Chapter 105 Who is it?
<Previous Chapter<Table of Contents>Next Chapter>
Lin Zhaohe couldn’t come up with a reasonable explanation for the disparity between Zhuang Lao’s character and the portrayal in his own book.
Zhuang Lao didn’t care about the negative reviews online. He casually sipped his tea and commented, “Looks like the game company didn’t do a good job. Now someone else has noticed it.”
Lin Zhaohe: “Won’t this affect the God Creation Plan?”
Zhuang Lao: “Not at the moment, it seems.”
Indeed, it didn’t. After around ten minutes, Lin Zhaohe checked the post again. The person who had posted it had been heavily criticized, and most of the replies were insults. Many questioned the relevance of the world getting worse, suggesting that it was the result of human actions. This argument had some truth. The original poster seemed speechless.
After a while, the post was deleted, disappearing without a trace, just like a drop of water merging into the vast ocean.
This incident didn’t affect the way things were progressing. Once Zhuang Lao confirmed his identity as a deity, the world started rapidly improving. People’s wishes were being fulfilled one after another, and the fusion zone slowly retreated from human life.
However, Lin Zhaohe noticed that Zhuang Lao had been frowning more often lately. He would sometimes sit on the edge of the bed and stare into space. Concerned about his health, Lin Zhaohe asked him about it. Zhuang Lao’s response surprised him. Zhuang Lao said that when he stared into space, he felt compelled to listen to the wishes of his followers. The wishes were many and varied, and they crowded into his mind, giving him a headache.
As Zhuang Lao spoke, he embraced Lin Zhaohe from behind and rested his head on Lin Zhaohe’s shoulder. His voice sounded weary.
Lin Zhaohe worriedly asked, “Is there anything we can do?”
“Just talk to me, Xiao He.”
Lin Zhaohe looked at the view outside the window and started talking about the past. He had been living here for a long time. In the past, there used to be a huge stadium outside, but it was turned into a parking lot later. However, even now, there weren’t many cars parked outside. Lin Zhaohe rambled on, and when he finished, he noticed that Zhuang Lao had fallen asleep with closed eyes. Lin Zhaohe didn’t dare to move, afraid of waking him up. He gently pressed his fingertips between Zhuang Lao’s eyebrows, trying to smooth out the furrow.
If possible, Lin Zhaohe thought, he would gladly take on all the burdens for Zhuang Lao.
The world was getting better, and hope rekindled.
Zhuang Lao single-handedly halted the unstoppable fusion. The strange and extraordinary sights gradually vanished, and people felt as if they were witnessing life before the fusion.
Lin Zhaohe asked Zhuang Lao what kind of wishes he heard. With so many people and prayers, could he hear them all?
Zhuang Lao answered that he didn’t understand the underlying principle, but it seemed that the extent of trust the believers had in him was somehow related. The more they believed in him, the more he could hear their voices…
Lin Zhaohe pondered silently.
The God Creation Plan had achieved significant success, just as demonstrated in the game. The world was almost returning to its pre-fusion state. However, Lin Zhaohe sensed an undercurrent beneath the calm surface. The future’s destiny hadn’t changed and was following its pre-established course.
Zhuang Lao left early in the morning and hadn’t returned yet. Around noon, Lin Yan unexpectedly arrived.
Lin Zhaohe hadn’t seen Lin Yan in a long time, so his sudden visit came as a surprise.
“What’s the matter?” Lin Zhaohe asked him.
Lin Yan said, “I have something to discuss. Where’s Zhuang Lao?”
“He went out. Are you looking for him?” Lin Zhaohe replied. Lately, Zhuang Lao had been busy. There were rumors that higher authorities were starting to doubt his identity. After all, his massive power exceeded that of an ordinary person, and there were no comparable characters from the 2D world. Doubt was a natural reaction.
Lin Yan furrowed his brows, and the exaggerated wound on his face twitched slightly. He said, “No, I’m not looking for him. Let’s step outside and have a talk. I need to discuss something with you.”
