Category: The Grotesque Miss’s End Story

Chapter 89: How Laughable

Containment File Number: GY-20251112023
Containment Level: A
Containment Codename: White Witch
Containment Hazard: Unknown
Containment Description: White Witch appears to be a girl aged 10-12, height 148cm, weight unknown, with long silver-white hair, petite build, and a cold demeanor. Her facial features exhibit common East Asian characteristics and are considered exceptionally beautiful. The target is highly suspected to be an apostle of Puppet Ballad, the Sequence Forty-Nine Silent Demise Grotesquery. She possesses an anomalous healing ability, is completely immune to damage from Puppet Ballad creations, and is suspected of having the ability to absorb flesh and blood to enhance her own power, though there is currently no direct evidence to support this.
Containment Procedures: Containment not yet implemented.
“…”

Li Shaoheng carefully compiled all the gathered information and sent it to Company headquarters via encrypted channels.

He looked up at the two girls in his office.

An Yu and Elsa.

Their expressions were complex.

Finally, persuaded by their fellow exchange group members and a single sentence from Li Shaoheng, they had decided to reveal everything they knew about Bai.

“If she’s not a Grotesquery apostle, revealing her information will help clear your suspicions. If she is a Grotesquery apostle… then your past affections were merely a deception.”

However, most of the information An Yu and Elsa provided came from the Baiyan Village incident, and Luo Ling herself had already submitted a report about it, omitting only the information that she alone knew.

They had merely filled in some details.

Like the ability used to heal An Yu.

Luo Ling’s report only mentioned healing An Yu’s fatal injury, but it hadn’t specified that the injury was half her body being destroyed!

To miraculously survive such a certain death, the price being only some life force depletion, was completely beyond the common knowledge of Awakened Ones.

An Yu and Elsa might not have understood the implications, simply thinking Bai’s ability was exceptionally powerful, but the experienced Li Shaoheng knew how incredible this was.

Not just for Low-Order Awakened Ones, but even for High-Order Awakened Ones, even those who wielded Authorities, this was unheard of.

So, when An Yu recounted this, Li Shaoheng’s first thought was that she had become one of those white mycelial monsters, but after a thorough examination, he found no abnormalities in her regenerated half.

Li Shaoheng rubbed his temples. The only information they had about the Puppet Ballad was its white mycelial creations; everything else was unknown.

Whether it was infiltrating the incubation barrier or confronting the fully hatched Grotesquery, it would come at a great cost.

As time passed, the Grotesquery energy within the incubation barrier continued to rise, the amount of power the Puppet Ballad had accumulated during its dormancy unimaginable.

And how it had managed to do so silently, with only two known incubation barrier incidents…

“Stinky Uncle, after knowing all this, do you still think Big Sister Bai is a Grotesquery apostle?”

Just as Li Shaoheng was struggling with this, a shrill voice echoed.

Bella, hands on her hips, stood on Elsa’s lap and glared at Li Shaoheng, asking the question that weighed heavily on Elsa’s mind.

“Artist’s creation… tsk, truly exquisite.”

Li Shaoheng didn’t answer Bella’s question immediately, just glanced at the cute yet sassy teddy bear.

Every time he saw it, he couldn’t help but admire Artist’s skill, actually bestowing a “soul” upon an inanimate object.

Of course, it was because Artist was dead that he could appreciate it. If Artist were still alive, Bella would likely be captured by the Company for dissection and research, to find a weakness in his ability.

The same applied to Elsa, Scientist’s creation. It was only because Scientist was dead that her priority was lowered; otherwise, she would also be subjected to research.

As for whether the White Witch was a Grotesquery apostle, Li Shaoheng lowered his gaze, looking at the scattered information on his desk, and said softly,

“Seventy percent probability, yes.”

“Seventy percent…”

Elsa’s brow furrowed, and An Yu’s face paled.

The trauma resurfaced, the memories of her deceased grandparents and Bai flashing through her mind.

It was clear how important Bai was to her.

If Bai really was the culprit behind all this…

“Don’t worry, there’s still a thirty percent chance she’s not,” Bella said, patting Elsa’s head comfortingly. It was rare for her not to mock her owner, Elsa.

“Yes, yes, I believe in Little Bai.”

As if grasping at straws, An Yu nodded repeatedly. She couldn’t forget the moment Bai had saved her life with her ability.

It was because of that moment that she believed so strongly.

As if afraid Li Shaoheng would say something even more terrifying, Bella urged Elsa and An Yu to leave, and they quickly excused themselves, leaving the room.

Li Shaoheng watched them leave in silence.

He hadn’t said the second part of his thought…

“And a thirty percent chance… that she is the Puppet Ballad itself.”

This was his last shred of mercy.

Sixteen hours had passed since the incubation barrier appeared, its coverage area expanding by about a third, but its growth rate had slowed significantly.

During this time, Liu Songyi had evacuated the civilians of Jiangcheng County to an area about ten kilometers from the city center. Any further, and there wouldn’t be any place for them to stay.

Jiangcheng County wasn’t a large city, and it was located in one of the most peaceful Boundaries. This sudden disaster had caused widespread panic, and they were barely maintaining order.

“Unfortunately, there aren’t many official organizations in this Boundary, making it difficult to coordinate…”

Li Shaoheng sighed. The power to traverse Boundaries wasn’t something every organization possessed. Many, even those aware of the Boundary’s existence, couldn’t freely enter or exit.

It was during the Company’s golden age, in an earlier Boundary, that they had mastered this power, establishing branches in various Boundaries.

Now, they had to act quickly, containing the Puppet Ballad’s incubation before Jiangcheng County descended into complete chaos.

But it was easier said than done.

“But no matter what…”

The image of the mysterious girl’s indifferent eyes flashed through Li Shaoheng’s mind, and he couldn’t help but feel a sense of unease.

Even without Ji Shinian’s warning, he would have considered this apostle-like girl extremely dangerous.

Just then, he received a message from the Company branch. The first team to enter the incubation barrier was ready, seven P7 specialists, and another P8 specialist besides him.

This was all the manpower the nearby Company branch could muster. More were on their way, but they couldn’t wait any longer. The situation would only worsen with time.

“It’s time to infiltrate the incubation barrier.”

Li Shaoheng sighed and looked out the window at the bright blue sky, a slight distortion in the distance.

This distortion was caused by the Puppet Ballad’s incubation site.

“A High-Risk Grotesquery…”

Throughout the Company’s history, they had only participated in a handful of High-Risk Grotesquery battles.

And a sudden one like this… was a first.

“Hopefully… it will go smoothly.”

…

A short while later, in front of the incubation barrier in the city center.

Within the barrier, both vision and perception were distorted. Looking with the naked eye, the city center still looked normal.

But just a few meters away, buildings had collapsed, as if struck by a natural disaster.

So, the barrier’s location was easy to determine.

When Li Shaoheng arrived, the seven specialists from the Company branch were already waiting, their leader an elderly woman past sixty.

Besides them, there were also a few members from the local Awakened organization, watching nervously.

Seeing Li Shaoheng, the elderly woman walked forward and extended a hand.

“Mr. Li, I’ve heard so much about you. My name is Lu Fangling.”

Li Shaoheng was taken aback, shaking her hand.

“Hello, I don’t think… I’ve heard of you…?”

He hadn’t heard of her during his brief stay at the nearby Company branch.

“We operate in different Boundaries,” Lu Fangling smiled faintly.

She glanced towards the local Awakened organization, and a woman in Republican-era clothing, noticing her gaze, quickly hid.

Because the Company’s golden age had been in an earlier Boundary, they had the power to establish branches in various Boundaries. Even other organizations, if they wanted to traverse Boundaries, often had to rely on the Company.

It could be said that the Company had a presence in every Boundary, each branch unique.

It was their ability to traverse Boundaries that had allowed the Company to become the largest Awakened organization, over two-thirds of normal Awakened Ones registered with them, a true behemoth.

And with so many Awakened Ones under their banner, the Company sometimes had to shoulder certain responsibilities, like dealing with this High-Risk Grotesquery disaster.

Of course, it wasn’t without benefits. At least the Sacred Relics formed after killing Grotesqueries were the most valuable currency in the Awakened world.

“Every incubation barrier has its own rules, you should know this, right?” Li Shaoheng asked, his tone uncertain.

P7 specialists were High-Order Awakened Ones, P8 specialists were High-Order Awakened Ones who had encountered Authorities, and a few among them… like Li Shaoheng, possessed Sacred Tools that could utilize Authorities.

So, not all P8 specialists were equal, and Li Shaoheng wanted to confirm if this old woman possessed comparable strength.

“Heh, it seems this old woman has been underestimated,” Lu Fangling chuckled, her gaze constantly drifting towards the Patient Exchange Group.

“My apologies,” Li Shaoheng lowered his head.

“Don’t worry, this old woman has handled more troublesome matters than this,” Lu Fangling looked up at the distorted incubation barrier. “Did Old Ji not tell you… that I’m his ex-wife?”

“Huh?”

Li Shaoheng was stunned. He had never heard of this.

But if Ji Shinian had closer connections within the Company…

Wait, ex-wife?

Perhaps not so close after all.

However, having dealt with High-Risk Grotesquery disasters, her age, and her constant glances at the Republican-era woman in the exchange group…

“A Boundary in the Republican era? The capital?”

“Good that you know. I don’t want to say more.”

Lu Fangling glanced at Li Shaoheng, the single look filled with pressure.

“I’ll be in charge of guarding the perimeter, no problem, right?” Lu Fangling raised an eyebrow. “Take good care of my people. Missing limbs are fine, even a few deaths are acceptable, but don’t come back empty-handed.”

The P7 specialists around her smiled wryly, clearly knowing that this mission was a do-or-die situation.

“…Of course.”

What else could Li Shaoheng say? He had intended to lead the operation, but this woman clearly had more seniority, he could only obey.

Just as they were about to leave, someone unexpected approached him.

“I remember, your name is… Xu Qian?” Li Shaoheng frowned and asked.

Elsa nodded slightly, her small fists clenched.

She wanted to join the team entering the incubation barrier.

An Yu had also wanted to come, but she couldn’t overcome her trauma.

“But you can’t, you’re too weak,” Li Shaoheng shook his head. Even with her Grotesquery abilities, a Mid-Order Awakened One wasn’t strong enough.

He had even sent Cen Xiangyun back to the Company branch, let alone this little girl named Xu Qian.

“If you’re truly worried about the White Witch, just wait here for news,” Li Shaoheng sighed, then turned and walked towards the incubation barrier with his team.

“Perhaps… ignorance is bliss,” he murmured.

…

“Xiao Ling? Class dismissed so early today?”

In the kitchen, Su Wan looked up in surprise as the white-haired girl entered.

Her joyful expression froze as a cold flash of steel sliced through the air.

Instantly cut in half.

Blood splattered, her body falling limply to the ground.

Luo Ling stood silently before her sister’s corpse, staring at the flowing blood, counting in her mind.

“Three… two… one…”

The blood turned into pus, the severed body into broken fungi, collapsing onto the floor.

The emerging mycelia threads gently wrapped around Luo Ling’s ankles, like her sister’s gentle touch.

But Luo Ling knew it was all fake.

It was the Puppet Ballad.

“Thirty-two.”

Luo Ling had personally killed thirty-two versions of her sister, each one as real as her memories, kind and gentle.

But they were all fake.

All of them… fake.

She had entered the game alone, competing with the Puppet Ballad’s most powerful “egg” for nourishment within the incubation barrier, inevitably being influenced by it, just like in the subterranean cavern of Baiyan Village.

The “egg” wanted to consume her, so she had to consume the “egg.”

Bite, tear, swallow.

The end.

And like a recurring dream, Luo Ling found herself shopping with her sister again.

Her sister’s arm around hers, the familiar scent comforting, they walked past a beautiful dress, their steps slowing.

Luo Ling recognized the dress. It was the one her sister had admired at the mall last time.

Too expensive for them.

She had only glanced at it before hurrying away, as if afraid of being tempted.

“Thirty-three.”

A flash of steel.

Another sister’s corpse fell, the surrounding crowd scattering in terror, staring at the blood-soaked Luo Ling.

This time, even after chanting dozens of times, the body didn’t turn into fungi.

Luo Ling stood there for a long time, police sirens echoing in the distance.

The panicked cries of the crowd mixed with the faint fear in Luo Ling’s heart, pulling her away from her cold, detached state.

She crouched down and picked up her sister’s remains.

Continuing her grim task.

The sounds faded, the colors dimmed, and silence returned.

Another end.

…Her sister was dead.

All these sisters were fake, no matter how real they seemed, all puppets of the Puppet Ballad.

She had to consume them all, swallow them whole, to truly save everything, to fulfill Ji Ying’s final wish.

Luo Ling told herself this.

The Puppet Ballad was trying to use her memories of her sister to kill her. It really thought it could defeat her this way.

How laughable.

“Thirty-four.”

“Thirty-five.”

“…”

Unknowingly, the black ice dagger was stained with blood, its sharp tip a crimson point.

Luo Ling looked up and saw only ruins around her, the fungus-covered buildings collapsed, the streets littered with corpses.

The enormous fungus that had once reached the sky was now withered and decaying, the “egg” containing Ji Ying’s hatred and despair reaching its end.

But the battle wasn’t over.

Not until it was completely devoured.

Luo Ling, her sword reversed, walked towards the fungus, stepping over twisted rebar and broken concrete.

Just then, she heard a noise behind her.

Turning around, she saw flickering figures.

In her hazy vision, the buildings seemed to rise again, crowds of people and cars moving orderly on the repaired roads.

At the traffic lights, people stared at her with vacant, grotesque eyes.

“Another illusion from my memories?”

“It’s learned. No more Sister…”

“But… the result is the same.”

Luo Ling raised her dagger, pointing it at the approaching figures, and whispered,

“No matter how many times, I’ll see this through to the end.”

The silver-haired girl stood alone amidst the ruins, her pure white, terrifying eyes looking down at those who had entered the incubation barrier.

“Target sighted! All personnel, be alert, the target is highly aggressive!”

Chapter 88: No One Will Remember Her Face

Within the incubation barrier.

The silver-haired girl walked, witnessing scene after scene.

She wasn’t in Jiangcheng County anymore, but a strange, unfamiliar city.

This was… a projection of a city from the past.

An unidentifiable stench filled the air, a mix of sickly sweet decay and the metallic tang of blood.

As far as the eye could see, the city was littered with mangled corpses, the gruesome scene a testament to… the Puppet Ballad’s utter devastation.

Disturbing white fungi bloomed from almost every corpse, a cruel reminder of their “kindred.” The people who had died in this city had all been under the Puppet Ballad’s control.

This was a city… of only Meat Puppets.

A lone figure sat amidst the carnage, waiting silently.

Luo Ling walked over and sat beside her.

“Ji Ying.”

“Mm.”

Ji Ying nodded slightly.

“This is your memory, right?”

Luo Ling asked softly, but it was more of a statement.

From the moment she entered the incubation barrier, she had entered Ji Ying’s domain.

Luo Ling hadn’t resisted the “egg’s” pull, allowing herself to be drawn into Ji Ying’s memory.

Because this was her only chance to speak to Ji Ying in her current state.

The Ji Ying here was just a memory; her last shred of sanity remained on the train, her desperate struggle reaching its inevitable conclusion.

“It’s ironic, isn’t it?” Ji Ying murmured, her usually indifferent face stained with tears. “In the end, I’ve become the very thing I hate the most…”

From their very first meeting, Ji Ying had told Luo Ling that she wanted to kill the Puppet Ballad.

But now… she had become its puppet, the source of its revival. This incubation barrier was her creation, and once the incubation was complete, the Puppet Ballad’s true form would emerge.

“Ji Ying, can you tell me your story?” Luo Ling asked, turning to her. “I want to hear it.”

Although she had pieced together some of it from Artist’s fragmented memories, she wanted to hear it from Ji Ying herself.

Even memories destined to be forgotten by the world deserved to be remembered.

“Actually, I’m not from this Boundary,” Ji Ying looked up and said slowly. “I come from… another Boundary, one that has since been annihilated.

“A Boundary of complete Disorder.”

A “Boundary” was the division between the physical world and the Realm of Nothingness.

Normally, there was no such thing as a Boundary.

But three hundred years ago, when the ten Taboos fell silent, they caused a “Disorder” across the world, and Boundaries were born.

The relationship between time and space was shattered, different parts of the world experiencing time differently, each time layer becoming a Boundary.

If the world were a Jenga tower, each block representing a period in time, stacked one upon another,

Each time period a layer, the entire tower the history of the world,

Some blocks, due to certain incidents, were removed, and the empty spaces in the tower became places beyond the Boundary, known as the Realm of Nothingness.

Grotesqueries and Awakened Ones who had encountered Authorities could see the Realm of Nothingness, this difference in perception creating another layer of danger, which was why Li Shaoheng had been so cautious.

