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

Chapter 139 Gray Eyes
The chill from the ground felt like living tentacles, creeping up his trousers and into his bones. Bai Yu gripped the rusty iron key tightly, his fingertips aching from the rough rust, but he dared not let go.

The fragments of memory in my mind are like a broken kaleidoscope, spinning and piecing themselves back together wildly.

Twenty years ago, in Linjiang City.

There was no gray fog, no nightmares; the sunlight was so bright it made you want to squint. A man in a white shirt led him by the hand, walking down the corridor of the red house. The man's face was blurry, but his voice was exceptionally clear: "Xiaoyu, remember, the red house isn't a prison; it's a 'backup' for this world. If reality collapses one day, this will be the last seed."

The next second, the screen shattered. Flames engulfed everything, and screams, the sound of heavy objects falling to the ground, and the bubbling of boiling liquids mingled together.

“Backup…” Bai Yu murmured softly.

He felt the Black Words within him trembling violently. It wasn't fear, but a shiver born of extreme hunger. The Black Words' elegant voice now sounded somewhat distorted: "Bai Yu, can you feel it? What's beating within this key is the remnant of 'truth.' That madwoman Su Wan actually forged a corner of the world's rules into a tangible object."

Bai Yu ignored Hei Yan's incessant chatter. He forcibly suppressed the tearing sensation deep within his soul and stood up, leaning on the stone platform.

Lu Yueqi rushed over anxiously and took his arm. The girl's eyes were full of worry, even with a hint of tears: "Brother Baiyu, your face... looks scary. Let's go quickly, the roof is about to collapse."

Bai Yu took a deep breath and put the key into his pocket. He turned his head and looked at the archives room, now reduced to ruins. The silver liquid that had been soaking in the brain jar was slowly seeping into the ground, as if feeding some kind of deeper monster.

"Let's go and meet up with the captain and the others."

Meanwhile, in the lobby on the first floor of the red house.

The red threads, like a dense spider web, tightly bound Subject 002 in mid-air. These threads not only possessed physical binding force, but also seemed to be constantly draining energy from Subject 002's body.

Mo Fei knelt on the ground, his battle axe stuck in his side. His combat uniform was tattered, revealing muscles covered with fine cuts, but he didn't rush to retaliate as usual. He was calmly observing the rhythm of the red threads.

“Captain, these threads are devouring his logic core.” Mo Fei’s voice was deep and powerful. He wiped the blood from his forehead, his eyes sharp as an eagle. “His nano-armor is failing, but the structure of the Red House is also collapsing. We have to prepare for both scenarios.”

Captain Anmu, supported by the golden light barrier of "Iron Wall Royal Authority," had a face so pale it was almost transparent. His energy was already at its limit, but his back remained ramrod straight.

"Lan Ce, has the evacuation route been planned?" An Mu asked in a deep voice.

Lancer's fingers slid rapidly across the broken terminal screen, his glasses reflecting a chaotic red light.

“After the transfer of sovereignty, the logic of the Red House’s exit has been distorted. The original door has become a dead end. The current exit is… the ceiling!” Lan Ce suddenly looked up and pointed to the chandelier in the center of the hall that was cracking. “There is a singularity of rules there, which is the only gap leading to the dimension of reality.”

"Instruction received...Logic reconfiguration..."

Suddenly, Number 002, bound by red threads, emitted a piercing electronic sound. The red chip near his heart stopped flashing and turned into an eerie dark purple.

"Click——"

He managed to snap a thick red thread in two. Number 002's body began to mutate; dark red flesh surged beneath his metallic skin, and foul-smelling steam emanated from the junction of the metal and biological tissue.

"Warning... Recycling process failed... Self-destruct cleanup initiated..."

"Oh no! He's going to explode!" Mo Fei's pupils shrank sharply.

The self-destruction of this level of experimental subject is enough to erase all rules within a one-kilometer radius.

At this critical moment, a pair of jet-black wings suddenly unfurled at the entrance to the underground.

