Origin (Part 2)
After boarding the bus.
The old woman's body is undergoing miraculous changes.
The doll, which was placed on the old woman's hand and was responsible for providing sensory and language abilities, transformed into a girl, about 14 years old... As for the old woman's body, it deflated again and turned into a dark red kimono with flowers, which was worn by the girl.
This series of changes indirectly suggests that the old woman was merely a puppet.
The puppet on his hand used for storytelling is the real thing.
The girl had kaleidoscope-like eyes, and once Eye Contact with her, it was hard to Opening Eye... except for Han Dong.
She gently patted the chair next to her with her palm, gesturing for Han Dong to sit down.
"I don't know how to address you, Miss."
Seeing her transformed into this young woman, Han Dong felt that calling her "grandma" was too incongruous.
"I am not entitled to reclaim the name my parents gave me... You can just call me [Aya], it's the pen name I usually use."
"A writer?"
"Well, if we're talking about the origin story, it's related to my book..."
As she spoke, [Ling] gently touched Han Dong's thin body with her cold and slightly hard arm, which was like a soft puppet, and began to tell the origin story.
"My favorite book since childhood is ' Night Parade of a Hundred Demons ' written by Gongzhu Zheng. The Demons and Monsters in it fascinate me and even accompany me in my dreams every day and night."
I've always hoped to create a similar book, writing about even more terrifying Demons and Monsters, while also keeping it relevant to the contemporary era and featuring an urban setting.
Later, I called it "ghost story".
I started creating art as soon as I learned to read.
For some reason, whenever I create, I always see some strange things... At first, I thought they were just illusions in my head, a kind of mental representation of me when I was creating.
It wasn't until one day, when the woman squatting in the corner of my house cut off my parents' heads, that I realized they were real... In my creative process, I bring things that don't belong to our world to 'this side'.
It was because of my ignorance that my parents died, and I do not deserve the name they gave me.
From that day on, I ran away from home.
I wandered around Japan creating art... Perhaps because I was so engrossed in it, I starved to death while creating art, without my knowledge.
About a month later, I realized that I was dead, but I was still alive and could be seen by others.
Overall, I can be considered the first ghost story to be visible to humans.
Gradually, my abilities began to manifest... Every ghost story I wrote into my books would break through the 'barrier' and come to the human world.
This includes the ' Red Umbrella ' and ' Abyssal Public Toilet ' you've seen, as well as Mr. Aha now, and the [Lamp] that oversees the amusement park.
They are all characters from my book, "Strange Tales".
However, some characters possess a strong capacity for self-growth, gradually slipping beyond my control... I cannot disable them; in fact, they can imprison me, attempting to take control of this Supernatural Paradise themselves.
Han Dong wasn't particularly surprised by this origin story.
Actually, it was right when Han Dong met Grandma Origin and heard the system notification that killing Granny Origin would not give any reward.
And then the old woman's subsequent use of the "Kaidan Nullification".
Han Dong basically deduced that all the strange tales originated from the old woman.
I'm currently alone with Grandma because I want to know the root of the origin.
"As expected, it's not a world pieced together from various movies... there is still an original entity!"
Just like the Joker is the main character and mastermind behind the scenes in Derry Town.
The current world of ghost stories is largely due to this old woman!
At first, I thought that "Kwaidan" was a "hodgepodge world" that combined various Japanese folk tales with movies, but now it seems that everything originates from one main theme.
No wonder I didn't find some of the famous Japanese monsters here, such as ' Sadako ', ' Kayako ', or 'Nekomata' and 'Shuten-dōji' from the Japanese Demons and Monsters Records.
Everything in "Kwaidan" was created by Agatha Christie through her writing.
This brings to mind the book we chose at the video store at the beginning, Kwaidan (ghost stories)... It's not a hodgepodge; it's a book that records various ghost stories.
Just then.
[Ling] reached out and slowly slipped her hand inside Han Dong's body through his robe.
It seems that a century of imprisonment has left her somewhat lonely.
"Miss Ling, this won't do... Mr. Aha is right outside."
Aya chuckled, "Haha, do you really think we're 'husband and wife'? We're just business partners."
Moreover, the person he married was this bizarre item I was wearing—the "Old Woman's Skin Coat"... He and I have absolutely no connection.
Han Dong stared at the girl, Ling.
A voice suddenly flashed through her mind... it was Mia's voice—"Scumbag!"
"No... My body can't withstand your century-long restlessness. If I go down now, I won't be able to Occupy the Lighthouse. I'll consider it after it's done."
Seeing that Han Dong refused, Ling did not press the matter and slowly withdrew her arm... However, this refusal and its rarity seemed to make her even more interested in Han Dong.
The story ends.
The bus stopped.
Just as Ling was about to change into the old woman's clothes, Han Dong suddenly reached out.
"I need your help with something."
"You won't let me touch you, and now you want something from me?"
"I will definitely repay you afterwards..." In Han Dong's plan, the First Ring Grandma Origin is indispensable... This is also the main reason why Han Dong spoke to Granny alone.
"Tell me, what do you want me to do for you?"
Han Dong handed over the letter he had prepared long ago, saying, "When the time comes, just do as written... If this the First Ring is missing, the success rate of Occupy the Lighthouse is almost zero."
After reading the contents of the letter, Aya frowned slightly.
"It will be very difficult, and it will probably exhaust all my energy."
"Alright... since you saved me, I'll help you with this. In return, if things are settled, you'll need to stay with me for a while before you leave."
"No problem."
The Paradise Inner Layer.
A power plant that had been abandoned for a century has started operating again today.
The darkness of the past is gone.
All the streetlights installed on the street lit up as the circuit was activated...
Streetlights and lighthouses are integrated into one, and all life illuminated by these lights is captured in the vision of [Lamp Man].
Alert has been issued.
The amusement park became lively, and the city's ghost stories became restless... Wanted Poster bearing the lighthouse's seal were scattered throughout the streets and alleys.
The images of the members of Han Dong's team were printed on it.