Chapter 303

[That's right, that's right. Even though they're not the Herrscher of Domination, they can control so many Herrscher Core. We can't win, we can't win...]

Hey! What are you talking about? How could we possibly lose? We have a thousand men!

[So what if there are a thousand people? Shen Gonglin may seem fragile, but she actually has a lot of faith in herself, that intense self-confidence... We can't win.]

Even if we can't beat him, what about the others? Bronya Seele? Kiana? They're all our targets. If these people become ours, then only Shen Gonglin will be left... Hey, what are you doing?

[I'm digging a hole, I want to bury him... Sigh, he's been blown to bits, there won't be any left. It'll be a long time before he comes back to life.]

[Let me help... Forget it, I'm too tired, I don't want to do this anymore, let's just destroy it, it's over.]

[Heh, what a motley crew...]

"A mob? That's a pretty good name."

In a vast space, countless sounds overlapped, and within this space, a huge theater was slowly taking shape. The theater was already in preparation, and the next step was to invite the actors to enter.

"Little Herrscher of Consciousness, maybe we should go back... Kiana might be waiting for me to come back for dinner."

After leaving the alley and walking on the street, Shen Gonglin's mood finally calmed down. However, the feeling of being frightened by the doll still lingered in his mind. It was just too terrifying. Now he just wanted to go back and be with everyone as soon as possible. He would even fight Kevin or the Herrscher if he wanted to, just to avoid experiencing something like that again. Shen Gonglin was really scared.

[No, this is very important. I smelled a conspiracy coming from the doll earlier. We need to continue investigating. Hmm... that feeling should be in that location, it looks like an apartment building?]

The Herrscher of Consciousness in her mind immediately rejected Shen Gonglin's idea. Having tasted the sweetness of being hugged by Shen Gonglin for so long out of fear, the Herrscher of Consciousness wanted Shen Gonglin to do it again if she could. And to achieve this goal, of course, Shen Gonglin had to face that event again.

Mei Ming said that the best way to overcome fear is to face it. In fact, Hi Fu wanted was to make Shen Gonglin run into her arms in fear. As for solving the trouble, it was just a side effect. She didn't have the time to deal with such things. It was just a side effect.

[All right...]

Shen Gonglin was dejected and could only slowly make his way toward the apartment. Suddenly, he heard the sound of fighting. His vision blurred and a petite and beautiful figure suddenly appeared in front of the previously empty apartment. Seele, what is she doing here?

Moreover, there was no battle happening when I looked over just now. How come I suddenly saw Seele fighting with the mechs? It felt like they were trying to stop her from getting closer. As long as she didn't get close, there was no problem. But as soon as she got close, these things came out.

[No, this isn't reality, nor is it an illusion; it's like... a different dimension?]

The Herrscher in her consciousness said that it was impossible for her to use an illusion to hold her back, so what was in front of her was neither an illusion nor the original reality. It was as if she had been transferred to another space as soon as she stepped into this place.

"Understood."

Shen Gonglin's eyes flickered, and a chain sword appeared in his hand. Since this situation had occurred, it proved that there was indeed something shady in this apartment. He had no choice but to go in. Moreover, with Seele here, he didn't have to be afraid of encountering that strange doll again... No, he wasn't afraid of such things at all. He was just worried that Seele would be afraid!

Damn it, how come there are Anti-Entropy mechs here? They look just like those berserk mechs from before, and they seem to be controlled by someone... Grasping her scythe, Seele calmly and collectedly faced the challenge. She had obtained clues during her investigation and found this place, which proved that she was on the right track. Fortunately, she hadn't slacked off in her training recently, so she could handle these mechs.

Seele, do you need my help? These things are nothing to me.

No, I can do it.

Another version of herself was eager to help, as she was definitely better at combat than Seele. However, Seele refused her offer. The girl shook her head and insisted on fighting on her own. If she left everything to her other self, she wouldn't be able to grow. She couldn't always rely on her other self for protection.

[Tch... Hmm? Shen Gonglin, what's he doing here too?]

Black Seele spat slightly. When did this guy become so stubborn? Didn't he always solve these kinds of problems by himself before? Does he not need her now? Before Black Seele could think any further, another figure joined the battle. Both Seele were startled. Shen Gonglin, how could he be here?

