Break the situation
Reality side.
In the game, Shang Jingyan toured all four planets, but in reality, it was already the seventh day.
According to Deboler's plan, if Shang Jingyan still doesn't wake up after today, they will select dream builders and military personnel to try to forcibly break into the spiritual world on the other side.
Among the people of the Alliance, although the official has not stated that Shang Jingyan's sleep is related to the game, players still showed unprecedented enthusiasm for completing "Lord of the Stars".
Over the past few days, almost all five planets have been explored by players.
The metal deposits on the entire Venus planet are extremely high, and the player is initially dropped into an abandoned mine. The main maps of this planet are concentrated underground, and countless monsters are hidden in the mines that are like a maze.
The Jupiter planet is covered with vast primitive jungles, with a relatively flat terrain and few mountains and valleys. The main part of the map is in the jungle, and the monsters on this planet have obvious primitive characteristics;
The ocean on the water planet is very large, and there are abandoned cities on the land. After assembling a submarine in the city, you can explore the ocean again.
There are countless active volcanoes on the surface of the Fire Planet, with magma flowing everywhere, and most of the safe areas are underground rivers. It seems that a magical civilization once existed here, and there are city remains in the center of the volcano;
The Earth Star has a rich terrain, with plateaus, Gobi, valleys, and deserts, but only a few oases are hidden in between. The monsters here often disguise themselves as sand-colored sneak attacks, making it difficult to distinguish.
The common point of the five planets is that there is no one living except the player character, and there are remains of urban civilization.
Players must work together to uncover the final truth.
After Lu Zibing suddenly became famous, he was pumped up and played the game like crazy according to the time limit. Finally, he lived up to everyone's expectations and became one of the first players to reach the ending.
Belonging to the same civilization, it has been able to cross the planet, overcome nature, and develop its own civilizational tentacles.
But one day, a high-ranking person in the civilization came into contact with pollution from the starry sky. Unspeakable monsters invaded with the help of consciousness and destroyed the civilization unstoppably.
"The King of Stars" is the honorific title of that god.
Consciousness is the channel, knowledge itself is pollution, ignorance is bliss. Once you know His existence, your will no longer belongs to you.
It's like an invisible virus, the horror of it is enough to drive people crazy.
The only group of ignorant survivors escaped from the five major planets and headed for the unknown starry sky on spaceships with the spark of civilization.
However, halfway through, the pollution of the starry sky broke out again, caused by a survivor who wanted to know why his hometown was destroyed.
The survivors had to face the choice again, and finally, everyone scrambled to select four people before the pollution covered the entire area, and let the four of them drive the emergency spacecraft separately.
——There is not enough fuel, so the four people’s destination can only be to choose a planet to return to.
In order to completely eliminate the possibility of contamination, the four of them had their memories cleared - this is why the players had no memories at the beginning.
However, it can be seen from the decryption here that these five people are definitely not all human. There is an unknown creature mixed in among them, but He also has no memory of His own.
The scripts that the five players received actually had something strange in them. The forum held rounds of discussions on "who is the monster". Everyone was suspicious and no one could convince anyone else.
Is there a monster hiding among them, or have the five people already merged with the monster and each of them is no longer himself?
unknown.
Some players even suggested that this might be a joint decision made by several people before they lost their memories, and the number of people was deliberately blurred so that they would not be able to infer the true truth after waking up.
After all, doesn't the setting say "Knowing will lead to corruption"? If the players are not corrupted, it means the truth has long been buried.
In the end, the five players reunited victoriously, gathered together the civilization information, fertilized eggs in the frozen warehouse, and other items in their hands, selected a planet to build a camp, and began the long road to civilization revival.
After the ending, the game can continue to be played and players can freely choose which planet to go to.
Each planet has monsters, ranging in difficulty from cannon fodder to big bosses, and each planet has its own unique storyline.
The quality of its gameplay can be praised as "the best" among all open world games on the market.
Focusing on playability rather than the main storyline is a characteristic of large-scale open-world games, and no one complains about this.
