Chapter 038 Two World Lines

After a gunshot, the young man fell to the ground, his hair and clothes spread out in disarray, with a hint of smile still on his face, as if he was not committing suicide, but was heading for a wonderful encounter.

Thor's entire body felt numb and was shaking uncontrollably.

Everything that happened before his eyes was like a nightmare, distorting his vision into something incomprehensible. He didn't even dare to be sure that what he saw was the truth.

Mr. Rong Le... is dead?

The long-lost fear rose from the bottom of Thor's heart. He trembled uncontrollably and tears kept falling from his eyes.

He heard many people shouting and the scene before him became chaotic.

The young man's body was lifted up, and Tina held him and yelled something loudly, but it all became silent in Thor's ears. He felt as if he was watching a pantomime, and his brain made a silent buzzing sound.

His gaze moved from the young man's lifeless drooping hair, to his limp fingertips, and to the strange smile at the corner of his mouth.

Above the sky, the gods silently watched everyone below. Even though his body was shrouded in thick fog, his figure still made people feel terrified from the bottom of their hearts. This sense of oppression that came from blood was unavoidable. The gap between humans and gods was like a chasm that could not be crossed.

Thor looked at the existence above him, which was gradually revealing its true appearance and was beyond human comprehension.

He heard his emotions screaming wildly. This intense pain was more violent than any other time. Although his inner manic emotions were eager to find an outlet to vent, his spirit remained motionless.

He was abandoned, and he had never understood this fact so clearly as at this moment.

Thor supported his body with his weak legs and slowly stood up from the ground amidst a crowd of astonished gazes.

The young man looked directly at the god calmly.

Something seemed to be boiling in his chest, forcing him to do such a crazy thing. Shockingly, Thor was not affected at all.

He did not go crazy, nor did he fall to the ground and wail like those believers, bathed in terror that was unbearable for humans, but his expression was calm.

It’s as if there are no gods above the sky!

Xu Yuanhe was so shocked that he wanted to curse.

That's an evil god! And it's the true form of the god that the church spent years summoning!

Gods are beings that humans cannot understand. Even if one tries to understand them or looks directly at them, one will instantly go crazy or be infected and turned into inhuman monsters. Even the people in the small team are more or less in a bad state.

And Thor can actually look directly at the evil god without losing any SAN!

[Sanity Assessment: Thor: 100/1, Great Success.]

Current sanity value: 100

The commentator finally understood why Thor alone could account for 28% of the tampering rate of the entire module.

To some extent, he has even transcended the human level.

This scene was extremely shocking. In the dead silence, only the young man's hoarse voice said:

"I will definitely kill you..."

That figure just fell down.

If there really is another meeting, he hopes not to face this desperate reality again.

…

"My soul cries, but my will is as strong as a rock."

【You have obtained personal cg——】

Thor BE Line SAN=100

*

Rong Le opened her eyes in the shaking cabin.

Tina turned her head and asked, "Teacher, what's wrong? Did you have a nightmare?"

Rong Le: "...I did have a nightmare."

He dreamed that his mission failed, an evil god was born from the vortex, and an irresistible end was approaching.

If he wasn't sure that he was actually experiencing it all over again, he would probably have thought it was a bizarre nightmare.

Rong Le sat up and looked around. He was in the cabin, surrounded by Michigan University students and professors in uniform.

He was wearing the shirt and trousers he usually wore as a professor. The shoulder straps of his trousers were slightly tightened because of the posture of his hands on the ground, forming a thin straight line.

He is back.

At this moment, he could feel the floor beneath his palms shaking slightly, indicating that the ship was rising and falling on the sea.

This time's retrospection is different from the last time. The background of his ID card has undergone subtle changes.

He no longer went to Portland with Bai Yue to investigate Bai Tutu's disappearance, but went to Portland with professors and students from the University of Michigan.

This reset confirmed Rong Le's guess that every death would result in a world line jump.

At first, due to the short time of tracking back at sea, he did not obtain much useful information, but he already had a general idea of ​​how to use this talent.

Rong Le thought in her mind, stood up casually, and glanced at everyone, but suddenly discovered something and the smile froze on her face.

