Welcome to Rewind World Game

"Swish! Swish! Swish! Swish!"

Light fell onto the chessboard, and eight people appeared in the second row of the board.

Chang Ge in E2 was standing directly in front of Su Ming'an. This was the first time Chang Ge appeared in front of Su Ming'an in a physical form. Previously, Chang Ge was always the nighttime Player possessing Su Ming'an and never showed his appearance.

Su Ming'an clearly saw Chang Ge's back; his short black hair and slender figure. Chang Ge leaned against the Chess Piece, trembling, probably because he'd been cold for eight or nine days and hadn't recovered yet.

"Chang Ge!" Su Ming'an called out, intending to see Chang Ge's face.

But Chang Ge did not turn around, and the other seven people cast their eyes over, but the distance was too far to see Chang Ge's face clearly.

...

[Both sides have finished entering all their Chess Pieces.]

[Finally, please have the accompanying players enter.]

...

Red light flickered, Noel appeared next to Su Ming'an, whom Su Ming'an had just chosen.

But Noel could only stand in the square E1 and couldn't move freely. The role of the accompanier seems to be similar to a "Think Tank providing advice to the King," colloquially known as "the person advising the old man in the park playing chess," and does not belong to a Chess Piece.

But...who is the accompanier of Dieying?

"This guy should have no friends." Noel pointed and gestured at Dieying from afar: "I see Dieying's eight pawn Chess Pieces have not appointed any Generals, and he probably doesn't have an accompanier either."

Su Ming'an gazed into the distance.

At this time, blue light blossomed in the far distance, and Dieying's accompanier entered—a vague figure stood beside Dieying, wearing a veil.

"Turns out Dieying does have friends." Noel was surprised.

"He actually does...?" Su Ming'an always thought Dieying was a loner; otherwise, he wouldn't have drifted in the starry sky for a thousand years.

Dieying seems to be communicating with the accompanier, while Su Ming'an and Noel have nothing to exchange, this scene is new to them.

Noel leaned on the throne, looking at the beautiful starry sky around him.

The sky was resplendent, the Milky Way dazzling, with the chessboard floating in the air as the backdrop, watched by billions of living beings gazing upwards, with people anxiously and excitedly covering their hearts, one end of the thread connecting their hearts and the other end connecting to the Chess Piece in the sky.

Seven billion strands of thread rushed to the sky, like a magnificent and glorious meteor shower. Everyone knew their destiny was closely tied to this civilizational chess game.

Even the eight people in front of Su Ming'an had their hearts connected to their respective pawn Chess Pieces.

The causal line from this chessboard entangles everyone; no one can remain uninvolved.

Noel looked down, holding the rose cane, aiming it at the line connected to his own heart, seemingly contemplating what would happen if he cut this line, but he didn't put it into practice. Anyone could guess that it wouldn't be a good outcome.

...

[Please prepare both sides for chess moves.]

[Attention, do not make moves with fixed thinking; this chessboard is actually a causal confrontation between The World of Old Days civilization and High Dimensions being players, rather than an actual international chess game. It's just presented in a gamified form for this causal showdown, and not all international chess rules may apply.]

[Victory conditions are based on the death of the King. (Note that the actual meaning of "King's death" does not mean the death of Dieying or Su Ming'an. For the Red side, the failure condition is the World Origin represented by the "King" Chess Piece being seized. For the Blue side, the failure condition is the speech spirit invasion represented by the "King" Chess Piece being dispelled.)]

[In the same manner, all Chess Pieces cannot be truly eaten; both sides can always change causality (i.e., make moves) to retrieve their pieces (protect their side's causality) or attack the enemy's pieces (disrupt the enemy's causality). Layer upon layer, ultimately creating a scenario of "King's death."]

[Each move you make is actually pulling the causal line related to the Chess Piece's meaning, causing a series of butterfly effects and chain reactions in the world. Even making just one move may result in the downfall of dominoes. Please be extremely cautious.]

...

Though the distance between squares was vast, sound wasn't affected by the distance. Su Ming'an heard the voice of Yamada Machiichi from the edge of the chessboard:

"Can't understand, what's he talking about?"

The voice was loud and resonating.

The next moment, Yamada Machiichi immediately covered his mouth: "Oh my gosh!"

He thought only he could hear it, but as soon as he spoke, his voice was amplified a thousand times, so loud that the entire world below could hear it.

