Welcome to Rewind World Game

Little Li walked forward, her black hair fluttering.

Amidst the spreading red fog, she placed her hand full of needle marks on the back of Su Ming's hand and together they held the doorknob.

Su Ming pressed her hand: "It's very dangerous outside, you don't need to go out."

Little Li shook her head, her fingers moving off the back of his hand: "Su Doctor, you're very smart, so you've already seen through the story of The First Tower, right?"

Su Ming answered with a sound.

The story developed to this point, he had already deduced the history that The First Tower wanted to present.

...

[Su Doctor asked me if there was anything regretful.]

[I said if early before everything happened... if early before February 9th, before Little Li was taken for her organs, Su Doctor could come to save us, that would be... perfection.]

...

["Little Li, are you okay?" Su Wensheng helped up the young girl.]

[The young girl nodded: "I'm fine, today is February 8th, and the surgery hasn't been performed yet."]

...

The time point of The First Tower's retrospection— is February 8th, before Little Li fell victim.

Therefore, who Su Ming now meets is the "Little Li saved by Su Ming," a new timeline.

While the real Little Li could not escape nine years ago. According to Su Wensheng's memory, when Su Doctor arrived, it was February 13th, and Little Li had just died. What remained in Su Wensheng's memory was the "Little Li not saved by Su Doctor."

Then, recalling a passage on Little Li's diary—

...

[The adults want to transform me, because the blood of Eligibles is very strong. They think if my blood could be turned into a weapon, like bright red tendrils, like an "Exotic Species able to be controlled by humans"— then they could use me to obtain more resources.]

[But, if that's the case, I would also become a walking corpse, no longer myself.]

...

Su Ming raised his eyes, looking at the window.

The lattice of redwood exuded dim candlelight, the silhouette of the "ghost" seemed like the shadows of Posa trees, it was madly screaming outside the door, bright red tendrils spreading around, piercing through corpses one by one.

Beneath the dark sky, its frail body was enveloped by the thick red fog, only a pair of pitch-black eyes and ink-black long hair scattered by the wind could be seen.

— The ghost had black eyes, black hair, a frail body.

Little Li also had black eyes, black hair, such a frail body.

"Ghost... is the 'Little Li not saved by Su Doctor,' isn't it?" Su Ming said.

Little Li's hand slightly trembled, she very slowly, very firmly nodded.

In the timeline where Su Doctor did not save Little Li, Little Li was pushed into the operating room and never came out. Therefore, in Su Wensheng's memory, he thought Little Li had already died.

However, the truth was, after Little Li was pushed into the operating room, the researchers transformed her— Little Li grew bright red tendrils, gained powerful strength like that of an Exotic Species, but she ultimately broke free from the researchers' control and lost her rationality. Nine years ago, she slaughtered most of the researchers. Since Su Doctor had already saved Su Wensheng, Su Wensheng did not know this was the situation afterward.

Therefore, in this game of "Ghost chasing people"— the "Ghost" did not represent an Exotic Species, but the failed transformation of Little Li back then.

— The "researchers" were not innocent people slaughtered by Exotic Species, they were the executioners causing Little Li to become a walking corpse.

Therefore, the "ghost" hated them so much.

— The "young girl" represents Little Li in another timeline, she was fortunately saved by Su Ming before being pushed into the operating room.

The present Little Li is the Little Li from the timeline "saved by Su Ming." The ghost outside the door is the Little Li from the timeline "not saved by Su Ming." It was precisely because the Little Li in the past, transformed and slaughtered the researchers, that the negative emotions generated became a source of energy driving The First Tower, thus activating The First Tower, allowing the past and reality to fuse, and enabling Su Ming to climb the causal line of the past to save the present Little Li.

If the "Little Li not saved by Su Ming," that is if the ghost were killed, the massacre would stop. Then, the causal line of "Ghost massacring people driving The First Tower" would also be wiped out. When the ghost as the "cause" is killed, Little Li as the "effect" will also no longer exist. No matter what, she would not exist in the present.

