Chapter 144: Cheng Xin, remade by the Zero-Returners, seeks atonement, Saiwen: Where are the Trisolaran coordinates

The light and shadow on the sky curtain gradually gathered, and the shocking scenes of myriad worlds receded like a tide.

Two massive lines of golden text emerged in the endless darkness, striking heavily into everyone's hearts.

【Trisolaran Civilization: For survival, shedding all unnecessary senses, pushing rationality to the extreme as a predator.】

【Earth Human Civilization: Growing arrogance in comfort, repeatedly jumping sideways in crisis as prey.】

Immediately after, the screen split into three panels, freezing the silhouettes of three men.

On the left is Luo Ji, white-haired and stooped, standing alone in the endless snowfall on Pluto.

In the middle is Wade, holding half a cigar in his mouth, calmly facing the intense laser that will soon vaporize him.

On the right is Zhang Beihai, his face covered in blood, silently drifting in the weightless wreckage of the warship, his expression tranquil.

【Luo Ji, the overt Sword-Bearer. Using fifty-four years of solitude, he held up the umbrella of dignity for humanity.】

【Wade, the unscrupulous Advancer. Using ruthlessness to conceal responsibility, he built humanity's escape vessel.】

【Zhang Beihai, the Wallfacer in the shadows. Bearing the infamy of a traitor, he left humanity the seed of civilization.】

【These three are the sole remaining backbone of human civilization in the Dark Forest.】

Marvel Universe.

This is what it means to be human.

Tony pointed at the three people on the sky curtain, his tone revealing unreserved admiration,

Luo Ji withstood the pressure, Wade built the tools, Zhang Beihai made the decision.

Any one of these three placed in my team would be a top-tier core.

As for Cheng Xin?

Steve Rogers sat on the sofa, hands clasped, brows furrowed.

She doesn't even deserve to be called a leader.

Steve sighed,

A leader must make the hardest decisions for everyone.

She pushed the hardest decision onto so-called morality, then made everyone else pay for it.

That is the most disgusting part.

Tony snorted coldly,

She played the good person while others died. This kind of deal is even more calculating than Wall Street vampires.

DC Universe, Batcave.

Bruce Wayne stared at the supercomputer screen, with several freshly printed tactical analysis reports beside him.

Zhang Beihai's plan execution has no superfluous movements.

Bruce said to Alfred behind him, 'He disguised himself for two centuries, even fooling himself.'

Such mental fortitude, I've only seen in extremely few of the most dangerous criminals.

But he used this quality to save his species.

Alfred handed him a cup of hot tea.

Young master, the lady named Cheng Xin seems to have completely gone to the opposite extreme.

She is a typical disaster amplifier.

Bruce took the teacup, blew on the heat,

Handing power to someone unable to bear the cost is irresponsible to the entire race.

The chips Luo Ji and Zhang Beihai bought with their lives were squandered by her tears.

Naruto World, Konoha Village.

Hashirama Senju sat cross-legged on a stone, scratching his hair, his face full of disbelief.

I used to think the people of that world were pitiful, bullied by aliens.

Hashirama sighed,

Now I see, the representatives they chose themselves are even more ruthless than the aliens.

At least the Trisolarans left Luo Ji a house, but Cheng Xin directly blocked humanity's path to survival.

Madara Uchiha stood not far away, arms crossed, coldly gazing at the sky curtain.

Utterly foolish.

Madara's tone was full of mockery,

Luo Ji and Zhang Beihai, these two are barely worthy of my notice.

They understand what sacrifice means. Without sacrifice, one cannot protect more important things.

That woman wanted to protect everything, but in the end she almost destroyed the universe.

Such trash should be eliminated immediately.

One Piece World, Marine Headquarters Marineford.

Marshal Sengoku gazed at the sky curtain, his brows furrowed into the shape of the character '川'.

Justice is not about treating guests to a meal.

Sengoku slammed his palm on the office desk, making the documents on it fly up,

Zhang Beihai, for the greater good, eliminated internal threats in advance, fleeing while bearing infamy.

Wade, to keep the fire alive, did not hesitate to rebel. This too is righteousness!

And that woman? Her justice is just to make herself feel at ease!

Akainu stood by the window, let out a cold snort, and wisps of black smoke rose from his fists.

If Cheng Xin were on my ship, I would immediately use magma to burn her to ashes.

"Such a weak tumor, if left, will only harm all soldiers."

"Battle Through the Heavens World, Star Fall Pavilion."

"Xiao Yan stroked his chin, gazing at the image on the sky curtain, feeling deeply moved."

