Barbie Strikes (Part 1)

Clang!... Clang!... Clang!...

Each chime of the bell seemed to strike a chord in people's hearts.

It's as if it's awakening some slumbering behemoth, but where does this behemoth come from? Is it from the abyss, another world, the sky, or the depths of each person's own heart?

Everyone in Twisted Waist City heard the sound. No matter where they were or what they were doing, they all stopped what they were doing and began to search for the source of the sound.

Thump!... Thump!... Thump!...

Before the bells had stopped ringing, the drums began to beat again.

It was as if the footsteps of that colossal creature were approaching step by step. Everyone had a vague image of the creature in their heart, but it was not clear and could not be "seen" clearly.

Many people have noticed that the sounds of bells and drums seem to come from all the electronic devices around them that can produce sound. Some come from computer speakers, some from airport announcements, some from roadside TV speakers, and some from the speakers of mobile phones. But when they get closer to listen, they find that the sound does not come from there. Upon closer inspection, it seems to come from the sky above or from the surrounding air. It is as if the sound source is everywhere, yet it sounds perfectly uniform.

This is not a voice from the real world!

--This thought has crossed many people's minds.

More and more instrumental sounds joined in, and then a melodious female voice rang out. There were no lyrics, just a soft humming, but to everyone's ears, it sounded like a spell summoning terrifying monsters and abyssal demons, making them anxious, afraid, and panicked.

Some people also felt that the humming sounded familiar, like the widely circulated and extremely popular "Super Princess," or "Sugar Princess," which ranks high on charts in various countries.

Although Ye Zijun and Xiao Ding can both be considered "well-traveled and knowledgeable," the former has seen the illusion of the Eight-Armed Eight-Eyed Giant in Montamira, and the latter has seen the little girl in the white dress in the unfinished building. In particular, they went through the incident in Australia not long ago together. Logically speaking, they should be able to calmly deal with any situation.

But the scene before me... it's impossible to remain calm.

It's not that any terrifying scene appears, but rather that this seemingly grand and magnificent melody has a way of amplifying people's fears, making you feel as if something bad or terrifying is about to happen.

Ye Zijun's first reaction was that the Montamira incident was about to happen again, and that the Eight-Armed Eight-Eyed Giant would appear in the New York.

But she soon realized that the fear, anxiety, and tension she felt from that melody were different from those she felt with Montamira.

When Montamira saw the vision of the Eight-Armed Eight-Eyed Giant, the fear that arose in her heart was an inner fear, as if it were extracted from the depths of her soul, from her life experiences and all her memories. After feeling the fear, she slowly detached herself from the emotional influence and examined her life from God's perspective.

This is not only a summary based on her own experience, but also a summary drawn from interviews with many survivors of the Montamira incident.

But now, the fear brought by this melody in the air is concrete and clear. Although I am afraid, I am still rational. The melody only amplifies some of my current worries, but it does not have anything from the inside out, so it is not the same.

Another reason why Ye Zijun felt it was different from the illusion of the Eight-Armed Eight-Eyed Giant was that the surrounding electronic devices, their mobile phones, cameras, and various recording devices were not affected or unusable, which was different from the situation in Montamira.

So Ye Zijun told Xiao Ding to quickly turn on their filming equipment to record the sounds and see if they were real.

Seeing that Xiao Ding's hands were trembling, Ye Zijun glanced at the coffee shop behind them and said, "Xiao Ding, if you're scared, go inside first. I'll record it."

Xiao Ding took a deep breath, clenched and unclenched his fists several times, and said, "Sis, I'm fine, I can handle it. This music is so eerie, it makes me feel like some monster is about to crawl out of the ground. This sound... could it be related to that... thing in Antarctica?"

"It shouldn't be..."

As Ye Zijun spoke, she noticed that compared to the two of them, the others around them were significantly more panicked.

They were standing in front of a coffee shop, surrounded by people who had come out of the coffee shop or other nearby shops. Even without exchanging words, the fear and terror on their faces were evident.

Some people clasped their hands tightly, closed their eyes, and whispered something, as if in prayer;

Some people clung to their companions, trembling all over, sobbing softly, too afraid to look up;

Some people were anxiously making phone calls, seemingly contacting their families to inquire about their safety;

Some people ran into the streets, running wildly on the main roads, shouting things like "Doomsday," "Destruction," and "Judgment," appearing as if they were insane;

Most people were subconsciously looking up at the sky, whether because they couldn't find the source of the sound outdoors or because they had a premonition that something was about to appear in the sky.

