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

Chapter 157 The Countdown to the Collapse of Logic

The wind on the playground was bitingly cold.

This coldness doesn't belong to nature, but rather resembles the mechanical chill emitted by an overheated electronic device that forcibly activates its cooling system.

Bai Yu stood at the edge of the lawn, his eyes slightly narrowed. In his vision, the entire playground was no longer a green rubber track and a red running track, but a geometric plane composed of countless shimmering, translucent instruction sets.

The students who were originally attending the opening ceremony were now standing in absolute stillness. Their expressions were frozen in the same arc, and even the frequency of their blinks was perfectly synchronized.

In the very center of the playground, the guardian named "Anmu" was radiating a golden light that was impossible to look directly at.

The light was so pure that it had no warmth whatsoever, only absolute order.

"Those who violate the rules will be required to make corrections."

The guardian, An Mu, spoke slowly. His voices overlapped, as if a million people were speaking at the same time, creating wave after wave of sound on the empty playground.

The golden greatsword in his hand pointed diagonally at the ground, and wherever the tip of the sword passed, the space itself seemed to distort and warp as if it had been scorched by a hot sheet of plastic.

"Old Bai, this guy's intimidating presence... is even stronger than the real captain's."

Mo Fei said in a low voice. He was now fully in battle mode, his body leaning slightly forward, his center of gravity lowered, and although his hands were empty, there was a faint flow of air between his fingers.

He didn't charge in as usual. His awakened memories told him that against an enemy who embodied the rules, brute force would only become fuel for the enemy to modify its logic.

"He represents the 'stability' of this world."

Lancer's fingers flew across the tablet. The blue data stream on the screen was reflected in his glasses, making him appear remarkably calm.

“Bai Yu, I’ve analyzed the surrounding logic. This guardian’s existence is based on the core rule that ‘the school must maintain order.’ As long as we are still within the campus, he is invincible.”

"Then let's erase this area."

Deep within Bai Yu's right eye, a silver light swirled like a vortex.

He could sense Hei Yan stirring restlessly in the shadows. That ancient nightmare seemed to feel extreme disgust for this "order," and that disgust, flowing through the cracks in his soul, constantly assaulted Bai Yu's reason.

"Mo Fei, go to the left and disrupt his visual tracking. Lan Ce, find the physical coordinates of the broadcast room; I need to cut off the audio synchronization here."

Bai language quickly issued instructions.

"understand!"

Mo Fei's figure flashed, transforming into a black afterimage as he swiftly weaved along the edge of the playground. His movements were exceptionally steady, each step landing precisely on the nodes of the logical framework, skillfully avoiding the dense array of detection wires in the air.

Guardian Anmu turned his head, his golden eyes locking onto Mo Fei.

Those who disrupt order will be removed.

He swung his greatsword, and a golden crescent-shaped sword aura swept out.

Wherever the sword energy passed, the plastic track was completely wiped out, revealing the bottomless black void below.

Mo Fei didn't take the blow head-on. The instant the sword energy was about to hit him, he suddenly flipped to the side, braced himself with his hands on the ground, and used the momentum to jump to the top of the basketball hoop.

"Hey, big guy, your aim isn't very good!"

Mo Fei deliberately shouted loudly, trying to attract the other party's attention. There was no frivolity in his eyes, only calm observation. He was measuring the cooldown time of the opponent's attack.

Meanwhile, Lancer has already identified a key point.

"Bai Yu, the signal source for the broadcasting room is on the top floor of the teaching building, but that's a virtual coordinate. The real logical core is beneath that statue!"

Lanze pointed to the "Diligence" statue at the entrance to the playground.

That's the school's symbol, a stone statue of a student holding a book.

Bai Yu nodded, and his figure suddenly disappeared from the spot.

"Rule parsing: path reconstruction".

In Bai Yu's eyes, the world had become a giant maze. He didn't walk in a straight line, but leaped between the flashing characters.

Guardian Anmu seemed to have sensed Bai Yu's intention. He abandoned his pursuit of Mo Fei, turned around, and raised his greatsword high above his head.

"Judgment is coming."

Golden light instantly filled the entire sky.

Countless golden lightsabers emerged from the clouds, like a dense downpour, blocking all of Bai Yu's advance routes.

