Who left their last words here?

Chapter 92 Crystal Ball Broadcast; People Grow by Gritting Their Teeth (5.6k)

Bai Zhou suddenly awoke.

The figure of Ya was still before them; the two of them hid in a secluded corner of the campus, their backs to the starlight.

All was quiet except for the hysterical chirping of cicadas.

The crystal ball, still emanating a chilling aura, lay there, the swirling gray mist within gradually coalescing, revealing several solid characters that danced and swirled in the mist.

This is……

The intricate script might be a script used specifically for divination, something Bai Zhou hadn't studied.

At that opportune moment, a crow spoke up, its deep voice serious, its chanting tone revealing the guidance of destiny:
Heart of the Mountains! Upside-down Woman!

The demon that hastily bites off the umbilical cord is about to descend, is about to descend!
Praying to God goes unanswered, for the answer is not in heaven!

The sun strangled the demon with its umbilical cord; the mountain people's home is nestled among the mountains!

Despite the solemn tone of the chant, Bai Zhou felt a chilling shiver run down his spine over the content.

Bai Zhou couldn't help but think of what he had just "seen"—the writhing "mountains" and the mysterious woman hanging upside down—all of which made him feel his sanity rapidly declining.

A tremor and confusion silently spread throughout Bai Zhou's body, making his thinking increasingly rigid. When Bai Zhou sensed something was wrong, he instinctively activated the word "抚" (fǔ, meaning to soothe or caress).

"Buzz!"

As a ripple-like wave swept over Bai Zhou's entire body, he finally let out a long breath, feeling as relieved as if he had escaped from a quagmire.

"The process of divination is not always smooth, because when you peek into fate, you may see things you shouldn't see, and divination will allow you to see things that are closer to the essence than reality."

"—However, the essence of some things is that just by 'seeing' them, one can be 'affected'."

As he spoke, Crow picked up a few drops of night dew from the bushes beside him, moved over to White Boat's side, and lightly touched his fingertips with the dew, making a simple "SCE".

That is, “purification”, “sanctification”, and “blessing”.

A cool, familiar sensation washed over his entire body, but then Bai Zhou heard a cracking sound.

Startled for a moment, Bai Zhou immediately turned to look at the crystal ball on the ground.

There were no cracks on the crystal ball, but the gray mist flowing inside seemed to have lessened...

Raven's expression turned extremely solemn: "The crystal ball has permanently lost a part of its spirituality, which is quite rare."

"Bai Zhou, what exactly did you see?"

“Just as the prophecy began…” After a moment of silence, Bai Zhou’s voice was a little hoarse: “I saw mountains of flesh and blood, women hanging upside down, and a major!”

Simply changing the description of what he "saw," Crow's face became almost ashen:
"It seems that this Major Luo is not only making money, but also plotting something extremely forbidden in the Reflection Ruins."

"—This is undoubtedly a demon summoning! The number one taboo, strictly prohibited by the authorities!"

"Even if it doesn't involve the supply chain, as long as we can find evidence that the major was involved, no one can save him!"

Although it sounded like good news at first glance, neither Shirazumi nor Yama showed any improvement in their expressions.

Because this matter is too "big," even if the "evidence" is right there, who would dare to venture into this den of demons and monsters?
"It seems that these rituals here are the precursors to the ritual in the Reflection Ruins Realm."

Raven looked thoughtfully and said, "And that girl hanging upside down is clearly the chosen vessel for the demon."

"Without a doubt, even for Major Luo, it would be extremely difficult to orchestrate a ritual to bring down a demon."

As he spoke, the crow began to calculate the time:
"Three years... Based on the images you described, this demon summoning ritual is still a long way from being fully completed."

"Otherwise, the major wouldn't need to make a big fuss about doing anything extra; he could just focus on doing this one thing secretly."

The sound paused there, and the crow stared at the white boat, issuing a solemn warning:

"—Even so, I still don't recommend you go into that school alone!"

"Even a level six titled extraordinary being might not be able to handle this matter without any hidden dangers. Any demon summoning ritual, whether successful or not, will eventually alarm higher-level beings."

Even higher...

Bai Zhou nodded without hesitation.

He cherished his life so much that he had no objection to this.

In the end, Ya and Bai Zhou's attention returned to the language given by the crystal ball, and they carefully pondered and digested each passage.

The raven's gaze lingered longest on the last line of prophecy.

The sun strangled the demon with its umbilical cord; the mountain people's home is nestled among the mountains!

After blinking thoughtfully, Crow said half-jokingly, "Don't you think that this 'sun' might be referring to you?"

