Chapter 243: Are They Teammates? (End)

Transfer Station.

As spectators, they'd already lost count of how many times they'd watched He Yu kill Blue Eyes.

Siya had once been nothing more than an observer.

Sometimes she even shipped He Yu and Blue Eyes together with Qiong, or sighed over how pitiful Blue Eyes was.

Thinking back...

When the Frost Beast died, Siya had been watching from the Transfer Station.

When Ghost Li died...

She had also witnessed it there.

Back then...

Her only thought had been—

How tragic.

From the bottom of her heart, she'd simply felt that He Yu was an exceptionally clear-headed contestant.

He looked frail.

Yet he was ruthless.

And incredibly resilient.

Just moments ago, as she watched the happily smiling Frost Beast building snowmen, she couldn't help sighing to Qiong,

"Blue Eyes is about to get killed again... Sigh, this is already the fifth time, isn't it? That's just too pitiful."

Every appearance...

Ended in death.

Qiong had always admired Li Zhan.

Even though the current Blue Eyes hardly resembled the legendary God Zhan anymore...

She still admired him.

She agreed with Siya.

She pitied God Zhan.

But now—

Siya's feelings had changed completely.

On the giant screen...

He Yu stood alone atop the snowy mountain.

Wrapped in the Frost Beast's fur coat.

The snow-white fur made him seem even more ethereal.

Merely standing there...

He looked like an immortal exiled from the heavens.

Then she looked at the snowmen nearby.

Looked at the lonely He Yu standing among them...

Her eyes inexplicably reddened.

When she spoke again, her voice was hoarse.

"I always thought Blue Eyes was the tragic one."

"But..."

"Wasn't He Yu just as tragic?"

"Them..."

"Us..."

"We're all just people being pushed forward by the system."

"We can only keep moving according to its rules."

"Again and again..."

"How much pain..."

"...must He Yu be enduring?"

Qiong said nothing.

Siya blinked.

Then sighed softly.

"We've all shifted the pressure onto He Yu."

"We always joke that he hasn't grown taller during the competition."

"That he hasn't gotten stronger."

"But..."

"That's only because he's carrying too much."

After a pause, she continued,

"We 'died' and now we're just waiting here in the Transfer Station."

"He Yu looks like he's guaranteed victory."

"But in reality..."

"He's facing the system's schemes completely alone."

"Again and again..."

"He sends Blue Eyes away."

"And again and again..."

"He carries that pain himself."

Just because he never showed it...

Didn't mean he wasn't hurting.

Last instance.

This instance.

He Yu had been so determined to bring everyone out alive.

The aftermath of Cheng Zhao's death...

Had clearly affected him deeply.

So...

Exactly how much had He Yu been carrying by himself?

Behind that pale, indifferent face...

How much pressure...

How much sorrow...

Had he hidden?

Yet...

He had never once spoken about it.

The more Siya thought about it...

The more her heart ached.

Receiving no response, she turned toward Qiong.

Only to discover...

Qiong's eyes were already bright red.

Her lashes were wet.

She'd already started crying.

Siya: "..."

The Transfer Station fell into unprecedented silence.

Ling Buchen still sat quietly in his usual corner.

Beside him rested "Li Zhan's zither."

His calm gaze remained fixed upon the livestream.

He spoke quietly,

"He doesn't need anyone's pity."

"The rules and circumstances may force him forward..."

"But they can't make his choices for him."

"One day..."

"He'll break free of those chains."

"And take control of his own fate."

Ling Buchen's eyes shone brightly.

Watching the lone figure atop the snowy mountain...

His expression held admiration.

And pride.

【Bullet Screen: "I don't know why, but once again I feel like Ling Buchen and He Yu are such a perfect match."】

【Bullet Screen: "He understands He Yu so well..."】

【Bullet Screen: "Have you all forgotten Blue Eyes?! Who was crying their eyes out for him just a minute ago?!"】

【Bullet Screen: "Wuwuwu, I didn't forget! I love them all! I love everyone! This season is just too amazing. The contestants are incredible. It's only the system that's complete garbage."】

Siya and the others froze.

Eugene slowly climbed to his feet.

