The night wind was cool, stirring a few dry leaves in the courtyard.
For some reason, the wind tonight was unusually strong.
Gu Chengming held his wooden sword, holding his breath and concentrating.
He couldn't quite grasp the reaction of the Huiyuan Sword Art, but there was one thing he could confirm.
—That was the use of Flowing Light Sword Shadow.
He didn't mobilize too much spiritual energy, just tried to touch the newly born, slightly unfamiliar spiritual energy circuit within his body.
It was a light, leaping, wonderful feeling that seemed to slip away from his fingertips at any moment.
As his mind moved, the unremarkable wooden sword in his hand suddenly let out a clear hum.
There was no earth-shattering momentum, nor dazzling brilliance.
Gu Chengming's figure flickered in place, as if a frame had stuttered.
The next moment, an extremely faint sword mark, almost merged with the moonlight, had already appeared on the bluestone ground three zhang away.
After a light sound, the afterimage of the spot where Gu Chengming had stood slowly dissipated.
Incredibly fast, even Gu Chengming himself was momentarily dazed.
【Flowing Light Sword Shadow: CG Unlock Progress +5】
Before he could clearly see the small text that popped up on his retina, the cheerful voice in his mind had already sounded.
【Isn't it much more powerful now than the guy who could only clumsily teach you to swing a sword before?】
Gu Chengming looked down at the wooden sword in his hand, then felt the instantly depleted dantian within his body.
It was indeed powerful.
The speed of this sword strike was at least several times that of the original moves of the "Huiyuan Sword Art." If used in actual combat, it would be enough to catch the opponent off guard.
But the price was also painful. Just one move directly drained one-third of his "mana bar." If he couldn't kill someone after three consecutive strikes, he would have to lie down and be mocked.
On the other hand, "Hundred Bones Resonating," which witnessed the entire process, was completely stunned.
【Hundred Bones Resonating thought: Is this the power obtained by sacrificing oneself?】
【Damn it, why does it feel like being possessed isn't that scary anymore?】
Gu Chengming didn't pay attention to what Hundred Bones Resonating was thinking. His attention was entirely on the line of "CG Unlock Progress."
He used the sword move, and it only increased by 5 points.
This indicated that mere "usage" was not the key to unlocking. The true form of this so-called CG, and the "Flowing Light Sword Shadow" that had never appeared, were clearly hidden deeper.
Gu Chengming put away the wooden sword and stood in the courtyard, letting the night wind mess up his hair.
He was silent for a moment, then asked softly in his mind:
"Huiyuan Sword Art."
【Huiyuan Sword Art chuckled: What's wrong? Do you want it to show you again?】
Gu Chengming didn't answer her, but got straight to the point:
"Can you still change back?"
"Back to your original appearance."
The voice in his mind paused for a rare moment.
Then, that cheerful emotion surged again, as if the pause just now was an illusion.
【Huiyuan Sword Art exclaimed: Oh, it always has to strive for the higher ground. The old you wasn't good enough, not strong enough, and couldn't even accompany you further.】
【Isn't it good like this now? It has become stronger, more interesting, and can help you better.】
【Or, are you actually a nostalgic person who doesn't like its current changes?】
She skillfully threw the question back, lightly brushing aside the heavy topic.
Gu Chengming took a deep breath.
This feeling was terrible.
Although he was a player, a "fourth natural disaster" who would do anything to win, he was also a person.
He strongly disliked the feeling of familiar people or things suddenly becoming unrecognizable.
Especially when this change was not natural, but felt like a forced distortion of self to cater to him, to avoid being abandoned.
"Huiyuan Sword Art."
Gu Chengming's voice deepened, with an unprecedented seriousness.
In his mind, he said word by word:
"I don't know if you can understand what I mean."
"If you have truly changed your personality because of this sword move and become like this, then I will try to accept it and get to know you again."
"No matter what you become, as long as you are still the Huiyuan Sword Art that has accompanied me to this day, I will treat you as always."
He paused here, but his tone became even firmer:
"But...."
"If you don't like your current appearance, if you are just forcing yourself to wear this mask to please me, to become stronger, to not be forgotten by me..."
"I will never allow it!"
"I don't need you to be perfect, nor do I need you to be interesting."
"I just need you to be yourself."
As his voice fell.
There was dead silence in the courtyard.
The always chattering voice in his mind, with its "♪" and tildes, completely disappeared.
No rebuttal, no teasing, no reaction at all.
Only suffocating silence remained.
Immediately after.
【Flowing Light Sword Shadow: CG Unlock Progress +15】
Silence was the answer.
This seemingly lively new persona was indeed a complete disguise.
The self-abased sword art felt it wasn't good enough for him now, too mediocre, so it desperately imitated the advanced Flowing Cloud Following Moon Sword Intent, packaging itself as perfect and likable.
She hid her true self in the yet-to-be-unlocked CG, hidden beneath that thick mask.
If he didn't uncover it, perhaps she would wear this mask forever until her original self completely perished.
A rare crisis...
Gu Chengming's Gal radar was going off like crazy.
Without a doubt.
This was the "special bond event" he had always dreamed of.
But this was not a relaxed and happy dating scenario, but a branching point leading to the ending.
If he took a wrong step here, he would face an irreversible Bad End.
Perhaps in that ending, he would gain a powerful sword art, but he would forever lose the original, true Huiyuan Sword Art.
The strongest impulse surged from the depths of his heart since he transmigrated—a complex impulse mixed with various emotions.
He suddenly thought of the scene when he first opened a galgame.
Since then, he often asked himself why he was so attached to galgame...
Was it because he liked paper figures? Was it because of emptiness in reality?
No.
It was because of "regret."
Reality is full of too many regrets, too much unrequited love, too much powerlessness.
But in games, as long as you work hard enough, as long as you are willing to reload again and again, as long as you are willing to scrutinize every option, to analyze every line of dialogue...
You will definitely find the path leading to the "True End."
He once spent three days and three nights wandering in a maze to save a supporting character who was destined to die.
He once filled three thick strategy guides to achieve a perfect ending where everyone survived.
He could not bear to see any character who had accompanied him meet a tragic end due to his wrong choices.
Even if it was just a string of data, even if it was just a piece of code.
To Gu Chengming, it was also a "life" that had once existed vibrantly.
And now.
This world was no longer data behind a screen; everything here was real.
Even when he first learned that his life was not long, such a strong impulse to change had never arisen in his heart.
He could not accept the disappearance of Huiyuan Sword Art.
Gu Chengming clenched the wooden sword in his hand, his knuckles turning slightly white from the force.
Since this was his game, since this was his love interest.
Then he would absolutely not allow such a disgusting sacrificial ending!
The wind stopped.
"I will achieve a perfect ending."
He said.
.....................................................................................
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