"\"Teacher, the survival law of the Three-Body World is crueler than that of our Qi Continent. \""

"Xiao Yan shook his head: \"Here we at most kill and seize treasures; they wipe out entire civilizations at the drop of a hat. \""

"Yao Lao stood aside, stroking his beard."

"\"The law of the jungle is the same everywhere. \" Yao Lao said,"

"\"Luo Ji, Wade, and Zhang Beihai are ruthless figures who have seen through this law. \""

"\"As for Cheng Xin, throw her into the Magic Beast Mountains; she won't last half an hour. \""

"\"Her so-called kindness means nothing before a real crisis. \""

"Three-Body Universe, the street outside the PIA Building."

"Stinky eggs and rotten vegetable leaves still fluttered in midair."

"Cheng Xin curled up on the ground, covered in filth, her former dignity gone."

"The surrounding crowd still cursed wildly, wishing to rush forward and tear her apart."

"Several black armored vehicles roared, breaking through the crowd and screeching to a halt in the middle of the street."

"Fully armed military police jumped out, pushed through the crowd, and strode up to Cheng Xin."

"The leading officer looked down at her, producing an electronic arrest warrant."

"\"Cheng Xin, you are charged with crimes against humanity, endangering public safety, and dereliction of duty. \""

"The officer's voice had no emotion,"

"\"We are arresting you now. You have no right to remain silent; everything you have done has become a disaster for all humanity. \""

"Two soldiers stepped forward, roughly pulling Cheng Xin to her feet, binding her hands behind her back and clapping on heavy electronic shackles."

"Cheng Xin did not struggle; she just stared blankly at the civilians around her who wished to devour her alive."

"\"I... did I really make a mistake? \" she murmured."

"\"Take her away! \" the officer waved his hand."

"Just as the soldiers were about to put her into the armored vehicle, the sky suddenly changed."

"The previously clear blue sky turned, in less than a second, into an extremely deep pure black."

"Not the black of night."

"But a void that can swallow light itself."

"The people on the street looked up in terror."

"The military police also halted, gripping their weapons, at a loss."

"On the sky curtain, the gray characters of the Zero-Returners descended directly into the real world."

"【Your judgment is too lenient.】"

"【Her mistake is a desecration of the entire universe.】"

"【She must take responsibility for the cosmic matter she left behind.】"

"A transparent crystal, indescribable by three-dimensional geometry, slowly descended from that pure black void and hovered above the street."

"The crystal's pulse instantly robbed everyone present of movement; they could only watch helplessly."

"Cheng Xin was lifted by an invisible force, slowly drifting toward the crystal."

"\"Let me go! Who are you?! \""

"Cheng Xin finally panicked, struggling desperately, but to no avail."

"【We are the Zero-Returners.】"

"\"You don't like hoarding matter, do you? You don't think five kilograms is a big deal, do you? \""

"\"Now go and retrieve them bit by bit. \""

"The crystal emitted a blinding white light that engulfed Cheng Xin."

"A piercing shriek echoed through the street."

"Under everyone's horrified gaze, Cheng Xin's flesh began to disintegrate."

"Skin, muscle, and bone were stripped layer by layer by a technology beyond human comprehension, dissolving into basic particles that scattered in the air."

"She did not die."

"The Zero-Returners' technology ensured her consciousness remained absolutely clear amid extreme pain."

"Her nervous system was completely extracted and forcibly fused with a cluster of shimmering azure light—an advanced thought form."

"Her memory, personality, and thoughts were crammed into an energy sheath lacking form or touch, possessing only limitless computational ability."

"【From today on, you are no longer human.】"

"【You are this universe's pioneer, a scavenger of matter.】"

"【You will possess transdimensional navigation and god‑level technology for detecting lost matter.】"

"【Your sole task: in the endless void, seek out the 'five kilograms' left behind by civilizations as selfish as you.】"

"【Gather all the matter and return it to the great cosmos.】"

"【Until then, you have no right to rest, no right to die.】"

"Cheng Xin's current form is a cluster of azure light."

"She can perceive everything around her, hear the crowd's ragged breathing, and see the huge crystal in the sky."

"But she can no longer shed a single tear."

"She feels an unprecedented regret."

That regret was like countless steel knives, frantically cutting deep in her thoughts.

She recalled Luo Ji's silhouette in the snow, Wei De's smile under the laser, and Zhang Beihai's calm before death.

What they had exchanged their lives for, she destroyed.

And now, even death has become a luxury for her.

She must, alone in endless ages, make up for the mistake she thought she was right about.

"I was wrong…… I really was wrong……"

The azure light ball emitted a weak electromagnetic wave, converting it into language humans could understand, echoing bleakly across the streets.

But no one sympathized with her.

The crystal flickered once, carrying the light ball formed from Cheng Xin, and instantly vanished into nothingness.

