Chapter 50 The Infinite Boss Invites You to "Eat Melon" (The End) ^^...

"You still want to fuse with the fragments of godhood?" the smiling face shouted. "I've already told you, it's useless, useless! You can't change anything! Accept it, Lu Yu, accept your fate!"

Its cry trembled slightly.

Pei Yanzhi's burst of power still troubled it, causing it to tremble and twist.

Lu Yu acted as if he hadn't heard.

He watched Pei Yanzhi's blurry figure fade away, sensing the pollution within his body rising again. His gaze gradually became empty, as if he had lost his soul.

Using the power of the forbidden object, he severed Ji Chengchuan's head.

"Lu Yu!"

A smiling face and a howling voice.

The pollution that flooded into his body increased several times in an instant, and the suppressive power left behind by Pei Yanzhi also became shaky, emitting a sickeningly loud collapse sound.

The power of the rules spread, and thunder and flowing clouds formed a cloak.

The scepter shattered, the crown scattered, Lu Yu struggled to hold onto the ever-full, silver-blue blazing sun, forcibly merging with the two fragments he had grabbed, and like a madman, staggered toward the game's core revealed in the space, letting his body break apart in large chunks, bones and internal organs falling out.

"It's useless, it's useless! Even if you two both self-destruct here, you can't kill me! Don't be delusional, this has nothing to do with my recovery, nothing to do with my state, you are destined to be losers, 'cannon fodder'!" The smiling face let out a piercing scream.

The surrounding players had already succumbed to the pressure of the battle and were falling one after another.

"system."

Lu Yu braced his palm against the edge of Pei Yanzhi's spatial rift, his consciousness, almost submerged by black energy, struggling, and suddenly spoke.

【Host. 】

A gossip-eating system has appeared.

It seemed oblivious to the scene, remaining as calm as ever.

Lu Yu's empty eyes swept over the projection in front of him.

No one but him could see it.

“System,” Lu Yu’s mental world also began to shatter, “what exactly is your background?”

The gossip-eating system paused for a moment: [Host, isn't this not the time to be concerned with this?]

Lu Yu ignored him and continued, "At first, I thought you were a fragment of a god, just a special one. Later, I suspected you were a piece of the consciousness of Blue Star, who, unwilling to accept defeat, came after me, his former henchman. Still later, I realized that none of those were true."

"You don't belong to me, nor to Earth, nor even to...this world?"

He stared at the projection, his bloodshot eyes dark and startling: "This... is a fictional world."

The projection froze.

"This is a fictional world, isn't it?"

Lu Yu said, “Last night, I received two prophecies. One came from the Great Prophet: ‘Those who attempt to steal the divine fire will be consumed by their own flames; those who attempt to ascend the divine throne will perish by their own blade. A white bird spreads its wings across the sky, and the path will be extinguished in the void.’ The other came from myself: ‘The answer is held in the palm of the Creator God.’”

"The former has a clear meaning, but what about the latter?"

Despite the overwhelming pollution and resistance, he painstakingly tore open the crack.

Pei Yanzhi's lingering spatial power, like the gentlest breeze in the world, softly struck him, causing his bones and blood to tremble, and large drops of blood and tears to roll down his cheeks without him even realizing it.

"And then there's Ji Chengchuan's aura of being a heartthrob."

"Why did Qian Yue and the others, whose pollution had lessened, return to Ji Chengchuan's side in a daze? Yan Zhi's pollution was also severe, so why was he so irreconcilably opposed to Ji Chengchuan? What is the more crucial and important reason? You've actually come to the right person. I've read too many novels while slacking off. My first thought was that this is the author's way of setting up the 'identities' and 'settings' in the novel. Regardless of good or evil, this is how it should be."

"In this setting, Ji Chengchuan and Smiling Game are the protagonists, destined to have the last laugh. Qian Yue and the others are important supporting characters, Ji Chengchuan's lovers, who can waver but will not change. Yan Zhi is an important villain, Ji Chengchuan's enemy, who will fight to the death with him in the end, and then die."