Bai Yu led Lu Yueqi out. A purplish-black flame nearly overflowed from his left eye. The iron key in his hand emanated a heavy, ancient aura, forcefully suppressing the raging energy within the hall.

"Mo Fei, take Lan Ce and Yue Qi! Go to the chandelier!"

Bai Yu's voice boomed through the hall, carrying an unquestionable authority.

Mo Fei didn't hesitate at all. He knew that, in terms of tactical execution, Bai Yu's judgment was always the optimal solution.

"go!"

Mo Fei grabbed Lan Ce by the back of his collar with one hand and pulled Lu Yueqi with the other, the thrusters beneath his feet bursting into blinding flames. Like a lion charging through ruins, he precisely avoided falling stone beams and rushed towards the singularity in the ceiling.

Captain Anmu glanced at Bai Yu. Their eyes met in the air, without any unnecessary words, only absolute trust.

"Don't die." An Mu left these words behind, and the golden light screen instantly contracted, transforming into a streak of light that caught up with Mo Fei.

In the hall, only Bai Yu and Number 002, who was undergoing a crazy mutation, remained.

"You're not Ye Tiannan's puppet, so who are you?" Bai Yu looked at the other person coldly.

A sinister smile appeared on Number 002's half-human, half-machine face. The smile didn't seem like an electronic simulation; it was more like a mocking soul hidden beneath the skin.

"Baiyu...we...will...see...again...soon..."

"boom!"

The dark purple orb of light exploded inside Number 002's body.

Bai Yu suddenly plunged the iron key into the void.

"A nation of greed, close it off!"

The black feathers instantly formed a spherical shield, forcibly locking the explosive force into a very small area.

Overwhelmed by the terrifying impact, Bai Yu spat out a mouthful of blood, his body flying like a kite with a broken string, crashing headfirst into the singularity above the chandelier along with the rising airflow.

……

Linjiang City, the northern part of the old city.

The gray fog remained thick, but the eerie red house had completely vanished. Only a huge, charred crater remained, emitting a pungent smell of sulfur.

An Mu leaned against a telephone pole, coughing violently. Mo Fei stood protectively in front of the group; although the energy in his battle axe was depleted, his aura remained as imposing as an insurmountable mountain.

"Where is Bai Yu?" Lu Yueqi cried out, her voice trembling with tears.

"At this."

A figure fell from the void and crashed heavily onto the ruins.

Mo Fei rushed over and helped Bai Yu up.

Bai Yu was in extremely poor condition; his breathing was weak, and his trench coat was almost blown to shreds. But he still gripped the rusty key tightly in his hand.

"Old Bai, you're a fucking lunatic." Mo Fei's eyes reddened as he looked at Bai Yu's miserable state, but his voice remained steady. "If you do this again, I'll knock you out and take you away."

Bai Yu managed a weak smile, her voice hoarse: "I got the key...."

Lan Ce walked over and scanned Bai Yu with a portable medical device, his brows furrowing: "Organ damage, and the soul rift has widened by 3%. Bai Yu, you must return to the branch office immediately for intensive repair."

Anmu looked up at the sky.

The huge, blurry eye had vanished, replaced by an even heavier gray fog.

“We can’t leave.” An Mu’s voice was icy.

At the end of the street, a group of people emerged from the gray fog.

They wore identical gray uniforms and silver masks without any holes in their faces. Their movements were perfectly synchronized, even their breathing was in unison.

“They’re the headquarters’ ‘cleaners’.” Lance’s voice was filled with despair. “They’re not here to rescue us; they’re here to clean up ‘experimental accidents’.”

At the very front of the cleaners, the man in the gray trench coat—Lin Yuan—was slowly wiping his frameless glasses.

"Captain An, it's been a long time." Lin Yuan's voice was so gentle it sent chills down your spine. "Hand over number 001 and that key. In exchange, I can give you a decent funeral."

An Mu sneered, his tall figure blocking the way for all the team members.