The sky was covered with dark clouds, the layers piled up, and flashes of lightning could be seen, as if a storm was brewing.

However, people all over the world have become accustomed to this kind of weather lately, and even if a devastating lightning storm were to appear at any moment, it wouldn't be surprising.

Unlike in the past when people would rush indoors to avoid the weather changes, this time people were involuntarily heading outdoors. People in high-rise buildings gathered by the windows, as if searching for the "source of the sound" in the sky, or as if they had been summoned by something.

Ye Zijun held Xiao Ding's hand, took her equipment, and checked the footage they had recorded. She found that although the equipment seemed to be working properly, she couldn't find the footage they had just recorded, as if she hadn't pressed the record button.

In the past, she might have thought there was something wrong with their equipment, but now, after experiencing so much, her first reaction was, "Could this sound also be a hallucination?"

She noticed that Xiao Ding's breathing was rapid and that cold sweat was beading on her forehead. She then realized that Xiao Ding seemed just as afraid as the others around her, and that the fear was building and intensifying as the melody continued.

In other words, is she an exception?

Why is she the exception?

Could it be because... she saw the Eight-Armed Eight-Eyed Giant in Montamira?

The thought had barely formed in her mind when the lights in the coffee shop behind her suddenly flickered, then went out after a few flashes.

At the same time, the screen of her camera went black, and a person next to her who was on the phone lost signal and started cursing, but stopped abruptly after only a couple of sentences. He subconsciously stepped out from under the awning and looked up at the sky.

The next moment, a gasp of surprise came from all around, and then the gasp echoed throughout the city and from all corners of the city.

Ye Zijun also felt something, and followed the people around her, walking towards the middle of the street while looking up at the sky, trying to find a better vantage point.

All the cars on the road stopped. Some drivers craned their necks to look up, while others simply got out of their cars.

In the nearby high-rise buildings, almost everyone was crowded around the windows, looking out.

In the city, one after another, giants tens or even hundreds of meters tall appeared out of thin air. Each of them had eight arms and their entire bodies were covered by thick black mist, making it impossible to see their specific appearance. Only eight huge eyes flashing red light could be seen on their heads.

It's an illusion of Eight-Armed Eight-Eyed Giant! It really is an illusion of Eight-Armed Eight-Eyed Giant!

Ye Zijun was somewhat excited, but she soon realized that this was very different from Montamira. The Eight-Armed Eight-Eyed Giant did not seem to be as big as Montamira, and multiple giants appeared at the same time. It was also impossible to see the specific details of each giant clearly, as if there was insufficient budget when making special effects, so they could not work on the details.

She also discovered that after the giants appeared, she did not experience the same profound fear as Montamira had before, and the fear and tension she had felt due to the celestial melody had also disappeared.

Seeing the illusion of the Eight-Armed Eight-Eyed Giant, she felt relaxed and at ease, even experiencing a sense of warmth, like meeting an old friend in a foreign land!

She initially thought she was an exception, because she hadn't seemed as scared as the others around her. But when she looked at Xiao Ding and the others beside her, she noticed that their faces no longer showed fear, but rather admiration.

Isn't this one of those Eight-Armed Eight-Eyed Giant like Montamira?

Ye Zijun noticed that the melody was still playing that day, but the feeling it gave was different. It was different from the previous shocking, magnificent but oppressive and heavy feeling that made people feel that something big was about to happen or that a catastrophe was about to occur. The melody now felt exhilarating, uplifting, and even carried a sense of tragic heroism and fearlessness.

Suddenly, cheers erupted all around again, wave after wave of cheers surging and rolling like a tide, blending harmoniously with the heavenly sounds, as if a collective chorus.

Ye Zijun looked up and saw that the thick black fog surrounding the Eight-Armed Eight-Eyed Giant illusions in the city had dissipated, revealing the details of their entire bodies to the people's eyes.

Looking at the Eight-Armed Eight-Eyed Giant that brushed past the building closest to them, Ye Zijun also felt a chill run down his spine—but it wasn't fear, it was awe.

Because that Eight-Armed Eight-Eyed Giant actually looked like Ultraman!

Although it has eight large, egg-shaped eyes and eight arms, it looks just like Ultraman.

Further away, there was an eight-armed, eight-eyed "superman" with a red cape fluttering behind him, wearing a blue bodysuit and red shorts.

There is an eight-armed, eight-eyed "Batman" wearing a mask and a black cape.

What's going on?

Do these Eight-Armed Eight-Eyed Giant also do cosplay?

Ye Zijun's thoughts were a little confused for a moment, but under the influence of the melody, she seemed to blend into the emotions of the others, feeling invigorated and excited.

