Chapter 881 - 9: Visible
Since Hiri left the team temporarily...
It’s been a while since she was in the real world, and not by my side.
So as a functional NPC that manages dungeons, she temporarily lost her intended role? Therefore, the glitchy system, to prevent players from being unable to play the dungeons, restarted the original game mechanism, placing the dungeon entrances that should have been entrusted through Hiri’s abilities—
Refreshed once more on the "big map" of the real world, causing those entirely unseen dimensional vortices to appear randomly in any possible location?!
—there’s even a dungeon that actually just... refreshed directly onto Penglai Island?
—and right next to me?
Scrutinizing what just happened, Gu Mo felt it’s probably this situation; I still can’t see these dungeon entrances refreshed in such a frustrating way... but if it was refreshed earlier, I should have been able to react even if I didn’t notice beforehand.
So the only possibility is...
In the exact instant I stepped forward, in the briefest, smallest unit of time, a new dungeon entrance refreshed in front of me? Seamlessly swallowed me, transporting me to another dimensional space-time?
Roughly understanding that something must have happened, Gu Mo held his forehead and let out a long sigh.
The system really is still full of bugs, when will it be fixed...
If it’s not repaired, I just... there’s nothing I can do, no matter how disdainful, I can only make do with it; after all, there’s no other choice, I can’t just delete my account and quit the game, right? I’m not that desperate; I can only silently endure all this.
Furthermore, despite sometimes complaining about certain inhumane aspects of the system, or even anti-human user experiences, it’s just about thinking it’s not perfect... but in reality, the more you use this thing the better it gets; now it’s beyond what a mere phrase of true enjoyment can describe.
"Since I’m here, I might as well adapt, let’s see what kind of world it is, if I can speedrun it..."
Calming my mood, I looked around the surroundings casually, and Gu Mo freely activated the power of the Time Gem and the power of parallel world interference.
The former power was initiated instantly, starting to rewind time, allowing him to immediately revisit past history if he so wished. From thousands to tens of thousands of years, and even more distant periods, human history and even the planet’s memory can be revisited at his wish.
However—
There’s no way to rewind to that world and change the history of coming here.
As for the latter, it’s infinitely parallel world lines—
Based on the space-time template of the current world...
Expanding into multiple space-time lines...
These potentials presented before and after wave function collapse reflected into his pair of Divine Star Pupils, yet only confined to parallel worlds using the current universe as a reference point, with no ability to sense world lines belonging to entirely another universe.
The power of the Gemstone, the power of Magic, they all still have limitations.
Regarding such a result, Gu Mo didn’t feel disappointed, he already knew this would be the outcome, now it’s merely confirmatory.
—Speedrun failed.
...
...
Standing at the center of the road, the young man in white clothes and black hair curiously examined his surroundings, the setting also seemed like a world similar to Mirror Earth, the time presumably set in the post-2000s modern era background, comparing the similarities made little difference.
However, apparently in aspects of Spiritual Qi and mystery—
The state of this planet is better than Earth in the real world, is this an Evil Spirit rampant world?
Gu Mo rested his hand beneath his chin, pondering as his vast Spiritual Power quietly spread like a cobweb, extending across the entire planet, then retracting back, bringing back information feedback in between this release and contraction.
Meanwhile, passersby unconsciously avoided his presence.
After all, it’s quite a bustling shopping street, appearing like a prime location with everywhere filled with lively scenes, yet he stood still there alone, causing others to bypass him standing in the middle, all without realizing nor consciously avoiding him.
"A strange world, are there no Demon Exorcists?"
Almost immediately gaining a basic understanding of the current world, Gu Mo lowered his hand, shifting his gaze towards the pedestrians on the street...
And those, "not quite right" eerie figures mingled among them.
Accurately speaking, those are twisted Spirit Bodies, some drift along with the crowd, others perch atop buildings or billboards, others squat atop traffic lights like monsters, staring maliciously at the passing cars and pedestrians.
Among them, the large Spirit Bodies are nearly as large as a building, a single head possibly the size of a millstone.
The small ones, are another extreme, akin to miniature toys...
However, without exception, none have a human shape, all shrouded in deep black aura. Some have long necks, others multiple heads, some even have limbs numerous like a spider—their twisted and chaotic appearances enough to send the sanity of onlookers plummeting.
In short, every kind of Evil Spirit exists here.
Even those appearing the most normal, possessing basic humanoid forms, are only relative... in reality, they’re still very twisted existences, extremely hideous and horrifying, with intense dark aura practically substantive manifestations of malice.
