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

Chapter 63 Cradle and Embryo

It was a sight beyond words, and everyone seemed to be nailed to the spot.

An Mu, Lan Ce, and Lu Yueqi stood at the edge of that enormous underground dome space, like three tiny ants who had stumbled into a god's operating room.

They could only stand there, gazing up at the magnificent creation before them with awe and fear—a creation that was enough to overturn their previous understanding.

"cradle".

In the top-secret files of the first Director Adam White, this name was imbued with boundless hope and expectation. It was humanity's last line of defense and ultimate weapon against higher-dimensional beings, and its physical form was far more magnificent and bizarre than any written description could convey.

The energy sphere suspended in the center of the huge circular pit was not always still. It was like a living heart that was slowly breathing. With each beat, it would radiate an energy ripple that was imperceptible to the naked eye, and then spread to the entire island like layers of rippling waves.

The ripples contain a cold order, and it is this force that separates this "Garden of Eden" from the real world, making the island a barrier between the real world and the higher-dimensional world.

The translucent energy conduits extending from the rock walls in all directions eventually converged on the sphere of light, now flickering on and off, as if continuously supplying nutrients to this "heart".

"Oh my God……"

Lan Ce's face was no longer its usual unchanging composure, but instead revealed an almost obsessive shock. He had long since tossed the tactical tablet aside, and his eyes, hidden behind black-rimmed glasses, reflected the pulsating energy sphere. His gaze was filled with the complex light of a scientist witnessing a "miracle"—a mixture of ecstasy and self-doubt: "This...this is something beyond our current technological comprehension! The First Director...how did he do this? This isn't just a simple energy aggregate, this is...this is...a half-finished 'miniature universe'! A self-sustaining 'ecosystem'! It can even customize its own rules!"

An Mu remained silent, his sharp eyes fixed intently on the interior of the sphere of light.

Through the ever-shifting halo of light, he could vaguely make out the outline of a human figure curled up like an infant. Although he couldn't see the face, he could clearly sense a vast consciousness slumbering there, remaining utterly silent.
Consciousness is like an ancient ocean frozen for tens of thousands of years, its surface calm and still, but deep beneath the surface lurks an undercurrent powerful enough to devour everything.

Is that Adam White, the first director?

Is he really still "alive"?

"What...what should we do now?" Lu Yueqi's voice trembled.

She supported Bai Yu, who was in a deep coma, and felt not only shock but also deep-seated fear emanating from the huge "heart" in front of her, making every cell in her body tremble uncontrollably.

"Lan Ce!" After a moment of silence, An Mu quickly recovered. His voice was deep and decisive, instantly pulling the two back to reality from their shock. "Analyze the energy structure of 'Cradle' immediately! Find its control terminal! We must link Bai Yu to it immediately!"

"Roger that!" Lan Ce reacted immediately. He forcibly suppressed the shock in his heart and picked up his "weapon" again. He connected the tactical tablet to the access port of the nearest energy conduit using a data cable.

"Om-"

With a slight hiss, the tactical tablet screen was instantly flooded with a massive stream of data.

The data was not the binary code they were familiar with, but rather "information" composed of countless twisted runes filled with ominous meaning.

The power of the "Tower" has extended to this place...

"Damn it! The underlying logic here has also been corrupted by the will of the 'Tower'!" Beads of cold sweat trickled down Lance's forehead. His ten fingers danced across the virtual keyboard, creating afterimages as he tried to forcibly decipher a "channel" to the core control system in that chaotic sea of ​​data. "I need time! At least... at least ten minutes!"

However, the "cradle" in front of them didn't seem to intend to give them these precious ten minutes.

The moment Lance's consciousness connected with the massive data stream, the huge energy sphere that had been pulsating steadily suddenly accelerated its pulsation frequency without warning!

"Buzz! Buzz! Buzz!"

Each pulse was like an invisible hammer blow striking the souls of the three!
An Mu and Lu Yueqi felt as if their brains were being gripped tightly by an invisible hand and then violently pulled outwards!
The scenery before my eyes began to blur, and I heard whispers filled with both temptation and malice.

“An Mu…look at you…are you really a qualified captain?” A voice echoed in his mind, full of mockery and sarcasm. “Bai Yu is on the verge of death because of your decisions, and Mo Fei’s life is hanging in the balance as he covered your retreat…who did you protect? You’re just…a loser who only knows how to lead your comrades into desperate situations time and time again…”

"Lu Yueqi...you're such a burden..." The voice echoing in Lu Yueqi's ears was even more vicious, seemingly hoping to crush her will. "If it weren't for you, Bai Yu wouldn't be like this now! It's you! You're the one who ruined him! What right do you have to stand here? You should die! Use your life to exchange for his!"

The pressure on Lan Ce, who was the first to bear the brunt, was unimaginable.

His entire consciousness was forcibly dragged into a pure white space composed of countless logical paradoxes.

"If God is omnipotent, could He create a stone that even He Himself cannot lift?"

"In a village, a barber only shaves those who don't shave themselves. Should the barber shave himself or not?"

Countless paradoxes and logical problems surged toward him like a tide, frantically assaulting his mental palace built on the foundation of reason, attempting to completely collapse his proud logical chain, and ultimately plunging him into eternal self-doubt and mental exhaustion.

This is the "Cradle's" defense mechanism! It is quietly activated as soon as they enter, and after analyzing the thought patterns of all intruders, it uses their deepest fears, guilt, and logical flaws as weapons to precisely "mentally format" them!
"Uh……"

Lan Ce let out a painful groan, and two streams of blood uncontrollably flowed from his nostrils. His usually calm face showed a pained expression due to the inability to process the massive amount of data.

