"It's another sunny day. Pen × fun × Pavilion www. ｂｉｑｕｇｅ。 info" An old man sat on a wicker chair and muttered with a smile on his face, his face full of wrinkles but his eyes were very bright. Overhead is a glass curtain wall, and in the endless sky outside, the wind carries the white clouds moving rapidly, passing over them, just the right amount of soft light from above, and the moving white clouds are obscured, casting a constantly moving dreamy light and shadow on the grass.

The green meadows below exuded the strange smell of grass, and the bushes within the reach of the old man were bearing delicious wild fruits, which made the sound of a sway.

After a while, a yellow Shiba Inu jumped out of it and flew to the old man with a few vertical jumps.

"Rhubarb, don't look like this, come down." The old man smiled, wrinkles piled together.

This is an empty castle, an isolated place, the only residence of the Queen, an unknown mystery, and naturally only one person can come here.

"The master is really laid-back."

The side door next to it opened, and a beautiful girl walked in from the other side, standing beside Su Ming, she looked at the leisurely old man, and a trace of emotion flashed in her eyes: "It's really surprising, unconsciously, so many years have passed." ”

yes, so many years have passed.

Su Ming put the Shiba Inu in his arms on the ground and stood up from the rattan chair.

"Time is such a magical existence, it can change everything around you unconsciously, but it seems that Echo you have not changed at all." Su Ming stretched out his hand, and his rough and old palm stroked Ai Ke's face, and there was a delicate and smooth touch in his hand: "Ai Ke, you are still so beautiful." ”

Ai Ke closed his eyes in enjoyment, moved his head slightly, and rubbed on the other party's hand: "The master's hand is the same, it feels exactly the same, just like back then." ”

Su Ming smiled: "Yes, just like back then, you were really cute at that time, although you are also beautiful now, I still like the appearance of you at that time." ”

"Huh, really? I thought you'd like the way Echo looks now. ”

Ai Ke smiled and spun around in place, the white silk dress spread out like petals, and the long ink-colored hair spread into beaded chains, she was in the most perfect time for a woman, the green fruit had just ripened, and her full body was full of vitality, whether it was the flexible and slender waist or the pair of tall and towering jade rabbits on her chest, she seemed to be showing off the perfection of this body to the surroundings.

It's as beautiful as Alice was when she was younger.

Su Ming admired from the bottom of his heart.

"Ike, don't you be lonely when you live alone in the empty castle?" Su Ming asked.

Echo shook his head: "Isn't there still a master who often comes to accompany me?" ”

"But it's just me, and I'm going to leave soon. Now I can feel Alice's health getting worse and worse, and it shouldn't be long before she leaves me, and by that time I should leave too. A trace of sadness flashed in Su Ming's eyes.

Sometimes it's not a good thing to have an ability, because the existence of the ability is also extremely sensitive to some things around her, such as Alice's health, which has not been good since she gave birth to a child, although Su Ming has been taking care of each other carefully, but in the end she still failed to improve Alice's body.

Ai Ke also restrained his smile, sighed, sat down on the chair next to Su Ming, clapped his hands gently, and a man in black came over and put the tea on the table.

Su Ming glanced at the man in black with a complicated expression, not knowing what to say.

These people who don't show their faces are all clones of Echo, they share memories, and with the improvement of technology, Echo has also achieved that memories do not need to be transmitted, but are shared all the time, in other words, they have the feelings and perspectives of all clones at the same time.

For example, the Aike who served the tea just now, and the Aike who sat next to him, will have two more memories at the same time, one is the memory of serving tea, and the other is the memory of sitting. Even Su Ming had never experienced this feeling, but Aike did.

There are a lot of memories at the same time, and for some reason it's a little scary.

And Echo's body is aging very quickly, she now has countless clones, some clones are responsible for food and daily life, while some clones are responsible for security management, and those clones who are responsible for security work are the only armed group in this world.

There were people who tried to rebel against these people, but this was never possible.

