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

Chapter 135 Gray Echoes
The morning sunlight filtered through the tattered curtains, casting dappled shadows onto the wooden floor of this secluded house in Linjiang City.

Tiny dust particles floated in the air, tumbling erratically in the beam of light. Bai Yu sat in an old wicker chair by the window, her fingertips gently pinching the jet-black petal. It felt icy to the touch, unlike a plant; it was more like a piece of finely polished black jade, its edges gleaming with a chilling, eerie light.

"This power does not belong to humans, nor does it belong entirely to nightmares."

An Mu's voice came from behind, weak from recovering from a serious illness, yet still steady and powerful. He wore a dark blue coat, and although his face was somewhat pale, his sharp eyes had regained their former vigor.

Bai Yu put away the flower petals, turned her head, and looked at the captain who had always protected them.

"Captain An, how are you feeling?"

“I won’t die.” An Mu walked to the table and sat down. He picked up the strong tea that Lan Ce had just brewed and took a sip. The bitter taste made his tightly furrowed brows relax a little. “In the battle at the Black Tower, you forcibly took over the authority of ‘Greed.’ Although you temporarily paralyzed Ye Tiannan’s control center, you also put yourself in the eye of the storm.”

“If I hadn’t touched that thing, we would already be on the slide table in the lab right now.” Bai Yu said calmly, as if he were talking about something trivial that had nothing to do with him.

“Old Bai is right, those old guys are ruthless.” Mo Fei pushed open the door and walked in, carrying soy milk and fried dough sticks he had bought from the morning market. He moved very lightly, even cautiously. After experiencing the upheaval at Black Tower, Mo Fei had become much more composed; he knew that the current situation allowed no room for recklessness.

Mo Fei placed the breakfast on the table, looking at Bai Yu with a hint of worry in his eyes: "Old Bai, your eyes... are you really alright?"

Bai Yu subconsciously touched his left eye. Although the flickering black flame had disappeared, the color of his left eyeball had turned into a strange deep purple, and it could not close freely like his right eye.

"It's still under control for now," Bai said succinctly.

Lan Ce emerged from the inner room carrying a laptop, his eyes bloodshot behind his black-rimmed glasses. He adjusted his glasses and turned the laptop screen towards the crowd.

"The situation is more complicated than we anticipated. Although Ye Tiannan was injured in the Black Tower turmoil, the headquarters' administrative machinery is still functioning. They have already designated us as 'highly dangerous invaders' and blocked all communication channels between Linjiang City and the outside world."

“As expected.” An Mu snorted coldly. “Ye Tiannan will not let go of Bai Yu, this perfect ‘mother nest’. He will use all his power to capture us and bring us back.”

“But strangely, they didn’t send a large force to directly besiege this place.” Lan moved the screen and brought up an energy distribution map of Linjiang City. “In the old city of Linjiang, there is a ‘gray zone’. The energy fluctuations here are completely still, and our detectors seem to be malfunctioning there.”

Bai Yu looked at the gray area, and the "seed" in her heart skipped a beat, as if it were resonating with it in some way.

"What's there?" Bai Yu asked.

“That’s the site of Linjiang City’s earliest archives.” An Mu continued, his eyes becoming deep. “Fifty years ago, before the Investigation Bureau was established, it was the site of a secret research institution. Su Jianguo worked there when he was young.”

"You mean, Su Jianguo's 'god-making plan' actually started from there?" Mo Fei put down the fried dough stick in his hand, his expression turning serious.

“Very likely.” An Mu lit a cigarette but didn’t smoke it, just watched the smoke swirl around him. “The archives may contain original records about the ‘Origin of Rules.’ Bai Yu, the seed within you needs to be suppressed, otherwise, once it fully matures, your consciousness will be devoured by the ‘Forest.’”

“And the method to suppress it might lie in that archive.” Bai Yu stood up, his eyes resolute.

"Brother Baiyu, I'll go with you." Lu Yueqi walked in from outside. She had changed into a neat outdoor outfit and was carrying a tactical backpack. Although her face was still a little pale, the determination in her eyes was undeniable.

"Yueqi, it's dangerous there," Bai Yu said, looking at her.

