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墨書 Inktalez
The overcast sky drizzled with rain, each drop falling methodically onto the gray pavement. Under the command of the wind, the curtain of rain varied from sparse to dense, capturing the attention of many pedestrians who looked up at the news playing on the screens of commercial buildings. Those who opened their umbrellas became the only scenery on this desolate street.
"Recently, an explosion occurred at a public cemetery in City S. The area has been cordoned off, and there have been no reported casualties as the cause is still under investigation..."
A dark cloud drifted down the street, slowly passing beneath the central screen of a building. People were unaware of what it was; wherever it went, everyone avoided it until a life was lost on the street, at which point they realized its terror.
On the street, a mother turned to look at her son, brushing her hair back as she bent down to pick up his toy car. She gently said, "Be careful next time, sweetheart."
The adorable boy with short brown hair smiled as his mother caressed him, but he couldn't muster a smile in return. He pointed behind her, desperately trying to say something complete, but all that came out was a silent gasp, his face pale as paper, causing his mother to feel an eerie chill behind her.
Confused, the mother turned around, fear pressing heavily on her heart like the dark cloud before her. After a scream, her legs gave way and she collapsed to the ground, her hands frantically grasping at the wet pavement. "Don't come near my son! Help—"
The moving black cloud seemed to deliberately roll over her.
The mother's final desperate cry was drowned out by this dark mass. "Mmm..." The sound was more heartbreaking than any plea for help uttered before death. Her eyes lost their light as she fell to the ground, completely devoid of support and life.
The child cried out in anguish, shaking his fallen mother while casting a timid glance at the retreating dark cloud, terrified that it might turn back.
In its grotesque form and detached existence, Xie Weizhong felt that there was nothing left in this life worth cherishing. This creature with a skull for a head wandered forward; after taking one life, it sent shockwaves through the pedestrians on the street. Umbrellas were abandoned and thrown aside as people fled in panic.
"Hahaha!" In life, Xie Weizhong had never enjoyed such treatment—everyone feared him and trembled at his presence. The power to decide others' fates was something he had never dared to imagine before. Having spent his life serving others like a beast of burden, he had never experienced such exhilaration!
Xie Weizhong laughed maniacally, raising his arms to welcome the falling raindrops. The droplets struck his cloud-like body, creating small holes that quickly closed up again, maintaining his ominous form—his existence felt both inconsequential yet deadly. In this grim reaper form, he possessed...
"So this is what it's like to be a monster! What right do I have to be less than a beast?! Hahaha..."
Originally intending to eliminate that mother and child, he found himself haunted by the child's cries echoing against his last vestiges of conscience.
He wanted more than just revenge; he wanted the world to give him an explanation—even if he was merely a pawn, this inexplicably granted power had long since clouded the rational mind he once had.
Drifting along, Xie Weizhong resembled a newborn child, looking around in wonder. Eventually, dark clouds settled beside a fallen folding umbrella, two pitch-black eye sockets staring back at the bright eyes of the host on the big screen.
His extremely twisted mindset drove Xie Weizhong to want to annihilate everyone within his sight.
Now, all he needed to do was gently float past someone to effortlessly take their life. Although the reactive gas that transformed him contained phosphorus, his body was predominantly made up of hydrogen sulfide, which filled his cloud-like form with the stench of rotten eggs. Moreover, since hydrogen sulfide is a potent neurotoxin, killing someone only required his cloud-like body to glide by, claiming lives invisibly like the Grim Reaper.
However, Xie Weizhong did not come out today to instill panic among people, even though that was bound to happen. He had other intentions.
Xie Weizhong was waiting for a Two-faced person to take the bait.
"As long as you go out, he will definitely appear. Trust me. Once the mission is complete, we will restore you to a better form! And give you what you want..."
Xiu Sha rubbed his wrist and slowly raised his head, glancing sideways and saying, "Freedom."
The scene that unfolded inside the so-called "Ghost Twilight" class alien battleship lingered in what remained of Xie Weizhong's consciousness.
The current indulgence began when he transformed into a monster. Xie Weizhong found himself unable to decide whether to revert to being human or continue as an unrepentant monster. The so-called promise from Xiu Sha had become his only motivation.
Inside the crematorium
"Hello, Mr. Liu. Here is the service agreement we have drafted; please review and sign it," said the middle-aged man at the service counter as he handed over the document to Liu Xuan.
