What a shame

Ruan Min.

This familiar yet unfamiliar name pierced Tengshe's eardrums and rushed into his brain along with the nerve currents, as if forcibly flipping a switch, reminding Tengshe of some vague and distant Memory.

That previously symbolic and vague figure was forcibly awakened by Lin Yu's voice, as if it had been dragged out from the depths of Memory that was almost completely Oblivion.

The person who whispered "This is turkey, it's awful!" with me at the restaurant on Christmas, the person who studied alongside me in the library, the person who took me to parties, the person who invited me to her Apartment for a home-cooked meal on weekends... Ruan Min.

He was also my best friend during college, a close confidant who helped me through every difficult juncture in my life.

At the same time...

She was his girlfriend before his family's fortunes declined.

The physical damage to the brain and the psychological trauma inflicted during his time as a wanderer led Tengshe to actively seal and alter this Memory...

In my Memory, Ruan Min has become just a vague friend.

But this doesn't make sense... An ordinary friend would never go to such lengths for him.

And if it's a friend who would go to such lengths for him... Tengshe has no reason to forget them, much less to avoid them.

But the identity of "girlfriend" can explain everything.

Because they were the closest of partners, Ruan Min was willing to help Tengshe time and time again, even helping him escape from prison.

However, because they were the closest of partners, Tengshe didn't want to be a burden to Ruan Min —he didn't want to continue to tie Ruan Min down for the rest of his life after his family went bankrupt and he committed a crime and dropped out of school.

So...

On the day he escaped from the Federal Prison Break, when Tengshe fled to other states, he was actually supposed to go to a "station" to meet up with Ruan Min.

But Tengshe didn't go that day—he Deception to Ruan Min.

He didn't want Ruan Min to give up her promising future and become a wanted criminal wandering in a foreign land like himself—nothing had happened to her family, and her studies were still going smoothly.

She has a bright future ahead of her.

These bittersweet and distant Memory flooded into Tengshe's mind against his will.

Even though Tengshe shook his head vigorously, he couldn't shake off these Memory.

He looked helplessly at Lin Yu in front of him and said in a low voice, "Alright, 'Beast Master'... you're really something."

"You even know things I'd completely forgotten."

Lin Yu shrugged. "After all, this is an 'illusion realm' built on the foundation of the 'Destiny' Authority... I can still glimpse some of your past Karma."

Even if you choose to forget something, the 'truth' that existed and happened will always be recorded by 'Karma' and will not disappear just because you forget it.

"Objective reality does not change according to human subjective will—especially at the level of Karma and effect, or Destiny."

As Lin Yu spoke, Tengshe looked at Lin Yu.

"Hmm... I understand, but, so what?"

"So, 'Ruan Min'... what does she have to do with this day of mine?"

Tengshe stared at Lin Yu and asked in a somewhat sharp tone.

Lin Yu sensed the impatience, unease, and frustration in Tengshe's words, and instead smiled with relief.

"See, now it's your turn to get anxious... which means you've already roughly guessed what direction it's going to take."

"Have you ever thought about this, Tengshe...? Why did you forget her?"

Lin Yu looked at Tengshe seriously and asked.

Tengshe spoke unhappily, "I didn't think about it... I've forgotten a lot of things. During my wanderings, I often went hungry, had fevers, and suffered from food poisoning. My brain was damaged during that time; you could even call it schizophrenia... I've also lost many Memory."

Lin Yu shook his head. "That's not a good explanation... Haven't you noticed that your 'Memory' and 'cognition' of 'Ruan Min' are actually quite subtle? You remember there's such a person, but you can't recall any details about her—her gender, appearance, and most importantly, your relationship with her. You can't remember any of it."

"Actually, in my opinion, there's a more reasonable explanation," Lin Yu said Leng Jing, his voice chillingly cruel, "That is... something terrible happened to 'Ruan Min' that you absolutely don't want to Memory, something that caused you significant trauma."

At this point, Lin Yu held up one finger. "Fortunately—this is an illusion created by 'Karma,' and as I just said, this is the most objective and truthful account of your 'experience'—far more reliable than your own Memory."

Lin Yu looked at Tengshe, revealing a smile like that of a convenience store or fast food restaurant clerk, "So, I can even tell you directly how to leave here: not a hint, but a direct answer."

"Go and retrieve your Memory, confront the traumas you've forgotten, face what truly happened on this tumultuous day... or, just stay in this illusion."

