Am I really hallucinating?

Chapter 392 You Must Finish Writing

Nolan Street is a hub for singers from music production companies, though most of them choose to stay in the neighboring town of St. Wood.

Although the final performance had to be held on the grey streets, making many musicians nervous, it would feel like a huge loss to not participate. It had been a long time since there had been such a large-scale performance; it could be considered a top-tier event in the pop music scene. If it ended successfully, with all the big names chatting and laughing, it would be awkward for anyone to be absent.

Not to mention the significant meaning behind this performance. Participating was a response to the call and needs of the capital. The large-scale performance in the Grey Street demonstrated the participating musicians' care for the refugees in the Grey Street and their willingness to step forward despite the risks.

Not only does it greatly benefit an artist's image and reputation, but refusing to attend can easily lead to gossip within the top entertainment circle. People might say that so-and-so chickened out back then, and that one performance revealed the artist's true character.

The authorities have already said there's no problem, so what are they still hesitating about?

In the end, apart from a few who found a plausible excuse not to participate, the vast majority of well-known musicians still chose to participate.

The list of participants gradually became clear.

Meanwhile, rehearsals have also begun.

Some musicians, after arriving in St. Wood Town, also became curious about the emerging monastery band, which had started performing charity shows after the earthquake.

It turned out that the monastery band actually lived in the grey neighborhood.

It's truly admirable. In those videos circulating online, every member of the monastery band is a skilled fighter, so it seems there's no exaggeration or gimmick involved.

Living in a grey neighborhood during this time of year is quite impressive.

It's not just a matter of danger; after the publicity started, many fans also came to Nolan Street. Among them were quite a few die-hard fans, and it's perfectly reasonable for them to use supernatural powers to support their idol.

They are easily harassed, and might even be taken advantage of by truly dangerous individuals.

Therefore, even if a normal celebrity occasionally has activities in a gray area, they would definitely not choose to live in a gray area.

The fact that the monastery band dared to make this choice only shows their exceptional skill and daring.

We can only deal with them again during the official rehearsal.

While the charity performance was being prepared in full swing, the monastery orchestra, which was receiving the most attention, had just finished organizing the unfinished score left by Sister Jermaine.

"Mr. Music?" She got up in the recording studio looking for the person next to her, but the answer was a passionate guitar strumming, with the bald robot switching between an electric guitar and an acoustic guitar, completely showing off his skills.

Since it was his break time anyway, the others just watched him do it and considered it a relaxation.

After the guitar music stopped, Zheng Fan looked up and asked, "Huh? It's done?"

“Hmm.” Doris stepped forward and laid out the sheet music. “This piece uses a lot of instruments and has a very complex melody. It took longer than I expected. Jermelo’s sister is really amazing.”

It would be even more exaggerated to say that Xiao Yang was able to memorize such an amazing piece after hearing it only once.

Doris has also finished breaking down the scores for each instrument, and everyone nodded in approval after reviewing them.

Although it's only a minute and a half, even they might not be able to get used to it quickly.

"Let's give it a try anyway," Zheng Fan said.

With no objections, the band members took their positions and began experimenting on the spot.

Aside from a lack of familiarity, there weren't any major problems on the first try. After Doris gave me some guidance and corrections, we did it again.

This time the results were significantly better.

However, when the melody reached the last awkward ten seconds, both Mora and Tao Zhi frowned. Even after they had tried it themselves, they could still feel a subtle sense of disharmony.

As for why Gao Song didn't feel anything, it's because there was no drummer during those ten seconds.

After the performance, Doris gently closed her eyes, as if she had been transported to another world by the lingering melody in her ears.

It creates a sense of disharmony that disrupts the rhythm.

zizi——

As if something crawled past her, Doris opened her eyes and turned her head to see the painter named "Katerina" standing to the side, staring at her with a dangerous look, as if she were watching her prey.

Doris was not afraid and calmly met his gaze.

Soon, Katerina's appearance began to blur, and a huge fleshy worm emerged from behind her, with distinct limbs. Its head was a human face with furrowed brows and wide-open, angry eyes, filled with surging hatred.

Then, the flesh worm pounced on Doris.

Doris gently waved her hand, pulling herself out of the mood evoked by the music.

"How is it?" Zheng asked.

He could hear the dissonance, but this was more at the level of pitch perception, a sensitivity to the range and melody. However, Zheng Fan himself found it difficult to empathize with the emotions that others were trying to convey, so unless he focused intently on understanding what the music was trying to express, he would easily overlook it.