"Lin Yuan, have you been at headquarters for too long and lost your mind?" An Mu slowly raised his right hand. Although his energy was depleted, his captain's authority made the scavengers opposite him stop in their tracks. "Nightmare Investigation Bureau Team One has never had the habit of handing over comrades."

"Even if it means death?" Lin Yuan put on his glasses, his eyes instantly turning cold.

"Even if it means death." Mo Fei stepped forward, his battle axe held horizontally in front of his chest, his muscles tensing once more, like a statue cast in steel.

Bai Yu stood up with Lu Yueqi's help. He felt the Black Words within him awakening, that evil and powerful force frantically repairing his soul, at the cost of more of his essence being devoured.

"Lin Yuan, you want this key?"

Bai Yu raised the rusty iron key.

The key emitted a faint red glow in the gray fog, as if responding to some distant call.

"If you want it, come and take it yourself."

Lin Yuan stared at the key, a glint of fanatical greed flashing in his eyes.

"Kill them all. Leave the key behind, Bai Yu can take it back."

At Lin Yuan's command, dozens of cleaners surged forward like a gray tide.

They didn't carry firearms, but instead held chains that shimmered with regularly changing light. These chains were specifically designed to counter the abilities of those who entered the dream world; once bound, their souls would be forcibly locked.

"Yueqi, hide behind Lan Ce!" An Mu shouted. "Mo Fei, left flank! Lan Ce, disrupt the position!"

The battle broke out instantly.

Despite his numerous injuries, Mo Fei's movements were exceptionally precise. Instead of blindly charging into the crowd, he used the ruins as cover, and each swing of his battle axe created a ripple in the air, forcefully repelling the approaching scavengers.

"For my comrades, I can fight for another hundred years!" Mo Fei roared, his eyes bloodshot, but his hands moved without the slightest panic.

Lancer quickly deployed dozens of jammers on the ground. The high-frequency sound waves emitted by these jammers caused a brief delay in the Scavenger's movements.

"Captain, we've cracked the Scavengers' jamming band, but there are just too many of them!" Lance shouted a warning as he operated the system.

An Mu swung his golden fist, each strike carrying the intimidating power of "royal authority." But his expression grew increasingly grim, and blood continued to spill from the corner of his mouth.

Looking at his teammates struggling in the fight, Bai Yu felt a mixture of anger and sorrow.

These scavengers were once their comrades-in-arms.

But in the eyes of the higher-ups at headquarters, they were nothing more than consumables that could be consumed at will.

"Black Words... lend me your power," Bai Yu murmured to himself.

"Hehe, Bai Yu, you chose this yourself. After this, your soul will truly become my collection."

Hei Yan's figure appeared behind Bai Yu.

The nameless ancient book flipped through its pages frantically, and black characters surged forth like flying birds, weaving together in the air to form a massive array of rules.

"Peeling away...reality!"

Bai Yu pointed forward.

A dark light curtain spread outwards from him instantly.

Wherever the light curtain passed, the chains in the hands of the cleaners broke, and the silver masks on their faces shattered, revealing empty eye sockets.

"What?" Lin Yuan's expression changed drastically. He felt that his domain of rules was being forcibly altered.

Bai Yu's body began to slowly float.

Bright red lines appeared on his skin, the power of the iron key was merging with his body.

"Lin Yuan, do you think you've grasped the truth?"

The Bai language's voice became overlapping and grand, as if countless souls were roaring at the same time.

"What you see is nothing but the ashes left by the truth."

Bai Yu suddenly waved his hand, and the rusty iron key transformed into a streak of light, piercing through the chests of several cleaners before finally stopping precisely between Lin Yuan's eyebrows.

Lin Yuan froze.

He could feel that if the key moved forward even a millimeter, his soul would be completely shattered.

"Stop it."

An aged yet authoritative voice suddenly emanated from the deepest part of the gray fog. All the scavengers instantly stopped moving and knelt down in unison.

Lin Yuan seemed to breathe a sigh of relief and respectfully lowered his head: "Director."

