Global Ghost Stories: I'm Investigating Ghosts in My Nightmare!

Chapter 113 The Drumbeats of Isana and the Non-Existent End

The gale, sharp as a knife, carried the unique chill and stench of the void, slashing wildly at Bai Yu's cheeks.

The "Midnight" train sped along the empty tracks, its wheels grinding through the void with a teeth-grinding "crunch, crunch" sound, as if it were chewing on the bones of some giant beast.

On the roof of the car, Bai Yu's figure swayed precariously in the gale, yet remained firmly anchored to the car's spurs like a nail.

"hiss--!!!"

A piercing screech pierced the storm as three winged demons, their bodies covered in black scales and fleshy wings, swooped down on him in a triangular formation. Their claws gleamed coldly in the darkness, sharp enough to easily tear through steel.

"This low-level watchdog doesn't even deserve to block the way!"

A cold glint flashed in Bai Yu's eyes. He did not back down, but instead took a step forward, using the force of the train's violent jolts.

On his right hand, the pitch-black void power surged instantly, transforming into a giant black claw that fiercely grabbed at the winged demon at the front!

"Get down... to me!"

puff!

There is no suspense.

The winged demon's prized scale defense was as fragile as a sheet of paper before the higher-dimensional concept of "nothingness." Black claws pierced its chest, crushing its still-beating, filthy heart!
A large amount of black blood sprayed out, but it was completely swallowed up by the black energy in Bai Yu's hand in mid-air.

A pure, warm current flowed down his arm and into his body, and Bai Yu felt that his parched soul had been nourished once again.

"readily!"

Bai Yu let out a low shout and casually tossed the winged demon's corpse toward the other two monsters.

boom!boom!
The immense impact knocked the two winged demons off balance and caused them to stagger.

Taking advantage of the opportunity, Bai Yu moved with lightning speed, instantly closing in.

With his left hand clenched into a fist, holding the hard "Mirror Heart" between his fingers, he slammed it down hard on the head of one of the winged demons!

Click!

The sound of bones shattering was particularly crisp in the wind. The winged demon didn't even have time to scream before its head exploded like a watermelon.

Seeing this, the last remaining winged demon finally showed fear in its eyes. It shrieked and flapped its wings to flee.

"Since you're here, don't leave. You can use this as travel expenses."

Bai Yu sneered and made a clenching motion in the air with his right hand.

"Void - Pull!"

An invisible suction force suddenly erupted, and the winged demon that had just flown a few meters into the air was as if it had been grabbed by the ankle by an unseen giant hand and was forcibly pulled back.

Hiss—!
Bai Yu raised his hand and brought down his knife, the black blade severing its neck.

In less than a minute, the three nightmares, which could have caused a small disaster in the real world, turned into nourishment for Bai Yu to recover his strength.

"call……"

Bai Yu breathed a sigh of relief, but he did not let his guard down.

Because he discovered that the train was undergoing strange changes.

The roof beneath his feet was no longer a hard skeleton, but began to soften and become viscous, like a writhing stomach wall. Countless tiny fleshy buds sprouted from the cracks in the roof, trying to wrap around his feet and pull him into the carriage to be digested.

"This car is alive, it's hungry." Hei Yan's voice echoed in his mind. "The roof is not safe. Those fleshy growths are extremely corrosive. If you stay here, you'll become its meal."

"Then let's go in."

Bai Yu made a quick decision. He scanned his surroundings and soon locked onto a skylight not far away.

That was the only entrance to the carriage, though it looked like a closed mouth, surrounded by a ring of sharp bone spurs.

Bai Yu rushed over quickly, gathered all his strength in his right hand, and punched the skylight hard!
"Open the door!"

boom!
With a dull thud, the bone spur snapped, and blood and flesh splattered everywhere. Bai Yu had smashed a large hole in that "mouth."

A musty, rotten smell, mixed with the smell of mold and rust, wafted out.

Without hesitation, Bai Yu leaped into the dark cave.

……

boom.

The sound of her feet landing echoed in the silent space.

Bai Yu quickly adjusted his posture, leaning against the carriage wall, and cautiously observed his surroundings.

To his surprise, the interior of the carriage did not contain the horrific, bloody scene he had imagined.

On the contrary, this looks...perfectly normal.

It's so normal it's almost unsettling.

This is a typical Japanese Showa-era style train carriage. The dark green velvet seats are neatly arranged, and the overhead lights are dim and flickering incandescent bulbs. Outside the windows, there is only darkness and nothingness, with only the occasional flash of light proving that the train is moving at high speed.

The floor is covered with old wooden floors, which make a creaking sound when you step on them.

The carriage was completely empty.

