Chapter 61: Intertwined Death Anniversaries and Birthdays (6)
Originally, this city didn’t have so many Anomalies; they all gathered here because of this Zombie Virus crisis…
If I had known, we should have stopped Father, but that would significantly alter the future, and would definitely cause…
Even if we escaped destiny’s chase due to Zihua’s final paradoxical ability, attempting to make significant changes to the future would still trigger a backlash from karma.
In other words, we are currently in a latent viral state, temporarily undetected, but once it activates, it could bring disaster.
That’s why I don’t understand what to do next. Zihua’s last Text Message seemed to contain some clues, but Juncheng has never shown them to me.
“Regardless, our primary mission hasn’t changed.
We just need to continue following Li Nai and wait for that day to arrive.
So, we can’t stay here any longer… That’s what I said, but we are already surrounded by a large number of Zombies. Juncheng and I alone cannot break through this.”
Juncheng walked up to the man with the goatee, squatted down, and calmly said.
“Hey, Uncle, let’s make a deal.”
“…This situation feels more like a threat.”
“Yes, then let’s call it a threat. Please help us kill all these Zombies. Although the zombie horde seems to be continuously growing, if it’s you, Uncle, you should be able to take on a hundred by yourself after Oniification.”
The surrounding Zombies were frantically charging toward us, and in a moment, they would be climbing onto the roof of the bus we were on using the bodies of their fallen comrades. I had seen similar zombie hordes before, but it felt more like watching a movie. When you are in it yourself, anyone would undoubtedly become nervous.
Only Juncheng and this murderous Uncle could still converse as if no one else were around.
It was chillingly calm…
I quickly shook my head, telling myself I must be influenced by the atmosphere, how could I find Juncheng scary?
“You even know my background? Is there really someone who knows about Oni…?”
“Ah, because I happened to have seen Oniification before. But actually, there is a Ghost willing to give you part of its soul.”
“What a shame. As you said, ghosts would never give away part of their soul to humans. After all, to them, humans are merely…
“I was originally a severely wounded soldier on the verge of death. It was only later that I was used as a test subject and modified. They forcibly implanted a Ghost’s soul into mine, forcefully achieving… Hah, really, even bodies that have undergone organ transplant surgery still require medication to control the Rejection reaction, let alone… I’m just an accidental product. Perhaps it’s because this Ghost’s soul is weaker, or perhaps our souls are similar. In any case, I didn’t die on the spot, hehe…”
The middle-aged man with the goatee gave us a bitter smile.
“I don’t have long to live. I originally wanted to go back to my hometown before I die, but I didn’t expect such a disaster to happen… I thought that even if I couldn’t find the Witch of Calamity, I could save more people before I die, so I could proudly say I was a soldier defending the country… I’m sorry, kid, I only wanted to kill you before because I thought you would turn into a Zombie.”
“Dying people tend to have more to say. You’re probably not interested in my past, hahaha.”
There was no need for us to untie him; the Uncle with the goatee broke the ropes himself. His hair turned white, and after Oniification, his eyes turned crimson. Half of a Ghost’s soul… For a Ghost to actually be willing to give part of its soul to a mere human… Hahahaha! Originally, after learning about the hidden world, I had completely despaired at this false peace. Things like this are commonplace in the hidden world. After all, the hidden world is also called the Dark World; it is the dark side of this world, the… But you, you seem completely unfazed by this… Hehe, does a harmonious hidden world really exist? Because our initial contact with the hidden world was through the Organization, all we saw was the hidden world under order… The true hidden world is far more brutal than we imagine…
“Let us help you one last time. Speaking of which, who exactly are you guys…?”
“Just outsiders who don’t belong here, but our objective is the same.”
“Yes, Uncle, I promise you, this Zombie crisis will end soon!”
“Hahaha! It’s a good thing not to have regrets before dying!”
The Uncle picked up his weapon and jumped off the bus.
“And also… Don’t call me Uncle! I’m only twenty-eight years old this year!”
He forcefully carved out a bloody path with his body. But Zombies, being mindless creatures, knew no fear. Even as one companion after another was torn to shreds, they continued to charge at the Uncle.
Juncheng and I exchanged a look, then jumped off the bus in unison and moved away from the zombie horde in the opposite direction.
Carrying the death of another, we continue to move forward; only then can we live up to their trust.
Later, using our phones, we found Li Nai again. She seemed to have already met the Juncheng of this era.
“I was originally worried that Li Nai might be delayed by what happened earlier and might miss him… But it seems that she ran into you, Juncheng, after all.”
“That’s because it’s a foregone conclusion. No matter what happens in between, it will eventually happen. This is the compulsion of causality… Only Destiny Power can resist it.”
But at this moment, Juncheng cannot use Destiny Power. Zihua, the only one who could change the world, is also gone.
How can we, as mortals, change the future…
A period of time passed after Li Nai met the little Juncheng.
During this time, we stayed behind them. We had initially thought of helping them secretly if they encountered danger, but they didn’t need us at all. These two could live quite well by cooperating.
Time is running out.
I can feel my body gradually becoming insubstantial, as if it will disappear in the blink of an eye. What doesn’t exist is returning to not existing. The lie that deceived the world is on a countdown. Just like Cinderella’s magic only lasts until midnight, the world will…
Whether we can grasp this last moment and change the future hinges on now.
The timing should have been calculated, so there’s no need to worry about that. But I don’t know if we can seize the opportunity at the critical moment, and Juncheng still hasn’t told me the contents of the Text Message on his phone, so I have no confidence.