The current method for those aware of the Boundary to travel through the Realm of Nothingness was within vehicles of the outer world, such as trains and planes, but this method could only take them to other locations within the same Boundary.

To travel to a different Boundary, more specialized methods were required.

The Spirit Walker was such a valuable Sacred Tool, capable of traversing Boundaries.

In Artist’s memories, they had come to Jiangcheng County from a place called “Victoria,” a Boundary different from Jiangcheng County’s, earlier on the timeline, perhaps by one or two hundred years.

And Ji Ying came from a later Boundary, where the Puppet Ballad’s disaster had spiraled out of control.

Over a third of Asia had fallen, its people turned into zombie-like beings.

Their bodies, consumed by white mycelia, only their brains and consciousness remaining, watched in horror as their bodies committed unspeakable acts.

Consuming flesh and blood was the most “acceptable” act; the more horrifying scenes were beyond description, far more terrifying than any zombie movie.

Like the end of the world.

Finally, after countless sacrifices, Ji Ying and her team had managed to kill the Puppet Ballad, removing this Disorder Boundary caused by the Grotesquery from the world’s history.

But they hadn’t expected the Puppet Ballad to have planted an “egg” in another Boundary beforehand. This “egg” had inherited the Puppet Ballad’s consciousness and was about to become a new Puppet Ballad.

If the Puppet Ballad was revived, the Disorder Boundary they had painstakingly erased would return, the missing block placed back in the tower.

To prevent this, Ji Ying had decisively used her ability, Illusion, to erase her past and implanted the Puppet Ballad’s white mycelia within herself, allowing her to follow the trail to Jiangcheng County and attempt to kill it completely.

And because of Illusion, her own past was gone, preventing any connection to that terrifying, annihilated future.

As for the method of killing the Puppet Ballad…

“All my teammates, including my captain, died for it,” Ji Ying said calmly, revealing her expected fate.

In that annihilated Disorder Boundary, this was how they had ended the apocalypse.

Merging with the Puppet Ballad, using consciousness to kill consciousness.

However, the Puppet Ballad in Jiangcheng County had hidden itself too well, never revealing any weaknesses. Ji Ying couldn’t find its true form.

She could only continuously merge with the spawned “eggs,” trying to find a clue, but ultimately, she failed.

And in her failure, she had become another disaster.

This was the most tragic outcome for Ji Ying.

She wasn’t afraid of death; she had been prepared for it from the beginning. But now…

“Can we… still succeed?”

Ji Ying turned slightly, looking at Luo Ling, who had come to see her off.

“…Of course we can,” Luo Ling nodded firmly.

“That’s… wonderful…”

A smile appeared on Ji Ying’s face.

She reached out and cupped Luo Ling’s face, her eyes sparkling.

“Thank you, Miss Luo Ling…”

For staying with me, even in my final moments.

The city of the undead in her memory began to crumble, its fragments dissipating, along with Ji Ying’s figure, completely merging into nothingness.

This meant that Ji Ying’s memories… had been completely erased from this world.

From now on, no one, besides Luo Ling, would remember this quiet woman who had sacrificed everything to kill the Puppet Ballad.

This was Ji Ying’s final act, her refusal to become another Puppet Ballad, another disaster, another Disorder Boundary.

From this day forward, no one would remember the woman named “Ji Ying.” She, and her despairing Boundary, were now erased from existence.

Luo Ling closed her eyes, a faint stinging sensation in her nose.

When she opened her white, pupilless eyes again, she saw an enormous fungus, reaching towards the sky, rooted in the center of Jiangcheng County.

The surrounding buildings were covered in mycelia, the corpses on the ground, not even their bones spared, completely consumed.

The moment Ji Ying lost control, the Puppet Ballad’s incubation had begun.

The only reason it had waited for Luo Ling’s arrival to create the incubation barrier was because of Ji Ying’s final act of resistance. Even as a Grotesquery, she had instinctively tried to minimize the scale of the disaster.

Luo Ling walked towards the enormous fungus, and a few of its extending mycelia threads touched her, wrapping around her fingertips almost affectionately.

Even knowing that this wasn’t Ji Ying’s will, but merely the “egg’s” instinctive connection to the Puppet Ballad, Luo Ling couldn’t help but feel a pang of sadness.

Silent tears dripped onto the ground, instantly sprouting tiny fungi.

“An incubation site… yes, this is the Puppet Ballad’s incubation site…”

The silver-haired girl slowly raised her head, her expression hardening.

“And I… am also the Puppet Ballad.”

“Let’s settle this, for this world, for… her final wish.”

…

“The incubation barrier is expanding, we must evacuate the residents of Jiangcheng County immediately!”

“The Grotesquery energy at the center of the incubation site is rapidly increasing, prepare to face a High-Risk Grotesquery!”

“The Company is calling for all P7 and above specialists within Boundary Twenty-Three, both regular and outsourced. Issue a warning to all Awakened organizations!”

One urgent message after another was sent out. The Company had classified this as an S-level emergency, and even the P9 director stationed at headquarters was preparing to depart.

Dormant High-Risk Grotesqueries weren’t uncommon. Even if they knew of their existence, it was difficult to pinpoint their location. In most cases, only their spawned “eggs” were active, which a team led by a P8 specialist could handle.

But an awakened High-Risk Grotesquery…

Was a completely different matter.

High-Risk Grotesqueries possessed Authorities, each one capable of causing unimaginable disasters.

The reason Artist and the others had chosen to act was not only because of the matching path, but also because the Puppet Ballad had seemed so weak.

They hadn’t expected… this weakness to be a complete facade. It had hidden most of its power within Ji Ying, a self-restricting “egg,” allowing it to create the incubation barrier without warning.

Once the incubation barrier appeared, most countermeasures were useless. They could either wait for the High-Risk Grotesquery to fully hatch and emerge, or send a team to infiltrate the incubation barrier and kill it while it was still incubating.

The Company was mobilizing its forces for the second option.

Within Qingshan Psychiatric Hospital, almost all the members of the exchange group were gathered in Ward Zero, including Li Shaoheng, who had just returned from the incubation site.

But Liu Songyi, usually the one in charge, was absent. He was using his police status to evacuate the residents of Jiangcheng County, both to save their lives and to prevent them from becoming nourishment for the unknown Grotesquery.

No, it was no longer unknown.

“Now, I’ll share the information I have.”

Li Shaoheng forwarded an urgent intel report from Company headquarters in the group chat. He glanced at Ji Shinian, who was still unconscious, then at a young woman who was yawning repeatedly.

This mysterious administrator, who had never appeared in the Patient Exchange Group before, looked like she was in her early twenties but wore clothes that didn’t belong to this era.

She wore round-rimmed glasses, her long hair in two old-fashioned braids, and a simple, neatly tailored dress, as if she had stepped out of a Republican-era film.

But Li Shaoheng, knowing the truth about Boundaries, suddenly considered another possibility, though he wasn’t sure.

Because this seemingly Republican-era young woman was too weak, just a Mid-Order Awakened One.

“Why do you keep staring at me?” The woman raised an eyebrow, a heroic air about her. “Go on with your explanation, I won’t interrupt.”

“…”

Li Shaoheng averted his gaze and said,

“The forbidden stone tablet that records Grotesqueries has revealed its true name. Sequence Forty-Nine, Silent Demise: Puppet Ballad.”

When he first saw the name in the Company intel, Li Shaoheng had felt a sense of familiarity, but he couldn’t place it.

It seemed to be just a feeling.

His words silenced the room.

Forty-Nine.

Any Awakened One who had encountered a Grotesquery knew what this Sequence number meant.

Li Shaoheng had been calling it a High-Risk Grotesquery, but it had only been a speculation, and the Awakened Ones in Jiangcheng County had held onto a sliver of hope, perhaps Li Shaoheng’s judgment had been wrong.

But now, with confirmation from the forbidden stone tablet, the cruel truth was undeniable.

“There’s one more thing, and this is the reason I called you all here,” Li Shaoheng’s expression turned grim. “About the White Witch in your exchange group.”

An Yu and Elsa were the first to react, their faces filled with anxiety, while the others, except for Shen Miaoyun, looked confused.

Shen Miaoyun blinked. She hadn’t forgotten this “colleague,” they were both healers, although they hadn’t interacted much.

“Based on various indications, she is likely an apostle of the Puppet Ballad,” Li Shaoheng continued.

An apostle!

Those who understood the meaning of “apostle” were shocked, while those who didn’t looked puzzled.

“In layman’s terms, it means ‘minion,’” the Republican-era woman helpfully added.

“Impossible!” An Yu immediately stood up, her eyes wide with disbelief. “Little Bai… how could she be a minion of that terrifying monster?!”

She had experienced the Baiyan Village incident firsthand, her life saved by Little Bai’s resurrection ability, and she had witnessed Little Bai defeat the terrifying Grotesquery in the subterranean cavern.

To say that Little Bai was a minion of that Grotesquery who had slaughtered the villagers…

How could that be?!

“Big Sister Bai is not a minion!”

Bella, using her shrill voice, spoke for Elsa, the foreign, red-haired girl’s face filled with stubborn defiance as she “looked” at Li Shaoheng.

To her, the Company people were outsiders, indirectly responsible for the deaths of Miss Luo Ling and her sister.

Although she had been rescued, after experiencing such horrors, how could she fully trust the Company?

If she had to choose between Big Sister Bai and the Company, she would choose Big Sister Bai.

“I’m merely speculating based on the available evidence. I’ve only met this White Witch once,” Li Shaoheng’s gaze shifted. “I certainly hope she’s not. The existence of a Grotesquery apostle would greatly affect the situation.

“If you want to refute this possibility, then tell me everything you know about the White Witch, including her age, place of origin, address, and real-life identity.”

After Li Shaoheng posed this question, Elsa and An Yu, who had wanted to defend the White Witch, were silenced.

Thinking about it, they knew… almost nothing about Bai?

Bai had always been mysterious, appearing only when necessary. Logically, with her striking appearance, she should be easily recognizable, but they had never heard of anyone like her in Jiangcheng County.

“Even after using all our resources, the Company couldn’t find anything. Her past and origins are a complete mystery,” Li Shaoheng said grimly. All resources, of course, including Other Shore path abilities.

Unfortunately, only Ji Shinian was truly skilled at finding people, even the Speaker had to ask for his help.

Even he had been almost helpless against this White Witch and was still unconscious.

“We don’t know the current situation inside the incubation barrier, but we need to determine our course of action. The Company has mobilized all available forces. We have to salvage the situation before it deteriorates further.

“Now, we need to know the weaknesses of the White Witch, and the Puppet Ballad.

“Please tell us everything you know… everything about the White Witch.”

Chapter 87: Awakening

A heavy darkness pressed in from all sides, a sense of endless falling.

“The Realm of Nothingness…”

From the remnants of Artist’s memories, Luo Ling found the term for this dark abyss.

But just like with Performer, these memories were incomplete.

Luo Ling only knew that this was a forbidden zone for humans, a place from which no one had ever returned unscathed.

Perhaps apostles and agents could, but in Artist’s memories, these unreasonable beings were too fanatical, impossible to communicate with.

Even the Harbingers of Calamity considered them fanatical… which spoke volumes.

Still falling.

But this feeling of weightlessness was familiar, as if she had experienced it before.

Images flashed through her mind, finally settling on a specific memory.

A monstrous girl, curled up, hugging her knees in the empty darkness, the scene beyond the door in her mindscape.

“So… behind the door… is the Realm of Nothingness?”

Realizing this, the surrounding darkness no longer seemed terrifying but almost… welcoming.

Even though she was still falling, Luo Ling felt a sense of direction.

She adjusted her posture, looking upwards.

Intuition again.

It told her, this was the direction.

Keep… moving forward.

“Let’s go.”

Her senses, previously blocked, gradually returned. The Realm of Nothingness was no longer a dangerous place.

The feeling of falling disappeared.

Luo Ling could vaguely sense a connection between the Realm of Nothingness and her Devour Authority.

All Awakened Ones who entered the Realm of Nothingness were inevitably devoured by something.

So…

“From the very beginning, possessing the Authority of Devour, what kind of being am I?”

Her memories told her she was a lonely orphan, raised by her sister.

But now, Luo Ling knew that memories could be deceiving.

Her sister… might not be the ordinary sister she had always believed her to be.

These precious memories of their time together… could also be fake.

Even though she desperately didn’t want to admit it.

Lost in thought, within the Realm of Nothingness, Luo Ling gradually returned to the physical world.

An unseen gaze followed her, silently observing.

“A newborn ‘He,’ both familiar and unfamiliar.”

…

The moment the Spirit Walker arrived at the station, Scientist vanished.

She had timed it perfectly, using a trump card to escape the moment they left the Realm of Nothingness.

Without hesitation, abandoning even the precious Spirit Walker, prioritizing her own survival.

Just as Luo Ling had judged, Scientist cherished her life.

After a moment of stunned silence, Li Shaoheng immediately notified all Company personnel in Jiangcheng County, ordering them to hunt down Scientist.

But the next moment, a flood of urgent messages on his phone caught him off guard, each one more alarming than the last.

At this moment, Jiangcheng County… was in chaos!

Grotesqueries similar to those in Baiyan Village had suddenly appeared in the city center, an unknown number of humanoid monsters formed from white mycelia, their craving for flesh and blood insatiable.

Hundreds had already been injured or killed, and the scale of the disaster was still expanding.

More importantly, these Grotesqueries couldn’t be killed. Even with conventional methods, they would only regenerate, just like the villagers in Baiyan Village.

All local Awakened Ones and Company personnel were desperately trying to contain this sudden disaster, leaving no one to pursue the escaped Scientist.

“Damn it…”

Li Shaoheng gritted his teeth. He couldn’t abandon these ordinary people, but he also couldn’t risk mobilizing all their forces to gamble on killing Scientist in Jiangcheng County.

This hard-earned opportunity… to let her escape like this… was infuriating.

But the Company’s duty was to maintain order; they couldn’t ignore a city-destroying disaster.

“We’ll deal with the situation in Jiangcheng County first… as for Scientist, I’ll see if I can catch up to her.”

Li Shaoheng took a deep breath and made his decision.

If he couldn’t find Scientist within half an hour, he would give up.

He instructed Cen Xiangyun to take An Yu and Elsa back to the hospital, then join the others in the city center.

Just as Li Shaoheng finished his arrangements and was about to leave, he saw a hunched old man sitting on a bench in the waiting hall, leisurely reading a newspaper.

Such an elderly person wouldn’t usually attract attention.

But this one was different.

The moment he saw him, Li Shaoheng stopped in his tracks.

He walked over and sat down opposite the old man, staring at him intently.

“It seems this old man still commands some respect.”

The old man lowered his newspaper slightly and chuckled.

“Philosopher,” Li Shaoheng said in a low voice.

This unassuming old man was one of the three founders of the Harbingers of Calamity, a wielder of Authority, ranked second on the Company’s S-rank wanted list, Philosopher.

“This small place, without a ‘past,’ has already cost us two Harbingers. That’s enough,” Philosopher said calmly. “For this old man’s sake, spare her life.”

His calm tone and words carried an implicit threat.

This was just an avatar of Philosopher, but even so, it made Li Shaoheng extremely cautious.

Philosopher had slaughtered cities of this size before, cities where Company personnel were stationed, yet they had been unable to stop the carnage.

Although an avatar wasn’t as powerful as the true form, it could still easily wipe out tens of thousands of people.

The Harbingers of Calamity had no sense of morality. As long as it served their purpose, they would do anything.

Li Shaoheng had a premonition that if he insisted on pursuing Scientist, Philosopher would unleash a massacre in Jiangcheng County.

And with Philosopher’s strength, the only one in Jiangcheng County who could stop his avatar was probably him.

How… shameless.

But Li Shaoheng was helpless.

He could only sit there in silence, facing off against the avatar.

“Good, a young man who knows his place. A rare sight these days.”

Philosopher nodded approvingly and continued reading his newspaper.

It was a daily newspaper from Victoria, dated November 10, 1838.

“It seems Philosopher’s true form is in Victoria…”

Li Shaoheng’s eyes flickered. This could be valuable information.

But not particularly valuable.

The Company had long known that the Harbingers of Calamity were planning something in Victoria, but they didn’t know the specifics.

In this case, it wasn’t surprising that Philosopher was there.

Just as Li Shaoheng was pondering, he saw Philosopher tremble slightly.

“Heh…”

Philosopher sighed, putting down his newspaper.

“Honestly… I even intervened personally.”

Li Shaoheng reached for the throwing knives at his waist, looking at Philosopher warily.

“Scientist is dead. We’ve lost another great Harbinger,” Philosopher sighed, turning to look out the window at the seemingly peaceful landscape, as if gazing at Jiangcheng County. “What a terrifying place…”

“Dead?”

