by N. Heller
"Yes? What's wrong?"
"Get off the aircraft now! The man found the aircraft. I don't know what he did to it. He just touched it and then—"
The call had been cut off.
Chapter 817 - Lin Sanjiu’s Suicide Mission
"Yes. I heard it too, but I didn't pay it any mind since I had a customer to attend to at the time. There ought to be some strange noises from places where people usually gather. You might not know about it, but since I have been here for so long, I am already used to it," the tavern owner said softly.
"Yes, I saw it! A globe of shining red fire so huge that half of the sky was illuminated by it!" a man sitting outside of Bliss said. "I told the other guy, but he didn't believe me."
"I'm sorry. I didn't see anything," a passerby said with haste. He didn't even stop when he was talking.
"There was a big explosion in the sky. Then something crashed into the mountain and caused a minor rockslide," said a kid whose gender couldn't be identified. He or she giggled, staring straight at Lin Sanjiu. "I wonder who the poor bloke is."
A cold breeze shot right underneath her clothes, and the chill rushed over her skin. The nape of her neck and her scalp goosed, and she shivered in the cold. She returned to reality as Mrs. Manas's voice rang out in her mind, "Are you okay?"
She had been sitting on the mountaintop for more than ten minutes.
She was cold, hungry, and alone. When she tried to get up, her legs had grown so numb, they couldn't support her weight. Like a drunkard, she stumbled back on the ground and just sat there, her thoughts beginning to wander away once more.
The night had completely fallen. It was so vast and boundless, she couldn't see the end of it. The mountain beneath her feet looked like a lonely rock in a sea, and the wind felt like a rolling wave. It blew and assaulted both her and the grass mercilessly, causing them to sway.
She had no idea how long she had been sitting here. The last thing she could remember was that she walked over to Mid Mountsburg, asked around the townspeople about the incident, and then groped her way up the mountain in the dark. No matter how hard she tried to recount, she couldn't remember anything. It was as if there was a wall in her brain, shutting her out and preventing her from tapping into her memory.
She had searched everywhere, including the valley nearby, the back of the mountain… She even went to search the other mountain, yet she still couldn't find the wreckage of the aircraft or anything that could be Yu Yuan. This was something within her expectation, as when she finally gathered enough energy and pulled herself up from the ground, she looked to the front. Up ahead of her lay a massive swath of mountainous area, stretching all the way back into the horizon. Some of their peaks were so sharp as if they had poked through the sky.
She scanned across the mountain range, wondering where Yu Yuan could possibly be and how long it would take her to search through the entire mountain range. She was alone and she had no helper, hence there was a huge possibility that she wouldn't be able to find either Yu Yuan or the aircraft even after she spent half a month there. Talking about the aircraft, she still hadn't named it yet, for she hoped Yu Yuan could do the favor. After all, he was the one who piloted, repaired, and did all the maintenance work. Thus, ever since Lin Sanjiu passed him the task to name the aircraft, he'd come up with a new name every day. However, he always had the feeling that those names were not good enough. It was like he couldn't make up his mind, and the name of the aircraft remained undecided since then. And now, the name was not needed anymore.
"The first thing you have to do when the sun is up is check-in," Mrs. Manas sighed, "The last time you checked in was at noon, correct?"
"Yeah…"
"Don't be such a fool. Check-in would take you only two hours. You can always come back here and continue to search for him."
"I understand…"
If it weren't for her, all of this wouldn't have happened and Yu Yuan wouldn't have to die. She couldn't stop herself imagining how lonely Yu Yuan would be when he stared into the night sky with his lifeless body and soulless eyes, or perhaps, he was still clinging on to his last breath in his battered body as he waited for her rescue. No matter if it was the former or the latter, she couldn't do anything right now, as she still had to go down the mountain and check-in to avoid the so-called "calamity" from befalling her.
Lin Sanjiu couldn't bear the thought. She balled herself up tight like a frozen shrimp.
How could she continue her life as if nothing happened while Yu Yuan was dead?