"Watch out, Lao Bai!"

Mo Fei exclaimed in surprise, leaping off the basketball hoop and slamming his fists heavily onto the ground.

"Get up!"

With Mo Fei's roar, the gravity around him seemed to momentarily malfunction. The plastic fragments on the ground floated upwards, forming a makeshift shield wall, buying Bai Yu less than a second.

This one second is enough.

Just before the lightsaber fell, Bai Yu had already rushed to the statue.

He stretched out his right hand and placed his palm on the cold stone.

“Black Words, lend me some ‘chaos’.”

"As you wish, my artwork."

A jet-black energy surged from Bai Yu's palm, seeping down the base of the stone statue.

That's pure destructive power; it's a virus specifically designed to target rules and logic.

Click.

A tiny crack appeared on the top of the stone statue's head.

Immediately afterwards, the entire playground began to flash with golden light.

The Guardian Anmu's movements became sluggish, and his body surface even showed static-like spots similar to television signal interference.

"Logical error... Recalibrate..."

His voice became distorted, and the overlapping sound waves turned into harsh noise.

"Now! Let's go!"

Bai Yu shouted.

Mo Fei and Lan Ce understood each other perfectly, and the three of them quickly met up and rushed towards the school gate.

However, just as they were about to step out of the school gate, their surroundings changed drastically once again.

The original iron gate has disappeared, replaced by a spotless white wall.

Two familiar figures stood in front of the wall.

That's the Bai language word for "parents".

Bai Jianguo was still wearing his well-tailored suit, holding a newspaper in his hand. His mother was carrying a plate with two steaming fried eggs on it.

"Xiaoyu, you haven't had breakfast yet, why are you leaving already?"

"My mother said with a smile. Her smile was still perfect, but in Bai Yu's eyes at this moment, it revealed a nauseating falseness."

"Baiyu, don't go over there."

Lan Ce grabbed Bai Yu's sleeve; the data on the tablet was a deep, purplish-red.

"The logic of these two individuals has reached an off-the-charts level. They are not guardians; they are the 'root lock' of this world."

Looking at the "parents" in front of her, Bai Yu felt an indescribable sadness welling up in her heart.

He knew that this restarted world was his last attempt to hold on to him, but also its most insidious trap.

If he stops here, if he shows the slightest wavering, then this cycle will be completely closed, and they will disappear forever from this moment.

"Xiaoyu, it's windy outside, come back."

Bai Jianguo put down his newspaper and spoke earnestly. His eyes revealed a fatherly concern, a concern so genuine that even Bai Yu's subconscious began to waver.

"Old Bai, hold on!"

Mo Fei stepped forward, blocking Bai Yu's path. His gaze was exceptionally firm, without the slightest hesitation.

“They’re not real. Your real uncle and aunt would never lock you up in a cage!”

Mo Fei's words were like a heavy hammer blow, shattering the last illusion in Bai Yu's heart.

Bai Yu raised her head, the silver light in her eyes completely covering her pupils.

"Thank you for giving me a perfect morning."

Bai Yu's voice was calm yet cold.

"But perfection itself is the biggest flaw."

"In this world, there is no kind of love that requires the deprivation of freedom."

He stretched out his right hand, and the silver bead slowly spun at his fingertips.

"The original rule: true stripping away."

As Bai Yu finished speaking, a silver ripple swept forward from him.

The pristine white wall, and the figures of the two "parents," began to twist and loosen like melting candles the moment they came into contact with the ripples.

"Xiaoyu... breakfast... is getting cold..."

The mother's voice grew increasingly ethereal, eventually turning into a wisp of black smoke and dissipating into the air.

The newspaper in Bai Jianguo's hand also shattered in the wind, turning into countless flying black codes.

boom--

A loud bang.

The illusion before my eyes shattered completely.

The iron gate reappeared in front of the three.

Outside the gate, instead of the bustling streets, lay a desolate ruin shrouded in a thick, dark red fog.

"go!"

Bai Yu was the first to rush out of the school gate.

Mo Fei and Lan Ce followed closely behind.

The moment they stepped out of the school gate, the campus behind them vanished without a trace, replaced by a desolate open space.

