Mingchao: The Survival Journey of a Comedian

Chapter 124 Coast

The shorekeeper's words silenced everyone present instantly; for a moment, no one spoke to break the silence.

Meanwhile, Mo Wunian's brain was frantically rebooting. After finding countless reasons for the wanderers and himself in his mind, he wanted to speak but couldn't utter a word, as if he were mute.

"..."

“The shore guards…those two people…”

"Does this correspond to my past with him?"

The wanderer's eyes also flickered with disbelief and a hint of lingering fear. He glanced sideways at Mo Wunian, who seemed ready to flee at any moment, and instinctively tightened his grip on Mo's hand before asking him a question.

"...Yes, but also no."

"Besides this word, the only one that comes to mind is the most fitting description of your past relationship."

"...Ha, you can't say that...maybe they're close friends or something..."

"Using this word is a bit too ambiguous..."

Mo Wunian finally realized what was happening and tried to break free from the other person's grasp, but finding it futile, he could only manage a weak laugh to try and change the subject.

Although he could already see through the thoughts of those around him, what would happen to his health if it were confirmed by others?

He didn't dare to respond!

"..."

Seeing that Mo Wunian's face was pale and he looked like he was about to be frightened to death by his words, the shore guard could only sigh and ultimately did not reveal any more information.

The wanderer naturally noticed the unusual reaction of the person beside him, and his grip loosened slightly, but he still held the other person firmly in his hand.

"...If that's the case, why did those things happen afterward?"

"Why would he choose to go down that path?"

"...I'm sorry, I promised you I wouldn't tell anyone about this."

"But this is our last chance."

The shore guard shook his head, but a hint of sorrow appeared in his eyes. Finally, he closed his eyes and gave the following instructions.

"Perhaps some of the reasons can be found during the process of repairing the Titis system, but I can't say anything more."

"But... Mo Wunian, could you tell me how you feel about this journey so far?"

"Including the people we met and the things we experienced along the way... Is it to your liking?"

"Could it be... to make you feel a little more attached to this world?"

"Me? I think everything's been great along the way, everyone's been great."

"I don't want to leave everyone, and I don't want anyone to get hurt..."

"..."

Mo Wunian looked at the complex emotions in the guardian's eyes, and for a moment he didn't know where he had gone wrong with his answer:

But he was telling the truth.

His experiences along the way were very moving and touched him deeply.

This also made him realize that this was not the game he had played in his previous life.

Everyone he came into contact with was a living, breathing being with flesh and blood, possessing their own emotions and desires, things they wanted to do, and goals they wanted to strive for...

Everyone should have the right to continue living.

And he was no longer able to witness all of this passing before his eyes.

"..."

He seemed to realize something.

"...If that's the case, then I hope you treat yourself as well as you treat us."

We will be sad for you too.

The shore guard didn't say anything more, quietly watching the person before him, nodding, then turning to look at the passage that had already been opened to the side.

"The gate to the underground has been opened; passing through that stargate will take you to the Dark Coast underground."

We'll meet there.

"Um"

Watching the woman before him transform into a butterfly and vanish, Mo Wunian knew that she was composed of Sonora, and this transformation would have no effect on her.

Just as he is composed of frequencies, if one day he truly were to merge into the other's world—

This whole world will be his reflection.

"Well, it seems this trip to the Black Coast was definitely worthwhile."

"To be able to learn so much..."

"Chao, since she's said so, let's set off right away."

"……Um"

In contrast to Mo Wunian, who was used to hiding his feelings and therefore seemed unaffected by them, the wanderer's emotions were far more complex.

My dearest...

This word carries great weight, and the woman uttered it with utmost seriousness.

His place in that person's heart was already enough... but he still didn't understand why things ended up that way.

I've already accepted it in my heart, but why is the ending so tragic with so little joy...? No, for that person, there was almost no joy at all.

He dared not think about what had happened in between.

Seeing how used the people around him seemed, the wanderer didn't dare to think any further. In the end, he simply nodded, then tightened his grip on their hands and hurried towards their destination.

The two hurried to the star gate, gazing at the red gate with starlight seeping down, which for a moment did indeed instill a sense of fear.