However, in the players' evaluation of "King of the Stars", the word that appears most frequently is——
Lonely.
From the plot to the world view, and then to the final ending, there is a sense of desolation.
But considering the current situation of the alliance, this loneliness seems appropriate.
There is a hot post on Starnet saying: [Even if it is to prevent our world from becoming like this, we must do our best to kill the brainworms! ]
It reflects the mentality of the people of the alliance very well.
However, players soon discovered that as long as they jumped the timeline back a few dozen or a hundred years, new human NPCs would appear on each planet and could have interactive conversations - an announcement in the game stated that the sequel would be based on the new humans.
From this perspective, the main plot of "Lord of the Stars" is like a prequel to a large series, which brings a little comfort to many players who feel lonely.
When will its sequel come out?
——We must wait for Director Shang to come back.
Ever since the unknown creature sent out the message that Director Shang was sleeping, most interstellar people began to follow Deboler's announcement and try their best to keep themselves connected to the holographic warehouse.
At first, everyone didn't know why this was done, but gradually they understood the purpose -
[When I was in the holographic chamber, I had an inexplicable dream. In the dream, I seemed to be in another world. The most surprising thing was that I was also a fan of Director Shang there, and I watched "Evil Spirit" with my mother. 】
[What? Me too! I watched Rouge Comb! And I watched it in a roadshow format. How strange! Director Shang obviously didn’t show Rouge Comb during the roadshow…]
[I'm similar to you guys, but I watched it in disc format. Wow, it's still scary when I watch it again in my dream.]
[I have a bold idea. Could it be that we are actually dreaming the same "dream"? And the Director Shang over there is actually our real Director Shang! ]
[It turns out that everyone has had this kind of dream. In my dream, I seemed to be acting according to inertia, and I had no intention of changing. But after I was frightened by "Mobius Sea" by chance in my dream, I suddenly "woke up". ]
[Yes, yes, that’s me! I was like a sleep paralyzed person before and couldn’t move at all. After being scared “awakened” by Director Shang’s horror movie in my dream, I can control my body on my own. I even asked Director Shang for an autograph, hahaha.]
The brain worms weaved a false dream, pulling Shang Jingyan and important dream builders into it, and presenting to Shang Jingyan what they wanted her to see.
However, as more and more human consciousness is integrated into it, can this falsehood still be unbreakable?
It's like a thousand-mile-long dam, with holes gradually being eaten away by tiny ants, waiting to collapse one day.
Virtual side, Jupiter planet.
"Congratulations to Director Shang, the last roadshow ended successfully!!"
"Wuhu!——"
When Shang Jingyan bowed to take her bow, the audience cheered like a tidal wave, flowers were thrown into the sky, and some audience members were so excited that they wanted to rush up to hug her.
This is her last roadshow on Jupiter, which is also one of the four major planets besides March.
"Director Shang, will you come back?"
"When will Director Shang release his new work?"
"Director Shang, will you go to the capital? If you do, I will definitely vote for you!"
Shang Jingyan did not comment on these questions, but just smiled and retreated backstage. The noisy voices were separated by a barrier and became hazy.
Now, instead of calling her "Your Highness", more and more people are starting to call her Director Shang.
The Vatican's order has been issued to five planets, and a referendum will be held on the next candidate for the throne.
On the day of the referendum, candidates must be present at the Royal Palace in the capital.
This caused some controversy for StarNet, which had been leaning towards Shang Jingyan:
[Director Shang, please don’t come back, otherwise you will be kidnapped and assassinated as soon as you land. What should I do? ? ]
[How can I not reply? By the time someone else takes the throne, the opportunity will be gone! ]
[It is never too late for a gentleman to take revenge. I will support you no matter what you do.]
In fact, no matter which kind of speech, it seems very childish. Even the referendum itself seems like an outrageous plot designed by a novice who knows nothing about human society.
But considering that this world is originally a game, it is strangely reasonable.
"Let's go."