【辰】, isn't that the sun?

"Me? Hang the demon?"

Bai Zhou pointed at himself and laughed: "This joke can make even a demon laugh, but I myself don't find it funny."

The greatest charm of prophecy lies in this: in the absence of prior knowledge, prophecy often symbolizes the beginning of a story, but if you don't experience the story firsthand, you will only be confused by the prophecy.

Before everything happened, no one knew who the protagonist of the story was, or what the words mentioned in the divination corresponded to.

Because so-called prophecies are never about paving the way, but about illuminating the abyss.

Only those who are extraordinary can illuminate their path forward with the lamp of prophecy by personally venturing into the abyss.

Greek operas often suggest that knowing prophecies in advance actually increases the likelihood of their tragic fulfillment, and this pessimistic view is called fate.

In fact, even the best prophecy, given 10,000 years in advance, can only help people catch a glimpse of the possibility of changing the outcome in the days, minutes, or even seconds before the event occurs.

But even this slightest possibility... still requires the utmost effort from every astrologer and the protagonist of the prophecy.

At this point, the crow paused slightly:

"Johannes Kepler, the renowned physicist, mathematician, and astrologist, the inventor of the three laws of planetary motion and astronomical calendar, and widely believed to have conversed with mysterious messengers from the stars, said this—"

“Every astrologer is a dancer holding a lantern, trembling as they dance with fate, like searching for the tiny possibility of improvisation within a given melody!”

Just as they were saying this, the crow's cries suddenly stopped.

As if she had suddenly heard something, she frowned and tilted her ear to listen.

"...what's wrong?"

Bai Zhou heard nothing and looked around blankly.

There was only the faint sound of wind, cicadas chirping, and the rustling of leaves all around.

Shaking his head, Crow turned around and reached into the bushes beside him.

"May I borrow this?" Crow's voice was very polite, as if he could hear the rustling of the bushes protesting, and then he decisively broke off a branch.

Still bearing a handful of lush green leaves, the crow stuck the branch into the crystal ball.

Bai Zhou then noticed that there was an empty slot next to the divination crystal ball.

As the branch is inserted, the slot contracts on its own, trapping the branch.

“This is…” Bai Zhou blinked twice.

The chill quickly covered the deep green leaves with a layer of frost, but a clear and resonant broadcast voice emanated from the crystal ball:
"...Repeat! Repeat!"

"This channel is the Tinghai Mysterious News Channel."

"This is the Disaster Prevention Response Investigation Agency of Tinghai City, Eastern Federation! This is the Disaster Prevention Response Investigation Agency of Eastern Federation! We are now issuing an emergency notice to all extraordinary individuals in Tinghai City."

"Current monitoring shows that 'Yuanmeng Middle School' located in the Daoyingxu area showed abnormal activity and signs of rioting at 18:35 this afternoon."

"The riot is currently under control and has not yet caused any real disruption. The situation is assessed as Level E danger."

"Our organization will deploy disaster relief forces tonight to suppress the riots, control and investigate the damage, and plans to launch a crackdown on the school tomorrow night."

"However, the disaster prevention agency is short-staffed, so we are recruiting temporary non-staff members from all extraordinary individuals in Tinghai City. All agencies and even extraordinary individuals can sign up to participate in the expedition. The rewards are generous. We hope that extraordinary individuals who hear this broadcast will sign up enthusiastically."

"Maintaining stability in the Ruins is the responsibility and obligation of every extraordinary individual! Those interested can assemble at the temporary disaster prevention command center at the entrance of Yuanmeng Middle School at midnight tomorrow. The specific coordinates are..."

"repeat……"

Bai Zhou stared wide-eyed, unable to believe that these sounds were coming from the divination crystal ball on the ground—

"Wait... you can use this crystal ball as a radio?"

Can tree branches be used as antennas?

Bai Zhou looked at the green leaves swaying on the branches and felt that the scene was quite incongruous.

"It's 2030 now. No one is an island. Even the most extraordinary individuals who live alone learn about the mysterious world through daily broadcasts."

The crow answered without hesitation, and at the same time pulled the branch off the crystal ball and put it back on the broken end of the bush.

In the blink of an eye, the broken section disappeared, and the branch still swayed precariously on the bushes, with only the frost on its leaves as proof of what it had just experienced.

"There used to be a newspaper, but that newspaper ran into some trouble three years ago and has temporarily ceased operations..."

The sound stopped abruptly there.