He carefully searched the crowd to confirm that the figure he wanted to see was not there.

One person is missing.

In this case, as a professor at the University of Michigan, he did not follow Baiyue to this small town. Instead, after the school received the incident report from Professor Anna, he followed the procedures and led the investigation team to Portland.

He returned here just as he was about to return to Portland.

So what about Baiyue?

Baiyue seemed to have disappeared from his social background out of thin air. Rong Le searched over and over again but could not find any relevant information from the corners, as if this person did not exist in this world at all.

Rong Le pondered for a moment: "Xu Yuanhe, come out with me."

Xu Yuanhe was stunned for a moment, then quickly got up and followed him out.

The hatch blocked the view of others.

On the deck, the sea was still vast and deep. What came into his eyes was a familiar scene. The strange-looking captain stood in his old position looking out at the sea. Everything seemed no different from his memory.

Xu Yuanhe waited for a long time and saw that Rong Le still had a calm expression. She was staring around, not knowing what she was thinking, and seemed to have no intention of speaking.

"Mr. Rong Le, do you have anything to ask me?"

Rong Le looked at him calmly, and after a moment, she said, "I remember you were the assistant brought here by the team doctor?"

Xu Yuanhe: "Yes, I am the assistant brought by Dr. Mori."

Oh no, he might be doubting himself.

He followed the instructions on his ID card step by step and successfully joined the investigation team led by Rong Le. He was about to go to Portland. However, as a non-staff member, he had never had the opportunity to communicate with Rong Le alone.

Xu Yuanhe heard the young man in front of him ask calmly: "So, do you still remember Baiyue?"

Xu Yuanhe was stunned for a moment.

He thought for a long time before he said cautiously:

“…Who is Baiyue?”

Rong Le narrowed her eyes slightly. The person in front of her did not have any flaws. Instead, she let him look at her nervously and uneasyly.

As the operational commander of the Misty University investigation team, Rong Le's words played a decisive role. If he suspected that Xu Yuan and this person who was suddenly assigned to the team had bad intentions, then he would be excluded and would not even be able to complete his role mission.

Even the players don't remember the existence of Baiyue, let alone other people in the module. Xu Yuanhe did not lie. Everyone has indeed forgotten Baiyue.

“…”

Things were happening one after another, but he didn't have time to think about them anymore.

In the distance, Polant's figure was faintly visible.

The ship is almost here.

…

Soon, Rong Le set foot on this land again.

Professor Anna, who works at the local library, discovered a formation that had collapsed due to years of disrepair and reported it to the school. After studying the formation included in the investigation report, the school determined that it was a formation for summoning mythical creatures.

The University of Michigan attached great importance to this and sent a team to investigate.

This is the background of this incident.

Rong Le is the team's operational commander. Apart from him, the other members of this team are no different from the last time.

At this time, the situation in Portland had become somewhat serious, and Cohen and a group of gendarmes were standing at the dock to greet them.

After the Michigan University students disembarked, he saluted them and said, "Thank you for your selfless help. On behalf of all of Portland, I would like to express my highest respect to the University of Michigan."

The team leader is a viscount from the UK named John Cena, who is responsible for all external communications.

He smiled politely and said, "It is our duty to maintain order in the mysterious world. No need to waste time on unnecessary matters. Let's get down to business."

Cohen nodded and took them to the place arranged for them by the Military Police, talking about the current situation as they walked.

This time, the University of Michigan came to Portal not only to investigate the harm caused by the formation, but also to solve the current crisis of monsters everywhere in Portal.

I don’t know if it’s because of the deviation in Rong Le’s trajectory, but the ecological situation of the town is now completely different.

On the way to the hotel, their team was even attacked by a group of crawling monsters, which seemed to be just the outer circle of the battlefield where a battle was taking place not far away.

The military police let out suppressed cries of surprise uncontrollably and were about to draw their guns from their waists to prepare to meet the enemy, but Tina and others had already picked up their knives and rushed into the pile of monsters, hacking them away quickly and neatly.

The crowd that hadn't reacted yet: "..."

The military police, who had originally been suspicious of them, suddenly had a 180-degree change in their impression of them.

