Am I really hallucinating?

Chapter 396 Investigation into Mysterious Hallucinations
"Did you dig this pit deeper again?" Zhang Xue looked around.

She had been here before, but this place really didn't seem very interesting.

"We didn't dig deeper, but we extended the depth we had already dug to prevent any fish from escaping," Liu Qingcong replied.

"Did you find something?" Zhang Xue became slightly more serious.

"We've found the remnants. Even with the intervention of the core area, some remnants of the black tree branch that was described as having taken root here remain. The enemy's existence is far more terrifying than we anticipated. The earthquake's impact has already served as a wake-up call. If we don't raise our vigilance, even Dadu wouldn't have been able to suffer so much damage in such a short period of time," Liu Qingcong said solemnly.

She led Zhang Xue to a nearby research tent, where, surrounded by many scholars from the society who had come to investigate, Zhang Xue saw a huge transparent container.

"With such a highly active sample, it's no wonder that Jiangwen Street suddenly expanded to such a large area during the impact."

"It must be permanently sealed away. If the news gets out, some extremists will probably risk their lives to get it."

"Seal it? My suggestion is to destroy it on-site after the research here is completed!"

"This...you're going too far. If we don't stay and study it repeatedly, how will we deal with it when we encounter its source again in the future? This amount of research time is far too little."

"It only entered a dormant state after being placed in a high concentration of lighthouse energy. Have you forgotten how aggressive it was when it was first dug out?"

Scholars from different factions had many disagreements during their conversations. Zhang Xue only extracted the information she needed and ignored all the other squabbles. She hated the scholars in the association the most.

Led by Liu Qingcong, the arrival of the two caused the scholars who had been gathered together to disperse slightly and make way.

Upon reaching the transparent container, Zhang Xue saw the contents inside.

It was a small twig, no thicker or longer than a finger, entirely black, with a small fork at the three-seven split, and you could vaguely see that the surface was a little rough.

Or rather, extremely tiny tentacles.

A white light source shines on the transparent container from above, immersing it in this wondrous tranquility.

"This is what you dug up?"

“A portion of the remnants, branches from the Black World, may, according to analysis, align with the logical conjectures of the Black World,” Liu Qingcong replied.

"The logic of the dark world? That's always just speculation, hasn't it?" Zhang Xue asked, a question mark appearing on her forehead.

“It was just a guess before, but now we’ve found some possible evidence,” Liu Qingcong said. “However, we still can’t be sure. There have been black tree branches that have invaded before, but most of them didn’t have this awareness, and their activity was low or even zero. They were judged to have been passively brought into Dadu. But this one is different; it was actively dropped down.”

"If this thing was deliberately released, wouldn't that mean the dark world at its source is alive?" Zhang Xue couldn't help but feel a chill.

The overlap of world mainstreams has been largely regarded as a "natural phenomenon," but this view is now being challenged.

Instead, it aligns with the mystical claims of certain religious groups that the world is alive...

"I still find it hard to believe that this is shocking to the third degree," Zhang Xue said.

“We find it hard to believe too.” Liu Qingcong shrugged, turned around and led Zhang Xue away from the container to the computer next to her. “Instead of talking about those macroscopic horrors, let me tell you what I want to warn you about.”

As she spoke, she retrieved the corresponding information.

"Do you remember the lighthouse that collapsed in July?" The information displayed above is of the former Pure White Lighthouse and monastery, and the photos show a rather tragic scene of collapse.

"Hmm, it seems to be the work of a hallucination caused by someone called 'Blackwood'? And there must have been someone within your Pure White Society who colluded with it, since a bunch of scandals about that training department came out afterward." Zhang Xue nodded.

"According to the investigation, although the 'Blackwood' illusion was powerful, it did not have the ability to directly destroy the Lighthouse. If it were simply something insiders did, we could accept it, but for the power of the Black World to destroy the Lighthouse, the requirements would be extremely high, even requiring a single strike to sever it, as shown in the marks on the image. Our relevant investigation team estimates the target's strength to be at least 'military' level in terms of violence."

"Mmm." Zhang Xue listened carefully.

Liu Qingcong made another stroke, and the photo was given to a handsome young man, but it was a black and white photo.

"Chegodoa, the Lamplighter. In mid-August, in order to assist his elder brother, who held an important position in the Tide Army, he secretly left his post and went to a wandering world. He died mysteriously, and the coordinates of that wandering world were lost by the majority of the army. The other Tide Army soldiers who withdrew from that world only described that a native of that world had injured Chegodoa. Chegodoa decided to eliminate that world that he deemed dangerous, and the soldiers were ordered to withdraw."

Zhang Xue couldn't believe it: "An indigenous person injured the lamplighter?!"

It's not impossible, but the probability is still too small. It would have to be the embodiment of world logic, right? And it would have to be a highly complete embodiment of world logic to stand on equal footing with the independent, all-powerful lamplighter.

Liu Qingcong shook her head: "The soldiers said he was just an ordinary native, but that native did some very outrageous things in that world. According to their original investigation, his original resume was quite ordinary, but one day a drastic change occurred."

"Are you kidding me?"

