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

Chapter 156 The First Crack in the Perfect World

The morning sunlight streamed through the blinds, casting neat golden lattice patterns on the solid wood floor.

Bai Yu sat on the edge of the bed, his hands supporting his knees, his head slightly bowed. He had been in this position for a full ten minutes.

The aroma of fried eggs and bacon wafted through the air, coming from the kitchen downstairs. The smell was so real, so warm, so real that it gave him a sudden, intense dizziness.

He looked up at the clock on the wall.

The second hand made a soft "click" sound, ticking rhythmically.

one two Three……

Bai Yu frowned slightly.

He discovered a very subtle detail: after each tick, the second hand would bounce back almost imperceptibly.

In the past, he would never have noticed such a physical flaw. But now, his senses were almost pathologically acute.

"Xiaoyu, what are you dawdling for? Breakfast is going to get cold."

My mother's voice came from outside the door, accompanied by light footsteps.

Bai Yu stood up and walked to the mirror.

The young man in the mirror had a rosy complexion and clear eyes. It was the result of a long-term healthy lifestyle, completely devoid of the broken feeling he used to have, as if his very soul was bleeding.

He reached out and gently touched his chest.

There used to be a rift running through his heart, which Hei Yan forcibly stitched up with his primal power. But now, his skin is smooth and even, and his heartbeat is strong and steady.

"Black Words?" he whispered in his mind.

No response.

That elegant, enchanting voice, always tinged with an artistic flair, seemed to have vanished completely in that white light.

Bai Yu took a deep breath, pushed open the door, and walked out.

In the restaurant, Bai Jianguo, the father, was flipping through the day's morning newspaper. The front page read: "Renovation Project of Linjiang Changsheng Sanatorium Officially Launched, to be Transformed into the City's Largest Rehabilitation Center."

Bai Yu's pupils contracted slightly.

Changsheng Sanatorium.

In that "nightmare," it was the place where he was born, and also the place where everything ended.

"Dad, the Changsheng Sanatorium... wasn't it abandoned a long time ago?" Bai Yu sat down and asked casually.

Bai Jianguo put down his newspaper, adjusted his glasses, and smiled gently, "Yes, it's been abandoned for over thirty years. The government only recently decided to redevelop it, saying that the land has good feng shui and is suitable for recuperation. What, are you interested in this?"

"Nothing, just asking."

Bai Yu lowered her head and used her fork to pok at the fried eggs on her plate.

The edges of the fried egg were slightly charred, and the yolk was half-cooked; the cooking time was perfect.

He took a bite, and the taste was just as perfect.

But he felt a churning in his stomach.

Because it's too perfect.

It's like the optimal result calculated by some advanced program, lacking the "smell of home" that food should have.

"I'm full, I'm going to register at school."

Bai Yu put down her cutlery, picked up her schoolbag, and walked out of the house.

Linjiang No.1 Middle School.

This school is located in the city center, has a long history, and is the best high school in the city.

Bai Yu walked along the tree-lined path, surrounded by students in school uniforms. Their faces beamed with youthful smiles as they discussed last night's ball game or the latest pop music.

This ordinary yet beautiful scene made Bai Yu feel a strange sense of isolation.

Just then, a black SUV pulled up in front of the school.

Mo Fei jumped out of the driver's seat, complaining loudly, "Lan Ce, can you please stop playing with your crappy tablet in the car? I almost crashed into a telephone pole!"

Young Lan Ce pushed up his black-rimmed glasses and retorted without looking up, "If you can strictly follow the route I planned, the probability of a collision will be reduced to 0.03%. The reason you almost crashed was because you stared at the barbecue stall on the side of the road for three seconds."

"Hey! You little rascal..."

Mo Fei rolled up his sleeves, pretending to fight.

Bai Yu stood not far away, quietly watching this scene.

The corners of his mouth involuntarily turned up slightly.

Even after the world restarts, the way these two interact seems to remain unchanged.