Cohen had initially broken out in a cold sweat, but he heaved a sigh of relief when he saw how easily they handled the situation. "Luckily, you're here, otherwise we might have lost more men on this trip."

John said very gracefully, "This is within our responsibilities. We have also seen how bad the situation in Portland is."

"Speaking of which, who are those fighting over there?"

Cohen estimated the direction of the battle. "It should be the battle in the church. It is said that Fairlight usurped the position of bishop several years ago. The former bishop, Bilis, and his subordinates have been lying dormant for several years. Now, it is probably a power struggle."

Rong Le: "It turns out that the current situation in Portland where monsters are everywhere is caused by the church, led by the bishop, fighting a fierce battle with another group."

"To be more precise, it was the former bishop. Because during the battle between Bishop Fairlight and Beatrice, the church was actually secretly controlled by Auxiliary Officer Shijin."

Cohen added subconsciously, and then realized who was talking to him.

He looked at Rong Le with some surprise: "Who is this..."

John: "This is our operations commander. Our tactics are all decided by Mr. Rong Le."

Rong Le: "Hello, Mr. Military Police."

He subtly felt the strange sense of confusion brought about by the world line at this moment. Even Cohen's slightly surprised expression and reaction were no different from what he remembered.

"I want to ask you something else. I wonder if you have ever seen a girl named Bai Tutu."

The young man looked at him, his eyes seemed to contain some difficult-to-understand emotions, and his dark green eyes seemed a little dim in places where the light could not reach.

Cohen: "I do know her...Excuse me, do you know this person?"

Rong Le narrowed her eyes slightly: "I do know him, what's wrong?"

Cohen's answer made his heart sink slowly: "She disappeared many days ago."

Rong Le was silent for a moment, then said calmly, "I understand."

The investigation team looked at each other, and when Rong Le didn't ask any more questions, they all continued to walk towards their original destination in silence.

Tina looked at him hesitantly, and seeing that Rong Le didn't react, she barely suppressed her emotions and settled down in the hotel with everyone else.

Rong Le asked everyone to rest first, and then returned to the room. Then he asked, "KP, is this what you wanted to see?"

There was silence in the air for a moment, and then a familiar male voice smiled slightly and said, "I don't understand what you are saying."

Rong Le raised his head slightly, leaning against the door. His black hair flowed down from his shoulders, revealing a slight luster. He looked calm, "I thought all this was within your expectations."

"You've already guessed that I would choose to activate my innate skills. As for everything that happened after time went back, you also know everything."

The commentators, who had been in a state of confusion since the recap and had been brainstorming all the way, now gradually understood what had happened:

"So Rong Le wasn't crazy when she committed suicide?"

"Time travel, innate skills? Can the official explain?"

"Official: Do you really think I know everything?"

"Even though I don't understand what's going on, it really is back, right? That's great, we still have a chance to win!"

"This is already at the level of cheating, right? How did he get such a powerful talent? It's not something you can just have."

"In fact, the matter is already very clear. The official needs to be strict with the wording and will not disclose it lightly, but the clues revealed so far have pointed to the mission Rong Le has taken on being a legendary mission!"

"KP's attitude speaks volumes. In this Savior Observation livestream, KP chats like a dedicated customer service representative. Who else gets this treatment? Aren't they all just agents?"

“…”

KP said gently, "I'm just the host who follows the module's progress. Once you immerse yourself in the module, everything is your choice."

Rong Le snorted lightly, obviously not believing what He said.

At this moment, there was a knock on the door, and Tina's voice rang out from outside: "Teacher, I have something to ask you."

Rong Le paused, then stood up and opened the door.

Outside the door, Tina didn't seem to have changed into more comfortable clothes. She was still dressed as if she could go out at any time. He looked a little hesitant: "Um, Bai Tutu..."

What a good kid! He knows how to worry about his companions.

Rong Le lowered his eyes slightly, his green pupils calm. He looked at the boy, who immediately became nervous as if his secrets were exposed, and whispered soothingly, "Don't worry, I will find her."

This time he and Bai Tutu met at school. Because of her special physique, the girl became acquainted with Rong Le by accident, and then the familiar plot of getting along began. The girl broke into his territory, playing and fighting with Tina every day, and was restless.

