Mystery: Survival from the Secret Doll

Chapter 331, Section 330: Derrick Berg

Silver City, in the morgue.

When Derrick Berg was brought here, his mind was in a daze and he was almost unable to think.

The morgue in Silver City is unlike any other place. In this realm ruled by darkness, only the occasional flash of lightning proves that the blue sky, which is only recorded in books, exists here.

There are almost no areas in Silver City without light, and monsters occasionally appear in the dark. Previously, Silver City relied solely on lit lamps for illumination, but the council of six discovered a highly efficient, clean, and pollution-free energy source in a certain area.

The substance known as "Sunwell Ore" became widespread, bringing about an environment in Silver City that was almost devoid of darkness.

But this place is special.

Apart from the Twin Towers housing the Council of Six and other public buildings, the "Hall of Mortuary Affairs" in Silver City is the most unique and the place that no one wants to go.

This place is completely different from the spacious, bright, and glittering world inside Silver City. It is slightly dark, supposedly blessed by Greygardy. This dimness will not cause monsters to be born, but just by stepping into it, one can feel a coldness that is constantly eroding the body from the inside out.

In the unusually dimly lit morgue, Derrick Berg, who had been brought here and saw the two coffins in the hall, stammered a few words and asked the guide who had stopped in front of him, his voice trembling:
"This is……"

"Your father and mother, while exploring an ancient building in the darkness of Silver City that involved high-ranking beings, unfortunately suffered an incurable curse, and their lives are about to come to an end."

The old man leading the way wore a black robe that symbolized "death." Perhaps because they often wandered among the dead, they appeared excessively lonely and gloomy in this brightly lit silver city, and few people were willing to befriend them.

Such people have a title in Silver City: "Navigator," meaning messengers who lead everyone to the land of death.

When Derrick Berg opened his door and saw the "Navigator," the most unwanted person in Silver City and the one he least wanted to see or befriend, standing outside, his mind went blank.

There's a saying in Silver City: the children of Silver City are not afraid of death or challenges, but please pray that you don't encounter a "navigator" standing at your doorstep when you're alone.

Because that might mean that all your relatives have either already turned into monsters and been disposed of, or are about to die, leaving you alone to personally kill those who are about to turn into monsters.

This idea suddenly echoed in Derrick Berg's mind when he saw the "Navigator" in front of him.

Derrick Berg's parents left Silver City two days ago to explore a dark area supposedly connected to the "omniscient and omnipotent Lord," leaving him alone at home...

So, in other words...

Faced with the possibility that he dared not even think about further, Derrick Berger, who had followed the "navigator" in a daze, entered a building that he was familiar with, but which was extremely resistant to both himself and others.

As he entered the building, the lighting dimmed considerably, and symbols representing "peace" and "death" gradually appeared on the walls. He saw a man carrying a knife, trembling, walking out of the building with snot and tears on his face, looking like he was about to collapse. He staggered past him, leaning against the wall.

He was a boy whose mental defenses were on the verge of collapse.

Derrick Berg's now dulled mind worked slowly, and he recognized the person who had just walked past him—a childhood playmate.

Or rather, in such a place, for children born in Silver City, most people of similar age know each other, and all the children are playmates.

Derrick Berger happened to know that the guy who had just walked past him with tears and snot all over his face had parents who were also involved in the exploration mission to that place.

In other words, they also...

Upon seeing the two coffins, and the two people inside, both with pale faces and weak breathing, seemingly on the verge of death, Derrick Berg stared blankly at the dagger that the "Navigator" had just shoved into his hand.

Looking at the dagger, facing a fact he was unwilling to admit, just like the former playmate he had just seen, tears welled up in Derrick Berg's eyes. He trembled all over, lost his grip, and the dagger fell to the ground with a crisp sound.

"no, do not want……"

“Derrick Berg,” the “Navigator” said in a hoarse voice like a raven heralding death, “you should know the rules of Silver City.”

"After they die, they will become monsters that are difficult to eradicate. No matter what method is used, it will be difficult to reverse the situation unless someone of the same bloodline ends their lives... Your father and mother are heroes, the pride of Silver City..."

“Derrick Berg, do you want them to become monsters, cause harm, and then be killed by us?”

Derrick Berg was trembling, his whole body shaking. The "Navigator" silently knelt down, picked up the dagger from the ground, and handed it back to Derrick.

He said in a hoarse voice, "Do it, Derrick. I think this must have been your father's and your mother's last wish..."

Derrick Berg closed his eyes, looking at his father and mother in the coffin, his teeth chattering, and slowly raised the dagger in his hand.

"I don't know."

In the shadows, a tall, strong figure wearing a linen shirt and with graying hair looked at another figure silently watching from the side.

"Why did you choose Derrick? There are other suitable people in Silver City. You clearly pay more attention to him than to others, but why did you have to let Derrick's parents..."

Gal Bly glanced at the current chief of the six-person council beside him. He could explain the issue, but he couldn't say.

This will pollute the "fixed order," and all questions about the "future," even simple inquiries, will still lead to this result.

The authority of the "Supreme One" deeply restricts all those who attempt to reveal the "future." Apart from that one, everyone who tries to reveal the trajectory of the "future" in any way or with any intention will suffer the deep pollution of "destiny" and the "future," becoming a puppet suspended above the river of fate.