However, Liu Xuan, who took the document, held the agreement in his hand, the pen hovering without signing for a long time.
He didn't look at the contents of the agreement because memories of living with his mother from childhood to adulthood kept surfacing in his mind. By the time he came back to his senses, the person in charge was already somewhat impatient.
He quickly picked up the pen and signed his name.
"Can I... watch my mother be cremated?"
"Yes, as long as you can handle your emotions."
The window of the cremation room was like a boundary between life and death, yet it was also the only connection between the two realms. The glass reflected the sorrowful faces of Liu Xuan and Ma Yihan, distorted by the high temperature.
One was reluctant, and the other felt guilty; their shared grief brought this couple tightly together, tears blurring their vision as they swirled in each other's eyes.
In the end, Liu Xuan's mother's body disappeared into the flames, completely gone.
Ma Yihan silently released Liu Xuan's hand. Unable to hold back any longer, she turned her face away, her shoulders shaking violently.
"It's okay." Liu Xuan came up from behind and hugged Ma Yihan.
"Xuan, how can I make it up to you..."
Ma Yihan's voice was hoarse, her messy long hair covering her cheeks: "I'm sorry, Xuan. I... I caused your mother's death. I'm really scared. I..." Ma Yihan lowered her head, gripping her clothes tightly, not daring to look Liu Xuan in the eye.
If it were just this—her lover's indifference and her own self-blame—Ma Yihan could willingly accept it. But Liu Xuan's mother dying because of her felt like living in her tear-filled eyes; what she saw when she opened them was not reality but her face. Having never experienced separation by life and death, how could Ma Yihan accept such fear? Even when Liu Xuan held her close, the chill that rose in her heart still lingered in her consciousness, impossible to forget.
"No, it's not your fault, dear."
Liu Xuan pressed his lips against Ma Yihan's neck and whispered, "This is your mother's choice. Those who are willing to believe in you will never hesitate. Don't see her departure as a burden. If your mother could be selfless, you must learn to let go and be strong, okay?"
Ma Yihan silently blinked.
"I'm not very good at comforting my girlfriend, but I really hope you can free yourself from this guilt. Life has to go on." Liu Xuan rested his chin on Ma Yihan's obedient shoulder.
"Since it has become a reality, just accept it. Don't blame yourself anymore. We will be okay, promise me, alright?"
"Yeah, we need to have faith in living." Ma Yihan mechanically repeated the words of encouragement that Liu Xuan's mother had given her.
Liu Xuan patted her head, trying hard to control his tears from falling.
Originally, Liu Xuan wanted to bury his mother's body in the cemetery, but after the explosion incident at the cemetery a few days ago, he couldn't bear to think about sending her there. Reluctantly, he chose cremation instead.
As he walked out of the crematorium holding his mother's urn, Liu Xuan found himself unsure of which way to go. After his mother’s passing, from this moment on, wherever Ma Yihan was would be his home; he had no other relatives left. He took Ma Yihan's hand, and together they silently walked toward Central Street.
As they walked along the road, the restless crowd made both Liu Xuan and Ma Yihan sense something unusual.
"Xuan, why are all these people coming out from Central Street?" Ma Yihan gently nudged Liu Xuan's arm and voiced her concern.
Liu Xuan noticed that he and Ma Yihan were actually the only couple going against the flow of the crowd.
"Hey! Old man!" Liu Xuan quickly called out to an elderly man who was lagging behind everyone else. However, to their surprise, the old man angrily shook off Liu Xuan's hand and hurried away as if he were fleeing for his life.
"What happened? Grandpa, say something!" It wasn't until Ma Yihan spoke that the old man, in a fluster, pointed to the street behind him and hurriedly left.
"Get Ma Yihan out of here!" Nars suddenly warned Liu Xuan in his mind.
Liu Xuan anxiously glanced toward the corner over there.
"Liu Xuan, don't go! There's a Grim Reaper!"
Liu Xuan thought it was just another code name for an internal human, but since Nars had issued a warning, he didn't dare gamble with Ma Yihan's life.
He lowered his head and took both of Ma Yihan's hands. "Something's wrong. You need to run back home, and don't look back!"
"But you..." Ma Yihan realized something and looked at him with concern.
"I'll be fine, sweetheart. Nothing can separate us again. I'll just take a quick look and come right back!"
After placing his mother's urn into his lover's hands, Liu Xuan resolutely turned and ran against the flow of people.
"Liu Xuan!"
