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

Chapter 90 The Distorted Parade

The parade of "smiling dolls" stood silently at the end of the corridor, like a wall of despair built of twisted "pleasure."

Their dozen or so empty eyes were all identical, staring intently at the intruders who were laughing maniacally in pain because they had inhaled "happy pollen".

Their eyes were devoid of any emotion, like a sophisticated camera coldly scanning and judging whether the "smiles" on their faces "met the standard".

An immense mental pressure, filled with oppression, emanated from them, intertwining with the malicious reflections in the surrounding funhouse mirrors to form a net that completely trapped the five people in this narrow space of pain and madness.

A parade was in front of me, funhouse mirrors were behind me, hallucinogenic pollen was constantly falling from above, and I could hear my own uncontrollable, painful laughter.

Caught between a rock and a hard place, with no way to avoid it.

"Ha...ha...damn it..." An Mu clenched his teeth, and veins bulged on his usually resolute face due to the violent laughter.

He forcibly mobilized the nightmare power belonging to the "Iron Wall Royal Authority" within his body, attempting to use his strong willpower to resist the compulsive nerve stimulation acting on the physiological level.

His efforts had some effect. His manic laughter was gradually suppressed into a series of painful gasps. He had finally regained some control over his body.

"Lan Ce!" he managed to squeeze out the two words with a hoarse voice.

"Here!" Lanze was in slightly better condition than him. He was using his extraordinary rationality to forcibly separate his consciousness from his body, treating his uncontrollable laughter as a "physiological phenomenon" that needed to be observed and analyzed.

Despite the flushed face from lack of oxygen, the eyes behind the glasses still shone with a calm light.

He immediately took out his detector and aimed it at the eerie parade ahead.

A series of data filled with red alerts immediately started flashing wildly on the screen.

"The energy composition... is extremely complex..." Lan Ce spoke rapidly, performing a precise analysis while enduring physical pain. "The main body is composed of high-molecular polymers, plant fibers, and... an unknown active biological tissue. The energy core... is a highly concentrated aggregate of resentment, and its mental pollution index... has exceeded the average threshold of a Grade B Nightmare!"

"These things...were made from the previous victims!"

This cruel conclusion caused everyone present to feel a sudden sinking feeling in their hearts.

"Bai Yu!" An Mu turned his gaze to the only man who was unaffected. "What did you see?"

Bai Yu's gaze, like that of the sharpest eagle, swept back and forth across the seemingly orderly parade.

“They are performing a ‘ritual’,” Bai Yu’s voice was icy. “They are ‘harvesting.’ Harvesting the ‘pleasure’ we experience from our pain. The more painful our laughter, the more active the resentful energy fluctuations within them become.”

His gaze finally settled on the "puppet" in the very center of the group.

Like all the other puppets, the "puppet" wore a brightly colored clown costume and had a perpetual smile on its face. But in its hand, it held a comically ridiculous baton.

Its movements, unlike the stiff, puppet-like steps of all the other puppets, have a subtle difference that is almost imperceptible to the naked eye.

Its movements are more "smooth" and more "purposeful".

It is the "conductor" of this death parade.

“The one in the middle, the one holding the baton,” Bai Yu’s voice was deep. “He is the core of this team.”

"What is the success rate of forcing a breakthrough?" An Mu asked.

“Less than ten percent.” Lanze immediately gave a despairing figure. “If we do anything aggressive and disrupt the ‘rituation’ of the ‘parade,’ there is a high chance that we will trigger even more dangerous ‘punishment’ rules. At that time, we may not only be facing these dozen or so puppets.”

"What are we going to do? Are we just going to laugh ourselves to death here?!" Mo Fei's eyes burned with raging anger, and his burly body trembled violently from his uncontrollable laughter, like an angry lion trapped in a cage.

“No.” Bai Yu shook her head, her deep eyes gleaming with wisdom. “We cannot break the ‘ritual.’ But we can… ‘join’ it.”

"Join?" Everyone was taken aback.

“Yes.” Bai Yu nodded. “Lan Ce’s analysis gave me an idea. Since they are attracted by the ‘brightest smile,’ we can create an irresistible ‘focus’ for them. A ‘superstar’ who is happier than all of us combined.”

His gaze slowly fell on the man who was radiating a powerful energy fluctuation due to anger.

"Mo Fei".

Mo Fei was stunned for a moment, then immediately understood Bai Yu's intention.

A resolute and ferocious smile appeared on his face.

"Okay." He only said one word.

This plan is fraught with danger. If it fails, he, as the "focus," will be the first to suffer the most intense attack from the parade.

But he did not hesitate at all.

Because he is the shield of the team.

Protecting his companions was an instinct etched into his soul.

"Everyone, get ready!" An Mu's voice became extremely solemn. "Lan Ce, Lu Yueqi, the moment Mo Fei draws their attention, you two break through the gap on the left! Bai Yu, you're in charge of covering us!"