Greed, resentment, terror...
Amidst their unruly black hair, occasionally revealing eyes are extremely cruel and evil, like ravenous wolves starving for a very long time, eager to shred their prey completely, skin, bones, blood, and flesh, devouring utterly!
But...
They’re merely observing, without taking any action, seemingly restrained by some rules, preventing them from crossing that line to launch indiscriminate attacks on mortal beings.
Gu Mo’s interest was somewhat piqued, according to his scan, he hasn’t discovered any hidden dark side of the world behind human society, lacking concepts like Mind Industry.
Neither are there any demon exorcists in the strategy room diligently performing exorcisms...
Nor are there any impoverished gods running back and forth for five dollars, striving to solve the worries of their believers...
So—what is maintaining such an order?
Practice is the sole criterion for testing truth. Having formed some conjectures, he adjusted his own mind field with great interest, no longer indiscriminately disturbing all surrounding perceptions, but rather setting some filtering conditions to release those special targets.
"You..."
Just at that moment, as if suddenly discovering Gu Mo’s presence, a massive evil spirit not far in front let its long, snake-like neck hang down, cupping its own head with its hands. Its fierce and terrifying eyeballs spun around and stared fixedly at him.
"...Can you see me?"
A chilling voice, hoarse and filled with malicious intent, as if resentment from underground.
However—
"I can see you!"
Wearing a very cheerful smile, the young man opposite seemed sunny, even warmly waved to it.
"..."
"..."
"...Can see me?"
The evil spirit, radiating intense negative spiritual waves and surrounded by resentment, seemed momentarily stunned. How could someone admit it so readily? But it was only for an instant before it became furious, the dark negative aura fluctuating wildly!
"Can see—!! You really can see!!"
It suddenly became hysterical, seemingly ecstatic yet furious, its twisted and chaotic figure instantly burst with fierce speed, rushing madly forward with an incredibly terrifying aura, as if intending to swallow the living person opposite alive!
Boom!
Invisible spiritual pressure spread out, like air compressed in a vacuum rippling outward in circles. Passersby were oblivious, continuing to chat and laugh while walking past here, as if naturally bypassing the large open space in the middle.
Facing the dissipating spirit body, Gu Mo, having casually whipped with a bit of spiritual power, sighed: "If I see you, it actually means you’re going to die... and you were still so happy."
Without even glancing at the dissipating spirit body, his eyes shifted to another evil spirit slightly further away.
"Hey, you over there... Look over here, I see you."
"Roar—!!"
The response to Gu Mo was a meaningless roar, and the similarly hysterical approaching evil spirit met the same fate.
Facing spiritual waves that merely need to intensify slightly to cause a trillion-ton nuclear explosion-like power in the physical world, existing completely as a monster, these spirit bodies purely glued together by resentment and negative spiritual waves truly could not withstand even the slightest spiritual suppression.
It’s the unbearable weight of life, a terrifying force like Mount Tai pressing down.
"Hey, it’s you, stop looking around..."
"I’m talking to you, hurry and come over..."
"That one over there, the ugliest one on the whole street..."
Just like that, he named and killed them one by one, and in three moves cleared the entire shopping street. Gu Mo also confirmed that indeed, a boundary line invisible divides this shore from the other. There seems to be a rule restricting those residents who dwell in the crevices, preventing them from freely hunting.
Unable to be observed means unable to be interfered with...
Those who cannot see them are beings in another dimension. Unless they confirm this, they can’t interfere.
A background begrudgingly acceptable, but for those very few who can see them, it’s unimaginably terrifying... Not only mentally feeling fear and torment but also encountering hellish-like danger in real life.
Just like...
...
Unknowingly, time passed.
The drizzle fell, the sky overcast.
In a corner of the now empty street, under a bus shelter stood a lonely girl with long black straight hair. Her school uniform skirt was a bit damp, and she held her phone absentmindedly staring at the screen, the cold light slightly illuminating her face.
"Can’t see... Can’t see..."
A resentful voice echoed like from the other side, a twisted shadow appeared beside her, malevolently and unwillingly fixating on the girl.
"No reply yet, so slow..."
The girl with long black hair murmured to herself, seemingly entirely unaware of the terrifying figure.
Not until the shadow gradually faded away in the rain and vanished.
Only then did she press her lips tightly, biting down hard, her body shaking uncontrollably. Her slender shoulders trembled as if cold...
Can’t take it anymore! Really can’t take it!
She’s reaching her limit!