"And I am cannon fodder, an indispensable stepping stone. Five years ago, I condensed a divine spark, only to have it shatter on the spot, leaving behind fragments of the divine spark. Five years later, these will become the protagonist's power, which he can collect piece by piece to become a god, either to fight against the Smiling Game or to merge with it."

"Of course, what finally confirmed my guess was what happened now: Smile Game's unbridled preemptive move. Its complete lack of restraint and openness suggests it knows something, right?"

Lu Yu faced the dark core area.

Pei Yanzhi's figure had shattered into starlight, suppressing the core consciousness of the game from all directions.

Lu Yu paused for a moment, then slowly stepped forward, getting closer to the starlight.

"Lu Yu, Pei Yanzhi! You can't kill me, you can't kill me!"

The core writhed wildly, driving away the starlight.

Lu Yu suddenly thrust out his power.

But they were stopped.

Tiny rays gathered in front of him, like scraps of paper or the Milky Way, blocking his way.

At one moment, an endless buzzing sound filled Lu Yu's ears.

As time and space stretched out and light and shadow roared, he seemed to see another version of himself, another Pei Yanzhi, and another Blue Star.

One was caught off guard and died under Ji Chengchuan's scheme; another was burdened with hatred and scattered in the corruption of the Smiling Game; and the third became a true Fool's Kingdom, where the bizarre ran rampant and the ordinary was no more.

Which ending is better, the one there or the one here?

It seemed like a long time had passed, yet it also seemed like only a fleeting moment.

A huge wave rippled across the projection in front of him, and then a text suddenly unfolded: [Congratulations, host, for unlocking a new entry, "The Infinite Flow Genius Becomes a God!"]

Lu Yu's consciousness froze.

[The Infinite Flow Novel: Becoming a God]

This novel, written by an anonymous author on a certain literary website, tells the story of the protagonist Ji Chengchuan, who enters an infinite flow game during his university years. He displays his talent and charm in various dungeons, is admired and pursued by countless players, and captures the core of the game. Ultimately, with the help of the game, he successfully becomes a god and transforms into a higher-dimensional life form.

Because of the spoiler in the extra chapter, which implied that Ji Chengchuan was devoured by the Smiling Game, readers questioned whether the real protagonist was not Ji Chengchuan but the Smiling Game, which led to a flood of negative reviews.

Because the concentration of intent reached a certain limit, the novel evolved into a "world".

In this novel's world, the pseudo-Chosen One is Ji Chengchuan, a human from the planet Jinshui, while the true Chosen One is the Smiling Game, a special life form on the verge of ascending to a higher dimension...

I remember everything.

In the starlight, before the Milky Way, beneath the entries, Lu Yu's last remaining fragments of memory flickered up like fleeting shadows.

He saw himself five years ago, charging headlong into the heart of the game. He truly had the power to kill the game, but what happened afterward?

Then, a book blocked his way.

It told him that he was just cannon fodder in the background, and that he couldn't and shouldn't go beyond the boundaries of the plot to kill the protagonist. He was destined to fail.

Then his godhood shattered, his memories were sealed away, and he became an ordinary office worker in Baixiang City, China, living an unknown life for five years that were only briefly mentioned.

Five years later, the SSS-level dungeon opens. He will be completely unaware of what is happening and will be manipulated by the players, ultimately dying in the struggle for the first fragment of divinity, serving as a stepping stone for the protagonist. He will never know his true identity, nor will he use his true power. He will be born in a daze and die in a daze.

That's how he should be.

This is his "story," his "life."

Now, his desire to kill the protagonist, beyond what he has achieved, is wrong.

Lu Yu listened quietly as the book finished speaking, then patiently flipped through it again before raising his hand and tearing it to shreds.

"I don't accept it."

He said it calmly.

He charged through the shower of shredded paper and stormed inside.

At that moment, the world changed.

It seemed to be in the atmosphere, or perhaps in a higher, untouchable place, where countless, densely packed, enormous characters appeared against common sense.

Lu Yu couldn't see it clearly, but he knew it was that book.