People on the ground looked dumbfounded at Yamada Machiichi. They originally thought that the eight Generals on the board were sure to have top-tier wisdom, only then could they be chosen by the Deity to fight alongside on the board... But what did this A2 General just say?

Due to pre-request of the Oracle, most people were busy transporting resources, defending the front line, and dispelling the black mist. Almost no one was idle. After all... once the moves start, no one can stay uninvolved.

Even residents who were still sleeping suddenly found a thread emerging from their hearts straight to the sky; it's no way anyone could sleep through this. Many people in pajamas rushed out, crowding the streets in large numbers.

In Dao Ya City, Su Luoluo looked at the sky, pouting: "Who is this? Can't even understand the rules, should've picked me instead."

Xia Jiawen beside her shook her head: "No, this must be a psychological tactic. That A2 General certainly said that on purpose, feigning weakness to lure the high-dimensional players from him… The Deity is truly far-sighted, knowing how to move by making no moves..."

"Su Ming'an, I seem… didn't quite understand either." At this moment, Lv Shu's loud voice came from H2. Lv Shu wouldn't pretend for the sake of face; if he didn't understand, he didn't understand, and he needed to inform Su Ming'an promptly.

For a moment, the expressions of the people on the ground became extremely colorful. Su Luoluo and Su Wensheng glanced at Xia Jiawen: "Is this also a psychological tactic, Teacher Xia?"

"This… it has to be too!" Xia Jiawen insisted: "All eight Generals are the world's pinnacle elites, with wisdom, emotional intelligence, and abilities at their peak. How could they not understand the rules..."

On the chessboard, Su Ming'an didn't care whether his companions understood it or not; after all, the rules were vague, they'd understand once they made moves.

Noel leaned beside the throne, staring at the brilliant galaxy in the sky, with blue-green fluorescent glows flowing in his eyes.

After watching for a while, he suddenly said coldly:

"Su Ming'an. We've seen this scene before."

"In the First World."

...

[Below the vast Star Sea is a huge black and white chessboard.]

[Almost attracting the attention of the entire world, Eni stood on the black and white chessboard, at the very back of the Blue side. What he wore was a magnificent dark blue robe with grand fringed velvet.]

...

Su Ming'an's eyes slightly narrowed, he too realized this. Suddenly, a series of déjà vu surged into his mind, suffocating him.

He looked towards the distant Dieying, raising his voice:

"Dieying, before the battle starts, I want to ask—does the First World's world chessboard level have anything to do with you?"

"Or rather... does it have to do with High-dimensional beings? Were you, or were you all, already... targeting me back then?"

Su Ming'an found it strange long ago—why would an Apocalyptic World suddenly have a world chessboard under the Star Sea, a level entirely mismatched with the apocalyptic theme?

Moreover, at that time his total Combat Power was only over two hundred, yet he had to face Eni Team's Combat Power of over eight hundred. From a fairness standpoint, it didn't seem right, unlike a normal match-making mechanism.

Like some "existence" had interfered.

Now, a very similar scene was in front of him. Although the mechanism and rules are vastly different, it's the same Star Sea, the same chessboard, the same red and blue confrontation. It's like back then was only an incomplete product, now it's a matured product, having been tested several times, presented right in front of him.

…In the First World, had he looked up at the chessboard back then?

If he had looked up at the time—could he have seen that profound glimpse in the far-off Star Sea?

Dieying blinked and showed a smile. He pressed his finger to his lips, as if comforting, yet also mocking:

"...Guess?"

Su Ming'an's eyelashes fluttered slightly.

...So there is.

Palm pressed against his chest, calming the pounding heartbeat. He felt as if he were in the middle of a giant linked ring, where pulling just a bit of thread would surely lead to the corresponding end, no matter how long or how far apart. This feeling... was both exhilarating and terrifying.

...Have they been targeting him since then?

He lowered his eyelids, vaguely aware of something terrifying, yet dared not touch it or expose it. As his heartbeat gradually calmed, it buried deeper and deeper.

...

[The countdown begins below.]

[When the countdown ends, both sides please begin to play chess.]

...

At this moment, Su Ming'an felt his right hand burning.

The white perfect completion pattern mark shimmered with dazzling brilliance, slowly raising his right hand as if in a pledge. At this moment, billions of threads floated around him, seemingly advancing and retreating with him, sharing the same destiny.

Beneath him, everyone on the ground looked up high, the threads on their chests heating up, as if informing them of the final moment's arrival.

