Ke-style law enforcement officers

Chapter 594 It's all about choices
"During that brief period, I was given many different titles and nicknames."

“Almost every race, from its own perspective, can help me create a new name, whether friendly or hateful.”

"It is based on what I have done, or rather, goodwill and malice stem from every choice I have made."

"But didn't they say that those in power are neither good nor evil?"

"Did I really make a choice? Yes, I did. Was there any choice, about everything in the past?"

"Or, as Joan Byrne said, I am merely a witness to the tragedy."

"Um--"

"Strange, why am I having this pointless self-doubt..."

"Because of the strange order of the abyss?"

……

...

R'lyeri in the spacetime node.

It seems that a tacit understanding has been reached among the various forces. This tacit understanding does not mean peace, but rather an acceptance of a certain known event.

For example, the burning of the "Luoyan City Text" did not cause the slightest ripple.

The person who "committed a serious crime" was now fast asleep.

His will and soul entered a realm filled with chaos and darkness, much like what had happened before in the suburbs of Nanwei City.

And it was similar to that time.

Klaue, who plunged Milo's soul into the abyss, disappeared without a trace, and it has been proven that his main purpose for this trip was not to kill Raven at all.

In addition, just as I said at the port before I left.

She said, "This time you'll need me."

In the end, it was indeed Rebecca herself who stood alone in front of the study building.

...

The special spacetime node where R'lyeh is located has begun to collapse.

These uninvited guests seemed to have disrupted some kind of balance.

In this unfamiliar era, R'lyeh seems to be "hiding" in this boundless sea of ​​fire, as if something far more terrifying exists outside...

Now, because of the previous series of destructions, that "thing" from the outside world has found R'lyeh.

The building's upper floors are constantly cracking and crumbling.

...

The person sound asleep in the study seemed completely unaware of how many "people" would try to cross the threshold and visit this place.

Of course, perhaps he already knew it all along.

That's why he temporarily entrusted all the power of fear he had accumulated on this trip to Rebecca.

From the shattered sky, many sinister gazes were cast down.

The Snails and the Star Families were no longer the dominant forces on the battlefield. Small-scale clashes had begun to spread in the distant high sky. From the perspective of those on the ground, it was impossible to see clearly what was fighting the Star Families in the distant sky, because thick smoke was spreading from the corners of all the strange buildings in the city of R'lyeh. Behind that smoke was the hunting desire from the angle of spacetime.

……

...

Before leaving, Crow took one last look at the red-haired woman guarding the door.

At this moment, Rebecca possessed unprecedented power.

Coincidentally, at this point in time, her enemy—the Raven—reappeared in her field of vision, but his figure was gradually fading away.

In the end, Rebecca did not pursue the trail of hatred.

Although she knew that if she missed this opportunity, she might never have another chance to avenge Karl.

However, the Star Families, the Snail People, the malice lurking in the corner, and the gaze from above—these are the calamities she needs to shield the person behind her from right now.

So she could only watch helplessly as the raven disappeared into the distance.

...

"It's all about choices."

Before leaving, Crow repeated the same words he had said before.

...

No one knew what Rebecca would face next.

If time itself had a memory, it would probably remember that in this world on the verge of collapse, there was a woman calmly organizing the weapons in her hands.

Her red hair was more vibrant than the flames scattered after the sky shattered.

……

...

This is the abyss.

The abyss has no logic.

Milo always firmly believed in and constantly reminded himself of this.

He had seen Nanwei City frozen in ice and frost, and he had also seen Nanwei City engulfed by the blazing sun.

But this time, Nanwei City seemed more realistic than ever before, because it was constantly raining, with mud and filth everywhere, and the air was damp and cold. The entire city was like a piece of rotten wood soaked in water, exuding a rotten smell.

In fact, all of the above are just Milo's speculations.

He did not "see" Nanwei City. At this moment, he was in a completely dark environment and only perceived the elements of his surroundings through his sense of hearing and smell.

Although Milo never doubted whether he could enter the abyss world where Emma was, this was not because he had confidence in Klaue's character, but because he had gained confidence after reading "The Book of the Desolate City".

It's all about choices.

Crow's goal was to bring about all the conditions necessary for this decision.

What truly convinced Milo that Emma was nearby were the blue symbols that popped out of the darkness like little elves.

Those are the symbols that make up the "Noschia equation".

And this time they are more active and agile than before, and Milo can even accurately capture the message they are trying to convey.

Gradually, Milo began to hear some mournful songs, which seemed to be mixed with the sharp sound of some kind of flute.

That eerie melody, like a fishhook, pulls out the unease hidden deep in people's hearts.

...

Emma?

Milo tried calling out in the darkness.

But no one responded.

However, the blue Noscia equation runes began to pulse even more actively.

Whenever those runes paused on the ground, Milo would have a sense of déjà vu.

When the symbols and runes remain stationary on the ground, some grotesque cracks appear out of thin air, as if the equations have etched some kind of effect onto this space.

The etched marks were dark red, as if someone had scratched the world with their claws, leaving behind traces.

Then look at the symbols within the claw marks…

"Isn't this advice from the abyss?"

...

I used to inexplicably encounter strange writing in the abyss, either on the ground or hanging on buildings.

For example, when Milo first witnessed the snow scene of Nanwei, he was advised beforehand that "a stunning view lies ahead."

For example, when encountering Windrunner Ithaca, it was the phrases "Next, a falling attack will be very effective" and "Sometimes falling is also rising" that helped Milo successfully obtain the Old Manmaw Wendigo.

