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

Chapter 86 Arcade

When the two stepped back into the bustling, artificially lit second basement level of the mall, a feeling of being in another world arose spontaneously.

The surrounding area was still filled with the laughter and screams of thrill-seeking young people, and the air was filled with the aroma of popcorn and dry ice.

Everything seemed so normal, so normal that it was as if the life-and-death experience on the "ghost ship" was just a dream.

Lu Yueqi clenched her fists instinctively, her nails digging deep into her palms. The sharp pain helped her regain a firm footing.

She turned her head and looked at the man beside her, whose eyes had returned to calm. Complex emotions quietly welled up in her heart.

There is the lingering fear of surviving a disaster, and a deeper awe of the unknown world, but more than anything, there is a sense of transformation, like a butterfly emerging from its cocoon.

“Um…” Lu Yueqi took a deep breath and broke the silence between them. Her voice was hoarse with the shock of surviving a close call, “Shall we…shall we go upstairs for a walk?”

Bai Yu paused slightly, looking at the girl beside her with some surprise.

"Okay." He nodded without asking any further questions.

The two walked side by side toward the escalator leading upstairs. When they returned to the brightly lit shopping mall, the bustling atmosphere filled with the warmth of everyday life instantly enveloped them.

The surroundings are filled with a dazzling array of goods, hurried passersby, sweet whispers between lovers, and innocent laughter of children.

"Baiyu, look over there!" Lu Yueqi's eyes suddenly lit up. Like Columbus discovering a new continent, she pointed to an area not far away filled with dazzling neon lights and loud electronic music, her face showing excitement.

That's a newly opened arcade in the mall.

The entrance is designed as a pixelated castle gate, and the rhythmic electronic music is like a magical siren song, attracting every young person who passes by.

“Let’s…let’s go play that!” Lu Yueqi tentatively suggested, but more than anything, she was looking forward to it. “I…I want to go to a place that’s more crowded and lively.”

Bai Yu looked at her eyes, which, under the neon lights, seemed to be filled with dazzling stars.

"Let's go," he said slowly, a smile playing on his lips.

The arcade is a fantastical world filled with sound, light, and electricity stimulation.

The air was filled with the electronic sound effects from various game consoles, the cheers and frustrations of players, and deafening background music.

Colorful neon lights reflect back and forth between the polished floor and the mirrored ceiling, creating a mesmerizing cyberpunk-style space.

Lu Yueqi was like a little mouse that had fallen into a rice jar. Her bright eyes were full of curiosity as she tugged at Bai Yu's clothes and wandered through this sea of ​​noise and vitality.

Finally, she stopped in front of a row of neatly arranged shooting game machines. It was a light gun shooting game with a "post-apocalyptic zombie" theme, and a huge high-definition screen was playing a bloody and violent promotional animation.

“I…I want to play this!” Lu Yueqi pointed to the machine.

Bai Yu looked at her with some surprise.

"Are you sure?" he asked.

"OK!" Lu Yueqi nodded vigorously.

Bai Yu walked up to the coin exchange machine and exchanged it for a large box of heavy game coins.

Games start.

As expected, Lu Yueqi's shooting game skills were truly disappointing. In less than thirty seconds, accompanied by a mournful cry filled with resentment, the screen displayed a huge red "GAME OVER" message.

Lu Yueqi put down her light gun in frustration, muttering under her breath, "Damn it... these guys... they're way too fast..."

Her embarrassed posture elicited a soft laugh from Bai Yu, who then whispered instructions in her ear: "Don't panic. Calm your breathing, keep your arm flat, and keep the muzzle, sights, and your line of sight in a straight line. Aim and fire."

"Let's try again." Bai Yu inserted a new game coin.

……

Finally, when the last zombie boss on the screen collapsed with a final, unwilling roar, the entire game console erupted in rousing music filled with the joy of victory.

The highest rating, "S", popped up on the screen.

"I...I did it?" Lu Yueqi looked at the score on the screen in disbelief, a bright smile like that of a child on her face.

"Yeah, although I was still a bit clumsy when I was playing." Bai Yu's eyes held an undisguised smile.

"You're the stupid one!"

Having regained her confidence in the shooting game, Lu Yueqi completely let loose. Holding Bai Yu's hand, she acted like an energetic guide, embarking on one "adventure" after another in this sea of ​​joy.

They played a high-speed, high-octane motorcycle race, although Lu Yueqi always spectacularly veered off the track at the first corner.

They played a dance machine that tested their sense of rhythm and coordination. Lu Yueqi's energetic dance moves attracted the attention of many people around her, while Bai Yu just stood quietly to the side, like a most loyal audience member, occasionally unable to help but laugh at her clumsy movements.

