Collapse Iron Live Broadcast Connects All Worlds, Scares Away Wuzhan at the Beginning

"Ainz-sama, please forgive my ignorance," Demiurge said respectfully. "Judging from your reaction, Ainz-sama, do you have any knowledge of the term 'game account'?"

"Ah."

Ainz had no intention of deceiving them on this point, but he certainly wouldn't explain words like "online game" one by one, so he used a metaphor that the Guardians could better understand.

"You can think of those accounts as... 'world-class props.'"

In Ainz's eyes, his game account was even more important than world-class items—after all, when he was fighting in YGGDRASIL, precious items were just a fraction of his game data. The problem was, the Guardians were completely clueless about his psychology.

He hadn't anticipated how much of a stir his casual metaphor had caused. Although several guardians were still able to maintain their composure when he finished speaking, some had already begun to lose their balance.

The entire throne room fell into deathly silence.

Sensing the uneasy atmosphere, Ainz immediately realized the inappropriateness of his metaphor, but at the moment, he couldn't think of a more appropriate one.

“Ainz-sama… 76 world-class items? Are you kidding me?” Mare’s face turned pale with fear, and he spoke timidly while holding his staff.

You have to know that the Great Underground Tomb of Nazarick only houses 11 world-class items.

If Silver Wolf truly possesses 76 such powerful "gears," how can one measure her strength? And how insane must Black Tower and ScrewGum be to freeze 76 gears at will?

“That’s just a metaphor, or let me put it another way…” Ainz was frantically trying to make amends, but he couldn’t think of a more reasonable explanation.

At this time, Demiurge stood up.

"Ainz-sama, I fully understand your meaning."

"Really? That's good."

"To be able to make that notorious Star Core Hunter so nervous... I presume these 76 accounts refer to 76 extremely destructive weapons and props, right?" Demiurge said confidently. "Miss Silver Wolf's ability to roam the world stems not only from her ether editing technology, but also from these 76 weapons and props, her trump card. She is the very foundation of her existence."

"Uh……"

After all this time, I still don’t understand it at all?!

-

"The silver wolf's shadow vanished with a snap."

"…I quit. I'm so anxious." ScrewGum said meaningfully, "Of course, games are fun for children, but for adults, games aren't the only way to solve problems."

As Xingyi exited the simulation, he heard Black Tower's triumphant voice: "Hmph, a resounding victory—little one, now you understand how powerful Black Tower is, right?"

“As expected of Lord Kurota!”

"That's good to know." Heita raised his chin proudly. "I don't care about the space station, but anyone who dares to provoke me will be retaliated a hundredfold. I've already had the company freeze all their accounts. I bet that little girl is crying right now, hugging her computer, haha!"

"..."

"Meanwhile, on a certain planet."

"Silver Wolf was holding a game console, gnashing his teeth as he watched the grayish-white notification boxes pop up on the screen."

“It’s gone, all gone…” Her fingertips stabbed the screen fiercely, her nails scraping against the glass. “There’s really nothing left… This is too much, too much!”

“The rare equipment, hidden achievements, and limited-edition skins she had spent countless hours grinding for—all vanished into thin air.”

"Come on, stop crying and making a fuss. You're not a child anymore." Kafka sat by the railing nearby, her words trying to comfort her but sounding more like a finishing blow.

“…I didn’t cry or make a fuss.”

Kafka threw up her hands helplessly. "Yes, yes. So what are you going to do next? Find a nearby company branch and hack into it to get the account back?"

"Well, one or two is fine, but this time they've gone too far, and practically everyone's dead. I don't think the branch will be able to survive. I need to go to Pierpoint."

"That's the company headquarters, and you're alone?" Kafka raised her eyebrows.

"I'm alone. Don't worry, I've got an idea. Look—there's a restaurant two kilometers away. Some temporary workers from the building materials logistics department just walked in. I'm going to make friends with them."

"Leaving so soon? I thought you'd try out the cassette tape you've been dreaming of."

"I told you, I don't think about you day and night."

Silver Wolf stuffed the game console into her jacket pocket and walked briskly towards the Baiyun Restaurant in the distance. She didn't know what kind of game was ahead, but it wouldn't make her too bored. After all, games...

"Just walk and play!"

-

Sword Art Online.

In front of the wooden house on the twenty-second floor of Aincrad, Kirito looked at the image of Silver Wolf holding a game console on the sky screen and suddenly laughed out loud.

"What's so funny?" Asuna sat down beside him, tea in hand, her long golden-brown hair swaying gently in the breeze off the lake. "This little girl had 76 game accounts banned in one go by the Black Tower."

Kirito wiped away tears of laughter and said, "No, no, I'm just feeling sentimental. I never thought there would be such pure gamers in the universe."

Asuna looked puzzled. "Honestly, I don't understand why she'd risk her life going to such a dangerous place like headquarters just for her game account. She's different from us. We'd physically die if we left the game, but she just needs to start over, right?"

