When Jian Xingyi opened his eyes, he had returned to the doorway, back to the spot where he had touched the memory bubble. Jian Xingyi was still a bit dazed. He turned his head and met Shanhai’s gaze—his expression mirrored his own. 

Jian Xingyi said hoarsely, “You…remembered?”

“Mm.” 

Jian Xingyi’s eyes reddened slightly. So it wasn’t his imagination, nor was he the only one experiencing it. They really had lost a segment of their memories. 

He had been wondering why the dungeons and map quests had all been so cryptic—now he understood. Because they had been built step by step, over the corpses of everyone else. 

Shanhai stepped forward and embraced Jian Xingyi. “I remember… I fell in love with you a very, very long time ago.” 

He had served as 01’s bodyguard on the colonel’s orders, and back then, 01 looked exactly like Jian Xingyi. He had never cared about Lu Yan’s past, nor did he mind that he was originally just a killing machine. 

And so, whether it was Lu Yan, Shuixi, or Shanhai, they were all deeply captivated by the person before them. Lu Yan and Shanhai’s feelings of love overlapped in that moment. 

Shanhai also understood why the Sacred Tree of the Rainforest could no longer grant them a reward—because they had already received it long ago. Jian Xingyi also rested his head on Shanhai’s shoulder. 

No wonder he’d felt an inexplicable fondness for Shanhai the first time he saw him. 

—The person who went to the hotel with Shanhai was himself. 

But they were completely different back then. They kissed, embraced, and made love amidst the chaos of war, yet never spoke the word “love.” Perhaps it was because their situation was so precarious—they could die at any moment—so they simply chose not to make any promises.

And in the end, they did indeed die, swept away along with everyone else by the zombies and natural disasters during the third zombie tide. 

“No wonder…” Jian Xingyi took a deep breath and explained, “One of the Doctor’s modifications was likely the memory bubbles…” 

He wanted Jian Xingyi and the others to recover their memories faster. And now they had succeeded; they understood everything before the third zombie tide. 

“Lu Yan…” At first, Jian Xingyi had called out Shuixi’s name, but now he called out Shanhai’s true name. 

“We’re going to face a third zombie wave! It’s just that the final wave coincides with a natural disaster—it’s the last hurdle before the merger—so the system can’t give us a warning.” 

But now they know! So they have to get ready…! 

And… Jian Xingyi was a bit puzzled. Why did he only have memories from his first playthrough and before entering the game, with no recollection of the second playthrough? Could it be because he hadn’t touched the memory bubbles related to the second playthrough yet? 

Jian Xingyi asked Shanhai, and Shanhai was in the same boat. 

But in any case, the memories of the second playthrough were lost, and that was that. At least, thankfully, he and Shanhai had retained the memories of the first playthrough and everything that came before it. That was more than enough—it had at least resolved all their doubts and unraveled the mysteries. 

And now… 

Jian Xingyi took out an item from his backpack; now he finally knew what it was for. 

—Tombstone Key 

This was an item that had dropped after they defeated the Graveyard Wolf and earned its recognition. It was a strangely shaped stone that fit perfectly into a notch on the stone door. 

As soon as Jian Xingyi inserted the key into the slot, a dull rumbling sound echoed, and dust swirled around them as the massive door began to creak open. 

Although there were no Graveyard Wolves here, they had to defeat the Graveyard Wolves of Peace Mountain to open the gate to Peaceful Mountain. The gate swung open, and after 

the two entered the “tomb chamber,”… they saw tombstones identical to those on Peace Mountain. They were somewhat stunned. 

Although they had regained their memories, the game was still in development when they first played it, and many aspects were incomplete. Moreover, they had mostly been holed up in the office and rarely ventured out, so their exploration of the game hadn’t actually been as extensive as it would be on their third playthrough.

Jian Xingyi and Shanhai exchanged glances; they understood. 