Colin Iliad looked at the silent man, and then fell silent for a long while.

He asked again, "Is that what you're thinking?"

Gal Bly's gaze swept over the two corpses, their chests pierced and life rapidly fading, and he remembered what Nikolai had told him earlier.

"Let the current chief organizer undertake an exploration mission."

Nikola casually remarked, “Send this exploration team here…hmm, that should be appropriate enough.” The team then located the tomb containing one of the avatars of Amon, the youngest son of the ancient sun god and “the blasphemer.”

They encountered the most terrible deception; everyone forgot their identity as living beings, became walking corpses, and suffered an uncontrollable, deadly curse.

If it weren't for the subsequent exploration team arriving just in time before the Sunwell lamp burned out, their bodies would have remained forever around that tomb, keeping company with the monsters in the darkness.

This expedition resulted in the complete annihilation of the first team and heavy casualties for the second team as well. All of this was related to Nicolas Flamel, the Sequence 1 and the new "Blasphemer" who was pondering how to complete Tang's mission.

No one can stop it, no one dares to stop it.

Even if the six-member council realized something was wrong, it was impossible, or rather, they dared not, to be with that being who seemed to have always been quietly staying underground, with one of the divine-level sealed artifacts of Silver City, "Gift of the Earth".

Because of the existence of the Sunwell Ore, and because the other party is a great being capable of razing Silver City to the ground in an instant.

“Yes.” Gal Bly exhaled and said in a deep voice, “There’s no need to keep a close watch on Derrick Berg. Do as you see fit, Iliad.”

As a pawn of Tang Fang on the Silver City side, Gal Bly has actually been under the surveillance of the Council of Six for the past thousand years.

It was a secret that the six members of the council shared, because it was their most likely choice in those thousand years to return to the world of light and escape the curse.

Even though they didn't trust him and regarded him as an enemy, they still had to listen to this monster who had lived for over a thousand years and was far beyond the realm of "human" on certain issues.

A former leader of the Council of Six, who attempted to eliminate the unstable element of Gal Blai... He still wanders around Silver City, having forgotten everything, becoming a "Unlucky One" in this world, forever excluded from time, constantly wandering aimlessly.

As for the issue of Derrick Berg, Gal Bly didn't want to say anything more.

This is his, or rather Silver City's, only chance.

You mean to make them leave the Eastern Continent?

This was a request made to Tang by the chief of a six-person council at one time, through Gal Bly, the person in charge of Silver City.

And this is what Tang said at the time:

“Sure, turn them all into my secret puppets, and I’ll bring them all out.”

Seeing that Gal Bryant's lips were tightly pursed and he remained silent, Tang chuckled:
“What’s wrong with becoming a Mystic? You don’t need to eat or sleep. As long as I don’t die, a Mystic is practically immortal. You can still enjoy this world as a human being. In fact, if your sequence is high enough and you are special enough, you hardly need to worry about safety. I can give you my Spirit Worm.”

As a puppet possessing a spirit insect, it can contribute the authority of a mysterious servant.

“Unless it is a necessary sacrifice, my puppets stand at the very top of all extraordinary beings, and even in death, you are merely existing in this world in another form, accompanying me, who is currently the strongest ancient scholar…”

Immortality, eternal youth, and immense power—these are things that many extraordinary individuals pursue throughout their lives.

Ah, aside from changing the core...

"But they should be considered as 'people'."

As a "human being," not a monster whose fate and future are predetermined.

"Then there's no way."

Tang shrugged. "I'm not a bad person, but I don't know how I could change my mind just because you're unwilling."

“Then let’s follow my script. Mr. Fool will bless Silver City.”

"The Fool" Klein Moretti?
When Gal Bly raised this question, it was at least five hundred years before the appearance of the "Fool".

In the darkness, waiting anxiously for a "redemption angel" who may never arrive, Gal Bly's reason tells him he should obey, but his emotions, not restrained by the "Bionic Doll" module, tell him he shouldn't.

Gal Bly did not think he would believe in a fool who only existed in the "future".

With Tang's permission, he made an agreement with the six-member council at the time to send the most elite troops of Silver City to the Giants' Court, which he knew, to open the gates of the Dark Angel Sasriel from there.

From there, leave the land forsaken by God.

He thought that it wasn't just "The Fool" who could save Silver City; perhaps he could too.

But the result is...

This elite force encountered a mysterious maze-like obstacle as it approached the Silver City area.

No matter how far they go, they will return to the Silver City, like a huge ring with a beginning and an end, a start and a finish. No one can reach that predetermined "future," and all cheating methods will lead to an ending they are unwilling to bear.

When Gal Bry was alone, he could move freely.

But as long as there are those who are not secret partners, as long as there are those who follow him and do not know this path, they will inevitably return to Silver City, the place they left behind.

"Besides, why would you think there would be no consequences from using the information I give you? I don't think I would do anything pointless, ah, unless I want to..."

In the repeated attempts, the repeated beginnings and endings, the result was that all the members who participated in this exploration were tainted by the "predestination" and entered Tang's contamination range.

"Only Derrick Berg, only Mr. Fool, can save you. After all, this is an inevitable destiny and fate, isn't it?"

(End of this chapter)