Chapter 916: The 'Warrior of Love' Lives Up to His Name!

All sorts of interesting modes quickly immersed players in the Nebula World, earning their unanimous praise.

The wildly creative game modes felt like a return to the early days of MMORPGs like World of Warcraft, keeping players glued to their VR gaming pods all day long.

However, as interesting as these games were, what truly made all players agree was the final free mode.

Because here, players' past regrets could finally be changed.

Over ten years, every player who had experienced Nebula Games' various IPs had, to varying degrees, carried numerous regrets in their hearts.

Without exception, one might say.

After all, Chen Xu, known as the 'Warrior of Love' back then, was incredibly ruthless in his approach.

Female protagonists, male protagonists, and side characters died in droves every year.

Because of this, many players joked that one of the most dangerous professions for a穿越者 (transmigrator) must be transmigrating into a character in a Nebula Games title.

Because you never knew when it would be your turn to collect your last meal.

But now, the 'Warrior of Love' that players once jested about, in this tenth-anniversary Nebula World, seemed to truly live up to his name. The content displayed here genuinely brought countless players warm healing.

………………

Before the journey to Beaver Hollow, Arthur Morgan, wearing his gambler's hat, watched Abigail and Sadie ride away on horseback. He gazed into the distance.

It felt as if the experience was overlapping with playing Red Dead Redemption for the first time.

'You know, to me, nothing is more important than the gang. The bond that ties us together, that's the realest thing to me,' the in-game Arthur Morgan said to Zhang Yi.

Zhang Yi now played a character who wasn't originally part of the Van der Linde gang.

A new member had joined the Van der Linde gang ever since Arthur Morgan went to Valentine to collect money from Downes.

'Arthur, just as you said, it's not shameful to seek a beautiful world,' the in-game Zhang Yi delivered his lines.

Hearing this, a hint of recollection crossed Arthur's face, and the in-game Zhang Yi was also filled with emotion.

These words were what Arthur had said to a young man the first time he met Mary and she asked him to find her brother. Now, these same words were being said to Arthur by another.

'The gang was once my everything. I'd kill for her, and I'd give myself for her,' Arthur gently adjusted his gambler's hat.

'You know well that the era of outlaws is over, and the era of gangs is drawing to a close. Change and integrate, or perish.'

'There's one last thing to do,' Arthur simply smiled.

'Then let's go together, but you must remember, there are others waiting for you, and your life isn't just about Dutch.'

Watching the dialogue of Arthur in the game, Zhang Yi was equally emotional.

These were somewhat Riddler-like dialogues, but for any player who had experienced Red Dead Redemption, the true meaning behind them was perfectly clear.

From beginning to end, Arthur had made many choices in the game. He was neither a bad nor a good person.

Although he felt that loan sharking was wrong, he still went to collect debts. Gang interests came first, and whatever Dutch said went. Arthur was someone who almost never refused Dutch. Hosea often presented the right choices, but Arthur ultimately blindly followed Dutch's decisions.

It wasn't until returning from Guarma, and Arthur being diagnosed with a terminal illness, that he truly opened his heart, and instead helped everyone to leave one by one.

For the original Arthur, suffering from tuberculosis meant his life was short, and unlike before, he had no other choice. So he let John leave, and so he resolutely headed to Beaver Hollow, even when confronting Micah, and even as Bill and Javier chose to follow Dutch, Arthur still tried to dissuade them, because he still wanted to save anyone in the gang.

The same standoff at the entrance of Beaver Hollow. Micah's silver tongue and Dutch's brooding indecisiveness, until a wounded John returned to camp, and a large number of Pinkerton Agents arrived.

The only slight difference was that here, Aunt Susan was not ambushed and killed by Micah.

“Bill, and Javier…” Arthur gently stroked the horse that had accompanied him for years, after evading the Pinkerton Agents' pursuit and finding a brief moment of safety.

“That was their choice. You can't save everyone,” the in-game Zhang Yi said.

“Hurry, Arthur, let's go…” John and Aunt Susan urged Arthur.

“The money, Abigail gave me the key,” Arthur pointed to the cave.

“If I go down there, I'll be dead in five minutes,” John said, pointing to his wounds.

“The money isn't important, Arthur…” Aunt Susan also told Arthur.

“That's right, Arthur. More importantly, I still have family,” John shook his head.

“You're right, but…” Arthur looked towards the cave, his face full of hesitation.

“You want that money?” John looked incredulous. This wasn't the Arthur he knew.