Back on Peace Mountain, he and Shanhai had arrived at Tomb 02, which was connected to Tomb 01. But at that time, everything around them was upside down, and the tombstone was right beneath their feet. 

They had indeed reached the tombstone of either 01 or 02, but it was a mirror image of the tombstone, and an invisible barrier on the floor blocked their path. 

Back then, Jian Xingyi had been wondering how to get down—it turned out… they had to enter from here! Now they could finally touch 02’s tomb. 

The area around Tomb 02 was piled high with skeletons and white bones. One general’s success comes at the cost of countless lives. 

Stepping over these bones, Jian Xingyi could finally make out the inscription on the tombstone clearly. Tombstone No. 02: Vanguard 

Epitaph: May Shanhai be pacified for those I love 

The Vanguard never fears, never stops; he will lead a thousand troops and ten thousand horses to victory, defending all that lies behind him! 

Grave 02 is situated on an island, connected to another island by a suspension bridge. 

This location is quite unique: the orientation of Tombstone 02 seems to gaze toward 01, yet they are not together. Not only that, but 02 is surrounded by nothing but bleached bones, while 01, not far away, is covered in blooming flowers. 

Even though it’s a dark cave, 01 is surrounded by a profusion of flowers. Putting it all together, 02, submerged in white bones and red spider lilies, seemed to be guarding 01. At the time, Jian Xingyi found it quite romantic. 

Now… he understood the deeper meaning behind it. He turned to look at Shanhai. 

Shanhai had been watching him the whole time. Shanhai chuckled softly. “What’s wrong?”

Jian Xingyi whispered, “I’m just feeling a bit… sentimental?” 

While they were alive, Shanhai had always protected him, and even in death… the tombstone remained a constant presence. Jian Xingyi knelt down, pressed his palms together, and paid his respects to 02’s tombstone alongside Shanhai. 

Before him was Shanhai, and by his side was Shanhai. 

The Shanhai before him had long since become a cold gravestone, but the one beside him… Jian Xingyi took Shanhai’s hand. 

【Players 【Shanhai】 and 【Xinghe】 have successfully paid respects at the symbolic grave 02! Reward: 【dawn coins】 x66666】 【Peace Mountain Map Side Quest 【Peace Memorial】 

Progress 4/5】 

The two continued holding hands as they crossed the suspension bridge to the floating island. 

The tombstone for 01 stood on the floating island, surrounded by a profusion of flowers. This tombstone didn’t feel gloomy or lifeless at all; on the contrary, it seemed to have come to life through the blessings and affection of countless people, and even in death, its surroundings remained beautiful and gentle. 

Jian Xingyi’s instincts kicked in again; he activated his skill and tapped on the flowers. 

【Collection Successful, Absorbed 【Essence】 x135】 

【Harvest Successful, Absorbed 【Essence】 x228】 

【Harvest successful, absorbed 【essence】 x511】 

???? 

There was so much essence that Jian Xingyi didn’t even dare to get excited. He rubbed his eyes, checking and rechecking to make sure it was real. No way… 

He didn’t know the names of these flowers blooming in vibrant colors beside the tombstones, but each one yielded between 100 and 500 essence points—and there was more than just one here ……! 

Jian Xingyi was dumbfounded.

It seemed this floating island was isolated from the rest of the world and possessed a high level of purity. Seeing that Jian Xingyi had gone completely blank, Shanhai asked curiously, “What’s wrong?” 

Jian Xingyi explained the situation to Shanhai. 

Shanhai paused for a moment, then said gently, “That makes sense, because you’re 01.” 01 is the beginning of everything. 

And since he is Xinghe, it makes perfect sense that he possesses so much. 

Jian Xingyi was still in a daze, feeling a sense of joy as if manna had fallen from the sky. Now, forget about exceeding 7,500 to meet the goal—after deducting 7,500 to establish the breeding zone, he still had 3,150 essence points left… That’s way too much! 

