Free Web NovelChapter 184: Chapter 184: The Masked Strange Person Descends Again
The night sky, already dark, began to be covered by an even denser darkness.
It was like a scroll painted with a nightscape had suddenly been splashed with the thickest layer of ink.
The scene in Bai Wu’s eyes appeared as if a nuclear bomb named "Catastrophe" had exploded, and in an instant, the entire school was engulfed by a black substance.
The giant evil eye in his field of vision also vanished without a trace under the onslaught of calamity.
The only thing left in his memory was an absolute darkness.
"Has she also erupted with fusion disease?"
"If calamity has engulfed the entire campus... doesn’t that mean everyone will die? No, not necessarily death."
Bai Wu had no idea what the combination of the perfect-level Mutation Entry—Calamity of Misfortune—and the Talent Sequence Return Roulette of the Kiss of Satan would result in.
Even with Enhanced Vision, he couldn’t penetrate the thick black. Looking around, it seemed as if the entire world had suddenly fallen into chaos.
Now, even he couldn’t imagine what Baichuan Middle School would look like once this chaos dissipated.
He decided to start deducing some details.
"This power has already surpassed Jiang Yimi’s limits; it seems that fusion disease can lead to a rampage of some kind of power... If that’s the case, has the Masked Strange Person suddenly gained even greater Time-Space Power than usual?"
"Could it be that because of the power’s rampage within him... he has altered some kind of temporal rule?"
These bold conjectures and assumptions were unverifiable, and no one could provide Bai Wu with answers, not even the owner of these memories.
The only thing Bai Wu knew was that the mask had been flung into a corner of Baichuan City, later picked up by a member of the Investigation Corps who, unaware of its effects, threw it into Jing Chu’s weapon management department.
Later, he picked it up, and somehow, he inherited the will of the Masked Strange Person.
As for where the will of the First Generation Masked Strange Person had gone, that had become a mystery.
The memory ended there, and until the very end, everything in Bai Wu’s vision was still a chaos.
...
...
There was no further content behind the journal; this special diary recorded only one sentence—
"Unknown name, the hero with a mask, died from the principal, died from getting close to me."
Bai Wu couldn’t feel regret, but he felt somewhat disappointed, as if something had reached 90 percent completion but then, due to an accident, the progress was reset to zero.
"Died from getting close to me," these words alone were enough to indicate that the girl still considered herself ill-omened.
She believed the Masked Strange Person had died, killed by the principal, but that the causality lay with her.
The Masked Strange Person had led her out of the predicaments created by He Shuhong, Lin Yiping, and Jiang Huan. Given a bit more time, this girl, once cursed and blamed by the world, would have been able to find the vitality of her youth again.
Perhaps in some parallel universe, the Masked Strange Person, along with the Semi-Evil Fallen girl, roamed through various regions after The Era of the High Tower arrived, resolving the obsessions of Evil Fallen, saving others, or exterminating the wicked Evil Fallen.
Calamity was no longer her burden, but the weapon she used to uphold justice. Just as the Masked Strange Person said, the greater the pain suffered, the greater the happiness obtained. She was no longer the monster people feared, but a reliable teammate by the side of the Masked Strange Person.
But the sudden departure of the Masked Strange Person turned everything into naught, plunging Jiang Yimi into an even greater predicament.
Despite their brief acquaintance, many of the things the Masked Strange Person did were things no one had ever done for Jiang Yimi.
He gave her food, revealed the truth to her, and also helped her understand a world of true despair that was approaching, endowing her with some mission and something more sacred and noble.
Bai Wu put down the journal, originally planning to search for other written records to continue the investigation but suddenly stopped as a strange cold presence struck him.
He instantly understood what was going on and quickly explained from the heart:
"Don’t be nervous; I have no ill intentions."
He finally sensed Jiang Yimi’s presence, and although he did not feel fear, he subconsciously began to calculate whether she posed a threat.
This was a creature that could easily destroy the entire Baichuan campus.
The Jiang Yimi in his memories was very kind, but seven hundred years had passed, and no one knew what changes had occurred.
Especially since his eyes had warned him not to approach this place hastily before finding the right option.
