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

Chapter 93 The End of the Fall

"Click."

That soft sound seemed so insignificant amidst the howling wind and the piercing metallic scraping, yet it struck Bai Yu's heart like the death knell.

The last ties that held him to this crazy world were completely severed.

The next second, the roller coaster plunged down that almost vertical steep slope!
The terrifying feeling of weightlessness was like an invisible giant hand that instantly seized his internal organs, trying to forcibly pull his soul out of his body!

His body was lifted off the cold seat in an instant, violently thrown upwards by the irresistible force of inertia!

The biting wind was like countless sharp knives slashing wildly at his cheeks, making even opening his eyes a luxury.

He could clearly feel his life rapidly slipping away, measured in seconds.

However, in that life-or-death moment that could have driven anyone to the brink of collapse, Bai Yu's heart, accustomed to coldness and despair, continued to beat steadily and powerfully.

His brain entered an extraordinary "overclocked" state under dangerous stimulation!
Time seemed to slow down infinitely.

Everything around us transformed into a slowly flowing painting.

He saw that Lu Yueqi beside him was screaming silently because of the terrifying feeling of weightlessness, her petite face filled with fear and despair.

He saw that Mo Fei in the front row was using his burly body, like an unshakeable mountain, to firmly press against the safety bar in front of him, which was also loose, and his bloodshot eyes were filled with worry for his companion.

He saw that An Mu was using his iron will to forcefully fight against his body's instincts, his sharp eyes fixed on the bottomless darkness in front of him, trying to find a glimmer of hope for everyone in that chaos.

I must not die.

I can't die here.

An incredibly clear thought exploded like a thunderclap deep within his soul!

Almost simultaneously, his body reacted almost instinctively!

His hands, like two red-hot iron clamps, gripped the cold metal armrests on either side of the seat tightly just before he was about to be thrown out completely!
"Zi la——!"

The fingernail rubbed against the metal, producing a piercing, teeth-grinding sound!
A tremendous pulling force traveled up his arms and instantly spread throughout his body! He felt as if his two arms were about to be torn off his shoulders!
Intense pain surged through his nerves like a tidal wave!

But he didn't let go.

He concentrated all his strength in his core and legs, forcibly "nailing" his body into that small seat space in an extremely contorted posture!

His finely crafted suit groaned under the strain of this terrifying force, the fabric at the shoulders tearing apart inch by inch!

"Ha... what a pathetic art."

A voice, full of elegance and mockery, lingered deep within his consciousness.

It's black language.

“My dear Xiaobaiyu, I thought that after experiencing so many ‘deaths,’ you had become completely immune to this kind of crude ‘physics game.’ I never expected that you would be forced into such an embarrassing situation by this level of ‘surprise.’”

"Shut up." Bai Yu's will remained coldly clear despite the intense pain. "Instead of making sarcastic remarks, why don't you think about how to get both of us out of this damned iron coffin?"

"Live on?" Hei Yan let out a light, amused laugh. "Why live on? Don't you think that just like that, in this darkness filled with 'speed' and 'passion,' ending in the most dazzling way is itself a work of art full of 'tragic aesthetics'?"

"I look forward to seeing your shattered body bloom like fireworks in this darkness. That will surely be the most beautiful sight I have ever seen in my life."

"You talk too much nonsense." Bai Yu's voice was devoid of any emotion.

He knew that although Black Words said those things, it would never let him die so easily.

Because it is its most perfect "work of art".

No one may touch this unique "collection" without the "artist's" permission.

"Alright, alright, what a boring guy." Hei Yan seemed to think that this was enough, and his voice carried a hint of seriousness that was barely perceptible. "Since you want to live so much, then I'll give you a little 'tips'."

Do you really think that what's truly binding you is that ridiculous 'safety lever'? Or this foolish 'centrifugal force'?

"No, you're wrong."

"What truly binds you is your pathetic, limited understanding that belongs to 'humanity.' You've tied yourself too tightly to this piece of junk at the level of 'concepts.'"

"Since you are already a 'broken' work of art, why cling to that complete 'existence'?"