But it meant nothing to the two people standing next to him.

"you……"

I know what you're trying to say, but you really don't need to worry about me like that.

"My life isn't that unlucky."

Seeing the hesitant look on the person beside him, Mo Wunian didn't hesitate any longer. Although the other person was holding his hand, they couldn't stop him from doing whatever he wanted.

With a sudden burst of strength, he pulled the other person down with him, and the two of them plummeted downwards.

He calmly felt the tearing sensation of the space around him; he was already familiar with this pain and no longer even flinched.

But seeing that the person beside her seemed to be in some pain, she thought for a moment and then held their hand tightly, using the space between them to share their pain.

"Really..."

"The leader of the Dark Coast... the savior of this world..."

"How could he possibly be my true love..."

How could he have ever loved someone like that before...?

Just being able to see it... isn't that already lucky?

Before long, he felt the space rotate again. He quickly stabilized himself and the people around him, then landed gracefully in the flower bushes, still having the strength to support the people beside him.

Just then, he saw a butterfly land on his shoulder, and after confirming that they were all safe, it disappeared from the spot.

"……arrive?"

"We've arrived. Let's take a look around."

He patted the still somewhat dazed wanderer beside him, finding the other's blank and dazed expression quite rare, chuckled softly, and then pulled the other person outside.

I'd only taken a few steps when a small robot carrying a water jug ​​flew towards me. The expression on the control panel changed to one of shock.

"Hey... It's been so long since anyone's come to Golden Bough..."

"Hello... My name is Kunana, and I'm the gardener here, but apart from the shore guards, nobody usually comes here..."

"And what about the shore guard?"

He asked with some doubt, "Aside from the butterfly when I first arrived, I haven't sensed that person again."

"Sigh... In my memory, it seems like she never left this place..."

"She used to come here occasionally to choose a flower to copy into her own 'garden,' but she... hasn't been here for a very, very long time."

"A total of 20 years, 5 months, and 17 days..."

"Is that so? She said the system error needed to be fixed, so she asked us to help."

"That requires going to the data center, where all the data and stars are gathered; it's been broken for a while now."

"During this time, the shorekeeper seems to have been trying to repair it, which may be why he hasn't been here for so long?"

“We also learned about your deeds from Kumoni. Since the shore guards believe in you... then, then we believe in you too!”

Seeing the little robot in front of him stammering, Mo Wunian simply nodded, then tightened his grip on the hand of the person next to him.

"Since they're all so eager for it... let's hurry up and get started."

"I can sense that the space here is quite gentle. If it were you, perhaps we could teleport together."

"It might hurt a little... if it really doesn't work..."

He looked at the person in front of him with some worry, but the next moment his hand was gripped tightly. Looking up, he saw the other person nod firmly.

"It's alright, since we're in a hurry, let's get started."

"...I still prefer your decisive side."

Without much hesitation, he snapped his fingers, and the surroundings began to distort and change rapidly. The next moment, a path appeared before their eyes, leading straight to another place.

The two walked forward along the road, and the moment they felt the wind, the surrounding space stabilized.

I looked up and gazed at the magnificent starry sky with the blue-haired woman beside me.

"You're moving much faster than I expected. This is the true face of the Dark Coast."

Mo Wunian looked up at the starry sky, but he felt as if he had seen the same sky somewhere before. No matter how hard he tried, he couldn't remember what time it was, so he eventually gave up on the idea.

"We didn't arrive quickly either; we were much slower than you, who only came to see us via projection."

“I’m sorry, there’s nothing I can do about it. My body is made of Sonora, and I can’t leave my post. As the core of the Tetis system’s computation, I must ensure its proper functioning.”

“I am different from you; my body is what it was born this way… but you have simply given up everything that was originally yours.”

You weren't like this before.

The shore guard calmly explained the composition of his body, but as he spoke the rest of his words, a hint of sorrow crept into his eyes.

The person could roughly understand the meaning of the following sentences, lowered his head, looked at his body composed of frequencies, and closed his eyes.

"Mo Wunian...didn't you used to have a frequency structure?"

"Me? Perhaps a long time ago."

"I'm actually just an ordinary person, just like you."