Li Shaoheng was stunned.

Besides him, who else in Jiangcheng County could kill Scientist?

Even weakened, Scientist could still easily escape. That was the nature of an Order path Awakened One.

“However, there are still many things that will trouble you in Jiangcheng County.”

Philosopher smiled gently, like a kind, ordinary old man.

He folded his newspaper, and his form slowly dissipated.

“Don’t worry, young man, we’ll meet again.”

Li Shaoheng sat on the empty bench, his expression grim.

Soon, his phone rang. It was Cen Xiangyun.

“Uncle Shaoheng, we found Scientist’s body. She…”

Cen Xiangyun covered her mouth, fighting back the urge to vomit.

“Her body has been completely dismembered, and… ugh…”

She couldn’t describe the scene before her; words couldn’t capture the horror.

Countless white mycelia threads erupted from the ground, piercing Scientist’s body, her flesh and blood torn to shreds, each piece impaled by the threads.

These fragments, entangled with the white mycelia, were somehow pieced together, maintaining Scientist’s original form, only her heart pierced by a spear-like mycelial spike.

The terror on her face suggested she had seen the most horrifying thing imaginable, experienced the most brutal torture.

…This was a far more cruel method of killing than a thousand cuts.

Scientist’s body had been found a minute ago at the busiest intersection in Jiangcheng County’s city center, seemingly having appeared there through Retrospect.

But… Retrospect was her ability…

After listening to Cen Xiangyun’s report, Li Shaoheng remained silent, his expression darkening.

Who had done this? Such a vengeful, brutal act…

However… Li Shaoheng couldn’t dwell on it.

Scientist was dead, and that was a good thing.

But as Philosopher had said, the current crisis in Jiangcheng County was his priority.

From the reports he had received, these mycelial Grotesqueries weren’t just killing people, they were somehow making ordinary people see them as well.

Now, panicked crowds, like the patients in Qingshan Psychiatric Hospital, were appearing everywhere, spreading tales of killer mushrooms.

If the situation continued to worsen, Jiangcheng County would be destroyed, even without the Harbingers of Calamity’s intervention.

Li Shaoheng took a deep breath, preparing to head to the scene.

Just then, a childish voice echoed from behind him.

“Wait.”

“Hmm?”

Li Shaoheng was startled. He hadn’t sensed anyone’s presence.

He turned around and his alarm bells went off.

A small, white-haired girl, her sickly pale skin and inhuman aura screaming Grotesquery, stood less than three meters away, as if floating.

She looked up slightly, her delicate face ethereal yet chillingly cold.

…A human-like Grotesquery!

Instinctively, Li Shaoheng reached for his throwing knives, but the girl just glanced at him and looked away.

“Leave the rest… to me. This is… my responsibility.”

The girl was Luo Ling, returned from the Realm of Nothingness. She had sensed the strong “kindred” aura in Jiangcheng County, radiating despair and sorrow.

In that brief moment of eye contact, she had taken Li Shaoheng’s memories of the incident, learning about the current situation in Jiangcheng County.

And she had also temporarily borrowed his ability.

The next moment, Li Shaoheng saw the ethereal girl, like something out of a fairytale, take a step forward, her form dissolving into the wind.

“That’s… Spatial Distortion!”

Li Shaoheng couldn’t hide his shock. He had used this ability for over ten years; he couldn’t possibly mistake it.

Yet it had appeared before him like this.

After the initial shock, Li Shaoheng realized…

It seemed this Grotesquery-like girl had the ability to borrow other people’s powers…

He thought of Scientist, who had also been Retrospected to the city center, her ability also borrowed.

Could it be this girl’s doing?

But… was this girl… friend or foe?

In this world, there was no such thing as “the enemy of my enemy is my friend.” The Harbingers of Calamity and Grotesquery apostles were mortal enemies, but both were considered villains by humanity.

Even though this Grotesquery girl might have killed Scientist, and her current actions seemed to be aimed at saving Jiangcheng County, her stance… was still unclear.

Li Shaoheng sighed. Just as he was about to follow Luo Ling, his phone rang.

It was Ji Shinian, the leader of the local Awakened organization.

Li Shaoheng and Ji Shinian were old acquaintances. Because of Ji Shinian’s unique talent, the Company had once sent him to liaise with him, and they had become acquainted.

This increasingly troublesome mission, exceeding their initial expectations, had initially been a B-rank mission, and it was only because of Ji Shinian’s connections that Li Shaoheng, a P8 specialist, had been dispatched.

“Old Ji, what’s the matter?”

“Cough…”

“…Did you use your ability again?” Li Shaoheng frowned, hearing the violent coughing.

“No… it’s the aftereffects from before,” Ji Shinian’s voice was weak. “Have you seen a little girl with white hair?”

“You know her?”

Li Shaoheng’s expression turned serious.

“The White Witch from the exchange group, it’s her,” Ji Shinian said calmly. “And… I’m blind now. That’s the Price I paid.”

“What?!”

Li Shaoheng almost dropped his phone.

Ji Shinian’s ability required his eyes. If he was blind, it meant his ability was useless.

Although Ji Shinian was only a Mid-Order Awakened One, it was because the Other Shore path, like the Order path, was extremely difficult to progress on.

Even within the Speaker, only the Four Harbingers were High-Order Awakened Ones.

Ji Shinian was a Sixth-Order Awakened One, already the strongest Other Shore path Awakened One outside of the Speaker.

“What… did you ‘see’…?”

Li Shaoheng couldn’t help but ask.

“If I tell you directly, I’ll die,” Ji Shinian said concisely. Although he didn’t say anything, it was clear how important what he had seen was.

Also, this wasn’t something Ji Shinian had wanted to see, but a consequence of the entanglement of cause and effect.

Perhaps, from the moment he accidentally glimpsed the White Witch while investigating the Bone Doctor’s death, everything had been set in motion, the gears of fate turning.

“In short… stop the White Witch, if you can.”

After saying this, Ji Shinian started coughing violently again, and Li Shaoheng heard the commotion of medical personnel on the other end, then the dial tone.

Stop the White Witch?

Stop what? Stop her from saving Jiangcheng County?

But… why?

Li Shaoheng’s mind was filled with questions. He wanted to ask Ji Shinian for more details, but thinking of his frail state, he decided against it.

It might actually kill the old man…

After the brief phone call, Li Shaoheng used his ability to teleport to the city center, where the disaster was most severe.

Upon arriving, Li Shaoheng found everyone frozen in place, including Cen Xiangyun, who had just arrived after dropping off the others.

“What’s wrong?”

Li Shaoheng was about to ask, but he stopped mid-sentence as he looked up.

“When… when did this appear?”

A strange barrier enveloped the city center, pushing back all the Awakened Ones and injured civilians.

The terrifying Grotesqueries described in the reports were nowhere to be seen, only injured and dead remained.

“Just now, when a little girl with white hair appeared…” a nearby P7 specialist said nervously. “She told us to leave, then she created this barrier. We can’t get in.”

“This is an incubation site,” Li Shaoheng stared at the barrier, his voice trembling. “An unprecedentedly large incubation site…”

An incubation site of this scale couldn’t be just an “egg.”

It seemed the dormant High-Risk Grotesquery in Jiangcheng County had awakened.

Almost without warning, Jiangcheng County, peaceful for so many years, was now facing a disaster that could destroy the entire region.

Chapter 86: Slave to Fate

The train car was filled with rotting flesh and writhing mycelia, the pungent stench all too familiar.

Just by looking, Luo Ling knew how dire Ji Ying’s condition was.

As Ji Shinian had said, for the most part, Ji Ying wasn’t Ji Ying, but a suppressed “egg.”

The only reason the Puppet Ballad hadn’t completely overrun Jiangcheng County, turning the entire city into a hellish landscape like the subterranean cavern, was because of Ji Ying.

She, too, struggled to suppress the instinct to consume flesh and blood, but she had focused this instinct on the “eggs” spawned by the Puppet Ballad.

Besides Li Tianming and the white reishi, there had been many other “eggs,” eliminated by Ji Ying in unknown corners, at great personal cost.

But… there was a limit.

She was eroding the Puppet Ballad, and the Puppet Ballad was eroding her.

Luo Ling closed her eyes, recalling the memory of Ji Ying on the train, her mouth opening and closing, as if trying to say something.

She had been saying,

“I’m sorry.”

She had failed to save everyone and had instead become another disaster.

This was her final struggle.

“Have Scientist take you back to Jiangcheng County. She won’t refuse.”

Luo Ling opened her eyes, glanced at Li Shaoheng, and walked towards Artist.

She hadn’t killed the weakened Scientist because, besides herself, only Scientist could operate the Spirit Walker and take the others out of the dangerous Realm of Nothingness.

As for why she was certain Scientist wouldn’t refuse…

Staying here meant certain death, while leaving offered a sliver of hope. Scientist wasn’t brave enough to sacrifice her life, Luo Ling could tell she cherished it.

And the reason Luo Ling wanted Li Shaoheng to return to Jiangcheng County, besides Scientist likely refusing to go to the Company branch, was…

Jiangcheng County was probably facing an unprecedented crisis.

An unusually powerful “egg” was about to erupt.

Li Shaoheng hesitated. He wanted to ask this mysterious woman about Luo Ling and Su Wan’s whereabouts, but they didn’t have much time.

After Luo Ling left the Spirit Walker, the surrounding spiderwebs began to collapse, and Scientist started regaining control of the train.

Even if Luo Ling hadn’t withdrawn her domain, Scientist could eventually regain control, but it would take time.

If Li Shaoheng hesitated any longer, Scientist would activate the Spirit Walker, and their last hope of escaping the Realm of Nothingness would be gone.

“…Thank you,” Li Shaoheng nodded after a moment of thought.

Then, he picked up the unconscious An Yu and boarded the Spirit Walker with Cen Xiangyun.

Scientist looked at them with resentment but didn’t resist, continuing to control the Spirit Walker.

She had heard Luo Ling’s words, and although unwilling, she had no choice but to comply.

Scientist was so weak now that even Cen Xiangyun could threaten her life. Only by leaving the Realm of Nothingness could she have a chance of survival.

Artist didn’t try to stop them. Firstly, the suspected “apostle” or “agent,” Luo Ling, was blocking the way, and secondly… he also wanted Scientist to escape.

One survivor was better than none.

Besides, he wasn’t completely without a chance of victory.

Thus, a strange, temporary harmony settled over the battlefield.

But everyone knew that when the Spirit Walker started moving again, the final act would begin.

Soon, the Spirit Walker roared to life, Scientist and the Company personnel on opposite sides, wary of each other.

The rumbling grew louder, then faded, the endless darkness swallowing everything, leaving only two figures on the gold-plated train car.

“Finally…”

Luo Ling crouched down, her expression complex as she looked at the traces of battle and a small, inconspicuous “egg” on the floor.

This was the last “meal” Ji Ying had left for her before her consciousness faded.

She must be in so much pain now.

…It was time to put her out of her misery.

As Artist watched with apprehension, Luo Ling picked up the “egg” and put it into her mouth.

Her long, silver hair cascaded down, her translucent skin devoid of color, her small body radiating an eerie aura, the mycelia threads swirling around her. When she looked up, she had transformed into a petite girl with white eyes.

Her third ability, Complete Control, activated.

She had shed all traces of her humanity, truly becoming the Puppet Ballad.

The first rule of Grotesqueries: if you encounter a Grotesquery that looks like a human, retreat immediately, no matter what.

But Artist couldn’t escape.

“You’re not an apostle, you’re… the Grotesquery itself?”

Artist’s eyes narrowed. Even with his borrowed Taboo Authority, facing this Grotesquery filled him with dread.

“Perhaps,” Luo Ling said, tilting her head slightly.

She realized her vision had changed.

She could no longer distinguish faces; all living beings were reduced to their most basic forms.

She saw Artist as a fragmented being, his flesh and blood forcibly merged with dozens of other lives, an invisible thread holding him together, the Authority of Immortality.

“So this is how the Puppet Ballad sees…”

Not daring to hesitate, Artist fired the Withering Flower.

But unlike in their previous battles, when the black petals bloomed, Luo Ling didn’t use her flesh to resist, nor did she dodge, letting the petals fall upon her.

She took out a Sacred Tool from her pocket, a beautiful black ice dagger that looked more like a short sword in her small hand.

The white-haired girl, wielding the sword, walked through the rain of petals.

So familiar…

Too familiar…

The image of the black-haired girl, her gaze cold yet resolute, flashed through Artist’s mind, seemingly overlapping with the white-haired girl before him.

Their figures merged, their powers converging.

And with the recent transformation…

In an instant, Artist understood.

“Luo Ling…”

The sharp Sacred Tool flashed, severing the hand holding the Withering Flower.

The Authority of Immortality tried to repair the severed limb, but the next moment, blue claws severed the connection, interrupting Immortality. He met a pair of burning, dark gold eyes.

Luo Ling hadn’t even used her demonic transformation, yet her appearance, as she reverted to her original form, was terrifying, grotesque, and cruel.

But at this moment, she didn’t care.

“Three Grotesquery powers… how is this possible…?”

Artist was shocked by Luo Ling’s ability to sever even the connection to a Taboo, but there was no doubt, this power also belonged to a Grotesquery.

Combined with Naraku, which had appeared earlier, and the Silent Demise Grotesquery in her white form, Luo Ling effortlessly wielded the power of three Grotesqueries.

Although their influence varied, still…

Impossible…

Even apostles and agents, with their deep connections to Grotesqueries, couldn’t do this.

The most important point was that no one could bear such a Price.

Using the power of a single Grotesquery was enough to cripple most Awakened Ones.

Although the Harbingers had their unique methods of “deceiving” Grotesqueries, reducing the Price, it was still incredibly heavy.

Even Grotesqueries themselves, if they borrowed power from a higher-Order Grotesquery, couldn’t avoid the Price.

Wielding two Grotesqueries was a miracle, three was unheard of.

But even so…

A ruthless glint appeared in Artist’s eyes.

She hadn’t mastered an Authority, this was his chance!

An Authority was a transformative power. Without it, she was just a High-Order Awakened One at most.

Artist sacrificed all his “artworks,” strengthening his connection to the Taboo to its limit.

Each “artwork” was created from a living being, containing a vast amount of life force, Artist’s greatest trump card.

Even the Taboo couldn’t help but cast its gaze upon him, the severed connection reestablished.

“Silent Demise: Return to the Void.”

Artist’s body swelled rapidly, becoming bloated and grotesque.

In Luo Ling’s vision, his flesh and blood were being consumed by an unspeakable entity, until only a faint trace remained on his forehead.

His enormous body burst through the golden train car, the roof and sides shattering, a monstrous, rotting creature roaring and howling, yet radiating an unparalleled life force.

The Realm of Nothingness encroached, consuming the last vestiges of the outer world.

Perhaps because of the Taboo’s gaze, the encroaching nothingness spared the battlefield.

Death loomed, a gentle breeze ruffling Luo Ling’s silver hair, countless mycelia threads swirling around her, beautiful and sorrowful, piercing Artist’s grotesque body.

Death paused, the monstrous fist stopping inches away from the petite girl.

—Complete Control.

Countless mycelia threads entangled his flesh and blood, replacing his nerves, “deceiving” his brain, controlling his limbs.

Artist’s consciousness remained clear, but he couldn’t move.

His entire body was under her control.

Luo Ling watched silently, a mere spectator.

Artist struggled, destroying his controlled flesh and regenerating it with Immortality, briefly regaining control.

But how could such actions defy his fate?

“Oh, so this is an Authority…”

In Luo Ling’s vision, the traces of Immortality were clearly visible, incredibly powerful. Except for using Devour to sever its connection to that entity, none of her abilities could affect it.

And Devour was also an Authority. Only an Authority could counter an Authority.

“However, unfortunately… it doesn’t belong to you,” Luo Ling whispered.

Possessing and using were two different concepts.

If Artist possessed the Authority of Immortality, her Complete Control wouldn’t work.

But now, she looked at Artist as if watching an ant struggling in a web, its resistance futile.

…This was the Puppet Ballad, Sequence Forty-Nine, Silent Demise.

Luo Ling was merely a nascent being, not even fully formed, let alone at her peak.

Yet she could already toy with a High-Order Awakened One wielding an Authority.

But Luo Ling didn’t feel any sense of triumph, only sorrow.

Only now did she truly realize how powerful the Puppet Ballad was, how tragic Ji Ying’s struggle had been.

And one more thing.

“Under Complete Control, flesh and blood aren’t replaced by mycelia…”

Looking at the struggling Artist, Luo Ling felt the urge to cry.

This was Complete Control, perfect, flawless…

Replacement.

“You’ve lost,” Luo Ling looked up, her white eyes cold and indifferent.

“…Heh.”

