49: Chapters 53, 54 Death Curse (Part 4)
49: Chapters 53, 54 Death Curse (Part 4)
Stack Soldier took the folder, thanked the security guard, and casually glanced at the dispatch date on the folder—it was exactly three days ago.
Just as he was about to drive away, the long-haired girl sitting in the back seat, Jingzhe Xiazi, who had barely spoken, suddenly rolled down the window and asked the security guard, “Hello, what time do you normally finish work?
If we were to arrive here two hours later, would you still hand this document over to us?”
These words seemed somewhat baffling and impolite in this setting, almost as if questioning the guard’s professional dedication.
A look of anger crossed the guard’s face as he said loudly, “What do you mean by that?
I still have an hour left before I finish work.
Even if I didn’t wait for you today, I would find an opportunity to deliver the package to you tomorrow.”
As the guard’s complaints faded away, the car started and moved forward.
Little Red Riding Hood was completely confused, not understanding what had happened, while Li Cheng narrowed his eyes slightly, realizing the intent behind Jingzhe Xiazi’s words.
The mission had given them a two-hour time limit, and according to the original setting where the vehicle fell into the river, it would also make sense for them to walk to the television station within this timeframe.
It was Stack Soldier using his special Skill to digitalize the car, pulling it back to shore, which allowed them to arrive at the television station ahead of time, to obtain the CD and start the next phase of the mission.
If they had walked, and the security guard was off duty by the time they arrived, with no one to hand over the CD, would the system still issue the same mission?
Or perhaps, being able to see the contents of the CD a day early was a reward the system granted them for arriving at the station ahead of time?
Thinking this way made things interesting—the killing field was hinting to them that the key to this mission was to grasp the essence of time.
Li Cheng looked through the rear-view mirror at the back seat.
Jingzhe Xiazi had barely spoken since entering the mission, only speaking up when the car was about to leave, when time was running out.
This proved that she had intentionally been hiding her analytical capabilities…
The car drove into the parking lot, and everyone got out and headed to the third floor of the television station.
Japan’s administrative divisions are split into prefectures, districts, and cities, with cities being smaller than prefectures.
Thanks to Shuijing City’s developed economy, the city’s television station, despite its modest size, was fully equipped.
As evening approached, many colleagues stood chatting in the hallway.
“How annoying, it’s thundering outside again, and I haven’t brought the clothes in from the yard.”
“Well, it is the rainy season after all.”
“Even so, there have been too many rainy days this month, and I heard there’s going to be a downpour tomorrow…”
“Hey, do you two want to go for a drink after work?”
The four players didn’t want any unnecessary complications, so they didn’t stop to chat with the colleagues and directly turned into an empty staff lounge, locked the door, took the CD out of the folder, and inserted it into the projector. Discover more novels at novᴇlfire.net
As the CD started spinning, the old-fashioned CRT television screen lit up with a greenish glow, and after a delay, a normal image appeared.
On the screen was a man in his thirties, looking weary, with a hat made of crumpled aluminum foil on his head and a white shirt covered with a similar foil jacket—quite a bizarre outfit.
It was none other than the folklorist, Ishikawa Kenichi.
“I am Ishikawa Kenichi.
By the time you see this CD, I may already be dead.”
He sat in a study; through the open window of the study, the tall buildings outside were visible.
Stack Soldier immediately pressed the frame of his glasses, took a photo of the high-rise buildings in the scene, and compared it with online information, concluding that the video shooting location was Ishikawa Kenichi’s residence.
“I am a folklorist, and after years of research and investigation, I have concluded that this world possesses neither gods nor demons.
So-called Onmyoji, Priests, and Exorcists do not have Supernatural Powers.
However, there is one thing that does indeed exist.
That is the [Death Curse].”
“The so-called Death Curse refers to the strong resentment and anger remaining in the hearts of those who died with grievances.
Under extremely special conditions, this malice erodes a hole into the real world.”
As if to explain it better, he took up paper and pencil, and poked a hole through the paper.
Then, holding the paper in front of his face, he stared intently through the hole at the camera.
“A Death Curse is not a ghost that arises after someone’s death; it is like a toxin, without self-awareness, intelligence, or concept of hatred.
It instinctively attacks any that come near, spreading malice centered around the dead person and continuously spreading its ill will.
Many historically famous massacre cases, large-scale disappearances, and series of serial murders have all been due to the force of the Death Curse.”
“Every Death Curse has a connection point, which can be a residential house, an object, or a pet owned by the deceased person before their death.
With a connection point, it can obtain strength from a place beyond the real world, allowing it to exist in reality.
And when it loses its connection point, the Death Curse weakens until it dissipates.
He smoothed out the crumpled edges of the paper that surrounded the hole, covering it up.
“Besides the connection point, the Death Curse has two more elements—a Medium and an Amplifier.
Anything tainted by the Death Curse, as well as any person killed by it, becomes a new Medium.
As for the Amplifier, it’s something that can magnify the power of the Death Curse zzzzz…”
Suddenly the image began to stutter and the screen became distorted.
It took over ten seconds to return to normal.
It seemed as if a portion of content was skipped, as Ishikawa Kenichi did not continue to talk about the Amplifier, but instead took out some newspapers and showed them in front of the camera, “On May 1st, a couple nearly sixty years old, Suzuki, residing in the Fourth house of Third District in Shuijing City, were both found drowned in their kitchen sink and bathtub, respectively.