Before this, Dr. Xu's treatment for Notch was aimed at removing the layer of friend-filter that Notch held deep in his heart toward D.
Through a series of roundabout and indirect treatment methods, Dr. Xu did achieve some results.
After this effort, Notch finally understood that in the previous world, the reason why so many living beings rose up in rebellion was rooted in D.
However, even so, Notch's friend-filter toward D had still not completely shattered.
After all, Notch and D had grown up together since childhood, and there was a deep brotherly bond between them that lasted for decades.
This kind of emotional tie is not something that can be easily cut off or broken. J spent more than ten years, and only at the very last moment when he was pushed by D into the Nameless Land did he completely wake up.
The bond between Notch and D was even deeper than the one with J. No matter how clear-headed and rational he was, he ultimately could not completely sever this relationship.
Besides, although Notch was now certain that the culprit behind the rebellion of the living beings was D, deep in his heart there still remained a tiny bit of wishful hope.
He always hoped he could ask D face to face and hear how D would explain the matter. Because he truly did not want to imagine D as being too evil, and it could even be said that he did not dare to think that way at all.
In the end, Notch had always hoped to give D one final chance, allowing him the opportunity to defend and clarify himself.
Because he simply could not accept that the close friend he had always loved like a younger brother would eventually become someone he felt disgust toward.
It must be admitted that in many situations D really did seem like a lucky person specially favored and protected by heaven.
If he could have had a god's-eye view and seen all causes and effects, then he probably would never have thought that fate treated him unfairly.
Just in this matter alone, fate had already reached out to help him more than once and had given him countless chances to change the outcome.
However, unfortunately, even with so many advantages and opportunities in his hands, D still managed to ruin what was originally an excellent situation.
It was obvious that at this moment D had already missed the last precious chance that Notch had given him.
In that brief moment just now, the series of actions D made had already fully shown that he had completely become the kind of person Notch deeply disliked and hated.
And the deep bond of friendship between them that had lasted for decades, which Notch had always treasured and cared about so much, had already been mercilessly thrown away by D without him even noticing.
Since that was the case, what did Notch still have to hold on to?
Because of this, at this moment Notch only felt relief.
At that instant, the deep friend-filter he held toward D was personally torn to pieces by D's own hands, leaving nothing behind.
After that layer of filter completely broke, letting go of the past feelings and truly seeing a person's nature clearly turned out to be something that took only a moment.
In fact, Notch had long seen through what kind of person D was.
D was the kind of person who seriously lacked empathy, was extremely selfish, and was almost crazily self-centered to the core.
Normally speaking, for a person like this, making true friends would be extremely difficult.
After all, they only consider their own interests in everything and are completely centered on themselves. It is impossible for them to reach any emotional understanding with others, let alone open their hearts.
However, unexpectedly, D was still able to become close friends for many years with two intelligent people like Notch and J.
The reason was nothing more than that D was extremely clever and cunning, especially skilled at disguising himself and hiding his true nature.
All along, he had never exposed his real self in front of Notch and J.
Or it could be said that the real world they lived in before had many rules and restrictions, which made it impossible for D to freely reveal his true nature.
But later, the virtual game world created by Notch was like opening Pandora's box, allowing D's long-hidden nature to be released.
However, once some things break free from restraints and are released, they become like wild horses that have broken loose, never able to return to how they once were.
The current D was exactly like this. He could no longer return to the past, and Notch had already seen this clearly.
Unlike J's endless tolerance, Notch would never give D countless chances to change like J did. For D, the opportunity he reserved was only this one time.
At this moment, when D heard the words Notch spoke after regaining his senses, it felt as if he had instantly been thrown into a freezing ice cellar.
Although his heart had already been swallowed by endless fear, D did not intend to give up. His brain continued to spin rapidly, doing everything possible to think of what strategy he should take next.
After a short moment, D suddenly seemed to catch a trace of inspiration. A thoughtful expression flashed across his face, and just as he was about to open his mouth to explain his earlier actions, Notch interrupted him without mercy.
Notch slowly straightened his body, as if every movement felt somewhat heavy.
When he finally stood steady, his body unconsciously moved backward step by step, one step, two steps… deliberately widening the distance between himself and D, which was not close to begin with.
After that, Notch's gaze never truly fell on D at all, as if the person in front of him were nothing more than a patch of air.
Then he asked without hesitation, "Where is J now?"
From Notch's series of actions and the sharp question he asked, it was already enough to clearly show his attitude toward D.
At this moment, in his eyes, D was not even comparable to a stranger with no connection, let alone the close friend he once had.
Notch had no intention of listening to even one more unnecessary explanation or defense from D, because in his heart he knew very clearly that those so-called explanations were nothing but worthless nonsense.
At this moment, the only thing he truly cared about was J's whereabouts.
Notch was not worried at all that J would become some kind of accomplice in a conspiracy like D, because he understood J's character and personality too well.
However, it was exactly because of this deep understanding that he felt even more afraid. He feared that D might have done something terrible to J that could never be undone.
Seeing Notch's actions and hearing the question directed at him, D could not help but be momentarily stunned.
He knew that Notch had always been clear-headed, but he never expected Notch to be rational to this extent, abandoning years of feelings so quickly.
Just as D was thinking about how he should answer Notch, he suddenly felt that something was off.
And when he found the source of that strange feeling, his whole body instantly relaxed.
He looked at Notch again. The fear in his eyes had completely disappeared, replaced by excitement and pride that were almost overflowing.
He shrugged and smiled, "I originally thought you would care more about me. Looks like I was just flattering myself."
"But aren't you really not curious at all about what exactly happened back then?"