Soul Trigger

Chapter 568 The Origin of Film
Ji Li suddenly realized, but at the same time felt a sense of absurdity:
You mean... that tea-brewing expert who can rival Ji Ruoxi and has a high opinion of herself, the suspected former paradox powerhouse, the film witch who controls the power of time, is still a camera that can't grow legs at this moment?

He examined the rugged camera, finding it increasingly strange.

If we were just guessing that this place contained Felin's memories, then now we are certain.

So you and the black box are the same species, both cameras that have come to life?
However, the black box is an evil entity. If Felin at this time possesses the power to "bless" others, then she should be called a psychic tool.

Ji Li said with a strange expression:
"Can I see it?"

"This is not okay."

The girl protected the camera as if it were a precious treasure:

"This is the most important asset in the store. I only showed it to you because you're good-looking... I have to put it back now."

Ji Li's words and actions seemed to displease the girl, who then tried to put the camera back where it was.

Inside a sturdy cage with lockable iron legs.

This is Felin's memory, which means that her memories exist within the fragments of Felin's power. The fact that many fragments have been lost also means that she has lost many memories.

This is somewhat similar to Ji Li's current situation.

Phil didn't mention much about his memory to Ji Li; he only had some recollection of it.

Therefore, this is not Limbo Hell, but a memory space created by the collision of forces.

Under the influence of the laws of spiritual matter, memories can also become powerful spiritual matter and possess power.

And one's own consciousness was pulled in by this force.

So how is he going to get out now?
Or rather, should he really go out now?
Watching the girl's busy figure, Ji Li couldn't help but ponder. The past of a powerful figure was indeed very attractive to him.

As a Wheel-Turner, Felin showed Ji Li a natural friendliness, even excessive care. To say that it was simply because they were of the same kind seems a bit far-fetched.

This seems to be a special opportunity for him to find out the possible reasons behind this.

If they could get an answer, it might even explain part of why Yuya Xun was so eager to be with him, since the Madwoman was coming soon...

This further fueled Ji Li's desire to explore the mystery, and he pondered the situation and the enigma even more deeply:

If film is the camera, why does this girl have such a clear image in her memory?

You see, in Rabbit Girl's memory, she didn't even clearly see the figures of those classmates who flashed by, let alone their faces and clothes.

This suggests that the girl left a deep impression on Fei Lin, as they share some similar features, which corroborates Ji Li's conjecture.

Just then, the surrounding scene froze and was gradually enveloped in firelight.

An angry crowd gathered outside the store. They were like the "passersby in Ji Li's memory"—their faces were blurred, their figures indistinct, but their voices were clear.
Burn the witch!

"Hand over the witch!!!"

The crowd was enraged and began smashing things around the shop, trying to rush inside.

The young girl inside struggled to block the door, while a middle-aged man, clutching a camera called "Film," whispered something on his deathbed until he breathed his last.

The crowd stormed in, smashing and looting various cameras in the store, and calling them "heretics."

They dragged away the girl who was clinging tightly to the camera, set up a stake in the city, placed her and the camera on it, and lit the fire.

Ji Li narrowed his eyes, and amidst the desperate cries, he discovered that his spiritual essence had begun to move.

The Death Star flashed and exploded amidst the flames, its terrifying rainbows bouncing and bursting out like raindrops, blasting the spirits of those who had been cheering just moments before into dust.

The rainbow-colored gale dispersed the fire, and Ji Li rescued the weeping girl from the stake.

She pushed Ji Li away, not even bothering to notice his strange appearance, and rushed into the scorching hot coals, pulling out a charred camera. She burst into tears:
"Why did it become like this..."

"What happened?"

The girl looked up at him, a flash of fear crossing her eyes, but the grief in her heart quickly overcame her panic at the strange appearance of the person before her:

"Those people photographed by 'film'... they all died, but it was clearly because of the plague! They killed the boss, the clerk, and the photographer..."

Why did it turn out like this? Film...shouldn't it bring miracles and happiness to people?!

So, is it still because of the superstition of the ignorant masses?

Ji Li frowned slightly and asked the question again:

"Can I take a look?" The girl looked at the completely burned camera in her hand, tears streaming down her face, and with trembling fingers handed it to Ji Li—

The image suddenly freezes, turning into a grayscale:
You shouldn't interfere in my thoughts.

The familiar voice—it was Film's voice.

The world froze, but Ji Li realized he wasn't involved, so he immediately raised his hand and turned around:

"I'm sorry, I might still be a bit too kind-hearted."

With her white hair, Felin coldly stared at Ji Li, then sighed:

"Fine, you saw it all?"

"what do you mean?"

Without speaking, Felin slowly walked to Ji Li's side and looked down at the girl below.

Her gaze remained fixed on grief, shattering along with the gray and broken pieces.

Time rewinds to before Ji Li intervened.

The girl was burned at the stake, screaming as she was reduced to charred remains.

Her limbs were extremely brittle and were torn apart during the transport of the body. In the end, along with the bodies of the other people in the photo studio, they were thrown into a large pit outside the city, along with the completely destroyed camera.

Then, time accelerated, and a charred and shattered arm emerged from the ground.

They were charred, twisted limbs attached to a badly burned and deformed, blurry black box. Only the slightly reflective lens fragments revealed the outline of the camera.

It was somewhat bewildered, but instinctively piled up those limbs and spiritualized them, turning them into part of its own body.

Finally, it picked up a young, charred head and placed it on the top layer of the mountain of corpses.

Its terrifying appearance caused a passing drunkard to scream and fall. It suddenly turned its head and stared at the human spirit with the carbonized lens of a young girl.

Then, with a snap, the mountain of corpses swallowed him whole—

A malevolent being was born.

It was born from that mountain of corpses, stained with endless pain and hatred, and it was born from the hope and beauty that the camera once contained.

"that is you?"

Ji Li, who was observing all of this, asked.

Film, who had been silent all along, finally spoke:
"Yes."

Ji Li opened his mouth, but still couldn't say the words "quite unique in appearance".

That's a bit too much.

"However, this is only one part of the far-reaching impact."

With a gentle wave of his hand, everything before him receded into the distance once more.

The monster slaughtered the entire town. It became more and more human-like, more and more intelligent, and more and more like Felin.

It was changing towards a normal human appearance and limbs, but the constantly absorbing mountain of corpses made its body shape different from that of an ordinary person, so it could only be continuously compressed.

It's starting to look more and more like the film next to Ji Li.

She began to speak human language, began to learn to hide her true self, and learned at an extremely fast pace, far exceeding that of other malevolent beings.

Eventually, the difference between her and Felin beside her became smaller and smaller, and her size shrank to nearly two meters.

Then in one scene, Ji Li saw her standing with two other figures, seemingly discussing something.

Ji Li carefully examined one of the figures, and when he saw it clearly, he had the illusion that his heart had stopped—

This is impossible.

that is……

he?
Odin?

(End of this chapter)