"Pull yourself together! If anything happens to you, nobody can help Yu Yuan anymore!" Mrs. Manas growled. She knew she had to do something, otherwise Lin Sanjiu would succ.u.mb to her downward spiral of depression.
"I know…"
Lin Sanjiu sat in a daze for a while longer. She called out the communication device and inputted Yu Yuan's calling number again. However, the same as before, there was no sound on the other end.
Even though the communication device was a Special Item, it couldn't survive an explosion. Once destroyed, it couldn't be used anymore.
The night was receding and wisps of clouds were pulling the sun up. As the dawn was breaking, the thing that woke up in Lin Sanjiu was her hatred and anger.
If she could find the man again, she swore that she would snap his neck and crush his windpipe. She wanted nothing but to revel at the scene as his pair of eyes popped out of their sockets.
Even though she had been searching for Yu Yuan the entire night, Lin Sanjiu continued her search despite Mrs. Manas's warning. The sun was getting stronger and the temperature spiked. Mrs. Manas had no thought of giving in. She kept urging Lin Sanjiu to go check-in first again and again, and finally, it got through her skull. Lin Sanjiu turned around and began to walk down the mountain.
Ever since she left Bliss with Silvan, she had not stepped into the building again. However, when Lin Sanjiu passed by Bliss today, she stopped.
"I will check-in here today," she spoke to Mrs. Manas.
"But what about Jezebel—"
"Which Jezebel are you talking about?" she interrupted Mrs. Manas coldly. Perhaps she knew Lin Sanjiu was not in the mood of discussing anything right now, for Mrs. Manas did not say anything anymore afterward.
Lin Sanjiu had no idea what kind of role the fake "Jezebel" took on throughout the entire event.
The thought had been in her mind for a long time. When Lin Sanjiu pulled out the bag of red crystals, she had the sudden urge to throw it at the young server's face, even though she knew he was innocent. When he welcomed her with great manners, Lin Sanjiu did not move. She smiled coldly.
"I can go to the fourth floor just like that? No permission required?" She was very certain that the server did not know anything, but she just couldn't control her anger anymore. "Anyone can go and see Jezebel after they pay the money?"
Setting his jaw tight, the young server replied, "She is not here today."
"What if she is here?"
"For your information, miss, only those who have Ms. Jezebel's permission can go to the fourth floor. I hope this will answer your question. If there is nothing else I can help you with, I hope you will enjoy your stay in Bliss."
Lin Sanjiu remembered clearly that during her first time at Bliss, she did not get any permission at all. Nevertheless, on second thought, she reckoned it was normal as well. After all, none of the staff was aware of Jezebel's presence. It was just that the Jezebel wasn't the real deal, but she did not know that either.
She had to go through all three floors first before she could find the staircase to the fourth floor. The window displays in the morning were empty. Out of ten window displays, nine were unoccupied. From time to time, a shadow would flit across a window display. Perhaps the person had just woken up after having a fun night? Lin Sanjiu didn't know. After losing their brilliant colors, the window displays looked so bland, they could be the cubicle in an office building.
Lin Sanjiu was uninterested with the people or
things behind the window displays. She stormed down the corridor, her lonely footfalls that ricocheted off the wall being the only sound that could be heard in the air. Some of the people happened to come out of the window displays as she walked down the corridor. When they caught sight of her, they would turn their heads away. Perhaps they still felt embarrassed even though they had evolved?
The way they turned their faces away from Lin Sanjiu gave her an idea.
She c.a.r.e.s.sed her mask and fell into thought.
"The Jezebel I met is the clue given by the Reverie Libretto, so she must be somehow connected to the person who wants to kill me, correct?" she asked Mrs. Manas. Then, without giving Mrs. Manas a chance to say anything, she continued, "That man on the mountain the other day, he must be after my life as well. No matter if he is the primary mover behind the entire incident or not, he must be related to the entire event."
"Yes, what do you want to say?"
"If all of them are involved in devising a plan to kill me," Lin Sanjiu said as she nipped at the corner of her mask, "Then all I have to do is present their target, which is me, right to their doorstep."