Although the Eight-Armed Eight-Eyed Giant made no concrete gesture or uttered a word, but simply walked silently toward the sea, everyone felt an almost instinctive urge:

These Eight-Armed Eight-Eyed Giant are going to fight that monster in Antarctica.

They've come to end this "apocalyptic vision"!

After an unknown amount of time, a torrential downpour began, and some people standing in the middle of the road finally came to their senses, then scurried back to their cars or indoors to take shelter from the rain.

The Eight-Armed Eight-Eyed Giant had long since disappeared, and the damage they had caused to the ground and buildings when they walked had all been restored to normal.

So everyone quickly realized that the Eight-Armed Eight-Eyed Giant were just an illusion. Because of the Eight-Armed Eight-Eyed Giant illusion in Montamira in March, it wasn't too difficult for people to accept.

As the illusion of the Eight-Armed Eight-Eyed Giant disappeared, so too did the celestial sounds whose exact "source" could not be found.

Ye Zijun and Xiao Ding packed up their filming equipment and followed the crowd into the coffee shop. By then, the electric lights and various electronic devices had been restored, and the coffee shop was bustling with activity again, with everyone discussing the illusion of the Eight-Armed Eight-Eyed Giant. The atmosphere was very lively.

Ye Zijun keenly noticed that none of these people had felt the fear and tension they had felt before the illusion of the Eight-Armed Eight-Eyed Giant appeared, when they were affected by Tianyin.

After buying coffee and some snacks, and finding a seat, Ye Zijun first carefully inquired about Xiao Ding's feelings.

Although she herself was a participant and witnessed the entire process of the heavenly music playing, the eight-armed phantom appearing, and the rain falling and her mind clearing, she now realizes that she may be special. Her feelings may be different from others, and this specialness may come from her previous experience in Montamira, from the influence of the Eight-Armed Eight-Eyed Giant phantom she had been affected by.

Sure enough, after asking Xiao Ding, Ye Zijun became even more certain that her feelings were different from Xiao Ding's.

Xiao Ding's fear upon first hearing the Heavenly Melody was far greater than hers, and her experience upon first seeing the illusion of the Eight-Armed Eight-Eyed Giant was also slightly different. The moment Xiao Ding saw the illusion, she felt completely relaxed and even had a sense that the giant was connected to her. Later, as the Heavenly Melody changed and her emotions became more exhilarating, she felt that the Eight-Armed Eight-Eyed Giant, stripped of its black mist and with richer details, seemingly dressed in various cosplay costumes, was going to fight in her place, to go to Antarctica to battle that monster.

Now that the Heavenly Sound and the illusion have disappeared, Xiao Ding feels much lighter. It's as if he's been carrying a heavy load all along, and now that he's unloaded all that stuff, his breathing is much easier.

Previously, she had been following the ever-growing monster in Antarctica online, reading various news reports and expert analyses, and felt that humanity was truly on the verge of extinction. She was very pessimistic, even somewhat desperate. Coupled with being trapped in New York, unable to return home, and constantly experiencing harsh and even bizarre weather, she often had horrible images of their ultimate fate in her mind. So when she first heard the celestial music, she was so frightened because the fear that had been suppressed for so long was finally unleashed.

But after what just happened, it seemed that all her fear had been released at once. Now, outside, the rain was still pouring down and there was thunder and lightning, a scene resembling the end of the world. The news on TV was still reporting bad news such as the monster in Antarctica growing larger and larger, the changes that Antarctica might face, and the possible impacts of these changes. But she was no longer afraid, no longer desperate, and no longer pessimistic.

Not only her, but everyone else in the coffee shop who was excitedly discussing the illusion of the Eight-Armed Eight-Eyed Giant and the celestial melody were the same; their faces no longer showed fear.

"Sister, when you saw that Eight-Armed Eight-Eyed Giant in Montamira, did you feel the same way? Now I understand why the Montamira survivors we interviewed had that mix of fear and longing when they talked about the incident and the Eight-Armed Eight-Eyed Giant," Xiao Ding said with a sigh.

Ye Zijun gently shook her head and said, "No, it's not quite the same."

She gathered her thoughts before continuing, "The eight-armed, eight-eyed illusion of Montamira only triggered your own fear after you saw it, directly revealing the deepest fears within you that you might not normally be aware of. After the illusion disappeared, this fear helped you better understand yourself, like seeing the light after the clouds had parted. But that eight-armed, eight-eyed illusion, based on my own experience and your description, didn't trigger fear, but rather amplified it, then temporarily took it away... That giant illusion was like a collection of our fears; its appearance... was to collect fears."

