Global Ghost Stories: I'm Investigating Ghosts in My Nightmare!

Chapter 110 The Guide

“My ‘ticket’…”

Bai Yu's voice echoed slowly in this world that was heading towards destruction.

"...I'll check it myself."

The moment he finished speaking, the "conceptual clash" he had personally ignited exploded completely! After absorbing the "protection" and "memory" power provided by the sextant, the small card was like a nuclear reactor that had been injected with nuclear fuel, releasing unimaginable and terrifying energy!
"No! You're insane! Do you even know what you're doing?!"

The stationmaster's aged and terrified scream was instantly torn apart by the destructive force. His ghostly green flames flickered violently in despair, trying to sever his connection with the collapsing realm. However, it was all too late.

"boom--!!!"

A chaotic storm, indescribable in any language, swept wildly in all directions from Bai Yu at its center! It was not a simple energy impact, but the most direct and brutal crushing and devouring between concepts and rules!

The entire "Yellow Springs" realm was as fragile as a paper palace in the face of this irrational "chaotic" power! The enormous clock tower, filled with Gothic eeriness and magnificence, didn't even have time to utter a mournful cry before it was completely erased from the world like a pencil drawing wiped clean by an eraser!
The sea of ​​red flowers, filled with an eerie and deathly aura, withered and decayed instantly under the sweep of that power, turning into ashes on the ground! The Sanzu River, filled with despair and pain, emitted mournful howls before finally drying up and evaporating completely!
In this storm of "conceptual clash" that he himself ignited, Bai Yu's consciousness was like a small boat in a raging sea, mercilessly tossed high into the sky and then violently plunged into the abyss! His soul was nearly torn apart by the pull of two completely opposite and powerful forces!
He felt his body being stretched infinitely, then compressed in an instant, as if being kneaded into a primordial chaos! Sharp, mournful cries of collapsing rules filled his ears, and before his eyes were fragmented pieces of light and shadow, as if the entire world was crumbling before him, only to be reassembled in the next second. It was a pain that transcended the limits of body and mind, enough to cause any mortal to collapse in an instant!
"No...this...what kind of power is this?!"

The stationmaster's horrified scream was the last thing he heard before his consciousness completely faded. He could clearly feel that his power, derived from "annihilation" and "order," was being neutralized and devoured bit by bit by this irrational force of "chaos," as if it had encountered its natural enemy! All the fear, resentment, and despair on his withered face froze in that moment.

In the end, his body, along with his ominous snake-headed staff, was completely reduced to dust and vanished without a trace in that "chaotic" storm.

The entire "Yellow Springs" realm collapsed and shattered completely in this final explosion!
Bai Yu's consciousness also plunged into endless darkness.

……

I do not know how long it has been.

It may be just a moment, or it may be eternity.

A rhythmic rustling sound, like an ancient pendulum, pulled his consciousness back from the brink of complete dissipation.

Bai Yu suddenly opened her eyes.

What came into view was no longer that gray world filled with death and despair.

He found himself lying on a flat surface paved with tiny black crystals. The crystals felt cold to the touch, yet carried a faint, almost imperceptible warmth. They reflected the eternal, deep purple-black sky above, filling the entire space with a dark and mysterious glow.

There was no smell or sound in the air, only the rustling sound of the tiny crystals being blown by the wind, which sounded particularly clear in this deathly silent space.

He struggled to lift his shattered body from the cold ground. His entire body ached terribly, as if countless invisible blades were cutting through him. Yet, unexpectedly, his soul felt a clarity and peace unlike anything he had ever experienced.

He tried to mobilize the power within his body.

However, his soul's ocean, as unfathomable as a black hole, was now like a frozen lake, receiving no response no matter how he called out. His power remained forcibly suppressed deep within his soul by a force of rules he could not comprehend.

Bai Yu's brows furrowed tightly.

Although his power was suppressed, he could clearly feel that the resonance between himself and Hei Yan had become closer and purer than ever before. It felt like he had undergone a thorough tempering, with all impurities removed, leaving only the most essential core.

He subconsciously touched his pocket.