But Bai Yu felt a strong sense of being watched, as if countless eyes were hiding in the shadows, staring intently at him, the uninvited guest.

He looked up at the billboard above the carriage.

Those spaces that should have been used for commercial advertisements were now covered with yellowed pieces of paper.

Bai Yu squinted, trying to make a careful observation.

I don't want to die... Help me...

Why me? I just got on the wrong bus...

"Mom, I want to go home..."

Do not get off the bus! Do NOT get off the bus!

Those were suicide notes.

It was a final lament etched in despair, with blood and fingernails.

"It seems this vehicle has carried quite a few 'passengers' before," Bai Yu muttered to himself, his fingers gently stroking the cold handrail.

sizzle-

Just then, the loudspeaker in the carriage suddenly came on.

After a piercing crackling sound of electricity, a mechanical, cold, yet strangely childlike female voice rang out.

"...Next stop...Izana...Izana..."

"...Passengers heading to Yomotsu Hirasaka...please prepare to disembark..."

"...Friendly reminder: This train is about to pass through...the scream tunnel...Please...close your eyes...cover your ears...and do not turn around..."

Isana?
Bai Yu's heart stirred. In Japanese mythology, Izanagi and Izanami are the gods who created the gods and the protagonists of the Yomotsu (Yomi) story. And "Yomotsu Hirasaka" is precisely the boundary between the world of the living and the world of the dead.

The name of this station is filled with ominous connotations.

“Interesting.” Hei Yan chuckled. “It seems this vehicle is not just a means of transportation; it is itself reenacting some ancient ritual.”

Before he could finish speaking, the lights inside the carriage suddenly began to flicker violently.

Snapped!
With a crisp sound, the lights went out completely.

The moment darkness fell, an extremely cold atmosphere instantly filled the entire carriage.

dong... dong... dong...

A series of heavy footsteps, like a hammer pounding on the heart, slowly came from the other end of the carriage.

The sound was strange; it didn't sound like two feet walking, but more like a stick being struck on the ground, accompanied by the scraping sound of a foot dragging along.

Thump—sha—

Bai Yu held his breath, his right hand secretly gathering ethereal power, his eyes emitting a faint glow in the darkness.

By the occasional flashes of light outside the car window, he could make out the figure approaching.

It was an old man wearing a worn-out train conductor's uniform.

He wore a wide-brimmed hat pulled low, beneath which was a face as dry as tree bark, his eyes tightly closed, muttering to himself.

What's most striking is his legs.

His left leg was severed at the root, and the empty trouser leg swung back and forth as he walked. His right leg, on the other hand, was unusually thick and even somewhat deformed.

He didn't use a cane, but hopped along the ground on his one leg, each landing with a dull thud.

"An elderly man with one leg..."

Bai Yu instantly recalled details of the urban legend about "Kisaragi Station." The legend said that if you encounter a one-legged old man on the railway tracks, never speak to him, or you will be taken to another world.

But this is a completely different world now.

The old man jumped to a spot five meters away from Bai Yu and stopped.

He slowly raised his head, and his tightly closed eyes suddenly opened!

There were no eyeballs there, only two bottomless black holes, inside which seemed to be countless wronged souls wailing.

"……ticket……"

The old man opened his mouth, his voice hoarse as if he were sanding sandpaper.

"...Check...tickets..."

As his voice faded, the surrounding space seemed to freeze. A powerful force of rules descended upon Bai Yu, attempting to compel him to respond.

If you don't produce a ticket, you will be considered a "fare evader" and then eliminated.

This is a classic tactic for rule-based Nightmares.

Bai Yu remained calm and took out the black train ticket from his pocket.

"I have a ticket."

He held up the ticket and showed it to the old man.

The old man's gaze fell on the train ticket, and his two dark, hollow eye sockets seemed to shrink slightly.

"……wrong……"

The old man suddenly let out a sharp roar, his face contorted in a ferocious expression.

"...This isn't...today's ticket..."

"...The fare evader...die!!!"

boom!
The old man slammed his single leg off the ground, charging towards Bai Yu like a cannonball! His hands transformed into two enormous bone claws, reeking of a stench of death, aimed straight for Bai Yu's throat!

"As expected, it's useless to reason with this kind of thing."

Bai Yu's eyes turned cold, but she did not panic despite the other party's sudden outburst.

Just as the old man lunged at him, he shifted his feet and dodged to the side at an extremely tricky angle.

At the same time, his right hand transformed into a black blade, which he slashed down fiercely at the old man's one leg!
"Since you only have one leg, I'll remove it for you, so you'll finally behave!"

clang!
The ethereal blade struck the old man's leg, producing a deafening clang of metal striking metal.