Mo Fei looked up and saw Bai Yu. His eyes lit up, and he strode over, patting Bai Yu's shoulder familiarly.

"Hey, new classmate! Judging by your demeanor, you're here to register too, right? My name is Mo Fei, and this is Lan Ce. From now on, we're buddies!"

Bai Yu felt the force coming from her shoulder.

It's very big and very heavy.

But this force lacked the explosive power to tear apart the nightmare; it was just the level of an ordinary sports student.

"My name is Bai Yu."

Bai Yu responded softly, her gaze falling on Lan Ce.

Lance looked up, nodded politely to him, and then continued to operate the tablet.

"Bai Yu...that's a nice name." Mo Fei chuckled. "Let's go to the registrar's office to get our books."

The three walked side by side toward the teaching building.

Bai Yu observed everything along the way.

He noticed that although Mo Fei appeared very generous, every time they turned a corner, Mo Fei would subconsciously shift his body slightly to the side to give himself more visibility behind him.

As for Lance, his fingers slid across the tablet at a very fixed frequency, and every thirty seconds, he would look up and survey his surroundings.

These actions are all ingrained fighting instincts.

Even if the memory is erased, the body still remembers how to survive in this dangerous world.

But is this world really dangerous?

The sun was shining brightly, a gentle breeze was blowing, and everything seemed so harmonious.

"Mo Fei, have you practiced martial arts before?" Bai Yu asked tentatively.

"Martial arts? Haha, no way." Mo Fei scratched his head. "I'm just a bit strong. My dad used to drive a truck, and I often helped him move goods. That's how I developed it."

Lan Ce added casually from the side, "Mo Fei's muscle density is indeed higher than that of ordinary people, but this is more due to genetic mutation than systematic training."

Bai Yu did not ask any further questions.

He noticed that photos of outstanding graduates from previous years were hanging on the walls of the teaching building's corridors.

In one of the photos, he saw a familiar figure.

Anmu.

Anmu in the photo is much younger than he is now, wearing a school uniform, holding a certificate of merit, and his eyes are as sharp as an unsheathed sword.

The label below reads: An Mu, a 2005 graduate.

"Anmu... Senior?" Bai Yu murmured softly.

"Oh, you mean Senior An?" Mo Fei leaned closer, his tone tinged with admiration. "He's a legend at our school. I heard he's coming back next year to be the head of the sports department. He's a national Sanda champion!"

Bai Yu's heart skipped a beat.

Anmu is here too.

Not only here, but his identity is also completely integrated into the logic of this world.

Everything seemed so reasonable, so reasonable that it was despairing.

The registration process went very smoothly.

Bai Yu, Mo Fei, and Lan Ce were assigned to the same class, Class 1 of Senior Three.

The homeroom teacher was a middle-aged woman surnamed Chen. She spoke harshly but had a kind heart.

Bai Yu sat by the window, looking out at the playground.

On the playground, a group of students are playing football.

One of the students tripped and fell while sprinting with the ball, hitting his knee on the hard concrete.

Blood oozed out.

The student screamed in pain, and the surrounding teachers immediately rushed over to provide basic first aid.

Bai Yu stared intently at the pool of blood.

Bright red, viscous, and with a faint fishy smell.

It's real blood.

He initially suspected that this world was some kind of mental illusion, but if even the pain and physiological reactions were so real, then what was the difference between it and reality?
"Yu'er, stop looking."

A voice suddenly rang in Bai Yu's ear.

Bai Yu suddenly turned his head.

The classrooms were empty; all the students were on the playground attending the opening ceremony.

That voice belonged to Hei Yan.

"Heiyan? Where are you?" Baiyu asked anxiously in her mind.

“I am in your shadow, and in your breath.”

Hei Yan's voice sounded somewhat weak, but his sarcastic elegance remained unchanged.

"This reshaping... is truly a grand undertaking. That madman Bai Jianguo actually used the 'original rules' to turn the entire Linjiang City into a giant 'container'."