"The body is not composed of frequencies, but rather of the flesh and blood of an ordinary person."

"However, that body was lost a long time ago."

So long ago, he didn't even know when it happened, and perhaps it wasn't something he willingly gave up for Xiaobai...

Rather, it was long, long ago... that it had already willingly given up everything, and perhaps the eyes in the sky were simply following its predetermined fate.

"..."

There's no need to be sad about this, after all, I'm still standing right beside you all, perfectly fine.

"Cheer up, there's a starry sky below!"

He patted the person on the shoulder to comfort them, then turned his gaze to the starry sky.

Brilliant and dazzling, perhaps only the sky he couldn't recall seeing before could compare to it.

"This place records all the cries of sorrow throughout Solaris, whether they have happened, are happening, or will happen."

Here, the planet's lament is the sky full of stars.

"...Suddenly, it doesn't seem so good anymore."

I hadn't expected the stars to have this meaning, and for a moment I wanted to take back what I'd said. But then I remembered what Hord had mentioned about the term for wanderers, and I became a little curious.

"Didn't Hod previously refer to the Wanderers as the Tuners of the Stars?"

Is it also because of this place?

"Then why am I called the continuation of the world?"

The shorekeeper thought for a moment, then looked at the wanderers.

"The tuner of the stars, the guide of civilization, the mastermind of the Dark Coast..."

"Until he had completely severed ties with his past, that was indeed one of his many names."

"But back then you preferred to call him by his original name—"

"Whether it's the timeline where you first met, or the present moment when you've gotten to know each other again..."

"You'll call that person by their name—"

"tide"

"..."

I never imagined that the way I casually called someone by their name was something I'd said so long ago. My cheeks flushed, and I couldn't bring myself to look at the person next to me.

He wondered why the other person just let him call her that; it turned out that a long time ago... that was what he called her.

He just hadn't expected the Wanderer to be so awesome. Just hearing his name and titles told him he was no ordinary person. He really was the protagonist of a game!

"However, we don't want to discuss your form of address further."

That's an identity that was forced upon you.

"...Are there any other names besides this?"

"...If I'm talking about the names I've heard from people around that person... there are indeed many, many..."

"The destroyer who goes against the tide, the destined one who arrives, the powerless participant in the game..."

You have far too many names, but you have them all without ever wanting them to.

"Even now, at that time, you only acknowledged your last title."

"That is, what they call you—"

"The Continuation of the World"

After a long silence, he realized that these names alone revealed a great deal, but he no longer wanted to speculate about what might have happened in the past.

It was an obvious trap, but he could already sense that he had no choice but to step into it.

"...Ha, these titles are too high-class; I, an ordinary person, am not worthy of them."

"...He was indeed just an ordinary person."

He tilted his head back, not wanting to ask any more questions, but at this crucial moment, he was bewitched by the thought of the person whose eyes only held him.

The other person only cares about themselves and is willing to abandon the world.

【ink】

That was how the other person addressed him; he didn't accept any other names.

If the other party's true identity is as he guessed... then what's so special about this seemingly ordinary form of address?

Or rather... he didn't even know the other person's real name.

But it seems he promised that person not to forget something...

Sometimes, when a headache struck, I would clutch my head, but struggling to lift it, I would see a red shooting star circling the pillar of light as it drifted to the other side. And then the shore guardians would finally reveal the true purpose of their journey.

"That's a death-devouring star... or, in old-fashioned astronomical terms, a black hole."

"The unusual frequency you encountered in Guixu Port City was a part of him... or rather, it was himself."

"Take him back to the Law Hall, and I will erase his mistake."

"By then, the Thetis system will return to normal, and no one will be injured as a result."

"I just hope...it's not too late."

The shore guard calmly explained to them, but it was clear that he was anxious and worried about the others.

Mo Wunian also snapped out of his daze, raising his head to watch the Devouring Star disappear into the distance, but unlike the two people beside him…

He could sense that what was contained within was probably beyond their ability to handle.

Just like when he forcefully blocked his own sword strike, that red meteor contained... the frequency of many spatial fragments combined together.

"..."

He remained silent, keeping the matter quietly a secret, but he had anticipated something—

The time to choose has arrived.