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

Chapter 133 Overlapping Realities

The sunlight streaming through the blinds of the intensive care unit was cut into neat strips of golden light.

Bai Yu sat on the hospital bed, her fingertips gently tracing the freshly peeled apple slice. The apple's delicate fragrance lingered in her nostrils, but within this sweetness, there was always a faint, lingering smell of rust. It was the rotten stench that remained deep in her memory when the tree of flesh and blood withered.

"Old Bai, your eyes are wandering again." Mo Fei sat on a folding chair next to him, fiddling with the parts of his battle axe.

At this moment, Mo Fei was no longer the rage he displayed on the battlefield; his movements were remarkably meticulous. He was applying a special lubricant to the bearing, his gaze focused. Hearing the noise, he looked up at Bai Yu, his tone tinged with a sense of relief at surviving a close call: "The doctor said this is a sequela of your mental exhaustion; you'll need to recover slowly. Don't keep thinking about those strange things; it's still daylight in Linjiang City."

Bai Yu nodded slightly and put the apple in her mouth.

"Mo Fei, how are the surviving brothers from the second team being settled?" Bai Yu swallowed an apple, his voice still somewhat low.

Mo Fei paused in his work. He put down the parts, his expression becoming solemn and dignified: "The bureau has provided the highest level of medical care. Although Zhao Tiezhu resigned, he completed all the applications for compensation for the Second Team before he left. He said he had to take care of the families of his fallen brothers. That man is a true gentleman."

“That is the redemption he deserves,” Bai Yu said softly.

The hospital room door opened, and Lan Ce walked in carrying a silver ruggedized laptop. Behind his black-rimmed glasses, his eyes were bloodshot, clearly indicating that he hadn't rested much in the past three days.

"Bai Yu, you're awake now, so you have to get to work." Lan Ce pulled up a chair and sat down, then turned on the screen. "Although the 'Boundary Marker' is closed, the energy residue monitoring in Linjiang City shows that the situation is not optimistic."

Lu Yueqi followed her in, carrying a kettle of freshly boiled water. Seeing that Bai Yu seemed to be in good spirits, she gave her a genuine smile. Her signature ghost hat was now dangling over her shoulder, making her look like a docile pet.

"Brother Lan Ce, Brother Bai Yu just woke up, and you're already showing him the data?" Lu Yueqi complained softly, but still carefully poured water for everyone.

“There’s no other way, time waits for no one.” Lan Ce pointed to a set of waveforms on the screen. “This is the result of the analysis of the heart left behind by Su Jianguo. It’s not just an organ, but a ‘meme emitter.’ Before it was destroyed, it had already spread an unknown frequency throughout the city.”

Bai Yu put down the apple, his expression turning serious. He closed his eyes, his consciousness sinking into the depths of his mind.

There, the pitch-black, nameless ancient book floated silently.

[Inclusion progress: 12%]

These four words sounded like a silent mockery. Bai Yu could feel that as the progress increased, the connection between him and Hei Yan became closer, and he could even sense Hei Yan's faint mocking laughter.

"Hei Yan, what exactly is the 'root of greed' in that heart?" Bai Yu asked in his heart.

"That is the crystallization of human desire, dear Baiyu." Hei Yan's elegant figure emerged from the shadows, his slender fingers turning the pages of an ancient book. "Su Jianguo thought he was evolving humanity, but in reality, he was merely fertilizing the 'forest.' A 12% progress means you have initially acquired the qualifications to rewrite a part of reality. But the price... your soul, the cracks have deepened a bit more."

Bai Yu ignored Hei Yan's teasing, opened his eyes, and looked at Lan Ce.

"Citywide spread? What are the specific manifestations?"

Lan Ce adjusted his glasses and opened a surveillance video.

The footage shows an ordinary residential community in the southern district of Linjiang City. The time is 2 a.m. Suddenly, dozens of residents emerged from their homes in the previously quiet community. They were wearing pajamas, their eyes vacant, their movements stiff yet perfectly synchronized.

Instead of talking to each other, they gathered in the central open space of the community, forming a circle and looking up at the sky.

"What are they looking at?" Mo Fei leaned closer, his brow furrowed. "It was very dark that night, there was nothing there."

“That’s the problem.” Lancer paused the video. “Our investigators questioned these people afterward, and they all gave the exact same answer.”

“They said they were looking at a ‘forest’,” Lu Yueqi added quietly from the side, a chill involuntarily creeping down her spine.

Bai Yu's heart suddenly clenched.

forest.

Su Jianguo's last words echoed in his mind once again.

"What about the results of these people's physical examinations?" Bai Yu asked.