"Who are you?" Jiang Yimi’s voice was devoid of any emotion.
Bai Wu slowly turned around, their gazes meeting.
Bai Wu’s face was handsome, and so was Jiang Yimi’s. Seven hundred years had passed, and though she had lost the greenness of her youth, her features were still the same as before.
Ever since Bai Wu was immersed in his memories, Jiang Yimi had felt a somewhat familiar aura.
[As a Semi-Evil Fallen, her basic combat system follows that of Evil Fallen rather than humans’ Innate Force, and her Sequence also stopped awakening after she became Semi-Evil Fallen. However, she is capable of using Sequence and might obtain more through other methods in the future. As for her experiences, you probably know them already, so I won’t elaborate.
Ninth-level Mutant, Mutation Entry: spiritual power*9, a rare Mutation Entry called Grudge Manifestation, Catastrophe Strike. A perfect level Mutation Entry: Calamity of Misfortune. Talent Sequence 666—Kiss of Satan, Talent Sequence 777—Wheel of Sorrows and Joys.
By the way, the reason why the Semi-Evil Fallen form is called the perfect form is that a Semi-Evil Fallen is not missing anything.]
The moment the note appeared, Bai Wu understood one thing—the girl before him was not someone he could defeat. He needed to be reasonable.
This Semi-Evil Fallen with the lifespan of Evil Fallen, in the body of a human girl, was no less than the top predators he had seen.
Perhaps only beings on the level of Hong Yin and Beauty Mark could suppress her.
As for the last line of the note, Bai Wu chose to selectively ignore such shameless information.
"You are not from this school," the emotionless voice continued.
The black matter that had not been attacking Bai Wu until now also transformed into the shape of a fierce beast at that moment.
In seven hundred years, Jiang Yimi’s control over misfortune had become exceptionally proficient.
Bai Wu was confident he had become non-spirit infused, and he thought that as long as he returned to the High Tower, he would be able to block these Sequence powers.
But the problem was, what if the Return Roulette suddenly malfunctioned? What if Return Roulette was possessed by a spirit? He dared not think further, afraid that pondering too much would invite disaster upon his own fortunes.
"I don’t know what Jiang Yimi’s attitude towards me is, but I can speak to people when I see people, and to ghosts when I see ghosts."
Bai Wu’s mind rapidly recombined various pieces of information. Soon he had a plan—a bold move was about to begin.
"I am sorry, I didn’t anticipate that the fusion illness would act up, taking me to a time-space seven hundred years in the future."
Bai Wu sounded very sincere.
Jiang Yimi had originally planned to ask Bai Wu about his identity and also intended to expel him from Baichuan Middle School.
This place did not need another inhabitant; humans should not come close to such an inauspicious place.
But Bai Wu’s words first baffled her, and then she seemed to recall something, the coldness in her eyes melted slightly, yet it was still tinged with a bit of suspicion and anger.
"What... what are you talking about?"
There was a chance.
Bai Wu’s line of thought was crystal clear—
If this was the strongest monster in the whole school, as long as he conquered Jiang Yimi, then even if he hadn’t unraveled all the mysteries, this exploration would still be considered an unassailable position.
His expression became serene, his tone and eyes filled with remorse.
"I never expected that upon my return here, everything would be unrecognizable. The school that used to be full of voices is now lifeless, and the faces brimming with vitality in the dormitory buildings are nowhere to be seen, only the penetrating gazes remain."
"At first, I was puzzled by the appearance of so many strange incidents in the school, in the gymnasium, on the athletic fields, in the teaching buildings, in the east campus, in the dormitories... there were many ghost stories that had never been there before. But after looking at these memories, I realized that day... there were some uncontrollable events."
"So this is how a self-fulfilling prophecy comes to be, and I am truly sorry. I had noticed that you might also be suffering from the same illness, but I kept focusing on the doctor. I should have cared more about you."
If the first sentence could be seen as some kind of coincidence, then the sentences that followed made it very obvious. Jiang Yimi’s expression turned angry:
"You, shut up! Don’t you dare impersonate him!"
