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

Chapter 51 A Lamenting Lullaby
When the enormous ancient book, composed of chaotic darkness and extinguished starlight, unfolded behind Hei Yan, even the "hunting ground" built by Su Qin's hatred paled in comparison.

In an instant, the world seemed to lose all color, leaving only black and white flowing in this space.

It was like a higher-dimensional being that suddenly descended upon this two-dimensional painting. With just a simple unfolding of the book, the fragile foundation of this world's rules began to groan in despair.

The writhing graffiti on the wall froze instantly, the distorted faces in the drawings revealing an emotion called "fear"; the whispers filled with resentment in the air stopped abruptly, the deathly silence silencing all noise and restlessness, creating a stillness as if even the soul had been frozen.

This space seemed to be constantly undergoing entropy reduction, transforming chaos into order. In the face of the order represented by that ancient book, all chaos was forcibly reduced to zero.

"No! Stop! What are you doing! Those are mine!"

The "head nurse" in the wheelchair, Yao's representative, let out a hysterical scream.

It was trembling uncontrollably. It could clearly feel that the sculpture, the mural sculpture that served as its "throne" in this world, was being "read" page by page and "interpreted" word by word by that strange ancient book, and finally being "included" without mercy.

The plunder, which directly impacted the conceptual level, left her nowhere to escape.

It's like a skilled hacker bypassing all firewalls and passwords, forcibly seizing the server's root privileges, and cutting and pasting all the data onto their own hard drive.

"Your stuff?" Hei Yan slowly turned his head, his pure black eyes admiring the clumsy work of art before him with interest. His voice was filled with condescending elegance and mockery. "What a laughable declaration. Does a worker ant that stole the queen's pheromones really think it's the master of the entire anthill?"

He slowly raised his other hand, gently clenched his five slender fingers in the air, and then snapped his fingers loudly.

"Mute".

As soon as the command was given, it became law; all the sounds emanating from the "head nurse's" chest instantly vanished. Its disfigured "mouth" continued to open and close frantically, but it could no longer utter a single syllable. It was like a horror movie that had been muted, leaving only a silent and comical scene.

This is a power that Hei Yan possessed long ago—the power to control the rules.

At this moment, he is the rule itself. Not to distort it, not to exploit it, but to establish it directly.

Lu Yueqi was completely stunned by the unimaginable scene before her, and stood there dumbfounded.

She knew that the nightmare inside Bai Yu was very powerful, but she never imagined that it was so powerful that it could treat an S-class nightmare as nothing.

This scene can no longer be considered a battle, but rather a one-sided "trial".

As she looked at the familiar figure shrouded in darkness, a primal fear welled up within her, a fear born from the feeling of being crushed by a higher being in a higher social rank.

The Bai Yu standing there now is no longer the Bai Yu who would shield her from all danger and gently comfort her when she is afraid.

Standing there was a true god, an evil god who fed on despair and fear.

Bai Yu can only be considered a vessel for this evil god's descent.

"puff--"

A mouthful of bright red blood spilled from Hei Yan's mouth, dripping onto the black suit jacket on his chest, where a strange red plum blossom slowly spread across the fabric.

Bai Yu's body was beginning to be unable to withstand the immense primal power surging within him from Hei Yan.

Every rule-making process, every piece of information collection, is like using an invisible carving knife to add deeper wounds to his already cracked soul.

"Tch... What a nuisance..." Hei Yan wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth with the back of his hand, a hint of displeasure at having his interest interrupted flashing in his pure black eyes. "In that case, it seems we have to finish this quickly."

He ignored the "head nurse" who had been "silenced" and instead focused all his attention back on the huge ancient book.

"Inclusion complete."

As his last syllable faded, the colossal mural sculpture, the entity formed by Wen Maoran's mad will and the core rules of the "Tower of Babel Project," was finally completely devoured. It transformed into the last twisted rune, sucked into the final page of the ancient book.

"Wow--"

The ancient book slowly closed, then transformed into countless black particles that disappeared back into the deep darkness behind the black words.

With the disappearance of the "throne," the core support of this "hunting ground" built by Su Qin's hatred also collapsed.

"Crack...knock..."

The walls, covered in bizarre graffiti, appeared as if struck by a giant hammer, spiderweb-like cracks appearing on them. Countless scenes of decay belonging to the "other world" began to seep out from behind those cracks.

Space is collapsing, and the inner and outer worlds are beginning to erode each other.

"no, do not want!"

The silenced "head nurse" let out a silent roar. Its head, composed of countless eyeballs, spun wildly, and it could feel its control over the world rapidly slipping away.

It ignored Hei Yan and instead turned its hundreds of malevolent and insane gazes toward Lu Yueqi, the "sacrifice" it had always considered its own.

Since I can't have her, I'll destroy her!
The metal arm, composed of countless syringes, suddenly rose, and all the syringes were aimed at Lu Yueqi at that moment, with specks of highly toxic energy condensing at the tips of the syringes, flashing with an ominous dark green light.

However, just as it was about to launch this final attack...

A shadow, faster and larger than it, burst forth from the collapsing spatial rift, instantly engulfing its bloated body like a black tsunami!

It's Su Qin!
This "second king," filled with primal hatred, broke free from the morgue and, at a time when Yao's power was greatly weakened by the destruction of the "throne," finally seized this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to launch the most deadly counterattack against her mortal enemy!
"Yao...I'm going to...kill you..."

