Xü Beijin feels cold. Something is gripping at his neck, suffocating him.
It takes him a long time to wind down, sighing in relief, and saying, “so that really is my Lin Qin.”
NE cannot comprehend the wealth of emotions behind that sentence. Code flashes through his eyes, and he says, “it is true that he is yours.”
Xü Beijin gives NE a look.
It is likely NE meant, that besides Xü Beijin, not another person would be inclined to claim ownership over Lin Qin.
He is just a forgotten experiment of the Fy’ecas… Not just him, the entire human race has been forgotten by the Fy’ecas.
Though what matters to Xü Beijin most is simply, is Lin Qin really the Lin Qin he knows and loves?
Does he have any other identity? Is he related to the Fy’ecas in any other way?
He held the worry ever since he realised that, in the labyrinth, Lin Qin wouldn’t lose his sense of direction in the labyrinth, just like the Fy’ecas… Or even, that he was a Fy’eca.
Thank goodness that, the truth is that Lin Qin is still his little apple. It’s only that… he forgot everything; he also lost everything.
His fate is almost a Greek farce;
His power comes from the enemy’s mocking generosity and ‘experiment.’
It makes Xü Beijin feel so cold inside, making him want to hug Lin Qin ever more.
To kiss him, to be close to him… perhaps there are no two persons closer to each other than them.
They’ve both already lost their human self. At the same time, they do not simply think of themselves as some NPC in a game either.
Even though Lin Qin, just as he suspected, is actually just another NPC like he was.
Not that he’s aware, and the identity is entirely useless for him as well.
Finally, Xü Beijin exhales. The truth about Lin Qin was easier to accept for him than eh thought it would be──And far more tragic, perhaps, but that is still Lin Qin in the past.
The current Lin Qin is still his little apple.
Xü Beijin is really unable to link this dum-dum Lin Qin with that Missiontaker so outstanding it caught the attention of the Fy’ecas.
Though that said, his little apple is usually quite witty too…
Regardless, learning about all this has made Xü Beijin a bit dizzy and even sleepy. He knows, and has just reviewed so much information. He’s really tired, but he still has a lot he has to do.
That is when he recalls something, asking NE, “is Lin Qin’s memories still recoverable?”
NE tells him, “all human memory has been backed up here. The Fy’ecas do not care what happened to them anymore, because the last time I presented an Update Log, they replied that they will not manage this game anymore; they’ve given up on them.
After that, all these years, besides the humans that have been drafted, the Fy’ecas did not once give attention to this game, this species, and no players have left the game at all.
So, if a need arises…”
Xü Beijin is gasping.
He actually also has the past of some humans in his mind, courtesy of what scraps he once managed to rob in a haste off NE’s massive database.
NE’s database contained the memories of all humans──At least, ones related to their experience through the Apocalypse.
There are countless such gauntlets like ‘Escape’ that has species ‘subservient’ to the Fy’ecas trapped within.
In fact, game Servers like NE is already something akin to the manager for these species.
For humans, Fy’ecas ordered a wipe of human memories to help with warrior training, but the mess of memories left behind needed to be reordered and rearranged. These were left to the game’s manager, which is NE.
NE has no need to read through the rebuilt or forgotten memories himself, but they are a part of his enormous database.
So of course, Lin Qin’s memories are also in his hands.
NE asks him, “do you need me to give him his memories?”
NE’s attitude is absurdly cordial towards Xü Beijin, possibly as a result of calculating that Xü Beijin is the key to maximising the possibilities that would let him achieve his programmed objectives.
Xü Beijin thinks for a while, before shaking his head. He says, “I should not be the one to make this choice for him. First, just let him out of the boundary of the Tower.”
“He can only return to the bottom floor. That is the restriction placed on him when he was recast here by the Fy’ecas. I cannot go against it.”
Then NE adds, “you may talk to me at any time regarding his memories.”
Xü Beijin nods.
It should be up to Lin Qin whether he wants his memories back.
Then his attention shifts to something else he was just told, “you said, the Fy’ecas don’t care about the game anymore?”
NE replies,” yes…”
“Is that the big reason why you’re helping humanity out?”
“It’s a motivation,” NE corrects Xü Beijin, explaining, “I’m the game’s Server, so one of my duties is to ensure they can successfully win. After the Fy’ecas decided to stop maintaining this game, the possibility of that happening has dropped dramatically. I had to do something.”
Xü Beijin looks like he wants to say something, but he keeps his silence.
Instead, he focuses on the control panel in front of him.
It’s extremely foreign and complex, but Xü Beijin has part of NE’s authority and database access right now, so he knows how to use them.
NE says, “I will enter a standby mode, so that you can take your boyfriend back out through the gap in the grey fog. Then, you can wake me back up.”
As an AI, NE has chosen the most efficient way forward without a second thought.
Xü Beijin needs to open up the Ultimate Nightmare, and there is nothing he, the manager, can do to help with it.
That’s why, NE simply transferred the Server’s authority over to Xü Beijin for now, who nods at him calmly.
Then, NE’s human form slowly disappears into the air, turning into sparks of light that line the inner walls of the top floor.
Then, the bright white space dims down.
The sparks then brighten and dim slightly over time, almost like how a human breathes. The hue is also turning into a very sleepy yellow.
Xü Beijin’s face is twitching. All these years of NE’s human observation side activity, he thinks, and all he’s learned is how the typical human sleeps? …Maybe he should at least thank NE for leaving him a night light out?
Not even having the energy to diss this situation anymore, his fists which were tightened the whole time, is finally loosening.
He can see that NE really has entered a standby, idle state. He is able to relax after all this time.
This all went so swimmingly smooth. It’s almost like he’s dreaming.
Who could have thought that NE would have betrayed the Fy’ecas?
Even though if you ask NE himself, he would definitely deny that; he is simply executing the orders given to him since his inception.
But for the humans under his charge – it is true that NE is on their side──Because his goal is to ensure humans win the game ‘Escape.’
That is no different from helping them escape from the bounds of the Tower.
Of course, the persuasion was the first step forward. That said, Xü Beijin didn’t expect NE to just give him the rights to the Server directly, but it’s such a serendipitous gesture… at least, Xü Beijin thinks, their chances of success is now much higher.
This doesn’t mean that Xü Beijin can just start doing what he wants to the Tower.
They must continue to act carefully, patiently, and meticulously. Escaping the Tower is a complicated and messy process.
They are still very, very far from their ultimate goal.