Bai Wu noticed that when this girl was nervous, she would stutter. It was the same in his memories.
It was a critical period, and he did not rush to take out the mask to prove his identity, but continued:
"I just came from Ninth Psychiatric Hospital, from the files there I learned a few things. The doctors have left Baichuan City, and the entire hospital has lost control. Nearly no living creatures are left in the several buildings—the place underwent a major purge seven hundred years ago."
"Do you still remember the eleventh floor we visited together? Although for me, everything was but a blur, I am not sure if you still remember, after all, seven hundred years have passed."
Bai Wu looked at Jiang Yimi, who said nothing. Her face still angry, her reason told her this man was lying, but subconsciously, a part of her still held some expectations.
Bai Wu, like the consummate actor he was, could see right through it.
Initially, Bai Wu had been uncertain whether Jiang Yimi’s nature had greatly changed over seven hundred years, but now, recalling those shadow-like souls in the mirror, he knew they were still there.
Those who had once been saved by her and the Masked Strange Person were still being protected by her.
Plus, seeing the groundless fury in the Jiang Yimi before him, he was certain that deep down, the girl hadn’t changed.
"On the eleventh floor of Ninth Psychiatric Hospital, there’s a little girl just like you. You can rest assured, Jiang Huan, He Shuhong, and Lin Yiping, in the end, they all went to heaven. That girl suffered the pain that was originally meant for them. At least when your mentor and friends left this world, they didn’t carry too much hatred and pain with them."
"Later, I went in search of my mask. I wasn’t quite sure if after seven hundred years you’d still be here. Time really passed too long, the fusion disease broke out, my time-space power went berserk, and I didn’t expect to suddenly cross such a distant period."
Without retreating, Bai Wu took a step forward, now very close to Jiang Yimi.
He was as at ease as if he truly were the Masked Strange Person, facing that guilt-ridden girl from years past. ƒreewebηoveℓ.com
"Who would have thought it’s already been seven hundred years. I know these seven hundred years must have been very difficult for you, but it’s truly wonderful to see you again."
At that moment, Bai Wu finally took out the mask and put it on.
The instant she saw the familiar smiling face on the mask, the hostility that had been visible in Jiang Yimi’s face crumbled.
Her eyes widened in shock.
Clearly, Bai Wu did not possess the "Equality of All Beings," yet the black substance surrounding her receded considerably at that moment.
Over the course of seven hundred years, Jiang Yimi had in fact been living in guilt and self-reproach, all the while practicing to control this power, even though it had long since lost its meaning.
The school had turned into a real Ghost School, and the city had become a Dead City.
She could have left this place, where everything had become cyclical. For seven hundred years, whether it was the souls in the mirror or the Evil Fallen outside, all beings lived a life of unchanging routine.
Even if she left, nothing would change, but she never did leave.
When the little Black Cat saw the mask, it approached Bai Wu’s shoes, rubbing against them with its cheeks, Bai Wu really worried that the black flames would ruin his assassin master shoes.
"You, you are not him, you can’t possibly be him, why, why would you pretend to be him..."
All of this was too abrupt, Jiang Yimi did not truly believe in Bai Wu. Seven hundred years had passed; countless times she had daydreamed that the hero would return.
But he never did, and the school was unrecognizable.
Under the massive influence of the Power of Calamity, everyone had turned into Evil Fallen.
The entire campus, too, due to its absorbed fortune, formed a special rebounding rule—the Self-fulfilling Prophecy.
All the ominous words spoken would come true, all the bad things said would happen.
The Evil Fallen here, whether former teachers or students, all lived in fear of Jiang Yimi, as well as in the horror they created for themselves.
After becoming Evil Fallen, they cursed the future numerous times.
All those curses, due to the Power of Calamity, began to come true one by one, resulting in many strange rules throughout the whole school.
The more they despised something, the more the school forced them to confront it.
After being distorted by the Power of Calamity, although the Pre-Tower Era had not yet ended, Baichuan Middle School already exhibited severe mutations typical of The Era of the High Tower.
Everyone was desperate to stay away from that school, and the bonds within the entire school were devoured by the catastrophe that swept over everything.