"Don't be silly, Lin Sanjiu. Right now, all you have to do is check-in and then—"
Mrs. Manas was a step slower. Before she could finish talking, Lin Sanjiu had taken down her mask already.
"What the hell were you doing? Put the mask back on!" Mrs. Manas snapped. "What if they pop out before you could check-in? Okay, I get it now. If you do not check-in in time, then according to the rules of the checkpoint pocket dimension, a "calamity" will befall you. You want to use the "calamity" to lure all of them to you? What a daring move! I never thought about this at all…"
Lin Sanjiu paid Mrs. Manas's gabble no mind. After all, she was part of her consciousness; everything she said was Lin Sanjiu's own thoughts. The darkness in her heart had grown to a size that surmounted her fear. Regardless of what Mrs. Manas said, it just couldn't reach her.
You would never know what would happen next, no matter how well prepared you were.
When she was about to mount the staircase to the second floor, she heard a click and the next thing she knew, the entire building had plunged into darkness. She turned around and squinted her eyes. The long and deep corridor behind her looked like a beast with its mouth opened wide, waiting to consume her.
Chapter 818 - I Don’t Want To Hurt You
"Hello. Welcome to Bliss, once again."
A woman's deep voice came into existence. It felt itchy as if the wind was kissing her ears, causing her to feel a snakelike chill creep down her spine and her skin to burst out in goosebumps. She entered the hypersensory state and hastily turned around. However, there was nothing in the dark corridor.
"Jezebel," Lin Sanjiu said, gritting her teeth, "That isn't your name, right? Who the hell are you? Why don't you come out and talk to me face to face? Are you scared?"
The woman chuckled. Lin Sanjiu was certain that she wasn't physically here, and it didn't seem like she was talking through a speaker either. It felt as if her voice had assimilated with the air, filling into every inch of the corridor.
"Who the hell are you?" Lin Sanjiu shouted, her voice reverberated along the corridor. "So you wouldn't have shown yourself if I hadn't removed my mask, huh?"
Just like what Mrs. Manas had warned her, of course she knew the consequence of removing her mask. However, if she did not throw the bait, "Jezebel" wouldn't show herself. She knew that this was the only way to force her out of hiding.
It was just that she felt pretty hurt when "Jezebel" took the bait and appeared.
The woman who donned a wet red robe; the woman with a pair of intense blue eyes; the woman who showed her the checkpoint… Did she want to kill her as well?
"I suppose you have underestimated me," the woman chuckled. "Whether or not you remove your mask, I will know it is you the moment you step into this building."
Lin Sanjiu took a breath to calm herself down. She scanned around the corridor and found out that even though it was daytime now, the corridor was dark. "Jezebel" sighed again and then continued, "I remember your smell after spending that night with you. Whenever you come near this building, I can sense you."
Lin Sanjiu was even more confused. Frowning, she did not ask how she did that, but asked another question instead, "Who are you? Why would you pretend to be Jezebel?"
"She isn't here most of the time, so she was the most suitable candidate," the woman's voice answered, "As for my real identity… If you have a watch, then you can tell time. But imagine this, would you still know the exact time if you had hundreds of watches? You would be confused, right? Likewise, I have too many names, so not even I can tell you my real name."
Setting her jaw tight, Lin Sanjiu did not say anything and strode towards the staircase.
When she passed by the last window display on the corridor, it lit up. Scarcely had she taken a look than a shadow pounced out from the blast of white light. Startled, she quickly recoiled. Nevertheless, since there was a layer of glass between them, the creature hit the glass with a loud thud.
An arctic white face that was completely devoid of facial features came into her sight. The creature slowly peeled its face away from the glass. It was only then that Lin Sanjiu saw the creature in its entirety. Its head was abnormally huge, which did not go very well with its tiny and scrawny body. The lower part of its torso was split into dozens of root-like tentacles, one of which was beating the glass.
'How did Bliss come up with such a creature?'
"To be honest, I don't want to kill you," the "Jezebel" sighed again. "I am smitten with you, and if possible, I want to put you into one of my displays. I want to look at you every day. I want you to stand under the light and let me touch you, feel you, and turn you into my belonging. Just like the creature over there."
