The Last Night of 121

Li Aoz closed the journal, and the gloom in his heart subsided considerably.

The campfire dyed his face orange-red, and beautiful sparks danced like butterflies. Not far away, carefree players were joining in the fun, taking screenshots of Du Zexin's mech and posting them on the forum.

"Wow, Gundam! That's a man's romance!"

"This design is clearly Armored Core, you fake fan!"

"Du Zexin, are you the mentor for the [Mechanic] class?"

Faced with these chattering players, Du Zexin, whose consciousness resided in [Future Watch], was somewhat bewildered.

"These little guys are your people?" Du Zexin pointed at the players, who were all around level 10. "Although their strength is passable, what are they saying—hey! Don't spray paint or graffiti on my armor! And you—why did you take your clothes off when you were drinking!"

The wrinkles on Li Aoz's face gradually faded, and he regained his youthful good looks. He rubbed his stiff facial muscles and waved his hand. "These kids have their unique abilities. Don't treat them like ordinary people."

"Special abilities?" Du Zexin picked up an Unlucky Guy with his fingers, placed him in front of the monitor, his eyes lit up, and scanned him for a while. "Everything seems normal, but... you're right, I can just feel it. They're not like us Azure Planet People."

"Um... put me down!"

Caramel Snail was on the verge of tears. He had just driven all the way from Nura City when he was lifted up by a 20-meter-tall iron man, his feet dangling in the air. He was so scared that he closed his eyes and trembled.

"You can call them 'Descendants,' they have great potential. I plan to take them into space," Li Aoz said with a smile.

Go to space! Players got excited when they heard the word.

For so many days, the players of the Murloc Guild have been grinding monsters to level up, vying to do quests, and competing against each other in the arena in Triangle Town. They have been working very hard.

During this period, thanks to the players' hard work, the Auckland Lord made a fortune and wiped out several bandit strongholds in the surrounding area. He could laugh in his sleep.

Unfortunately, because the Murloc Guild released the information from the beginning, most professional players and large guilds gathered there later. In the final selection competition to reach the universe, none of the guild's 31 members made it to the next round.

Of the 25 players ultimately selected, four are professional players:

Vault of Heaven's veteran player ' Yu Tianxiao ' - looks like an ordinary-looking [mechanic] who dresses like a corporate slave. He always has a friendly demeanor and doesn't seem threatening at all.

Li Aoz glanced at this guy's stats: Goodness, the closed beta is only halfway through, and his Main Class class is already level 12, plus a level 3 [Hacker], which has maxed out his Total Level.

This is still the [Mechanic] class, which is relatively difficult to upgrade in the early stages.

No wonder everyone in my past life said that Yu Tianxiao was like a cheat code when playing PvE, he really does have some skills.

The player sent by Old Godfather, whose ID was [LGY] Garryton, also reached the level of lv.10 [Martial Artist]. However, he did not have a secondary profession. Surprisingly, this young man actually got a life profession - [Chef].

[Chef]... Li Aoz's lips twitched involuntarily.

Based on his experience, the food made by the chef in the early stages is quite disappointing.

Delicious, non-toxic, and with beneficial effects—in the early stages, a chef can only have two at a time.

Unfortunately, Li Aoz glanced at Garryton's professional knowledge and thought, "Wow, he hasn't even learned [Basic Nutrition]. I hope these players have good luck."

There are also two professional players. One is [XXG] Cumin Powder, the captain of the Fragrant Chicken Women's Team. Her game character looks like a cyberpunk-style [Ranger] with short green and pink gradient hair. She also has an expensive recoil reduction prosthetic implanted in her arm.

It has to be said that professional players are indeed skilled. Li Aoz glanced at the various equipment on his opponent and estimated that it was about the same as the initial capital he had when he burned through the bank.

As a female contestant, Cumin Powder should have been quite eye-catching among this group of men, but unfortunately, her punk style was not appreciated by most people, so they could only keep their distance.

The last contestant surprised Li Aoz – Ye Zhangjian, an IP from the Endless Pioneers.

Putting everything else aside, his nickname, which is not only serious but also has an antique feel, stands out as extremely jarring among a group of random players.

He clearly looks like a dashing young man with Samurai Garment, his hair tied up, and carrying a sword. But when placed among a group of Prosthetic Modification, muscular men wearing cute pig masks, and guys in wasteland-style coats, he becomes the most abnormal one.