Perhaps wanting to vent the fear she had felt from being frightened by the dolls, Shen Gonglin acted decisively this time. Her red chain sword extended and bound several mechs together. With a slight exertion of her arm, the tightly bound chain blades destroyed and broke all the mechs. She was proficient in all eighteen martial arts and all eighteen weapons. This was the power of Hi Xiaofu!

"Shen Gonglin, what are you doing here?"

Seele looked at Shen Gonglin with surprise. She didn't expect to meet Shen Gonglin here. He was really amazing. Although she could deal with these mechs herself, she would never be as decisive and efficient as Shen Gonglin. So strong!

"It's a long story... Hey, I never expected that they would use something like this to control the mecha. What a clumsy operating method."

Turning back to call out to Seele, Shen Gonglin's attention returned to the broken mechs. The mechs, whose core power had been destroyed, should have been incapacitated, but they stood up again thanks to the help of some threads. Threads, puppets—are these things connected?

Chapter 41

Contemplating the connection between the threads and the movement of these mechs, Shen Gonglin realized that the mechs moved entirely because of the control over these threads, like marionettes. Blue energy gathered around him, and several kitchen knives appeared in the air, rapidly retrieving and cutting. The throwing knives, constructed using the Herrscher of Reason's abilities, were incredibly sharp. He manipulated the knives to precisely cut through the threads controlling the mechs. The threads, now free of their pull, swayed in the air. "Trying to escape?"

Shen Gonglin grabbed the silk thread in mid-air, but her brow furrowed slightly as she did so. The sharp thread cut her palm. She had been careless. But even so, you can't escape!

She pulled hard on the thread, and a strange device emerged from the void. Shen Gonglin didn't know how to describe it; it was like a control board for a puppet... or something like that. Shen Gonglin didn't understand these things, but if this was the only thing there, it meant that the controller was still behind the scenes.

"Shen Gonglin, what happened... Oh no! You're injured!"

After Shen Gonglin destroyed the thing, the mecha completely lost its ability to move. At this time, the surrounding environment also changed. This time, the surroundings gave Shen Gonglin a sense of reality. The space just now was very strange, but Shen Gonglin couldn't understand it now. Seele saw blood flowing from Shen Gonglin's palm, she rushed over. Looking at the wound on Shen Gonglin's hand where the threads had cut, the girl was a little at a loss. Kiana and Sister Bronya both doted on Shen Gonglin, so how did he get injured while acting with her?

"It's nothing, just a minor injury... Hey! Don't open it up! Quickly tear the skirt and bandage it for her! Honestly, you're so clumsy! If you can't do it, let me do it!"

It seems that her other self also dotes on Shen Gonglin. Ignoring her crazy rants, Seele carefully bandaged Shen Gonglin's hand wound. When it comes to bandaging and taking care of people, Seele feels that she is more suitable than her other self. Look, it's bandaged now.

"It's alright, this kind of injury will heal quickly... Seele, what are you doing here? And what was that mech all about?"

With his hands behind his back, Shen Gonglin was quite skilled at healing wounds. His saliva was usually very effective at treating external injuries. According to Ms. Tokisaki, this was because of his Water Goddess physique... Although Shen Gonglin didn't understand how he could have a goddess physique, if Class President and the others were here, Shen Gonglin Kiana have acted cute. But now that only Seele was here, Shen Gonglin felt it was better to be strong. This was not the place to act cute.

"Seele doesn't know either... According to the information provided by the plaza manager, I went to the university where that person registered to investigate, but it seems that no one at the school remembers him... Even his classmates who took the same course only have a vague impression of him. It's so pitiful. Then I found this place based on the apartment information on the key, and then I encountered the attack by those strange mechs."

Seele honestly told Shen Gonglin what she had found out. At the same time, she felt very sorry for the missing college student. It seemed that his teachers and classmates had no memory of him, and even his former roommates were not. Maybe that was why he moved out.

"Oh, that's normal. Even if you've been in the same class for two years, there are often times when you can't remember someone's name. All the information points to this apartment building. It seems we really need to go in and investigate."

