Chapter 943: Chapter 943: Fear Manifested in Reality
Han Fei’s recalled memories of despair did not fade away; they settled in Han Fei’s brain sea, resonating with the Black Box.
This was also the first time Han Fei clearly felt the presence of the Black Box, a special power that seeped from the gift granted to those in the deepest despair, one that only Han Fei could command.
“There will be no more Blood-colored Orphanage in this world.”
Heading towards the other end of the passage, Han Fei did not look back. At the same time, all the alarms sounded in the underground laboratories of the Eternal Life Building, red alert lights flashing, casting the underground levels into a bloody hue.
“What’s going on?” The workers at the Waste Processing Center and Assistant Tao were all bewildered. A moment ago, everything was fine. They thought it was just a formality, so how did the highest-level alert get triggered all of a sudden?!
“They have acted; it seems Gao Xing still wanted to open the passage on this day, only the plan moved up by a few hours.”
Gao Xing etched his most anticipated future into the Shrine World. This day was of utmost importance to him. The entire ceremony had been prepared for decades, which would not be easily abandoned.
The red alert lights kept flashing. Walking amidst them, there were moments of bewilderment, as if seeing the objects under the lights stained with blood.
“It seems you are all bleeding…” The workers at the Waste Processing Center were the first to show problems; he pointed at Han Fei: “Look at him—he’s covered in blood! And there’s a child laughing!”
Originally, Assistant Tao didn’t feel anything. But after hearing what the employee said, he also noticed Han Fei under the light, his clothes slowly being soaked with blood.
“Stay calm, don’t be deceived by illusion.” Han Fei turned to look at the two, and both Assistant Tao and the worker instinctively stepped back. They saw a face with festering orifices, continuously oozing blood.
“It seems like Gao Xing is using his ability. Can the ghosts from your world also be this terrifying in reality? We should be far away from it; even a Butterfly couldn’t manage such a large-scale attack.” Huang Ying didn’t even realize he was directly saying to Han Fei — the ghosts from your world.
“Unspeakable and Hatred are still very different.” Han Fei pinned the worker against the wall. He wanted to help the other regain clarity using the Healing Personality’s power, as he did in the Shrine Memory World, but after trying for a long time, there was no effect; instead, the worker was scared half to death.
“Strange.” Han Fei clearly felt that the Black Box bestowed him with something, yet he didn’t know how to use it.
“Don’t kill me! Don’t kill me!” The worker trembled all over, not even daring to look at Han Fei’s face. Now he understood what Han Fei’s previous words meant; if time could go back, he would have fled at full speed upon seeing Han Fei.
“Stay honest and follow me, you won’t outrun me even if you try.” Han Fei spoke plainly; this was the confidence of focusing on physical strength. ᴛʜɪs ᴄʜᴀᴘᴛᴇʀ ɪs ᴜᴘᴅᴀᴛᴇ ʙʏ novel_fіre.net
After observing the states of Assistant Tao and the workers, Han Fei could confirm that Gao Xing used an ability similar to “Ghost Creature” inside the Eternal Life Building.
Long ago, the first time he participated in a variety show, he encountered a situation where Hatred used its ability, causing several celebrity participants to experience severe illusions.
“Hatred can’t directly kill; it requires other means to make people commit suicide. The ability of Unspeakable is certainly more terrifying; it might be able to kill directly in reality, so extra caution is necessary.” Han Fei dragged Assistant Tao in front of himself, forcing the other to look into his eyes: “Don’t let anything external disturb you. Stay rational and hold onto your true self. If you are truly afraid, just silently recite my name in your heart and think of nothing else.”
“At least I won’t harm you.” Han Fei led the group to the elevator shaft, accelerating the exploration progress. Although he verbally shamed a player with low Luck Value, he wanted to save the innocent one implicated: “We should make it in time. If not, I’ll find him a decent grave, with plenty of Joss Paper.”
The elevator door on the ninth underground floor slowly opened, revealing two wax candles placed in the corner and an ugly clay sculpture in the center.
In front of the clay sculpture was a broken finger, a strand of black hair, a mask, and some blood-stained fragments of fingernails.
“Why are these things in the building’s elevator?”
The flames on the wax candle flickered out as Han Fei entered the elevator, and the red light shone on everyone’s faces.
“Maybe we should take the stairs instead.” The worker from the Waste Processing Center was shivering in fright. His world looked different from Han Fei’s, with companions’ faces covered in blood and the familiar passageway now ominously foreboding.