The words pressed down from the sky like dark clouds, meteors, and heavenly fire. With a power far beyond his comprehension, they shattered his strength and sealed his memories.

He roared and clashed with it using his divine power, but only managed to burn a small hole.

Compared to those words, this hole is so small as to be almost imperceptible, not even as big as a period.

"But it was that tiny hole that brought you here, that brought change, right, System?" Lu Yu said.

The gossip system no longer concealed anything.

"Yes, host," it replied, "The world you inhabit is a fictional world, formed from words, unlike the real world. Five years ago, you unexpectedly awakened, burning a flaw into the words that formed this fictional world. Since then, the power of creation still exists, but it can no longer directly interfere with everything here. The power of awakening has grown, and the real universe sensed your presence, thus bestowing this system upon you."

Five years ago, Smile Game also peeked into that book.

It was unaware of my presence, but it saw the deviation in the "plot" surrounding you, so driven by the power of creation, it chose to intervene ahead of time and correct the story.

"I see," Lu Yu said. "Then can you help us?"

The system's text trembled, seemingly in deep sorrow: [I am very sorry, host. Although this system possesses greater power, it is merely an "opportunity," a "hint," not the key to changing everything. The answer you seek has always been before you.]

This answer is enough to enrage anyone in this situation right now.

But Lu Yu did not.

He already knew the system wouldn't help; its past actions made this clear. It could offer hints, but it wouldn't intervene. So, even though he could have unlocked the entry just now, he didn't say anything. And now, bringing it up suddenly was only to confirm, to confirm an answer so he wouldn't die with regrets.

They always thought that their enemy was an infinite game, which, though uncertain, was not without any chance of survival.

But what is the truth?

The truth is that what truly stands in their way is not what is visible, but something higher and more elusive—the "plot," the "setting," the words of creation, and even their own destiny.

Who dares to say they are born free and not subject to the whims of fate?

That giant hand has existed since birth.

Lu Yu gazed at the Milky Way, at its core, his eyes deep black.

"Change is needed."

He began to speak.

"What?"

A surprised smile appeared on her face.

It didn't know why the dying man suddenly spoke.

Neither outcome is good, so a change is necessary.

Lu Yu turned his gaze toward the smiling face, his vision gradually filled with blood red.

But what is the key to change?

What was right in front of him?

Lu Yu touched the silvery-blue sun.

It is full of cracks and flaws, and it has always been missing a core piece.

"Although everyone has their own destiny, no destiny can transcend humanity." Lu Yu suddenly remembered that afternoon when he and Pei Yanzhi leaned back on the sofa and read that book together.

The answer is right in front of you.

He laughed.

The gossip system hadn't lied to him; as long as he collected all the godhood fragments, he could obtain a complete godhood.

Lu Yu raised his hand and swung it with all his strength.

He threw himself in—

They were thrust into the blazing sun!

The power of rules, the damaged body and spirit, the forbidden power left behind by Pei Yanzhi, the unknown energy of the gossip system—all the light and darkness that converged on Lu Yu were unearthed without reservation, turning into the last stream of light, the last fragment, which crashed into the silver-blue sun.

But it's still a little short, it's still a little short!

"Boss Lu!"

Xiaoqian's cry rang out.

Her face was streaked with tears, for Pei Yanzhi, for Lu Yu, and for herself.

All the players looked up abruptly, and in that instant, they seemed to see countless moths drawn to a flame.

Those people abandoned their power and threw themselves into that giant sun, willingly being burned to ashes.

What drives them to do this?

Hatred, anger, resentment, grievances, past, future?

Qian Yue put down the sword that pierced her heart.

She has ravaged the souls of many, but what about her own?

Qian Yue rushed forward.

Like a bugle call, more and more players began to move.

Some people were shocked and tried to stop them, questioning their suicidal tendencies. But how could someone who truly wanted to act be stopped?

"Stop! All of you, stop!"

The smiling face realized something was wrong and roared coldly, "If you don't stop now, you'll all die!"