Because it was Echo herself who formed this armed legion, and each member was herself.

To a certain extent, Aike can no longer be regarded as a person, she is not like Su Ming's cloning plan for memory loading, but chooses memory sharing, she can be everywhere, and has a highly unified consciousness.

And the hidden danger brought by this is also very serious, that is, Aike never cherishes his body, and he dies of exhaustion when he is tired when dealing with official duties, and then let other living "Aike" be on top.

When suppressing the rebellion, Echo never felt pity for himself, and it had become a habit of strategy to treat himself as an outcast.

This has also become a recognized fact in the world, and everyone in the Queen's Army does not regard themselves as human beings, and can do it without hesitation for the sake of the overall situation or exchanging one for more.

Every time a rebellion is suppressed, Echo's memory will be filled with countless memories of his own death, and Su Ming dares to guarantee that this pain is no less than the pain of his countless journeys through parallel worlds.

Ai Ke has changed a lot in these days, whether it is from the release of the bill, or from the style of the Queen's Army, Ai Ke's thinking has become more and more rational, and sometimes Su Ming can even detect that Ai Ke has become ruthless from some new policies, pursuing absolute correctness and rejecting human favors.

Last time, Su Ming had asked Echo why he directly sentenced some prisoners to death, while others were sentenced to life imprisonment.

At that time, Echo's answer was this.

"First of all, judge the true character of the criminal and the probability of recidivism from his past deeds, and if he can be reformed, he will be reformed, and if he cannot be reformed, his interpersonal relationships will be examined.

If there are parents or friends, the attitude of the relatives towards the offender is examined, and if the offender causes them psychological disorders that affect their efficiency in contributing to society, they are executed. If the offender is the spiritual pillar of their hearts, the execution of the offender will affect their productivity, and if the retention will have a promoting effect, they will be imprisoned.

Secondly, the factor of public opinion should be added to the extent that it can be controlled to warn the public......"

At that time, Su Ming sensed that something was wrong, so he asked Echo if he was too rational like this.

But Ike's answer was that she had joined the psychological changes of the people around the criminal, and she was already very humane, which Su Ming couldn't refute at that time.

He knew that if he said it, Ai Ke would definitely change his approach, but Su Ming didn't want to let Ai Ke forcibly change because of himself, he always felt that it would go to a more terrifying extreme.

But even though Ai Ke has changed a lot, it is still the same as before in front of Su Ming.

How can I make it easier for Ico? Su Ming thought silently in his heart

"Master?" Ai saw that Su Ming was a little distracted, and called out tentatively.

The subtle changes in the other party's expression were fully seen by Ai Ke, and a glimmer of light flashed in her eyes, as if she had guessed what Su Ming was thinking.

"What is the master thinking? Is it about Echo? Eco said.

Su Ming honestly admitted: "Well, I always feel that memory sharing is a very 'interesting' experience." ”

Ai Ke was stunned when he heard this, and a trace of panic flashed in his eyes: "Did I make the master worried?" ”

Su Ming frowned and looked at Echo, the look of worry on his face was clear.

"Echo, memory sharing will be painful."

When Aike heard this, he smiled and shook his head: "Master, there is no need to worry about Aike at all!" Although it is a little uncomfortable at times, these are not problems at all, compared to the master traveling through time and space, these are just small meanings. ”

How can it be trivial, being killed every day, experiencing various different ways of dying, racking her brains in order to reform and maintain the world, and never resting, for Ike, the only time to rest is probably only to sit and chat with Su Ming now, but even if it is chatting, she puts Su Ming's feelings first.

Su Ming couldn't bear this feeling.

"Why...... Why can you do this for me? It's enough. ”

"......, master, can't you enjoy a rare conversation? If seeing Echo can only make the master miserable, then it's better not to meet in the future. Echo's eyebrows were lowered, and her face was pained.

Seeing such an Aike, Su Ming was also extremely helpless.