Li Aoz had a deep impression of this poor kid, but not because of his skills... well, Ye Zhangjian was a very special professional player.

Five runner-up finishes in five years, always the runner-up for the championship, always the last one to advance in the one-on-one competition, and then getting eliminated in the second round.

In his debut year, he reached the runner-up position, but then he encountered the chosen one of the meta, and he had to accept it.

The following year, I switched clubs and was overtaken by newcomers from my old club, finishing as runner-up with tears in my eyes. I endured it.

In his third year, he was recruited back by his former employer because of his command ability. In the crucial final game, he was defeated by the former one-on-one king with a combo attack when he was low on health. He was outmatched and resigned.

In the fourth year, he made a comeback, but in the finals, he encountered a strategy specifically designed to counter him. He was bombarded by mages, and his teammates made mistakes that exposed his weaknesses. He was a liability and was eliminated.

In the fifth year, after learning from their mistakes, they assembled a formidable lineup and specifically farmed for a top-tier weapon to advance to the finals. However, right at the start of the game, the opposing team's [Plunderer] stole their weapon, leaving them helpless as the enemy used it to mow down their team...

His gameplay was fine, but his record always made people think he was slacking off. Some people even suspected him of match-fixing because he performed quite well in Individual Match, but people still felt that such a record was too outrageous.

Later, people often used the phrase "Are you playing me?" to accuse their teammates of acting as if they were doing something wrong.

Li Aoz wasn't very familiar with the two anchors; neither of them were his colleagues.

The rest are all the main forces of the major guilds.

Because the version cap limits player levels, most professional players aren't really interested in going to space. They have a lot of quest resources and Favorability to grind, which is the best way to improve their skills and Combat Power as quickly as possible.

But the big guilds are different. Their goal is to monetize their game assets as soon as possible and go to the universe, which means going to new maps. This is undoubtedly the most profitable exploration activity. Therefore, the big guilds put their best talents in, hoping to make a fortune in the universe.

Although Du Zexin didn't understand the value and potential of the players, he still agreed when he saw that they were willing to spend money to learn some basic knowledge from him or buy some junk equipment that he considered to be scrap metal.

Li Aoz sat to the side, waiting for Du Zexin to upgrade his Biochemical Pool and continue injecting him with the Aura Awakener to accumulate some gene fragments.

The 25 players gathered, and after renting some Aoneng from Li Aoz, they received tens of thousands of experience points. Although Li Aoz didn't care about this small amount, raising pigs was a way to generate income later on, so he wasn't in a hurry.

Sooner or later, players will become addicted to Aoneng and renting Aoneng.

Du Zexin did not actually kill the "White Knight," and the threat from the Hidden Society still exists, but after their first encounter, he already had some ideas and countermeasures.

"Without the Blood of Ether, Yuhelai is no match for me... I need a body, a body that can resist the ether poison."

He almost killed Yuhelai, but this bio-armored body failed the test of the Blood of Ether.

Li Aoz fell into thought.

It's far too late to find a body suitable for the C3 Luca-type Cosmic Human Race with etheric toxicity now. Not to mention anything else, there's not even enough time to replace a prosthetic lung on the spot. Prosthetic implantation requires an appointment 72 hours in advance, and strenuous exercise cannot be performed within 48 hours after the surgery.

However, the fact that he couldn't find the body of the C3 Luca-type Cosmic Human Race doesn't mean there weren't alternatives.

He took out his phone and dialed a number. "Ms. N4, could we add another clause to our previously agreed cooperation?"

"Yes, I need a bio-engineered clone."

"High price? That's not a problem. I can mortgage my Aoneng to you. I believe that the ability to control gravity is almost irresistible to researchers..."

"Hehe, look at what you're saying, why would I lie to you? Aoneng very important to me, but I'm doing this for your sake."

Li Aoz smiled and put down the terminal.

"Who did you contact?" Du Zexin asked, turning to the monitor as he upgraded the Biochemical Pool.

"The person in charge of Nethermark Heavy Industries."

"Why are you looking for them? You're not buying fertilizer."

You'll find out soon enough.

Li Aoz touched his chin and squinted.

He suddenly discovered that he really had a talent for making empty promises. It was one thing for players to fall for it, but even Mouldy Crotch believed it, and now N4 had also fallen into the trap.

That's great.

Seeing his confidence, Du Zexin said, "You should cherish this night. This might be your last night on Azure Planet. I might never see you again."