This is not a threat, but a fact.

The pollution outbreak caused players to explode in droves, turning them into clusters of fireworks.

But there are always more players who stand up.

In a flash of silver and blue, the divine core was completed, its brilliant light shining with unparalleled brilliance.

Like a true sun, it was lifted up by Lu Yu, smashing through the scraps of paper blocking its path and shattering the core of the game ahead. Unrestrained and vigorous, it leaped out of the sea of ​​clouds and flew towards the endless heights.

His smile froze: "How is this possible... how is this possible! What kind of power is this... this isn't the power of rules, it's not world consciousness, what is this... what is this!"

In a sudden, intuitive moment, all the humans on both planets raised their heads as if sensing something.

They saw a second sun amidst a silvery-blue meteor shower.

It leaps forth, radiant with light, its color a gentle yet dazzling silver-blue, spreading eternal brilliance.

It was like a torrential rain, washing away the filth of the world, and like a torch, igniting those unseen, layered words.

What is that?

"It is a word, a word in the heavens!"

"A book...our world is a book!"

"How is that possible!"

"No, we are living, breathing human beings! We have our own thoughts and feelings, how can we be swayed by a single line of words or a pen!"

"I can accept that this is a world in a book, but I can't accept that we have such a future!"

"We won't accept it! We won't accept it!"

Humans roared in anger.

In the flames and amidst the roars, the words began to crumble and disintegrate.

The world collapsed as if freed from heavy shackles.

Ji Chengchuan completely collapsed, and the smiling screams gradually disappeared.

In the final moment, Lu Yu, guided by the silvery-blue sunlight, ventured deep into the shattered core.

He captured Pei Yanzhi's star-like silhouette.

"The worst ending I imagined was that you died and I lived. But now it seems better... For lovers, dying together is a perfect ending, right? But if I could, I want you to live, no matter what it takes... I want you to live."

When the sunlight and starlight met, Lu Yu finally found his soul again.

"Yanzhi... I'm sorry."

Tears of blood flowed freely.

Amidst the emptiness, despair, and cries, Lu Yu's consciousness slowly dissipated, melting into the sunlight.

The glory faded away.

A prolonged silence.

After an unknown amount of time, a projection lit up in the deserted darkness.

[Beep—!]

[Congratulations, host, for unlocking a new term: "Real World"!]

[All related terms for "gossip" have been unlocked. World Awakening is complete. Please check your rewards!]

...

"From this point on, our world, namely Blue Star and Mercury Star, officially changed, breaking free from the shackles of a low-dimensional world confined to paper and becoming the real world we know today."

"The Smile Game has also disappeared, but the game transfer station and the game store have remained. One became a transfer station for communication between our two planets, and the other was confiscated by the authorities and became a treasure trove for everyone to use, for us to advance to superhuman levels, clean up residual pollution, and repair planetary wounds."

"This can be described as a very happy ending for everyone..."

At Baixiang No.1 Middle School, a history teacher is giving a lecture on a slideshow at the podium in a classroom.

A student in the back row boldly raised his hand: "Teacher, I heard that a lot of people died in that great battle. Ordinary people on the ground, players in the sky, all died. How can it be considered a happy ending for everyone?"

The history teacher pushed up his glasses: "A lot of people died? Where did you hear that?"

“Online,” the student said, “‘The Mystery of the Silver-Blue Sun,’ ‘Unveiling the Unspeakable War Three Years Ago,’ ‘The Smiling Game You Don’t Know,’ ‘The King of Calamities and the Realm Lord’s Anecdotes… These are all very popular posts, and some are even locked. They must have gotten to the heart of the matter to be locked. Many experts have given them a thumbs up!”

The history teacher, suppressing a twitching smile, tried to be heard as he spoke: "Most of those posts with no basis are just for attention; don't take them too seriously, and learn to discern the truth. The facts should be based on the textbook. The great war three years ago was indeed extremely brutal, but after the world was reshaped, everything from that time was restored, including the players who sacrificed their lives."