Artist wanted to sneer, but under Complete Control, he couldn’t even manage that.

Looking at Luo Ling, he seemed to understand something, his eyes filled with mockery.

“Yes, I’ve lost. But… you haven’t won either.

“It’s not just me who’s lost everything, but you too!”

Immortality briefly freed him from her control, and he laughed maniacally.

“You… have also lost.”

He leaned down, his bulging, distorted eyes filled with mocking pity.

“I’ve been wondering, wondering what price you paid to obtain such power.

“Now I understand, the price you paid… is your fate…”

As if cursing her, as if declaring her doom, he pointed at Luo Ling and laughed mockingly.

“You are nothing but a slave to fate, forever, forever… unable to break free!”

“Fate…?”

Luo Ling looked up at the monster several times her size, her expression calm.

The next moment, she smiled.

Her silver hair instantly turned black, her hand, half-covered in blue scales, gently resting on the monster’s head, eerie blue markings tracing her eyes, her dark gold pupils blazing.

A blood-red smile appeared on her lips, a smile of certain death.

“Very well, let’s see… how fate can possibly contend against me.”

As her words fell, Artist’s body crumbled, inch by inch. With his Price exhausted, even Immortality couldn’t prevent his death.

At the same time, the two Taboo gazes that had fallen upon this place fluctuated violently, then quickly dissipated.

The Realm of Nothingness closed, consuming the last vestiges of this sanctuary.

Silence descended.

…

“…Artist is dead.”

Scientist stared into the distance, silent.

Perhaps choosing to fight in this precarious place had been a mistake. The train beyond the Boundary was a cage for the Company personnel, but also for them.

With Retrospect, she could have freely moved between the train and the Spirit Walker, but since Luo Ling’s intervention, everything had gone off track.

Artist, choosing to stay behind, had expected to die. After all, he had no way of surviving in the Realm of Nothingness, and Scientist didn’t have the power to save him.

But to die so quickly… was unexpected.

The Spirit Walker hurtled through the Realm of Nothingness, its interior silent.

Because everyone knew that this peace was temporary. As soon as the train reached its destination, another battle would begin.

Scientist had to escape, and the Company personnel had to kill her.

Just then, Elsa slowly woke up.

“Miss Luo Ling, Sister Su Wan…”

She murmured unconsciously, instantly catching the attention of Li Shaoheng and Cen Xiangyun.

This little red-haired girl, who had been taken away earlier, seemed to know something about the missing Luo Ling and Su Wan!

Cen Xiangyun showed clear signs of discomfort at Elsa’s murmurs, while Li Shaoheng’s expression remained unchanged.

“So you still have a hidden card,” Scientist sneered.

This old fox likely had something related to an Authority, perhaps single-use, perhaps with a price, but definitely a countermeasure.

The reason Elsa’s voice caused discomfort was because of the sheer amount of information it carried. If the recipient couldn’t handle it, they would experience dizziness and headaches, but there were no other side effects.

Conversely, simply covering their ears would negate the effect, even at close range.

Being able to listen normally meant one of two things: either possessing an Authority, or having a means of accessing one.

Clearly, Li Shaoheng was the latter.

Realizing this, Li Shaoheng signaled Cen Xiangyun to cover her ears, then asked in a low voice,

“Little Qian, where did Miss Luo Ling and Ms. Su Wan go?”

“Miss Luo Ling… Sister Su Wan…”

Elsa’s drowsy mind was still replaying fragmented images, her half-open eyes filled with struggle and pain.

“Tsk, tsk, another one of the Grotesqueries inside her has been unsealed,” Scientist said mockingly. “Good thing I didn’t notice earlier, or I would have definitely used it.”

Finally, Elsa came to her senses. She stared blankly in a certain direction, tears welling up in her eyes.

“Miss Luo Ling is dead…”

Li Shaoheng’s face darkened. The worst had happened.

“What about Sister Su Wan?” Cen Xiangyun asked, covering her ears.

Her sister was dead, could it be that… she had jumped off the train with her sister’s body?

After this battle, Cen Xiangyun’s “perception” had also increased, and she could vaguely sense a hidden danger outside the train car.

“Sister Su Wan, she seems to…”

Elsa struggled to remember, but then, a commotion erupted outside the silent Spirit Walker.

They looked up and saw colors flashing past the window.

This meant…

The train had arrived at the station.

Chapter 85: To Be Human

After relaying everything, Li Shaoheng’s forehead was beaded with sweat as he held the phone.

He glanced at the nearby battlefield, a scene of death and decay, rebirth and distortion, intertwined with spiderwebs, a sight beyond human comprehension.

So this was a battle between Grotesqueries…

As for the person on the other end of the phone, Li Shaoheng felt a growing unease.

He hoped Miss Luo Ling and her sister were still alive…

At least alive, there was still hope.

After what felt like an eternity, a voice finally came through the phone.

A languid, unfamiliar voice, laced with impatience and a hint of seductive charm.

“Understood.”

Then, the line went dead.

Who?

Li Shaoheng’s eyes narrowed.

It was a voice he had never heard before, pleasant yet terrifying.

Because… even through the phone, even as a High-Order Awakened One who had encountered an Authority, he had lost consciousness for a moment.

Just from the voice alone…

What had happened on the other side? Was it a new member of the Harbingers of Calamity, besides Scientist and Artist?

Li Shaoheng’s mind raced. The current situation was a delicate balance. If another Harbinger appeared, he might not even be able to escape this Realm of Nothingness.

Meanwhile, Luo Ling looked at the broken flip phone with a sigh.

Her repair method was… unconventional. After functioning for a few minutes, the phone had finally given out.

However, being able to repair a phone that was practically in pieces to the point where it worked for several minutes was already a miracle.

“Sister…”

Luo Ling composed herself. Although worried about her sister’s safety, she had to stay calm.

Opening her eyes, she examined the Spirit Walker.

It was a Sacred Tool, its ability to occupy a space within the Realm of Nothingness, allowing free movement beyond the Boundary. It had no other functions.

Through Weave, Luo Ling could temporarily control this Sacred Tool that wasn’t hers.

“Besides identification and repair, I can also forcibly use other people’s things…”

Luo Ling explored her new form and abilities. Even the most basic effects were incredibly powerful, worthy of the title of Taboo.

Elsa’s current unconsciousness wasn’t due to her consciousness being sealed, but a sleep-like state. After helping her back into her wheelchair, Luo Ling turned her attention to the teddy bear.

—Bella.

Its body was enveloped by a power Luo Ling recognized as Artist’s Midas Touch.

It was through Midas Touch that Bella had been transformed from an inanimate object into a living being, but its existence was special, likely having undergone some unique process.

Ordinary Midas Touch could only create a basic, insect-like intelligence, far inferior to Bella’s.

Bella had been forcibly reverted to an inanimate object by Artist’s ability, but this state was temporary. Even if Artist didn’t undo it, Bella would eventually recover.

Luo Ling raised her hand, and the invisible web from her fingertips enveloped Bella, Weave activating within its body.

Analyzing, dispelling.

A flicker of life returned to Bella’s button eyes, and after a moment of confusion, she shrieked.

“Ah—”

Mid-scream, she saw Luo Ling and wisely shut her mouth.

“What did you see?” Luo Ling asked.

Strangely, she felt she had spoken in a calm, indifferent tone, but the words, leaving her lips, carried a hint of seductive danger.

Just like when she had spoken to Li Shaoheng.

Luo Ling wasn’t used to this.

Bella shook her head frantically, zipping her cloth mouth shut with her tiny paws, indicating that she hadn’t seen anything, and even if she had… she hadn’t seen anything.

Luo Ling frowned. This wasn’t the answer she wanted.

She had wanted to ask Bella about her sister’s whereabouts, because even in her “inanimate” state, Bella still had some perception of her surroundings.

“Ah, ah… you’re asking what happened here, right?” Bella, adept at reading expressions, quickly switched to a fawning tone. “I saw it, I saw it, I saw everything…”

“Tell me,” Luo Ling raised an eyebrow.

Bella immediately started chattering, but it was all information Luo Ling already knew.

Until the end…

“That old hag Scientist killed Miss Luo Ling, then ran away. And Ms. Su Wan… eh, where are they?”

Bella finally noticed the state of the train car and was stunned.

Where were they?

Where had those two people gone?

“…I understand.”

Luo Ling’s eyes flickered. It seemed that after her “death,” something had blocked Bella’s perception.

Elsa’s coma was likely caused by the same thing.

Her sister…

The sister who had been with her for over a decade, was she really… something special?

Was she the Puppet Ballad?

Luo Ling wasn’t sure.

Because if she were the Puppet Ballad, even just an “egg,” Luo Ling’s “death” would have been the perfect opportunity to strike.

But if she wasn’t, then where was her sister now…?

Luo Ling was silent.

Even the most difficult possibility was better than this unbearable uncertainty.

Luo Ling released her Weave on Bella, and the once lively teddy bear reverted to an inanimate object, only a flicker of resentment remaining in its button eyes.

She walked to the car door and opened it slightly.

Beyond the door was an impenetrable darkness, a place even her web domain couldn’t reach. Luo Ling had tried sending out Spores in her White Witch form, but they couldn’t penetrate it either.

…Had her sister entered this strange darkness?

Luo Ling wanted to step outside, but a silent warning echoed in her mind, as if a single step would lead to irreversible consequences.

After hesitating for a long time, Luo Ling closed the door.

She gave up, not because she lacked courage, but because without any clues, she couldn’t afford to sacrifice herself blindly.

If she was certain her sister was in that darkness, she would step inside without hesitation.

“It seems… I have to meet with Li Shaoheng and the others…”

Luo Ling made her decision.

Li Shaoheng seemed to know something about this dark abyss, but he had been secretive on the train. Perhaps he could offer some insight.

“He said the train car had been detached and affected by Artist’s Midas Touch…”

Luo Ling’s web domain enveloped the entire Spirit Walker, spider legs emerging from her back, three illusory black eyes opening on her forehead, adding a grotesque touch to her alluring face.

A terrifying presence, a fleeting gaze, seemed to fall upon her once more.

“Countering a High-Order Awakened One’s influence is still a bit difficult…”

Luo Ling could feel her “inspiration,” her equivalent of mana, rapidly depleting, but the effect was significant.

The Spirit Walker was almost entirely out of its owner’s control, temporarily in Luo Ling’s hands.

“Artist’s ability… should be in this direction.”

It was her intuition guiding her.

In this endless darkness, all she could rely on was her intuition.

“Then… let’s take a gamble.”

The old steam train started up again, slowly at first, then accelerating rapidly, hurtling towards the direction indicated by Luo Ling’s intuition.

…

“This feeling…”

Scientist was the first to react, her head snapping up, a sharp pain in her mutated eye.

The next moment, her spider legs slowly dissipated, and her eye began to turn hollow.

What was going on?

Her Omniscience, obtained at such a great cost… was fading!

But that wasn’t the most terrifying thing.

A flicker of fear remained in Scientist’s single eye as she whispered,

“Naraku… He…

“Is awakening…”

Although the Harbingers of Calamity members paid a Price to obtain the power of Taboos, they ultimately saw Grotesqueries as tools.

There were many in the world who worshipped Grotesqueries, willingly becoming their servants, even forming a large organization, but the Harbingers clearly weren’t among them.

Not only that, but the Harbingers were considered the greatest enemy of this organization.

Precisely because they played with Grotesquery Authorities, using various methods to “deceive” High-Order Grotesqueries and obtain their power.

Like Artist, who had used countless “artworks” as a Price, and Performer, who had even used her own flesh and blood.

The greatest difference between them and Grotesquery servants was that the Harbingers always resisted the Grotesqueries’ influence, maintaining their self-awareness, even killing High-Order Grotesqueries to obtain their Authorities—the three Harbingers who possessed Authorities had obtained them this way.

Of course, no one dared to try this with Taboos or, in most cases, High-Risk Grotesqueries.

That was why the Harbingers only dared to borrow power from dormant Taboos.

And now… Naraku, who should have been dormant, had briefly awakened, his gaze falling upon them, reclaiming Scientist’s power and a portion of the Price she had paid.

In an instant, Scientist felt four of her six abilities vanish. Combined with the one she had sacrificed earlier, she was now left with only one.

“You should go,” Artist said, seeing Scientist’s weakened state.

At the same time, the Authority he wielded intensified slightly, trying to suppress “Ji Ying” once more.

Needless to say, Artist had paid a greater Price.

The battlefield in the Realm of Nothingness was disadvantageous for the Company, but also for them.

However, they had been exploiting this disadvantage.

But they hadn’t expected the Taboo, dormant for three hundred years, to awaken at this moment…

Otherwise… “Ji Ying” would have been the first to fall.

Scientist, weakened, was unwilling to give up, but there seemed to be no other choice.

Her power greatly diminished, barely alive, she would only be a burden.

Fortunately, the ability that allowed her to escape was still intact…

As long as she could return to the Spirit Walker…

Her weapon, Elsa, was still there, and she could still fight.

Everything could still be reversed.

Under Artist’s cover, Scientist slowly activated her ability.

“Ji Ying” watched coldly, not trying to stop Scientist’s escape, as Artist had expected.

Li Shaoheng, observing the battlefield, had considered taking advantage of this opportunity, but with the ambiguous “Ji Ying” in the way, he hesitated.

If he acted rashly and was deemed an enemy by “Ji Ying,” he wouldn’t be able to protect Cen Xiangyun and An Yu alone.

In the awkward silence, Scientist’s Retrospect finally activated, her form beginning to dissipate.

A smile appeared on her lips.

The next moment, her smile froze.

“What?!”

Back in the Spirit Walker, Scientist heard a rumbling sound. Looking around, she saw that the Spirit Walker was moving.

Who?

Who was it?

Who could use her Sacred Tool?

Scientist instinctively tried to stop the Spirit Walker, but she had lost control.

She focused her will, opened her remaining eye, and tried to examine the Sacred Tool.

But she saw…

“Spiderwebs…”

The train car was covered in invisible webs.

This was… Naraku’s power.

“You’re back?”

A seductive voice echoed from behind, and Scientist abruptly turned to see a mysterious, unfamiliar woman sitting on the sofa.

“Who are you…?”

Scientist looked around, not seeing Luo Ling or Su Wan.

When she looked at the mysterious woman again, her blood ran cold.

Perhaps… she knew why Naraku had awakened…

This mysterious woman, simply sitting on the sofa, exuded an irresistible charm that transcended gender, captivating with just a single glance.

But most striking were her eyes, and the faintly visible spider legs behind her.

“An apostle of Naraku? No… an agent.”

It was rumored that there was an organization that worshipped Grotesqueries, considering it an honor to serve them. They didn’t have a fixed name, usually calling themselves apostles of a certain Grotesquery.

They could indeed use a portion of that Grotesquery’s power, and the most powerful among them were called agents.

It was said that the apostles and agents of Taboos could even travel freely through the Realm of Nothingness. Scientist had always dismissed it as a rumor, but now, it seemed to be true.

Neither Luo Ling nor Su Wan resembled the mysterious woman before her.

Scientist hadn’t expected that while borrowing Naraku’s power in the Realm of Nothingness, she would encounter the real deal. No wonder Naraku had briefly awakened and reclaimed her power.

If an agent was involved, it wasn’t impossible.

“Hmm?”

Luo Ling tilted her head, puzzled.

What apostle, what agent?

She was indeed using Naraku’s power, but just like with the Puppet Ballad, it was more like she had “stolen” it.

She hadn’t expected her actions to be recognized by the real deal.

But to Scientist, the mysterious woman’s expression wasn’t one of confusion, but a threat.

People thought the Harbingers of Calamity were unreasonable, but Scientist knew they had their own code of conduct, their actions driven by a “purpose.”

But Grotesquery apostles and agents were different. Their actions were dictated by the Grotesqueries they served, each with their own unique, often erratic and incomprehensible, style.

Simply put, they were all lunatics.

Lunatics wielding immense power.

At this moment, Scientist didn’t even dare move. She knew Naraku’s abilities, and within this web, she couldn’t even think of resisting.

“She doesn’t know where my sister is either…”

Through Weave, Luo Ling could vaguely sense Scientist’s thoughts, a fleeting question of “Where are Luo Ling and Su Wan?”

This was within Luo Ling’s expectations. If Scientist had wanted to kill her sister, there was no need to dispose of the body. She hadn’t even disposed of her body.

“But… we’re almost there…”

Luo Ling looked up, a strong sensation from her Weave.

The next moment, the Spirit Walker lurched violently, and Scientist, losing her balance, fell to the ground.

“What?!”

Scientist looked up in shock and saw…

The Spirit Walker had collided with the gold-plated train car in the Realm of Nothingness!

Even plated with gold, the ordinary train was no match for the Sacred Tool and was cut in half.

Luo Ling stood up and took a deep breath.