“Their physiological indicators are completely normal.” Lance shook his head. “But on a mental level, their ‘dream activity’ remains at an extremely high level even during the day. In other words, in their consciousness, the boundary between reality and dreams has become blurred. They believe they live in a forest, and the city we see is just decaying trees in the forest to them.”

“A collective sleepwalking, cognitive displacement,” Bai Yu concluded. “Although Su Jianguo is dead, the seeds he planted have already sprouted. If left unchecked, Linjiang City will become a massive, living nightmare.”

“Team Leader An means that we should rest and set off immediately.” Mo Fei stood up, his muscles tense, making a crackling sound. “He has already set up a temporary command post in the ‘Happiness Lane’ apartment. That’s where the first large-scale sleepwalking incident occurred, and it’s also the most polluted area.”

"I don't need to rest anymore." Bai Yu threw back the covers and got out of bed.

Although his steps were still a little unsteady, his eyes had regained their usual calm. He looked at his teammates, and that familiar, positive, and resilient aura returned.

"Mo Fei, prepare your equipment. Lan Ce, synchronize the location data of all victims. Yue Qi, you stay at the station to assist Captain An."

“No, I’m going too.” Lu Yueqi straightened her chest, her eyes resolute. “Brother Bai Yu, you taught me that I can’t always hide behind others. My ‘pardon’ ability might help those people wake up.”

Bai Yu looked at her, and after a moment nodded slightly: "Okay. But remember, follow orders in all actions."

"Yes!" Lu Yueqi replied crisply.

……

An hour later, a black SUV drove through the still desolate streets of Linjiang City and stopped in front of the "Happiness Lane" apartment building.

This place was once one of the most upscale studio apartments in Linjiang City, but now it's completely surrounded by a yellow cordon. Several investigators in protective suits are checking radiation levels at the entrance.

Captain Anmu was standing on the steps, holding a report in his hand. Seeing Bai Yu get out of the car, a hint of relief appeared on his resolute face, but more so, worry.

“Bai Yu, you should have stayed in bed for a few more days.” An Mu walked over and patted Bai Yu’s shoulder lightly, with the concern of an elder.

"Lying down won't solve anything, Captain An," Bai Yu replied politely. "How's the situation inside?"

“It’s very strange.” An Mu turned around and pointed to the apartment building. “There are 210 residents in the building, and they are all currently in a ‘semi-awakened’ state. They don’t attack people, nor do they run away. They just repeat some meaningless daily actions. For example, washing vegetables in a kitchen without water, or watching static on a TV with no signal.”

“What’s worse is that our detectors detected an extremely strong ‘rule field’ inside.” An Mu said gravely. “Once you enter, you have to abide by some unknown rule, or you will be directly assimilated. I’ve already lost two field agents, and they’ve now become one of those ‘sleepwalkers’ as well.”

"I'll go." Bai Yu calmly uttered two words.

“We’ll go together.” Mo Fei tightened his grip on the battle axe on his back, his tone firm. He was unusually calm now, no longer shouting and charging like before, but instead began to check every connection of the armor.

“As usual, I’ll be in charge of tactical support and data anchoring.” Lan Ce pushed up his glasses, carrying a heavy data box. “Bai Yu, this time I’ll give each of you a ‘reality stabilizer.’ While it can’t completely defy the rules, it will give you time to react.”

Bai Yu took the stabilizer and fastened it to her wrist.

"Team Leader An, if we lose contact for more than three hours, immediately seal off the entire block and cover it with high-frequency jamming waves," Bai Yu instructed.

"Understood. Take care." An Mu nodded heavily.

The four walked toward the apartment entrance.

The moment Bai Yu stepped through the revolving door, she felt a chilling aura wash over her. This chill wasn't a drop in temperature, but rather a sense of emptiness, as if her very existence had been forcibly stripped away.

The lights in the apartment lobby flickered and hissed. The floor, paved with thick marble, was now covered with a layer of damp, green moss.

"This place... is indeed starting to turn green." Mo Fei lowered his voice, his battle axe in hand, yet he made no extra sound.

"Shh." Bai Yu gestured for everyone to stop.

In the lobby lounge area, a man in a suit was sitting on a sofa. He was holding a newspaper and reading it with great interest.

Bai Yu approached and saw that the newspaper was three years old. The man's eyes were wide open, but his eyeballs didn't move at all, and he didn't even blink.

"Sir?" Lu Yueqi called out tentatively.

The man did not react.

“Don’t touch him.” Lancer looked at the readings on the terminal. “The logic constants around him are scrambled. He might be attending an important business meeting.”

Just then, the elevator doors suddenly opened with a "ding".