"This is thanks to awakening, thanks to resistance; the will and power of life are truly incredible..."

The student pouted and muttered under his breath, "How come those posts have no basis..."

The bell rang just then.

The history teacher's expression brightened, and he decisively slammed down the chalk: "Alright, that's it for this lesson. Go home and memorize this part. There will be a quiz next class, and the content of this lesson will be on the test paper."

"ah?"

"Teacher, no!"

The classroom was instantly filled with cries of anguish.

The history teacher ignored the wailing and slipped away briskly.

Halfway there, she pulled out her phone and typed: "[Captain, I'm not having this! Why was my exposé post locked and my account banned, while those posts about the Grim Reaper's Great March and everyone being wiped out are still up? That's definitely spreading false information! Can you get Boss Lu to deal with them too?!]"

A few seconds later, the reply came: [Go ask Jiang Yan. Lu Yu doesn't want to abuse his power.]

Xiaoqian: [...]

No, it's just a low-level cyber police officer locking a post, and you call that an abuse of power!

Furthermore, Pei Yanzhi said, "Your post wasn't locked for spreading false information, but for being pornographic."

Xiaoqian: [...]

Xiaoqian: [Very well, you've angered me! I'm announcing my retirement from writing! A rising star of the literary world has fallen!]

Why is Boss Lu neglecting his duties again?

Mai Dadan jumped out in the group chat: "[Slacking off again? Sigh, Captain Pei, if you ask me, we really can't let Boss Lu continue to degenerate like this. Ever since he got this secure job from Blue Star China three years ago, he's lost all ambition and just slacks off every day. He's been doing it for three years now!"

We need to find him a proper job right away. This can't go on; he'll become a ruin! Of course, I'm not jealous of Boss Lu or trying to sabotage him; I'm just worried about his physical and mental state...

Lu Yu: [?]

Mai DaDa: [? ! 】

Lu Yu: [Have you forgotten I'm still in the group chat?]

This terrifying screen-peeping lurker!

Mai Dadan immediately admitted defeat: "My birthday wish this year is for Boss Lu and Captain Pei to be happy, healthy, grow old together, and live a joyful life!"

No further news about Lu Yu emerged.

Just as Mai Dadan breathed a sigh of relief, Jiang Yan suddenly tagged him: "[Mai Dadan, yesterday on Jinshui Star, did you secretly turn into a bird in the middle of the night to poop on someone's head and make them faint from the stench? The Supernatural Management Office received a report, checked the nearby supernatural surveillance footage, and identified you. You need to come over by tomorrow at the latest.]"

Mai Dadan almost knelt down: [Sister Yan, my dear sister! I really had a reason this time, I didn't intentionally use supernatural means to mess around! I only acted because I saw a stalker, and I even called the police. I'm a law-abiding citizen! Please, Judge Jiang, investigate this thoroughly! Waaaaah!]

Jiang Yan: [You turned into a bird to poop first, then saw the follower and pooped on his head. Don't try to deny it. See you at the Extraordinary Management Office tomorrow.]

Mai Dadan burst into tears and sent a long string of kowtowing and begging emojis.

Xiaoqian laughed out loud and sent a nose-picking emoji.

Wang Kun, Liu Xian, and others followed closely behind, covering their noses with their hands, their expressions filled with disdain for Mai Dadan.

Liu Xian appeared silently: [So, has anyone arrived at the restaurant? I forgot the private room number...]

The Great Prophet: [Team Leader Lin and I have arrived.]

Jiang Yan: [I just got off work and I'm leaving right away.]

Xiaoqian: [Me too! It's very close from school.]

Mai Dadan: [Hey, where are Boss Lu and Captain Pei? Today is your pre-wedding party, you two are the stars, you absolutely can't be absent!]

Pei Yanzhi: [On the road.]

"On the way?"

Lu Yu glanced at Pei Yanzhi's phone screen, chuckled hoarsely, raised his hand, removed Pei Yanzhi's trembling fingers from the screen, forcefully pulled them to his lips, and bit and gnawed at them, "You're so bad, Yanzhi. You lied to me again."