The shadow on the other side also raised a hand, a trace of pure white light leaping between their palms — this should be all the power they'd accumulated over the millennia, all the resources prepared to invest in the New World's civilization.

Their expression was also serious, something rarely seen.

— Both sides are betting everything.

Betting on comrades beside them, everyone behind them, the lifespan and future of civilization.

Betting on the endgame of a millennia-long plan, betting on the joys and sorrows of billions of beings.

Betting on the mature World of Old Days. Betting on the unformed New World.

Betting on each other's wisdom, force, and luck.

...

[Ten,]

[Nine,]

[Eight,]

[...]

War countdown.

Neither the shadow nor Su Ming'an moved, tacitly watching each other.

"...I really like...sunflowers," the shadow suddenly said.

"Oh." Su Ming'an regarded it all as pre-battle trash talk, to keep his battle spirit from being disturbed.

...

[Five,]

[Four,]

[Three,]

...

"Next time, let's go see them together, a whole mountain of sunflowers." The shadow laughed softly, unclear whether it was a sincere invitation or pre-battle temptation.

"No." Su Ming'an said lightly. No matter what, he would not go see them with the shadow.

...

[One,]

[Zero.]

[Both sides begin to play chess.]

...

"Swish swish swish swish——!"

At this moment,

it was as if reality and dreams suddenly intersected, threads hanging down, countless scenes floating high above in the sky.

Different timelines, different world lines. Year 72 of the Heavenly Era, Year 102 of the Heavenly Era, Year 0 of the World of Old Days, Year 512 of the World of Old Days, Year 829 of the World of Old Days... It was as if ten thousand timelines bloomed and overlapped simultaneously.

At this moment, Su Ming'an saw countless figures emerging ethereally from beneath his feet — him entering the Golden Phoenix Pavilion, him piloting a steam airship, him brewing wine under a peach blossom tree, him falling into a lake under the Blue Moon, him sleeping in the Nine Serenities, him working as a streamer with Su Luoluo, him working as a civil servant in Dao Ya City...

"C2, move forward two squares!" Su Ming'an couldn't spare a moment more to observe, directly shouting the command. Because the shadow on the other side had already issued a command, it was just that the light was too bright to see what the shadow did.

Su Ming'an had never experienced this kind of decisive battle mode, not even the Deity had taught him; this was the battle style chosen by the shadow. Normally, Su Ming'an should unseal the Nine Serenities on the ground, gather three elements to become a god, the shadow invades and massacres humans in the World of Old Days until The Republic is fully established and the shadow is expelled — that would be the normal process.

But in this way, both sides suffer heavy losses.

The shadow threw a wrench in the works, creating this kind of decisive battle mode, whether it was long premeditated or a spur-of-the-moment idea, is unknown. But just changing the form of the decisive battle shouldn't make too big a difference, the end process remains the same. It's just Su Ming'an needs to adapt to how to play chess.

His first chess move should have been moving the C1 piece representing the "millennia plan," allowing the soldiers long stationed at the entrance of the Nine Serenities to enter, bringing up General Qin's life hard drive. But he vaguely felt that the shadow must have countermeasures for this.

— Since the shadow anticipated Su Ming'an's first move, enacting a blockade on the causal line, Su Ming'an couldn't go along with its wishes.

Thus, Su Ming'an moved C2. The pawn pieces mostly represent particular types of humans, like members of ancient martial families, believers, teachers, farmers... not suddenly drawing the broader picture and causing a domino effect of terror.

The first row are all major pieces, moving one affects the whole situation, even creating a series of unknown chain reactions. The second row are all pawn pieces, moving them creates a sequence of cause and effect, each linked to the next.

Simultaneously, among the eight people, Su Ming'an chose Su Rin at C2, feeling more at ease. Su Ming'an didn't know if the command "move forward two squares" was effective, or what it represented, whether it truly meant moving two squares on a chessboard or how Su Rin would affect the world's situation. But now he could only proceed step by step.

...If it doesn't work, then redo the move. Su Ming'an isn't hung up on chess etiquette; if he is a terrible chess player, then he'll just reload and try again infinitely, with a think tank like Kong Ming beside him, the opportunity will always arise.

It's just...

Su Ming'an looked up.

The youth with gold-black hair sat on the deep blue throne, the seat blooming with sunflowers. The think tank stood quietly behind the throne, its appearance unclear.

It seemed to be smiling.

The chill was piercing.

...

[(TE·Seal you with me) Perfect Completion Progress: -85%]

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