The crow suddenly thought of a question:
"Is 6:35 PM the time when you saw Fang Xiaoyan off and the ceremony was broken?"

Frowning, Bai Zhou glanced at his watch and nodded in confirmation.

"That's right, it's this time."

Upon hearing this, the crow's expression suddenly changed, and then its eyes lit up:
"It seems that the riot at Dream School is related to you—but this is also your opportunity."

"That demonic cave is indeed not a place you can venture into alone, but now, the authorities have been alerted and are taking action!"

"Perhaps this is an opportunity to fish in troubled waters and gather evidence..."

As he spoke, the crow's brows furrowed slightly again:

"However, there is a difficulty."

"As far as I know, every time the disaster prevention agency broadcasts a recruitment notice, although it is nominally open to all extraordinary individuals, it actually mainly selects volunteers from other official agencies. The assessment of extraordinary individuals from the public is extremely strict, and they are required to have a clean background."

“Your words…” Ya looked at Bai Zhou, hesitating to speak.

Without Ya saying anything more, Shiraishu already knew what would happen next.

If a wanted criminal as "extremely vicious" as him were to actually sign up for the recruitment as the broadcast suggested, he would probably be pinned to the ground on the spot once his identity was discovered.

There's no need to criticize the school anymore; real merit is coming knocking on their door. The volunteers, eager to make a contribution, will surely thank Bai Zhou for his great kindness!
however--

"Perhaps I have a way to solve this problem."

Bai Zhou blinked, pulled his school uniform from his pocket, and unfolded it in front of Ya:

"Could you help me see if wearing this will make me a member of the Reflection Ruins Realm and Dream Realization Middle School?"

"...If that's not enough, how about adding this?"

As he spoke, Bai Zhou took out his notebook and slapped it onto his school uniform.

"This is……"

Crow paused for a moment, then his pupils contracted slightly as he looked at Bai Zhou and gave an affirmative answer:
"Theoretically feasible! But we must be careful of the assimilation and erosion of the school uniform and the Reflection Ruins, to avoid being permanently trapped there."

"But... this is indeed the best solution at the moment!"

Since there was no way to infiltrate the expedition team, Bai Zhou became a native NPC who was "subjected to the expedition".

It is indeed a brilliant idea.

The crow was knowledgeable and knew that the "anomaly" that eroded the present world from the Reflection Ruins, and the original body that it transformed into after death, would not be reclaimed by the world even if it returned to the Reflection Ruins.

He was essentially a semi-illegal resident without an ID card.

Bai Zhou, dressed in a school uniform covering his entire body, would most likely be mistaken for one of his own by some mentally challenged individuals.

Bai Zhou, the "abnormal middle school student," has now made his grand entrance!

Listening to the disaster prevention agency's broadcasts reveals that they know nothing about the Dream School in the Reflection Ruins.

This is not a sudden "abnormal" uprising at all, but a demonic den that has been deliberately nurtured!

God knows what state the vessel carrying the demons deep within the demon's lair is currently in.

It's uncertain who will be attacking whom at that time, so choosing sides in advance becomes quite important.

Bai Zhou didn't think highly of the disaster prevention agency and the team he recruited, but fortunately, they didn't think highly of him either.

Now, all Baizhou needs is for disaster prevention agencies to stir up the situation so he can take advantage of the chaos.

The only thing that worried Bai Zhou was that he hoped he wouldn't be unlucky enough to run into any ignorant attacking group at school...

"But even so, the danger should not be underestimated."

Bending down to pick up the crystal ball, Ya earnestly reminded Bai Zhou.

"The school uniform can only make you stand out in the whole school, but when it comes to each small anomaly, you can only fool most of the low-intelligence anomalies."

"If some terrifying anomaly discovers you, you're in trouble."

The crystal ball reflected the starlight, and Crow solemnly met Bai Zhou's gaze:

"Although this is an opportunity, you don't actually have to go."

"We can find a way to bring down the major later..."

Upon hearing this, Bai Zhou was speechless for a moment.

After thinking it over carefully for a while, he finally shook his head regretfully:
"But all the clues have pointed there."

"If we miss this opportunity, no one knows when the next chance will come."

"Faced with an endless manhunt, I might not even make it to that point."

He waved his hand.

He, who was always cautious and valued his life, was surprisingly able to make a decision at this moment, his eyes showing a rare ruthlessness:

"You have no choice but to venture into dangerous places; isn't that what life is all about?"

In fact, the times when one grows the fastest in life are always those "critical moments" when one feels "damn it, there's really no other way but to bite the bullet and go for it."

