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.”
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