Xiao Ding was stunned, but according to Ye Zijun's description, it seemed to be true. But this made her even more curious about what kind of feeling those who saw Montamira's Eight-Armed Eight-Eyed Giant illusion would have.

After discussing it, the two randomly interviewed a few people in the coffee shop. Their descriptions were indeed similar to Xiao Ding's, further confirming Ye Zijun's earlier speculation.

After the interview, as the two sat in a coffee shop reviewing footage on their laptops, Xiao Ding suddenly said, "Sis, look online, it's not just New York City, it's everywhere in China, all over the world, there's that giant illusion, everyone's seen it!"

Ye Zijun leaned over and looked at the many trending posts on the social media platforms she had found. Just as the illusion of Eight-Armed Eight-Eyed Giant appeared while twisting her waist and the heavenly melody played, almost the same thing happened all over the world.

The same terrifying heavenly sound, the same illusion of Eight-Armed Eight-Eyed Giant, the same melody turning uplifting, the same severe weather ending the illusion, and the same feeling of relief and even high morale for everyone who experienced it, as if their own "avatar" was going to Antarctica to fight and end this apocalyptic atmosphere.

The only difference is that the Eight-Armed Eight-Eyed Giant illusions appearing in different places have different shapes and appearances.

In New York, there are costumes of American comic book superheroes from Marvel and DC, while in Japan, there are mostly Ultraman and other Japanese anime characters. In China, there are costumes of fierce warriors in ancient armor, and even images of people wearing uniforms and peaked caps. Moreover, this type of Eight-Armed Eight-Eyed Giant appears most frequently and is the largest in size.

Although there are no actual photos or videos, it happened in so many places around the world at the same time, and so many people personally experienced, witnessed, and genuinely felt it. Therefore, there are naturally no barriers to communicating online, and everyone can empathize with each other.

Moreover, many "soul painters" drew the illusionary images of the Eight-Armed Eight-Eyed Giant they saw, and a large number of netizens spontaneously compiled statistics on the images of the Eight-Armed Eight-Eyed Giant, establishing various temporary online communities for communication.

This magical phenomenon suddenly brought human society, which was already incredibly oppressed by Antarctica monsters and harsh weather, back to life.

"Sister, those Eight-Armed Eight-Eyed Giants... are they just illusions, or are they really... really going to fight the monsters in Antarctica?" Xiao Ding asked somewhat uncertainly.

When they saw the illusions of those Eight-Armed Eight-Eyed Giants, everyone naturally had this thought, but when the illusions dissipated and their emotions calmed down, Xiao Ding became somewhat uncertain again.

Ye Zijun, however, gave an irrelevant answer, muttering, "I don't know why, but I remembered the people who saved us in that underground passage in Australia."

They knew that at least three people had helped them in the underpass because three different voices had been heard—two adult male voices and a little girl's voice. But from beginning to end, they only saw the little girl's face.

Xiao Ding was slightly taken aback and asked, "Sister, do you think the illusion of the Eight-Armed Eight-Eyed Giant was created by them?"

"I don't know... I just suddenly thought of them. I feel that there might always be another world that we ordinary people don't understand or can't comprehend. And now, this world is rapidly coming to the forefront. Xiao Ding, our world... should be very different now," Ye Zijun said.

"Sis, what you're saying... it's getting me excited. There will be so many topics we can make videos about!"

"Well, that's assuming the world doesn't end and we don't die."

Earlier, in a multimedia classroom at a university in Rock City.

Li Yang, who had just finished class, looked up at the gloomy sky as he walked out, sighed, and picked up his phone to call his daughter, Little Apple.

"Little Apple, it looks like it's going to rain heavily again in Pancheng. How's it going in Peng City?" Li Yang asked with some concern.

In the past, if you wanted to know what the weather was like in Peng City, you could just check a weather app. But now, no weather app can accurately predict the weather, not even the slightly more reliable ones.

Previously, Little Apple had been living in Chongyun Village with her sisters Nana and Bing. Later, they went to Peng City together. They were supposed to return to Pancheng in early November, but unexpectedly, a strange global weather event occurred. Because the weather changed too quickly and could not be effectively predicted, most international and domestic flights were canceled, with only a few flights remaining.

At that time, we thought we'd wait until things got better before coming back, otherwise, if we encountered bad weather and got stuck at the airport or on our way there, it would be a lot of trouble for Little Apple. But unexpectedly, the situation got worse and worse, making it even less suitable for Little Apple to come back.