From within that black tsunami came Su Qin's roar, filled with endless pain and pleasure.

The swallowed "Head Nurse" struggled frantically in the black tsunami, its metal arms made of syringes flailing wildly in an attempt to escape, tearing huge rifts in the collapsing space around it. But without the blessing of the "Throne," its power was no longer able to contend with this primal torrent of hatred accumulated over decades.

Its bloated body was being slowly gnawed away by the darkness.

One after another, the glass eyeballs that it had embedded in its head as trophies began to burst, making a "crackling" sound, like a string of cheap firecrackers being lit.

The war between the two "kings" came to a brutal end. Hei Yan, like an audience member who was satisfied with the ending of the play, did not interfere any further. He simply stood quietly to the side, admiring the "painting" before him with his pure black eyes.

"Betrayal, revenge, devouring, destruction... an interesting closing ceremony..."

His gaze slowly shifted to the female protagonist, Lu Yueqi, who had remained in a daze throughout.

"Alright, the troublesome fly has been cleared away." His voice regained its elegant aria tone. "Now, it's your turn, my dear little girl. Bai Yu has bought you precious time and opportunity, and cleared away the biggest obstacle. How will you perform now to live up to the 'price' he paid for you?"

Lu Yueqi snapped out of her daze at the earth-shattering "battle of the gods." She looked at the black tsunami that was frantically devouring Yao, then at the silver pendant box in her hand, which was now icy cold from the cold sweat on her palm.

She knew Hei Yan was right.

Bai Yu almost sacrificed his own life to create this unique opportunity for her.

She could no longer be afraid, nor could she hesitate any longer.

She took a deep breath, forcibly suppressing all her fear and worry, and mustered her courage again, leaving only a sense of "empathy" to rescue this pitiful woman from endless suffering.

She gripped the locket tightly in her hand, holding it close to her chest, and walked step by step into that collapsing space, facing the black tsunami filled with hatred and madness.

“Su Qin…Auntie.”

Her voice wasn't loud, and it even trembled slightly, but in this chaotic space filled only with roars and cries, it was like drops of clear water falling into boiling oil, instantly attracting the attention of that black tsunami.

The darkness that was frantically devouring the "head nurse" suddenly paused.

In the center of that darkness, a gigantic woman's face, composed of resentment and tears, slowly emerged. Her face had no specific features, only two enormous hollows from which black tears flowed continuously, and a gaping maw twisted to the extreme by endless hatred.

"What...did you call me?" The giant face stared at the human girl who was as small as an ant, its voice filled with confusion and bewilderment.

Lu Yueqi forcibly withstood the mental pressure that almost crushed her soul, stubbornly raising her head to meet that terrifying giant face.

She slowly opened her palm, revealing the locket that emitted a faint silver light in the darkness.

"Your husband... Fang Heng, is still waiting for you to come home."

“Your child… he is still waiting for his mother to sing him a lullaby before he goes to sleep.”

She infused her voice with a touch of "deep chill," transforming it into a gentle "soothing" quality.

When that huge, resentful face saw the familiar locket and heard the two names it had long forgotten how to spell,

Its overwhelming hatred and madness momentarily froze at that instant.

A deeper, more profound sadness welled up uncontrollably from the depths of its confused consciousness.

"Fang...Heng...?"

"My child...my...child..."

It uttered a murmur that sounded like a dream.

Just as it wavered, the "head nurse" it had half-devoured seized the opportunity to launch a final counterattack!

"Hehehe... What a touching scene..."

Yao's vicious and mocking laughter echoed from the black tsunami.

"But do you really think you can go back? Do you think your pathetic husband and bastard child will accept you now, turned into a monster?"

"Look at yourself! You're nothing but a pile of garbage cobbled together from hatred and pain!"

Accompanied by a vicious curse, a power carrying the corrupt and twisted aura of the "Tower of Ten Thousand Heads" erupted from the "Head Nurse's" broken body, piercing fiercely into Su Qin's core consciousness, which had become fragile due to her memories!

"No—! That's not right! It's not like that!"

Su Qin let out a scream that was more shrill than any she had ever heard before.

The lingering affection and sorrow that had just been awakened were quickly twisted and transformed into a deeper despair the moment they were contaminated by this vicious force.

Yes... I can't go back...

I am a monster... I will always be a monster...

Since we can't go back... then... let everything... stay with me... forever in this darkness!

boom--!
A surge of self-destructive spiritual energy erupted from that black tsunami!
The entire collapsing space was completely out of control.

"not good!"

Even Hei Yan, who had been "watching the show" from the sidelines, showed a hint of seriousness on his elegant face.

He could clearly feel that this "bonsai" made of memories was undergoing an irreversible self-collapse! It seemed to be burying everything inside, including him, the "outsider"!

He turned his head sharply to look at Lu Yueqi, who was still in shock, a hint of urgency flashing in her pure black eyes.

"The final curtain call has begun! Fool! Hurry up! Use your pathetic compassion to finish this lullaby! Otherwise, we'll all be buried with these two lunatics!"

He steadied Bai Yu's body, which was swaying precariously due to the energy backlash. At the same time, a powerful nightmare force enveloped Lu Yueqi, shoving her violently into the center of the energy storm that was about to explode completely!
"Hurry! Otherwise we'll all die here!"

(End of this chapter)