Chapter 209: The Rhythm of Disaster
Death is the ultimate end, and secrets are safest in the mouths of the dead.
But what if someone could chase them into the afterlife? That changes everything.
Yu Sheng had the Angel Cultist by the collar, and in the few seconds it took him to confirm that his “Self Sacrifice” had been successfully completed under the watchful eyes of the Special Affairs Bureau’s surveillance, he felt the soul leave the body, severed from its earthly shell. Then, after another half-minute of thought, he realized something chilling—an ominous Door had appeared in front of him, not of this world, and it had followed him even into the realm of the dead!
The situation was so surreal that even the Angel Cultist, who had long since abandoned fear of death, was momentarily stunned. The bald man locked eyes with Yu Sheng, his expression frozen in silent confusion.
Yu Sheng didn’t rush this time. He didn’t immediately try to force answers from the cultist with harsh methods. The man’s mental defenses had already collapsed; now, Yu Sheng only needed to wait. He was in the “Conversation With The Dead” phase. He knew that the chaos of death would soon flood the mind of this Heretic Cultist, and any notion of protecting secrets would quickly fall apart in the face of absolute mortality.
He settled into a calm position, sitting down across from the dying cultist. With an air of patience and unhurried resolve, he spoke:
“You will tell me everything. Death is a one-way road, and I am the Door you cannot bypass. I may not know how you managed to hide your self-sacrifice trick from the Special Affairs Bureau, but you’ve made a grave mistake—now, I have all the time in the world for you to confess your secrets.”
The Angel Cultist stared, his body rigid, as a slow, inevitable feeling of descent overtook him. His consciousness began to erode, memories swirling into a disorienting vortex, at the center of which loomed the deep, cold void of death—silent, watching, waiting.
The void was right there before his eyes, pulsing with an unsettling tremor. It seemed to smile at him with an unnerving patience, and with it came the chilling query:
“Time’s almost up… The ‘vessel’ you speak of… is it one of the children from the Orphanage?”
A hollow echo rippled through the void, carving into the cultist’s deepest memories.
But suddenly, the sound of a phantom baby’s cry pierced the deathly silence, wrapping around the cultist’s failing mind.
Yu Sheng frowned. In that moment of eerie wailing, he saw a strange serenity wash over the cultist’s face, a calmness that seemed like release. Slowly, the man’s body began to raise a hand toward him.
And then, he flipped Yu Sheng off.
“The eternal Lord has come to greet me…” he murmured.
Yu Sheng jumped to his feet, and at that moment, the colors of the real world flooded back into his vision. The Angel Cultist was dead, the lifeless body crumpling to the floor. There was nothing left within the husk—no secret to be unearthed.
Just then, the sound of rapid footsteps echoed from outside the cell. The heavy metal door creaked open, and Song Cheng appeared with his team, rushing toward Yu Sheng.
The “Conversation With The Dead” was brief in the physical world, only lasting an instant. Song Cheng arrived immediately after the Angel Cultist’s death, glancing at the body on the floor and then at Yu Sheng, his expression one of confusion.
“He got away,” Yu Sheng exhaled deeply, pointing at the lifeless body of the bald man. “He managed to use his last ounce of devotion to ‘feed’ himself to his lord. But… I still got some useful intel.”
Minutes later, Yu Sheng, along with Irene and Foxy, sat in Song Cheng’s office, recounting what he had learned from the Angel Cultist in his final moments.
“Vessel… The vessel of the angel’s descent…” Song Cheng’s brow furrowed deeply. “If what that cultist said is true, and the vessel is one of the members of ‘Fairy Tale,’ then things are even more dangerous than we thought. These Heretic Cultists performing ‘Self Sacrifice’ means that ‘something’ is close, but we don’t even know what characteristics the ‘vessel’ might have. Which one… among those children?”
However, Song Cheng was surprised to see Yu Sheng’s demeanor shift unexpectedly.
“If it really is a ‘Fairy Tale’ member, the situation might still be manageable.”
Song Cheng’s face twisted in confusion. “What do you mean?”
Yu Sheng spread his hands. “Because I’ve already ‘protected’ all the members of ‘Fairy Tale.’ From five-year-olds to near-adults, I’ve covered all of them.”
Song Cheng blinked. “…?”
Yu Sheng continued, unperturbed, “The specifics are hard to explain, but you can think of it as applying a ‘mental emergency shelter’ effect to all the ‘Fairy Tale’ members. If they encounter serious psychic damage—like mental contamination or a death-level threat to their consciousness—their minds will instantly transfer to a safe place. You can think of it as a form of ‘life-saving teleportation,’ but on a spiritual level.”
