Global Ghost Stories: I'm Investigating Ghosts in My Nightmare!

Chapter 29 The Echoes of Return

Bai Yu's consciousness slowly rose from the deep darkness, like a diver finally breaking through the cold seawater and breathing in the first breath of air that smelled of sunshine.

His eyelids twitched a few times before he managed to open them with difficulty.

The ceiling that came into view was all too familiar. The air was free of the lingering dampness of Luoshui Village, but instead carried a reassuring smell of disinfectant.

He moved his fingers, feeling the dryness and softness of the sheets beneath him. This was the Nightmare Investigation Bureau, and this was his single dormitory room at headquarters.

He is still alive.

This realization finally allowed his tense nerves to relax completely.

Bai Yu slowly sat up, leaned against the headboard, closed her eyes, and began to feel the internal condition of her body.

The dark power that seemed capable of swallowing heaven and earth had receded and was now dormant in the deepest part of his consciousness. He could sense Hei Yan's presence; he felt a sense of languor and contentment, like a dragon dozing in a cave after a hearty meal.

This time, Hei Yan didn't utter any sarcastic or arrogant words as usual. He just stayed there quietly, but Bai Yu could clearly feel that the barrier between them seemed to have been completely melted away in their final battle together.

They are no longer simply sources of power and borrowers, or parasitic nightmares and hosts; rather, they are more like symbiotic partners that cannot be described in words.

"Thank you, Heiyan," Baiyu said softly in her heart.

Deep within his consciousness, the sleeping dragon seemed to lazily turn over, sending out a vague thought, like an impatient nasal sound, yet without the slightest malice.

Bai Yu couldn't help but smile.

He turned his gaze to the bedside table. There, the rustic wooden gourd lay quietly.

It looked much the same as before, still with that weathered appearance, and there were even a few minor scratches left from the battle on its body.

He reached out and picked up the wooden ladle.

The gourd felt smooth and warm to the touch, completely lacking the roughness one would expect from wood. As his fingertips touched the gourd, a gentle, flowing emotion, like a babbling brook, slowly seeped into his heart. Gone were Lin Sheng's overwhelming resentment and the loneliness of a century of waiting; only a cleansed tranquility and lingering affection remained.

That was the last genuine emotion between Lin Sheng and A Wan. This wooden ladle had transformed from a mere medium that carried power into a "token" that carried a complete story and a love that spanned a century. It was no longer cold; it had acquired its own warmth and its own "soul."

Bai Yu stroked the smooth inner wall of the wooden ladle, and the gentle smile of Awan and the relieved look in Lin Sheng's eyes seemed to reappear before her.

The mission was undoubtedly brutal and dangerous, but the final outcome gave the deceased the best rest in peace.

"Perhaps this is the meaning of our fight," he murmured to himself.

It's not just about living, but about protecting those emotions that still shine even in the deepest darkness.

After sitting quietly on the bed for a long time, Bai Yu finally felt his strength returning. He threw off the covers, got out of bed, walked to the bathroom, turned on the tap, and splashed his face with cold water to fully wake himself up.

The person in the mirror looked somewhat haggard and pale, but their eyes were brighter and more determined than ever before.

He changed into the civilian clothes issued by the Investigation Bureau, carefully put the wooden ladle into the storage bag at his waist, and then opened the door and went out.

The corridor was brightly lit, and the alloy walls reflected a cold luster. Investigators in similar uniforms walked by hurriedly from time to time, nodding to Bai Yu as they passed by, maintaining a professional tacit understanding and distance between them.

Everything here is orderly, a stark contrast to that village twisted by rules and resentment.

"Hey, Xiaobaiyu, you're finally awake! I thought you were going to sleep until the next mission started!"

A loud, booming voice came from the side.

Bai Yu turned her head and saw Mo Fei leaning against the wall not far away. He had changed into a loose-fitting physical training uniform, and there was a white bandage on one arm, but his signature slightly roguish smile was still there.

"Mo Fei," Bai Yu greeted him with a smile, "your injury..."

"Hey, don't even mention it!" Mo Fei waved his hand, grimacing as he moved his injured arm. "It's just a minor scratch, but those guys in the medical department made a big fuss about it, bandaging it up like a dumpling. As for you, I heard you slept for two whole days and nights, and Captain An Mu specifically told no one to disturb you."

"Did you sleep for so long?" Bai Yu was somewhat surprised, as he had completely lost track of the passage of time.