Ignoring the sprawled Scientist, she walked to the car door.

Opening the door, she saw several familiar faces, their gazes filled with shock.

Li Shaoheng, crouching by the restroom door, his hand reaching for his throwing knives. Cen Xiangyun, holding the unconscious An Yu.

And Artist, his face filled with disbelief. He hadn’t expected Scientist to return this way, and so soon.

But Luo Ling didn’t notice them. Her gaze fell on the only person looking at her with sorrow…

…If it could still be called a person.

“You came,” she said softly, white mycelia threads flowing from her lips as she spoke.

A grotesque smile.

“I came,” Luo Ling nodded.

“…That’s good, at least this time, I haven’t failed,” Ji Ying said, closing her eyes, her form beginning to dissipate.

“I leave the rest… to you.”

She had reached her limit.

The limit of being human.

Chapter 84: End of a Tragedy

“Ji Ying?”

The first to react to the name wasn’t Li Shaoheng or Cen Xiangyun, nor the members of the Harbingers of Calamity, but the usually inconspicuous An Yu.

She stared at the mysterious woman, her face pale with fear, her reaction catching everyone’s attention.

…This mysterious woman, mentioned several times by Xiao Bai and suspected to be a Grotesquery by the Group Leader, had finally appeared before them.

The woman named “Ji Ying” was plainly dressed, her slightly heroic face devoid of emotion, her gaze fixed on a certain point in the distance, as if watching something.

There seemed to be nothing there, but Scientist was the first to understand. That was the location of the Spirit Walker.

“Finally… you’ve appeared…”

Ji Ying murmured, her voice filled with a strange mixture of sorrow and struggle.

“Heh… this day has finally come…

“But I… can no longer hold on…”

“I’ve met you before,” Artist said, looking at the strange woman.

His sharp gaze seemed to pierce through Ji Ying, trying to dredge up any memories of her from his subconscious.

Finally, he seemed to find a piece of information about “Ji Ying,” and his eyes widened in shock.

“Ji Ying?”

“No, that’s not right… your name isn’t Ji Ying…”

“You should be… Shadow Sacrifice.”

But how was that possible?!

This name, and its owner, should have vanished long ago…

In a Disorder Boundary that had since been annihilated, Shadow Sacrifice and her team had contained a catastrophic Grotesquery outbreak, a disaster nearing Taboo level.

Because the Disorder had been annihilated, all records of the disaster had vanished, its origins, process, and outcome, all erased.

Including… the Grotesquery that caused it, and those who resolved it.

The reason Artist still remembered a bit was because the disaster was related to his Grotesquery path, Silent Demise, its aftereffects affecting his progress.

It had been a disaster caused by an unrestrained High-Risk Grotesquery…

Although Artist and Scientist saw the High-Risk Grotesquery in Jiangcheng County as prey, it was because it was in a weakened, dormant state. Otherwise, they wouldn’t have dared to approach.

The existing Sacred Relics of Taboos and High-Risk Grotesqueries weren’t from their true forms, but either from spawned “eggs” or remnants of their power.

Like Scientist, for example. If someone killed her and extracted the Grotesquery part of her, it would also be considered a Sacred Relic of a Taboo.

However…

It wouldn’t be the same as a true Taboo Sacred Relic.

Therefore, a true High-Risk Grotesquery Sacred Relic was an irresistible temptation to any Awakened One or organization.

—Assuming they could obtain it.

A High-Risk Grotesquery at its peak and one in its dormant state were two completely different things.

The full-scale eruption of a High-Risk Grotesquery resulted in continental-level disasters. The most famous example was the Black Death in Europe from 1347 to 1353, caused by “Pestilence,” which wiped out over a third of Europe’s population.

The disaster contained by Shadow Sacrifice’s team was no less devastating. It was only because it had occurred in a Disorder Boundary, since annihilated and forgotten, that it seemed less significant.

“…”

Ji Ying’s gaze finally shifted, falling on Artist, her unchanging expression giving no indication whether she was confirming or denying his words.

But Artist suddenly realized something. If “Shadow Sacrifice” was here, it meant that Grotesquery hadn’t been completely eliminated, and since that Grotesquery was on the Silent Demise path, it meant…

The dormant High-Risk Grotesquery in Jiangcheng County was the one that had caused that disaster!

If this was true…

Artist froze, the lingering fragments of information from the annihilated Disorder Boundary revealing a terrifying truth.

A chilling possibility.

No one understood why a look of fear appeared on Artist’s face, not even Scientist.

Although Ji Ying’s appearance hadn’t been foreseen by her Omniscience, her strength was easily discernible.

Just a High-Order Awakened One on the Judgment path, not even Grotesque-side, with little chance of mastering an Authority.

Even if she had a Sacred Tool imbued with an Authority, how could it possibly rival a Taboo?

Authorities varied in their effects. Grotesqueries within the top 150 Sequences, the High-Risk Grotesqueries, could master Authorities, but they were still far inferior to Taboos.

Scientist was currently using a borrowed Authority from a Taboo, and although she would pay a heavy price afterward, that wasn’t something she needed to worry about now.

Just as Scientist focused her Omniscience on Ji Ying, trying to find a weakness, she discovered something shocking.

It wasn’t that there were no weaknesses, but that she was full of weaknesses.

She was completely unguarded, as if Scientist could easily take her life with a casual flick of her wrist.

But was that really the case?

Casually detaching the gold-plated train car, guiding Li Shaoheng to act outside of her Omniscience, all of this indicated that this woman was no ordinary High-Order Awakened One.

In other words…

She was, like her, “borrowing” an Authority.

This was the only explanation for how “Ji Ying” could evade her incomplete Omniscience.

But… could a non-Grotesque-side Awakened One borrow an Authority like this?

The reason Li Shaoheng hadn’t used his trump cards, even when cornered, was because they didn’t have the same resources as the Harbingers of Calamity, let alone the ability to borrow power from Grotesqueries.

At that moment, Artist decisively pressed a finger to his forehead, several of his “artworks” shattering, his body growing rapidly.

From a dwarf of just over 1.4 meters, he transformed into a tall man of 1.8 meters.

His elegant demeanor remained, but with a touch of madness.

“—The Authority of Immortality.”

Artist used his trump card, an endless stream of life force surging through him.

The next moment, he took out the Sacred Tool he had used against Luo Ling, the Withering Flower, and aimed it at everyone—or rather, at Ji Ying.

Artist knew that if his theory was correct…

This woman before him, both “Shadow Sacrifice” and not “Shadow Sacrifice,” had to be killed with extreme prejudice.

Otherwise, they would face… an unprecedented threat.

Under the influence of Immortality, Artist could use the Withering Flower without limit and without paying a Price, any injuries he sustained instantly healing, a truly immortal being.

Perhaps due to their years of working together, after Artist entered his combat state, Scientist finally calmed down, accepting the fact that her Omniscience wasn’t truly omniscient.

Even if she couldn’t predict information related to Authorities, it was still a power bestowed by a Taboo. As long as she didn’t rely on it too much, it was still incredibly powerful.

The focus of the battle was no longer the conflict between the Company and the Harbingers of Calamity, but the mysterious woman, “Ji Ying.”

…Or rather, the Puppet Ballad.

Ji Ying suddenly laughed.

No, it wasn’t laughter.

It was a gaping maw.

White mycelia erupted from her torn flesh, spreading throughout the train car. The withering effect of the Withering Flower landed on her, but it could only decay the constantly proliferating flesh.

An Yu, who had experienced the Baiyan Village incident, was the first to break down. Seeing Ji Ying’s flesh tear apart, she fainted, the trauma resurfacing, her consciousness fading.

Li Shaoheng and Cen Xiangyun were equally terrified. As experienced Awakened Ones, they were certain that this Ji Ying was a Grotesquery, without a doubt.

The most terrifying rule of Grotesquery incidents: beware of Grotesqueries that look like humans, they are the most dangerous.

“At least Dangerous Grotesquery level, or even… worse!”

Fortunately, Ji Ying didn’t seem hostile towards them. Before the white mycelia spread, they had taken the unconscious An Yu and retreated to the area near the restroom, out of its reach.

This was a battle between Grotesqueries; frail humans could only cower in fear.

Although Li Shaoheng was qualified to participate in this battle, he had to protect the unconscious newbie and his inexperienced niece.

A chaotic and brutal battle unfolded within the gold-plated train car, suspended in the Realm of Nothingness, accompanied by terrifying shrieks and ghostly wails.

“Wait, there’s still Miss Luo Ling… perhaps she’s not dead yet.”

Li Shaoheng tore his gaze away from the grotesque battlefield, his sweaty hand picking up his phone and scrolling to a newly added contact.

Artist and Scientist had used the phone to communicate earlier, meaning their hideout, like the inside of this train car, was in the outer world, allowing for direct communication, unaffected by the Boundary.

If Miss Luo Ling was still alive, or if her sister was… they would answer the phone, right?

With a sliver of hope, Li Shaoheng dialed the number.

“Ring… ring…”

…

“Ring… ring…”

The discarded flip phone vibrated on the floor, its ringing echoing through the silent train car, an annoying, repetitive sound.

“So noisy…”

A soft, languid voice echoed, and a slender hand waved dismissively, crushing the phone instantly.

A seductive woman with curly purple hair slowly stood up, rubbing her sleepy eyes, looking around the car.

Her head felt heavy, as if she had forgotten something important…

Her throat was also dry and scratchy, as if she had just eaten something extraordinary…

Finally, she saw the untouched cup of tea on the table, walked over, and drained it in one gulp, soothing her parched throat.

After the tea, the woman finally came to her senses, fragmented memories surfacing.

Who was she…? So many names swirling in her mind…

Oh right, Luo Ling…

Yes, she was Luo Ling.

Wait!

Luo Ling shook her head, and her eyes widened slightly as she caught sight of her reflection in the train car window.

“Is this… me?”

Just like her White Witch form, although the contours of her face were still recognizable as Luo Ling, her demeanor was completely different, making it impossible to connect the two.

Her slightly upturned eyes had a hint of wickedness, and long, light purple hair, slightly curled at the ends, framed her face.

Most striking were her black eyes, with small, pinpoint pupils at the center.

Although Luo Ling knew that her usual demeanor was far from ladylike, her current appearance exuded an alluring charm, no matter what she did.

More memories flooded her mind, as if being poured into this new body, similar to her first transformation into the White Witch.

Luo Ling remembered everything.

And…

“Sister!”

Luo Ling abruptly turned her head, but there was no sign of her sister in the train car, only Elsa, unconscious in the corner.

Elsa’s wheelchair was overturned, and she lay slumped on the floor, her hand outstretched, as if trying to grasp something.

There was no trace of her sister in the car, as if she had vanished into thin air.

…Had Scientist taken her away?

But why leave Elsa behind?

Luo Ling didn’t have time to dwell on this question. She had to find her sister, in this dangerous place…

Just then, Luo Ling saw the shattered fragments of the flip phone on the ground, and a look of regret appeared on her face.

This was her sister’s phone.

Why had she been so irritable just now, even crushing her sister’s phone?!

This was bad, it was the only clue she had.

If only her Puppet Ballad ability could repair phones like it could repair human bodies…

As Luo Ling thought this, invisible spiderwebs spread out, quickly enveloping the entire Spirit Walker.

At the same time, Luo Ling found herself with a new sense, similar to her Spores, but more… profound.

The structure of the Spirit Walker, Elsa’s condition, the reason for Bella’s sudden silence… all the information appeared in Luo Ling’s mind.

She “knew” everything within the web.

Most importantly… Luo Ling instantly understood how to repair the broken flip phone.

“Is this… Naraku’s ability?”

Luo Ling looked down at her fingers and the invisible web connected to them.

Perhaps it was because the spider leg that had pierced her heart had been absorbed by her Devour Authority, or perhaps for some other reason, but at this moment, Luo Ling possessed the power of Naraku, the Taboo of Sequence Eight.

She hadn’t expected Devour to be able to utilize even a Taboo’s power. What kind of existence was this Authority of hers, and which path did it belong to…?

After a moment of silence, Luo Ling, following her “knowledge,” manipulated the invisible web, gathering the phone fragments and connecting the components in a strange way.

Finally, the flip phone, entangled with spiderwebs, a tangled mess, lit up.

“Ring… ring…”

A name flashed on the pale green screen.

“Li Shaoheng.”

She extended a slender finger and answered the call.

“Ms. Su Wan? Can you hear me?”

Li Shaoheng’s anxious voice came through the phone, then a sigh of relief.

Perhaps he was just glad the phone could still be connected…

Luo Ling hesitated, not speaking.

It seemed Li Shaoheng also didn’t know her sister’s whereabouts. For a moment, Luo Ling didn’t know what to say.

But she didn’t have to wait long. Even without a reply, Li Shaoheng continued,

“Listen, the situation now…”

He quickly explained what had happened on the train, from Luo Ling’s exchange with Artist, to Ji Ying’s appearance, and the ongoing battle between Grotesqueries.

Luo Ling caught a crucial piece of information, and her expression turned complex.

“Puppet Ballad…?”

Ji Ying, who called herself the Puppet Ballad.

Perhaps… she understood now…

A truth she had been unable to confirm.

Until now, revealed by Ji Ying herself.

The current Ji Ying was an “egg” of the Puppet Ballad.

But unlike other “eggs,” she was fighting against the Puppet Ballad’s control with her own will, searching for a chance to kill it.

So, the Ji Ying she knew was Ji Ying, not a puppet created from her memories.

“She’s trying to kill the Puppet Ballad this way, but… she failed.”

Luo Ling slowly closed her eyes. In her Naraku state, her mental abilities were greatly enhanced, and combined with the previous clues, she had pieced together the truth.

The Puppet Ballad, of the Silent Demise path, was the opposite of Myriad. To kill it completely, either eradicate it entirely, or replace it, using the will of an “egg” to devour the main body’s will.

Just like what the white reishi in Baiyan Village had tried to do to Luo Ling, Ji Ying was trying to do the same to the Puppet Ballad’s true form.

But the reality was, Ji Ying must have experienced countless mergers and consumptions with “eggs,” yet she still couldn’t find its dormant true form, until now, reaching her limit, unable to distinguish between herself and the Puppet Ballad.

The end of a tragedy.

Perhaps, after witnessing her devour the white reishi in the subterranean cavern of Baiyan Village, she had finally realized who could truly kill the Puppet Ballad…

“It’s me,” Luo Ling murmured. “Only I can kill the Puppet Ballad.”

Chapter 83: Within the Web

After hanging up the phone, Artist turned slightly and looked at Li Shaoheng and the others.

He had several new wounds, slowly healing, but still noticeable.

After all, Artist wasn’t well-equipped to handle Li Shaoheng’s unpredictable spatial manipulation, with Cen Xiangyun’s constant interference as well.

And most importantly…

An Yu.

Her ability had always seemed insignificant. Conceptually erasing things sounded powerful, but due to her own weakness, she could only erase minor things.

Until the Baiyan Village incident, when An Yu gained a new ability: she could forcibly remove and temporarily become immune to the effects of other abilities.

The moment Artist entered the train, he had considered animating the entire train, but An Yu’s ability had interrupted him before he could even begin.

Although with Artist’s strength, forcibly breaking through An Yu’s erasure wasn’t impossible, now… a more pressing threat loomed.

“Order path Awakened Ones are so troublesome…”

Artist thought to himself.

Fortunately, An Yu’s current strength could only remove his influence on the train, not enough to deal with the current situation.

So, Artist used all the ordinary people on the train as hostages, stalling Li Shaoheng and the others while waiting for Scientist to rescue him.

Meanwhile, Li Shaoheng and the others were also anxious.

After Luo Ling’s warning of “enemy attack” echoed in their minds, she had vanished without a trace, leaving no sign of her departure from the train.

In her place was Artist, who had somehow entered their encirclement.

Li Shaoheng didn’t believe Artist would be foolish enough to face them three-on-one beyond the Boundary, and Artist’s initial surprise indicated that this infamous Harbinger of Calamity member had fallen into Luo Ling’s trap.

However, Luo Ling must have paid a price, perhaps even going to the enemy’s lair to rescue her sister.

Regardless, they had to capture Artist. This was a rare opportunity.

However…

“That feeling just now… did Scientist use her ‘blessing’?”

Although Li Shaoheng maintained a calm facade, his heart was in turmoil.

He could still feel the lingering fear from that fleeting gaze, the terrifying pressure of that presence.

He had heard that the Harbingers of Calamity had made deals with Taboos, exchanging Prices for power, but this was the first time he had experienced it firsthand.

Victoria was still in a state of unrest, and although they knew the Harbingers of Calamity were plotting something, they hadn’t made any large-scale moves yet, nor had they revealed their objectives.

He had thought it was just a rumor, but unexpectedly…

No matter what, he couldn’t let them succeed!