Lin Zhaohe agreed, “Okay.”
The two of them went to a nearby cafe and settled in a secluded corner.
Lin Yan appeared somewhat different today, though Lin Zhaohe couldn’t quite pinpoint what had changed. Lin Zhaohe asked, “What’s the matter? Why did you come to see me?”
“The proponents has achieved complete success,” Lin Yan said. “Has the world truly improved?”
Lin Zhaohe: “Yes, it has.”
Lin Yan: “Lin Zhaohe…” His voice carried a deep tone, intertwined with a multitude of complex emotions. He continued, “Do you know the game’s ending?”
Lin Zhaohe: “I do.” The game’s ending depicted an endless expanse of darkness. Controlling Zhuang Lao’s character, he had traversed for a considerable time without finding even a glimmer of light. The world was left in ruins.
“No, you don’t understand,” Lin Yan said. “I have recollections now.”
Lin Zhaohe was taken aback.
Lin Yan reiterated, lighting a cigarette. “I remember now.”
Suddenly, Lin Zhaohe stood up, distancing himself from the person before him. It finally dawned on him that the individual in the cafe wasn’t the Holy Mother but the real Lin Yan, who should have been confined in the base. Despite the wounds on his face, the genuine Lin Yan would never casually light a cigarette in a cafe. This simple action exposed his true identity.
“You were able to tell?” Lin Yan said coldly. “You’re quite astute.”
Lin Zhaohe watched him cautiously, surprised to see that Lin Yan had also inflicted a wound on his own face in order to conceal his identity. “What do you want? How did you escape?”
“I have my ways,” Lin Yan replied coldly. “Lin Zhaohe, don’t you want to know why I despise Zhuang Lao so much?”
Lin Zhaohe naturally wanted to know, but hesitation showed on his face. “You can just tell me directly.”
“It was the deity who destroyed the entire world,” Lin Yan said, his crimson eyes fixed on Lin Zhaohe.
He had finally regained all of his memories at this moment, remembering the ending of the story. Chaotic memories from the future constantly reminded him to prevent the tragedy from occurring. However, when he recalled everything, it was already too late. The God Creation Plan was activated once again, and the world stepped into the tragic script once more.
“I actually forgot the most important thing,” Lin Yan said. “Lin Zhaohe, Zhuang Lao isn’t the main culprit. You are.”
Lin Zhaohe frowned, wondering if Lin Yan had discovered that Zhuang Lao was a character created by him. If it weren’t for him, there would be no Zhuang Lao, and certainly no deity. From a logical perspective, he was indeed a central figure in the God Creation Plan.
Lin Yan spoke with a tone of hatred, “Lin Zhaohe, you have no idea—no idea what you’ve done—”
His words carried a strong sense of aggression, as if he was ready to attack at any moment, but he forcibly restrained himself in the end.
Lin Zhaohe: “Make yourself clear.”
Lin Yan: “You granted wishes that should never have been fulfilled.”
Lin Zhaohe: “What do you mean—”
Lin Yan: “That wasn’t darkness.”
Lin Zhaohe: “What?”
Lin Yan: “It was a world that had been destroyed.”
Lin Zhaohe: “What do you mean exactly?” Suddenly, he felt a sense of unease, sensing that Lin Yan’s words held some incredible secret.
Lin Yan smiled and said, “Lin Zhaohe, did you fulfill Zhuang Lao’s wishes?”
Lin Zhaohe: “Lin Yan? What do you mean by that—”
“Don’t you understand, Lin Zhaohe?” Lin Yan said. “Zhuang Lao isn’t the deity, you are. It was you who granted one wish after another, completely destroying the entire world.”
These words were like a thunderbolt from the clear sky, shattering Lin Zhaohe’s soul. He stared at Lin Yan, unable to speak for a while.
Meanwhile, Lin Yan seemed completely oblivious. He exhaled the smoke from his mouth and said, “Xiao He, in my world, the maddened deity was you.”