But I can only suppress my unease for now.
Li Nai and the little Juncheng moved into a makeshift underground shelter they accidentally discovered.
But no matter how I look at it, such an underground base is too suspicious.
It’s like a trap set to catch rabbits. In my eyes, it’s no different from a cage.
But Li Nai still moved in. I can understand her feelings; she wants a stable place right now.
By the way, elementary school student Juncheng is indeed small, and so cute… It’s no wonder Li Nai is so irrational; she’s completely captivated by the little Juncheng.
Juncheng and I are on the second floor of the building where they moved into the underground shelter.
Looking at Juncheng lying silently on the sofa, I asked him with some helplessness.
“Juncheng, you should tell me by now…”
Every time before, he would just brush it off. But this time, Juncheng said.
“The turning point is here. Because I was bitten by a Zombie, Li Nai bit herself to save me, concentrating the Zombie Virus onto herself. Then she absorbed the viruses of all the Zombies that could turn back into humans, which is why the Zombie Virus didn’t spread.”
“Juncheng, have you remembered everything?!”
“…I’ve remembered everything.”
“Then that means Li Nai and the others can’t escape this city…”
“There’s no possibility of escaping the city at all, because it has already been sectioned off.”
“Sectioned off? You mean…”
“It’s all to find the Witch of Calamity…”
“Then we need to prepare even earlier.”
There isn’t much time left. We have to stop Li Nai from turning into a Zombie.
I went to Juncheng’s side, climbed onto the sofa, essentially on top of Juncheng, and at a close distance, feeling his breath, I looked into his eyes and asked.
“Hey, Juncheng, tell me?”
“Zi’ai… Actually, Zihua was right… If you were all by my side, even if this world ushered in the end of the world…”
Faced with Juncheng’s attitude, I glared at him through gritted teeth and asked in a voice suppressing my anger.
“Do you really think that?”
P SF Light Novel
“”
A long silence.
Juncheng closed his eyes.
I became even more enraged.
“What are you hesitating about!”
He remained silent.
Why won’t you tell me!
“Don’t you trust me? Do you think I’ll mess it up?”
.“….”
Crash!
Before I could finish speaking, the sound of breaking glass, followed by Zombies frantically pouring into the building!
“What’s going on?!
Is it the final moment already!”
“Juncheng! This is bad! We have to hurry—”
Juncheng showed no intention of moving, as if he hadn’t heard anything.
He looked completely as if he had given up.
Why… Juncheng, are you really not going to save Li Nai? You always fought until the last moment before, and you always desperately found a way even when there was no solution…
Now, I must ensure little Juncheng isn’t bitten by a Zombie, otherwise, the same mistake will be repeated.
In the end, Li Nai will still turn into a Zombie to save Juncheng…
I must stop it…
No matter what, I must stop it…
I stood at the exit of the underground shelter, looking at the zombie horde in front of me with despair, and sank to the ground powerlessly.
Zombies continued to pour in, but they showed no interest in me… They were ordered to attack here… In a moment, I thought of Miss Akiko’s corpse.
So the Organization discovered that Li Nai was the Witch of Calamity, which is why they sealed off the city and then ordered a large number of Zombies to attack here…
I am completely helpless… It’s all the unstoppable tide of events… It’s just a tragedy playing out under the script called destiny…
I can’t possibly save Li Nai and the little Juncheng from there by myself alone…
What should I do…
A flash of purple flickered in my peripheral vision. My eyelids twitched, and I suddenly looked up.
Zihua?!
Are you still alive!
I looked up. She was wearing the same purple long dress as when I first met her. The surrounding scenery turned black and white, and time had stopped, just like the first time I saw her.
I opened my mouth to speak, but I couldn’t hear her voice.
However, even though I couldn’t hear her voice, I still understood what she said.
Her words were: ‘Why are you here? Shouldn’t you be there?’
I should be there…
I missed it, so of course I wouldn’t be—Huh?
A Bolt of lightning struck my mind with a boom. I suddenly remembered the murderous Uncle from before.
That Uncle was able to Oniify by merging with a Ghost’s soul…
Different souls cannot be merged, but what if… it’s the same soul?
At this moment, I understood everything.
Why Zihua brought me back to the past, and why Juncheng refused to tell me about this.
Because only I could change the future.
Even my past self was calculated? The future… is truly too formidable…
Hehe, is this self-praise?
I looked at Zihua again. She smiled at me, then waved her arm and reversed time. This is the last retrograde Samsara.
Returning to Juncheng, this time I was no longer angry at his inaction.
I simply held his hands and said to him.
“Juncheng, thank you for cherishing me so much.”
The farewell ends here, otherwise, I might be tempted to waver. I turned and ran downstairs.
“Wait! Zi’ai! No!”
Arriving at the underground shelter, ignoring Li Nai’s bewildered expression, I picked up the little Juncheng and kissed him on the lips.
Ah, is this considered me molesting a little lolita?
However, the soft feeling is quite nice.
“Heh… Like this, Juncheng’s First Kiss belongs to me.”
Of course, the main purpose wasn’t this.
In this past, there is still another me.
The young soul that has not yet awakened, living in Juncheng’s heart, constantly dreaming of being in the womb.
By absorbing the other me, that soul, back into my body, I now have two souls within me.
Only now will I also be able to use Destiny Power.
This is the destiny I manufactured myself.
Twin souls.
“Come on, damn destiny, it’s time to fight back.”