He didn't hate this girl.

Tina was comforted by him and wanted to offer to help the teacher pack her luggage, but he sent her back to her room with a few words.

Rong Le: "After all, only by maintaining sufficient energy can we better face the battle."

"I understand, teacher, I will definitely not let you down!"

Tina suddenly woke up, vowed with fighting spirit, and prepared to face the upcoming battle with full spirit.

Rong Le watched Tina leave with a smile, then closed the door and returned to her room.

All he saw were familiar displays. After the interruption just now, KP disappeared again, but even a little thought would tell him that this so-called "host" must have been secretly observing his actions with great interest, as if he was watching a performance for his amusement.

This was the room he was in last week. Even though he started over, he was still assigned to this room.

Rong Le closed her eyes, then opened them and looked forward. Her deep green eyes were calm, like a frozen lake.

Judging from the current situation, Fairlight and Beatrice have no time to pay attention to other forces for the time being.

It was somewhat unexpected that Shijin took over the church.

Rong Le still remembered the letter that informed her of Shi Jin's death. The last time Shi Jin died was on the eve of Christmas Eve, and today was the day before Christmas Eve.

Christmas Eve is the time point when the module cannot be recovered. Rong Le only went back to the day before the incident, and the time left for him is very tight.

“…”

There is no time left. He must first increase the degree of world line tampering to its original level before he can reach the ending he expects.

…

Soon, the various organizations in Portland discovered that a group that posed a threat to them had arrived in the town.

In the altar deep underground, Beatrice's men gathered together to discuss the sudden changes.

Some people advocated taking it slow and steady and temporarily slowing down the fight with the Fairlight side, while others planned to send out a team to simply wipe them out to avoid interfering with their fight.

"It seems this group of people is more than just an ordinary investigation team."

"What are you afraid of? We're just a bunch of rabble. As long as we don't attract the attention of the mainland, no one will be able to do anything to us once our plan is accomplished."

Someone hesitated and said, "But... the sacrifice is in Fairlight's hands."

"Her Majesty the Queen will not hold those who succeed accountable."

The topic came back to the point that Fairlight inherited the power and status of the bishop, as well as the glorious mission bestowed by Her Majesty the Queen.

If they can't snatch the sacrifice, then they have no value in front of Her Majesty the Queen, and only Fairlight is the absolute hero.

"Damn it, we have no choice but to kill Fairlight first." Someone said unwillingly.

They and Fairlight had no energy to deal with other forces. Even when the church was robbed, they had no time to deal with the usurpers.

However, what they never expected was that during a battle with Fairlight's men, a team suddenly broke into the battlefield where both sides were fighting fiercely.

boom!

In the billowing smoke, several figures gradually appeared in front of everyone.

As soon as they appeared, before everyone could see the situation clearly, these people appeared in front of everyone at an extremely fast speed.

And they began to purge them indiscriminately with cruel means.

They were all stunned: "What's going on? What's happening?!"

"Who...are you?!"

The survivor coughed twice with difficulty. Those ghostly weapons slashed across his ribs, leaving a wound deep enough to see the bone. His hideous flesh and blood rolled in severe pain, but his eyes were fixed on the gradually dissipating smoke.

Calm footsteps sounded slowly, and the figure gradually became clear.

The leading young man was thin, with a delicate face, and his eyes were cold and menacing. He wore a uniform black windbreaker and carried an enchanted knife. He slowly forced out an almost indifferent smile towards them.

Behind him was a violent apparatus cultivated by the continent's most profound organization. These people had a hint of hideous malice in their eyes, as sticky as an even more terrifying monster.

"——Missile Investigation Team, here you go."

…

After the Misty University Investigation Team took over the rule of the battlefield, Rong Le also carried out a plan that only he could accomplish.

In order to increase the degree of world line tampering back to its original progress, Thor is undoubtedly his first target. At this time, Thor is still in the basement as an experimental subject, waiting for his final fate as a tool.

Rong Le walked quickly towards the hospital. He frowned and avoided the monsters that were running around freely when he encountered them along the way.

It’s as if the Christmas Eve carnival has arrived early, and human society has merged with monsters from the mythological world, separating everything in this small town from reality.