A woman in a cleaning uniform pushed a cleaning cart out. She kept her head down and mechanically swung the mop in her hand.

Strangely, there was no water on her mop, but dark red streaks were left on the ground where she passed, emitting a strong smell of blood.

"What kind of logic is this?" Mo Fei frowned. "Dry mopping caused bloodstains?"

“That’s her memory overflowing.” Bai Yu’s eyes narrowed slightly. “She might be cleaning up a murder scene in her dream. In this overlapping reality, her dream is altering the laws of physics.”

The cleaning woman slowly raised her head.

Her face had no features, only a smooth expanse of skin with a simple smiley face drawn in black ink.

"Guest...would you like your room cleaned?"

The voice didn't come from her mouth, but rather resounded directly in everyone's minds.

"No need, thank you," Bai Yu replied calmly.

"Cleaning...is a must." The cleaning woman's voice became shrill, and the mop handle in her hand suddenly extended, the tip transforming into a sharp bone spike. "If we don't clean...the forest will be angry."

“The rule has been triggered,” Lan Ce warned in a low voice. “Rule number one: You must maintain absolute cleanliness in front of the cleaners.”

Mo Fei glanced down at the mud that had gotten on his boots from outside, and his expression changed slightly.

"Damn it, my shoes..."

The cleaning lady had already rushed over, and her speed was astonishing.

"Mo Fei, don't fight head-on! Step back!" Bai Yu flashed forward and stood in front of Mo Fei.

Instead of drawing his gun, he stretched out his left hand and made a grasping motion in the air.

"Rule coverage: This area is a 'clean zone'."

A dark aura seeped from between his fingers. As he progressed, Bai Yu became increasingly adept at modifying local rules.

The cleaning woman slowed down the moment she came into contact with the black aura. Her simple, smiling face seemed to show a look of confusion.

"It's clean...it's already clean..."

She murmured softly, then bent down again to start mopping the floor, as if the attack had never happened.

"Phew, Lao Bai, your tricks are getting more and more amazing." Mo Fei wiped the sweat from his forehead, looking at the dark red drag mark with lingering fear.

"Don't be careless, this is just the outer perimeter." Bai Yu looked at the elevator. "This building has eighteen floors; the higher you go, the more serious the pollution will be. Lan Ce, can you pinpoint the source of the pollution?"

Lan Ce quickly tapped on the screen: "According to the energy gradient analysis, there is a huge cavity on the top rooftop. All the energy is converging there. That may be the 'seed' left by Su Jianguo."

"Let's take the stairs," Bai Yu decided. "Elevators are too easy to get stuck in."

The group climbed up the safety passage.

The stairwell was filled with a damp, plant-like scent. Purple vines climbed all over the walls, slowly wriggling as if sucking the steel and concrete from within.

With each floor you go up, the surrounding environment becomes more distorted.

Upon reaching the fifth floor, the staircase steps transformed into enormous, rotting tongues. They felt soft and yielded a nauseating, squelching sound when stepped on.

"Bear with it," Bai Yu reminded him.

Lu Yueqi bit her lip, gripping Bai Yu's clothes tightly. Though terrified, she made no sound. She knew that in this place, a sound was deadly.

Upon reaching the eighth floor, a tightly closed fire door appeared in front of us.

Thick, black liquid kept seeping out from under the door.

“There’s a strong life force inside,” Mo Fei said in a low voice, the electric sparks on his battle axe flickering faintly, but he forcibly suppressed them to a minimum.

Bai Yu pushed open the door.

The corridor behind the door had completely disappeared. In its place was a dense, fluorescent forest.

Countless trees formed from human spines stand on both sides of the corridor, and what hangs on the branches are not leaves, but living eyeballs.

All eyes turned to the four people who entered, their pupils filled with longing.

"This...this is inside the apartment?" Lu Yueqi finally couldn't help but exclaim in surprise.

“This is an overlap of spaces.” Lan Ce said gravely. “Su Jianguo’s seed has already created a miniature dimension here. If we cannot destroy it before it fully matures, this dimension will expand into the entire Linjiang City.”

From the depths of the forest came a melodious flute tune.

The flute's melody was poignant and moving, possessing a magical quality that lulled people into a deep sleep.

"Be careful, this is a mental attack." Bai Yu bit his tongue hard, the sharp pain instantly bringing him back to his senses.

The black light in his left eye intensified.

"Black words, analyzing the source of the flute sound."

“Oh, this music is really good.” Hei Yan’s voice echoed in Bai Yu’s mind. “It’s full of praise for death. The little guy playing the flute is fifty meters ahead. He’s a ‘dream shepherd.’ He’s guiding these souls to the heart of the ‘forest.’”