Without blinking once...

He stared at the figure on the screen.

His expression was serious.

Filled with admiration...

And nervousness...

Neither of which he himself realized.

Zhen Xing smiled.

"That's right."

"Why would he ever need anyone's pity?"

A trace of pride entered his voice.

"After all..."

"He's He Yu."

Ninety-nine pairs of eyes.

Every single one fixed upon the livestream.

After a while...

Someone suddenly muttered,

"Why haven't the points been calculated yet?"

"Why is it taking so long?"

The only one still alive was He Yu.

There shouldn't have been anything left to calculate.

Fuck.

Something was obviously wrong.

Was the one behind the scenes...

Trying something again?

—

Inside the competition.

The once-lively semifinal arena...

Originally filled with a hundred contestants...

Now contained only one.

Standing against the wind...

He Yu waited quietly.

Looking toward the rising sun.

Standing so high...

It almost felt as though he stood above dawn itself.

Counting the passing seconds...

The corners of his lips lifted slightly.

"Still deciding?"

"Whether to let me advance..."

"Or let everyone advance?"

His hands overlapped.

The fingertips of his right hand tapped lightly against the back of his left.

His voice remained calm.

Unhurried.

"I am my own faction."

"I am the system's bug."

"But I won."

"Factions One and Two both lost."

"According to the rules..."

"I must advance."

He stepped forward.

His boots crunched softly through the snow.

Step by step.

As he walked, he continued,

"You wanted to use the system bug to kill me."

"But you failed to realize..."

"To me..."

"A bug is the greatest opportunity."

"If you want to break the rules..."

"You first have to find a bug."

"And yet..."

"You delivered that bug directly into my hands."

He smiled.

Yet that smile sent chills down everyone's spine.

The audience suddenly felt their hearts trembling.

One could only imagine...

Just how furious the one behind the scenes must be at this very moment.

Last instance...

To ensure He Yu died...

They'd made him the killer.

But because He Yu had become the killer...

He'd seized the initiative.

He'd appealed directly to every audience member.

And achieved everyone's advancement.

This instance...

To ensure He Yu died...

They'd created a third faction for him.

Yet now...

The only surviving faction...

Was the Third Faction.

So...

What choice remained?

He Yu continued walking.

"Ten minutes."

"And there's still no conclusion."

"I've already handed the decision to you."

"Will you let me leave alive..."

"Or let everyone advance?"

"You decide."

Those final two words were spoken softly.

Yet every syllable carried overwhelming sharpness.

A chess piece that should have been controlled.

A contestant whose life should have belonged to someone else.

Yet...

He had cornered the mysterious mastermind whom even the Federation couldn't find.

Cornered them until they couldn't decide.

Cornered them...

Until they exposed themselves.

Wasn't that exactly what this was?

Before...

The mastermind had always interfered with the rules naturally.

Even the thirty-second intervention during <Money Game> had simply been the rules suppressing them.

Nothing revealed the mastermind's emotions.

But now...

The instance seemed frozen.

No conclusion appeared.

Which meant...

Their emotions had finally been exposed.

The all-powerful mastermind...

Had been driven into this situation.

—

Transfer Station.

Zhante suddenly sat upright.

His breathing quickened.

"This is bad!"

Eugene realized it at the same time.

His face darkened.

His voice turned hoarse.

"He's provoking the mastermind."

"He wants everyone to advance."

"But by provoking them like this..."

"They may choose to let him leave instead."

Wanrenzhan frowned.

"If He Yu can leave..."

"Isn't that a good thing?"

Duan Yuchen shook his head.

His fist clenched tightly.

"No."

"The mastermind will never just sit back."

"The longer this drags on..."

"The more it proves..."

"They're preparing something."

Instantly...

Everyone tensed.

Even if He Yu was allowed to leave...

He would still be in danger.

And it also meant...

All of them would die.

How could they not be nervous?

How could they not be afraid?

—

Inside the competition.

He Yu stopped walking.

Tilting his head slightly, he said,

"Are you buying time too?"

"The angrier I make you..."

"The more you'll refuse to do what I want."

"I imagine..."