“I know. But my ‘pardon’ can neutralize that unknown pollution. Brother Lan Ce said I am your ‘firewall’.” Lu Yueqi smiled slightly, trying to ease the tense atmosphere.

Looking at these outstanding young people, An Mu felt a surge of satisfaction. He stood up and patted Bai Yu on the shoulder.

"Mo Fei is in charge of perimeter security, and Lan Ce will provide data support. Bai Yu, you take Yue Qi inside. Remember, if you encounter any rules you can't understand, retreat immediately. We're not working for headquarters now; we're risking our lives."

"Understood." Everyone responded in unison.

……

The old town area of ​​Linjiang City.

Most of the buildings here were constructed in the 1970s and 80s, with peeling paint and overhead wires tangled like spider webs. With urban expansion, this area has long been forgotten, becoming a haven for stray cats and dogs and a place of gloom.

As the off-road vehicle entered the area, the surrounding sounds abruptly disappeared.

There were no birdsong, no wind, and even the roar of the engine sounded somewhat muffled.

"Is this the 'gray area'?" Mo Fei gripped the steering wheel, veins bulging on the back of his hand. He could feel an invisible pressure squeezing the vehicle's metal shell.

“The logical constants are shifting.” Lancer stared at the red warning on the screen. “The laws of physics are becoming extremely fragile here. Bai Yu, the rules here could distort at any moment.”

Bai Yu looked out the window. The trees along the roadside had a deathly gray hue, their leaves stiff as iron.

The car stopped in front of the old archives.

This is a three-story brick and stone building with rusty iron chains hanging on the gate and withered vines climbing the walls.

"Mo Fei, guard the exit. If we don't get out in two hours, immediately take Team An and leave Linjiang City." Bai Yu got out of the car, carrying a specially made short knife on his back.

"Old Bai, you must bring Yueqi back safely." Mo Fei didn't waste any words, he just patted the car door heavily.

Bai Yu nodded and looked at Lu Yueqi: "Follow my lead, don't look around or listen to anything else."

Lu Yueqi followed obediently behind Bai Yu, clutching a talisman that emitted a faint white light tightly in her hand.

The two pushed open the door to the archives.

"Squeak-"

The jarring sound of the door opening echoed in the empty hall, stirring up a thick layer of dust.

The hall was filled with densely packed iron filing racks, each piled high with yellowed papers. The air was thick with the smell of stale paper and a faint odor of decay.

"Brother Baiyu, look at that wall over there," Lu Yueqi whispered a reminder.

Bai Yu followed her gaze. On the wall was a yellowed chart of rules and regulations, but the handwriting on it kept twisting and turning.

Rule 1: No loud noise is allowed inside the archives.

Rule 2: Please maintain a smile while reading the files.

Rule 3: If you see a cleaner in a red uniform, please do not ask them for the time.

Bai Yu's left eye flickered slightly.

“These rules are alive,” Bai Yu said in a low voice. “They are trying to capture the consciousness of those who enter. Yue Qi, activate ‘pardon’.”

Lu Yueqi closed her eyes and clasped her hands together.

A faint grayish-white halo spread out from her center. Wherever the halo passed, the twisting characters instantly froze, and the shadows on the wall retreated as if they had encountered a natural enemy.

"I feel better." Lu Yueqi opened her eyes, a thin layer of sweat on her forehead.

The two walked through the hall and headed towards the entrance to the basement.

Just then, a series of heavy footsteps came from upstairs.

"Boom...boom...boom..."

The footsteps were very slow, each step feeling like it was treading on one's heart.

Bai Yu stopped and gripped the hilt of the knife tightly.

A figure in a red overalls cleaning suit appeared at the second-floor railing. He was holding a huge mop, the mop head wet, leaving a dark red water stain on the floor.

The cleaner slowly turned his head. His face had no features, only a huge, sewn-up mouth.

"What time is it now?"

The sound exploded directly in their minds, carrying a sense of chaotic madness.

"Don't answer!" Bai Yu covered Lu Yueqi's ears.

The white light within Lu Yueqi's body suddenly erupted, forcefully dispelling the sense of chaos.