"Of course, you are, after all, a 'Tier 4'. Perhaps after a few hours outside and the cycle inside repeats thousands or tens of thousands of times, you will be able to leave—so, what will you choose, 'Tengshe' of the Night Watcher?"

Tengshe stared intently at the smile on "Zhu Ming's " face. Although the other party had a sweet and lovely appearance and a standard smile that conveyed a sense of kindness and friendliness, Tengshe sensed a kind of terrifying horror from the other party's cold and deep eyes, which were like a deep pool.

Although rationally he knew that the opponent was only "Tier 2" and far weaker than him in terms of direct strength, the opponent had no chance of killing him.

But Tengshe looked at that gaze with the same eyes as a primitive man who had encountered a snake in the jungle.

He instinctively... felt terrified of it.

"You're a real... madman. No wonder you joined the 'Psychology Society' and then switched to the 'Freedom Alliance,'" Tengshe finally spoke after a long silence. "Once I get out, I will definitely catch you—no matter the cost, I will catch you."

"Letting someone like you continue to operate outside is extremely dangerous, and incredibly irresponsible towards the other 'Player' and society as a whole."

Tengshe spoke, Lin Yu laughed.

"Then I suggest you just kill me... There are just too many variables if you take me alive."

"However, whether you want to capture me or kill me, you'd better hurry up now."

Lin Yu kindly reminded him.

Tengshe turned away, ignoring Lin Yu, and began climbing up the riverbank.

Actually, now...

Although Tengshe hadn't yet recalled the specifics of what happened that day, he already had a vague feeling about it.

As Lin Yu said, this is a "trauma" he is unwilling to face, the source of his confused Memory.

After Ruan Min parted ways with him—that is, after he stood her up on their date— Tengshe learned of her whereabouts: she had returned to school to continue her studies and her original life.

Knowing this, Tengshe risked being "discovered" after the storm had passed and secretly infiltrated the city, even choosing a neighborhood near the school as his base.

Although he had never gone back, never seen Ruan Min, and never even had the chance to look at her from afar, the fact that they were physically closer seemed to put Tengshe at ease.

The "comfort" and "happiness" he felt during his wandering was partly due to the idea that "Ruan Min" was doing well now—although he had forgotten Ruan Min, this feeling remained.

And now...

Tengshe stood once again at the entrance of his school.

The Police Car that had sped past earlier were now parked here—not just one, but seven or eight Police Car with their Police Siren flashing.

Fully armed Police were nervously blocking all the school's exits, while even more elite personnel were slowly advancing into the campus.

Panicked students and teachers kept rushing out screaming, and if you listened carefully, you could vaguely hear gunshots coming from inside.

All of this combined allows Tengshe to roughly piece together what happened here, even without entering the campus.

What is happening right now is truly an event that can be called a "disaster".

However, it was not Calamity, but a man-made one.

School Shooting – A gunman is launching an indiscriminate attack on his own alma mater.

Amidst the chaos, taking advantage of her familiarity with the campus layout, Tengshe bypassed the Police blockade and entered the campus.

Gunshots, screams, and cries grew clearer. He followed the sound of gunfire, seeing many of his former classmates lying in pools of blood along the way—some already dead, others nearing their end.

At last...

Tengshe arrived at the spot where the last gunshot rang out—near the Stadium.

He pushed open the half-closed door of the Stadium and saw about a dozen bodies lying haphazardly—the gunman was also there, and had already shot himself.

He probably saw from the Stadium that the school's back gate was blocked, so he decided to just end it all.

Inside the Stadium, Tengshe saw two familiar corpses.

One of them was Ruan Min's —he looked at the girl, shot in the chest, lying face up, still as beautiful as ever, and finally recalled the face he had almost Oblivion from his hazy Memory.

The other body... was that of the gunman who committed suicide next to Ruan Min.

That was the Hippie he met during his time as a homeless man, who always sang and played music in the subway tunnels.

The other person fell beside Ruan Min; the bullet had pierced his jaw, smashing the lower half of his face and part of his neck.

Tengshe watched all this, his breathing grew heavier and heavier.

A cool, clear female voice sounded behind him.

"I see... It seems that although I guessed most of it correctly, there are still some details that are 'not right'."

"The reason this event became the 'calamity' and 'trauma' you least wanted to face... is because you could have changed it all."

"You had many opportunities to change things—but you didn't, Tengshe."

"That's... really regrettable."