"Phew—finally out."

Mo Fei gasped for breath, glanced back, and said with lingering fear.

"Old Bai, that last challenge... if you hadn't made it, would we have really been done for?"

Bai Yu did not answer; he looked at the city before him with a solemn expression.

Linjiang City, the city where he grew up, has now become a giant maze.

The buildings on both sides of the street are still the same as before, but they have an eerie sense of repetition.

Every three telephone poles, an identical yellow taxi appears, parked in the same spot, with the same faded advertisement pasted on its window.

The streetlights flickered in the thick fog, emitting a buzzing sound of electricity.

"Baiyu, the spatial logic here is a closed loop."

Lan Ce stared at the tablet, his brow furrowed.

“The street we’re on is a loop in the data. If we just keep walking blindly forward, we’ll never reach the western suburbs.”

"Moreover, the refresh rate here is increasing."

Lanze pointed to a convenience store on the side of the road.

The convenience store's sign was rapidly changing, from "Hongli Convenience Store" to "Green Leaf Supermarket," then to "Blue Sky Grocery Store," and finally back to its original sign.

The speed of this transformation increased rapidly, eventually producing a dizzying afterimage.

"This shows that the world's computing power has reached its limit."

Bai Yu said in a deep voice.

"Rebooting didn't solve the problem; it just compressed the nightmare into a smaller space. Now, that space is about to explode."

"Then what should we do?" Mo Fei asked.

"Find a car." Bai Yu looked at the yellow taxi that kept appearing by the roadside.

“These recurring objects are the ‘nodes’ of the logic. As long as we can control one of the nodes, we can break out of this loop.”

Bai Yu walked towards the taxi.

He reached out and opened the car door.

The car was empty, with a dangling amulet hanging on the steering wheel.

As Bai Yu sat in the driver's seat, the instant his fingers touched the steering wheel, a massive flow of information surged into his mind.

"Mo Fei, get in the car! Lan Ce, you give directions!"

Mo Fei and Lan Ce quickly got into the car.

Mo Fei sat in the back row, cautiously observing his surroundings.

"Old Bai, do you know how to drive this kind of 'node' car?"

"No, but I can rewrite its driving logic."

Bai Yu closed his eyes, and silver light spread from his arms to the entire car.

hum-

The taxi engine let out a deep roar.

The original yellow paint began to peel off, revealing a silver, fluid-metal-like texture underneath.

"Direction: Changsheng Sanatorium in the western suburbs. Priority: highest."

Bai Yu suddenly opened his eyes and stepped on the gas pedal.

The taxi transformed into a silver streak, crashing directly into the thick fog ahead.

boom!
The surrounding space echoed with the crisp sound of fabric being torn.

Those recurring buildings, taxis, and telephone poles were all left far behind in that instant.

The scenery outside the car window began to change rapidly.

The skyscrapers have disappeared, replaced by dense, dark forests.

The asphalt road turned into a muddy path, and the sweet, cloying smell in the air grew stronger.

"Baiyu, we are five kilometers away from the target."

Lan Ce stared intently at the tablet computer.

"However, the energy field ahead is extremely unstable. An extremely powerful force of rules is interfering with reality."

“That power… is similar to the captain’s ‘Iron Wall Monarchy,’ but it’s colder and more aggressive.”

Bai Yu gripped the steering wheel tightly.

He knew that it was the real "Anmu".

Or rather, the captain who is trapped in the heart of the nightmare and is gradually losing himself.

"Mo Fei, get ready."

Bai Yu said in a low voice.

"The battle that follows may be a hundred times more difficult than the one we just had at school."

"Don't worry, Lao Bai."

Mo Fei cracked his neck, producing a series of crisp bone-crackling sounds. His eyes revealed a resolute determination, as if he were facing certain death.

"I'd do anything to bring the captain back, even if it means tearing a hole in the sky!"

The taxi sped along the muddy road.

The surrounding trees grew taller and taller, and painful human faces began to grow on their trunks.

Those faces opened their mouths and let out silent wails, as if telling of some forgotten pain.

"arrive."

Bai Yu slammed on the brakes.

The taxi stopped in front of a huge building surrounded by barbed wire.