"You still don't understand, Asuna." Kirito smiled faintly. "What's the purpose of games? Some people play for survival, some for fun. But for people like Silver Wolf, whether it's video games, Pierpoint, ScrewGum, or the Black Tower... they're all games at their core, just with varying degrees of difficulty and gameplay."

"But this is too dangerous..."

"Danger brings excitement, and excitement brings more fun." Kirito stared at the silver wolf's running back against the sky, lost in thought, and murmured unconsciously, "Dancing with life, pursuing happiness with life... Alas, I envy you too."

-

“She began to run, through the neon lights, beyond the neon light, just like the night she left her hometown and ran towards the stars.”

"The starlight lengthens her shadow, illuminating the history of Punklod. Those who wrote the legend, their vows are remembered by the starry sky—"

"The original [role-players] said that games are for growth."

"The calm [strategist] said the game is about winning."

"Rebellious [cooperative multiplayer players] say that games are for encounters."

"The kind [Text Narrative Player] said that games are for remembering."

"And now, the young [Galaxy Adventure Player] said, she said this—"

“Games are just games, that’s all!”

Chapter 289 To the Dim Star (I)

"I heard from Heita that Ruan Mei would be arriving at the space station for some time. Xing had nothing better to do in the meantime, so he wandered around the station and discovered a clerk who was not doing his job properly."

"Witty? No, more affectionate. Elegant? Well, slang shouldn't be included in poetry." Rocky carefully considered every word of the love poem. "Should I use 'black hair silk' or 'white skirt' here? Hiss, my scalp tingles..."

"What are you doing?" Xing came closer curiously.

"Ah? I'm writing poetry. Can't you see? There are already several drafts on the table over there." Rocky drooped his eyebrows and pointed at the pile of manuscripts on the table with a look of disappointment. "Well, your interruption reminds me that I have written so many drafts, why hasn't Leslie replied to me yet?"

A scoffing sounded from behind. Senior clerk Bernard sipped his coffee leisurely. "Hey, Leslie, that's the star clerk of the [Black Tower, Guangyuan Secret Scroll Department], the only visiting scholar to visit the Fertile Star Region in this Amber Age. How could she possibly have time for you?"

"Of course she's free to talk to me!" Rocky's face flushed red. "Ever since Leslie left, we've been in intermittent contact through the galactic radio repeater. Even if we're tens of thousands of light years apart, she wouldn't ignore me."

"She didn't reply on time. It must be because of the special circumstances this time!" Rocky lowered his head, his voice getting smaller and smaller, like a deflated balloon: "I, I wrote a letter to Leslie to confess my love. Unlike usual, I just told her how many kinds of stones and mud there are in the Geography Department..."

"I really don't understand why Leslie ignored me after I confessed my feelings... We've talked about so much, from which of the 101 Star God secret instruments require Gunn's beard, to how to use the astronomical drill to [appraise the soil and rock], so that you can judge the prosperity or decline of a planet's divine favor by examining the quality of the soil."

-

Konosuba: God's blessing on this wonderful world.

Looking at the innocence on Officer Rocky's face, Darkness couldn't help but be deeply moved and looked shy.

“Eh? Love poems and such are so romantic.” Darkness shyly covered her slightly hot cheeks. “But rather than words, I think personality and common topics are more important.”

"Since they can conduct research in the same place, their personalities can't be very different, right?" Kazuma looked at the pile of scattered poems on the table behind Rocky. "But it does surprise me that these staff members at the Black Tower Space Station still use this medieval way of confessing love?"

Kazuma spread his hands, acting like a seasoned lover. "But when chatting with a girl you like, how can you just talk about topics that interest you? Of course you have to cater to her interests~"

"Heh..." Aqua snorted disdainfully, "So a nerd like you knows how to fall in love? I thought you were planning to spend the night in the stable with—"

"Hey, hey! Don't say anything like that!!"

Kazuma blushed, his voice rising a few notches. “After all, I had experience with a hundred galgames before my reincarnation, so I still have a say in this area, right?!”

“Oh, so that kind of thing counts as well?” Seeing Kazuma’s extremely embarrassed expression, Aqua couldn’t help but burst out laughing. “You haven’t even touched a girl’s hand, and you still dare to teach others about love? Hahahahahahaha——!”

“Why doesn’t it count?” Kazuma was stuttering. “Virtual experience counts as experience too!”

-

"Rocky said that in the communication before he confessed his feelings, Leslie described to him a magnificent starquake."

"She sounded incredibly happy, even as she watched the spectacle of a dying star. In short, Rocky believed there was no sign that she would refuse his confession. He didn't receive the message as promised, so there must be a problem with the galactic radio repeater."

"But unfortunately, his master, Bernard, doesn't intend to let him go, nor does he allow Star to help him."