That seemingly withered leg was as hard as refined steel!

"Ok?"

Bai Yu frowned slightly. This old monster's defense was stronger than he had imagined.

When his first attack missed, the old man reacted extremely quickly. He forcefully twisted his body in mid-air, and his single leg swept across like a whip, bringing with it a gust of wind.

boom!
Bai Yu raised his left arm to block, but the force of the impact sent him sliding several meters backward, crashing into the seat behind him and shattering the sturdy chair.

"It has great power and a certain shock effect, which can penetrate defenses and damage internal organs."

Bai Yu wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth, his fighting spirit only growing stronger.

“Interesting. It seems you’re not just an ordinary wandering ghost, but the embodiment of the ‘rules’ of this carriage.”

The old man landed, letting out a low, beast-like growl, preparing to attack again.

“Little White Language, use the Mirror Heart,” Black Words reminded him. “He is a product of the rules, with extremely high physical defense, but his mental state is often his weakness. That Mirror Heart can reflect reality and also reveal his ‘fatal flaw.’”

Bai Yu understood.

He quickly took out the "Mirror Core" from his pocket and infused it with a wisp of spiritual energy.

hum-

The mirror vibrated slightly, emitting a soft, ethereal light.

Bai Yu looked at the old man through the light reflected in the mirror.

In Jingxin's vision, the old man's image changed. He was no longer the hideous monster, but a phantom composed of countless black lines.

At the knee of that one leg, a red dot was flashing intensely. That was its core! And the "anchor point" of the rules for this carriage!
"Got you."

Bai Yu's lips curled into a cold smile.

The old man charged again, this time with even greater force, as if he intended to smash the entire carriage to pieces.

This time, Bai Yu did not dodge.

He stood still, took a deep breath, and mobilized all the remaining void power in his body, gathering it at the fingertips of his right hand.

Just as that one leg was about to kick him, Bai Yu moved.

His movements were as fast as lightning; his right hand, like a precise scalpel, pierced directly into the red spot on the old man's knee!

"Void Collapse!"

puff!

It's like popping a balloon.

The old man's seemingly impenetrable defense crumbled instantly under that single finger strike. Black, ethereal power surged wildly into the core, shattering the chains of rules within.

“Ahhhhhh——!!!”

The old man let out a bloodcurdling scream. His body began to tremble violently, and countless cracks appeared on his one leg, from which large amounts of black smoke billowed out.

"...No...impossible..."

"...My...legs..."

boom!
With a muffled thud, the old man's proud one leg exploded completely, turning into countless black fragments that dissipated into the air.

Losing his support, the old man's upper body fell heavily to the ground, writhing like a lump of mud, unable to stand up again.

"Ticket check? Am I eligible to ride this train now?"

Bai Yu looked down at him with icy eyes.

The old man looked up, his dark, unfathomable eyes filled with terror. He reached out his trembling hand as if trying to grasp something, but in the end, it fell limply to his sides.

As the old man passed away, a black light emanated from his body and floated in mid-air.

Bai Yu reached out and caught it.

[Item Obtained: Lone Ranger's Leg Bone (Concept Fragment)]

[Description: The power core of the legendary one-legged old man at Kisaragi Station. After fusion, it grants the skill "Phase Step".]

Phase Step: Active skill. Consumes mental energy, allowing you to instantly step into the phase space for short-distance traversal or damage avoidance. Duration depends on mental energy.

"Movement skill!"

A hint of joy flashed in Bai Yu's eyes. This was precisely the ability he currently lacked. With this, he would have an extra trump card to save his life when facing large-scale attacks or certain death situations.

He chose to merge without hesitation.

The black light instantly pierced his right leg, bringing a chilling sensation followed by excruciating pain as if being torn apart.

Bai Yu gritted his teeth and endured it, cold sweat sliding down his forehead.

A few seconds later, the pain disappeared, replaced by an unprecedented feeling of lightness. He felt as if his right leg did not exist in this space, and that he could cross the barrier of space with a mere thought.

"The harvest is good."

Bai Yu stretched his legs and nodded in satisfaction.

Just then, the train suddenly slowed down.

The surrounding darkness grew thicker, as if it could swallow even the light. The sound of the wheels changed, from a crisp "click" to a dull echo, like driving through a closed pipe.

"...The train...enters...the Isana Tunnel..."

The broadcast started again, and this time, the woman's voice became sharp and shrill, as if she were screaming.

"...Whatever you do...don't...look back..."

Boom!
A loud drumbeat suddenly rang out outside the carriage.

That wasn't ordinary drumming; it was the sound of a traditional Japanese taiko drum, deep and resonant, carrying a soul-stirring power.

