Weird Cards: I've Become a Ghost

It was evening.

The afterglow of the setting sun bathed the coastal city in a golden glow.

At this moment, on the edge of a high-rise building, two figures are standing together, watching the huge tornado that is gradually forming not far away.

One of the figures, dressed in a black suit, was none other than the magician John Jonathan, while the other figure was the tall, burly middle-aged man who had appeared in the villa with the magician earlier.

At this moment, the wind howled near the city square, and a tornado full of invisible blades was forming. The trees on the surrounding streets swayed wildly in the gale, and pedestrians were panicked and running around in all directions, as if the end of the world had come.

At this moment, the magician withdrew his gaze, slowly turned around, smiled slightly at the middle-aged man, and said in a deep and magnetic voice, "I didn't expect you would actually be willing to take that thing out."

"And what I didn't expect was that you actually found someone who could use that thing."

Upon hearing this, the middle-aged man looked at the magician coldly, his face bearing a subtle solemnity, his eyes flashing with a dangerous light like a hidden storm.

"No matter how valuable something is, if it is never used and just sits aside collecting dust, it will be worthless."

"Just like a good book, even if its contents can benefit people greatly after reading it, if it is left on the bookshelf and never picked up to read, it is just a useless decoration."

Upon hearing these words, the magician looked the other person up and down with a surprised expression, as if these words should not have come from the other person's mouth.

After all, in the magician's mind, this cultist codenamed "Scorpion" had always been a ruthless and cold-hearted guy, and didn't seem like someone who could spout such profound truths.

Noticing the magician's strange look, Scorpion continued coldly, "Everything is going according to plan. This storm is just the beginning. Whether it sweeps across the entire city or ends here, we will be the ultimate winners and witness the arrival of a new era."

Upon hearing this, the magician's expression immediately became solemn, and he nodded in agreement.

The storm they spoke of wasn't just the tornado in the distance; that tornado was merely one part of their plan. The real storm the Magician and Scorpion, these two cultists, intended to unleash was to plunge the entire coastal area into panic and chaos, and to completely destroy the city's order.

As he said this, Scorpion took a deep breath and then slowly turned around to look behind him.

Behind Scorpion and the Magician stood a group of people dressed in black robes and wearing masks.

These black-robed figures are the Scorpion, the Magician, and the unseen cultist—the "Undead"—whose representatives and followers are spread throughout the Alliance.

These followers, who gathered from all corners of the alliance, were strangers to each other, but their eyes all revealed the same unwavering determination, a willingness to dedicate everything to those they followed.

Moreover, they are all a group of people with firm beliefs. Unlike those who become spokespeople for the sake of the supernatural objects, they are all eager to make their mark through this coastal storm.

At this moment, these silent people exuded a chilling aura, like a sharp blade about to be drawn.

Scorpion stared at his followers, his gaze slowly sweeping over their eyes. Then, his voice was authoritative and powerful as he spoke: "A new era will dawn before our very eyes, and this coastal city will be the beginning of a new era. When this storm sweeps away all the illusions of prosperity, we will change this filthy and ugly world, abolish all the unreasonable old order, and build a new world."

The followers listened to the scorpion's declaration with great enthusiasm, their eyes gleaming with pride.

At this moment, everyone was convinced that they were the chosen ones, and that they were to end the old order and establish a completely new one.

At this moment, Scorpion took a step forward, his gaze becoming profound. Behind him, the tornado grew increasingly violent: "The tornado behind me will not only bring destruction, but also new opportunities. We must seize this opportunity to completely overturn the order of this city."

"And what you need to do next is to use your own strength to create your own tornado in various parts of this coastal city."

At this moment, with the tornado behind the scorpion as a backdrop, the group of followers, who seemed to have been brainwashed, were all filled with fervor. They vowed to use their power to destroy the city and reshape its destiny.

Then, at Scorpion's command, the followers left the rooftop. When they left the tall building, they all took off their black robes, put on their own clothes, and disguised themselves as ordinary people to blend into the crowd.

Before long, only Scorpion and Magician remained on the rooftop.

"Your speech was excellent, but you shouldn't have lied to them, or rather, you shouldn't have used something like 'belief' to manipulate them."

At this moment, the magician's voice slowly entered the scorpion's ears.

As a proper gentleman, his soul would not allow him to lie, but as a cultist, his qualifications would not allow him to break the lie in front of his followers.

After a moment of silence, Scorpion turned and gazed at the raging tornado in the distance, replying firmly, "I didn't lie to them. If this plan succeeds, a new era, a new dawn, will begin in this coastal city."

"But you and I both know very well that even if this plan succeeds, it may not necessarily get the result we want."

The magician's deep voice echoed in the air: "Otherwise, this mission wouldn't have fallen to you and the undead."

Although the magician was also involved in this plan, he wouldn't have been assigned this task if he hadn't taken it on voluntarily.

Upon hearing this, Scorpion clenched his fists tightly, his eyes flashing with determination: "No matter what the outcome, as long as I've done my best in the process, I can have a clear conscience."

"Even if they lose their lives because of this, they die with faith, they die for the cult."

Changing the world is not only the magician's goal, but also Scorpion's dream for many years. He, who once held a high position, was also suppressed by some powerful figures of the old order.

Now, reborn, he has the opportunity to rebuild the world and restore order. He will do what he should or must do with absolute faith and unwavering determination.