"What? You're reluctant to leave?" Li Ao nudged his armor and laughed, "Idiot, I'm going to space, not heaven. How is it the last night?"

"No matter how many times I look at this plan, I think it's crazy. Even if you were the one who proposed the plan, I still couldn't accept it immediately."

Du Zexin ignored his banter, shifted his posture, and slowly lowered his head to meet Li Aoz's gaze almost directly.

"I once fantasized about escaping the ground, but you did it for me. You dare to dream and act more than I do. I really don't know what else to say... Maybe I should change my obsession."

"I don't know, Du Zexin. Your future path should be chosen by yourself, and I cannot and will not interfere for you."

Li Aoz shrugged:

"You can't decide your birth or your current situation, so you have to work hard to change your future. It's like a marathon; you have to keep running."

"But what if I go at full speed and still can't catch up with others at the starting line?"

"The problem isn't you, it's this shitty competition."

Li Aoz habitually wanted to smoke a cigarette, but only after getting into position did he realize that he had given it up for Alexia. He shook his head and said, "Du Zexin, the ancients would never have imagined that the future world would have no sun, nor would they have imagined that people in the future would use nuclear bombs to go to space... The times and environment will limit your development. If you can't win in this race, then go diving or swimming."

"Maybe you're right," Du Zexin said. "Li Aoz, thank you for talking to me. I haven't had a heart-to-heart talk with anyone in a long time... You're my first friend."

"I am honored," Li Aoz said.

"I want to give you this."

The cockpit of the Mobile Armor opened, and a chip immediately popped up on the computer:

"I copied and uploaded my consciousness into this lotus Chip. If one day I cease to be myself, then you—"

"Don't say that, it's too unlucky."

"I am a materialist," Du Zexin said. "Li Aoz, believe me, promise me this first."

"... Okay, I believe you, Xiao Ze."

"My soul and personality are stored here. If this Mobile Armor fails to withstand the pressure, take this lotus Chip and bring it back to Gemini City, to the Hive Apartment on Heroine Square West Road, room 210, room code 1204."

"Is that your birthday? December 4th?"

"You don't need to worry about it... Li Aoz, take this chip to the server. You'll receive a big gift."

Du Zexin said:

"I've also given this chip to Miss Ya Wen. Don't worry, I have plenty of backups. I'm not afraid of dying. Li Aoz, don't worry, I'm terrified."

He said "Don't worry" three times, but Li Aoz still felt like he was giving his last instructions.

"... Stop talking, Mouldy Crotch, you'll be fine. You still have to change this shitty Frostplate."

"Yes, my country, even though it's rotten to the core, I still want to change it. The future of 600 million people shouldn't become a farce because of that stupid decision of Medvi."

Du Zexin paused for a moment and asked, "Li Aoz."

"You say."

"I suddenly realized that I no longer want to go to space."

"How so?"

"Because I feel that I am no longer afraid of the future."

Du Zexin raised his hand and pressed it on his breastplate. "I have the courage to face it... the courage called responsibility. I feel that with it, I suddenly have great strength."

"Come on, you just said you were a materialist," Li Aoz teased. "And now you believe in subjective initiative?"

"That's not contradictory, Li Aoz. Flowers can't grow on Frostplate circuit boards, but someone will always sing praises to the future while facing a false sun. Someone has to confront this ugly world, this disgustingly rotten world, and then..."

"Then?"

"I will destroy her with guns and cannons, and rebuild her brick by brick from her ruins."

Du Zexin's electronic voice was calm and even, yet it uttered the most romantic words. "In the end, love her to your heart's content. I think I won't be afraid of that Azure Planet, nor will I want to do that to her, let alone escape from it, and I won't want to go to the universe."

"Frostplate, Sky Ring, Zhengxu, Red Arrow... everything on Azure Planet is shrouded in the shadow of Malefic Calamity, but even without Malefic Calamity, there will still be war, plague, hunger, and death in the world... I saw it, I saw it all..."

"You saw it? What are you talking about? What did you see?"

Li Aoz became wary and immediately pressed, "Du Zexin, who let you see those things?"

"That's not important—I think, Li Aoz, I mean, I think I understand now, what Azure Planet needs most right now isn't Old Era technology, but hope. As long as there's a glimmer of hope, this world can still be saved."

Li Aoz's figure was reflected in the electronic eye:

"Li Aoz, please bring hope back to us."