Lin Sanjiu looked into the window display. Aside from duoluozhong, she really couldn't think of what else it might be.
"And?" She sneered coldly, "I know there is always a but."
The air was filled anew with "Jezebel's" guilt-laden sigh. "Yes. Unfortunately, they won't allow me to do so. They said you are a threat, and we have to eliminate you to keep ourselves safe. The opposition side was too small and too weak, so I have no choice but to agree with the suggestion."
"Who are they?" Lin Sanjiu asked, her anger apparent.
"Jezebel" shrugged off the question with a laugh. There was a few minutes of silence, and the only sound that could be heard was the pounding of the creature in the window display. After what seemed like an eternity, "Jezebel's" voice rang out again. "I remember how cute your reaction was when I was nibbling on your earlobe. I remember the shape of your collarbone and the rhythm of your breath when you reached your climax. I love to teach a newbie like you how to explore a human's body and discover your d.e.s.i.r.e. They wanted to kill you, I couldn't stop them. They tasked me with an assignment, but I couldn't bring myself to do it. So, please, don't make it hard for me. Just wait here until 1 pm, and I will let you go, okay?"
Aside from sounding like she was consoling her girlfriend, there was a hint of grief and sadness in her voice.
Lin Sanjiu turned and examined the window display again.
'If the creature's only weapon is its teeth, then there is nothing to worry about,' Lin Sanjiu thought inwardly.
"The last time I checked-in was around 12 in the noon, and now it's already half past eleven." She looked at the creature and said, "In another 30 minutes, I will miss my chance to check-in."
"Jezebel" fell silent.
"Are you planning to hold me up so that I cannot check-in?" Lin Sanjiu continued. "You want me to die, but you don't even want to step up and do it yourself. Instead, you are going to take advantage of the power of the pocket dimension to get rid of me. What a coward."
"I am sorry, but I just couldn't help it."
Lin Sanjiu chafed at the comment, "Well, have it your way because... I am not going to give you the chance."
Before her voice died away, she shot towards the staircase like an arrow released from its bow. The window display behind her shattered. A metallic scent instantly blistered the air as a long, mindless shrill assaulted her ears. It sounded like somebody was scraping against the metal.
The creature rammed itself and smacked its tentacles on the staircase, but it was too late. Lin Sanjiu had already leapt over the corner of the stairs and went straight to the second floor. By the time her foot stepped on the last step, the creature hadn't even made its way up the staircase yet. However, barely had she taken a breath than her heart clenched in her c.h.e.s.t. She jerked her head back and the [Defense Forcefield] lit up.
"Jezebel" expelled a sigh. Lin Sanjiu had no idea why, but her voice still felt as if she was talking beside her ears even though she had switched to another floor.
"Do you think I have only one collection?" Her voice had calmed down, like a pool of deadly water. The alluring attribution in her voice was gone. "Why can't you just listen? If you sit here and wait until 12, I can assure you that none of them are going to hurt you."
Lin Sanjiu couldn't say a word right now. She couldn't see anything, and she felt as if her face was going to fall off. When she turned her head back a second ago, she finally saw the thing that caused her heart to skip a beat. Something was hanging down from the ceiling, and before she could do anything, it jumped onto her face. It began s.u.c.k.i.n.g her face like how a baby s.u.c.k.e.d on a pacifier. Even with her [Defense Forcefield], she could still feel her skin getting pulled away from her face and neck. It had only been half a second, but the pain was so intense, her consciousness began slipping away.
Then, she suddenly realized that she could still move her hands.
She raised her arms up amidst the excruciating pain she was enduring and activated the [Mosaic Censorship]. Without any hesitation, she pressed her hands down. However, as if it knew what she was going to do, the s.u.c.k.i.n.g force suddenly disappeared and the creature peeled itself away from her face. Lin Sanjiu's face was covered in the creature's saliva, and before she could open her eyes, it caught her hands in midair and pushed them towards her face.