“That’s right.” Mo Fei leaned closer, put an arm around Bai Yu’s shoulder, and said in a low voice, “You have no idea, I’ve written the mission report three times in just the last two days! Three times! Captain An Mu said that my account of the battle was like a diary, illogical and lacking in details. Tell me, we’re the ones who are responsible for fighting, not for taking meeting minutes. How can we remember so much!”

Looking at Mo Fei's face, which was filled with "I have no will to live," Bai Yu couldn't help but laugh out loud.

For this tough guy who believes in taking a rough-around-the-edges approach, getting him to sit down quietly and write a report is indeed more painful than fighting a nightmare.

"Where are Captain An and Lan Ce?" Bai Yu asked.

"Where else could it be? The conference room, of course." Mo Fei curled his lip. "That guy Lan Ce probably went straight into the data analysis room as soon as he got back and hasn't come out yet. The captain just messaged me, saying that we'll go to the conference room for a debriefing meeting when you wake up. Let's go, perfect timing. I really can't make up the part about you in this report anymore, you can explain it to the captain yourself."

The two chatted and laughed as they walked toward the tactical meeting room.

The Nightmare Investigation Bureau's tactical conference room is a semi-circular room filled with futuristic technology.

When Bai Yu and Mo Fei pushed open the door and entered, An Mu and Lan Ce were already waiting inside.

An Mu, still dressed in his crisp captain's uniform, sat calmly in the main seat. Lan Ce, on the other hand, sat closest to the holographic control panel, wearing thin AR glasses, his fingers flying across the virtual keyboard, clearly still making final preparations. He also looked somewhat tired, but his mind was highly focused.

"Baiyu, how are you feeling?" Anmu's serious expression softened a little when he saw him.

"It's all alright now, Captain." Bai Yu pulled out a chair and sat down. "I'm sorry to have worried everyone."

"We should be thanking you." Lan Ce took off his glasses, rubbed the bridge of his nose, and smiled as he said, "If it weren't for you and Hei Yan turning the tide, we probably would have really been killed in that godforsaken place."

"Alright, now that everyone's here, let's begin." An Mu placed his hands on the table and looked around at his team members. "The post-mission debriefing is crucial. The Falling Water Village incident was the first Primal Concept Nightmare incident that our team has resolved since its inception. Every detail must be thoroughly analyzed and summarized."

As soon as he finished speaking, Lan Ce made a swipe on the control panel, and the holographic projection in the center of the conference room lit up, displaying a three-dimensional model composed of countless data streams that slowly rotated. It was a simulation of the Nightmare, the original concept of the "Mountain God".

“Based on the analysis of the residual energy at the scene and all the data from the mission recorder,” Lancer’s voice regained the calm and precision characteristic of an analyst, “we can confirm that the ‘mountain god’ we encountered this time was a nightmare of an incompletely descended primordial concept.”

A series of bright red warning signs appeared on the projected screen.

"Nightmare of this caliber has only been recorded a handful of times in the Bureau of Investigation's files, and each time it caused a massive disaster at the district level. Their very existence is a form of rule corruption, capable of distorting reality and defining life and death. The reason we were able to successfully expel it this time was largely because it appeared in the form of an descent and we found its 'anchor point'."

"Is it the resentment of that unlucky guy named Lin Sheng?" Mo Fei interjected.

“That’s right.” Lan Ce nodded and pulled up the information on Lin Sheng and A Wan. “This nightmare cleverly used Lin Sheng’s resentment towards the villagers and his love for A Wan, using these emotions as the coordinates and energy source for its descent and maintenance of its form. It does not generate resentment itself; it is merely an amplifier and user of resentment. This point was confirmed by Bai Yu and Hei Yan within its core consciousness.”

All eyes were on Bai Yu.

Bai Yu took a deep breath and recounted in detail what she had seen and heard in Lin Sheng's sea of ​​consciousness. From how Hei Yan opened the door to the "heart", to how they used the truth to shake the cage built by lies, and finally, how A Wan's pure love was awakened by the wooden ladle and ultimately became the "poison" that dismantled the foundation of the "mountain god".

“Using pure love to fight against pure resentment…” Anmu said thoughtfully after listening, “This is indeed a completely new approach. In the past, we dealt with nightmares by relying more on energy annihilation, physical destruction, or sealing. Cases like this, which directly undermine the foundation of its existence from the inside, are extremely rare and must be recorded as the highest priority.”

“I have something to add.” Lan Ce manipulated the projection again. “I analyzed the energy composition of the fusion power that Bai Yu ultimately guided. In addition to Bai Yu’s own power and Hei Yan’s power, I also detected a very special fluctuation.”

On the projection, a faintly glowing energy waveform was displayed separately.