"Yes!"

Mo Fei took a deep breath.

He completely merged the nightmare power within him, which was running rampant due to anger, with the compulsive nerve stimulation from "happy pollen" in a contradictory yet unusually harmonious way!
The next second, he suddenly raised his head, his crimson eyes burning with the purest will to protect.

He opened his mouth and, facing the deathly silent procession ahead, let out a thunderous laugh—"Hahahahahahahahahahahahaha!!!"

The laughter was so loud and penetrating, it seemed to completely overturn the dome of the entire funhouse mirror maze!
The laughter was filled with contempt for everything before them, and with merciless mockery of that false "happiness"!

A provocative "performance"!
The plan worked!
The originally orderly parade froze for a moment after hearing Mo Fei's powerful "laughter"!
Immediately afterwards, except for the "core" puppet holding the baton, all the other puppets seemed to have received some irresistible command, and their stiff heads turned towards Mo Fei's direction at a terrifying angle that defied ergonomics!

On those smiling faces, empty eyes revealed emotions like "desire" and "greed"!

They took stiff steps, abandoned their original patrol route, and slowly approached Mo Fei, this huge "source of happiness," like iron filings attracted by a magnet!

A huge gap appeared in the parade!

"Now! Let's go!" An Mu roared!

Without the slightest hesitation, Lan Ce and Lu Yueqi rushed toward the gap on the left at top speed!
However, just as Bai Yu was about to lead Lu Yueqi through, the "core" puppet that had been holding a baton moved.

Its gaze remained fixed on Bai Yu the entire time.

Its smiling face, identical to the other dolls, now had an even more exaggerated curve at the corners of its mouth.

Then, it slowly raised its white-gloved hand and pointed the baton in its hand at Baiyu.

The voice, filled with madness and excitement, rang out on the radio once again.

"Oh! Look! We've found... tonight's... happiest... lucky audience member!"

He will receive... the ultimate prize... from our Happy Paradise!

"—To be the brightest, most enduring star in our 'Smiling Parade'!"

As the broadcast ended, all the puppets that had been drawn to Mo Fei suddenly stopped in their tracks!

Once again, they cast their empty gazes at Bai Yu!

A viscous binding force surged wildly from all directions, like countless invisible spider silks that firmly bound Bai Yu's body to the spot!
That force is trying to drag him into the ranks of death and deformity!
"Bai Yu!" An Mu and the others, who had successfully broken through, let out a horrified roar!

However, at this most critical moment, Bai Yu, who was bound to the spot, showed no sign of panic.

Instead, he faced the immense binding force and took a step forward.

He looked up at the "core" puppet holding the baton and smiled.

But that smile was no longer a pretense.

Instead, it was a cold smile filled with endless mockery and contempt.

Is 'happiness' what you want?

Bai Yu's voice did not come from his vocal cords, but rather from his mental link, piercing the will of the "core" puppet like a sharp icicle.

"No, what you want is forced, distorted, and painful 'pleasure'."

"Then, I'll give you a... real gift that you absolutely wouldn't want."

The moment the words left his mouth, Bai Yu suddenly opened his eyes, which had been half-closed!
A power of "nothingness" devoid of any emotion or impurity erupted from his soul sea, which was deeply intertwined with Hei Yan!

Instead of resisting the binding force, he aggressively injected this "nothingness" into the core of the "core" doll's will!

For a nightmare that lives by absorbing and manipulating "emotions," this "nothingness" that has no emotions and even has extremely weak concepts is the most deadly poison!
"--Ah ah ah ah ah ah ah!!!"

The "core" doll let out a silent but painful shriek from its soul!
A look of pain appeared on its smiling face! Its body, made of high-molecular polymers, began to melt violently, like a wax figure thrown into concentrated sulfuric acid!

The colorful clown costume shattered into pieces, revealing the true face hidden beneath the disguise, stitched together from countless painful smiles!
The binding force applied to Bai Yu vanished in an instant!

"Retreat!" An Mu seized this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity and immediately issued the order!

Without the slightest hesitation, Bai Yu immediately rushed towards the gap at top speed!
The five of them finally escaped the hallway filled with death and madness, free of any real danger.

When they stepped back onto the main road paved with twisted black and white checks, they all turned back at the same time.

At the end of the corridor, the "core" monster, severely wounded by Bai Yu, had not been completely destroyed. Its melting body rejoined the chaotic procession.

The entire team stopped all movement.

All the puppets slowly turned their stiff bodies around, silently gazing at them from a great distance with their dozen or so empty eyes.

At that moment, the monotonous, repetitive carousel music throughout the Happy Paradise also quietly changed.

The cheerful melody gradually turned somber and slow, filled with discordant notes.

Ultimately, it turned into a lullaby filled with endless sorrow and madness...

They thoroughly enraged the owner of the park.

The real "game" has only just begun.

(End of this chapter)