunity—precisely, to give those in true despair a chance to grasp at hope, a "transcending opportunity."
It’s similar to a protagonist in a martial arts novel falling off a cliff.
If they were lucky enough to survive, the Power of the Chariot would lead them to fortuitous encounters, and as to what they would gain from it, to what extent they could train, and how they would ultimately decide, that was no longer related to the Chariot.
But related to their own talents, personality, experience, and luck.
Or to say...
The Chariot was a reward mechanism that encourages people to break free from dire straits.
From this perspective, isn’t the entire transcendence ceremony of the Mist Realm also about those drowning in curses, igniting the light of hope with their desires, and ultimately struggling to transcend the desperate situation afflicted by the Curse Binding?
The "Saints" who complete the transcendence truly are no longer constrained by curses. Whether it’s curses invoked by rituals or bindings caused by worldly beings and mortals, they would slip off that body of light.
That is the duty of the Chariot.
—Although Annan had not yet completed his own transcendence ceremony, had not genuinely become "Justice."
But the process of rescuing Ofelia and Isaac was precisely the work that the Chariot should do.
"...I don’t actually dislike such work."
Annan murmured softly to the green-robed Saint: "On the contrary, I really like it.
"For a long time, I have lamented over stories that were ’just a little short.’ If one loses after exhausting all efforts, there would only be pity and acceptance, without any resentment; but more often, it’s the ’if only it had been like that back then,’ or ’if only I had encountered this at that time,’ the detours of ’lacking some possibility.’
"Since then, I have wondered... If someone gave these regrettable losers another chance, let them live another life. Would the story turn out differently?"
"No, it should be said... the story will definitely be different. Because this time, their desires allow them to seize every opportunity, and even without such opportunities, they will create them. Losers would bet their lives and never let themselves fall into the same pit of failure again.
"—But it would be even better if they never encountered such ’failure’ from the start.
"What they lack is merely ’opportunity’. Those with determination, perseverance, and the will to overcome all hardships... why can’t they succeed?"
The so-called success for those who strive.
Just like in a game—whether acquiring experience or breaking through a boundary, there is a clear progress bar. Players know where to go for experience, and where to obtain materials.
—And Earth Online is undoubtedly the worst game, thoroughly terrible.
If the players of Earth Online—the people in real life, too, had such an "experience bar" that let them clearly see the extent of their efforts; and that as long as they put in the effort, they could surely achieve results—that would be great.
Annan would occasionally indulge in such wild fantasies.
He truly believed from the bottom of his heart that such a world would be much more beautiful.
Because most tragedies do not stem from a lack of effort... but from the fact that effort is futile, misdirected, or possibly effective, yet fate intervenes—leading people to give up before they can succeed.
If only everyone could become a "player".
If only I could grant people happiness.
Under the gaze of the Green Saint, Annan, who had come to understand his mission, merely showed a truly heartfelt smile.
"So this is my task..."
—That’s really wonderful.
Thinking this, Annan’s mood improved a great deal. The numbness that had fought through the profound despair was also healed in this surge of warmth.
With the protection of the Winter’s Heart gone, Annan’s personality came closer to that of a mortal—rather than a deity. Whether reversed or not, the Winter’s Heart had granted Annan protection.
The protection that separated him from the common folk.
Annan looked up at the Green Saint.
He increasingly felt an inexplicable sense of intimacy emanating from him, as if he was supposed to know the man.
"Do you have anything else to say to me?"
Annan asked subconsciously, with a respectful tone.
The Green Saint simply drew a card from the deck and handed it to Annan, and took back the dice.
—Annan also felt that the twenty-sided die seemed familiar, as if he had seen it somewhere. But after searching his memory, he was sure he hadn’t seen it in this life at least... He thought it might have been from a movie or game in a previous life, triggering a sense of déjà vu.
"Thank you."
Annan said his thanks and received the card.
He had roughly realized by then.
—The other people in this nightmare had already left.
If nothing else, this should be Annan’s own card.
Soon, words began to appear on that card:
They were very brief words.
"... and so, the you of yesterday will be reborn today.
"When these eyes open, Justice will no longer be blind."
Annan raised his head, only to see that the Green Saint had disappeared at some point. The omnipresent blood-red glow of the room had also dissipated.
Streaks of dawn’s light entered through the window, spilling on the floor, on the table, and on the spot where the Green Saint had just stood.
Annan paused for a moment, then quickly went to the window and looked outside the Notre Dame.
The red moon suspended in the sky had also disappeared without a trace.
Early risers were strolling on the streets, and a renewed sense of hope and vitality was restored to the roads.
For Annan, for Isaac, for Ofelia... for all of them, this night that was exceedingly long... so long that it felt like an eternity, had finally come to an end.
—The Long Night Has Come to an end.
The day has dawned.