Shang Jingyan sat down on the spaceship and closed his eyes.
Xia Chiyi responded happily and started the spaceship.
Shang Jingyan decided to return to March Star, but she chose to return alone, bringing only the robot Xia Chiyi with her, while Hua Feitian and others stayed where they were.
In fact, Shang Jingyan had a vague premonition that if her guess was correct, then except for her, everyone else would be the same wherever they went.
She felt that she must have lost a long period of memory.
Among all the strange things, what made her most doubtful was her own fighting and driving skills.
For these two skills, consciousness and muscle memory are both indispensable. Even if the "original owner" she traveled to knew it, she would not be able to learn it seamlessly.
Today, all her doubts can be verified.
When Shang Jingyan arrived at March Star, it was evening in the capital, just like the day she first met Shang Song.
She looked up at the three moons that had already emerged, and the feeling of being watched was born again. According to the preview, tonight is another night of March Heart Connection.
But this time Shang Jingyan showed no fear and walked straight into the palace.
No guards stopped her, and no one from the Church came out to reprimand her. Shang Jingyan had no problem getting to the side hall.
It seemed that as long as she didn't want to, obstacles would not appear.
As long as...she doesn't want to.
Shang Jingyan didn't have the chance to meet Shang Song when he escaped. After a few months, the building seemed to have not changed much, and it was covered with thick white curtains.
She looked at the organ silently for a while, walked along the red carpet to the outside of "Bluebeard's Room", and knocked on the door.
Knock knock.
Shang Song seemed to have expected this. He was not surprised to see Shang Jingyan, whom he had not seen for a long time, when he opened the door. He just said, "Sit down, Xiaoyan. If you have any questions, I will answer them all at once today."
The small room has a terrace, soaking in the thick blood-red sunset.
Shang Song had already brewed tea and cut small cakes for both of them. Six round moons were reflected in the two teacups.
But Shang Jingyan didn't change their mood.
She sat down opposite Shang Song, picked up the teacup, and without making eye contact with the person opposite, she stared absently at the tea in the cup.
——Whether it is the fledgling dream-building newcomer Shang Jingyan or the long-established director Shang Da, they almost never adopt such an evasive attitude in conversation.
"I do have many questions, but there are only two that are most important and that I want to confirm with you."
Shang Jingyan said, "Well, maybe you have some restrictions and can't tell me the truth directly, so you just need to answer me with a yes or no."
"The first question is... Is the 'jellyfish' in this world... actually the brain worm from our 'previous life'?"
"Yes." Shang Song admitted it straightforwardly.
"…Second question."
Shang Jingyan raised her face and looked at Shang Song. The woman's figure was reflected in her green eyes, like a photo firmly embedded in the bottom of a green crystal.
She wanted to remember this scene so much that ripples appeared in her lake-like eyes, filled with anticipation, nervousness, heaviness, and more importantly... sadness.
"This world is fake. Right?"
Shang Jingyan looked carefully at Shang Song's expression, the fine lines at the corners of her eyes, and the reluctance in her eyes.
It seemed like a century had passed before Shang Song finally spoke.
"yes."
Shang Jingyan's heart suddenly felt empty, and he thought silently: It is true.
This word fell lightly, but it was like a heavy hammer of judgment, smashing down from the void!
Click.
Shang Jingyan heard a shattering sound, just like a crack suddenly appearing on the surface of porcelain.
Click, click…
The ground shook, the cups on the table began to bump against each other, and the whole world began to shake. Cracks appeared on the ground, and in an instant they spread wildly in all directions!
[Beep! Beep—Alarm! Beep—]
[The world is collapsing... the world... please... you...]
[Repair...Call...Wa...Wa...]
17X screamed heart-wrenchingly in Shang Jingyan's mind, but its voice was soon drowned out by the roars from all directions.
The cottage belonging to Shang Song and Shang Jingyan collapsed in the blink of an eye. Black mist emerged from the cracks, submerging everything.
They were at the center of this collapse of the sky and the earth, falling down in the darkness.