Looking up at the apartment building in front of him, the Lampa Apartments, the information Shibao gave him also pointed to this apartment building. Looking at the door number on Seele's key, Shen Gonglin took the lead and walked ahead. Then, after thinking for a moment, he pushed Seele in front. What if they encountered one of those strange and disgusting dolls again? If they wanted to scare someone, they should scare Seele instead.

"Is anyone home?... It seems no one is here. What should we do? Should we come back another day?"

Standing in front of the apartment, Seele gently knocked on the door, but there was no sound inside. Seele hesitated and turned to look at Shen Gonglin for his opinion. Shen Gonglin's expression was very unnatural. The quiet and dark environment around him gave him a sense of being in a horror movie. He wanted to hold Seele's hand to get some sense of security, but for the sake of his pride, Shen Gonglin did not dare to take her hand. After hearing what Seele said, he nodded quickly.

Yeah, yeah, let's go back and come another day. Let Kiana come with her another day. Shen Gonglin really isn't good at these kinds of occasions.

[Pshaw, why not just go up and use the key to open the door? Maybe we'll even find something shady.]

Another Seele was having the same idea in her mind. Unlike Seele, she wasn't hesitant at all. The apartment of a single male living alone might be of some reference value. Could it be that Shen Gonglin was in the same situation?

Huh? But if that's the case, then we can't just go in casually... Eh?

Hearing her other self's explanation, Seele blushed slightly. She took a step back, afraid that there might be something strange, but the apartment door slowly opened. It seemed that the door was not locked, because Seele's knocking had been pushed open. I'm sorry, I really didn't mean to!

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to..."

[Shut up, stop yelling so loudly. There's no one inside anyway. Quickly check what's inside.]

Seele unconsciously raised her voice to apologize to the person inside the door, while the other Seele rolled her eyes helplessly. This idiot, what would she do without her? Look at Shen Gonglin, look how composed he is... Tsk, I thought he was reliable, but it turns out he's already closed his eyes. These two are such a worry!

She apologized timidly, and only after hearing the voice of her other self did Seele raise her head again. At this moment, Shen Gonglin also quietly opened her eyes. The apartment was not big, and the first thing that caught their eyes was the doll lying on the ground. Shen Gonglin's pupils shrank. Sure enough, there was such a thing. However, this doll looked like it was broken.

After confirming that the doll didn't seem to be moving, Shen Gonglin approached to examine it. There was no mistake, this thing was exactly the same as the doll she had seen in the alley before. As expected of a young person living alone, this doll was used too harshly, the whole doll was falling apart.

Chapter Forty-Two: The Play About to Be Performed

[Great idea! As expected of my apprentice, I thought the same thing. This doll is so pitiful... Shen Gonglin, don't touch it! You'll end up not being able to get it clean even after washing your hands!]

Shibao teased herself like this in her mind. Not only her, but also Seele rushed forward to stop him when she saw Shen Gonglin about to touch the doll. Her other self had already warned her that something strange was going on in this room!

"Shen Gonglin, don't touch it... I told you the other one, we have to be careful, there's a smell in this room..."

Shen Gonglin knew of the existence of his other self, and that they got along quite well, so Seele wasn't worried about hiding anything and trusted his other self completely. If she said there was a problem, then there must be a problem. When Shen Gonglin heard Seele's words, he withdrew his finger, his expression strange. To say that a room in a single guy's room smelled... wasn't that quite normal?

However, Shen Gonglin subconsciously wrinkled her nose; she didn't seem to smell anything special.

"It's the smell of death... Another one of me is very sensitive to this smell, it's not some strange smell... Hey, does someone seem to be coming?"

At the request of her other self, Seele explained to Shen Gonglin, otherwise he would definitely overthink things. Just then, Seele heard footsteps. The footsteps were quite clear in the quiet apartment. Someone was coming.

Shen Gonglin and Seele turned around and saw a middle-aged woman looking at them curiously from the other side of the stairs. Seeing that Shen Gonglin and Seele didn't seem like bad people, she felt relieved and came out. Seeing them standing there, she wondered if they were looking for someone who used to live here.

"Oh, I'm the landlord here. Are you looking for the child who lives here? Are you a friend of that child?"