"All you can think about is repeaters, repeaters. You haven't done anything serious in over ten days. You're such a loser!" Bernard's beard was almost bent with rage at the sight of his disciple.

"Old man, it's better to open up than to block~" Xing chuckled. She was also willing to do this good deed to help others."

"Rocky said the relay is in a large abandoned warehouse of rare items. If Xing can help him, he'll invite her to be his bridesmaid after the task is completed!"

"Xing immediately went to the location designated by Rocky and successfully found and repaired the repeater. It contained some recent communication records between him and Leslie."

"While it's not nice to peek at other people's chat logs, it's human nature to be unable to resist. Xing's fingers gently slid across the screen, and countless conversations flowed before her eyes like a galaxy. These words were like buds trembling on branches in early spring, carrying the tenderness and sincerity of the person who picked up the pen."

"But ever since Leslie described the starquake to Rocky, her responses became less and less frequent. After Rocky confessed his feelings, their communication abruptly ceased, and we haven't communicated since."

"Xing felt like someone had tampered with the repeater, so he decided to go to the monitoring room to check. It wouldn't have been a big deal if he hadn't checked, but he did. The guy who had been tampering with the repeater and interfering with the two of them was actually Rocky's mentor, Leonard!"

-

Monogatari series.

Amid the chirping of cicadas on a summer night, Araragi Koyomi sat on his balcony, gazing up at the sky suspended in the night sky. He watched as Hoshi confronted Leonard, who seemed unfazed.

"This is too much..." Li frowned, "Even if you are against your apprentice dating, there is no need to go to this extent, right?"

Sitting on the railing, Shinobu Oshino gently shook her white legs, her pupils shining brightly in the moonlight.

"Ru, you've lived too short to see clearly~" Shinobu Oshino tilted her head back slightly, and the corner of her eye reflected the figure of Li. "This Leonard, his behavior is very inappropriate."

"Disobedience?"

The vampire girl's lips curled into a smile of insight. She extended a slender finger and touched Li's brow. "Humans are the most interesting. Over the centuries, I've seen many people who say one thing and mean another. Leonard fits the bill perfectly."

"His methods of obstructing this relationship were quite abrupt. He had previously been sarcastic and mocking towards Rocky, clearly hoping to make him realize that he was not worthy of the star clerk, Leslie. But by cutting off their communication so abruptly, it was as if he knew that they were in love but still wanted to interfere."

"If you want Rocky to give up on his relationship, all you need to do is continue to ridicule and suppress him. There's no need to interfere rudely. Unless..."

"Unless what?"

Shinobu Oshino shook her head calmly: "Unless he has already decided that it is impossible for the two of them to be together from the beginning."

Chapter 290: To the Dim Star (Part 2)

"Seeing Xing pull up the surveillance footage of himself destroying the repeater, Leonard simply stopped trying to defend himself."

"But he said he destroyed the repeater for Rocky's own good. He's so focused on Leslie that it's understandable that he's just been doing nothing all day."

"You have absolutely no understanding of the facts. Leslie...she..." Leonard trailed off.

Xing felt something was wrong: "Did something happen to her?"

"No, she's unharmed. And she accepted Rocky's confession." Leonard then changed the subject, "But they can't be together."

Looking at Xing's furrowed brow, Leonard continued to explain, "This isn't because of my interference, but because they can't be together... they can never be together. You don't know, very few people understand what Starquake is all about..."

"If properly protected, a starquake won't cause physical harm to the human body. However, the gravitational collapse caused by a starquake will cause a huge change in the curvature of spacetime in the surrounding star region... Simply put, our time flow is inconsistent with hers."

"Ever since the starquake, Leslie's time with us has been gradually increasing. It could go from a month to a year, then to ten years."

"Not only that, but every month she spends traveling across the galaxy before she leaves the anomalous gravity environment will cost us decades of waiting. If Rocky lives in the present, then Leslie... is already living in the future."

Leonard stood in front of the viewing window, looking out upon the boundless expanse of the Milky Way. The starlight shone upon his wrinkled face, and his usually furrowed brows now relaxed, revealing a weariness and desolation rarely seen before.

"He let out a heavy sigh."

“…I was a boy once too,” Leonard murmured. “I think there’s nothing more cruel than being rejected and not being able to be with someone you share your feelings for.”

"In the end, he put the truth in the signal decryption record. The red one is the truth, and the blue one is his forged chat record of Leslie rejecting Rocky. The decision is in Xing's hands. Everything is up to her."

-

MYGO.

In the restaurant on the first floor of LIVE HOUSE RiNG, Chihaya Aine rested her chin on her hand, the strawberry soda in her hand long gone. She was looking at the stars in the sky, hesitant and wavering, a look of loss on her face.

"This is too cruel for them." Seeing this scene of lovers unable to finally be together, Aine's heart sank to the bottom. But what stopped them wasn't people, but the insurmountable distance of time and time.