He felt as if he had taken a wrong step, or more precisely, his previous self had taken a wrong step.

It seems like a bad decision for Echo to transform the world in order to build the one that best suits him to survive, and then to destroy it. Su Ming couldn't figure out why his previous self would make Echo have such a wrong idea, although the current world was very beautiful, Su Ming was not happy.

But now Su Ming has decided that he can't continue to make mistakes.

Correct Echo's behavior! The Heavenly Punishment System can exist, but Echo cannot rule the world.

The world may become bad, and it will be destroyed in the end, but for her own sake to exchange Ike's personal happiness for the beauty of the whole world, this is too cruel for her, and Echo herself may not care, but Su Ming can't allow it.

Change starts with your own cycle!

Su Ming believes that as long as he perseveres, then Ai Ke will definitely figure it out, and he wants Ai Ke to know that what he needs is not the same world, he is a selfish person, and it is enough to just need the happiness of the people around him.

He has the ability to protect the people around him, and he doesn't care about the world or anything.

"Echo, would you be willing if I wanted you to leave the position of queen and go home with me?"

"No way!" Ai Ke refused very resolutely, Ai Ke's eyes changed instantly, as cold as a layer of ice, she looked at Su Ming gloomily, and said slowly word by word: "Master, you seem to have forgotten the most important point. Echo's voice was colder than ever.

"Our battle is not over." Echo's gaze no longer returned to its previous tenderness: "Master, peace is short-lived, and the end that greets them after that will be the end, but your mission is not over here, and the shadow of the past will be with you." ”

"Master, Ike still wants to remind you." Ai Ke said: "I am no longer human, although Ai Ke is still Ai Ke in front of the master now, but I can't guarantee what Ai Ke will do to others if I leave here." I don't care anymore except you, my master, not even Sister Alice. So...... Let Eco stay here alone. ”

It turned out that Aike had already understood her current situation, not that she was not aware of her own changes, but that she walked without hesitation when she knew that it would become like this, and Su Ming knew that such a determination was irreparable.

"Echo, can't you really go back?"

"Yes, you've been a little strange lately, master." Echo smiled again: "So Echo wants to remind me that the master can't betray himself, if the master betrays himself, then he is not the master." ”

Su Ming understood the meaning of Aike's words.

If Su Ming indulges in the beauty of the present and gives up traveling to the past to complete the cycle, then Aike will leave him, and as for what will happen after that, Su Ming doesn't know.

But he didn't need to know, because Su Ming had already made up his mind to complete the cycle.

"Echo, you've changed."

Su Ming sighed, his expression was a little sad, and this time Ai Ke did not comfort him as usual, but sat quietly beside Su Ming and looked at each other, and said, "Master, you are tired." ”

"Maybe." After lamenting, Su Ming got up: "I'm leaving." ”

There was a goodbye voice from behind him, but it was sad to hear it in Su Ming's ears.

For him, Echo lived a different life.

If you want to get back to the old Echo, then it's only in the past. Su Ming thought to himself.

Suddenly, he realized why Zhou Ziming said that this was Ike's last easy time during the two months of cohabitation, maybe Zhou Ziming had already witnessed Ike's changes in the future.

……

A few months later, Alice died.

Su Ming stood in front of Alice's grave without shedding a single tear, not because he was not sad, but because he knew Alice's body well.

He watched Alice's health gradually deteriorate, and Alice's death on this day had long been expected by Su Ming.

He didn't use the ability to extend Alice's life, because Su Ming knew that the beauty of life was not in the long life or the enjoyment of life, but in stopping at just the right moment, and the extra time was just a burden, and the right ending was perfect.

Su Ming felt that this was the best ending for Alice.

Alice, I'll be back with you soon, but until then, I'm going to complete my mission, Su Ming said to himself.

The people around her read Alice's eulogy, affirming her life's merits, and her contribution to the world is unparalleled. But for Su Ming, Alice has only one merit.

"Honey, you gave me the meaning of survival."

……