If she's the landlord, then she must know the information about the person who used to live here. Seele stepped forward and nodded to the landlord.

"Yes, we are indeed here to see him. Oh, by the way, landlady, did you hear any noise just now?"

Sensing something was amiss, he realized that the sounds of his battle with the mechs downstairs with Shen Gonglin were quite loud. Logically, anyone nearby who heard the noise would have been curious, but judging from the landlady's expression, it seemed as if she hadn't noticed anything at all. What was going on?

"A sound? No, I only heard you open the door..."

The landlord's words made Seele's eyes flicker slightly. They were fighting so fiercely over there, yet they hadn't heard a thing. It seemed there was something fishy going on. Logically, this apartment area shouldn't be deserted. What was going on?

"Are you here to find that child?... Alas, that's so unfortunate. That child... passed away a month ago."

Ignoring Seele's previous question, the landlady's face turned somewhat grim. Hearing this, both Shen Gonglin and Seele were quite surprised. Seele exclaimed in astonishment, "Dead? How could that be? Although the information she received at school was that no one had seen him for a long time, didn't the person in charge at the plaza say that he had been working handing out flyers? And now the landlady says that he passed away a month ago. What on earth is going on?"

Shen Gonglin, on the other hand, was quite terrified, feeling that the room was eerie. At this moment, he didn't care about saving face anymore. Standing next to Seele, he quietly took the girl's hand. He really wasn't good at things like ghosts and monsters.

"Yes, I was the one who called the police. By the time they found him, it was too late... He was lying motionless on the bed, as if he were asleep. In the end, the police ruled out the possibility of homicide and contacted his relatives. But his relatives just took him away. All his belongings were left here and no one wanted them. Eventually, people from the school came and told me not to make a fuss, saying they were afraid of affecting the college entrance examination pass rate. He's gone, and this is what they care about?"

The landlady shook her head. She was still very concerned about what had happened a month ago; after all, it was her house, and now someone had died inside...

"It's pitiful. His family doesn't care, and the school doesn't care either. Since you're friends of this child, feel free to come in and take a look. Anyway, I'm going to clear out all this stuff in a while. Sigh, I don't even know if this room will be able to be rented out again..."

The landlady shook her head and left. Just like the person she had mentioned earlier, she seemed more concerned about whether the room could still be rented out. Seele bit her lip, feeling that it was outrageous. Someone had died, and everyone around her was acting this way. Meanwhile, another Seele confirmed the landlady's statement: she was telling the truth; a death had indeed occurred in the room.

"Something's not right. We just spoke to him in the square a moment ago, and the person in charge said he's been working there recently... Could it be that someone has been impersonating him lately?"

Seele pieced together all the clues and slowly deduced the truth. Shen Gonglin didn't want to interrupt. After calming down, he wandered around the room, trying to find something important. Seele finally came to a conclusion: the purpose of what the other party did was... to lure them here?

"Seele, come here to the washing machine. This doll seems to have something in its hand. Take a look."

Shen Gonglin also noticed the situation. She found something in the broken doll's hand. She pried open the doll's fingers, and something that looked like a performance ticket appeared in front of them. It really did look like a performance ticket. However, the name of the theater... Domination Theater, what a terrible name. Would anyone go to a theater like this?

"Shen Gonglin, there seem to be words on the back, the program title... Foolish Jack?"

Seele discovered another piece of information. She took the performance ticket from Shen Gonglin and read the words on the back aloud. As expected, this performance ticket should be the most important piece of information.

"Foolish Jack, Foolish Jack, Foolish Jack obsessed with pumpkins, he picked up his beloved pumpkin, and the pumpkin bit off his head..."

Hearing Seele read out the words, both Shen Gonglin and the other Seele subconsciously frowned. What was this? It sounded disgusting.

"Hmm... Is this something like a play synopsis? But this play sounds really... Does anyone actually watch this kind of play?"

Seele also looked quite troubled, feeling that things were getting more and more complicated.

Chapter 43 No Longer Needed?

[Tsk, this gives off a very troublesome vibe. Seele, you'd better not get too involved in this matter, it'll only make things worse. Neither you nor Shen Gonglin should get involved anymore.]