The index of mythical creatures in this small town has exceeded the standard. If this situation occurred in a city on the mainland, the forces of the various order camps would have been unable to tolerate it and cleared it out long ago.

He muttered to himself, "Is this what the module will look like in its later stages? Without external interference, what will this place become..."

A voice replied: "Perhaps it will be destined despair."

Rong Le suddenly stopped and looked up. A familiar figure was standing at the end of the alley.

Fairlight was still wearing his white robe, the sunlight shining obliquely on him, making his aura appear so calm and peaceful, completely unlike the church leader who had acted wildly in his memory.

In this flashback, the two people are strangers who should have never met.

Fairlight said in a gentle tone: "I'm waiting for you, Rong Le."

…

Rong Le suddenly remembered a sentence that he had forgotten in the long river of memory.

"You can never change the inevitable outcome."

There was no doubt that Fairlight knew him, but Rong Le couldn't figure out how she and he had connected.

Fairlight looked at him with a gentle expression on his face. "You should know what's going to happen in this town. I don't want you to get involved here. Leave here before Christmas Eve arrives."

Rong Le said calmly: "You should also know that I will not leave."

Fairlight asked, puzzled. "Why? I've met many people just like you. All they need to do is complete their destined mission to escape this nightmarish world."

"There is more than one path for you to choose."

"Did I hear correctly? Is he talking about the players?"

"A person just like you, fulfilling a destined mission... I'm getting goosebumps all over my body!"

"It's true they're not unaware of the player's presence, but Fairlight knows it so clearly... This is too terrifying! It's terrifying to think about it!"

"Are we really going to break the fourth wall? I'm starting to panic."

"If the module really appeared in the real world, the world would be in chaos!"

The barrage of comments instantly exploded due to the amount of information in Fairlight's words, and people started to discuss excitedly.

Rong Le: "If I insist on staying, how are you going to stop me?"

Fairlight: "I won't stop you."

The man's tone was almost indifferent, with a touch of cruel gentleness: "It is because of your unchangeable fate that we will eventually meet. That is enough."

"I will always wait for you."

…

Rong Le forced herself not to think about what Fairlight said.

Perhaps it was because he had been in this module for too long that he inevitably developed unnecessary emotions. He remembered his purpose from beginning to end, and for this purpose, all other emotions could be discarded.

As long as you don't open your heart, there is no possibility of being betrayed.

He walked into the basement of the hospital as if he knew the place well, and without disturbing anyone, he came to Thor's ward.

Through the small window on the door, one could see the frail figure of the young boy curled up on the hospital bed, a thin blanket covering him, like a hamster that had crawled into a warm nest.

Rong Le knocked on the door gently, and the boy opened his eyes as if startled, his body shaking uncontrollably.

"……Who are you?"

"I'm a teacher, and I came to Portland with my students to carry out a mission. I heard from Kurosawa that your name is Thor, right?"

He remained patient and coaxed her gently, "You shouldn't stay here. My students are your age, and you two will get along well. Will you come with me?"

What a poor line! How can you kidnap a cautious little animal like that?

However, there was silence inside the door for a moment, and then Thor's somewhat confused voice rang out: "I always feel like you're someone I'm very familiar with. This feeling... why? Is it really possible to have this inexplicable sense of trust?"

Rong Le was stunned for a moment.

There was a rustling sound coming from inside the door, as if the young man was moving to the front of the door. The two were only separated by a thin door, and they could even hear each other's breathing.

Thor: "Does it have to be me?"

Rong Le: "Ah, it has to be you."

Silence fell behind the door again. After an unknown amount of time, the boy made up his mind: "Okay, I'll go with you."

Rong Le immediately smiled, easily opened the door in front of him, leaned over slightly and extended his hand to Thor who was looking at him.

"—Come with me."

…

Recklessly trusting strangers would only bring trouble to oneself, even if one was abandoned. However, when he heard the sweet and cheerful voice of the young man, he raised the corners of his mouth for some reason.

It doesn't matter even if he is being used. As long as he always maintains his value, he will not be abandoned.

Light filtered through the door, and Thor looked up expectantly, looking at the young man who was looking at him tenderly, and smiled sincerely.

——Please don’t abandon me.