Black Words were like a sudden awakening, instantly enlightening White Words!

yes……

Since my existence is no longer complete, why should I be bound by the physical rules that belong to "mortals"?

A flash of understanding appeared in Bai Yu's eyes!
He no longer resisted the enormous centrifugal force, but instead sank all his will into the deepest part of his soul!

He took the initiative to extend an invitation to that sea of ​​"nothingness" filled with deathly silence and coldness!
The next second, a pure "nothingness" power erupted from the core of his soul!

He didn't use this power to attack anything, but instead gently covered his body like a soft veil.

Under the shroud of the power of "nothingness", Bai Yu's concept of "existence" became extremely weak!

The "conceptual link" between him and the roller coaster has been forcibly weakened!

The terrifying centrifugal force acting on him was reduced by at least half in an instant!
His body, which was almost torn apart, finally got a precious moment of respite!

The roller coaster plunged into a bottomless darkness!

All vision has been completely stripped away!

All that could be heard was the sharp sound of the wind, like the wailing of a vengeful ghost, and the mournful creaking of the tracks as they twisted under the unbearable weight!

Something cold and sticky seemed to flash by in the darkness and gently touched his cheek.

The touch was like that of a slippery, venomous snake.

Bai Yu ignored it.

He focused all his attention on sensing the unknown ahead!

He could clearly hear an extremely subtle change in the vibration frequency of the track not far ahead!

broken!

The track ahead is broken!
"Everyone! Hold on!"

Bai Yu let out a roar with all his might!
His roar was torn to pieces by the gale, but it still clearly reached the ears of every companion!

Almost simultaneously, after an extremely violent jolt, the entire roller coaster, like a dragon with its head severed, completely broke free from the constraints of the track!
It plunged headlong into the deeper darkness below with a destructive force!
Bai Yu's body could no longer maintain that contorted posture, and she was violently thrown off her seat by the enormous throwing force!

His body traced a parabola filled with despair in the cold darkness.

Consciousness went blank for a brief moment.

……

"Crack-!"

The sound of falling into the water forcibly pulled Bai Yu's consciousness back from the brink of complete dissipation.

He did not experience the excruciating pain of his body being smashed to pieces upon impact with the hard ground that he had expected.

Instead, there was a feeling of being enveloped like a swamp.

A strange smell mixed with a strong stench of blood rushed into his nostrils, causing his sense of smell, which was accustomed to the smell of disinfectant, to have a strong rejection reaction.

He suddenly opened his eyes!
What comes into view is a boundless dark red "ocean"!
He is floating in this eerie "ocean"!
Scattered around him were countless sections of roller coaster wreckage, long since corroded beyond recognition, and some human limbs swollen and white from being soaked in that dark red liquid.

This is the "final stop" of the roller coaster. It's also a giant "candy pool" filled with death and morbid humor.

Bai Yu suppressed the churning discomfort in his stomach and struggled to swim towards a huge piece of metal debris floating on the "sea" not far away.

The dark red liquid was much thicker than he had imagined; with each stroke, it felt as if he were being tightly bound by countless invisible spider silks.

He could clearly feel his fingertips occasionally touching something soft but cold.

He knew what it was.

He forced himself not to think about it.

Finally, after exhausting his last bit of strength, he managed to climb onto the cold metal wreckage.

He was soaking wet, like a drowned ghost crawling out of a sea of ​​blood, panting heavily.

He looked around.

This is an underground cave that is so huge it's almost ridiculous.

Hanging from the cave's dome are countless enormous "sugar pillars" resembling stalactites. These "sugar pillars" emit an unsettling dark red fluorescence, just like the "candy pool" below, providing the only light source for this deathly silent space.

The cave walls were not made of hard rock, but of a dark red substance that seemed to be pulsating slightly like living flesh.

The walls are covered with graffiti full of "childlike fun" painted with cream-like paint.

A clown with a huge smile on his face is holding a giant lollipop and nailing a crying person to the ground like a nail.

A clown with a huge smile on his face is forcibly stuffing colorful "syrup" into another person's mouth like stuffing sausages, until that person's stomach is so bloated that it bursts open like a balloon.