"We're fine here!" Little Apple replied. "Dad, be careful on your way back. Be careful of sudden temperature drops, icy ground, or hail."

"Okay, don't worry. Since you're not home, I'm staying in the school dormitory now. It's very close to the teaching area, just a few steps away. I'll have your uncle pick me up when I go home on weekends," Li Yang said. "How are you doing in Peng City? Are your sisters Nana, Bing, and Zhen'er alright? What about Little Bell? She probably won't be able to continue going to kindergarten, right?"

"Sister Bing is always in Chongyun Village, busy with things. Little Bell is already in elementary school, but they can't attend classes there; they're taking online classes every day, haha. Sister Nana and Sister Zhen'er are also working from home. When we have free time, we play games and cook together; it's really fun." Little Apple's tone was very cheerful. "Dad, I've learned three dishes now; I'll cook them for you when we get back!"

Li Yang couldn't help but feel a little emotional, and somewhat glad that Little Apple hadn't come back in early November. Having Tang Baona, Yang Zhen'er, and Little Bell with her in Peng City made all the difference.

During this period, due to the Antarctica monster and the abnormal climate changes, almost everyone around him, from colleagues to friends to students, was in a state of depression and anxiety.

He himself, after reviewing a lot of relevant information and learning that several major powers had tried to send survey equipment and personnel to Antarctica in various ways, but all of them had failed, and that they were already considering trying to use nuclear weapons to limit the "growth" of the black creature, instinctively judged that humanity should not be able to limit the black creature. This made him pessimistic about the future of humanity.

In comparison, Little Apple was in much better shape, clearly enjoying herself in Peng City and unaffected by the harsh weather and various apocalyptic pronouncements.

"By the way, where's your Uncle Xiang? Is he still on a business trip? Is he stuck in another city?" Li Yang asked with some concern.

Since meeting Xiang Kun, Little Apple has undergone many positive changes, some of which are even beyond his comprehension by common sense, but they are all for the better. Now, Little Apple no longer needs a cane at all and can walk and move freely. Many times, strangers cannot tell that she is blind. And the fact that she was able to meet Tang Baona, Yang Zhen'er, Xia Libing, and other older sisters, and receive their care, was all because of Xiang Kun in the beginning. Therefore, Li Yang is very grateful to Xiang Kun.

"Yes, Uncle Xiang is still away on a business trip and probably won't be back for a while. Dad, don't worry about Uncle Xiang, he'll be fine!" Little Apple said confidently.

"That birthday present you gave your uncle before... that... those glasses, what were they called again? How are they? Do they really help restore your eyesight?" Li Yang asked, a mixture of anticipation and worry.

Not long ago, Xiang Kun gave Little Apple a device that resembled ultra-thin VR glasses, claiming it could help her restore her vision. Li Yang was highly skeptical of this. He had always kept up with the latest medical information and was familiar with various technologies and treatments for congenital blindness, but he had never heard of any method that could be worn directly without surgery.

If anyone else had delivered this, he would have definitely treated them as a scammer, beaten them up first, then called the police and had Li Sheng arrest and interrogate them.

But since it was Xiang Kun who said those words and gave that gift, no matter how suspicious he was, he couldn't refuse. He knew very well that Xiang Kun would never harm Little Apple, and past experiences proved that Xiang Kun was indeed someone who could create miracles.

"It really works! Dad, I can see a little bit of light now, and I can see the outlines of things around me. Uncle Baldy said... wait, no, Uncle Xiang said... by February or March next year, I'll probably be able to distinguish some colors with the help of the equipment, and maybe by the end of next year, I'll be able to see you with my own eyes!" Little Apple said excitedly.

Hearing this, Li Yang was still somewhat doubtful, but also very excited. Just as he was about to say something, Little Apple on the other end suddenly exclaimed "Eh!" and then said urgently, "Dad, let's hang up first. Something's about to happen. Don't panic, it'll be over soon!"

Looking at his phone after the call ended, Li Yang was puzzled. What did she mean by "something's about to happen"? And that she shouldn't panic? Little Apple should know he wasn't the type to be easily frightened or flustered, right?

Just as I was wondering, a clear bell rang out in the sky, echoing all around.

Not only Li Yang, but everyone looked up and peered around, searching for the source of the sound.

Li Yang's heart began to pound rapidly, and he felt a little panicked. He thought of some possibilities that he had been worried about recently, but then he immediately remembered what his daughter had just said, "Don't panic, it will be over soon."

Little Apple knew what was going to happen?!