Clearly, Notch hadn't given D any special treatment. The golden rain that fell onto D's face likewise seeped into his body, causing the same information to appear in his mind just like everyone else present.
To every player and living being in the game world, the information brought by the golden rain was undoubtedly tremendous news.
But to D, or rather, to D alone, it was nothing short of a bolt from the blue.
"I... lost?..." D muttered to himself, his voice trembling slightly, filled with disbelief.
Although he had always believed his plan was nearly flawless and the chances of failure were slim, he had still considered the possibility of losing.
He had been certain Xu Yuan would agree to his proposal, but Xu Yuan agreeing and D successfully obtaining that portion of Notch's power were two entirely different matters.
Earlier, D had anticipated the possibility that the server might shut down the instant Xu Yuan accepted his proposal.
At first, D had been somewhat worried about that, because he hadn't been able to confirm Notch's condition beforehand.
But after confirming that Notch hadn't reclaimed that power, D had become fearless.
Even if the server shut down, it would only be a delaying tactic.
Although the server shutdown had indeed happened just as D predicted, the timing of it had delighted him.
The game had actually gone offline only after he had already obtained the portion of Notch's power within Xu Yuan.
Once D acquired that power, Xu Yuan vanished completely, and the situation became overwhelmingly one-sided.
In D's eyes, even if the server shut down under those circumstances, it wouldn't create any major variables.
After the shutdown, D fell into complete darkness. He remained conscious, but he made no attempt to explore that darkness. Instead, he calmly closed his eyes and rested.
At that moment, he felt there was nothing left for him to do, because he believed he had already won.
All he needed was to wait for the servers to reopen, find J, take the portion of Notch's power from him, and then enjoy the fruits of victory.
He had no idea how long he rested within that darkness when suddenly he felt an intense sensation of something being torn away.
He could clearly feel his power rapidly draining away. He tried to hold onto it, but there was nothing he could do.
In truth, at that very moment, he had already realized he had lost.
He simply didn't dare admit it, or rather, he refused to admit it.
Only now, after opening his eyes once more, reading the information carried by the golden rain, and clearly feeling that the power was gone, did he finally have no choice but to believe the fact he had refused to accept.
He had lost.
Completely and utterly lost.
The instant he accepted that reality, an unprecedented wave of fear crashed over him.
Without that power, he was no longer the creator god who stood above all beings.
He was nothing more than meat on a chopping block.
But what he feared wasn't becoming vulnerable.
He knew he wouldn't die. Even stripped of his power, those living beings and players still wouldn't be able to truly kill him.
What he feared were the mocking gazes and sarcastic words that would soon be directed at him.
What he feared was having the pride he once held so high trampled beneath others' feet.
At that moment, when he saw the players and living beings not far away, he didn't even dare stand up. Instinctively, he braced himself with his arms and crawled backward several steps, terrified of being noticed by them.
Right now, he was like a rat exposed beneath sunlight from a filthy gutter, panicking as it desperately tried to retreat back into the shadows.
But the more he tried to hide, the less he could.
Though he hadn't made much noise in his panic, the nearby players and living beings still noticed him.
The moment their eyes met, he immediately looked away.
How ironic this scene was.
Not long ago, he had looked down upon all the living beings and players present like a descending god.
And now, he couldn't even meet their eyes.
D froze where he sat, feeling like he was on pins and needles.
He knew full well that everyone was staring at him right now. He knew exactly what was coming next.
Even if the living beings didn't say anything too harsh, the players would definitely humiliate him without restraint.
He didn't want to see those piercing looks.
He didn't want to hear those cruel words.
He didn't want to stay here and endure this so-called judgment.
But neither did he want to tuck his tail between his legs and slink away like a beaten dog.
Time passed second by second. No matter how much he struggled internally, he couldn't make a decision.
Just as he finally steeled himself to leave, he suddenly realized something felt wrong.
The players and living beings had noticed him long ago.
By all logic, they should've already gathered around to condemn him.
Yet he had hesitated here for so long, and the "judgment" he imagined had never come.
Thinking of this, D abruptly raised his head and looked toward the players and living beings.
He had expected another round of eye contact.
But the scene before him caused his entire body to go limp, instantly draining away all his strength.
———
"Baa baa baa baa!… Baa baa baa baa! (Big Berry, come over here! We're going to work hard together to enter the Inner World!)"
The Bread Sheep bleated excitedly while acting spoiled like a child, lightly hopping into Big Berry's arms.
Big Berry looked at the Bread Sheep with doting affection, gently stroking its soft wool as he smiled and nodded.
"Okay! Boss Grayfist and the others already succeeded, so I definitely can too! Let's do our best together!"
At the same time, within the Iron Golem group, one of the golems suddenly cried out in shock.
"The captain... was actually a zombie?!"
The astonishing information brought by the golden rain left all the Iron Golems utterly stunned.
Another Iron Golem said excitedly, "So we once had names and lives of our own too!!"
Excitement sparkled in its eyes, as though it was filled with anticipation over this discovery.
After learning this truth, the remaining Iron Golems impatiently closed their eyes and began attempting to establish a connection with the Inner World.
"We have to work hard too! Once we enter the Inner World, we'll know our identities!"
———
"Does anyone know how far this golden rain covers?"
The Villager King hurried over to the players and asked anxiously.
Although he didn't openly express concern for the villagers in his words, Pocolo still understood exactly what he was thinking from the expression on his face.
Seeing this, Pocolo immediately opened the game forums and searched for information regarding the golden rain.
After skimming through several pages of posts, he closed the forum and replied to the Villager King, "Don't worry. I saw quite a few cavemen players saying it was raining at their homes too."
"Based on that, this golden rain should be covering every corner of the entire game world. The villagers must've received the information as well."
Only after hearing Pocolo's explanation did the Villager King finally let out a sigh of relief.
After thanking Pocolo, he slowly closed his eyes and began attempting to enter the Inner World as well.
After answering the Villager King's concerns, Pocolo didn't waste a second and immediately began organizing the players.
"Everyone already saw what happened just now. After the living beings entered the Inner World, their bodies still remained in the Surface World."
"Although those bodies don't have consciousness anymore, they should still follow the game's rules, so there's no need to worry about them dying or disappearing."
"Even though we still can't confirm whether they'll be able to return to the Surface World after entering the Inner World, I think we should keep all their bodies preserved."
"If they can return someday, it'll be more convenient for them to use their original bodies."
"How about this? Everyone build a few dirt-box shelters and sort them properly. We'll keep them here temporarily and make detailed arrangements later!"