The area was divided into many parts, and all the ghost stories that had once been discussed by students became reality.
Good students, bad students, the teachers, and other staff at the school all entered their own nightmarish cycles. The lives they once complained about became their eternal destiny.
Nothing could be undone, and Jiang Yimi knew she had caused irreversible damage to the school.
Looking at Bai Wu, real anger arose in her heart, and the Calamity that always followed her stirred once again:
"You are not him... If he was still alive, why hasn’t he come to find me in seven hundred years?! You are not him, you are just pretending to be him after seeing this memory! I saw with my own eyes... saw him die, he is dead!"
In the face of Jiang Yimi’s anger, Bai Wu was very calm inside.
He could probably imagine the despair that Jiang Yimi felt when all her hopes for the future were shattered after discovering the death of the Masked Strange Person.
Extreme pain triggered the fusion disease to act up, and the power of the disease was unimaginable, transforming everything at the school under the swallow of calamity, rendering it unrecognizable.
Her heart was filled with immense pain, yet no one came to her life like a hero ever again.
She could only live in eternal guilt and self-blame together with Black Cat.
Whether the principal was dead or alive might no longer be important.
Because there were no more living people in the school, including the principal and other disciples of Cain, who had all become inconsequential.
At least to Jiang Yimi, everything seemed so, she was the biggest sinner of the school, and there was no longer any way to save it.
After understanding her state of mind, Bai Wu’s tone became gentler:
"Do you remember what I told you, heroes never die. Our reunion has indeed been a long time coming, and I am not as strong as I used to be, and the world is no longer the same, but you haven’t changed."
"Jiang Yimi, perhaps you did something wrong, but think about it, at least you kept these people, you left them forever at the school. If you hadn’t stopped the principal at that time, maybe they would have continued to live as humans, but perhaps... their fate would have been even more tragic."
Pretending to be the Masked Strange Person, his first motive was to conquer Jiang Yimi, but now, Bai Wu also hoped to truly resolve Jiang Yimi’s problems.
Jiang Yimi might still not believe that the man before her was the Masked Strange Person, but the pain and struggle on her face showed that she had at least listened to Bai Wu’s words.
"Because of Time-Space Power, I have come to know many things that will inevitably happen in the future, do you think Baichuan Middle School is the most tragic? In a certain Deep Sea Casino, there are countless people who have no lifespan or memory, although they do not live as Evil Fallen, their lives are worse than those of Evil Fallen."
"On a huge cruise ship, many people went in search of a haven full of hope, but what awaited them were lies and betrayal. They all became Evil Fallen without exception, aren’t they more tragic than the people at school?"
"Perhaps all the teachers and students at these schools bear grudge against you, but it’s undeniable that at least they won’t experience greater despair. You have never left this school, you don’t know, when doomsday comes, there are countless more tragic things in this world."
"I’ve said before, we should take a macro view of the multitude of beings, turning into Evil Fallen is not a bad thing, Evil Fallen itself is not evil, what’s truly evil is always the human heart."
"I am not telling you what you did was right, but instead of continuing to blame yourself here, maybe we can consider how to get this world back on track."
Bai Wu’s words rang with conviction.
Tears began to fill Jiang Yimi’s eyes, she wanted to continue to argue with Bai Wu, but she couldn’t speak.
She so wanted to believe the Masked Strange Person was still alive, and the reason she didn’t leave was because she harbored such hope in her heart.
Bai Wu saw through her true feelings. He found some paper and a pen on the desk, and the skills he had learned from Yan Jiu finally came into play.
He picked up the paper and pen and, with surprising speed akin to Yan Jiu’s, completed a drawing in just over ten minutes.
Even though it was not colored, and the lines were somewhat rough, the instant Jiang Yimi saw the drawing, she could no longer hold back her tears.
On the paper, a man wearing a mask sat squatting on the sill of a low-rise building, one hand stroking the head of a small black cat, the other holding a bag of food labeled with the words "fresh feeling."
The person in the drawing appeared out of nowhere seven hundred years ago.
Seven hundred years later, life seemed to start anew, and he returned abruptly, without warning.