“Rules of the game.” Bai Yu coldly looked at the cleaner above. “Hei Yan, analyze his authority.”

"Oh dear, he's just a pathetic creature trapped by the rules." Hei Yan's voice echoed in Bai Yu's mind, tinged with mockery. "His authority is 'frozen time.' If you answer his question, your time will be frozen in this second forever, turning you into a file here."

Is there a way to handle this?

“Use the ‘greed’ you just acquired.” Hei Yan chuckled. “The essence of greed is to seize. Seize his time, let him utterly decay.”

Bai Yu took a deep breath and suddenly opened his left hand.

A burst of pitch-black energy erupted from his palm, quickly condensing into a gigantic black claw.

"Rule Plunder: Stripping Time".

The black claws instantly pierced through the barrier of space and seized the cleaner.

"No...my time..."

The cleaner let out a piercing scream as his body visibly dried up and cracked, eventually turning into a pile of gray dust and dissipating into the air.

The huge mop fell to the ground with a heavy thud.

"call--"

Bai Yu withdrew his hand, his body swaying involuntarily. He forcefully used the power of 'greed' to make the seed within him grow a little more.

"Brother Bai Yu!" Lu Yueqi quickly supported him, her eyes filled with heartache. "You can't keep pushing yourself like this."

"I'm fine." Bai Yu steadied herself, a fierce glint in her eyes. "Let's go, the basement is just ahead."

The two descended the dimly lit staircase to the basement.

The basement door was made of heavy cast iron and was engraved with an intricate symbol: an eyeball bound in chains.

“This is the mark of the ‘Eye of Truth’.” Lan Ce’s voice came through the wireless earpiece. Although the signal was intermittent, it was still relatively clear. “Bai Yu, be careful. This organization was banned fifty years ago for conducting forbidden experiments. They have been trying to unravel the origins of nightmares.” Bai Yu pushed open the iron door forcefully.

Behind the door was a huge laboratory, filled with broken glassware and dried biological specimens.

In the center of the laboratory, there was a huge safe.

The safe had been forcibly opened, and its contents were scattered all over the floor.

Bai Yu stepped forward and picked up a thick black leather notebook from the ground. There were no words on the cover of the notebook, but the moment Bai Yu touched it, the Black Word within her trembled violently.

"This is...my diary?"

Hei Yan's voice was filled with disbelief and a hint of unprecedented fear.

Bai Yu opened his notebook.

On the first page, a line of text was written in bright red ink:

When a work of art acquires consciousness, the creator becomes a sacrifice. — Dedicated to my most perfect masterpiece, Black Words.

Bai Yu's heart skipped a beat.

Is Black Words not an innate nightmare? Or was it created?

“Brother Baiyu, look at the back.” Lu Yueqi pointed to the back half of the notebook.

The latter half of the paper was stuck together by some kind of viscous liquid, and some complex formulas and human anatomy diagrams could be vaguely seen.

On the last page of the notebook, there was a black and white photograph.

The photo shows a young man wearing a white lab coat, with delicate features and an almost obsessive focus in his eyes.

Looking at that face, Bai Yu felt as if the blood in her body was about to freeze.

That face looked exactly like mine!
"This...this is impossible." Bai Yu's hand trembled slightly.

"Oh dear, what an interesting accident." Hei Yan's voice turned cold and gloomy, the cynical tone disappeared, replaced by a chilling killing intent. "Bai Yu, it seems our fate is much deeper than I imagined."

Just then, the laboratory's alarm lights suddenly turned on, and the blinding red light illuminated the entire room as if it were a pool of blood.

"Warning! Unauthorized personnel detected! Initiating self-destruct sequence!"

The cold, mechanical synthesized voice echoed in the room.

"Bai Yu! Run!" Lan Ce's voice was almost a roar in the earpiece. "The entire old city is collapsing! The rules field there is self-destructing!"

"go!"

Bai Yu grabbed the notebook and pulled Lu Yueqi outside.

The ground behind them cracked open, and gray mist spewed from the bottomless fissures. Wherever this mist passed, all matter instantly turned to sand.

The two ran frantically down the corridor.

The filing shelves collapsed one after another, and countless yellowed papers flew through the air, turning into sharp blades.