"You'll probably let me leave."

"But..."

"You won't let me live."

His eyes curved into a smile.

His rimless glasses reflected the morning sunlight.

"I think you're arranging things."

"Preparing to kill me the instant I leave."

"Or rather..."

"The moment I leave this instance."

After a pause, he added,

"Of course..."

"Even after I reach the Federation..."

"You could still kill me."

"You have that ability."

"Don't you?"

He resumed walking.

The smile faded.

His eyes became icy cold.

His footsteps remained steady.

Crunching through the snow...

Advancing without hesitation.

"But..."

"Why would I let you have your way?"

"You can't interfere with this instance."

"And I'm still alive."

"You've delayed announcing the result for so long."

"How could I possibly sit here waiting to die?"

He pushed up his glasses.

Then continued,

"People of Blue Star."

"I know there are Federation citizens on Blue Star."

"Take them to the landing point."

"The place where I'll emerge..."

"Should be the same place I entered."

"Wait there."

"Perhaps you'll encounter the forces opposing you."

"To every major Federation planet."

"The Federation's capital."

"The royal family."

"Protect Blue Star."

"When I leave..."

"I'll bring the cultivation method."

"Version Six."

"Suitable for everyone."

"The energy cultivation system..."

"Is the true path to immortality."

"The true path to godhood."

"If you want it..."

"Then protect Blue Star."

As every sentence left his mouth...

Wei Jiaguo immediately issued one order after another.

The King changed locations.

Returning toward the royal palace...

While simultaneously sending commands across every planet.

Before the royal orders even arrived...

The four main planets had already dispatched fleets of defense ships.

All heading toward Blue Star.

Ordinary planets.

Chaos planets.

Everywhere...

Ships were mobilized.

Preparing for departure.

The path to immortality.

The path to godhood.

It represented...

The interests of the entire universe.

And when interests aligned...

Everyone moved toward the same goal.

He Yu smiled.

Tilting his head playfully, he blinked.

"If I leave..."

"With all of them present..."

"Killing me would expose you."

"And..."

"You still might fail."

"So..."

"You'll probably try killing me after I leave <Are We Teammates?>..."

"But before I leave the Top Talent Show."

"You're rushing to arrange everything..."

"Because you don't want to expose yourself."

Less than twenty meters remained before the cliff.

Yet He Yu still didn't stop.

His current situation...

Was exactly like his footsteps.

Advancing toward the utmost danger.

Every act of probing.

Every ounce of pressure.

If he crossed the boundary...

He would fall into an endless abyss.

Simply allow the system to make him the Top Talent?

No.

He Yu intended to force the mastermind...

To abandon that choice.

He Yu valued his promises.

He knew...

People like Eugene and Gedai had entrusted him with their lives only after desperately suppressing their fear and frustration.

He intended to honor that promise.

He couldn't simply leave alone.

Li Zhan was still inside the Top Talent Show.

He Yu's objective...

Hadn't yet been fulfilled.

Even if the mastermind wanted him to leave...

He refused.

Besides...

How could they possibly let him leave alive?

The space between leaving the instance...

And leaving the system...

Would be the place of his certain death.

The mastermind was still making preparations.

He Yu continued walking.

Only ten steps remained before the cliff.

Still speaking steadily...

Yet rapidly.

His gaze sharp.

His steps unwavering.

Every word...

Another step pressing toward the mastermind.

"If you're determined not to let me leave alive..."

"Then while I'm still alive..."

"I'll reveal as much truth as possible."

"For example..."

"Blue Eyes' true identity."

"For example..."

"Why the energy cultivation system has never been promoted."

"And..."

"Who exactly you are."

"Standing here..."

"Do you really think I came without a backup plan?"

"I'll answer one question after another."

"Thirty seconds."

"That's enough time to explain all three."

"First..."

"Blue Eyes is actually—"

【The instance <Are We Teammates?> has been completed. Congratulations to He Yu for advancing!】

【Due to a system bug, the existence of He Yu as a Third Faction contradicts the established rules. Advancing only one contestant also contradicts the required advancement count.】

【Instance judgment error detected.】

【All contestants advance.】