Chapter 744: Still Friends

GOR ?

After those words came out from Shen's mouth, the faces of everyone there - excluding Duwei - changed greatly.

"Players and the Development Team... ... are not from the same world?" Gabriel muttered.

"Yes." Shen nodded his head.

"If so, the things left within these wings..."

"You know, my present identity in the outside world is that of Thorned Flower Guild's leader." Shen smiled. "None of the Players suspect me. They believe me to be one of them. How do you think I managed that?"

"You have obtained information about the Upper Plane?" Zhao Yun cast a strict stare at Shen.

"It would be more accurate to call it information that the Development Team possessed regarding our world and the Players' world." Shen gave a slight nod. "If we are to assume that this world is a program, I have mastered a portion of the source code of both worlds. However..."

Shen suddenly turned to look at Duwei, "I never realized you knew so much."

"It is very simple."

Duwei responded with a faint smile. He too, stretched out his hand to press down on the stone slab.

Another box appeared. Inside the box was a pair of wings, identical to the one Shen brought out.

"I also found one elsewhere."

"No wonder." Shen slowly nodded his head. "If so, you too, have obtained that power over the governing laws."

"Yes. However, there is one point where I differ from you." Duwei shook his head. "I disagree ... ... with the path you found."

"Is that so?" Shen shrugged his shoulders. "In other words, that is the reason why you removed my access to Zero City?"

"Yes. If I had not done so, you would have returned to Zero City and seized the Oddity long ago, no?" Duwei smiled. "Truth be told, I believe you had more or less figured it out. It is just, we have been unwilling to turn on each other and bring this up."

"We have been talking so much, but what is the path that you found, Shen?" Gabriel became somewhat impatient. "At any rate, we are all friends here. If you have really found the right path, why can't you share it with us? Why must you sneakily take the path alone?"

"If it can be shared, there would have been no need for me to secretly stop him." Duwei revealed a rueful smile as he looked at Shen. "Do you want me to say it? Or will you do it?"

"Up to you. It is all the same to me," replied Shen with an indifferent expression.

"After the first GM stripped out part of the inceptive template, the whole world became incomplete," Duwei said coolly. "He wants to obtain the Oddity and, put it back to its place, patching this world back to its wholesome state."

"Isn't that what the system wants to do?" Gabriel cast a puzzled look at Shen. "How will patching up this world benefit you?"

"He has already obtained part of the source code of two worlds from the wings. Not just this world's, but also the Upper Plane's. Before putting the Oddity back into the inceptive template, he will surely modify it. So, after patching up the world's inceptive template, Shen could truly become this world's God. In fact... ... he will be even more powerful compared to his previous self, the first GM. By then, it is possible that even the Development Team would be helpless against him."

"It is not merely a possibility, it is a certainty," interjected Shen with a faint smile. "I will become the system itself. Neither the Development Team nor Players can influence our world anymore."

"Then, just let him do it." Gabriel shrugged his shoulders. "For us, levels of strength are no longer important. Shen can liberate this world so that we will no longer be shackled by the system, isn't that a good thing?"

"There will no longer be any 'us'." Duwei slowly shook his head. "Have you all forgotten how we came to be?"

Gabriel froze. Then, his face slowly turned ugly to behold.

Chen Xiaolian too, was quick to catch on.

The birth of Irregularities was a result of the Oddity being stripped out from the inceptive template of the world, causing a defect to appear there.

If the template were to be patched whole once more, there would no longer be a defect...

Would Irregularities still exist?

"Shen, the completion on your plan means death for all of us?" There was a chilling gleam in Zhao Yun's eyes.

"Not just death. We will completely disappear." Bai Qi snorted. "If it is merely death, we can still stay in World's End, just like how we did in the past. However, if the world is patched, even traces of our existence will disappear."

"What about him? He is also a product of the defect!" Gabriel turned towards Duwei. There was a ragged quality to his voice. "Earlier, you said that he is the first ever Irregularity, the starting point."

"However, essentially speaking, he is a copy of the first GM." Duwei slowly shook his head. "Even if the irregularity is patched up, he can still survive."

"Shen, is that true?" Gabriel stared intently at Shen.

"I am sorry." Shen sighed. "I had considered it many times, but I simply cannot think of a better solution."

Chen Xiaolian clenched his fists.

That was clearly an admission by Shen.

"For your personal desire, you plan on turning us all into sacrificial offerings?" Cheng Cheng, who had been silent all this time, finally spoke up. "Shen, right now, I feel thankful that you left me."

"That was not my original intention." Shen sighed softly. "Duwei found out about what I knew. I too, knew that he had found me out. However, we never decided to clarify the matter. Him not wanting me to tell you, was for your own good."

Shen turned to stare right at Cheng Cheng. There was clarity in his eyes. "My love for you have never disappeared, not even a bit. Thus, when I realized that the completion of my plan would mean all your deaths, I hesitated for a long time.

"It would mean that I am personally killing you, and them... ... the one I love the most and my best friends.