The gray mist parted, and an elderly man dressed in a black Zhongshan suit slowly walked out. He held a cane made from the ruins of the Black Tower, and with each step he took, the gray mist on the ground would automatically dissipate.

Director of the Nightmare Investigation Bureau – Su Jianguo.

Bai Yu looked at the man.

In his recovered memories, this man was once his most admired mentor, but also the executioner who pushed him into the abyss.

"Xiaoyu, you've grown up." Su Jianguo's voice was calm and undisturbed, as if he were facing not a desperate enemy, but a long-lost junior.

"Su Jianguo." Bai Yu gritted her teeth, the black fire in her eyes almost burning everything in its path. "Those experimental subjects in the Red House, and my mother, you destroyed them all with your own hands?"

Su Jianguo sighed, his eyes revealing a nauseating kind of compassion.

“The world is sick, Xiaoyu. To cure it, someone has to make a sacrifice. Your mother was a great woman; she gave everything for the ‘backup’ plan.”

"Shut up!" Bai Yu roared, his jet-black wings flapping wildly, creating terrifying storms of rules.

"Xiaoyu, give me the key." Su Jianguo ignored the storm and continued walking forward. "It's the only proof to unlock the 'source.' Only with it can I completely end this gray era."

“You don’t want to end it, you want to rule it,” Bai Yu coldly exposed the other party’s lie.

Su Jianguo stopped in his tracks, his eyes becoming deep and cold.

"Since you remain obstinate, I have no choice but to take back everything I have given you."

Su Jianguo slowly raised the cane in his hand.

In that instant, the gravity in the entire northern part of the old city increased a hundredfold.

Mo Fei let out a muffled groan and knelt on one knee, his knee striking the ground and creating a huge crack. An Mu and Lan Ce also fell to the ground, unable to move.

Bai Yu also felt an irresistible force pressing down on his shoulders, and his bones made a teeth-grinding grinding sound.

"Black language!"

“It’s no use, Baiyu. This old guy has mastered the rule of ‘Ending,’ which is the nemesis of all nightmares.” For the first time, fear was revealed in Heiyan’s voice.

Just as Su Jianguo's cane was about to touch the ground, the iron key in Bai Yu's arms suddenly began to vibrate violently.

A message hidden deep within the key instantly rushed into Bai Yu's consciousness.

Those were the last words left by his mother, Su Wan:

"Xiaoyu, a key isn't for opening, it's for... locking."

Bai Yu's words bring good fortune and inspiration.

He suddenly bit his tongue, spitting a mouthful of blood onto the key.

"With my soul, I seal away the truth!"

The rusty iron key suddenly burst into a dazzling red light, and the rust fell off, revealing its ruby-like, sparkling core.

The red light formed a huge keyhole, forcibly drawing in the gravitational field released by Su Jianguo.

"What?" For the first time, Su Jianguo's face showed surprise.

Taking advantage of this brief moment, Bai Yu mustered her last bit of strength and rushed to An Mu and the others.

"Lan Ce, activate Overload Teleport!"

Lan Ce understood immediately and pressed the red button on the terminal.

"Coordinates: Branch Shelter! Energy Overload 300%!"

A dazzling white light enveloped the entire team.

"Bai Yu! You can't escape!" Su Jianguo's roar echoed behind him.

There was a flash of white light.

All that remained on the ruins was a scene of utter devastation, and Su Jianguo, whose face was terrifyingly gloomy.

Lin Yuan walked over cautiously: "Chief, should we go after them?"

Su Jianguo stared coldly in the direction where Bai Yu had disappeared.

“No need. He has activated the second stage of the key, and his soul is already bound to the key. As long as he is still in Linjiang City, he cannot escape my grasp.”

Su Jianguo turned his head and looked at the big eye that had reappeared in the sky.

"Plan remains the same. Since Number 001 is not cooperating, then we'll launch 'Citywide Infection.' I want to make this key voluntarily return to my hands."

……

In Linjiang City, at a secret underground shelter.

The white light dispersed.

Mo Fei was the first to recover from the dizziness after being teleported, and he immediately looked around.