Ma Yihan couldn't bear to stay behind. Clutching the urn, she looked around anxiously. Finally, she stomped her foot and quietly followed Liu Xuan.
"That's the Grim Reaper! Liu Xuan, we can't handle it! The Grim Reaper is a product formed by the fusion of strong molecules carrying Cosmic Energy with phosphorus elements. They have lost their physical bodies but possess a cloud-like form akin to a soul, which is highly corrosive! Their bodies are lethal; we won't have a chance to engage them up close!" Nars hoped Liu Xuan understood that their current Space-time arsenal level was not sufficient to confront such beings.
"Then give me a reason why I shouldn't fight!" Liu Xuan replied.
"The reason is that we don't have the weapons to deal with him! The arsenal you are using now is still just a basic system! The weapons that can handle him are in the second-tier arsenal left to me by my father!" Nars explained.
"You are still hiding something!"
While the two were arguing, a small car suddenly fell from the sky towards them! Blue Face Hero had no time to dodge; he rolled to the side just as the car crashed into the spot where he had been standing, narrowly avoiding the shards of glass that flew everywhere.
With a normal right eye and a moonlight-colored left eye, Liu Xuan and Nars simultaneously controlled their body, both souls on high alert, paying close attention to everything happening around them.
"You must be Nars," Grave Sweeper said as he pushed aside a van blocking the street with his sickle and slowly floated over.
"Are you talking to us?" Nars sensed something was off about his aura and retracted the hand cannon that was about to transform. He retorted to Grave Sweeper, "I'm not just Nars... Well, that's not the point. You're not an internal Human; why are you opposing us?"
"Because my companion told me it was you who buried that bomb that turned me into this! You took my graveyard, my body, everything from me!"
Before Blue Face Hero could react, Grave Sweeper swung his deadly scythe, its cold gleam aimed directly at Blue Face Hero's eyes!
"A bomb? You've been played by them! I have no grudge against you; why would I frame you? They are using you!"
Blue Face Hero activated his Particle Shield to block Grave Sweeper's blade.
"Forgive me; I can only obey fate," Grave Sweeper said as he exerted force, pushing Blue Face Hero's shield down further.
Having transformed into a death-like form, Grave Sweeper possessed immense explosive power. Although Nars had enhanced Liu Xuan's body, it was still merely that of a mortal. Faced with Grave Sweeper's fierce assault, the disparity in strength made it extremely difficult for him.
Still gritting his teeth and holding on, a hand as dark as a storm cloud suddenly reached out toward Blue Face Hero!
The unexpected attack forced Blue Face Hero to change his strategy. He quickly retracted, sidestepping the downward force of Grave Sweeper, and as he turned, his right hand cannon was instantly ejected from the Space-time Arsenal and assembled. Blue Face Hero pivoted and raised his hand, firing several shots at Grave Sweeper's upper body.
However, Grave Sweeper's body was merely punctured, quickly sealing itself again. The mass of dark cloud seemed impervious to any attack; no matter how hard he struck, it was all in vain.
"How can we kill this guy?" Liu Xuan thought anxiously as he fended off the sickle swung by Grave Sweeper, seeking help from Nars.
"I already told you, we have no weapons that can restrain him!"
But Liu Xuan was too caught up in the fight. Suddenly, the Time-Space Equipment Library appeared, and he summoned the Laser Long Curved Blade from within. Maneuvering his body, he rolled to the side of Grave Sweeper. With the ferocity of a lion awakening, his spine tightened like a bowstring as he leaped up and slashed down with the blade. Following the momentum of his turn, he thrust deeply into the dark cloud-like body!
It was utterly useless. The Laser Long Curved Blade pierced through without any resistance, as if it were cutting through air. When he withdrew the blade, Grave Sweeper's form reassembled once more, unharmed.
"You have no body!" Blue Face Hero suddenly realized and looked up sharply.
"Exactly, that's why I fear nothing," Grave Sweeper replied, meeting his gaze with what seemed like a contemptuous smile on its skull-like face. Blue Face Hero's attacks appeared to be nothing but child's play to it. Grave Sweeper reached out a hand, lunging for Blue Face Hero's face.
At such close range, Blue Face Hero found it difficult to evade. Although Nars had warned Liu Xuan that their current Space-time Arsenal could not support close combat against Grave Sweeper, Liu Xuan's youthful arrogance led him to disregard this advice and insist on challenging it head-on.