Jian Xingyi sincerely thanked “himself.” 

After crouching down, Jian Xingyi still felt a bit uneasy. “Am I paying homage to myself?” 

Shanhai chuckled softly. 

But… 

Jian Xingyi pressed his palms together and paid his respects with all his heart. 

He wasn’t paying homage to himself; at this moment, he was instead using this other version of himself to mourn all those who had died in the past. It was also a promise he was making to himself. This was their third attempt. Once the arrow is released, there is no turning back—this was their final chance. They had to succeed this time! 

If they failed, their fate would be true death. 

So many had sacrificed their efforts and lives for this—how could he betray their trust? Even if he lost all his memories and his past was erased, his mindset remained that of a “game operator.”

He wants to ensure a good life for himself and everyone else. He wants to… 

Tombstone No. 1: Logistics 

Epitaph: I hope everyone can have enough to eat! 

This is arguably the most unadorned epitaph among the five tombstones. 

【Players 【Shanhai】 and 【Xinghe】 successfully paid their respects at Symbolic Tomb 01! Reward: 【dawn coins】 x66666】 【Peace Mountain Map Side Quest 【Peace Memorial】 Progress 5/5】 

【Players 【Shanhai】 and 【Xinghe】 have completed the Peace Mountain map side quest 【Peace Memorial】, earning Combat Vouchers, Management Vouchers x5, and the special honor 【Hero’s Blessing】】 

【Detected that player 【Xinghe】 possesses the Savior System; unlocked special item 【Sunflower】】 Jian Xingyi put the vouchers away, then opened the special honor 【Hero’s Blessing】 and discovered it offered selectable skill rewards. His Management Level was already maxed out, leaving only Combat Power. 

After selecting Combat Power, he boosted it by 50 points in one go—a massive increase. 

Not only that, but Jian Xingyi’s original rifle was already at 9,500/10,000. Now, with the addition of 5 combat exchange vouchers, he finally upgraded the gun to S-class. 

An S-class rifle…! 

Jian Xingyi looked at the gleaming rifle in his backpack, and his spirits soared. 

Jian Xingyi couldn’t wait to remind Shanhai, “I’m now a player with 256 combat power and an S-class weapon!” 

A player at full combat power—though since combat power is capped at 500, Shanhai currently “only” has 500—nodded, saying with a touch of indulgence: “That’s impressive.” 

Jian Xingyi：“……” 

Jian Xingyi tapped Shanhai on the shoulder. 

He couldn’t wait to test out his new gun, but there wasn’t much around to try it on, so he’d just have to wait until next time. Next time, he’d be a player with 256 combat power!

Jian Xingyi continued to look at the rewards. 

It was a special item exclusive to the Savior: 【Sunflower】. 

Jian Xingyi opened it and found that it was actually an… SS-rank seed? 

“……!!” 

Jian Xingyi had only ever received an SS-rank seed once in his life—and that was from the Savior’s Wish Pool, using a Wish Bottle. Moreover, that seed still hadn’t matured even after being planted. 

And now… a second one has appeared!! 

Jian Xingyi was overjoyed. He tapped to read the description. 

—Start over. I want to see the sun. That was all there was. 

There wasn’t much information, but Jian Xingyi knew the system’s tricks—he’d probably only understand this once he actually used it. In any case, he’d plant it first and worry about the rest later! 

After handling the rewards, Jian Xingyi and Shanhai returned to Tomb Chamber 01 and were just about to look for the entrance to Forbidden Mountain when a system notification suddenly sounded all around them. 

【Players 【Shanhai】 and 【Xinghe】 have completed Prerequisite 1:the Peace Mountain map side quest 【Peace Memorial Tomb】; Prerequisite 2:touched more than 10 Memory Bubbles; Prerequisite 3: shared the Savior System. 【Forbidden Mountain】 is now unlocked.】 

Immediately afterward, a new door appeared on one side of the chamber.