Chapter 146: Strange Image Space (ii)
The door to Room Seven suddenly opened.
Above Shen Yu’s head, a transfer card slowly descended.
He reached out and caught it.
For a moment, he simply stared at the card in his hand.
Then he picked up the helmet and gloves that had fallen beside the door.
He slowly put them back on before stepping out of Room Seven.
He stood outside the private cinema, his expression unusually thoughtful.
The third stop.
Future Station.
At first, Shen Yu hadn’t understood what kind of memory this station was supposed to represent.
Can future memories really be intercepted?
The answer was yes.
And this station didn’t merely show him vague fragments.
It directly displayed them.
That explained the strange images on the televisions.
The person in the images was clearly him.
Yet he had never experienced those events.
Why?
Because those memories hadn’t happened yet.
They belonged to the future.
The true difficulty of this level wasn’t defeating the monsters.
It was facing one’s future self.
And no one could possibly defeat their future self.
The key was to recognize that future identity...
And accept it.
Shen Yu’s eyes narrowed.
His future self had apparently mastered the ability to transform into a beast.
He had also gained some kind of power capable of confusing or manipulating people’s minds.
Recalling everything he had just experienced, a faint look of anticipation appeared in his eyes.
He turned toward the seven doors.
All seven had closed again.
He had no idea how many people would actually walk out this time.
The live-stream barrage immediately erupted.
Superstar Falling Mountain Machine: Wow!
"I think I understand what Shen Yu just said!"
"That giant crocodile was Shen Yu himself!"
"He entered the crocodile’s mouth and accepted himself!"
"So future Shen Yu will become a giant crocodile?"
Legal Pioneer Snake: You understood nothing!
"Future!"
"Future!"
"It means future Shen Yu has mastered the power to transform into a beast!"
"That person standing on the rooftop was future Shen Yu!"
"Future Station can actually capture future memories!"
University Flower: Wait!
"Did you guys notice that the solution to this level is actually accepting future memories?"
"It’s not about having your memories taken away!"
"So everyone’s future isn’t necessarily being deprived!"
"Awesome!"
"Shen Yu actually figured it out!"
"How did this guy even think of that?"
But then another question appeared.
"If every image represents the future..."
"Why doesn’t Bill have a future image?"
"Does Bill have no future?"
"And why did the deceased Matsumoto Kika have a future image?"
The barrage fell into another frenzy of speculation.
Room Six
Behind Room Six, Malin stood silently in the narrow corridor.
An LCD screen flickered above her.
Images continuously appeared.
Malin shopping alone with Shen Yu.
Malin having dinner with Shen Yu and Menloa.
Malin knocking on Shen Yu’s door.
The scenes seemed ordinary.
But they were clearly things that would only happen after becoming familiar with someone.
Malin stared at the screen.
A faint anticipation appeared in her eyes.
But she wasn’t foolish.
She had only met Shen Yu today.
How could these things possibly have already happened?
She looked at the images again.
Maybe...
Maybe I really know Shen Yu.
Maybe I’ve simply lost my memories.
A strange thought entered her mind.
Could the amnesiac me have fallen in love with Shen Yu at first sight?
Her cheeks immediately warmed.
"Wow."
"That’s so romantic."
But the fleeting infatuation disappeared quickly.
Malin’s expression became serious.
There was another possibility.
These images are fictional.
I really did just meet Shen Yu today.
These are things that I’ll do in the future.
"The future..."
Malin murmured.
Tap.
Tap.
Tap.
She continued walking deeper into the narrow corridor.
The lights above flickered.
The surroundings gradually became darker.
Then—
A figure appeared ahead.
It stood with its back toward Malin.
In its hands was a strange doll.
"You?"
Malin cautiously tried to communicate with the shadow.
The figure didn’t respond.
Then—
Thud.
The doll fell from its hands.
For a moment, nothing happened.
Then the doll slowly stood upright.
Its head turned.
It looked directly at Malin.
"Hehehe."
The doll looked like something from a horror movie.
Its head twisted nearly 180 degrees.
Its hollow eyes locked onto Malin.
A terrifying chill swept through her body.
Malin trembled.
She was completely frozen.
"You?"
The shadow finally spoke.
"So it’s this moment..."
Slowly, it turned around.
The face revealed beneath the darkness was one Malin never expected to see.
It was her own face.
Long brown hair framed the familiar features.
The other Malin wore a teasing expression.
She slowly approached.
One hand slipped into her pocket.
A dagger appeared.
Her eyes curiously examined the present-day Malin.
"You..."
"You’re me."
"You’re the future me."
The moment Malin realized the truth, her body suddenly regained its ability to move.
"Ha!"
"Malin, you have to hold on."
"Otherwise, after this dungeon, you’ll have no chance at all."