The white card with the clown's smiling face drawn on it, and the old sextant, had both turned to ashes and vanished without a trace. They were completely consumed in the "conceptual hedging," having completed their mission.

Only one thing remained, lying quietly in his palm.

It was a train ticket made of an unknown black material, cold and hard to the touch.

On the front of the ticket, his name—Bai Yu—was clearly imprinted in blood-red ink.

On the back of the ticket, in the area that should have been blank, a new line has appeared, written in scarlet ink, indicating a destination that is both unknown and eerie.

Next stop: Guiding the Way to the Underworld

The Yellow Springs guide the way.

Bai Yu silently pondered these four words in her heart.

He slowly stood up and looked around.

He was standing in the center of a huge, empty circular plaza. Around the plaza were twelve enormous stone pillars made of the same black crystal, their surfaces carved with ancient runes he couldn't understand.

In the center of the plaza, a massive circular magic circle, about a hundred meters in diameter and constructed from pure purplish-black light, floated silently. Inside the magic circle, countless runes flowed within the light like living things, emanating an unsettling allure.

He could clearly feel this attraction guiding him toward the center of the magic circle.

He started walking, step by step, towards the center of that purplish-black light.

The moment he stepped into the magic circle, a gentle yet irresistible force surged from the bottom of the circle, slowly lifting his exhausted body.

His body slowly rotated in the center of the magic circle, like a sacrificial offering.

"Om-!"

At the center of the magic circle, a pure purple-black beam of light shot into the sky and instantly disappeared into the deep purple-black sky.

Bai Yu's consciousness also plunged into endless darkness.

……

When Bai Yu regained consciousness, she found herself in a long, narrow passage with no end in sight.

The walls of the passage were made of a translucent, amber-like substance. Within the amber, countless twisted and struggling human figures were sealed, their faces blurred and their postures varied, as if they had been frozen forever in a moment before their death.

At the top of the passageway, rows of eerie green lanterns floated, emitting a faint light that barely illuminated the oppressive space.

Beneath Bai Yu's feet was an ancient stone staircase paved with bluestone slabs. The staircase wound its way down, disappearing into the deep, impenetrable darkness of the passage.

A faint scent of decay and sorrow filled the air.

He tried to raise his hand, but found that his body was bound by an invisible force and he could not move. He was like a puppet being manipulated, passively and slowly descending with the stone steps.

"...Welcome...to the Underworld..."

An old, dry, yet authoritative voice suddenly rang in his ears.

The sound was so ancient, as if from the beginning of the world, and so vast, as if it contained the whispers of countless souls.

Bai Yu's heart sank suddenly.

He knew that he had finally stepped into this legendary land of death.

"...I am the guide to the underworld..."

The voice rang out again, carrying a sense of irresistible destiny.

"...I will guide you...to your destiny..."

Bai Yu's gaze followed the stone steps downwards.

At the end of the stone steps, in that thick, impenetrable darkness, a tall yet indistinct figure stood silently.

He wore a large, black robe embroidered with various ancient runes he couldn't understand. He wore a pure black mask over his face, which had no facial features, only two orbs of ghostly blue light that shimmered like stars.

In his hand, he carried an ancient bronze lantern, within which burned an inextinguishable, ghostly blue flame.

He was the guide to the underworld. "...Your journey...has only just begun..." The guide's voice, like an ancient prophecy, echoed slowly through the deathly silent passage, "...The ticket in your hand...is your proof...and also your curse..."

Bai Yu's heart jolted.

He instinctively opened his hand. The black train ticket lay quietly in his palm, emitting a faint red glow that mingled with the eerie blue flame of the lantern in the guide's hand.

"...It will guide you...through confusion...to the end..."

The guide's voice became increasingly ethereal and alluring.

"...But...during this journey...you will encounter...countless trials..."

"...You will face...your deepest fears...your most unspoken regrets...and...your deepest desires..."

"……false……"

false.

Bai Yu's eyes narrowed slightly.

He recalled the dream of false happiness that Qin Yixuan had woven for him in "Paradise." He also recalled the tragedy of twisted pleasure that the clown had staged for him in "Happy Paradise."