Pei Yanzhi looked up, his face wet with sweat, his chest and abdomen pressed tightly against the transparent glass window.

The sunset was magnificent, its orange-red light casting a display case on the balcony, imprisoning him within, hazy and dim, as if gilded and magnificent, yet also as if covered in dust and darkness.

"Who's the bad one?" Pei Yanzhi pressed his forehead, trembling all over. "I only lied to you twice, and you've been holding me accountable for three years. I've said I wouldn't do it again, and yet you still do this..."

As he spoke, he got angry and kicked Lu Yu.

When everything ended and the world was reshaped, his first reaction upon waking up was to embrace Lu Yu and weep. Lu Yu was also incredibly excited, unbinding himself from the system while hugging and kissing him, overwhelmed with joy at surviving such a catastrophe.

But what happened next?

He later simply took a nap, and when he opened his eyes again, he was chained to the headboard by a golden chain imbued with the power of rules.

Pei Yanzhi hadn't left that house for almost a month, handling follow-up matters on both planets via online video conferences, only revealing his chest and above.

If he hadn't revealed the truth to Xiaoqian and the others, the Great Prophet would have suspected that Lu Yu had been possessed by the Smiling Game and was being secretly imprisoned and tortured.

While it's true that this statement isn't entirely wrong in terms of facts...

Even now, when Pei Yanzhi recalls that month, he still frowns.

It is both pain and pleasure.

But this absolutely cannot happen again. He must control the frequency between him and Lu Yu. He's thirty years old now; even if he's an extraordinary being, he can't...

“Three years isn’t enough,” Lu Yu’s strong body enveloped the young man from behind, his kisses warm and tender against the young man’s ear. His voice, tinged with bitterness, deepened with practiced ease. “You have no idea how much pain and despair I felt back then, how long I cried. How could you bear to leave me, Yan Zhi…”

Pei Yanzhi couldn't stand these words at all.

His hardened heart softened immediately, and he surrendered in a low voice: "You...can we settle this later? We need to eat tonight, and if we don't go out now, it'll be too late...Lu Yu, my husband."

"immediately."

Lu Yu knew when to stop.

He knew that Pei Yanzhi's choice at the time was out of necessity, for his sake, and for everyone's sake.

He called it deception, but he never actually blamed him for hiding it. He only felt sorry for him, admired him, and resented his own lack of strength.

But it's okay, it's all over now, and after the storm comes the brilliance.

Three years later, Lu Yu said goodbye to the gossip system, received the nameless medal, and started living a life of slacking off, clocking in and leaving get off work. He had long since put all of that behind him.

He cherishes the present more than dwelling on the past.

But inevitably, she still liked to tease Pei Yanzhi about this, and then the two of them would tacitly agree, one taking and the other giving, embracing and kissing.

This is the kind of fun that Chiyoko murmurs.

Lu Yu lowered his eyes and smiled, then tightened his arms inch by inch, holding the person even closer.

Half an hour later, in a private room at the restaurant.

Jiang Yan and the others exchanged bewildered glances: "So, which road are they on? Why haven't they arrived yet?"

"Let's go on the highway," Xiaoqian chuckled, wiping her sweat. "These two are always in bed and always late! Never mind them, let's eat!"

"Wang Kun, get the drinks!"

"Old Bai, Liu Xian, stop writing your paparazzi report! Let's eat!"

"Mai, you dare! If you ever turn into a cockroach and scare people again, I'll kill you!"

Lovers embrace tightly, the world is in chaos, and all things grow freely. Who says such a future isn't real?

...

...

[End of Unit 1]

-----------------------

Author's Note: The first arc has ended! Hooray for Lu and Pei! [Sprinkling flowers]

There are a few other minor things to explain, which felt a bit cramped in the main text, so I've added a bonus chapter, which I'll post tomorrow. Please check back then!

The new world "Blabulation" will open the day after tomorrow! [Dog head with rose in hand]

P.S.: Although each person has their own destiny, no destiny transcends humankind. —Camus