Buzz!
The future Malin thrust the dagger forward.
Present-day Malin quickly retreated.
At the same time, she drew her own dagger.
"What are you talking about?"
"Hehehe."
Clang!
Clang!
Clang!
The two daggers collided.
Sparks flew through the narrow corridor.
The future Malin smirked.
Then suddenly—
She slammed her forehead toward Malin’s face.
Bang!
Malin was caught completely off guard.
Her head spun.
A loud buzzing filled her ears.
Her eyes closed involuntarily.
But when she opened them again—
She was standing behind Room Six.
Thud.
The door behind her suddenly opened.
A card dropped from above.
Malin caught it in confusion.
She stared at the transfer card.
"Is... is this really the end?"
She looked back toward the doorway.
"The future me isn’t scary at all."
But the future Malin’s words remained in her mind.
After this dungeon...
There will be no chance at all.
"What does that mean?"
Malin stepped out of Room Six.
She immediately saw Shen Yu standing outside.
"Oh."
"You came out so quickly too."
Shen Yu looked at her in surprise.
Malin stared deeply at him.
Her mind continued turning over the future Malin’s words.
Opportunity.
What opportunity was she talking about?
Could it be...
The chance to be with Shen Yu?
"Are you okay?"
Seeing Malin staring blankly at him, Shen Yu took two steps closer.
Malin instinctively shook her head.
Then she suddenly wrapped her arms around his arm.
She seemed to remember something.
She tilted her head against his shoulder.
"Shen Yu."
"Do you like girls with long hair?"
Shen Yu blinked.
"How did you know?"
Malin smiled.
"Then I’ll grow my hair long from now on."
"Hehe."
The live-stream barrage instantly exploded again.
"This isn’t fair!"
"Why is Malin’s future so simple?"
"This doesn’t make sense!"
Just Call Me Jia: What’s unreasonable about it?
"Some people simply have weaker futures."
"So they’re not a threat now."
"Isn’t that normal?"
Another viewer replied:
"I don’t actually think Malin’s future is weak."
"I think her future self is simply special."
"Her present self doesn’t need any enhancement."
"She’s already very strong."
Someone else suddenly asked:
"Wait."
"What exactly is Malin’s talent?"
"She hasn’t even used it yet!"
The barrage went silent for a moment.
Then another question appeared.
"But if we understand the future mechanism now..."
"Why is Bill’s live stream completely black?"
"Damn."
"Is Bill’s future completely dark?"
Behind Door One, Bill had encountered something completely different.
Ever since he entered—
There had been nothing.
Absolute darkness.
The corridor was pitch-black.
The LCD screen hanging from the ceiling had never illuminated.
Bill tried shouting.
"Hey!"
"Anyone there?"
His voice disappeared into the darkness.
There wasn’t even an echo.
Bill could only move forward cautiously while continuing to shout.
"Hello?"
"Where the hell am I?"
He took another step.
Then another.
Suddenly—
The LCD screen beside him flickered.
A faint light appeared.
For an instant, an image flashed across the screen.
A woman in a kimono.
She looked terrified.
Then the screen went dark again.
Bill froze.
"What the hell?"
"What does that mean?"
"What does it mean?"
"When I come in, you show me a woman in a kimono?"
He became increasingly angry.
"Do you think I’m a woman?"
"Or are you telling me I’m going to change gender in the future?"
Bill stared at the dark screen.
His expression twisted.
"TMD."
"Do you think I’ll undergo plastic surgery?"
"Change genders?"
"Use some kind of high-tech technology to become like that?"
"Isn’t that ridiculous?"
"Absurd!"
"It’s absurd to the maximum!"
Bill continued cursing as he moved through the darkness.
But deep down, he wasn’t actually foolish.
Back in the waiting hall, when he had seen the images of Shen Yu, Malin, and Menloa, he had already thought of a possibility.
Those photographs weren’t random.
They represented their future memories.
So what about his own future?
Was his future really that terrified woman in a kimono?
How could that possibly happen?
Bill’s imagination ran wild.
Did I somehow become a woman?
Did I get transformed?
Did I undergo some ridiculous experiment?
The more he thought about it, the angrier he became.
"Damn squid!"
"Damn squid!"
His curses echoed through the darkness.
Then—
Thud.
Bill suddenly bumped into the end of the corridor.
He stopped.
Before he could react—
A tremendous sound came from above.
Something huge descended.
A gigantic black sphere suddenly enveloped Bill.
"Gulp..."
"Gulp..."
The sphere swallowed him completely.
Inside it was a strange liquid.
The black sphere was enormous, roughly the size of a large inflatable bed and nearly two meters tall.
Its surface was soft and elastic.
Like a gigantic bouncy ball.
Bill stared around in confusion.
"What the hell is this...?"