"Container?" Bai Yu frowned. "What do you mean?"

"It means that every person, every tree, and every brick you see now is reconstructed from the origin of nightmares."

Hei Yan sneered, "They look like living, breathing people, but in reality, they're just repeating some kind of 'perfect' logic. Once the logic breaks down, the whole world will start to collapse."

"What about Mo Fei and the others? Were they also reconstructed?"

“They… are real souls, forcibly stuffed into these false bodies.”

Hei Yan's voice turned serious. "Bai Yu, don't be fooled by the peace before your eyes. The reason your father did this is because he discovered that the 'original dream' can no longer be sealed. He can only use this method to 'dilute' the nightmare into ordinary life, trying to delay the end."

"But he failed."

Bai Yu was shocked: "It failed?"

“Look at that clock.”

Bai Yu looked at the wall clock again.

The rebound amplitude of the second hand has increased.

What was originally barely perceptible has now become clearly perceptible, with a stiff, mechanical feel.

"A crack has already formed."

Hei Yan said in a low voice, "When people begin to realize that this 'perfection' is abnormal, the nightmare will return. And this time, there will be no turning back."

Just then, the classroom door was pushed open.

Mo Fei ran in, covered in sweat, and took a big gulp of water from the kettle.

"Phew—I'm exhausted. Lao Bai, why aren't you at the ceremony? Teacher Chen was just looking for you."

Bai Yu looked at Mo Fei with a complicated expression.

"Mo Fei, what do you think of... this world?"

Mo Fei paused for a moment, wiped the water from his mouth, and chuckled, "It's pretty good. I have books to read, food to eat, and you guys to keep me company. Although the academic pressure is a bit high, it's much easier than when I was hauling goods. What's wrong, are you in a bad mood?"

Bai Yu shook her head.

"It's okay, let's go to the playground."

As Bai Yu walked out of the classroom, he paused for a moment as he passed the mirror in the corridor.

He looked just as perfect in the mirror.

But he noticed a small, spiderweb-like crack on one corner of the mirror's edge.

That's not a broken mirror.

Instead, a slight peeling appeared in the background of the space.

After school in the afternoon.

Bai Yu declined Mo Fei's invitation to go out for barbecue and returned home alone.

He pushed open the door and found the house very quiet.

The mother was preparing dinner in the kitchen, while the father was writing something in the study.

Everything was exactly the same as when I left home this morning.

Bai Yu walked to the study door and gently knocked.

"Come in," came Bai Jianguo's voice.

Bai Yu pushed open the door and entered, seeing her father sitting in front of an old typewriter, his fingers flying across the keyboard.

"Dad, what are you writing?"

“Oh, some memoirs,” Bai Jianguo said without looking up. “As I get older, I always want to write down things from the past so I don’t forget them.” Bai Yu walked to the table, her gaze falling on the printed pages.

The paper was covered with dense writing:

[Logic loop closed, sample A-07 is operating normally.]
[Emotional feedback is stable; no signs of self-awakening have been observed.]
[Observer 'Zero' has left; the experiment has entered its third phase.]
Bai Yu's breath caught in his throat for a moment.

This is not a memoir at all.

This is the experiment record!

He suddenly raised his head and looked at his father.

Bai Jianguo continued typing mechanically, his movements stiff and his pace as fixed as a machine.

"Dad?" Bai Yu tentatively reached out and touched Bai Jianguo's shoulder.

Bai Jianguo's body trembled slightly.

His neck was turned at an extremely unnatural angle, his face still bearing a gentle smile, but his eyes were lifeless.

"Xiaoyu, breakfast is getting cold."

Bai Jianguo said with a smile.

A chill ran down Bai Yu's spine.

It's 6 PM now!
Why did he say the breakfast was getting cold?
"Dad, look out the window, it's already evening." Bai Yu suppressed her fear and pointed out the window.

Bai Jianguo turned to look out the window.