"Pardon! Full power!"

Lu Yueqi let out a shout, and the white light within her body transformed into a sturdy shield, blocking all the paper blades.

As they rushed out of the archives, the entire building had already collapsed behind them, turning into a pile of ruins.

Mo Fei had already started the car and was frantically honking the horn at the edge of the ruins.

"Get on the bus! Get on the bus now!"

The two scrambled into the car, and Mo Fei slammed on the gas pedal, sending the SUV hurtling out of the gray, sandy area like an arrow.

The oppressive stillness only gradually subsided once the car entered a normal street.

"Huh...huh..."

Lu Yueqi slumped in the back seat, panting heavily.

Bai Yu clutched the notebook tightly, her eyes filled with confusion and solemnity.

"Old Bai, did you get it?" Mo Fei wiped the sweat from his face.

"I got it. But... I discovered something I shouldn't have discovered," Bai Yu replied softly.

Back at the house.

An Mu's expression turned extremely ugly when he saw the notebook.

"These are the core research notes of the 'Eye of Truth.' Bai Yu, are you sure the person in the photo is you?"

“Exactly the same.” Bai Yu handed the photo to An Mu.

Anmu stared at the photo in silence for a long time.

"Fifty years ago... if you really were that person, you would be seventy years old now. Unless..."

"Unless I am his clone, or a product of his reincarnation through some kind of rule," Bai Yu analyzed calmly, but the turmoil in his heart was hard to calm down.

Just then, Lan Ce's computer emitted a series of urgent beeps.

"Team Leader An, someone from headquarters has arrived."

"So fast?" An Mu frowned.

“No, it’s not the main force. There’s only one person.” Lan Ce pulled up the surveillance footage from the doorway.

In the scene, a man in a black trench coat stands quietly outside the door. He carries a silver briefcase and wears a gentle yet unsettling smile.

“He’s a special envoy from headquarters, codenamed ‘Judge’.” An Mu’s tone was full of apprehension. “This guy kills without shedding blood. His coming here is definitely not for anything good.”

Bai Yu stood up and walked towards the door.

"I'll go see him."

"Old Bai!" Mo Fei tried to stop him.

"It's alright. Since he came alone, it means there's still room for negotiation."

Bai Yu pushed open the door and walked up to the man.

"White language investigator, I've long admired your name." The man bowed slightly, his tone impeccably polite.

"Ye Tiannan sent you to kill me?" Bai Yu asked bluntly.

“No, the minister asked me to bring you a gift.” The man opened his briefcase.

There were no bombs or weapons in the box.

There was only one yellowed photo.

The photo shows a gentle woman holding a baby wrapped in swaddling clothes.

The moment Bai Yu saw that woman, a fragment of memory he had never experienced before suddenly exploded in his mind.

"This is...my mother?"

“She is the sole survivor of the ‘Eye of Truth,’ and the only one who knows the truth about your past.” The man closed his briefcase, his smile turning playful. “She’s at headquarters now. The minister said that if you want to see her, take that notebook and go back to the Black Tower alone.”

"How can I trust you?" Bai Yu clenched his fists.

“You have no choice.” The man took a pendant out of his pocket and tossed it to Bai Yu.

Bai Yu took the pendant. It was half a broken jade pendant with a small character "Yu" engraved on it.

He had seen this jade pendant countless times in his dreams.

“If you don’t show up at the Black Tower by noon tomorrow, we will put her into the ‘Greed’ containment chamber.”

After the man finished speaking, he turned and disappeared into the thick morning fog.

Bai Yu stood there, the jade pendant in his hand almost crushed.

"Old Bai, what did he say?" Mo Fei rushed out and asked nervously.

Bai Yu remained silent for a long time before slowly raising his head, his eyes revealing an unprecedented determination.

"I want to go back to the Black Tower."

"Are you crazy! That's walking into a trap!" Mo Fei shouted.

"I have to go." Bai Yu looked at the jade pendant in her hand. "My past is there, and so is our future."

An Mu, inside the house, watched Bai Yu's retreating figure and sighed deeply.

"It seems that this game has only just begun."

(End of this chapter)