[World Line Tampering Degree: 28%]

*

After completing the task of rescuing Thor, he rushed to the church.

The moment Rong Le stepped into the church, she had already made plans to release her power. After all, this church did not look so harmless.

Countless monsters densely covered the surroundings, and the original appearance of the building was almost invisible. Compared with the holy and magnificent buildings in the past, it now seemed like a monster's nest.

When he took a few steps forward, the monster obediently stopped not far from his feet, making a clear path for him like Moses parting the sea.

At the end of the road, the church gate stood.

Rong Le walked along the path without changing his expression. As he walked, the monsters covered the original path again, forcing him forward like a black tide, leaving no way to retreat.

He pushed open the door. The church was still clean, without monsters or other people.

Under the large stained glass window hanging in the center, Shijin stood there as usual, with his back to the door.

Rong Le: "Are you waiting for me?"

Shijin tilted his head slightly, looking at him gently as always: "Yes, perhaps this is God's will."

Rong Le looked at Shijin. Unlike the image revealed in the intelligence, Shijin did not look like he was eager for power. He was still wearing his old clothes and looked no different from the assistant officer in the past.

But all the signs from Rongle's walk into the church indicated that the church was indeed under the control of Shijin.

It was impossible to reach the top floor and get the wooden box containing the meat without alerting the people in the church. Rong Le was ready to use force.

However, he didn't intend to act rashly before figuring out Shijin's attitude.

"From a very early age, I knew my fate. No matter how I tried to break it, I would end up back where I was."

Shijin stared at his hands in a trance. "If this is God's will, then everything is explained. I am destined to die this afternoon, no matter how."

“I’ve tried so many times, but it always comes back to where it started.”

Shijin smiled and looked up, and saw Rong Le's pupils shrink slightly.

"I've witnessed countless deaths, and I no longer know whether you are real or fake. Perhaps I'm still dreaming right now. Then I'd also like to do something out of the ordinary."

Shijin walked towards him with a smile, his footsteps neither hurried nor slow, carrying a heavy sense of oppression.

"I want you to be obedient, to tie you up, and to make sure you can only look at me."

A huge crack suddenly appeared on the ground, and thick vines emerged from the ground, wrapping around Rong Le's body like a spirit and tying him off the ground.

There was actually such a thing hidden under the ground of the church. The dark green vines seemed to have a spirit and tied him tightly. Rong Le tried to move, and the flexible vines tightened a little more.

Shijin reminded gently, "Don't move. The more you struggle, the tighter the vines will wrap around you."

Rong Le: "If I remember correctly, there is no relationship between us."

"It doesn't matter. It's enough that I remember it."

Shi Jin lowered his eyes slightly, his smooth profile was delicate and soft, his long eyelashes were as soft as a palm-leaf fan. Just looking at his appearance, one could not tell the extreme desire for control beneath his harmless exterior.

He whispered between his lips, "I just want a few more memories to savor when I die. I've been waiting for you, waiting for you to appear before me again."

Shijin walked up to him and raised his hand to touch his cheek.

Rong Le whispered, "That's it, assorted."

The next moment, the vines in front of him exploded instantly, and the cold light pierced the layers of vines below sharply, reaching the deepest and deadly core. A shrill and sharp scream that was so sharp that it made people numb sounded from underground.

Shijin kept his hands raised, and a thin line of blood was slowly oozing from his neck.

【"Assorted" is dead.】

Rong Le slowly stood up. Shi Jin in front of her had fallen to the ground powerlessly. The liquid flowing from her neck gradually soaked the dark red carpet, staining it a darker color.

He didn't have much time to deal with Shijin. After realizing that Shijin would not cooperate, he took decisive action and eliminated the only threat to the church.

After all, Fairlight would soon retake the church, and then it would be difficult to take the wooden box.

"I'm sorry, I'm afraid I can't give you the rose I promised you."

He said softly.

On the ground, among the messy black hair, Shi Jin's fair profile still looked quiet and beautiful. Some scarlet blood splattered on his face, and his eyes were filled with the calmness and tenderness of the last moment.

It was as if I had finally found the destination I had been waiting for.

…

[World Line Tampering Degree: 65%]