So— her death cannot be salvaged.

Su Ming at that moment understood what the ghost said earlier.

...

["Haha, hahahaha…" Laughing came from the red fog, like a young girl's miserable laugh: "—futile effort. You simply do not understand what feeling of fate is, all your struggles will ultimately lead to a predetermined end. Little Li is the same, you too."]

...

— Fate.

Su Ming clenched his hand.

"Su Doctor, I already know what to do, please allow me to end all of this." Little Li said.

Su Ming didn't stop her anymore.

"Creak—" The wooden door was pushed open, Little Li slowly walked out, she used Su Ming's borrowed knife, cutting her wrist, and smeared blood on the knife.

"The lanterns in everyone's hands hold a strand of my hair, so when the 'ghost' that came from the same source approaches, sensing the same source, the lanterns in your hands will light up. This is the principle of the lantern." Little Li said: "The props provided by the safe house are also made from the blood and flesh of me as an Eligible, capable of suppressing things of the same source, so they require your flesh and blood in exchange."

Every mechanism of the game is explained. This is not a joyful game of burning grandma but a girl's final desperate cry.

People have already failed her, and now they ask her to fix all of this.

Su Ming watched her walk out step by step. The cold wind blew her black hair, clearly of such a young age, yet already a few strands of white were faintly visible.

The reasoning of The World of Old Days always demands a price for every return. Even though the "ghost" is powerful, it has things it fears.

— It fears itself.

The props provided by the safe house are made from the blood and flesh that belong to it. And Little Li, as its real self, her blood and flesh have the greatest suppressive effect on it.

Just as a place can simultaneously have three Su Wensheng, under the retrospective causality of the tower, two Little Li can also simultaneously exist here.

The "ghost" stepped back step by step, screaming hoarsely.

"——Little Li." Su Ming'an shouted aloud.

Little Li paused, her hands gripping Su Ming'an's Amber Knife, the long blade edge almost taller than her whole body, blood coagulated on the blade, dyeing its surface scarlet red.

Candlelight shone on her face, her youthful cheeks blended into a solemn and steady demeanor. If she had more years, if her time hadn't stopped, perhaps she could truly grow into an outstanding person.

"——If the time line isn't converged, what will it become?" Su Ming'an asked.

[Little Li who was saved] kills [Little Li who was not saved], is an act of converging the time line. Because neither of them should live in this world, when both of them disappear, causality returns to normal. Therefore, what Little Li has to do now is to erase the Ghost, and also simultaneously erase herself.

Little Li tightened her grip on the knife, staring into the distance, speaking softly:

"Some nodes of Destiny cannot be changed."

"We might make many decisions in our life, like whether to have breakfast today, how many cups of water to drink, whether to eat one more bite of tomato, but most of these decisions are meaningless. No matter how many times we alter these decisions, they do not affect our ultimate outcome."

"Only some key event decisions lead to different endings. For example, choosing to go swimming, ultimately leading to accidental drowning. No matter how many different decisions we made before—whether to have breakfast, how many tomatoes we ate—they don't change the final outcome of drowning. The choices that can alter the ending are only those related to swimming."

"As long as the key decisions remain unchanged, any changes before them will converge the time line, reaching the same ending."

"Just like the chemistry experiment Wen taught me when giving lessons—every action we take might split a time line, like adding various woods to a box, they remain wood, no new substance is created, no matter how many times added, they remain wood. But if chemicals are added, causing a new chemical reaction, that's when real change occurs."

"That is to say, even if you wish for me to live, at this crucial time node, I must erase the traces of the Ghost's existence, simultaneously erasing myself. Because 'we' should not exist until now."

"I'm sorry, but I cannot leave here."

Because this is Destiny.

Her small frame blocked Su Ming'an's way, step by step heading toward the Ghost, blood dripping on the ground, blooming into clusters of crimson flowers.

——"Girl."