The sky cleared up, as if nothing had happened.

Top floor of the PIA Building.

Weide stood by the floor-to-ceiling window, having watched the whole process.

He relit the cigar in his hand, took a deep puff, and exhaled thick smoke.

"Is this your ending?"

Weide gave a cold laugh.

He turned around and strode toward the desk.

"This ending is already good enough for her."

Weide spoke to the empty office,

"At least she finally has a chance to pay for her own foolishness, instead of letting others die."

Dragon Ball World, Bun Mountain.

Wukong slapped his thigh and jumped up directly.

"Great! Now I feel comfortable!"

Wukong laughed heartily,

"Make her pick up trash! She isn't allowed to die until she finishes!"

"That guy called the Zeroers handles things pretty fairly!"

Bige stood to the side, arms crossed.

"Karma cycles."

Bige said,

"She likes to keep things, doesn't she? Then let her go find things."

"Deprived of her fleshly body, she can no longer use that pitiful appearance to elicit others' sympathy. This is the best punishment."

Super Beast Armor World, Underworld.

The Underworld King sat on the throne, his fingers lightly tapping the armrest.

"A very reasonable sanction."

The Underworld King's voice echoed in the vast hall,

"When a person cannot bear the consequences of her own choices, the universe will force her to bear them."

"Isn't she fond of using great love to hold existence hostage?"

"Now she must, in endless loneliness, experience the weight of existence."

Xuanwu Ship.

Huo Linfei waved his fists excitedly below.

"So satisfying! I don't see how she can keep acting like a holy mother anymore! Turning into a light ball, she can't even squeeze out tears—she deserves it!"

Bleach World, Illusory Night Palace.

Lanran Zouyujie sat on the high steps, gazing at the sky curtain, emitting a low laugh.

"Advanced mind-body remodeling? What an interesting technique."

Lanran Zouyujie pushed up his glasses,

"Forcibly imprison a weak soul in an absolutely rational shell, making her forever confront her own foolishness."

"The Zeroers' methods are far more brutal than simply killing her."

"This is truly divine punishment. Cheng Xin, you have finally become the very tool you despise most."

StarCraft World, Spear of Adun.

A ta ni si gazed at the image on the sky curtain, the psionic energy blade at his wrist fluctuating.

"The protoss once also made the mistake of arrogance."

A ta ni si said to the executor beside him, "But we have made up for it with blood and life."

"This human female tried to evade responsibility with tears. The Zeroers' remodeling stripped her of biological traits and endowed her with pure sense of mission."

"To her, this is both an elevation and a curse."

Warhammer 40k Universe, Macragge.

Ji li man watched the scene of Cheng Xin being taken away, letting out a long sigh.

"Turn the derelict into a servant."

Ji li man nodded, "This is the empire's common punishment method. Deprive free will, retain only work function."

"For a sinner who brought disaster to the whole universe, this is already great leniency."

"At least she still has a chance to atone, to mend that huge hole she punched."

Land of Light, Universe Guard Headquarters.

The huge plasma spark tower emitted a soft and warm light.

Ultraman Father stood before the command console, gazing at the direction where Cheng Xin had disappeared on the sky screen, and nodded slowly.

"Luoji, Weide, Zhang Beihai."

Ultraman Father's voice was deep and solemn,

"These three humans, although they lack the power of the giants of light, possess a will purer than light."

"For the continuation of their species, they can sacrifice everything they have."

"They are true heroes, worthy of respect from all our Ultraman warriors."

Taro stood to the side, clenching his fists.

"As for that Cheng Xin."

Taro said,

"Her ending, I agree with. Having made a mistake, one must make amends."

"The Return-to-Zero beings gave her an opportunity, letting her spend endless ages contributing to the universe."

"This is her best destination."

"I hope that in her long search, she can truly understand the meaning of the two words 'responsibility'."

The interface of the Myriad Worlds Chat Group flickered incessantly in a corner of the sky screen.

The official Three-Body account still hung there high up, seemingly mocking something in silence.

Ultraman Seveng stood at the very front of the crowd.

He did not look at the sky screen regarding Cheng Xin's ending.

His attention was completely focused on the interface representing the Three-Body civilization.

Seveng reached out and pulled the ice axe from above his head.

The clear clang of metal striking echoed in the hall of the Land of Light, carrying an undisguised fighting spirit.

He raised his head, staring fixedly at that interface, his voice revealing absolute killing intent.

"I have already seen everything the Three-Body civilization has done to Earth's humanity."

Seveng held the ice axe in his hand, its sharp edge reflecting the light of the plasma spark tower.

"Aren't you supposed to send the coordinates?"

"Send the coordinates over."

"I will come myself."

……