Shang Jingyan groaned, covered his forehead with his hands with a pale face in the weightlessness, and felt an intense pain in his head.
She remembered the real "Lord of the Stars", remembered the time outside of the game, remembered everything.
She is not the crown prince of the love world, nor is she a dream builder for newcomers.
She is a famous horror film director, and she is Shang Jingyan who personally created a horror craze in the interstellar space!
Not only did the memory hidden by the brainworm return, but also the memory that was dislocated due to the first time he traveled through time and space and revived, the past few decades were linked together at this moment, becoming a rushing river, and Shang Jingyan's mind had never been so clear.
But……
"Shang Song!"
Shang Jingyan's face was as pale as gold paper, and he was sweating profusely as he tried his best to find the figure.
There was a translucent outline falling not far from her, and the gold at the edges fluttered like torn paper.
"Mother!!"
Shang Jingyan raised her hand and subconsciously wanted to grab it. She didn't even realize that she was not calling "Ms. Shang Song" this time.
The rocks were floating, blocking his view. Shang Jingyan gritted his teeth slightly and radiated his mental power.
In a flash, the speed of the world's collapse began to slow down, as if a giant hand was forcibly blocking the gears of time.
Shang Jingyan stumbled on the bricks and stones and ran towards the human figure.
At this moment, she had lost all her glory and was just a daughter who wanted to see her mother. However, Shang Song's figure became fainter and more transparent.
She shook her head at Shang Jingyan from a distance and said:
Said...what?
Shang Jingyan finally reached a distance where she could hear clearly, but the next second, Shang Song's figure completely faded from her sight, like a drop of water into the sea.
The surroundings were finally quiet, the buildings were frozen in time as if in a snapshot, not even the sound of the wind was left, as if no one had ever been there, the only sound that could be heard was Shang Jingyan's own breathing and heartbeat.
In the silence, Shang Jingyan suddenly thought of the first time she met Shang Song here.
At that time, she thought she had traveled through time, and was lucky enough to have arrived at the same place as Shang Song. She could ignore the responsibilities and obligations of her past life in this one, and the two of them could be an ordinary mother and daughter fighting side by side in the world of ghost stories.
So before she left, she said, Ms. Shangsong, I am almost an adult, so I will reluctantly let you raise me for a few more days. Even if I can't go back in the future, I will take care of you in your old age in this world.
But she just remembered now that Shang Song did not answer her question.
——This world is fake.
Shang Song who exists here is also fake.
Shang Jingyan already knew what the result would be before he asked the question. How much courage was needed to ask it?
Nowhere, homeless...
Shang Jingyan lowered her head and saw a drop of warm water falling into her palm. Soon, tears began to fall.
She watched the world around her continue to disintegrate, but this time she did not fall. Instead, she stood firmly in place because the factor that caused her to be disturbed no longer existed.
After an unknown amount of time, darkness enveloped everything, and buildings piled up around her like ruins in the night.
Shang Jingyan wiped the tears from the corners of her eyes and calmed her emotions. She knew that the next step would be a real tough battle.
Even after being cut off from the outside world for six days, she could still guess the truth: the brainworm had created a false spiritual world in order to brainwash her. Now that this world had been broken by her, the brainworm had nowhere to hide.
She took a step forward, and was about to use her mental power to search for the location of the brain worm, when she suddenly saw that the teacup that Shang Song had conjured up earlier was still tilted not far away, with a little tea left in it.
Shang Jingyan walked over and picked it up from the ruins.
But the next moment, she saw a three-month-long heart reflected in the tea.
She paused and looked up.
I saw a huge blood-red eyeball appearing in the distant night sky, hanging there quietly. The ruins of the collapsed palace and church seemed extremely small in front of it.
He turned slowly, and the black pupil in the center of his eyes shrank as he looked into Shang Jingyan's eyes.
"Finally I see you." Shang Jingyan exhaled softly, his eyes gradually sharpening, "Should I call you that? The leader of the brainworms... Wa."
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