Finally, they stopped in front of a row of huge glass display windows.

That's the area in the arcade most popular with couples—the claw machine area.

Lu Yueqi's gaze was instantly drawn to a lop-eared rabbit doll lying peacefully on a carrot in one of the machines.

"Baiyu, look at that rabbit, it's so cute..." Her voice held an undisguised longing. Baiyu followed her gaze. The rabbit plush toy was cleverly placed on top of a pile of other plush toys, surrounded by several irregularly shaped obstacles.

He glanced at the girl beside him whose eyes were sparkling, and finally sighed helplessly, taking a game coin out of his pocket.

Baiyu's every claw strike was incredibly precise.

However, the result was one spectacular failure after another.

The claw seemed to be full of malice, accurately grabbing its target each time, but just as it reached its highest point and was about to send it into the hole, it would release its grip for a moment, causing the rabbit doll that was so close to it to fall back into the pile of dolls.

This is blatant "probability fraud"!
"I don't believe it." Bai Yu frowned, suppressing the urge to curse.

He inserted another game coin.

Just as he was about to try again, a soft little hand gently pressed on the back of his hand.

It's Lu Yueqi.

The girl looked at his face, which was full of resentment, and couldn't help but burst out laughing.

"Bai Yu, you're being silly too. This won't work." She shook her head, like an experienced senior guiding a misguided junior. "You can't win at claw machines by calculating. You have to rely on... your gut feeling!"

As she spoke, she took the control lever from Bai Yu's hand.

She didn't aim or calculate anything. She simply took a deep breath and, relying on her intuition, pressed the descent button.

The metal claw landed wobbly and unsteadily. Instead of grabbing the rabbit, it seized the carrot beneath it.

Under Bai Yu's shocked gaze, the paw, in the instant it grabbed the carrot and lifted it upwards, actually used an almost "shoveling" motion to push the rabbit doll lying on the carrot all the way to the edge of the hole!

Finally, with a soft "thump," the lop-eared rabbit doll that had caused Bai Yu to fail fell into the exit with ease!
The whole world seemed to have fallen silent.

Bai Yu stared blankly at the rabbit that had half its head peeking out from the exit.

"See, I told you so." Lu Yueqi proudly raised her chin, bent down, hugged the fluffy rabbit in her arms, and then presented it to Bai Yu like a treasure, "Here you go."

Bai Yu looked at the girl's smiling face, which was brighter than the stars under the neon lights, and the somewhat adorable rabbit in her arms.

He reached out and took the rabbit.

"Thank you," he said softly.

……

The rooftop terrace of the shopping mall.

The evening breeze carried a hint of summer night heat, gently caressing the ends of their hair.

They leaned side by side against the rooftop railing, looking down at the steel city illuminated by countless neon lights.

The distant traffic flowed like a golden river, slowly flowing through the veins of the city, converging into a dazzling and vibrant sea of ​​stars.

"Thank you for today." Lu Yueqi broke the silence between them first. Her voice was soft, like a breeze brushing across a lake. "Whether it was the haunted house or... playing with me just now."

"No need," Bai Yu replied simply. He looked at the myriad lights before him, his eyes reflecting the city's prosperity and bustle.

“I…” Lu Yueqi took a deep breath, turned her head, and her bright eyes looked particularly serious in the night. “I’ve made up my mind. After I go back this time, I want to apply to the captain to undergo formal ‘Dream Enterer’ training.”

Bai Yu's body stiffened slightly, and he looked at her with some surprise.

“I know I might be stupid and not very talented.” Lu Yueqi’s eyes held a hint of self-mockery, but more so a determination. “But I don’t want to be like before, always hiding behind you and becoming a burden to you. I also want… I also want to have the strength to fight alongside you. I also want to protect some things that I cherish.”

Although her voice was not loud, every word she spoke was firm and resounding.

Bai Yu quietly looked at her, at her profile that glowed in the night, and at her earnest eyes.

After a long while, he slowly spoke.

"You won't be a burden."

"you are very brave."

"Moreover, you already possess the greatest power."

Lu Yueqi was stunned for a moment, looking at him with some confusion.

Bai Yu didn't explain further. He simply reached out and gently patted her head, like an older brother encouraging his younger sister who was about to embark on a journey.

That power of "empathy," capable of singing a song of hope amidst despair, is the most precious treasure that neither he nor Hei Yan possessed.

He raised his head and turned his gaze back to the myriad lights of the homes.

No matter what darkness the future holds.

He will do everything in his power to protect this hard-won present.

(End of this chapter)