Even now, the Company still didn’t know the Harbingers’ true motives. Their actions were erratic, and each member had a distinct personality.

Even stranger, sometimes they even saved people.

Like Philosopher, although he had helped Scientist slaughter cities, the ordinary people who had interacted with him described him as a kind and benevolent old man, even mediating neighborhood disputes and taking in homeless children.

In short, it was a bizarre organization, the only certainty being their indifference towards humanity.

They didn’t necessarily want to destroy humanity, but they didn’t care if it happened in the pursuit of their goals.

In the earlier battle, Artist had suffered several injuries, but Li Shaoheng and his team weren’t unscathed either. Protecting the ordinary people on the train had been exhausting, and Cen Xiangyun had almost been injured, saved only by Li Shaoheng’s quick intervention.

“Let’s end this,” Li Shaoheng’s eyes narrowed, thinking of how to cut off Artist’s escape route.

Artist, wounded but still elegant, maintained his polite smile and, as if sensing something, took a step back.

Scientist’s grotesque figure appeared, her monstrous appearance startling everyone.

“This is…”

Li Shaoheng looked at Scientist warily. He could sense that her aura was similar to the gaze from earlier. She must have borrowed the power of that terrifying entity.

So, Miss Luo Ling…

His eyes narrowed.

As if seeing through Li Shaoheng’s thoughts, Scientist sneered.

“Dead.”

…Dead?

Li Shaoheng shuddered.

That quiet girl and her sister… were both dead?

It seemed so. Against such power, there was no room for struggle.

Miracles didn’t happen every time…

But this was his fault.

He had failed to protect the newbie.

But now… his priority was the ordinary people on this train. He couldn’t be distracted.

“How cold,” Scientist grinned, her grotesque face twisted in a horrifying smile. “That was your Company’s newbie, and that’s all you have to say?”

Li Shaoheng didn’t respond, silently sending his throwing knives towards her.

Cen Xiangyun also didn’t hesitate. Although saddened by Luo Ling’s sudden death, she had to deal with the enemy before her.

“Tsk, tsk, as expected of one of the few High-Order Awakened Ones capable of killing me, the openings revealed by Omniscience are indeed few,” Scientist shook her head. “But… I’m not playing with you anymore!”

Indeed, Li Shaoheng’s defenses, both for himself and his teammates, were impeccable. Even with Omniscience, Scientist couldn’t find an opening to attack him.

But the problem was…

This was a train!

A train full of ordinary people!

The Harbingers of Calamity didn’t care about the lives of ordinary people. When they were useful, they would be used without hesitation.

This train, full of ordinary people, was Scientist’s perfect “hostage.”

Facing Li Shaoheng and Cen Xiangyun’s combined attack, Scientist didn’t try to evade as before.

Several throwing knives locked onto her position, forcing her to use Retrospect, but more knives were waiting at her destination.

This was how Li Shaoheng could suppress Scientist. His spatial manipulation eliminated the travel time of his throwing knives, preventing Scientist from creating distance.

But now…

Scientist charged forward, seemingly disregarding her own safety, entering the encirclement.

“What?!”

Li Shaoheng was surprised by her unexpected move, but he didn’t have time to think. His throwing knives flew towards her, about to slice through her head in less than a second.

These weren’t ordinary weapons, but Sacred Tools imbued with abilities.

A Severance concept capable of cutting through anything, derived from the Sacred Relic of a High-Risk Grotesquery.

Facing imminent death, Scientist’s grotesque smile didn’t falter.

“Spatial Distortion, are you willing to gamble the lives of everyone on this train for a chance to kill me?” She looked at Li Shaoheng with disdain, her voice arrogant.

As her words fell, Artist, in perfect coordination, activated his ability.

“…Midas Touch.”

With Scientist drawing their attention, Artist finally had the time to break through An Yu’s protection on the train.

Half the train car transformed into a living being, then instantly turned into gold.

This was Artist’s final ability, turning living beings back into inanimate objects.

Although he could currently only use it on beings he had animated himself, not on all living beings, it was enough for this situation.

The gold-plated train car screeched, no longer functioning. The intense friction created a burning smell, and the carriages ahead suddenly became noisy, filled with panic.

“Damn it!”

Li Shaoheng no longer had time to deal with Scientist. The gold plating was spreading rapidly, and soon, the other carriages would also become useless, until the entire train, including its engine, was frozen, a catastrophic end for everyone on board.

Hundreds, thousands of lives, about to be extinguished.

Without hesitation, he redirected his throwing knives towards Artist, creating an opening for Scientist.

Artist was forced to stop and defend against the knives, and Scientist seized the opportunity, closing the distance to Li Shaoheng, within striking range.

Li Shaoheng tried to use his ability to create distance, but it was too late.

Scientist’s earlier charge had taken his casting time into account.

This was… the power of Omniscience.

Spider legs pierced Li Shaoheng’s arm, a few centimeters away from his heart.

Scientist wasn’t surprised; this was also within her Omniscience, the most damaging outcome among all possibilities.

Being too greedy would only backfire.

Venomous blood was injected, instantly making Li Shaoheng’s face pale.

Without hesitation, he threw a knife, severing his own arm.

The poisoned arm fell to the ground, instantly rotting and dissolving into a puddle of pus within seconds.

If it spread, Li Shaoheng would likely suffer the same fate.

“Rots faster than that little girl,” Scientist tsked, but the image of Luo Ling’s terrifyingly intense gaze before her death flashed through her mind, and her expression darkened slightly.

…Never mind.

The girl was already dead, why dwell on it?

Turning into pus didn’t matter. Artist was here, and his ability was perfect for dealing with such situations, often repairing and repurposing dead bodies, turning them into “artworks.”

“You managed to stop us this time, but what about next time?” Scientist grinned grotesquely. “How many more arms can you afford to lose?”

Artist, his face expressionless, continued using his ability, while Scientist watched from the side.

Li Shaoheng was helpless.

If he tried to stop Artist, he would be attacked by Scientist. If he blocked Scientist, Artist’s ability would destroy the entire train.

In that case, most of the ordinary people would die in the train accident, and he would die in the Realm of Nothingness.

The only survivors might be Cen Xiangyun and An Yu.

Sometimes, knowing too much wasn’t a good thing.

Had he been cornered…?

A rare despair filled Li Shaoheng’s eyes, and he slowly closed them. Cen Xiangyun, seeing this, suddenly understood what her uncle was planning to do.

He would die either way, but at least… he could protect these ordinary people.

Protect the foundation of this era, preventing this Boundary from falling into Disorder.

That was the Company’s purpose.

Throwing knives appeared again, aimed at Artist.

Scientist smiled, satisfied with Li Shaoheng’s choice, the most valuable exchange for the Harbingers.

But just before this suicidal exchange, a scene similar to the beginning of this incident unfolded.

A cold, indifferent voice echoed simultaneously in the minds of Li Shaoheng, Cen Xiangyun, and An Yu.

“Target Scientist.”

Who was that?

Miss Luo Ling?

But it didn’t quite sound like her…

A familiar situation. Scientist’s grotesque face appeared before them.

A question of trust was placed before Li Shaoheng.

Should he trust this unfamiliar voice?

Scientist wouldn’t give him time to hesitate, but Cen Xiangyun bought him a moment.

“Ice Seal!”

Cen Xiangyun didn’t use Ice Seal on Li Shaoheng, as he wouldn’t be able to use his ability while frozen.

She used it on herself, becoming a shield for her uncle.

Spider legs pierced through the ice without hesitation, leaving a gruesome wound on Cen Xiangyun’s leg.

Even though Cen Xiangyun immediately used Ice Coagulation on her leg, the venomous blood still caused most of her leg to rot and fester.

This brief respite allowed Li Shaoheng to make his decision. He redirected his throwing knives, severing three of Scientist’s spider legs.

Combined with the one Luo Ling had broken off, Scientist now only had half her spider legs remaining.

“What?!”

Scientist was shocked and confused. She hadn’t expected Li Shaoheng to change his target, sacrificing three of her limbs for a train full of people.

This wasn’t a worthwhile exchange for Scientist. She didn’t care about the lives of ordinary people, but she couldn’t accept the heavy Price of losing her spider legs.

Even more alarming, this had also happened outside of her Omniscience!

Her Omniscience… hadn’t foreseen this possibility.

A wave of frustration and a desperate urge to sacrifice overwhelmed her.

At the same time, even worse news arrived.

Artist stood up silently and said,

“The train car… has been detached.”

…What did he mean?

The entire car was now gold-plated and had stopped moving.

But the expected panic and deaths didn’t occur. An eerie silence filled the air.

“The car…”

An Yu cautiously peeked out the window. She could only see the outer world and the current state of the train.

“It’s separated from the rest of the train.”

The golden train car was now isolated on the tracks, the other carriages and the engine continuing on their journey, unaffected by the gold plating.

In other words, the hostages were gone.

“No! Impossible!”

Scientist looked crazed, her Omniscience seemingly useless, another unforeseen possibility.

“This is…”

Even Li Shaoheng hadn’t expected this. He couldn’t use his spatial manipulation ability in the Realm of Nothingness to detach the car so precisely without affecting the rest of the train.

“I did it,” a calm, indifferent voice echoed.

Everyone looked up and saw an unfamiliar, tall woman standing at the entrance of the car, as if she had just boarded.

But no one recognized her.

“Who are you?”

Artist frowned, a sense of familiarity with this strange woman.

Was it from someone’s memories?

“Ji Ying,” the tall woman said calmly, “Or you can call me… Puppet Ballad.”

…

The pain in her chest gradually faded into a numb warmth, her cold body enveloped in a familiar warmth.

When Luo Ling opened her eyes again, she was back in the strange space she had visited countless times.

Flickering oil lamps lined the corridor, and one of the old wooden doors was ajar.

“This is…”

After recovering from the haze of being killed by Scientist, Luo Ling sat slumped on the ground, exhausted.

A heavy fatigue weighed her down. After an unknown amount of time, when she finally regained her senses, she was standing before the second door.

A warm light emanated from within, and Luo Ling pushed the door open. As expected, the room inside was identical to the Harbingers’ train car.

A crackling fireplace, half-empty cups of tea steaming on the table.

The only difference was in the center of the room.

…It wasn’t the crystal coffin from the previous room.

Two old, worn wooden planks formed a cross, standing upright on the floor.

Green vines wrapped around the cross, reaching upwards, blooming into beautiful, light purple flowers.

Bound to the cross by the vines was a stunningly beautiful woman, her eyes closed, faint, alluring markings tracing the corners of her eyes, her vibrant purple hair cascading down her shoulders, her ample bosom faintly visible.

A simple, white dress did nothing to diminish her allure. Even bound and imprisoned, she exuded a captivating, seductive aura.

She seemed to be both smiling and crying.

As Luo Ling approached the purple-haired woman, a familiar message appeared in her mind.

[Chaos: Naraku]
[Innate Ability: Weave — Expand a web domain, gaining all predictable information within the domain.]
[Weaving points into lines, lines into a web, within the web. Naraku knows all, sees all.]

Chapter 82: The Authority of Omniscience

Another burst of astonishing speed, another piercing blow aimed at the chest.

Grotesque claws, imbued with a strange, intricate beauty, a cold, crazed glint in her narrowed eyes, her burning dark gold pupils blazing.

Even without technique, pure instinct and extreme speed were enough to compensate.

However, Scientist had only been caught off guard because of her miscalculation. Now, recognizing Luo Ling as a dual-path Awakened One, wielding both Myriad and Judgment, she wouldn’t give her another opening.

A few casual, brief Retrospects easily avoided Luo Ling’s fatal attacks, but it left her with no time to seal Elsa again.

Retrospecting to the train where Artist was required more preparation time.

And Luo Ling wouldn’t give her that time. Besides, Scientist couldn’t abandon the Spirit Walker and Elsa.

“Honestly,” Scientist muttered, “sending a researcher like me to the front lines…”

And inside the Spirit Walker, the cramped space restricted her ability, giving Luo Ling, a Judgment path Awakened One, an advantage.

It was all because of Elsa.

If she hadn’t known that her most prized creation was in Jiangcheng County, Scientist wouldn’t have come personally, at most sending Artist’s puppets and using Performer’s psychological suggestion to infiltrate.

But now, Performer was dead, and Artist had been Retrospected onto a passenger-filled train.

Narrowly dodging Luo Ling’s relentless attacks, Scientist knew she couldn’t waste any more time.

She believed Artist could handle Li Shaoheng and the others, but they were currently beyond the Boundary, in the Realm of Nothingness. A slight misstep, and he wouldn’t be able to return to the Spirit Walker.

In that case, Artist would be forced to follow the train to the next Boundary, directly confronting the Company branch.

Even if he could escape, it would come at a great cost.

Artist was still somewhat useful to her research, and Scientist wasn’t willing to abandon him just yet. It would be too troublesome.

After creating enough distance, Scientist quickly set an Anchor Point. When Luo Ling’s next attack came, she shifted the target of her Retrospect.

To Luo Ling herself.

Luo Ling’s claws reached out, the sensation of tearing flesh, but she instinctively sensed something was wrong.

Had she finally landed a hit?

No…

Luo Ling was horrified to see her own claws, Retrospected to a precise location, piercing her own abdomen.

“Ugh…”

A sharp pain shot through her abdomen, quickly replaced by a numbing sensation.

Crimson blood stained the carpet, but Luo Ling’s first thought was…

Was her blood… still red?

It seemed… acceptable.

“Tsk, you’re becoming more and more interesting,” Scientist said, unimpressed. “I thought I could use your hand to kill your sister, but it seems Retrospect isn’t very effective against you in this state.”

She had intended to Retrospect Luo Ling to a more distant location, turning her claws against her beloved sister.

But when she used her ability, it was disrupted by some unknown force, not even moving Luo Ling’s position.

Should she call this “ability resistance”…

She had heard of it, but never encountered it before.

It seemed her plan to use Retrospect to throw her into the Realm of Nothingness wouldn’t work.

These thoughts flashed through Scientist’s mind in an instant. Her movements faltered for a moment, but then, she saw Luo Ling’s burning dark gold eyes widening.

The normally fatal wound in her abdomen seemed to have no effect on the black-haired girl, her speed undiminished.

But what did it matter?

Scientist activated her ability, shifting herself to another Anchor Point within the Spirit Walker.

Anchor Points needed to be attached to an object, a person, or a location. They couldn’t be set in mid-air, so she couldn’t use the moving Spirit Walker to throw Luo Ling into the Realm of Nothingness.

Similarly, Scientist could only dodge and evade in this situation.

But just as her ability was about to take effect, an annoying voice echoed.

“Yan!”

The torture of burning.

An unbearable heat seared her soul, interrupting her ability.

In that brief moment of disorientation, claws pierced through her flesh.

Although Scientist had managed to use her ability at the last moment, teleporting herself to a safe location, Luo Ling’s attack had landed.

An invisible shattering sound echoed as the thermometer at Scientist’s waist exploded, the precious protective Sacred Tool finally succumbing to the attack, completely destroyed.

“Heh, you’re persistent,” Scientist said, blood trickling from her lips. Being injured in the same spot twice, she felt her internal organs tremble.

As expected, she hated Judgment path Awakened Ones the most…

Reckless and brutal, purely focused on combat, a single misstep could be fatal.

If the space were larger, she could use Retrospect to play this brute like a fiddle, but unfortunately, the Spirit Walker was too small, too restrictive.

“I’m not a lunatic like Artist and Performer,” Scientist clutched her abdomen, blood staining her trench coat. “I don’t like using or merging with Grotesqueries, and I don’t care about those so-called Authorities.”

She was just a researcher.

Quietly conducting her beloved research was enough.

That was what Scientist had always believed.

Compared to the other lunatics in the Harbingers of Calamity, she was just a harmless researcher, at most slaughtering a few cities.

“But I have no choice…”

“I’ll just have to pay a small Price and ask ‘Him’ to end you.”

Scientist casually plucked out her prosthetic eye, blood gushing from the empty socket, a grotesque smile seemingly appearing on her face.

The mechanical parts of the prosthetic eye shattered, and the living pupil burst, the viscous fluid, mixed with fragments of the eye and flesh, forming a ritualistic pattern in mid-air.

Luo Ling tried to attack again, but an irresistible force from the ritual held her back.

“Offering an ability as a Price, in exchange for ‘His’ blessing. I didn’t want to use this, after all, having a part of my body occupied by a Grotesquery isn’t a pleasant feeling,” Scientist grinned. “But if I consider this an experiment, it’s not bad.”

She had initially planned to use Elsa as a test subject, but now, she had to conduct the clinical trial earlier than expected.

The completed ritual slowly dissipated, and at the same time, everyone present, including Li Shaoheng and the others on the train, felt a powerful presence, a fleeting gaze directed towards them.