“Are you afraid of it?” Han Fei held the clay sculpture with both hands, noticing its face bore a slight resemblance to Gao Xing: “The last Unspeakable to leave the Blood-colored Orphanage in my memory was indeed Gao Xing. He considered Twin Flowers to be his most perfect artwork, and now fate has come full circle, back to the starting point.”
Using all his strength, Han Fei tore the clay sculpture apart, grinding it into fragments with his hands.
“Letting you see your mother once more before killing you is already my final mercy.”
After destroying the clay sculpture, a piercing scream echoed all around, falling on the powdered floor like a shattered face, menacing and terrifying.
The atmosphere within the building grew increasingly eerie, and none of it ceased because the clay sculpture was destroyed.
“Get in the elevator, prepare to head to Laboratory No. 4.” Han Fei dragged the worker into the elevator, and footsteps sounded behind them at this moment.
A worker also from the Waste Processing Center walked vaguely towards Han Fei, head lowered as if drunk.
“Little Li?” The worker next to Han Fei seemed to see a savior. He broke free from Han Fei’s hand and ran towards the employee called Little Li: “Are you okay?”
Little Li said nothing. When the worker reached him, Little Li’s shoulders twitched, and he suddenly lifted his lowered head.
Purple lips biting a piece of flesh torn from a bionic, Little Li’s face was drenched in tears as if unable to control his emotions: “Leader, I-I-I think I’ve killed someone! Help me, help me!”
Little Li’s emotions grew more intense. He pulled different fragments of a bionic’s body from his working clothes: “I’ve killed! I’ve killed so many people! They’re talking beside my ear! They’re coming for me!”
The worker was also startled by Little Li, staggering back several steps: “Little Li, snap out of it! They’re not real people!”
“Not real?” Little Li chewed in confusion, blood dribbling from his mouth and mixing with his tears: “You’re lying, they taste the same!”
Little Li’s pupils rolled rapidly as he reached for the worker: “What now? Now that you know, I’ve killed…”
The voice emitting from his throat became increasingly hoarse, with Little Li, mouth full of blood, glaring at the worker. He suddenly pulled out tools usually used to dispose of bionic corpses: “You can’t know I’ve killed someone, you absolutely can’t know!”
As Little Li screamed and rushed over, Han Fei arrived just in time and kicked Little Li’s arm until it broke.
“Is Gao Xing’s ability to provoke everyone’s latent murderous intent and criminal desires?” Han Fei found a rope to tie Little Li up to prevent further self-harm, then extracted the bionic remains from his mouth.
“Someone seems to be constantly talking in his head, continually brainwashing him.” Assistant Tao also came over.
“This is the mental pollution of the Unspeakable.” Han Fei stood and made his way back to the elevator, “We might encounter more similar researchers later, remember, no matter how good the relationship is, don’t easily trust anyone in this building.”
Huang Ying and Assistant Tao followed Han Fei; this time, without Han Fei needing to encourage, the worker chose the same as in the Shrine Memory World, quickly running to Han Fei’s side.
“Gao Xing dared to continue his plan even knowing the shrine was destroyed. What is his trump card? How much power can Unspeakable wield in reality?”
The numbers on the elevator display began to change. Han Fei clasped his hands together; he had also never encountered an Unspeakable in reality.
The screams within the building grew more frequent, but all the tragedy remained concealed underground in the Eternal Life Building, as the underground laboratories were completely cut off from the surface to protect the company’s core experimental secrets.
As these thoughts ran through his head, the normally operating elevator suddenly shook violently, and Han Fei heard someone knocking on the elevator doors.
The elevator finally stopped on the fifteenth underground floor, and the knocking grew more agitated!
“Prepare yourself; there might be something dirty outside.” Han Fei, barehanded, stood in the front. As the elevator doors slowly parted, a small clay sculpture appeared at the doorway.
“Was it the one knocking?” The worker covered his eyes, but Han Fei showed no fear, picking up the clay sculpture and smashing it with a fist.
After stepping out of the elevator, Han Fei suddenly noticed that the knocking hadn’t stopped; it continued to sound in his ear. He looked around, finding no door in sight.
“Can you still hear the knocking?” Han Fei asked in a low voice.
“The knocking stopped once you smashed the sculpture.” Huang Ying noticed the change in Han Fei’s expression: “Could it be that the sculpture is haunting you?”
Han Fei shook his head: “I’m not very sure either, this knocking seems like a hint; could the one knocking be the door between the Deep World and reality? Only those in utter despair, who are keys, can hear it?