Boom!Boom!Boom!
The drumbeats grew more frequent and louder, as if thousands of drummers were frantically pounding on both sides of the tunnel.

As the drumbeats began, Bai Yu felt her heart start pounding uncontrollably, her blood flow quickening, and a wave of dizziness washing over her.

"Psychological attack."

Bai Yu immediately made a judgment. The drumbeat had a very strong hypnotic and hallucinogenic effect.

He immediately focused his mind and circulated the power of nothingness within his body to build a defensive line in his mind.

Just then, a red light suddenly appeared outside the car window.

Bai Yu turned his head and saw that the walls on both sides of the tunnel were covered with... human hands!
Countless pale human hands, like seaweed, waved in the darkness. Some were banging on the walls with drumsticks, while others were frantically scratching at the car windows, making a chilling hissing sound.

Through the gaps between those arms, distorted human faces could be seen faintly, their mouths agape, silently shouting at Bai Yu inside the carriage.

"...Come down...and stay with us..."

"...It's so crowded...it hurts..."

"...Baiyu...save me..."

Bai Yu's pupils suddenly contracted.

Among those faces, he actually saw a familiar one!

It's Lu Yueqi! It's An Mu! It's Mo Fei! It's Lan Ce!

They were covered in blood, pounding on the window with pained expressions, their eyes filled with despair and pleading.

"Bai Yu! How could you abandon us!"

"Open the door! Let us in!"

"We're so cold...we're in so much pain..."

The sounds pierced the glass clearly and went straight into Bai Yu's mind.

Bai Yu's heart skipped a beat, and she instinctively wanted to rush over and open the window.

"Idiot! That's an illusion!"

Hei Yan's roar was like a thunderclap, instantly dispelling the confusion in Bai Yu's eyes.

"These are the 'Resentments of Izona,' which reflect your deepest fears and attachments, tempting you to lower your defenses. Once you open the window, those hands will drag you out and turn you into one of them!"

Bai Yu shuddered, and cold sweat instantly soaked his back.

so close!

He almost got hit just now.

He took a deep breath, his eyes regaining their cold and resolute expression.

"It's fake. It's all fake."

He stared intently at the familiar faces outside the window, silently thinking, "My teammates are strong; they won't die so easily, nor will they show such a cowardly expression."

"You imposters, your acting is terrible!"

Bai Yu snorted coldly, closed her eyes, and stopped looking at the scenery outside the window.

He sat cross-legged on the ground, unmoved by the deafening drumbeats and the wailing and lamenting of those voices, like a rock.

"Nothingness devours all noise."

He activated the power within his body, temporarily shutting down his hearing and vision, retaining only the most basic senses.

Time passed by minute by minute.

The drumbeats seemed to sense that Bai Yu's will could not be shaken, and grew increasingly impatient and frantic.

The carriage shook violently, as if it might fall apart at any moment.

"Crack!"

Suddenly, the sound of shattering glass rang out.

A pale arm broke through the car window and reached inside!

Then came the second one, the third one...

Countless hands surged into the carriage like a tide, reaching for Bai Yu on the ground.

Bai Yu suddenly opened his eyes, his gaze flashing with a sharp light.

"You're asking for it, aren't you?"

"Since you want to come in, then you're not going out!"

Instead of dodging, he proactively extended his hands.

The power of pitch-black nothingness erupted instantly, transforming into two enormous black vortexes that enveloped his palms.

"Swallow!"

The moment those pale arms touched the black vortex, they didn't grab or pull; instead, they vanished as if they had disappeared into the sea!

"Ahhhh-"

Countless shrill screams came from outside the window.

The owners of those arms tried in terror to pull back, but the suction was too strong, and they couldn't break free.

Baiyu was like a bottomless pit, greedily devouring all the energy flowing into the carriage.

Those arms are a collection of resentment, which is extremely poisonous to ordinary people, but to Bai Yu, who possesses the attribute of "nothingness", they are a great tonic!
"Come on! Keep going!"

Bai Yu laughed wildly, feeling the power within his body rapidly increasing. Forty percent... fifty percent... sixty percent!
This is practically a buffet!

Finally, the arms seemed to sense fear, and they desperately broke off their limbs and fled the carriage in a sorry state.

The drumming stopped suddenly.

The red light in the tunnel also disappeared.

Everything is calm.

"call……"

Bai Yu withdrew his power, looked at the broken arms and limbs scattered on the ground, and a satisfied smile appeared on his lips.

This wave of profits is huge.

Just then, a bright light appeared ahead.

That wasn't artificial light; it was natural light.

"We've reached the exit."

Bai Yu stood up, straightened her clothes, and looked ahead.

The train burst out of the dark tunnel, and the view suddenly opened up.