"Mo Fei, suppress fire! Lan Ce, find logical loopholes! Yue Qi, prepare for 'pardon' and be ready to deal with any sudden contamination!"

Bai language quickly issued instructions.

Mo Fei roared, and this time he didn't charge recklessly. Instead, he activated the exoskeleton's long-range firing mode. The small grenade launchers on the side of the battle axe spat out tongues of fire, blasting the eyeball tree in front of him to pieces.

"Roar--!"

The forest roared in agony. After those eye-shaped trees fell, countless cracks appeared in the ground, revealing gleaming white teeth inside.

"This land is alive!" Lan Ce exclaimed. He quickly pulled out several jammers from his bag and threw them out in a fan shape.

The jammer emitted high-frequency pulses, forcibly severing the connection between the ground and the forest consciousness.

The four took the opportunity to run forward at breakneck speed.

A small figure slowly emerged from the mist.

It was a creature wearing a small red cloak, holding a flute made of bones. It had no feet and floated in mid-air.

Seeing the crowd rushing over, the shepherd stopped playing his flute and let out a shrill laugh.

"Lost little lambs... would you like to join the forest too?"

"Follow your grandpa!" Mo Fei leaped forward, his battle axe slashing down with the force of thunder.

The shepherd flashed and transformed into countless red petals that scattered outwards.

"Here... I am invincible..."

The petals reassembled and appeared behind Bai Yu.

"is it?"

Bai Yu didn't even turn his head, and delivered a powerful backhand punch with his right hand.

Thick black energy swirled around his fist, shattering the shepherd's defensive shield.

"Rule stripping: 'Blurring' is prohibited in this area."

Bai Yu's voice was icy and chilling.

The shepherd let out a scream, its body solidified, and it crashed heavily to the ground.

"Yueqi, now!" Bai Yu shouted.

Lu Yueqi took a deep breath and opened her arms.

"pardon!"

A grayish-white light burst forth from her center. This light was not dazzling, but it carried a sense of purity that cleansed the soul.

Wherever the light touched, the eerie eye-shaped trees withered, revealing the original corridor walls. The teeth on the ground also returned to marble tiles.

The shepherd struggled violently in the light, his body constantly emitting black smoke.

"No...the forest...the master will save me..."

Before it could finish speaking, it was cleaved into pieces by Mo Fei's axe strike.

The black resentment dissipated, and the corridor returned to a temporary tranquility.

"Well done." Bai Yu looked at Lu Yueqi, her eyes filled with undisguised admiration.

Lu Yueqi blushed slightly and lowered her head shyly, but the confidence in her eyes grew stronger.

“Don’t relax, that was just a gatekeeper.” Lan Ce looked at the terminal, his expression growing even more grim. “The energy reaction at the top has reached a critical point. It’s ‘blooming.’”

"Blooming?" Mo Fei was taken aback.

"Signs of a massive meme outbreak." Bai Yu's expression changed. "If it blooms, all the residents of the Southern District will suffer brain death instantly, their souls becoming its nourishment. Run!"

The four of them sped up and rushed upwards at breakneck speed.

Upon reaching the seventeenth floor, the staircase had completely disappeared. In its place stood a massive, spiraling, fleshy pipe.

The walls of the tubes were covered with a dense network of blood vessels, which rose and fell with each breath.

“Climb up.” Bai Yu was the first to crawl into the pipe.

The inside of the pipe was extremely slippery and highly corrosive. Mo Fei activated the climbing claws of his exoskeleton, pulling Lan Ce upwards. Bai Yu used his black energy to protect Lu Yueqi.

When they finally broke out of the pipe and reached the rooftop, the sight before them completely shocked them.

The once flat rooftop now features a giant purple bud, over thirty meters in diameter.

The base of the flower bud connects to every room in the entire apartment building. Countless slender tendrils extend from the bud, piercing through the void and connecting to the consciousness of those sleepwalkers in the distance.

At the top of the flower bud, Su Jianguo's silhouette appeared and disappeared.

His eyes were closed, his expression serene, as if he were enjoying some supreme pleasure.

“That’s a remnant of his will.” Lancer quickly set up the detector. “He uploaded his consciousness into this seed. Once the flower blooms, he will be ‘resurrected’ in a sense and become the will of this forest.”

"He's dreaming!" Mo Fei roared, and the energy core on his battle axe overloaded, bursting out with dazzling blue light.

"Gravity Field - Full Power!"

Mo Fei suddenly chopped the rooftop with his axe.