“I’ve named it ‘Belief Field’.” Lan Ce’s eyes gleamed with excitement. “It doesn’t belong to any energy system we know of. It originates from the power of belief within us, including our will, the hopes of the villagers’ remnant souls, and the feelings between Lin Sheng and A Wan. These inner forces, amplified by the wooden ladle and guided by your will, Bai Yu, have achieved a temporary and massive enhancement. I believe that this ‘emotion’ itself might be a power that can be utilized. And you, Bai Yu, and your Nightmare Black Words, seem to be born with the ability to touch and guide this power.”

This conclusion brought a brief silence to the meeting room.

If emotions can truly be used as a force, it would undoubtedly greatly enhance the Nightmare Investigation Bureau's existing combat capabilities.

“This topic is too big; let’s put it on hold for now.” An Mu broke the silence, looking at Bai Yu, “Did you bring the wooden ladle?”

Bai Yu nodded, took the wooden ladle out of the storage bag, and placed it on the table.

Almost the instant the wooden ladle appeared, the precision energy detector in the conference room emitted a series of soft beeps.

Lan Ce's eyes lit up instantly: "Such a pure energy reaction! Stable, peaceful, and without any negative corrosiveness. Bai Yu, can I do a full non-destructive test on it? Don't worry, it's just a scan, it won't damage its structure."

“Of course.” Bai Yu had no objection to this.

“Alright, that concludes our analysis of the Nightmare for now,” An Mu continued. “Now, let’s review our own performance. Mo Fei, you go first.”

"Me?" Mo Fei paused for a moment, then cleared his throat and said with a serious expression, "Report to the captain! I believe that in this mission, I fully demonstrated the fighting spirit of fearlessness and courage, successfully attracting most of the enemy's firepower and creating an excellent output environment for the main attackers! The only shortcoming... is that my battle axe needs to be upgraded. Its roots are too hard, and they hurt my hands."

His serious expression, coupled with his arm in a cast, made him look both comical and adorable, even causing the usually stern An Mu to involuntarily smile slightly.

Lan Ce bluntly retorted, "To put it another way, he was reckless the whole time, and almost killed himself several times."

"Hey! How dare you talk like that, four-eyed!" Mo Fei retorted defiantly.

"I told you not to call me Four-Eyes!"

The meeting room was filled with a cheerful atmosphere.

In a relaxed atmosphere, everyone reflected on their gains and losses.

Anmu affirmed the team's adaptability and teamwork under extreme disadvantages, and also pointed out several dangerous situations caused by insufficient intelligence.

Finally, An Mu summarized: "The Fallingwater Village incident has been rated S-level by headquarters. Given that our entire team survived and successfully drove off the target, headquarters has awarded us the highest level of reward. All merit points and bonuses will be credited to your accounts shortly. Also…"

He paused deliberately, looking at the expectant eyes of his teammates, before slowly saying, "We have a week of paid leave."

"Yay!" Mo Fei was the first to cheer, excitedly slapping the table, which aggravated his wound, causing him to wince in pain.

Bai Yu and Lan Ce exchanged a smile, their eyes filled with relief and joy. After such an intense mission, they definitely needed a good rest.

"The holiday starts tomorrow." An Mu stood up. "After we're dismissed today, everyone go home and get some rest. Lan Ce, get me Mu Piao's test report as soon as possible. Bai Yu, you just get some rest. Mo Fei..."

"exist!"

"Go back and rewrite your task report based on today's debriefing."

Mo Fei's cheers abruptly stopped, and he froze instantly, his expression even more desperate than when he saw the "Mountain God".

Seeing his expression, Bai Yu, Lan Ce, and An Mu couldn't help but laugh. The debriefing meeting concluded successfully amidst this lighthearted laughter.

After the meeting ended, the four of them walked out of the conference room together.

"Hey, I'm telling you, it's a rare holiday, how about we go out for a nice meal tonight?" Mo Fei quickly recovered from the grief of writing the report and happily suggested, "I know a barbecue restaurant that's absolutely amazing! My treat!"

“I have no objection.” Lan Ce nodded. “It’s a good opportunity to replenish my energy; my brain has been overworked lately.”

"Bai Yu, what about you?" An Mu looked at him.

Bai Yu smiled and nodded: "Okay."

The last rays of the setting sun streamed through the portholes in the corridor, casting long shadows of the four men. The joy of surviving the ordeal, the deep camaraderie among companions, and the boundless hope for the future all coalesced into that simplest of invitations.

Let's have a good barbecue tonight!

(End of this chapter)