episode_0068

At this moment, Su Qingya wanted to say something, but it felt as if someone had tightened their grip around her throat, rendering her unable to utter a sound.

She wanted to do something, but it felt as if her body had been frozen in place by some time magic, leaving her unable to move.

Her gaze remained fixated on the corpse, just half a meter away.

At this moment, she wished more than anything that it was all just a dream, and that upon waking, everything would return to normal, with her girlfriend peacefully sleeping beside her, and nothing having happened.

But the corpse lay before her in quiet repose, seemingly at peace, as if it were merely sleeping, lying there like a delicate puppet.

The panic and terror on Su Qingya’s face could not be concealed.

Negative thoughts flooded her mind incessantly.

Endless loneliness enveloped her, mingled with brutal fear.

She felt utterly chaotic.

She shouldn’t have come to this place. If she hadn’t, would she have encountered such a thing?

Why must the world harbor such strange powers? Wouldn’t it be better if everything were peaceful, devoid of any dangers arising from bizarre events, leaving only joyful and serene daily life?

Why?

Why was everyone targeting her, wanting to harm her loved ones?

Why did her life always end up with heart-wrenching losses after moments of sweet possession?

It was all because, it was all because…

The more she thought, the more her head throbbed mercilessly.

The more she pondered, the less her brain could function.

“Su Qingya! Calm down!”

Xiao Ge shouted loudly.

The situation was growing increasingly dire.

He understood that mere words could not restore calm to someone whose emotions were in complete turmoil.

If Leng Xiao were present, he could use his abilities to forcibly awaken Su Qingya.

His powers couldn’t achieve that.

Only absolute violence could quell an enraged individual.

What on earth had happened?

Why was Xu Nian in this state? And why had she suddenly committed suicide? He had originally thought it was just some strange emotional beast.

He could no longer think further. Now, what he needed to do was wake Su Qingya up.

He took a step forward but suddenly saw strange changes occurring to Su Qingya, who was enveloped in black mist on the stage.

He froze, unable to move his other foot any further.

Had it begun?

Damn!

Could it be that even now, he would remain powerless, forced to watch his teammate suffer?

The fury ignited within him, yet after a time, it was engulfed by endless negative emotions.

Maybe, even now, he was still so powerless, unable to do anything. Even as a four-star emotional conjurer, because of his path, all he was left with was the lonely act of throwing punches.

So weak, so foolish, so powerless.

Perhaps only alone could he avoid loss.

Perhaps only alone could he avoid harm.

An invisible weight pressed down on Xiao Ge, causing him to kneel to the ground.

Memories of past people and events flooded into his mind.

He raised his hand, wanting to reach out, but it was like trying to grasp smoke after it’s been exhaled, impossible to hold and choking.

A profound sense of loneliness rose from within, causing him to curl up.

Su Qingya was oblivious to what was happening below.

Her focus remained on the corpse.

Her mind buzzed, even her hearing became blurred.

She raised her hand to grasp, only to find that her hand was no longer human.

Or perhaps, it resembled that of a monster.

It was a fox’s paw, with pitch-black fur.

She felt something pushing against her skin, stretching out from behind her.

A fox tail made of swirling black mist gathered at her coccyx.

Just like the pair of fox ears atop her head, which looked as if they were burning with black flames.

Her very appearance was beginning to change.

Su Qingya took no notice of these transformations; she wanted to do something.

She wished to bring the corpse before her back to life.

Even if the resurrected Xu Nian would no longer be the same as she once was, she would still pursue it.

The swirling black mist around her seemed to capture Su Qingya’s intent, instantly spreading outward.

The scarlet stage turned gray as it spread rapidly from where Su Qingya stood, in a moment robbing the theater of all its color.

The girl’s corpse stood up like a marionette, completely devoid of strength.

Creaking, it bore an eerie smile.

Suddenly, a bell rang out.

The sound of the bell was ethereal, like the most beautiful note in the world.

Su Qingya’s heart suddenly became tranquil.

[Fear Level: 91%]

The changes in her body rapidly faded, but with it came the collapse of the corpse. As Su Qingya’s inner fear diminished, she could no longer execute what she had wished in her heart.

She had failed.

Because her inner fear had suddenly lowered, she could not do what she had wanted.

If she couldn’t resurrect Nian Nian, how could this be?

How could they take even this last possibility from her?!

[Fear Level: 99%]

Su Qingya trembled all over, her throat emitting a howl akin to that of a fox.

The mist grew thicker, encroaching even upon her eyes.

Leng Xiao stepped into the theater, witnessing such a bizarre sight, and without a moment to think, immediately rang the emotional device, attempting to suppress everything before her.

The calming sound of the bell greatly improved Xiao Ge’s situation; his thoughts became serene, restoring his rationality.

“Damn! It’s that lonely emotional beast! Isn’t it dead? Since when?!”

Recovering, Xiao Ge suddenly realized what was happening.

There was no need for reminders; Leng Xiao continued ringing the emotional device in her hand, which amplified her abilities to transmit feelings of tranquility. She focused intently on the figure on the stage.

She had given it her all.

But suddenly, Leng Xiao’s pupils widened.

“It’s no use! Captain! I can’t make her calm down at all!”

There must have been something wrong.

She was a four-star tranquil emotional conjurer, how could she possibly fail to calm Su Qingya’s heart?

No, it wasn’t that her ability was ineffective; it seemed like it had been affected by something.

A wisp of drifting black mist penetrated her nostrils.

Leng Xiao’s heart became chaotic.

In the blink of an eye, Su Qingya’s attack was upon her.

Like a ghost, she flashed directly in front of Leng Xiao.

Her sharp claws accompanied by black mist tore down from above.

Leng Xiao hurriedly used her bell to defend.

The bell was highly rigid, perfectly blocking the strike.

But Su Qingya unexpectedly executed a spinning punch in midair, swinging a rapidly rotating chainsaw down towards Leng Xiao.

She dared not block it and had to lift her leg to kick Su Qingya away.

“Continue activating your ability,” Xiao Ge shouted.

“Yes, Captain.”

“Su Qingya, listen to me, Xu Nian isn’t dead.”

Under the continuous ringing of the bell, Su Qingya finally managed to hear Xiao Ge’s words rationally.

“Nian Nian isn’t dead?”

These four words struck Su Qingya like a blow.

It felt like hope extending from the endless darkness.

Even in such extreme terror, they forcefully pulled her thoughts back.

“Yes, it’s an illusion created by the emotional beast, to present your most cherished possessions and destroy them, thereby generating intense negative emotions and causing an acute sense of loneliness. Did you not have the thought that it would be better if you were alone just now?”

Su Qingya shuddered; she grasped this key word. With the oscillating sound of the bell, her internal negative emotions gradually receded like a tide.

However, she had not entertained such a thought of being alone.

Suddenly, Leng Xiao seemed to be struck by something.

She flew backward, crashing into row upon row of chairs.

“Finally, I’ve succeeded.”

Hidden in the shadows lay an unknown horror.