This is a sealed room filled with various pipes and instruments, and the air smells of stale machine oil.

"Old Bai! Old Bai, wake up!"

Mo Fei rushed to Bai Yu's side.

Bai Yu had completely lost consciousness. His right hand was still tightly gripping the key, which had turned ruby ​​red. Even in his unconscious state, his brows were furrowed, as if he were enduring immense pain.

Captain Anmu leaned against the wall and stood up; his uniform was mostly stained red with blood.

"Lan Ce...Quick...First Aid..."

Lance staggered over, his glasses shattered, but he didn't care and immediately activated the medical pod in the shelter.

"Yueqi, help me carry Baiyu inside!"

Lu Yueqi wiped away her tears and, together with Mo Fei, put Bai Yu into the medical pod.

As the pale blue repair fluid slowly filled the container, Bai Yu's tightly furrowed brows relaxed slightly.

"How is he?" An Mu asked hoarsely, leaning against the medical pod.

Lan Ce looked at the data on the screen and let out a long sigh.

“His life was saved. But his soul… has completely merged with that key. Simply put, he is now the ‘lock core’ of the key.”

Lance paused, his expression complex.

"If Su Jianguo wants to get the key, he must... forcibly extract Bai Yu's soul."

A deathly silence fell over the sealed room.

Mo Fei slammed his fist into the iron pipe next to him, making a dull thud.

"These beasts!" Mo Fei gritted his teeth, his anger almost tangible.

Captain Anmu looked at Bai Yu, who was sleeping soundly in the medical pod, and his eyes became unusually firm.

"Lan Ce, contact all the field teams you can still reach."

An Mu straightened up. Although he was weak, his leader's aura returned to him.

"Tell them that the Nightmare Investigation Bureau headquarters has betrayed us. From now on, we are the last line of defense for Linjiang City."

An Mu looked at Mo Fei and Lan Ce.

"We must protect Bai Yu. As long as he is here, Su Jianguo's conspiracy will never succeed."

"Understood!" Mo Fei and Lan Ce replied in unison.

Lu Yueqi sat beside the medical pod, her small hand gently resting on the cold glass dome.

"Brother Baiyu, you must wake up soon..."

Meanwhile, deep within Bai Yu's consciousness...

He was sitting in an endless sea of ​​red flowers.

At the end of the sea of ​​flowers, a man in a white shirt stood with his back to him, looking at the gray sky in the distance.

"Xiaoyu, you finally chose this path."

The man turned his head, and there was the vague father in Bai Yu's memory.

But this time, his face became crystal clear.

He looks exactly like Bai Yu.

Or rather, he is Bai Yu twenty years later.

"Who are you?" Bai Yu looked at the man in front of her, her heart filled with shock.

The man smiled, his eyes revealing a sense of vicissitude that seemed to have seen through time.

“I am you, and I am also the previous owner of this key.”

The man walked up to Bai Yu and gently patted him on the shoulder.

"Remember, the fire in the red house has never gone out. It has been burning in your heart until you set the world ablaze."

The man stretched out his hand and pointed into the distance.

Bai Yu looked in the direction he pointed.

Deep within the gray mist, a magnificent yet eerie black tower was slowly rising from the ground.

That's not the Black Tower of headquarters, that's... the true "Tower of Truth" built from countless souls and rules.

"Go, Xiaoyu. Go and take back everything that belongs to you."

The man's figure began to fade.

Bai Yu suddenly opened her eyes.

Inside the medical pod, the pale blue repair fluid was fluctuating violently.

He felt the ruby-colored key throbbing slowly in the location of his heart.

Each pulsation unleashed a devastating force.

“Su Jianguo…it’s time to settle our score.”

Bai Yu whispered in his heart.

The purplish-black flame in his left eye now had a touch of sacred gold.

A new storm is gathering over Linjiang City.

This time, Bai Yu will no longer be the experimental subject manipulated by fate.

He is the one true God who holds the key.

(End of this chapter)