The sunset outside the window was fiery red, like blood.

"Yes, the sunset is beautiful. Xiaoyu, breakfast is getting cold."

Bai Jianguo repeated the sentence, his fingers continuing to dance wildly on the typewriter.

Click, click, click…

The sound grew faster and louder, eventually turning into a sharp chirping sound, similar to the flapping of wings of some kind of insect.

Bai Yu suddenly took a step back.

He saw something wriggling beneath Bai Jianguo's skin.

Those weren't blood vessels, but rather tiny, black threads.

These threads are constantly repairing Bai Jianguo's body, maintaining his "gentle" appearance.

"mom!"

Bai Yu shouted and rushed into the kitchen.

In the kitchen, his mother was facing away from him, holding a kitchen knife and rhythmically chopping carrots.

"Mom, come quick! Something's happened to Dad!"

The mother didn't turn around; her voice remained gentle: "Xiaoyu, breakfast is getting cold. Sit down and eat; Mom made your favorite fried eggs."

Bai Yu rushed over and grabbed her mother's shoulder.

The mother turned around.

She wore a perfect smile, but her eyes had turned into two constantly spinning red vortexes.

The cleaver in her hand was precisely cutting her own finger.

A severed finger fell onto the cutting board, but no blood flowed out; only black threads danced wildly at the cut.

"Xiaoyu, breakfast is getting cold."

The mother picked up the severed finger, put it in a plate, and handed it to Bai Yu.

"Eat up, this is your mother's love."

"vomit--"

Bai Yu could no longer hold back and bent over to vomit violently.

What he vomited was not food, but pools of thick, sweet-smelling red liquid.

"Wake up, Baiyu."

The voice of the black words exploded in his mind, "This is the 'gift' your father gave you. A cage woven from nightmares, forever trapped in a cycle of a certain day!"

"If you don't break it, you will be trapped in this day forever until your soul is completely drained by these black silks!"

Bai Yu suddenly stood up, and his right eye once again burst forth with dazzling silver light.

"Rule Explanation: This location is fake!"

"Judgment: Erasure!"

boom--

A powerful force of rules erupted from Bai Yu at its center.

The surrounding walls, furniture, and even the "mother" all turned to ashes in an instant.

Bai Yu stood amidst the ruins, panting heavily.

He found himself still standing in that cozy little bedroom.

The second hand of the wall clock on the bed was still ticking away.

one two Three……

The rebound amplitude has increased slightly.

"Xiaoyu, breakfast is getting cold."

Outside the door, her mother's voice came again.

Bai Yu clenched her fist.

He finally understood.

This is an endless loop.

Every time he tries to break the rules, the world automatically resets to the morning of that day.

He had to find that "anchor point," the core logic that supported the entire cycle.

Bai Yu walked out of the room.

Inside the restaurant, Bai Jianguo was still reading the newspaper.

"Dad, Changsheng Sanatorium...wasn't it abandoned a long time ago?" Bai Yu repeated the question from this morning.

"Yes, it's been wasted for over thirty years..."

Bai Jianguo said the exact same thing.

Bai Yu didn't listen anymore and walked straight out of the house.

He arrived at the school.

Mo Fei and Lan Ce were still arguing at the school gate.

“Mo Fei, if you can strictly follow the route I plan…”

Bai Yu walked over and interrupted Lan Ce.

"Lan Ce, do you have any data about the 'Longevity Sanatorium' on your tablet?"

Lan Ce stopped and looked at Bai Yu with a puzzled expression.

"The Longevity Sanatorium? That's a municipal project; my database only contains publicly available infrastructure data. What, have you noticed something amiss?"

A barely perceptible hint of wariness flashed in Lan Ce's eyes.

That's an instinct as a team member.

Even though he is just a student now, he is very sensitive to the words "something is not right".

"Mo Fei, Lan Ce, listen to me."

Bai Yu lowered his voice, his expression serious, "There's something wrong with this world. Your current memories are fake; we're trapped in a loop."