Song Cheng stared deeply into Yu Sheng’s eyes, as if trying to gauge the truth in his words. Just as he was about to ask for further clarification, the computer screen on the desk flickered to life, and Bai Li Qing’s ice-cold face appeared, staring at Yu Sheng.
“I’m not interested in your secrets,” she said, her voice low and calm. “I just want to know how effective this ‘protection’ really is.”
Yu Sheng wasn’t surprised by her appearance. He paused to think before answering seriously, “If we’re only talking about ‘protecting their minds,’ it’s 100% effective. I’ve tested it already.”
Bai Li Qing’s gaze remained piercing, her eyes seemingly capable of seeing through his very soul. “But you still don’t have complete confidence, do you?” she asked, her tone quiet but unsettling. “It seems like you’re still worried about something else.”
Yu Sheng hesitated, then nodded. “…Yes, you’re right. I have full confidence in the ‘protection’ I’ve set up for those kids. But we still don’t know how the Dark Angels’ ‘descent’ works. What if it’s not just psychic contamination? What if it’s something even more powerful?”
“And that Angel Cultist’s strange reaction when he died… I mean, during the ‘Conversation With The Dead.’ When I asked him if the ‘vessel’ was one of the Orphanage’s Cursed Children, he didn’t answer right away. But the smile on his face before he passed… it wasn’t just relief. There was something mocking in it. That last hint of sarcasm is suspicious.”
Yu Sheng poured out his concerns, then exhaled deeply, waiting for Bai Li Qing’s verdict.
Bai Li Qing remained motionless in the screen, her face a frozen mask of indifference. For a moment, Yu Sheng wondered if the connection had failed.
Then, suddenly, her voice broke the silence. “No matter what, our first priority is to prevent the Dark Angels from descending into the real world. We need to consider isolating and protecting all the ‘Fairy Tale’ members. Since you’re worried that the ‘protection’ you’ve set up might not be enough, let’s add a few more layers of defense.”
Song Cheng furrowed his brow, then spoke slowly, “We could transfer the Cursed Children to the Special Affairs Bureau’s Containment Facility… or maybe put them in special floors? ‘Quiet Town’ might work…”
“’Quiet Town’ is an Otherworld. Long-term residence there would affect their mental health—especially for the younger ones,” Bai Li Qing replied seriously, shaking her head. “We can’t be sure when the ‘descent’ will happen or how long it will last. We need more backup plans.”
“…Then we’ll use the Sixth Containment Zone. The environment there’s good, and the Entity ‘Caretaker’ can even teach the Cursed Children. Plus, there’s no worry about the ‘Caretaker’ running loose. The ‘Fairy Tale’ Guardians are strong enough to handle any threats.”
“That’s a viable option…” Bai Li Qing conceded.
Yu Sheng listened as the two of them began discussing the transfer of all the Orphanage’s Cursed Children to various Containment Facilities. Halfway through, he could no longer keep quiet.
“Wait, wait… Hold on a second. Don’t make a decision just yet. Shouldn’t we consult the people involved? Little Red Riding Hood and the other ‘Guardians’ might not agree. And, to be fair, don’t forget that the Special Affairs Bureau has tried before to concentrate the ‘Fairy Tale’ Cursed Children in one place… and that didn’t end well.”
At this, Song Cheng’s face contorted in frustration.
“I remember that situation well,” he muttered, “But now we have no choice—Dark Angels might descend, and the vessel is likely to be one of ‘Fairy Tale’s’ children. You said yourself, your ‘protection’ might not be enough, and that Heretic Cultist died with such a strange attitude toward that ‘Door’…”
Song Cheng trailed off, and Irene chimed in, “Listen to this—everything’s lining up for ‘disaster’ now. If this were a movie, we’d be hearing the ominous music right about now.”
Yu Sheng gave Irene a poke on the forehead and turned his attention back to Song Cheng and Bai Li Qing.
“First of all, we need to discuss this with Little Red Riding Hood and the others. They’re the ones who know the internal situation of ‘Fairy Tale’ best. They can tell us who might be the ‘vessel,’ who’s been acting strange recently. Without that information, blindly moving people around won’t solve anything. Secondly, even if we do need to move the Cursed Children from the Orphanage, it’s not just your solution we should be considering—I have one of my own…”
(This novel is translated and hosted on bcatranslation.)