"Now let's welcome the first person to receive an SS-level rating! Let's give them a speech, everyone!" The rabbit clapped its hands to itself.
"Whoosh."
A beam of light shone on Von Ryker, separating him from everyone else.
The next moment, he felt himself being pulled up by an invisible force, his body rising higher and higher, as if drawn away by the light—
The God Realm did not force him into a desperate situation. A pure white mask appeared on his face, and his figure became extremely blurry, so that he would not be exposed in the subsequent missions.
"Wow, the number one person on Meta City right now seems to be quite something! Give your acceptance speech! Don't worry, we'll translate it in real time!" Rabbit held the blood-red microphone to his mouth.
Von Ryker looked down.
The boundless square, the endless distance, countless people, a dark mass, countless gleaming eyes—all were connected to him at this moment.
The weight of a world gathers here.
He took the microphone.
"Genesis Online…" he said.
He noticed that his voice had been encrypted, and others couldn't recognize his real voice.
He started by thinking for a moment.
Then, his voice flowed slowly from the sky to the entire square.
"Although it is somewhat ridiculous to tie the fate of the entire world to a trial called 'game'."
"But right now, we can't end this game anytime soon."
"The public was in a frenzy, venting their anger, and clamoring to overthrow the organizers... These ideas are not wrong."
"But the future of humanity is currently uncertain, and we do not have the ability to confront the organizers. All we can do is strengthen ourselves within the limited space we have."
He paused, and then fell silent.
Countless people looked up at him, their eyes filled with various expressions.
After a pause, he continued:
"I often wonder, what is [luck] for a person?"
People looked up, and the entire room fell silent.
The eyes of a billion people—all gazed upon that figure bathed in light.
"I don't know what others think, but in my opinion, to borrow a line from the magnum opus The Stars of Humanity—" Von Ryker said:
"[The greatest fortune in a person's life is to discover their mission in the middle of their life, when they are in the prime of their life.]"
"We are lucky that we are in our prime – at least physically, we are no longer aging. Even the children are no longer fragile."
"We are fortunate that we have also discovered our mission."
"We are the lucky and unlucky ones among the one billion chosen, and we bear the responsibility of winning back our hometown."
"—To reach the end and ensure that all of humanity reaches the required score, this is our current mission and our responsibility to the other 6.5 billion unselected humans."
"We are 'human beings'."
"Whether we were soldiers, students, or other human beings before."
"The task of the collective progress bar of humanity has been placed on each and every one of us. The little bit of accumulation by each of us may converge into the ocean of self-redemption at the end of the year."
"A giant ship named [Meta City] will brave the wind and waves."
"All beings called [human beings] are fellow travelers on this ship."
"In this world where all of humanity works together, small streams can become great rivers. This era of both crisis and opportunity is closely related to each and every one of us."
"We are 'human beings'."
"We cannot create the unknown or glimpse the light of day like gods."
"We are weak and ignorant, with only a short life and a shallow vision."
"But we are 'human'."
"...Therefore, we can use the wisdom of the 'known' to calculate everything the 'unknown', and possess an inextinguishable torch."
"Human history has never lacked heroes, and I hope that more players can stand up now and understand the current situation."
"—And then, on every level, he became a hero."
"Even if, as a result, our blood is spilled in every corner of the dungeon, and the roads we walk are filled with the corpses and ashes of our own resurrected souls."
"As long as we have the chance to move forward, we must let everyone witness the coming of the future."
When he said this, the entire room fell silent.
People looked up, listening quietly, their eyes shining with an unprecedented light.
Von Ryker smiled slightly and uttered his last words.
...
"[And facing the ashes of the victims,]"
Noble people will shed tears.
...
He didn't feel nervous.
As a part-time broadcaster, public speaking is easy for him.
This is a good opportunity to amplify his influence. A few highly suggestive concepts, enough to evoke emotions, can resonate with people.
By emphasizing the concept of "humanity" and the importance of "fellow countrymen," he can gain the approval of most people.
The most ambiguous words sometimes have the most powerful influence; they are imbued with the magical power to allow people to fill in the gaps themselves.
For example, struggle.
For example, ideals.
For example, "sacrifice".
They evoke a solemn yet vague image in people's minds, and are imbued with a magical charm in group speeches.
That's all he did.
He had a premonition.