Another Seele told Seele in her mind that this matter seemed to be getting more and more troublesome. Her instincts told her that it was best not to let the people around her get involved, but Seele did not obey as usual after hearing her advice. This time Seele had her own ideas. After so many things, she hoped that she could become someone who could help others.

[Whether it involves anything or not... I just want to help as many people as possible.]

Though her voice was soft, Seele's tone was firm: to become someone who can help others. This was Seele's life goal. Because she had been treated kindly before, Seele wanted to treat others kindly if she could.

The person is already dead, what can you do? Don't worry about it, it wasn't your fault anyway.

The other Seele seemed indifferent. Due to their different personalities, her feelings were also different from Seele's. She had already done a lot to protect Seele in the past, and human life was not very important to her. She only cared about the people she cared about: Seele, Bronya, and Shen Gonglin. As for others, she felt that she would rather enjoy a sweet cake.

[But this is too cold-hearted... If it weren't for Sister Bronya, I might have disappeared silently like this. If Shen Gonglin had encountered us in the Sea of Quantum and ignored us, we might still be drifting there now. So, I want to do something. At least we can investigate the truth behind his death. It's true, it could be a trap, but that also means there might be a secret behind it.]

Seele said a lot all at once. She rarely expressed her feelings so directly, so her sudden outburst made the other Seele a little uneasy. When did Seele become like this? She seemed much braver than before. The other Seele fell silent for a moment, but Seele knew what she was thinking.

Thank you. I know you just want to protect me, afraid I'll get into trouble and get hurt. But I'm not the Seele only knows how to hide anymore. I'm not afraid of getting hurt, nor am I afraid of trouble. I just... don't want to have any regrets. Of course, I won't push myself too hard. Besides, I still have Shen Gonglin. With him there, there's nothing to worry about.

Comforting her other self, Seele knew she didn't want to get hurt, but Seele felt it was okay this time. She didn't trust herself, but she also trusted Shen Gonglin.

This matter is beyond my capabilities. I will report it to Anti-Entropy, and we can analyze and resolve it together, is that alright?

Seemingly realizing that bringing up Shen Gonglin wasn't a wise decision, since she was rather unreliable, Seele quickly changed her mind and said she would contact Anti-Entropy herself to solve the problem together, hoping that her other self wouldn't object.

[Seele ...]

She's really changed. She's not the little girl who would just crouch down and cover her head when something happened. This time, she handled the situation reasonably and logically, and she didn't just blindly act tough. Knowing that the matter was beyond her capabilities, she also informed others and asked for help. It seems like she doesn't really need to...

Yes, just like you thought, she doesn't need you anymore.

The thought had barely crossed my mind when a strange voice suddenly rang out, its heavy echo sounding as if someone was speaking from inside a box. Who was it?

Black Seele immediately became alert, but Seele outside seemed completely unaware. What was going on? Who was speaking?

Who still talks to their toy dolls when they grow up? Toy dolls eventually end up in the trash. We are all unwanted people, we are all people who shouldn't exist in this world. To be hated, alienated, and abandoned—this is the most suitable ending for you, the most suitable ending for us!

The sound kept ringing around, but Black Seele searched around but couldn't find anyone to talk to. Seele and Shen Gonglin didn't notice it either; it seemed like only she could hear it. Who was playing tricks on her? Who was it?

[Another me? Is this okay? Why did you suddenly stop talking?]

At this moment, Seele's timid voice rang out again. Was it that her other self didn't want her to do this? Why did she suddenly stop talking? Seele didn't want her other self to be sad. If there was anything, she could tell her, and they could solve it together.

"... It's nothing. Weren't you going to report on Anti-Entropy? Go on."

Without telling Seele about the sound she had just heard, Black Seele changed the subject. What exactly was that sound? No matter how hard they tried to find out, it was gone. What toy doll? It was so annoying, disgusting, and strange.

"Yes! Thank you, thank you for understanding me!"

With the support of her other self, Seele now had the motivation of two people, Seele spirits soared. She tidied up everything useful around her. Shen Gonglin seemed to dislike the doll, so she decided to hold it and take it back with her. She felt there was something wrong with it.