This is the dirty and bloody "backstage" hidden beneath the glamorous, fairytale-like exterior of "Happy Paradise".

This is a giant "slaughterhouse" filled with madness and morbid amusement.

Bai Yu's gaze slowly swept across the space filled with the aura of death, finally settling on the only exit at the deepest part of the cave.

Just then, a faint groan came from another piece of floating metal debris not far away.

Bai Yu's eyes suddenly narrowed!
It's Anmu and his group!
They are still alive!

Without the slightest hesitation, he immediately leaped up from the wreckage he was on and swam vigorously toward the direction from which the sound came!

……

"Cough...cough..."

Anmu coughed violently, spitting out several mouthfuls of dark red liquid that was sweet and bloody.

His situation was much worse than Bai Yu's.

His left arm was twisted in an unnatural way, clearly indicating that it had been fractured during the fall.

But his eyes still held the calm and determination befitting a commander.

Beside him, Mo Fei, Lan Ce, and Lu Yueqi had all fallen into a coma.

Mo Fei's body was like a small mountain. Even in his unconscious state, he still subconsciously shielded Lan Ce and Lu Yueqi under his body.

"Bai Yu? Are you alright?" An Mu saw Bai Yu swimming over, and a hint of relief flashed in his sharp eyes.

"I'm fine." Bai Yu shook his head. He glanced at the three unconscious people and asked in a deep voice, "How are they?"

“He just fainted.” An Mu’s voice was weak. “In the final moments of the fall, I used my last bit of strength to activate my domain, providing some cushioning for them. But, my arm…”

Bai Yu didn't ask any more questions.

He knew the price Anmu had paid to protect them.

He turned his gaze back to the depths of the cave, where the only exit was.

“We must leave here immediately.” Bai Yu’s voice was devoid of any emotion. “This place is far more dangerous than we imagined.”

He glanced at the endless, dark red "ocean," then at the distant exit.

They are now like ants trapped at the bottom of a giant bottle.

Just then, a series of elegant and unhurried footsteps suddenly and slowly came from the exit.

"Da da da……"

The footsteps were so clear and so rhythmic that they sounded incredibly jarring in the deathly silent cave.

Bai Yu and An Mu's bodies tensed up to the extreme in an instant!
They all turned their gazes in the direction from which the sound came!
In the darkness deep within the cave.

A man dressed in a pure black tailcoat, holding an exquisite black snake-head cane, walked out slowly with elegant steps as if attending a grand ball.

He was not wearing any mask or wearing any paint on his face.

It was a face as pale as fine porcelain.

A smile, clearly conveying a sense of welcome, graced his lips.

His gaze passed over the dark red "ocean" filled with death and wreckage, landing precisely on Bai Yu.

He slowly raised his hand, which was gloved with a pure white silk glove, and performed a perfectly standard hat-tipping salute, a gesture of nobility from the old era, towards Bai Yu.

Good evening, my dear 'audience'.

His voice was no longer the frenzied and shrill synthesized sound he used to hear on the radio.

Instead, it was full of magnetism and elegance, like a top artist interacting with the audience on stage.

"This concludes the 'appetizer' of the first half. Thank you all for your wonderful 'cooperation'."

He paused, and the smile on his lips grew even wider, and even more... full of malice.

"The halftime break is now over."

"Are you all ready to enjoy the second half of the main stage performance that I have prepared for you?"

As he spoke, a huge archway made of countless oddly shaped funhouse mirrors appeared in the darkness behind him with a series of creaking sounds.

At the top of that archway, several large characters were distorted and outlined by colorful neon tubes—

"—The Joker's Theater."

Behind the archway is the enormous circus tent.

The clown slowly turned around and gestured "please" towards the twisted and mad door.

"The next game is easy."

His voice, tinged with a hint of expectant laughter, slowly echoed through the deathly silent cave.

"Please, give me a performance... that can make me laugh from the bottom of my heart."

"otherwise……"

He slowly turned his head, his unfathomable eyes gleaming with an undisguised greed and possessiveness when he saw his favorite collectible.

"...You, and your 'companions,' will all become the newest and most eternal 'collections' in my 'theater.'"

(End of this chapter)