Nars regretted not switching to his dominant persona earlier. He understood that Liu Xuan's actions were merely an attempt to block Grave Sweeper's advance with his own body because there were still people in the crowd behind him who had yet to evacuate.
As the dark cloud loomed closer to Blue Face Hero, suddenly! Gunshots rang out from behind Grave Sweeper. One bullet struck the back of its skull with a sound like cracking bones.
This bullet seemed to hit a weak point; Grave Sweeper let out a pained howl and lunged toward the police officers behind it. Nars, having been saved just in time, quickly caught on: "Liu Xuan, charge your hand cannon and shoot at its head!"
Ma Yihan hid in the corner, and after putting down her phone, she quickly ran towards Liu Xuan.
Seeing Liu Xuan locked in a fierce battle with the Grave Sweeper, Ma Yihan, as Liu Xuan's partner, could not stand by and do nothing. She decisively called the police. Although the police had already received reports from the public, those fleeing for their lives were unable to provide specific locations. Only Ma Yihan reported the details clearly; her tone was calm and steady as she continuously updated the police on the real-time situation.
Ma Yihan maneuvered around the Grave Sweeper's blind spot and reached Liu Xuan's side, grabbing his arm and saying, "Let's go. Leave the rest to the police."
"No way, they are no match for the Grim Reaper," Liu Xuan shook his head, stretching out the barrel of his hand cannon. The energy storage chamber on the cannon immediately began to operate, emitting a low growl like a beast. Ma Yihan noticed that there seemed to be an energy vortex inside.
As the Grave Sweeper pressed forward, the police were forced to retreat again and again, moving back towards their patrol cars.
"Hey! Big Black Skull, look over here!"
Suddenly, there was a sound of mechanical assembly and a booming noise of energy gathering from behind. The Grave Sweeper remembered his main task—
The hand cannon, fully charged, fired with a bang! The projectile shot straight towards his head, exploding with immense energy right on top of the Grave Sweeper's skull!
"Ugh!"
The Grave Sweeper convulsed as fragments of his skull flew into the air. By the time he turned his face back, only a shattered cheekbone remained.
"No! Ah—" The Grave Sweeper had never suffered such a severe blow; he covered what was left of his face in pain and howled.
"Good opportunity! Liu Xuan, I need you to open the secondary weapon cache and hold him off!"
"Got it!"
"Wait... Be careful!"
The quick-reacting Nars had already sensed something was off. Without hesitation, he switched to his dominant persona and maneuvered his body to the side. At the same time, Thruster was summoned, and the propulsion jets erupted suddenly, generating immense acceleration that pushed their bodies forcefully aside, as if a giant hand had swatted Blue Face Hero away.
A fiery cloud erupted from the spot where Blue Face Hero had just been standing. Even though he had already moved, the powerful shockwave still sent him flying. Ma Yihan hid behind a bus stop sign, narrowly escaping the strong gust created by the cannon blast. She squinted her eyes, searching for Liu Xuan amidst the dust and chaos.
A battleship slowly emerged in the sky, casting a beam of light down onto Grave Sweeper. Grave Sweeper began to ascend slowly, being drawn into the battleship. Then, the battleship activated its cloaking device again and vanished from sight.
"Commander, we could take this opportunity to eliminate Nars..."
However, Eckton's suggestion was dismissed with a wave of Xiu Sha's hand.
"You never respect your opponents, Eckton." Xiu Sha gazed at the scorched crater on the screen. "Nars is not someone we can just capture at will."
"Liu Xuan! Liu Xuan!"
Ma Yihan rushed to Liu Xuan's side, nearly tripping over herself as she scooped him up in her arms. "Xuan, wake up!"
With a choked voice, Ma Yihan shook Liu Xuan vigorously. The only glimmer of hope for her was Liu Xuan's slightly furrowed then relaxed brow.
Fortunately, Nars had deployed the Particle Shield just in time during the explosion, minimizing the damage they sustained. After a fit of violent coughing, Liu Xuan, covered in dust, surprisingly rolled half a turn in Ma Yihan's embrace like a sleepy child, mumbling drowsily, "Stop shaking me; I don't want to throw up on you..."
With a soft "pfft," Ma Yihan's eyeliner left a bright streak across her face as her crowded eyes released all the tears they had been holding back. She suddenly pressed Liu Xuan's head into her chest, smiling while gently sobbing as she rocked him like a baby, her right hand curled tightly around her lover's mother's urn.
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