It wasn't just the buildings; one of the Wendigo's eyes also bore the inscription, "The blessing to come will be very useful." These inscriptions seemed to share something in common: besides their abrupt placement and the ancient language they used, they also had a strange, incoherent tone…

"Is the Noschia equation a form of advice?"

"Or is it that equations are one way of writing advice?"

Milo doesn't quite understand yet.

The only thing he was certain of was that these pulsating symbols were trying to convey some kind of message to him, a message from Emma.

"Could you please pass on a message for me?"

This time, Milo didn't look at Emma's drafts again, but tried to communicate directly with the equation symbols.

...

……

As is well known (but not really), there is no linear time relationship between the Abyss and the World of Clarity; all known logic, order, and rules are not applicable here.

Because the evolution of the abyss world is chaos, and the essence of chaos is the absence of rules.

If we must say that it has some kind of property, perhaps its "learning" and "interference" with the conscious world are characteristics of chaos itself, but we cannot rule out that it is another form of "chaos".

Milo said something to the equation of Noscia.

But he wasn't sure if those symbols could convey his will to Emma.

Then, that temporary darkness came to an end.

Milo finally saw the muddy, rain-shrouded city of Nanwei.

Everything here is so similar to the world of wakefulness.

It was perfectly realistic, at least before those chaotic elements appeared.

...

However, Milo was absolutely certain that this was the abyss.

Because the moment he stepped out of the shadows, he smelled some familiar scents in the air.

That was the scent of an "old acquaintance".

As for why I was able to recognize the smell?
That's because Milo has experienced that guy's fear.

"So, being banished to the void means being thrown into the abyss?"

Milo seemed to be deep in thought.

The smell that filled the air came from "Imnal," a troublesome fellow who had given him a lot of headaches for a long time.

Most importantly, this "fraudster" also has a very impressive background.

It is the offspring of the Outer God Engel Kolas.

Milo obtained this information from the Chronicles of Nath, and with the truth about the banishment of the Outer God Kosla, he finally used the power of Pagon (the mortal enemy of Engel Kolas) from Andromeda to successfully banish Imnar to the void.

But neither the fragments in the Nash Chronicles nor the will of Pagon ever told Milo that the so-called banishment from the void was the abyss.

"The meaning of emptiness is different in different civilizations."

Milo stepped onto the bumpy, muddy road.

The closer he got to the city, the more he could sense that Imnar's fractal order had spread throughout the land. But this time, Imnar did not replicate the entire city of Nanwei as it had done with the Foolish God Project. What it created seemed to be tainted with some other decadent aura, auras that were also very familiar to Milo.

Besides Imnar's fractal order, there exists a force here that is completely foreign to Milo.

This force seems to be in a state of chaos and distortion, somewhat similar to the Wendigo when it was lost in the Abyss.

Moreover, compared to Imnar, this strange power is very obscure, and the order it carries is filled with many discordant and blasphemous elements.

"It couldn't be Engel Kolas himself, could it?"

Milo didn't think much of it that way.

If the exiled Korath, the Outer God known as the ultimate malice of the universe, is really here, then the most likely thing I can do is to die with Emma.

and……

"The aura of an Outer God cannot be so chaotic and weak."

The unfamiliar power in Nanwei City was far weaker than the lost Windrunners, and didn't resemble an Outer God at all.

...

Whoosh! !

Some sneaky and swift sounds came rapidly from the dark jungle behind.

Milo was unaware that in this world, walking so carelessly through the suburbs at night was tantamount to suicide.

Of course, that's only relative to ordinary "people".

...

Accompanied by harsh, rapid breathing and the sound of something cutting through the air.

A strangely shaped beast pounced on Milo.

He was grabbed by one hand and his neck was snapped.

...

The torso, covered in coarse bristles and bone spurs, twitched and fell to the ground.

What remained in Milo's hands was a skull with half a spine hanging from it.

He looked at the monster's head in his hand with disdain; it still retained seven or eight parts human features.

It's not surprising that any kind of monster emerges from the abyss.

So he quickly abandoned the monster that the locals called the "Bloodseeker" and headed straight for the city.

Even in the rainy night, Milo could still see the faint lights on the iconic high-rise buildings in the distant city, which at least indicated that it was not a dead city.

Even if all else fails, there's still Imnal, isn't there?

……

Nanwei City is neither particularly large nor small, as it is one of the oldest cities in the entire southern region of the country. Strictly speaking, the area of ​​Nanwei City should include the church and most of the southern coast.

Finding someone in such a familiar yet unfamiliar city is quite difficult, especially when all known rules and order have failed.

In such situations, Milo usually does the opposite, using a method that, while not particularly sophisticated, is relatively effective.

That is to make a big fuss and get Emma to "come to your door" on her own.

This is a very unreasonable tactic, based on the premise of having the ability to "handle any trouble that may arise with ease".

As for the specific action plan, it's a matter of taking it one step at a time.

...

Stepping into Nanwei City again, I didn't feel much of a sense of returning to familiar territory.

It's more like a new playthrough after installing a bunch of weird mods.

First of all, the drunkards who roamed the streets late at night were replaced with "ghosts" in the real sense.

These still-mobile dead were familiar faces to Milo; they were Glaqi's servants, after all.

"Is this abyss world a continuation of the failed timeline following the events at the Confession Dock?"

Milo muttered to himself as he walked through the bustling streets filled with the undead.

No one noticed his presence.

Until Milo's boots left the muddy street and stepped onto the relatively dry steps of the law enforcement headquarters.

……

"Um--"

"I remember there wasn't a bounty board here before."

(End of this chapter)