Finally, a young man who mastered the Iron Head Kung Fu emerged out of nowhere. Although he was neither smart nor as outstanding as others, he still bravely stepped onto the world stage.

"What adventure isn't dangerous? The daily escape is certainly exciting, but I also need to have something to look forward to in order to end it all."

As he spoke, Bai Zhou slowly clenched his fist.

Before the crystal ball that divines the future, the adventurer Bai Zhou seems to be trying to grasp that impossible possibility in his destiny.

"if……"

The crow asked softly, as if to ascertain Bai Zhou's resolve, prompting Bai Zhou to imagine a certain future:
"What if we really find ourselves in an irrecoverable predicament? Have you considered that possibility?"

"Even if we don't seize this opportunity, as long as we're alive, there's always a sliver of a chance to turn things around."

"But if you get trapped in the Reflection Ruins, then it's truly the end of everything."

The crow reminded Bai Zhou:

"No one knows what will happen during the demon summoning ritual, and I must remind you again to be prepared for the consequences."

Bai Zhou also knew why Ya was taking it so seriously.

He was no longer a child, but in the eyes of the crow, he was still just a beginner on the extraordinary path, and he didn't yet have a clear grasp of many things.

Summoning demons... even for Raven, it requires utmost caution.

Therefore, Bai Zhou did not act impulsively, but thought about it seriously for a while before giving a serious reply:
"...I've thought about it, and the thought of that possibility terrifies me so much that I can't sleep."

That was the answer, but Bai Zhou's expression remained calm.

Young people are tough and resilient; they forget the pain as soon as the wound heals, and another one won't hurt them. All the hardships they overcome aren't hardships anymore, but rather part of their growth. As for those they can't overcome…

"If you really lose so badly that there's no way to recover, then there's nothing to be afraid of."

"—See that one, Crow?"

As he spoke, Bai Zhou pointed to the dim streetlights on the side.

"What did you see inside that light bulb?"

"……filament?"

The crow answered definitively.

“That’s right.” Bai Zhou nodded happily.

The dim yellow light from the streetlights illuminated his profile.

"I'm afraid of dying, and if I lose, I can only wait to die."

“But other kids who are afraid of losing can go home to farm and ask their moms to make them a bowl of fried rice with eggs. But I have no mom, no land, and no fried rice with eggs.”

"Being afraid of losing is useless. Even if I don't have an umbrella and I hide under the eaves from the rain until dark, no one will pick me up and take me home... So I can only cover my head with my clothes and charge forward no matter if it's raining, snowing, or a shooting star."

"I'm used to this kind of thing."

Calmly muttering to himself, Bai Zhou emerged from a secluded corner of the campus, glancing at his watch:
"Whether I'm killed by that demon or have my head chopped off by the major, it doesn't really matter to me. The worst outcome is always chasing after me."

"Every day after leaving the city felt like waiting to die, and every day I'm alive I'm incredibly grateful."

As he spoke, Bai Zhou strode off, his steps hurried:
"...Alright, Crow, we don't have much time to hesitate."

As he walked, he kept turning his head to look at the crows.

The boy's long shadow, cast by the streetlights, rose to wave at her.

The figure showed a hint of fatigue, but more than that, it exuded decisiveness and composure in the face of a major life event.

Just like before, Shiroshu didn't hesitate when faced with the crow's invitation.

"Before that, we still have to deal with the major's pursuit tonight."

他 说:

"We need to get going right away!"

He seemed eager to rush to the next grand performance.

And that is indeed the case.

He was the director and lead actor, but Bai Zhou had to do all the hard work, like setting up the stage.

The moon was high in the sky, and the hands on my wristwatch already pointed to 20:01!

Less than three hours had passed before the major's bronze compass repositioned the white boat!
What kind of entertainment will that mad major, who dares to feed even demons, prepare tonight on the stage built by Bai Zhou?
Without a doubt, the major of today would never underestimate Bai Zhou in the slightest.

Perhaps, he won't even see the demon descend from the depths of the campus; tonight's chase alone will be enough to give Bai Zhou a hard time.

Even seeing a Level 5 assassin from the Art Club wouldn't be surprising, or even a major leading a group of Black Knights bombarding him with helicopters...

—The closer we get to the dawn, the harder the night before becomes.

Bai Zhou understood this principle.

He was nervous about it, but not afraid.

Some say life is an adventure without a map, and everyone is like a headless fly.

Bai Zhou thought so too.

But thankfully—

A young person is never alone on the road of adventure.

(End of this chapter)