Scientist basked in the gaze, the empty socket of her eye instantly filled with a pale green mucus—not the white mycelia of the Puppet Ballad, Luo Ling could tell the difference.

The mucus churned, and a new eye emerged, its pupil completely black, with a faint, green-tinged white dot at the center.

Fine, gray hairs sprouted around the eye socket, replacing Scientist’s eyebrows and eyelashes, and thin, blood-red lines spread from her eye socket, a grotesque yet beautiful pattern.

“Praise be, this is the power of ‘Him,’ the Taboo of Sequence Eight, the Harbinger of Destruction, the other side of Order, the Abyss of Chaos, ‘Naraku.’”

The moment its true name was spoken, the gaze intensified, almost solidifying.

All Harbingers of Calamity members possessed similar abilities, sacrificing something in exchange for the power of “Him.” Performer had used this power in the subterranean cavern.

Scientist was one of the few exceptions, not out of resistance, but simply because she hadn’t encountered an opponent that required such measures before.

Or rather, she had always retreated before such a situation arose.

She wasn’t a combatant; her primary role in the Harbingers was research.

“Unexpectedly pleasant, though losing an ability is a bit of a shame,” Scientist said with a hint of regret, shaking her head. “Philosopher advised me against it many times, I didn’t expect to use it at this time… oh well.”

The gaze retracted, seemingly satisfied with the offering.

In return, Scientist gained the power to use a portion of “His” Authority.

Her back arched and cracked, and several long, grotesque limbs sprouted, covered in fine hairs similar to those around her eye, dripping with blood and viscous fluid, a sweet, almost unbearable fragrance filling the air.

“Are those… spider legs?”

Even Elsa, accustomed to Grotesqueries, felt a chill run down her spine at this sight, a mixture of disgust and terror.

Spider Woman stretched, her demonic eyes gazing playfully at everyone.

Luo Ling, restrained by the gaze, watched calmly. The moment “He” retracted his gaze, she lunged forward without hesitation.

Luo Ling wasn’t reckless. She was cautious, avoiding the mistakes she had made before.

But in Scientist’s eyes…

…She was full of flaws.

Luo Ling’s every move, every thought, every intention, was clearly displayed before her, in excruciating detail.

“Is this the power of ‘Him’? This is… the realm of Omniscience…”

For Scientist, who had dedicated her life to science, Omniscience was the ultimate temptation.

It was said that the blessings of Taboos would make their servants willingly sacrifice everything for them. Scientist had once scoffed at this notion, but now, she understood… it was true.

She would continue to perform sacrificial rituals for this power, constantly being drained, until ‘He’ had completely exhausted her worth.

Even knowing the consequences, she would still reach for this power.

But for now, she didn’t need to worry about such distant matters.

“Omniscience… is omnipotence.”

Scientist vanished, using Retrospect as always.

But this time, it was different. She only Retrospected a single step away from Luo Ling.

Such a short distance, Luo Ling had no time to react, taking another step forward, her momentum unchanged.

“Gotcha.”

This extra step gave Scientist the time she needed to dodge without using Retrospect, forcing Luo Ling to waste an attack.

An opening, enough for Scientist to unleash a fatal blow.

Spider legs pierced Luo Ling’s heart.

Deadly venom injected.

…Or rather, not venom, but the blood of “Him.”

But “His” blood, to humans, was a deadly poison, incurable by any means.

“…Dying.”

Scientist smiled, watching Luo Ling die, her eyes dimming, her life force fading.

The terrifyingly precise Omniscience had provided the simplest, most efficient solution. At this moment, Scientist was like a god, toying with Luo Ling’s life.

But the next moment, the dying flame flickered back to life. Luo Ling, struggling, lunged forward an inch, the spider legs piercing deeper into her heart.

Scientist was startled by this unexpected turn of events. This possibility hadn’t appeared in her Omniscience.

However, it was only an inch.

The dying struggle ended.

The black-haired girl collapsed.

But as she fell, Scientist cried out in pain. Looking down, she saw that one of her spider legs had been severed in Luo Ling’s final struggle.

The girl’s grotesque claws had cut through the spider leg, a significant loss for Scientist.

These Naraku spider legs were formed from her Price. If they weren’t retrieved after she deactivated her ability, even her soul would be severely injured.

Trying to take a piece of her with her even in death…

This girl, so young, yet her fighting spirit was so strong.

But now, it was just a joke.

Scientist, annoyed, casually kicked the black-haired girl’s corpse aside.

She looked up at the two huddled in the corner. Elsa had tried to use her ability against Scientist in this state, but for some reason, all her Grotesquery abilities had failed.

It seemed that under the gaze of “Him,” even the Grotesqueries sealed within her felt an instinctive fear.

Su Wan’s expression remained calm throughout, even witnessing her sister’s death, her face showed no emotion.

“Just like your sister, such an annoying face.”

Scientist’s demeanor seemed to have become more violent, and she slowly walked towards Elsa and Su Wan, a deep desire driving her to sacrifice them and exchange them with Naraku for more power.

Just then, the phone on the table in the train car rang. Artist’s voice came through.

“Scientist, are you done yet? I’m using the ordinary people on the train to hold them back, but the train will arrive at the station in half an hour. I can’t stall any longer.”

“Damn it, it’s all your fault!”

“…You actually used ‘His’ power? Good, but for you to be forced to this extent, it seems we still underestimated her.”

“What do you care? I killed her anyway!”

After a moment of silence, Artist continued,

“Come and get me.”

He had clearly experienced this stage of Scientist’s before and knew that she wouldn’t listen to reason now, so he didn’t bother arguing.

After hanging up, Scientist rubbed her hair in frustration.

The missing limb on her back was a constant reminder that her Omniscience wasn’t complete, there were still flaws. Only by offering more sacrifices to “Him” could she obtain the complete Authority.

This, to Scientist, who had experienced Omniscience, was unbearable.

But her rationality and her past experiences within the Harbingers reminded her that this temptation was “His” method of controlling his servants. Succumbing to desire would only turn her into a slave, losing herself completely.

Finally, after struggling with her inner demons, Scientist’s eyes regained their calmness.

She would spare the sister’s life for now. Whether she killed her or not didn’t matter, but the most important thing was not to be completely controlled by “Him.”

The Harbingers never worshipped Grotesqueries; they saw them as tools, even Taboos were no exception.

Their actions had a purpose, just not one understood by ordinary people.

Before leaving, Scientist glanced at the black-haired girl’s corpse in the corner, confirming that her life force was completely extinguished, then used Retrospect to return to the train.

After Scientist disappeared, Elsa wanted to check on Luo Ling, but her body felt heavy, her consciousness fading.

Was Miss Luo Ling really dead?

And…

With her last bit of consciousness, Elsa looked at Su Wan, Luo Ling’s sister, but she didn’t see any grief on the face of the sister who was so close to her.

So… she wasn’t dead?

Elsa didn’t know, and she wouldn’t have a chance to find out.

In her fading vision, she saw Su Wan stand up and walk towards her beloved sister.

She knelt down and slowly pulled out the horrifying spider leg that had pierced her sister’s heart.

Then…

…nothing.

Her vision went black, and Elsa’s consciousness faded into silence.

She only heard a faint, gentle voice, terrifying enough to make her soul tremble.

“Eat.”

“Consume.”

“Understand ‘Him.’”

“Become ‘Him.’”

“Become… Naraku.”

Chapter 81: Don’t Look at Me

The reason they took Su Wan instead of Luo Ling was simple.

Luo Ling was an Awakened One with unknown abilities. The previous battle had been too short to discern the specifics of her powers.

Both the Company and the local Awakened organization, the Qingshan Hospital Exchange Group, had ways of obtaining information.

But Luo Ling was different. She didn’t exist in any records, and even the Harbingers’ Other Shore path users couldn’t find anything about her.

Although Artist and Scientist were confident in their strength, they weren’t willing to take unnecessary risks.

Kidnapping Luo Ling directly might expose them to unknown dangers.

For example, Luo Ling could temporarily borrow abilities. If she borrowed Scientist’s power and used Retrospect on her, it could put Scientist herself in danger.

Retrospect wasn’t without limitations. Although its cooldown was short, if Li Shaoheng seized the opportunity, it could be fatal.

Therefore, targeting the ordinary person closest to Luo Ling, using her as a “hostage,” was the simplest and most effective method.

As for whether such actions were despicable and shameless?

There were indeed some old-fashioned members within the Harbingers who adhered to certain moral boundaries, but Artist and Scientist clearly had no such qualms.

“My ability is Retrospect. I can move to any location I’ve marked with Retrospect,” Scientist said, taking out a transparent crystal.

“I know you can temporarily borrow other people’s abilities. This crystal contains the power to Retrospect to this train, and to Retrospect an object from the train to this car, but each can only be used once.”

In other words, they were inviting Luo Ling to come alone, while also giving her a chance to rescue her sister.

Their ultimate goal was still to kill Luo Ling, use Artist’s ability to reanimate her corpse, and use it as a lead to find the weakened High-Risk Grotesquery in Jiangcheng County.

Luo Ling was silent for a moment.

She tried to use her Spores to borrow Scientist’s ability, but Artist, knowing about this ability, had taken precautions.

Both of them were covered in a layer of inanimate material, preventing the Spores from attaching.

The crystal on the table did contain an ability, but Luo Ling could sense that it had been tampered with. If any other ability interacted with it, it would collapse, preventing further borrowing.

Luo Ling couldn’t find any openings.

These were just hasty preparations. If Luo Ling hadn’t taken her sister away and had stayed in Jiangcheng County, the situation would have been far more dire.

At least now, Artist and Scientist still wanted to make the bait more tempting, giving Luo Ling a chance to rescue her sister. Otherwise… one more or one less life meant nothing to them.

This was a dead end.

Someone had to die.

“Xiao Ling…”

Hearing the voice appearing out of nowhere, Su Wan’s expression turned complex.

She had noticed her sister’s strange behavior for a while now, perhaps since her illness a few months ago, or even earlier.

Her recent actions had been even more mysterious.

How could Su Wan not notice?

She saw through every one of Luo Ling’s lies, clumsy or elaborate, but she had chosen to ignore them, to avoid confronting them.

Until now, Su Wan finally understood why her sister had been hiding things from her.

“I believe in you.”

No matter what, I believe in you.

“I believe… you can protect me.”

Just like last time.

…And every time.

The crystal on the table shattered silently, meaning the ability within had been borrowed.

Artist and Scientist smiled slightly; their plan seemed to have worked.

But then, something unexpected happened.

A silvery white figure materialized at the designated location, but the ordinary woman sitting in front of them didn’t disappear.

It was Artist who vanished.

Luo Ling hadn’t chosen to rescue her sister, but instead, Retrospected Artist onto the moving train!

Luo Ling knew they would be waiting for her, a trap laid out. They were the trap. Without the “egg’s” power, she would be no match for either Artist or Scientist.

If she agreed to their terms, it would be a dead end.

So, she couldn’t play by their rules.

“A different person…”

Luo Ling murmured, her eyes hardening.

The next moment, a cold voice echoed in the minds of everyone in the train car,

“Enemy attack.”

Two Retrospects activated, the exchange happening in an instant.

Artist materialized inside the train car, surrounded by three attackers.

A flicker of surprise crossed his face, then a smile returned.

“An unexpected move, well played.”

Choosing to eliminate an enemy instead of rescuing her sister directly…

A good choice.

But ultimately… meaningless.

It would only result in more casualties.

The reason Scientist feared Li Shaoheng was because their abilities countered each other, but Artist was different.

He was an Awakened One on the Myriad path, the absolute master of life.

“An opponent of the same level is not qualified to kill me,” Artist said, looking around at his attackers, a hint of arrogance in his voice. He had underestimated Luo Ling before, until he placed her on the same level as himself.

“Interesting.”

Inside the Spirit Walker, Scientist grinned, her red tongue licking her lips, her posture straightening slightly.

Her single eye watched the slowly materializing figure with interest.

First, a flash of silvery white, then, a gloomy, black-haired girl.

The girl didn’t hesitate, rushing straight towards Scientist the moment she appeared, her speed surprising even Scientist.

Dust rose from the floor beneath her feet. If this weren’t a Sacred Tool but an ordinary train car, it would have been crushed by her force.

“Is she trying to borrow my ability?”

Scientist chuckled. Borrowing abilities sounded powerful, but only when it was unexpected.

Once she knew about it, she could easily avoid the conditions for borrowing.

Luo Ling’s method of borrowing abilities, through physical contact, had been revealed during her desperate attempt to reach Artist. And avoiding contact was precisely Scientist’s specialty.

With a snap of her fingers, Scientist vanished from the sofa.

But to her surprise, the black-haired girl didn’t stop, instead, she accelerated.

Her target was…

The unconscious Elsa.

From the beginning, this had been Luo Ling’s goal. She had merely made it seem like she was trying to borrow Scientist’s ability.

“Oh?”

Scientist, having missed her chance, could only watch as Luo Ling touched Elsa, a flicker of surprise in her eye.

However, she also found it amusing. Elsa’s abilities weren’t so easily used. Grotesquery powers came at a price, and the price Elsa paid was unimaginable.

Elsa was currently in a deep coma, her consciousness sealed within the Grotesquery space.

Scientist didn’t know why Elsa’s mind hadn’t collapsed in Baiyan Village. Perhaps she had grown stronger, but it didn’t matter. As long as she could control Elsa’s actions, that was enough.

Due to the heavy price she paid, Elsa’s abilities were incredibly powerful. Although their current strength was only equivalent to a Mid-Order Awakened One, even Scientist found them troublesome to deal with.

Fortunately, Scientist had the habit of performing neurosurgery on her experimental subjects beforehand, allowing her to control this powerful, human-shaped Sacred Tool.

Yes, to Scientist, Elsa was a Sacred Tool, a tool for wielding Grotesquery powers.

Sealing the Sacred Relic of a Grotesquery within an infant with Awakened One physique, allowing the infant to merge with the Relic from birth, creating a being capable of freely wielding Grotesquery abilities.

Scientist had requested Philosopher’s help in slaughtering several cities and taking all the children under three, for this very purpose, to create these weapons.

Elsa was the only successful case, the only surviving weapon.

Just as Scientist was wondering which ability Luo Ling would borrow, she saw the black-haired girl slam her forehead against the unconscious Elsa and shout,

“Elsa, wake up!”

Who’s calling me?

Within the mindscape, Elsa, once again surrounded and assaulted by Grotesqueries, opened her eyes in a daze.

A familiar feeling…

It had happened recently…

Could it be… Big Sister Bai?

At the same time, the Grotesqueries in her mindscape retreated slightly at the shout, as if afraid of something.

A faint light appeared in the darkness, and Elsa reached out, grasping a soft, silver strand of hair.

“This is…”

Big Sister Bai’s hair.

Every time… it was her.

The fear in Elsa’s eyes vanished. She was no longer lost and terrified.

Because she saw that this single, seemingly insignificant strand of silver hair was enough to repel the surrounding Grotesqueries.

“It’s useless,” Scientist chuckled. “Do you really think she’s just asleep? My god, you should see for yourself… eh?”

Scientist stopped mid-sentence, stunned.

She watched as Elsa slowly opened her eyes, an expression of disbelief on her face for the first time.

“Big Sister Bai…”

Elsa murmured, her voice slightly dazed, then realized the person standing before her was the black-haired girl, not the Big Sister Bai she knew.

“No, it’s Miss Luo Ling.”

She quickly covered her mouth, afraid her voice would harm Luo Ling.

But… Luo Ling showed no signs of being affected.

Not only that, but her voice, imbued with the will of a Grotesquery, had no effect on anyone present.

Luo Ling, of course, was immune. Scientist had her own methods of resistance, but even Su Wan… felt no discomfort from her voice.

“Do it,” Luo Ling’s voice echoed.

“Okay.”

Luo Ling moved aside.

At the same time, Su Wan stood up and approached Luo Ling.

Elsa opened her eyes, the runes of the death warrant swirling within, and stared at Scientist. As she uttered a few words, three soul-based tortures instantly afflicted Scientist.

“Tsk…”

Scientist’s face contorted in pain. Even as a High-Order Awakened One, she couldn’t easily withstand such a continuous assault on her soul.

She raised a hand, her cat-faced eye patch removed, the living pupil in her prosthetic eye twitching uneasily.

“Retrospect, Immerse.”

Activating her ability on a target, reverting their state to a specific point in time marked by an Anchor Point.

A faint chime echoed, and Scientist clearly intended to revert Elsa’s consciousness back to the moment it was sealed within the Grotesquery space.

Just like in the subterranean cavern.

Every battle Elsa participated in was dangerous.

If Elsa’s path reached the level of a High-Order Awakened One, Scientist wouldn’t even dare confront her alone, unable to withstand the soul damage, just like Performer, who was also a Mid-Order Awakened One.

