Han Fei’s situation was not optimistic. After Dream’s plan was destroyed, it turned angry and wanted to bury everyone with it. Venomous cancers inside the first-generation ghost spread. Dream used this body as a medium and spread poison across the memory world.
Human and Me sensed the change in Dream. The Dream they were facing was not the Dream in the original memory world. It was something more evil and scary. The first-generation ghost was buried underneath the theme park. It was connected to the theme park, so the first place to be affected by the cancerous cells was the theme park. The ground cracked, and dirty blood flowed out. Everything touched by the blood would dissolve into dust. Their memory would ignite as black flame, and they’d combust. This power was beyond the limit of Pure Hatred. Only Unmentionable could damage a memory world like this.
“Kill it! Now is the perfect chance!”
“The poison Dream hid inside the body is suspicious!”
The two managers had differing opinions. Human wanted to kill the first-generation ghost, but Me wanted to stop Dream. While the two hesitated, Mad Laughter came to the first-generation ghost. He didn’t show any fear toward Unmentionable. He radiated an indescribable madness.
“This is my theme park. They once planned to turn me into the new first-generation ghost. They fed my body with despair endlessly so that I’d experience all the pain in the world. They even gave me temporary bliss so that they could destroy it before my eyes. To complete their goal, they even had me kill everyone. They wanted me to be corrupted by guilt and blame…” The maddening laughter was mixed with children’s screams. There was even an undercurrent of a children’s lullaby. It was a song mixed with sin and gore. Mad Laughter’s power level couldn’t be described using the normal delineation. He was not Pure Hatred or Unmentionable. He was a twisted existence. When he first entered the memory world, he might just be slightly stronger than Han Fei. However, with enough time, he had spread madness through the city.
Dream, Me, Human, Mad Laughter, these four ‘monsters’ were powerful enough to manipulate the altar. They didn’t hold back. Han Fei, at the core of the first-generation ghost, couldn’t resist. He couldn’t remove Me and Dream’s influence on the body, but Han Fei had his own solution. It was a very medieval solution, which was to cast off the infected parts. If the liver were poisoned, then he’d remove it.
While the five forces fought, the sky bled, and the night was shattered. However, the passage in the first-generation ghost’s heart was not destroyed. Dream’s poison spread through the city. Endless black mist rolled out of the passage. The cryptic world was not sealed off, but it joined more seamlessly with real life.
Han Fei didn’t appear as a savior. The memory world descended into extreme chaos because of his choice.
“Is this the future you want to see?” Deep inside the maze, a dying young man collapsed on the ruin. The smiling mask was shattered to reveal his bloody cheek. F scanned the ruined city. His face carried a complicated expression. “Now, do you understand why I chose to open the front of the black box?” Weak breathing came from his mouth. He shouted at the first-generation ghost. “Close the channel, Han Fei! The world looks like it presents you with many choices, but that’s an illusion. The path you’re on leads to a dead-end!”
When Dream stopped hiding, Fu Sheng finally appeared. As the owner of this altar, he had enabled Han Fei to see everything he wanted to. Now it was time for Han Fei to make his choice.
“Dream is not dead. It has been targeting you. If you were the one inside the first-generation ghost, then its poison would have taken over your memory fragment.” Han Fei was very clever. He saw through Dream’s plan. Fu Sheng knew what Dream was up to, and Dream knew how Fu Sheng would respond. The two fought on the surface and under it. They used the smallest factor to change the result. The two Unmentionables represented two completely different paths. When Han Fei died for the 99th time, he chose the top side, but that was only a preparation for this last life.
“Since I’m at this step, I want to see how the city will be like once the real and cryptic world unite.” Han Fei ignored F and made his final choice. He unleashed all shackles. He gathered all the energy he could and tore open the blood vessels around the channel. He used the first-generation ghost’s blood to cultivate the passage. The first-generation ghost’s large body started to shrink. The accumulated despair and negative emotions became a sacrifice. The black flame burst around the channel. While Me and Human were stopped by Mad Laughter, Han Fei manipulated fate and fully opened the channel. Black mist instantly filled up the city and covered up the sky. Han Fei, who was seen as hope by many, didn’t lead everyone to see the sun but dragged the city into an endless night.