“John, it's not the money, but there's still a guy we need to deal with. They'll definitely go for that money,” Zhang Yi's character in the game handed a revolver to Arthur.

“Go, Arthur, to confirm all of this, to end all of this. John, you and Aunt Susan go first. Arthur and I will hold off the Pinkerton Agents for you,” picking up Arthur's gambler's hat from the ground, Zhang Yi slowly walked up to John and placed the hat on his head.

“Arthur, you guys…” John was stunned.

“That's right, John, go. Get out of this damn place, be a man, damn it.” Arthur clutched the revolver in his hand and patted John's shoulder.

“You're my brothers,” John said, looking at Arthur.

“I know,” Arthur nodded and turned to leave.

“Don't act like it's a farewell forever. We're not that easy to kill. The one who deserves to die is someone else.” Patting John's shoulder as well, Zhang Yi followed Arthur towards the Pinkerton Agents.

…………

Two people taking down dozens of Pinkerton Agents—Zhang Yi didn't pay much attention to such a dazzling achievement.

It was nothing out of the ordinary; the original Arthur could do it even with tuberculosis, let alone now in his prime, and with a teammate beside him.

Inside Beaver Hollow, at the hiding place for the money, Arthur's expression was astonished after opening it.

“This money…”

Stack after stack of banknotes, along with a platinum pocket watch and jewelry.

As a professional outlaw, Arthur immediately recognized the value of the money.

“Dutch… why?” Looking at the money, Arthur's face showed a puzzled expression.

“This isn't what he wanted. Let's get out first,” Zhang Yi suggested, looking at the money on the ground.

Arthur nodded gently, picked up the money pouch from the ground, and walked ahead.

And just as he reached the exit, Micah, hidden in the shadows, lunged out.

'You should've left with your friends, Marston and that old hag. Don't touch that money…'

Micah, with a sinister look, lunged with a dagger towards Arthur's chest, but the next second, a bullet hit Micah's wrist.

'Damn it…'

Completely unprepared for another person, Micah instantly looked panicked.

'Wait, let me settle things with this snake,' Arthur stopped Zhang Yi, who was about to shoot, and threw his revolver aside.

An intense brawl, or rather, a one-sided pummeling.

In the original game, a tuberculosis-stricken Arthur could fight Micah to a stalemate, let alone the current Arthur in his prime, with Micah's right hand already pierced by a bullet.

'You traitor…'

'You damn bastard!'

Accompanied by Arthur's roar, Micah the dog was battered, blood flying everywhere. Zhang Yi, watching from the side, felt only one thing: sheer satisfaction!

Watching Arthur punch Micah into an unrecognizable mess was even more satisfying than doing it himself.

'It's all over, you weasel,' Arthur said, slowly picking up the dagger from the ground, looking at Micah the dog on the ground.

But just then, a voice came: 'Stop it, you fools… all of you, stop it.'

From the darkness, a calm Dutch walked out.

As if seeing a lifeline, Micah quickly crawled towards Dutch: “Dutch… they're traitors, they betrayed us, Dutch! I tell you, they betrayed us, he came back to rob you!”

“No, it wasn't us who betrayed, Micah, it was you! Tell Dutch what you told Agent Milton!”

“Don't talk nonsense here.”

“You're the rat, Micah! Dutch, not Molly.”

Facing their arguments, Dutch showed no emotion, merely taking two steps back.

“Dutch, the era of outlaws and gangs is over. Go to Tahiti and grow mangoes, just as you once planned,” Zhang Yi said, pointing to the money pouch on the ground and looking at Dutch.

Arthur also stared at Dutch, hoping to hear the answer he longed for.

But Dutch, standing before them, merely kept retreating, his gaze sweeping back and forth between Arthur and Micah, who lay on the ground like a dead dog, not even sparing a glance at the money pouch beside them.

“This is all nonsense! It's all damn nonsense!”

An emotional Dutch merely cursed and turned to leave.

Nonsense?

What nonsense?

That Micah was a traitor? Arthur was a traitor? That the plan to grow mangoes in Tahiti was unreliable?

Or… that this era no longer belonged to outlaws?

Watching Dutch leave, and Arthur fall into confusion, then glancing at Micah, who was quietly trying to crawl away like a worm, using both hands and feet, Zhang Yi raised his revolver and fired six shots directly into Micah's back.

The gunshots startled the confused Arthur awake.

“I don't understand…” Arthur shook his head, looking at the money pouch on the ground.

“But it's all over. You've found your redemption. For the rest of your life, you should live for yourself.” From his backpack, Zhang Yi took out a photograph and a ring.

(End of Chapter) <>