"After obtaining the wings, Duwei must have guessed what I wanted to do. Thus, he requested something of me. One day, should I decide to leave you, I must never tell you the reason why.

"Although he did not say anything else, I understood what he meant.

"Thus... ... when the day came and I finally made up my mind, I left you.

"I would rather have you hate me. That way, I would feel better about it.

"However, when I finally tried to return to Zero City to take the Oddity, I realized that my access to it has been revoked.

"Our authority over Zero City are the same. None of you can remove my authority. Unless..."

Shen turned towards Duwei. "That person is like me, someone who has comprehended part of this world's source code."

"You never asked me about it as well." Duwei smiled. "I feel that faking ignorance about it would have been the best. Unfortunately, you returned here in the end."

"Yes." Shen spread his hands. There was a smile on his face. "Perhaps this is fate. I am preordained to save this world."

"Using our lives?" said Zhao Yun coldly.

Shen's smile faded and a solemn expression appeared on his face. "Yes, using your lives."

"However, believe me when I say this has nothing to do with my personal desire.

"Once I complete my plan to patch the world, this world will be liberated from the system.

"The only ones who have to pay the price are you few people.

"Even if you add up those who are in World's End, after all these years, how many Irregularities are there? Five hundred? One thousand?

"Remember, you are not the only ones in this world. There are billions of ordinary humans and Awakened ones.

"Believe me. Making the decision to sacrifice you all was an extremely difficult thing for me.

"But in the end, I determined that the decision is worth it.

"I want to protect the whole world, not just the few of you.

"That is why, I hope you can understand me."

Shen stood up. He looked at everyone present and spoke with a hushed tone, "This is the only path. You all know as well, Thirty-three Heavens... ... the present Zero City can no longer endure another refresh. When it comes, we... ... everyone will be erased by the system. Instead of that, why not let me turn it all upside down?

"This is not a sacrificial offering, but a sacrifice!"

"Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha!!!"

Zhao Yun, who had maintained a cold attitude all this time, suddenly erupted in laughter.

Next was Gabriel, Cheng Cheng, Bai Qi...

"Shen, did you get infected by those fanatics from Jerusalem? Who do you think you are? A messiah?" Gabriel was laughing so hard, tears could be seen leaking out from his eyes. "A benevolent saviour, willing to make a great sacrifice to protect everyone? What an impactful story. However, did you consider before..."

Gabriel abruptly slapped his palm down on the stone slab and shouted, "Jesus did not nail his 12 disciples on the cross! He personally went forward!

"Sacrificing yourself is what you call a sacrifice! You want us to sacrifice ourselves? Did you ask us about it?"

"If possible, I wished I could substitute for all of you." There was a very sincere look on Shen's face as he looked at Gabriel. "Regrettably, I have no other way."

"Enough! Now that it has come to this, there is nothing else to talk about." Cheng Cheng stood up. Her head was lowered as she looked down. "Shen, I do not want to judge whether your approach is right or wrong. I don't even have a way of judging it.

"You believe that your world patching plan is the correct one and that you are not doing it for personal desire. I am willing to believe you on that.

"However, I cannot forgive someone who left me. Nor is it possible for me to be so selfless as to sacrifice myself for the sake of saving the world.

"Which is why, I am sorry, but I will not accept this."

"Umbrella?"

"Shen, I would have preferred if... ... we never met."

Mr San shook his head as he gripped the black umbrella in his hand.

"Bai Qi, Zhao Yun, what about you two?" Shen sighed.

"I have my own way." Bai Qi stood up, sword in hand. "I will finish you off, leave this place and fill up the Yellow Springs."

Zhao Yun said nothing. She silently condensed out a spear.

Shen revealed a wry smile. "Well, then. Duwei, you will not be on my side, right?"

"If I am, I would not have constantly tried to stop you from coming back," answered Duwei coolly.

"Very well. This is most regrettable." Shen gently shook his head. "Originally, I thought that at least one or two would agree with me. From the looks of it, I will have to send the six of you to World's End first before going after the Oddity."

"Aren't you forgetting something?" Chen Xiaolian stood up as well. "There is also me."

Shen's gaze fell upon Chen Xiaolian for the briefest moment before turning away. "Whatever. Whichever side you stand on will not matter."

Son of a bitch!

Chen Xiaolian swore inwardly.

Am I so weak? You won't even count me in?

Even so, Chen Xiaolian continued gripping the Sword in the Stone as he stared at Shen.

"Step back, Chen Xiaolian. A battle of this level is not something that you can participate in." Duwei was the last to stand up.

Duwei turned to Shen and said softly, "I have always feigned ignorance, hoping that it would not come to this."

"I feel the same." There was a lost look on Shen's face. "I remember, I have one more 'in the name of friendship' request remaining."

"Yes, one more."

"If I use it now, will you honour it?"

"... ... ..."

Duwei fell silent for a moment before finally shaking his head gently. "I am sorry, for this matter, I cannot."

"Then, are we still friends?"

"I think... ... we are no longer friends."