...It seems that this appearance before all of humanity is just the beginning.
As the initial "strongest player," possessing the ability to rewind upon death, he might be able to go all the way to the end. This speech is a good opportunity for him to reduce people's aversion to him.
He knew very well that he had become humanity's "number one" because of his unique ability to rewind time after death. But this sudden advantage would not be a reason for him to be superior to others; rather, it was his duty to shoulder the heavy responsibility of the world.
He's just a lucky guy, nothing to be proud of.
A mission compels us to overcome all obstacles.
Unable to die, he may continue to face so many gazes.
"Well said!"
"Clap clap clap!" The rabbit clapped its hands frantically, the sound particularly loud and clear, which was especially comical and crisp in the dead silence.
"As expected of the number one person among a billion, this is how it should be! Enjoy life, enjoy—Genesis Online!"
Von Ryker was put down, and the people around him cast surprised glances at him.
The psychology of rejection will always exist among humankind.
But if you reach a sufficient height...
"Today's welcome party is now over! Alas! We are about to travel together into our first post-apocalyptic world!"
The snow-white rabbit clapped its hands, and a shower of crimson light rained down, instantly enveloping countless people—
[Wishing everyone the best.]
[Enjoy the game!]
...
A flash of white light.
Von Ryker found himself in a closed room, where he was the only person. There was a bed next to him, which should be his personal waiting area.
He is currently the top performer among the billion Meta City players.
This is really overpraising an "ordinary" college student.
After the year-long world game concludes, rankings are determined by position. Higher scores carry greater weight.
If he continues to maintain this level of attention, he will be subjected to increasingly intense scrutiny...
The eyes of over a billion people.
The game of higher-dimensional beings is both realistic and ironic.
The world chat channel is now a chaotic mess, filled with shouting, cursing, and confused comments in the lower left corner of the screen.
[Eric Daves lv1: Are you kidding me? Am I still dreaming?]
[Zorojuro lv1: The first Genesis is the apocalypse?! Are we all going to fight zombies? Or face natural disasters like floods and earthquakes? I don't want to die!]
[Finn Merts lv1: Mom, Mom, can you see me? It's me, Finn! Mom, were you chosen?]
[George Steve lv1: Everyone, don't panic. I've already posted some precautions for the post-apocalyptic world on the forum. I hope it helps my fellow countrymen.]
[Giorno Jotaro, Level 1: I am a soldier of the Dragon Kingdom. If I encounter my compatriots in the game instance, I will prioritize their safety. Please don't be afraid, we will definitely survive!]
[Rose Quartz lv.1: Are the people of the Dragon Kingdom really that responsible? In things like this, you should think about your own life, lest you can't even survive...]
...
In the open world-class forum, all sorts of strange and wonderful people have emerged. Some have made bold speculations about the end times, some have called on their compatriots to calm their minds, and some have claimed that they will dominate the world of games and become the number one.
Von Ryker checked his own condition and waited for the apocalypse to begin.
Finally, the second hand on the crystal ball slowly reached zero.
[First Genesis: A post-apocalyptic world. A global survival game.]
...
[First Genesis: Post-Apocalyptic World Plot Hints:]
She felt so much pain... The scalpel was piercing her body, it hurt so much, so much.
...Don't cut her anymore...She wants to wear a dress, she wants to go home...
The doctors in white coats said she was a monster, that someone who could resist the zombie virus was a monster.
But she felt that since she looked almost identical to everyone else, with two hands and two feet... they were all human beings, so why did humans have to fight each other?
If she were a powerful monster, she could break through the operating room glass and escape, right?
She's not a monster, so she can't get out.
How ironic.
She actually kind of hoped she was a monster.
—Was she herself a 'monster,' or did those who considered her a 'monster' drive her into becoming one?
Redemption is born from sacrifice, and before
righteousness, people rejoice in a bright and just future.
As a little girl born of original sin, she granted people the most forgiving form of revenge.
...
This world has two completion routes (peaceful route and violent route) and three different world endings:
TE - Unsalvageable
NE - Goodnight My Girl
[Hey Dad, am I your pride?]
...
[The post-apocalyptic world will be replicated into 50,000 identical worlds, with approximately 20,000 players in each world!]
[—The Genesis begins!]
A flash of white light appeared, and Von Ryker closed his eyes.
...