“Sigh…”
The black mist inside the tunnel faded away. Han Fei looked inside. The channel didn’t lead to the cryptic world but to an old altar. It had a faceless figurine inside.
“This figurine would have imprinted your face.”
Bloody lights shone from the city to the figurine. They included the first doctor Han Fei saw, the orphanage’s director, the paper craftsman, and so on. The consciousness scattered around the city returned. F also slowly disappeared. The figurine slowly took on Fu Sheng’s resemblance. The theme park’s altar finally appeared. It was not the cryptic world at the end of the tunnel but Fu Sheng’s altar. Everything in the memory world was based on Fu Sheng’s memory. The destiny being changed and the tunnel being torn open never did happen, and Fu Sheng would not allow that to happen. “You’re really stubborn. You could have own everything but you have to choose the hardest path.” Fu Sheng’s voice came from the altar. His eyes were filled with sadness. He looked at the city with pity. This was the real Fu Sheng.
“You could have reborn using my body, but you didn’t do so. Actually, you also wanted to try the other options and see whether the other paths can be taken, right?” Han Fei’s consciousness was inside the first-generation ghost. Once the assimilation was complete, Han Fei would stop existing.
Fu Sheng didn’t answer. He only stared at Han Fei quietly.
The sky and earth collapsed. The city was a mess. Everything was ruined. Fu Sheng wanted to use these to inform Han Fei of the consequences of his choice. He succeeded, but he failed to change Han Fei’s mind.
While Han Fei and Fu Sheng were at odds, voices came from the distance.
“The source of the tragedy is the theme park! We can’t let him suffer this alone! Let’s go!”
“Han Fei!”
“Xiao Yu’s mother said that’s where they are! Call everyone!”
“Charge!”
“I’m not afraid of death, so why would I be afraid of you?”
“These mad people want to stop us. Let me tell you when normal people become crazy, we’ll be crazier than you!”
The land at the end of the theme park trembled. The cars flew over. They rushed over the cracked land. Endless people and ghosts rushed towards the theme park. They carried their unique kindness and unleashed their roar at this apocalypse!
Since there was no exit, they would resist. Since the sun wouldn’t rise again, then they’d become the torch in the dark!
“Time will prove who is right.” Han Fei and Fu Sheng saw the new crowd. Humans and ghosts melted into a pool of light and shot at the center of the tragedy. “Since the path you chose led to a dead-end, why not try another path?”
Han Fei controlled the first-generation ghost to reach the altar. When he became the altar’s new owner, everything would the over.
Dream had the same thought. It scoured the memory world but couldn’t find the altar. In the end, the altar was hidden right under its eyes. It was furious and directed all the poison to the heart. Fu Sheng didn’t panic even as the poison threatened to pollute the altar. His eyes were still on Han Fei like he was making the final decision in his mind.
“After I gained the black box, I left Happiness Neighborhood for the first time at level 20. But you saw me and passed all the challenges I gave you at level 21.” Fu Sheng looked at Han Fei. “Perhaps you’re more suitable for this place than I am.”
The color of the figurine faded away, and Fu Sheng’s face became blurry. “After everything you’ve experienced, you still have some hope and kindness left. However, you will have to face the most twisted humanity and darkest malice on your own. There are many things scarier than ghosts.”
“No matter what, I will not surrender. Because many people, in both the cryptic world and the real world, have placed their last hope on me.”
Fu Sheng’s expression softened. His eyes finally moved away from Han Fei to look at the destroyed city.
“Perhaps you can move further than I did. I hope that you’ve picked the right path.” The face blurred. “Live well. When this altar is destroyed, you’ll be the only one left who knows I’ve once existed.”
The figurine raised his arms. Han Fei’s main consciousness was dragged into the altar.
2 comments:
Thank you for the chapter, LonelyTree!
"Live well...you'll be the only one left who knows I've once existed." Fu Sheng's story is really sad; he was pulled into this twisted game without his consent and even though he tried his best, it still wasn't enough. Hope Han Fei can get some recompense for him.
Thank you for translating!!! I'm usually a lurker, but wanted to say something.
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