"According to the description given by the last group of evacuating soldiers, the indigenous man underwent some kind of change during the standoff with Chegodoya, from struggling to hold on at the beginning to suddenly and easily blocking Chegodoya's offensive."

As the head of the neighborhood, Zhang Xue was all too familiar with this kind of description: "Hallucination?"

“Very likely,” Liu Qingcong said. “Although that wandering world itself was also invaded by the overlapping of the black world, it is too incredible that a person in a standard host possession form could resist the lamplighter’s mysterious illusions.”

“Indeed, it was even more terrifying than the nightmare I just had.” Zhang Xue said with lingering fear, “You said the world coordinates are gone, so are there no more clues?” The mysterious death of a lamplighter is more terrifying than a ghost story. Pure White Lighthouse is going crazy.

"Indeed, many leads went cold, but the investigation fell to me at the time. I took my students to check it out, and we discovered that the very disappearance of the coordinates was a clue." "Hmm?"

“There are traces of ritual.”

"ceremony……"

"Although rituals don't have a clear format or fixed number, and it's hard to explain this kind of fragmented, unfinished super-inspiration, I asked Niu Qianliu."

"You're still in contact with him?"

"He just retired, he's not dead."

"Okay, okay, he has an explanation?"

“He said he couldn’t be completely sure, but the method of this ritual was quite similar to that of Dadu. The wandering world itself had no records of related rituals, so this ritual must be an external one,” Liu Qingcong said.

“Strong evidence of external hallucinations,” Zhang Xue nodded, followed by a chilling expression.

Between July and August of this year, a series of events occurred that had a significant impact on Dadu: the lighthouse collapsed, the lighthouse keeper died, and finally, an earthquake struck.

All three things confirmed the existence of a powerful, mysterious, and super-illusory figure.

While there is no evidence to suggest that all three are hallucinations, to the most extreme and terrifying assumption, it is a terrifying hallucination that allows one to move freely between worlds and is likely based in Dadu.

If it weren't for the three major events that occurred in quick succession that drew the attention of the capital, the capital would hardly have realized the existence of such a thing, given the opponent's ability to come and go freely!

This thing might even have brushed past me! Because it appeared on Jiangwen Street during the earthquake!
Zhang Xue stared blankly and said, "Terrifyingly high power of infinity."

She snapped back to reality: "Then what should we do? What measures should we take?"

Liu Qingcong said, "The investigation in Jiangwen Street is already underway. We try our best not to let any news about it get out, as that would only make the current fragile order more chaotic. Moreover, this kind of terrifying existence will also stimulate some people's worship mentality and catalyze those troublesome religions."

Zhang Xue nodded in agreement.

"After the Bureau's annual general meeting, there will be a confidential meeting to inform the chiefs of each district about this matter."

"Huh? Then why are you telling me now?" Zhang Xue looked around, wondering if this was a bit too hasty.

"Now that you know about this, you won't have to resign anytime soon. You're welcome." If she weren't wearing protective clothing, Zhang Xue felt that Liu Qingcong would have already picked up her e-cigarette and started smoking.

"Damn it..." Zhang Xue almost cursed out loud, but she held it back. As a member of the investigation team, his status here was much higher than hers, the lowly acting chief.

No, because of this conversation, she'll probably have to go back to being the official agent after the upcoming annual meeting...

Ha ha.

"In short, remember to keep a close eye out. There's a high chance that thing is still here. After all, the streets of Jiangwen are quite chaotic right now, making it a good place to take advantage of the situation. I'm telling you in advance so you can cooperate directly."

"Okay, okay, okay." Zhang Xue was on the verge of tears.

She thought her retirement was just around the corner, but now a huge conspiracy has been uncovered, and the mastermind behind it may be on her own turf. Not only can she not retire, but she also has to keep an eye on the other party and investigate.

Is this the retribution for her past laziness?! Oh, white world! I was wrong! Stop using your powers!

Knowing her old friend's temperament well, Liu Qingcong found it amusing and stopped teasing her, explaining, "You don't need to be so afraid. Because you are not the main force, the core area has specially sent people to investigate this matter, and we are just assisting."

"Huh? People from the core area have arrived?" Zhang Xue asked in surprise.

“She has actually been in Jiangwen Street for a long time, and has been here for the past two months. We were able to find this sample thanks to her help.”

"Why don't I see anyone?" Zhang Xue looked around but didn't find anyone special.

“She’s been here the whole time.” Liu Qingcong glanced at the person next to her.

Zhang Xue's pupils suddenly dilated, a strange sense of unease washing over her as she turned to look back.

Her long, white, wavy hair swayed gently as if it were glowing, and her calm face appeared somewhat youthful. In contrast, she was tall, about the same height as Zhang Xue. She was wearing the uniform of the Bureau of Investigation, but the black parts of the original black and white uniform had been removed, leaving only a monotonous pale white.

The first impression is of a beautiful woman in white, but not stunning; she is rather plain and unremarkable, and one might easily forget her if you look away.

However, there is only one thing about her that is most noticeable besides her white skin.

Her eyes, with pupils like a thin mist swirling around a black pool, presented a strange gray-black hue.

"Hello, my name is Shang Xia."

(End of this chapter)