To put it bluntly, he was too lazy to try to understand. In contrast, Doris was much more attentive and focused in this regard, making it easier for her to grasp what others were trying to express. She could even directly construct a concrete image of it.

Doris's supernatural abilities have indeed grown because of her activities during this period, and the Seed of Light is not her only reliance.

"Hallucination." Doris was somewhat dazed, but quickly regained her senses and said to Zheng Fan.

Zheng Fan raised an eyebrow slightly, though of course, now that he was wearing the shell of the Eggshell Robot, no one could see his expression.

“That insect was a hallucination,” Doris explained in detail. “If we were to categorize it, it would be a humanoid hallucination.”

……

Jermelo stared blankly at the landmark at the intersection of Saintwood Town and Nolan Street.

Although he often passed by this place, this seemed to be the first time he had taken a close look. His sister had a special passion for these cultural and historical buildings. Before she became famous, one of her great pleasures was to go to the gray neighborhoods to observe the richer aspects of life compared to the white world.

However, this hobby had to be stopped for safety reasons after he became famous.

He took so much from his sister for his own dreams, and in the end, even her life...

“Mr. Jeremiah.” Doris’s voice brought him back to his senses.

Jermel turned his head and saw Doris, who was also basically disguised, approaching him: "Sorry, I was daydreaming."

Doris didn't hesitate and handed over the sheet music: "I've finished arranging the last piece for you, sister. It's a little later than I expected, I'm sorry."

"No, the original manuscript my sister left behind was lost in the earthquake. Without your help, I don't know how long it would have taken to write out the score." Having set aside his shallow and indiscriminate hostility, Jerome's melancholy became even stronger, and he was quite polite.

After saying that, he asked with hope in his eyes, "Um, may I ask about the murderer..."

"It's an illusion," Doris said without hiding anything.

“Hallucination…” Jermelo gritted his teeth softly.

This is not good news. If he were a human, he could still try to take advantage of the enemy's unpreparedness with his current simple and crude preparations.

According to his understanding, if one's physical strength is insufficient, even with a powerful fantasy factor, a so-called superpowered person can only perish under the firepower of guns before using their abilities.

This is the practical experience he gained during this period of time, acting as a chivalrous hero, making arrangements, and then ambushing and killing those who had ulterior motives.

But hallucinations are different; ordinary firearms are unlikely to cause effective damage, and even killing the host cannot guarantee the killing of the hallucination itself.

“Although I didn’t get the image of the other person directly from the music, I should be able to recognize it if it appeared in front of me. In the last ten seconds, your sister imprinted the image of the other person into the melody,” Doris said.

Unfortunately, the time was too short. To decipher this impression, either another highly inspired person in the same musical field would be needed, or a leading expert in the music field would have to carefully analyze those ten seconds to perhaps be able to decipher it.

Jemello was so consumed by revenge that he didn't even realize it was a message left by his sister. If he had listened to it more carefully, he should have been able to do it himself.

Mentioning this, Jeromelo felt incredibly guilty and disappointed.

“Remove the last ten seconds of impurities from this piece, and then Mr. Gemerlo, you can finish writing it,” Doris suddenly said.

Jermel looked up, his expression surprised: "Me? No, no, no! I can't do that, it's my sister's piece... If anyone should finish it, it should be someone like you..."

Doris shook her head: "This is a piece your sister left for the people who suffered in the earthquake, and it's also for you."

Jermellow lowered his head again, unable to meet Doris's eyes: "I'm not worthy..."

"You can't do revenge on your own anymore, so you're just going to give up like this, leaving nothing behind? Just let your sister's last song fade into silence forever? End with the earthquake?" Doris's voice rose unconsciously.

An oppressive feeling was unmistakably revealed, enveloping Jerome's heart.

Jeremiah stared in awe at Doris, who had taken a step closer to him. The girl's slender figure seemed like a giant he could only look up to.

“I’m letting you finish writing, this is not a negotiation.” Doris spoke slowly and deliberately, her eyes cold, the monster of the monastery baring its fangs: “What the dead left behind for the living should not be buried with the past because of the cowardice of the middleman.”

"You must finish writing this piece, add the lyrics, and then sing it in the upcoming performance."

After saying that, Doris left without giving Jeremiah a chance to speak.

However, after the "threat," the little lamb still showed a bit of its gentle side, softening its voice slightly and pausing its steps, saying, "We'll accompany you when the time comes."

Jeremiah stared blankly at Doris's departing figure, his eyes involuntarily reddening.

But the tears didn't fall; it wasn't the right time yet.

Write it down, and after you've finished writing and singing it, then go and cry your heart out.

(End of this chapter)