Mo Fei was stunned for a moment, then burst into laughter and patted Bai Yu on the shoulder.

"Old Bai, did you watch too many sci-fi movies last night? What loop? I just ate my mom's soup dumplings this morning, they smelled so good... wait, no, that's not right."

Mo Fei's smile suddenly froze.

He frowned, looking thoughtful.

"My mom...didn't my mom pass away three years ago? Then who made the steamed buns I ate this morning?"

Bai Yu was overjoyed.

Logical flaw!

By guiding them to discover the contradictions in their memories, we can awaken their subconscious!
"Lan Ce, what about you?" Bai Yu turned to look at Lan Ce. "Do you have any records about your parents on your tablet?"

Lan Ce's fingers flew across the screen, his face growing paler and paler.

“Strange… In my cloud photo album, there are only landscapes and code. There isn’t a single group photo.”

“None of the numbers in my call log have any notes. But I can dial every single one of them with ease.”

Lance looked up, his eyes behind his glasses filled with terror.

"Bai Yu, you're right. The underlying logic of this world... is broken."

Just then, the school's loudspeaker came on.

"All teachers and students, please assemble immediately on the playground to attend the opening ceremony. All teachers and students, please assemble immediately on the playground..."

The broadcast sounded very mechanical, repeating itself at an astonishingly high frequency.

The surrounding students began to turn around in unison, like puppets, and walk towards the playground.

Their movements were so coordinated it was frightening.

"Don't go to the playground!"

Bai Yu pulled Mo Fei and Lan Ce back, saying, "That's where logic converges. Once you go there, you'll be completely assimilated!"

"But Lao Bai, my legs... I can't control them!"

Mo Fei gritted his teeth, his body moving step by step towards the playground against his will.

Lan Ce was the same; his fingers gripped the tablet tightly, his knuckles turning white from the force.

"Damn rules!"

Bai Yu roared and placed his hands on Mo Fei and Lan Ce's shoulders respectively.

"The Initial Rule: Soul Awakening!"

"You are members of Team One! Mo Fei! Lan Ce! An Mu is waiting for us!"

hum-

A silver halo rippled outwards from the three of them.

Mo Fei let out a painful roar, his eyes instantly turned bloodshot, his muscles swelled violently, and his school uniform burst open.

"I remember now... I remember now!"

Mo Fei, panting heavily, his eyes sharpening again, asked, "Old Bai, weren't we at the Black Tower? How did we end up here?"

Lan Ce regained his senses and quickly operated the tablet, the data stream on the screen turning into the familiar blue.

"Bai Yu, we're trapped in a high-dimensional tale of supernatural rules. This tale covers the entire Linjiang City!"

"Moreover, the core of the ghost stories is getting closer to us."

Bai Yu turned to look at the playground.

In the center of the playground, a figure in a black uniform slowly rose up.

Anmu.

No, that is the "Anmu" of this world.

He held a golden greatsword in his hand, his eyes cold and majestic.

"Violators will be removed."

An Mu's voice was deafening, shaking the entire campus.

"Captain?" Mo Fei exclaimed in surprise.

“He’s not the captain,” Bai Yu said coldly. “He’s just a guardian manifested by the rules.”

"Mo Fei, Lan Ce, prepare for battle."

"We need to break out of this campus and go to the Longevity Sanatorium."

"That's where it all ends."

Mo Fei flexed his wrists. Although he didn't have a battle axe in his hand, his indomitable spirit had returned.

"Fine! Who cares who he is? If he dares to block our way, we'll take him down!"

Lan Ce pushed up his glasses and traced an arc with his finger on the tablet.

"The vulnerability in the campus defense matrix has been identified. Mo Fei, 30 degrees to the left front, charge!"

The three of them stood back to back, facing the overwhelming red mist, and rushed towards the distorted playground.

And behind them.

The crack in the mirror widened once more.

(End of this chapter)