He knew that the "falsehood" spoken of by the guide before him was far more real and more tempting than anything he had experienced before.

"...Is your will...strong enough...is your soul...pure enough...?"

The guide's voice, like an invisible giant hand, gripped his heart tightly.

"...Can you...hold onto your... laughable... belief... in this bewildering underworld?"

"……self?"

self.

Bai Yu's heart pounded violently at that moment.

He knew that this was the most crucial test he would face in this underworld.

He didn't speak, but simply gazed silently into the tall, blurry figure with his deep eyes.

"...Very good..." The guide seemed to understand something from his eyes. He nodded slowly, a barely perceptible hint of appreciation flashing in his deep blue eyes. "...Then...your journey...now...officially begins..."

The moment the words left her lips, Bai Yu's body suddenly felt light!
The invisible force that had bound him vanished in an instant.

He regained his freedom.

He started walking, step by step, towards the direction where the guide was.

When he reached the guide, the guide slowly raised his hand and pointed to the passage behind him.

"...This passage...is called the 'Path of Regret'..."

The guide's voice, like an ancient epic, slowly echoed through this deathly silent passage.

"...All souls unable to let go of their regrets...will be trapped here forever...day after day...year after year...repeating their...past...the past they least want to face..."

Bai Yu's gaze followed the direction the guide was pointing.

He saw that within the translucent amber walls on both sides of the passage, the twisted and struggling figures were slowly turning their heads, their blurry faces facing him, emitting silent wails and whispers.

"……remorse……"

The sound, like an invisible tide, surged wildly into the sea of ​​his soul from all directions.

He could clearly sense that the voice contained the memories of countless souls filled with pain and despair.

He saw his parents, consumed by the nightmare of "silence," and their eyes filled with reluctance and longing in their final moments. He saw his own soul torn apart by the "Ruins of Eternal Silence," and the profound helplessness and despair that seeped into his very bones.

He saw Lu Yueqi's pale face, pale with fear, and her eyes filled with despair because of his "disappearance." He saw An Mu's face, etched with worry and anger, and Mo Fei's eyes, filled with grief because of his "departure."

He saw his companions who were in danger because of him, and he saw the innocent people who suffered greatly because of him.

remorse.

An immense, unimaginable regret gripped his heart like an invisible giant hand, threatening to drag him into that endless abyss!
"...Give up...child..." The guide's voice was full of temptation, "...leave all your regrets...here...and you can...be reborn..."

Bai Yu's body began to tremble violently and uncontrollably.

His face, which had become incredibly pale from overexertion, was instantly soaked with a fine layer of cold sweat.

He felt as if his already incredibly weak soul was about to be completely crushed into dust by this immense power of regret!

He wanted to rebel; he wanted to mobilize the "nothingness" power within him.

However, his long-dried-up sea of ​​soul was now like a completely frozen lake, and no matter how he called out, he received no response.

His power was still being suppressed by the rules of this realm.

It’s over.

As his consciousness was about to be completely swallowed by that endless darkness, only one thought filled with resentment and despair remained in his mind.

However, at this most critical moment...

"Ha...what cheap sorrow."

A voice, full of elegance and mockery, suddenly resounded from the depths of his consciousness.

It's black language.

His handsome yet wicked face now carried a hint of disdain, and his pure black eyes seemed to pierce through layers of spatial barriers, gazing into the distant passage filled with regret.

"Do you think you can defeat him with such crude 'emotions'?" Hei Yan's voice was full of contempt. "The 'sorrow' he carries is far deeper and more...powerful than you can imagine."

"The 'regret' he faced was far more...real than you can comprehend."

"All you can give him is a false sense of forgetting. What he seeks is to embrace his unique self, with all his scars."

Hei Yan's words were like a thunderclap, severing the fog of regret that had clouded Bai Yu's mind and instantly bringing him back to his senses.

yes……

If I give up regret, then everything I have experienced and everything I have carried will become meaningless.

That regret is not my weakness.

It is proof of my existence.

It is my motivation to keep moving forward.

(End of this chapter)