Lin Zhaohe stood there in a daze.
In that moment, he suddenly realized why the depiction of the deity in “Holy Light” was so different from Zhuang Lao.
The deity described in the book was kind, compassionate, and affectionate like a child. He was willing to listen to the wishes of believers and do everything possible to help those in need. This starkly contrasted with Zhuang Lao’s cold demeanor.
The deity wasn’t Zhuang Lao, but him?
“But why…” Lin Zhaohe didn’t even finish the sentence, but he already understood why.
“At that time, you had already gone insane,” Lin Yan laughed. “You were driven mad by the desires of humanity. You ceased to be a deity and became a mere wish-granting machine. You fulfilled every wish of the believers, whether good or bad, dirty or beautiful. The world became twisted and distorted because of your existence. Humanity, with their desires excessively fulfilled, turned into a collective of monsters. You became the amplifier of desires.”
As a survivor, he witnessed it all.
Lin Yan had once loved humanity so much. After witnessing everything, he, too, went completely insane. He couldn’t believe that the group he loved had destroyed themselves. His love for them transformed into another extreme and twisted emotion.
Lin Yan went mad, but he wasn’t the only one.
Zhuang Lao, who cherished Lin Zhaohe so much, couldn’t bear to see his beloved one turn into such a state. He held him close and whispered softly in his ear, hoping to return to a time before everything happened, to bear all the burdens for his beloved.
However, the deity, who granted wishes without any hesitation, hesitated upon hearing this request. His black pupils were empty, like endless black holes. Despite this, he seemed to be refusing.
“Xiao He, grant me this wish once more, please.”
The deity remained expressionless, tears streaming down his face. He wanted to struggle and break free from his predetermined fate but failed.
All wishes must be granted.
Including this one.
As he spoke, tears fell from Lin Yan, who was smoking. He sat there, howling in despair. Through his sobs, he said, “Lin Zhaohe, I know it’s not your fault, but I can’t do anything either. I can’t… I can’t kill everyone. I could only try to prevent the appearance of that deity, but I failed…”
The deity still appeared, but with a different person.
“I want to help you so badly,” Lin Yan said, “but I can’t help anyone. That’s why I can only kill you.”
After saying those words, he suddenly pulled out a gun and aimed it at Lin Zhaohe’s head. Lin Zhaohe didn’t react, sitting there, staring blankly at Lin Yan. His current expression matched the image in Lin Yan’s memories.
In those chaotic memories, it seemed that Lin Zhaohe had worn the same expression before. However, back then, it wasn’t due to shock but because his mind was filled with a jumble of wishes. He sat in a high place, bewildered, like a pitiful and helpless child, rather than a lofty and divine being.
The pain in Lin Yan’s chest was unbearable. He even wished that his memories hadn’t returned. If they hadn’t, at least he could have shot at Lin Zhaohe without any hesitation. But now, his hands trembled, unable to pull the trigger.
Lin Zhaohe: “Are you going to kill me?”
Lin Yan didn’t answer.
Lin Zhaohe: “But no matter how you look at it, it’s not the deity’s fault.”
Indeed, it wasn’t the deity’s fault, and Lin Yan could only apologize through his tears.
“Wait,” Lin Zhaohe said. “Calm down. In this world, I am not the deity. Even if you kill me, it won’t change anything.”
Suddenly, Lin Zhaohe realized and calmly persuaded, “Your memories don’t belong to this world, Lin Yan. Don’t act against me for now.”
Lin Yan paused, feeling that Lin Zhaohe’s words… made some sense.
Lin Zhaohe continued, “So, in your world, Zhuang Lao made a wish to turn back time and bear everything on my behalf?”
Lin Yan: “Yes.”
Lin Zhaohe: “Is there a way to prevent Zhuang Lao from returning to his original state?”
Lin Yan: “Of course, there is.”
If you enjoy this novel, support the Translator ginevre on her ko-fi account :))
<Previous Chapter<Table of Contents>Next Chapter>