The dilapidated signboard swayed in the wind, making a creaking sound.

Five large characters can be vaguely discerned above:
Changsheng Sanatorium.

At the entrance of the sanatorium stood a familiar figure.

That's Lu Yueqi.

She was wearing that ghost-like hoodie, her head down, holding an old wooden ladle, mechanically scooping water from a nearby water vat and sprinkling it on the dry ground.

"Qiyue?"

Mo Fei exclaimed in surprise.

Lu Yueqi heard the voice and slowly raised her head.

Her eyes were empty and lifeless, and her face was expressionless, like a puppet that had lost its soul.

"There's not enough water..."

She muttered to herself, her voice hoarse and dry.

"The mountain god... is thirsty..."

Bai Yu got out of the car and looked at Lu Yueqi, a pang of reluctance flashing through his heart.

He knew that Lu Yueqi was here because of the nightmare within her that had not yet awakened. She had become a sacrifice connecting reality and the "Mountain God".

"Qiyue, don't be afraid, I'm here."

Bai Yu walked up to Lu Yueqi and said softly.

Lu Yueqi's body trembled slightly.

A flicker of struggle seemed to pass through her empty eyes.

"Bai... Bai Yu... hurry up..."

Her voice was barely audible.

"This...is not a rebirth...it's a funeral..."

Just then, a deep and resounding bell rang out from deep within the sanatorium.

thump—

Wherever the bell rang, the surrounding thick fog instantly dissipated.

At the top of the sanatorium’s main building, a huge sphere made up of countless black tentacles was suspended.

At the center of the sphere, the silhouette of a man can be vaguely seen.

Anmu.

He closed his eyes tightly, and countless black threads connected his body to the sphere.

He was using his own life force to forcefully suppress the terrifying existence within that sphere.

"That's... the Nightmare of the Primal Concept?"

Lance's voice trembled.

"No, that is something older than the origin."

Hei Yan's voice echoed in Bai Yu's mind.

"That was the first fear of human civilization. Baiyu, welcome to 'Ragnarok'."

Bai Yu took a deep breath and looked at Mo Fei and Lan Ce.

"This is the final battle."

"If we win, we'll take the captain home."

"If we lose..."

There are no "ifs".

Mo Fei interrupted Bai Yu and strode towards the gate of the sanatorium, each step heavy with his own.

"Old Bai, you're in charge of the analysis. Lan Ce, you're in charge of the cover."

"I'll open this door!"

Mo Fei let out a roar, his muscles bulging and veins popping out.

He did not recklessly bang on the door with his fist.

Instead, he stretched out his hands and gripped the iron bars of the gate tightly.

"Rule Explanation: Physical Destruction!"

Bai Yu placed his hand on Mo Fei's back and injected a stream of silvery power into Mo Fei's body.

Click!

In that instant, Mo Fei tore open a huge gap in the iron gate that had been reinforced by the rules.

The three rushed into the sanatorium.

Behind them, the silver taxi instantly disintegrated, turning into countless shimmering fragments.

The dark red fog in the sky closed in once more.

The entire sanatorium was plunged into a deathly silence and darkness.

Only the deep tolling of the bells continued to echo rhythmically.

thump—

thump—

With each sound, the logic of this world collapses a little more.

Bai Yu knew that their time was running out.

……

Inside the sanatorium, the corridors were dark and deep.

There were some old photos hanging on the wall, and the people in the photos all had eerie smiles.

Bai Yu and the other two proceeded cautiously.

Suddenly, a figure dressed as a nurse appeared at the end of the corridor.

She kept her head down, pushing a cart piled high with surgical instruments, the wheels screeching on the ground.

"Three patients, it's time to take your medicine."

The nurse looked up, revealing a face that had been stitched up.

In her hand were three enormous syringes that gleamed with a cold light.

"Logical correction: mandatory medication."

The nurse's voice was cold and mechanical.

"Mo Fei, dodge to the left! Lan Ce, disrupt her senses!"

Bai language reacted quickly.

The battle broke out again.

And this is just the first hurdle after entering the sanatorium.

On the top floor of the main building, the black sphere is slowly rotating, like a beating heart.

It is waiting.

Waiting for the final offering.

(End of this chapter)