Of course, such an opportunity would never have arisen.

Because Elsa would never be able to escape Scientist’s control, let alone attack her.

But now…

A monstrous figure with blue skin and fangs suddenly appeared before Scientist. Caught off guard, Scientist’s abdomen was pierced, even her protective Sacred Tool cracking slightly.

“What—”

Scientist spat out blood, the interruption of her ability painful.

Even more painful was Luo Ling’s attack.

It had been terrifyingly powerful, almost shattering her protective Sacred Tool, which could withstand any attack below High-Order Awakened One level.

If it weren’t for the protective gear, Luo Ling could have ripped out her intestines with a single hand.

Unexpected.

“Not Myriad, but Judgment…?”

Scientist wiped the blood from her lips, relieved that the attack hadn’t been fatal.

Luo Ling’s speed had been far beyond her expectations, a speed impossible for a Myriad path Awakened One, only achievable by someone on the Judgment path.

But all the abilities Luo Ling had displayed so far had been Myriad.

It was impossible for a person to be on two paths, at least it had never happened before, and it was highly unlikely to happen in the future.

Because the conflict between different paths would tear such an ambitious being apart, erasing even their concept of existence.

That was why Scientist had misjudged Luo Ling’s movements, giving her an opening.

However, it would be the only opening.

Scientist looked up and saw Luo Ling’s current form, momentarily stunned.

“Holy moly… little girl, you’re really Grotesque-side, aren’t you?”

She had never seen such a dense Grotesquery aura on an Awakened One. No wonder she had left such a strong trace after merely touching Artist’s sand puppet.

Wait, was she really an Awakened One?

Wasn’t this… an “egg”?

Scientist’s mind reeled. What kind of opponent were they facing…? It was completely beyond their expectations.

Elsa, having used her ability three times and almost being sealed back into the Grotesquery space by Scientist, was also extremely weak. She looked at Luo Ling’s back, a faint sense of familiarity stirring within her.

As if she had seen her in the subterranean cavern…

But… she hadn’t known Miss Luo Ling back then, had she?

“Xiao Ling.”

Her sister’s voice, seemingly trying to guide Luo Ling.

Luo Ling maintained her composure.

Demonic transformation…

Using it again.

Because she knew that only in this state could she force Scientist to focus on her, leaving Elsa and her sister alone.

But this demonic transformation seemed deeper than the previous ones.

Something was taking over her consciousness, greedily consuming something intangible within her.

Was it her “humanity”?

It didn’t matter.

The only thing she cared about…

“Sister, close your eyes… don’t look,” Luo Ling’s voice was hoarse.

“…Mm.”

Her sister’s voice trembled slightly.

I’m sorry, even my voice scares you now.

Even now, she still didn’t want her sister to see her like this.

Such an ugly, terrifying…

…monster.

At this moment, Luo Ling had accepted the fact that she was a monster.

So now, let the monster save them all.

Chapter 80: Beyond the Boundary, The Realm of Nothingness

The train moved slowly, its long whistle echoing.

Luo Ling looked in the direction her sister was pointing and opened her mouth to speak.

A clear blue sky.

Abyss?

What abyss?

Luo Ling looked at Su Wan, puzzled, and noticed a strange mix of emotions on her sister’s face.

Reminiscence, longing, struggle…

But all very faint, barely perceptible.

“Sister, are you not feeling well…?”

Luo Ling’s words were cut short by a sharp, piercing shriek, seemingly from the depths of hell, assaulting her eardrums.

“Ugh…”

Luo Ling winced in pain, bending over slightly.

But the others seemed unaffected by the shriek, their gazes filled with concern and confusion. Only Li Shaoheng’s eyes narrowed slightly as he looked at Luo Ling.

“What’s wrong?” Cen Xiangyun rushed over, offering motion sickness medicine. “My god, you weren’t carsick in the minivan, but you’re getting sick on the train…?”

“It’s not motion sickness…”

Luo Ling’s face paled slightly, and her sister gently supported her, helping her sit up straight.

“Then…?”

“It’s nothing.”

Luo Ling was used to strange things happening to her. After taking a deep breath, she felt better.

But the next moment, she looked up, her face paling again.

She finally realized what her sister meant by “abyss.”

The once clear blue sky was now tinged with a strange, dark hue, slowly consuming something.

Stretching to the horizon, the distance was swallowed by this ominous darkness, radiating an aura of annihilation.

The train chugged forward along the tracks, heading straight towards the abyss.

“Miss Luo Ling, calm down,” Li Shaoheng said softly, approaching her.

“But this…”

Luo Ling hesitated. Everyone was looking at her strangely, even Cen Xiangyun.

She looked at her sister pleadingly, but Su Wan just stared blankly out the window, as if gazing at the invisible, dark abyss.

…Was it her imagination?

Or a hallucination?

Li Shaoheng was silent for a moment, then took out a pen from his suit pocket, wrote a few words on a piece of paper, and handed it to Luo Ling.

At the same time, he stopped the curious Cen Xiangyun from looking.

Luo Ling took the note, read it, and her racing heart calmed slightly, but a greater confusion followed.

The note read:

“Do not look directly at the abyss. Close your eyes.”

The abyss she and her sister saw wasn’t fake.

Was Jiangcheng County surrounded by such an abyss…?

But why?

Luo Ling looked at Li Shaoheng again, opening her mouth to ask, but before she could speak, Li Shaoheng held a finger to his lips and handed her another note.

“This is information that cannot be conveyed casually. It can drive people insane. I’ll explain when we reach our destination.”

So that was why he used a note…

Luo Ling knew that ordinary people couldn’t see Grotesqueries; it was a protective mechanism of this world. Knowledge beyond their comprehension would lead to mental illness, and Qingshan Psychiatric Hospital housed such patients.

The Seer was also this type of patient, but the members of the Speaker, specifically that mysterious Gypsy Girl, insisted she was a special Awakened One and took her away, leading to the later incidents.

This world had Grotesqueries, and Awakened Ones, so other strange phenomena were also normal. This thought calmed Luo Ling slightly.

She turned to Su Wan, saw her sister still staring blankly, and tugged on her sleeve worriedly.

“Sister, are… are you alright?”

“Mm, I’m not carsick,” Su Wan said, snapping out of her daze, and smiled at Luo Ling.

“But, outside…”

Luo Ling glanced at the approaching darkness, swallowing nervously.

“Isn’t it normal?” Su Wan asked, puzzled.

“Normal?”

“Mm, it’s always like this outside,” Su Wan nodded. “You’ve never been outside, so you wouldn’t know.”

Her sister’s casual reply left Luo Ling speechless. Clearly, this strange abyss was only visible to the two of them and the reliable middle-aged man; it wasn’t normal at all.

Putting aside that question, wasn’t her sister… an ordinary person?

Why could she see this grotesque phenomenon that even ordinary Awakened Ones couldn’t?

And she even considered it normal…

As Luo Ling’s thoughts raced, the train entered the abyss.

Outside, it was pitch black, faint, ghostly shrieks echoing, but inside the train, it was still bright and warm, the winter sun shining through the windows, casting a golden glow on the small table in front of their seats.

Since Luo Ling had reacted to the abyss, Li Shaoheng had been staring at her intently, a look of disbelief in his eyes.

“How can she see it…?”

Li Shaoheng maintained a calm facade, but his mind was in turmoil.

It was simple. He could also see the abyss, and he knew why.

Only Awakened Ones who had come into contact with an Authority could see and perceive the abyss.

The reason Cen Xiangyun had complained about Li Shaoheng not driving the two hundred kilometers was because of this.

Because Li Shaoheng was aware of the abyss’s existence, he couldn’t travel through it. He would either get lost or attract the attention of the terrifying entities within.

So now, Li Shaoheng was deliberately avoiding looking out the window, afraid of attracting something unspeakable.

Normally, those who hadn’t encountered an Authority couldn’t see the abyss. If they accidentally crossed the boundary and came into contact with it… they would likely go insane.

It seemed neither of the sisters showed any signs of insanity, so they must have encountered an Authority.

But the question was…

One was an ordinary person, the other a Low-Order Awakened One, how was this possible?

Encountering an Authority wasn’t just about being attacked by it or simply seeing it, but experiencing its power, deeply understanding the profound nature of its path.

Even within the Company, only Awakened Ones of P8 level or above could use Sacred Tools to access Authorities, allowing them to progress further along their paths.

Below that level, encountering an Authority… insanity would be a merciful outcome. The more terrifying possibility was being possessed by the Sequence Grotesquery associated with the Authority, becoming an “egg” waiting to hatch.

Such incidents had occurred a dozen times in the Company’s three-hundred-year history, a painful lesson learned.

Li Shaoheng kept a close watch on the sisters, wary of any such accidents.

As he had said before, anything could happen before they reached their destination.

“Excuse me, thank you.”

A voice echoed, and Li Shaoheng instinctively moved aside.

But the next moment, he realized something was wrong.

An outsider?

No, how could there be an outsider in this train car?

He had booked the entire car; there shouldn’t be any other passengers!

Li Shaoheng looked up and saw a single eye and a familiar cat-faced eye patch.

“Tsk, tsk, that wasn’t easy.”

Scientist clapped her hands, beads of sweat on her forehead. She had clearly dealt with several of Li Shaoheng’s precautions, and combined with her ability to appear and disappear at will, she had managed to enter the train car.

Hearing her voice, Elsa instinctively recoiled, her nightmare finally catching up to her.

At the same time, several throwing knives appeared around Scientist, trapping her, and she sighed, snapping her fingers.

Her form dissipated.

—Retrospect.

And along with her, Elsa also vanished.

And…

“Sister—”

Luo Ling was horrified to find the seat beside her empty, her sister gone.

“How… is this possible?”

Li Shaoheng’s eyes widened in disbelief.

They were currently beyond the Boundary. How could she still use Retrospect to take someone?

On the way here, Li Shaoheng had set up numerous precautions. If the Harbingers of Calamity dared to act, they would face utter annihilation.

But these precautions had a limit; they were ineffective beyond a certain distance from the Boundary.

However, both Scientist’s Retrospect and Artist’s Midas Touch had distance and time limitations, and the train had already exceeded this limit.

So far, no Awakened One who was aware of the Boundary’s existence could travel freely in this Realm of Nothingness, not even the Harbingers of Calamity.

So, Li Shaoheng had relaxed slightly.

But he hadn’t expected Scientist to use Retrospect beyond the Boundary…

Was she planning to take Elsa and Su Wan down with her?

Impossible. Scientist cherished her life more than anyone. In her own words, her life was worth a million others.

Could it be that the Harbingers of Calamity had found a way to freely travel beyond the Boundary…?

At least, the Company’s internal records had never mentioned this before.

Li Shaoheng’s mind raced, as did An Yu and Cen Xiangyun’s.

Only Luo Ling remained calm. She immediately stood up, but Li Shaoheng stopped her.

“You can’t get off the train.”

He glanced at Cen Xiangyun, who had taken out her ice staff.

“Neither can you.”

Cen Xiangyun frowned. “Are we just going to watch Elsa and Sister Su Wan be taken away?”

“We can only try to find a solution after we reach the branch,” Li Shaoheng said concisely.

That was why they had chosen to act at this location.

Beyond the Boundary was a mysterious and unknown place. Those who were aware of its existence and those who weren’t would perceive it differently, making it impossible to track each other.

This Realm of Nothingness appeared as complete darkness to Awakened Ones who were aware of it, but as a normal landscape to ordinary Awakened Ones.

There was also a difference in how they entered.

It could be compared to an inner world and an outer world. Ordinary Awakened Ones could only enter the outer world, but Scientist and Artist were currently in the inner world.

Li Shaoheng knew that if Luo Ling got off the train, she could enter the inner world, but so far, no Awakened One had returned from the inner world unscathed, either insane or mentally disabled.

“I’m not planning to get off,” Luo Ling said softly.

Scientist had deliberately ignored her and chosen her sister, who was sitting by the window. Luo Ling knew this was a negotiation tactic.

If that were the case, at least her sister was still safe for now.

“I’m just going to the restroom,” Luo Ling said, looking up.

“Miss Luo Ling…”

Cen Xiangyun clutched Luo Ling’s clothes, hesitant.

She knew the bond between the sisters. If her sister was in danger, Luo Ling wouldn’t just stand by and watch.

But she hadn’t expected the Harbingers of Calamity to have a hidden card, to choose this location to act.

“I’ll be fine.”

Luo Ling shook her head, pulled away from Cen Xiangyun’s grasp, and hurried towards the restroom.

Li Shaoheng reached out slightly, then lowered his hand after seeing Luo Ling enter the restroom.

He had been planning to stop her with his ability if she tried to jump off the train, but now it seemed unnecessary.

But…

“Xiangyun, check on her in a moment,” Li Shaoheng whispered.

Judging from the abilities Luo Ling had displayed, she was likely on the Judgment path, possessing considerable physical strength. It wasn’t impossible for her to break through the train car door and jump off.

Meanwhile, Li Shaoheng contacted the nearby branch.

Even he didn’t dare act recklessly beyond the Boundary.

“Mm…”

Cen Xiangyun nodded, looking towards the restroom with concern.

She hoped Miss Luo Ling was just going to calm down…

…

Luo Ling, of course, wasn’t there to calm down. She stood before the mirror, her reflection showing the white-haired girl with pale gray eyes.

Closing her eyes, another perspective appeared in her mind.

From the day she gained her ability, she had left several Spores on her sister, just in case, and now they were coming in handy.

“Where is this place…?”

Through the Spore, Luo Ling saw a luxurious train car with a Western, classical aesthetic, the furnishings resembling a 19th-century European aristocratic family’s, even a small fireplace was burning.

Scientist and Artist sat opposite each other, and in front of her perspective was a cup of hot tea—they seemed to have poured it for her sister.

“A true ordinary person…” Scientist examined Su Wan with a strange, intrigued gaze, rubbing her chin. “Able to perceive the Realm of Nothingness, I’d love to dissect her and see what makes her tick.”

Artist stared at Su Wan with a serious expression, but his gaze seemed to be focused on something else.

Su Wan remained silent, either out of fear or for some other reason.

Clearly, they were waiting for Luo Ling.

From their previous battle, Artist knew some of Luo Ling’s abilities, although he couldn’t distinguish which came from the Grotesquery, which from herself, and which were a combination of both.

Of course, they didn’t really care.

Luo Ling shifted her perspective and saw Elsa unconscious in a corner, Bella in her arms like an ordinary stuffed toy, lifeless.

Considering Artist’s ability, Luo Ling understood how Bella had been created.

“His ability, called Midas Touch, can turn inanimate objects into living beings… Bella must have been created this way.”

There were probably more details, but that wasn’t something Luo Ling could know.

Seeing that her sister wasn’t in immediate danger, Luo Ling felt slightly relieved.

Just then, Artist suddenly spoke,

“Miss Luo Ling, you’re watching, aren’t you?”

His gaze was still fixed on Su Wan, but Luo Ling felt as if he was looking directly at her.

Before she could reply, her sister’s soft yet firm voice echoed,

“Xiao Ling, don’t listen to him.”

“Sister…”

Hearing her sister’s familiar voice, Luo Ling’s heart pounded in her chest.

Before boarding the train, Luo Ling had known that her sister had suspected something, which was why she had been so calm in the face of these strange events.

She also knew that these two strange people had brought her here for one reason: her sister.

“Hey, hey, that’s not very nice. We went through so much trouble to avoid the Company and talk to your little sister,” Scientist said, crossing her arms, her face filled with indignation. “And she even ran away, forcing me to use the Spirit Walker again…”

She glared at Artist. “Do you even know how much it costs me to use this thing?”

“I’ll compensate you when we return,” Artist said calmly, then continued staring at Su Wan. “The nameless High-Risk Grotesquery in Jiangcheng County… your ability must be very similar to it, perhaps even the same type. Am I right?”

Otherwise, how could she use a Grotesquery’s power so skillfully in such a short time? This was the only explanation Artist could think of.

He didn’t expect that Luo Ling’s ability wasn’t just similar, or of the same type, but the same ability.

She had truly stepped into the forbidden realm, the path of Grotesqueries, a realm humans shouldn’t touch.

“To be frank, we want to kill you,” Artist said, spreading his hands. “Or kill your sister. You can choose.”

“Xiao Ling!”

Su Wan’s voice was laced with urgency, but Artist and Scientist didn’t care.

They were waiting for Luo Ling’s answer.

An ordinary person who could perceive the Realm of Nothingness was indeed rare, but not particularly special. After all, both Artist and Scientist could do it.

In this fragmented, disordered world, nothing was truly surprising.

After a moment of silence, Luo Ling’s voice echoed from nowhere,

“So, how are you planning to kill me?”

“Excellent.”

A smile appeared on Artist’s lips.

The bait had worked; the fish had taken the hook.