Her shadow dragged along the ground, the lamplight reflecting in Su Ming'an's eyes.

——What is the "Girl's" fate? To die unwillingly in the operating room, to desperately perish together with the Ghost here, to miss the promise with the young Su Wensheng, or to stay forever in the past nine years ago?

Either way, seemingly there's not a hint of future before her eyes. Her future—was cut off as early as nine years ago. No matter how she struggles, how she retrospects, her death is unavoidable, like a butterfly suffocating in a jar.

Su Ming'an reached out his hand, supporting her trembling arm. Her Strength was too small, the Amber Knife almost overwhelming her.

"I am an Eligible, if the Eligible doesn't bless humanity, humanity will suffer misfortune." Her diary words stung the eyes.

"Before my parents died, you once rescued me from domestic violence, we promised to grow up together."

"How can a man who cries so much save other children in the future?"

"If someone truly comes to rescue you, you must return to destroy this place."

——I have returned.

Even though I am not the true Su Wensheng, I have returned. I returned with boiling blood, with a heart yet to turn cold.

The girl's hair fluttered in the wind, with a faint Sword Cocoon in hand, Su Ming'an held her hand tight.

"Please, help me." Little Li's voice was very soft:

"With my Strength, it's impossible to get close to the Ghost, you help me get close to it, utilizing my blood, you'll be able to cause it harm."

"Don't be sad, my death is already past. Even if you insist on saving me, many more will die because of me, something I don't wish to see. Now the Tower has let everyone witness this history, in the future, similar situations will decrease—that's what I want to see."

"Will you help me, please?"

Su Ming'an stabilized her hand.

Respecting Little Li's choice now, just as he respected the Knight of Light's death then.

Holding her hand at that moment, he saw many memories.

——Back then, after the death of Little Li's adoptive relatives, a new family soon adopted Little Li. They touched her, treated her as a maid at home. Until they were accidentally injured, Little Li couldn't bear to see them die, fed them her blood.

From that moment on—nightmares descended.

Because of kindness, she exposed her identity as an Eligible, after the family recovered, they immediately sold her to the institute.

She was transported to various places, undergoing various tests, enduring countless agony. Until one day, sitting in a chariot, passing her home, she saw—the originally impoverished family had built a luxurious house, golden wheat fields swaying in the wind, elders and children sitting at the doorstep, chatting with neighbors over tea. After selling her, they became so wealthy and happy.

And she sat in the chariot, no matter how many times she screamed, how many times she cried for help, pounding the window until her fists bled, no one came to save her.

Upon arrival at the Experimental City, she was forced into various experiments—hunger experiment, burn experiment, freezing experiment, often troubled by hunger as people observed her body's reaction. Scalpels cut her skin, long needles pierced her body, Binding Ribbons restricted her movement, agony consistently ran through her flesh and bones. She had no dignity, like a sheep lying on a cutting board.

[She] was still relentlessly persecuted.

"If...in this World...there truly...exists a Deity loving us...Deity...please grant me a miracle, I beg...you...I beg you..."

"If...Father and Mother...were still here...then they...would definitely come...to save me..."

She lay in the dim hospital room, repeating continuously, repeating continuously.

"Little Wen..."

"Little Wen...will also come...to save me."

"Then...the bad people will be...defeated...the kind adults...will punish the bad people..."

"Persist until...that moment...persist until...the kind adults descend from heaven...to lead me away from pain..."

Little Wen kept comforting her, saying someone would come to destroy this place, exposing all evil to the light. Holding her emaciated hand, promising to go home together.

But at last, until she was pushed onto the final operating table, lights piercing into her tearful eyes, the scalpel flashing coldly towards her chest and abdomen, the adults looking greedily at her through masks—even till the very last moment, she kept praying, kept hoping.

"I have never...done anything…wrong..."

"Deity...Angel...please...save me...save...'us'..."

But until the end—the scalpel fell on her heart—

No one came to save her.