"What I care about has never been the rewards, but how to change the world."

Upon hearing this, the magician fell silent, seemingly agreeing with Scorpion's idea.

Then, the two people standing on the edge of the rooftop both looked in unison at the raging tornado.

This is just the beginning.

......

the other side.

Xiao He, who was on the edge of the storm, felt his mood plummet when he sensed the increasingly powerful tornado, which was a storm of blades containing countless invisible sharp blades.

Without a doubt, this was the biggest crisis he had encountered since joining the Night Division.

Moreover, the source of this crisis was some "pretentious and sarcastic" remarks he made on a whim.

If he could turn back time, he would never do that again, even if it killed him.

Of course, the problem now is that time cannot be turned back.

People must pay the price for their actions.

Regret is useless.

At the same time, the storm of blades that appeared under Li Ming's playing grew stronger and stronger, twisting the air like a giant abyss beast and devouring everything.

At this moment, the dust and gravel around Li Ming had been fiercely swept up by this storm of sharp blades, forming an invisible barrier that separated him from Xiao He.

At that very moment, Li Ming, who was at the center of the storm of blades, suddenly seemed to undergo a complete transformation.

His eyes became empty and unfocused, as if lost in endless darkness.

Even the music played on the guitar was permeated with a chilling loneliness, and the pieces were filled with emotions of failure and frustration.

Gradually, the melody he played seemed to undergo some kind of distortion, turning into a mournful roar.

No one knows that Li Ming is now gradually merging with a consciousness that is sleeping inside a guitar.

This consciousness is also a guitarist, a guitarist who failed just like Li Ming.

In a daze, Li Ming seemed to see a person in a dark room, under a dim light, whose face he could not see clearly.

The man was wearing a hat, dressed in tattered clothes, and covered in dust.

At this moment, this person seemed to have been forgotten by the world. He sat alone on a dilapidated wooden chair, holding a wooden guitar that was almost identical to the one in Li Ming's hand.

As if sensing Li Ming's gaze, the man slowly placed his fingers on the guitar strings and gently plucked them.

In an instant, bursts of music echoed in the dark room, breaking the surrounding silence.

The piece this person played was filled with loneliness and melancholy, as if every note was mocking his past efforts and sacrifices.

He was a failed guitarist; no one appreciated his music, and no one understood his feelings.

Thus, he could only gradually sink into a life of darkness.

In that kind of life, he gradually lost his initial passion and talent. His dreams were swallowed up by failure, darkness, loneliness, and contempt, leaving only a pale trace.

Loneliness and failure had made it impossible for him to continue pursuing music. His spirit gradually collapsed, and the sorrowful emotions expressed by the notes represented his inner pain, which then formed a desolate melody.

He once believed that music could help him transcend darkness and ignore loneliness, but in the end, all he encountered was despair and failure.

In the dark room, he continued to play, lost in the sorrowful melodies he had created, ultimately trapped in the cage of music.

After noticing Li Ming's gaze, the person slowly stopped playing and said in a hoarse voice, "I can feel that deep down you are just like I was in the past, filled with loneliness, helplessness, sorrow, and loss."

"You and I are both losers abandoned by success."

"But you shouldn't sink into darkness like me."

"Accept my power!"

"Although this comes from the power of a loser, but... maybe this way, you still have a chance to escape that dark world and no longer be imprisoned by the cage of music. Music is not as simple as it seems on the surface, nor as complicated as the depths of the soul."

"As for what music truly is, then strive to become a success!"

As soon as he finished speaking, the scene in front of Li Ming suddenly vanished, and he returned to reality.

He glanced down at the guitar in his hands, his eyes instantly turning cold and resolute.

Then, he gently plucked the guitar string, and the melody instantly became sharp. As his fingers slid, waves of sound were released, constantly merging with the storm of blades. The sound waves and the whirlwind intertwined, producing a piercing tearing sound.

However, after this series of actions, the storm of blades suddenly intensified at a visible speed, with countless invisible blades swirling within it, radiating a cold and sharp light.

Li Ming looked at Xiao He outside the storm of blades, his face cold and filled with murderous intent.

He was very grateful for what the other person said, which allowed him to completely unite his mind with the strange guitar in his hand.

So, in order to "thank" the other party, Li Ming decided to send them away from this "failed" world right now.

After taking a deep breath, Li Ming felt the power transmitted through the guitar and continued playing without hesitation. The new musical power merged with the storm of blades, forming an even more powerful offensive.

As soon as Li Ming had a thought, the storm of sharp blades spun rapidly and quickly approached Xiao He.

Seeing this, Xiao He could only raise the flesh-and-blood blade in his hand and stab at the storm of blades.

The next instant, the collision between the tangible and intangible blades produced a sharp tearing sound, followed by a series of ear-piercing friction sounds echoing across the square.

As the two strange forces clashed fiercely, Xiao He immediately felt the pressure increase. He gritted his teeth and tried his best to resist, but he was no match for the countless invisible blades within the storm of blades.

Invisible blades sliced ​​across his body, and blood splattered everywhere.

Faced with a tremendous life-or-death crisis, Xiao He decided to stop pretending and lay his cards on the table.

"Good grief, I only said a few words to you, is it really necessary to be like this? In that case, I won't hold back."

As soon as he finished speaking, Xiao He had a sudden thought.

A card shrouded in wisps of black energy immediately appeared before his eyes.

【...】

......