A massive gravitational wave swept towards the flower bud. The bud trembled violently, and several cracks appeared in its purple outer shell, from which golden sap flowed out.

"Roar--!"

Su Jianguo's phantom opened its eyes, its gaze filled with anger.

"It's you again... Why... Why are you stopping the progress of evolution?"

His voice was like thunder, shaking the rooftop violently.

"Because your evolution is built upon the deaths of countless people." Bai Yu slowly stepped forward, the Ember Light in his hand radiating an aura of destruction.

"Black Words, are you ready?"

"Ready at any time, my host." Hei Yan's figure appeared behind Bai Yu, and the ancient book was flipped through frantically, the page number stopping at the last blank page.

"Let's call this chapter 'Withering'."

Bai Yu raised his hand.

Dark clouds churned in the sky. A massive black crack slowly opened above the flower bud.

"No! This is impossible! You couldn't possibly have mastered rules at this level!" Su Jianguo's phantom roared in terror.

"Rule Explanation: Life returns to dust, and the soul to nothingness."

Bai Yu's voice echoed on the rooftop.

From within the black cracks, countless black chains descended. These chains pierced directly through the flower bud's defenses, locking its core.

"Yueqi, give it the final blow!" Bai Yu shouted.

Lu Yueqi took a step forward, feeling the unawakened nightmare throbbing wildly within her.

An unprecedented power filled her entire body.

She stretched out her hand, and a point of pure white light condensed at her fingertips.

"To forgive...all suffering."

A beam of white light shot out and instantly disappeared into the center of the flower bud.

boom--!
A massive explosion occurred on the rooftop.

The purple flower bud instantly disintegrated, scattering into countless shimmering fragments. Su Jianguo's illusory figure let out a final, unwilling roar before vanishing completely into the air.

The tentacles connecting the sleepwalker broke off one by one.

At the same time, throughout Linjiang City, those sleepwalking people shuddered, and their eyes gradually regained their clarity.

"I...where am I?"

"Why is it dark?"

People looked around in confusion, and the nightmare finally ended.

On the rooftop.

The smoke cleared.

Bai Yu knelt on the ground, panting heavily. Blood was gushing from his left eye, and his face was ashen white.

[Inclusion progress: 15%]

The numbers in the ancient book started jumping again.

Mo Fei rushed over to support him: "Old Bai, hang in there!"

Lan Ce looked at the terminal and finally breathed a sigh of relief: "The energy reaction has disappeared. The source of pollution has been completely eliminated."

Lu Yueqi leaned weakly against the wall, but a victorious smile was on her face.

"We...won."

Bai Yu looked at the first light of dawn appearing on the horizon and a bitter smile appeared on his lips.

Did you win?
He looked at his palm. There, when the flower bud had just burst open, an extremely tiny, transparent seed had silently burrowed into his skin.

The voice of Hei Yan echoed faintly in his mind.

"Congratulations, Bai Yu. You are now the sole heir to the 'Forest'."

Bai Yu's heart sank suddenly.

Is this the end, or the beginning of an even bigger nightmare?
The headquarters of the Bureau of Investigation in the distance.

Anmu stood by the window, watching the city gradually come back to life.

Suddenly his cell phone rang.

An old and dignified voice came from the other end of the phone.

"An Mu, the experiment in Linjiang City failed. Su Jianguo is a good-for-nothing."

An Mu's body stiffened abruptly, his eyes filled with shock and anger: "Minister? What are you saying?"

"It's alright, the seed has found a better host." The voice on the other end of the phone was completely calm. "Bring Bai Yu back. We need to start the next phase of testing."

The phone hangs up.

An Mu stared at his phone, his back soaked with cold sweat.

The world was far darker than he had imagined.

……

The SUV was driving on the way back.

Mo Fei drove, humming an unknown tune. Lan Ce was organizing a report. Lu Yueqi was asleep in the back seat, a sweet smile on her lips.

Bai Yu watched the scenery rushing past the window.

He touched his left eye.

The pain was gone; instead, there was a refreshing coolness that made one's heart race.

He knew that the real enemy might be right behind him.

Those who call themselves guardians may be the greatest nightmare.

“Bai Yu,” Lan Ce suddenly spoke.

"what happened?"

“The headquarters just gave us orders to return to Beijing for the ‘award ceremony.’” Lan Ce pushed up his glasses, a hint of unease flashing in his eyes. “But strangely, they specifically asked you to bring that ‘ancient book’.”

Bai Yu's eyes instantly became incredibly sharp.

"I see."

He turned to look out the window.

The wind rises from the tip of a blade of grass.

An even bigger storm awaits them ahead.

(End of this chapter)