"Lan Ce!" An Mu's pupils suddenly contracted. He endured the mental attack that was like a demonic voice in his mind and rushed forward, trying to forcibly pull Lan Ce away from the energy conduit.

However, just as his hand was about to touch Lan Ce's body, an even greater will suddenly attacked Bai Yu, who had been in a coma!

It was a will filled with "desire" and "greed"! Was it... the "Tower"?
wrong!

It's a "cradle"!
After realizing the existence of Bai Yu, the perfect "dream enterr," "Cradle" bypassed all the steps and began to forcibly establish a direct "soul link" with him!
Streaks of silvery-white energy, like tentacles, shot out from the giant sphere of light, instantly covering a distance of tens of meters. Like a group of bloodthirsty pythons, they tightly coiled around Bai Yu's defenseless body!
"No!"

Lu Yueqi let out a piercing scream. She watched helplessly as Bai Yu's body was slowly "peeled" from her arms by those energy bands, and then dragged bit by bit towards the huge circular pit, towards the wildly pulsating energy sphere!

She wanted to rush forward and pull him back, but the vicious curse targeting her soul grew even stronger at that moment, making it incredibly difficult for her to even stand. She swayed, trying to steady herself, but could only watch helplessly as Bai Yu's figure receded further and further away from her.

"Damn it!"

Anger flared in An Mu's eyes. He couldn't stand by and watch one of his team members be destroyed by mental overload, and the other about to be devoured by that strange device.

The sense of responsibility he felt as captain, coupled with the humiliation he felt at being confronted by this overwhelming force, completely unleashed his ultimate trump card, which had been suppressed deep within his soul!
"Just a tin can..."

He let out a roar like a wounded lion, and a huge aura full of absolute majesty and control burst out from his body!

Ironclad monarchy!

Om-!
A semi-transparent domain composed of countless complex runes radiating golden light suddenly unfolded around Anmu's body!

The domain was like an inverted giant bowl, instantly enveloping Lan Ce and Lu Yueqi, and also stopping the "Cradle" from dragging Bai Yu.

Wherever the domain passed, all mental attacks and malicious curses from the "cradle" were forcibly "denied" and "rejected" the moment they came into contact with the golden domain.

The whispers, full of temptation and malice, came to an abrupt halt, and the logical paradoxes that had been entangled with Lan Ce shattered as if they had met their nemesis!
The silver-white energy band that was dragging Bai Yu, after being covered by the golden domain, seemed to have been splashed with sulfuric acid, making a "sizzling" sound, and its pulling force was greatly weakened in an instant!

Within this realm of "royal power" constructed by Anmu's will, he is the only "king," and he is the only "rule"!
"puff--"

The moment An Mu unleashed his domain, he coughed up a mouthful of blood. His resolute face was deathly pale, as if most of his life force had been drained away in that instant.

His tall body trembled incessantly due to the immense burden, and the trembling grew increasingly violent, but his sharp eyes remained fixed on the enormous energy sphere before him, his gaze filled with an unyielding majesty.

"Lan Ce! Lu Yueqi! Now!" His voice was hoarse from exhaustion, but it was filled with an undeniable sense of command. "I can't hold on much longer! Immediately... take Bai Yu... into the 'Cradle'!"

From being passively dragged in to actively entering.

This represents two completely different concepts. The former is "being swallowed up," while the latter is "integration."

"Yes!"

Lan Ce, freed from mental overload, and Lu Yueqi, freed from the malicious curse, immediately reacted.

Instead of trying to crack the corrupted data, Lance directly retrieved the original startup protocol for "Cradle" from the first director's file.

"Yueqi! Place your hand on Baiyu's forehead! Use your 'empathy' power as a 'guide'! Link Baiyu's consciousness to the initial port of the 'Cradle'! Remember! Stay calm! You are now his 'navigator'!"

Without the slightest hesitation, Lu Yueqi rushed forward and, at the last moment before his body, suspended in mid-air by the energy beams, was about to plunge into the pit, she tightly embraced him. Then, she stretched out her slightly trembling hand and firmly placed it on Bai Yu's cold forehead.

"Om-"

A massive flow of information instantly flooded into Lu Yueqi's mind through their contact.

But this time, within the "absolutely safe zone" constructed by Anmu's "iron wall of kingship," all the malicious and polluting information was kept out, leaving only the most crucial "operational instructions" for the "cradle."

"Link...start..."

Lu Yueqi closed her eyes, transforming all her willpower into an ice-blue bridge, carefully linking Bai Yu's desolate sea of ​​souls with the vast "miniature universe" before her.

Upon sensing this "correct" connection, the enormous energy sphere ceased its violent pulsation and returned to stability.

The energy bands wrapped around Bai Yu were no longer dragging him roughly, but transformed into countless gentle threads that lifted his body and slowly carried him to the core of the sphere of light.

Finally, Bai Yu's body completely disappeared into the energy sphere that emitted a soft, silvery-white light, slowly overlapping with the curled-up humanoid silhouette that had been waiting there.

The moment the link was established, a consciousness awakened from the sphere of light, a consciousness as vast and boundless as a boundless ocean.

An aged voice, full of wisdom and experience, slowly echoed in their minds at the same time.

"Welcome to the 'Cradle,' my children..."

“I… have been waiting for you… for so long… for so long…”

(End of this chapter)