Chapter 126 New Tasks and Preparations
That's really strange.
Although they were all corpses, the remains of the giant rat were still left in place, while the human corpses had all turned into light and vanished.
I couldn't figure out the principle behind it at all, because I couldn't detect much magic involved. After pondering for a while, I decided to throw the question directly to Sheng, who was squatting on the ground, concentrating on dismembering the giant rat's corpse.
"Why do human corpses turn into light and disappear, while these monsters don't?"
Somewhat puzzled, he turned his head and stared at the light above him. He pondered for a few seconds and said, "Hmm, I really haven't thought about this. After all, this is the performance mode in the game. Maybe it's just a replica."
"So, you agree that this is the world in the game?"
With a touch of curiosity, I probed, wanting to know if the other person clearly understood that they were not a real person.
But what Sheng said next was different from what I expected: "No, not at all."
"I just think that since the plots that appear in games can also appear in reality, it might be better to accept this premise and think about things from this premise. Rather than caring about the reasons behind it, I am more focused on the immediate issue of survival."
He paused, then lowered his head again and continued his work: "Moreover, although they are both the corpses of living beings, there are actually many differences between them."
He picked up the piece of hind leg meat in his hand and shook it from side to side, then pointed to himself: "We can regard these slain monsters as sources of food and resources, but people are different. We cannot simply divide others into partners and enemies, this black-and-white relationship, nor can we simply regard others as food, even if it is only to protect our own conscience."
"Because each person is not a drifting, isolated island, but a life with many complex connections to one another, a creature seeking a place of peace of mind."
"...But only living people have basic meaning and can create more different meanings through their own activities. Inanimate objects can only become cumbersome garbage, disgusting scenes of misery, and treasure chests that may contain spoils of war... That's probably why they eventually disappear without leaving behind only their clothes and belongings."
I nodded slightly: "...It sounds like you know a lot."
Sheng paused for a moment, a shy blush spreading across her ears: "Ah... no, it's just that I heard about this passage from an older brother I met a few times when I was little, so I tried to memorize it... well, I just thought it was suitable, so I used it."
"Is it a sentence from some book?"
"Perhaps? I can't remember clearly, but when we met, he did seem to be flipping through some book the whole time."
Sheng paused for a moment, then suddenly smiled happily: "Brother Uriel, there's something I haven't told you yet, right?"
"To be honest, my health has been very poor ever since I can remember. Sometimes it feels like my bones are being shattered, and sometimes it feels like my stomach is on fire... I heard it's a very serious illness, and during the worst days I couldn't even sit up in bed. My parents were always frowning, and even secretly cried behind my back... Humph, I'm not stupid. Do you think I wouldn't know if they were hiding it from me?"
"Fortunately, later on, that strange older brother with white hair came to see me a few times... Hmm, I don't remember what he looked like, after all, it's been many years, but it felt like the same feeling I had towards the older brother... Anyway, after that, my health gradually improved, and I was even able to sit up. Although I still haven't recovered to a normal level, simple exercises are no longer a problem!"
"Ah! I got off topic... Never mind. What I wanted to tell you was that the reason I got into this game in the first place was because I pestered him to teach me how to play. Originally, I just wanted to reminisce about friends I hadn't seen in a long time, but I ended up getting hooked and playing it ever since..."
"Thinking about it this way, it feels like I was saved by him twice, or perhaps I received a blessed prophecy... Maybe I'll be lucky enough to live to the end with everyone, and even see him again to thank him in person!"
I watched quietly as Shengmei danced with joy.
It was impossible to tell him that this was just his imagination, a pre-set, false string of words, because facing such a cheerful and expectant smile, even slightly harsh words felt like a lump in his throat.
I could only take a small, deep breath, nod slightly, and offer an encouraging smile:
"...I hope so."
"Hehehe~ Brother Uriel, you also think this is possible, right? How about I share half of my luck with you? With me, a die-hard fan of this game, and you, a super strong mage, joining forces, we can definitely make it to the end and achieve a completely different ending!"
Nodding again, I helped to pack the disassembled meat pieces into individual packages and grill them. I tried to change the subject: "If I'm not mistaken, the time for the first task should be almost up, right? What will the second task be after that?"
"The second task? If I remember correctly, it should be..."
Just then, the bright blue notification box reappeared before our eyes:
Main Quest #1: Tutorial: Survival and Defense has ended.
Congratulations to all life still surviving on this land; you have now encountered the opportunity to ascend to a higher level of existence.
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