Apocalyptic Era: Starting from picking up a Bishoujo
Chapter 138 - 132 successfully enters 1

Chapter 138: 132 successfully enters 1

Out of control mayhem, cannibalistic instincts...

I couldn’t imagine Changan turning into a demon that attacks humans, but ultimately, the reason he was sealed by the Zhu family in his childhood was that he had lost control before.

As a friend of Changan, I couldn’t help but care, "You’ve mentioned before that Changan’s demon side had gone berserk... What exactly is this ’demon side’?"

"Well, how should I put it..." Zhu Shi seemed to be choosing his words, "In layman’s terms, it’s somewhat like a second personality?"

Even the term "second personality" had come up. Were your siblings’ concepts in "that aspect" a bit too rich?

Zhu Shi seemed not to notice my strange gaze and continued, "My brother has demon blood, and such demons, being a type of abnormal creature, have knowledge inheritance in their bloodlines. You see, even humans, if they are born and not taught by anyone around them, can’t learn to speak or write on their own. For instance, some infants are abandoned in the wild, yet due to various coincidences, they grow up; these are called ’Wolf Children,’ I believe. Those kids can’t even talk, let alone walk like humans.

"However, according to folklore, once a demon transforms into human form, they can naturally walk on two legs and speak like humans, even effortlessly blending into society. This is because demons possess innate wisdom; their instincts are embedded with the knowledge and skills required to hunt humans."

"So, Changan instinctively knows how to hunt humans?" I vaguely understood the implication of going berserk.

"Yes. As the saying goes, ’Possessing a weapon incites the will to kill.’ Knowledge and skills are even more innate than physical weapons, and in a stage of mental immaturity and curious about the world, suddenly mastering a systematic knowledge of slaughter naturally turns into a killing frenzy. Moreover, his demon blood itself brings murderous impulses." She nodded, "If he were a complete demon, he might have had the chance to seamlessly assimilate that terrifying inherited wisdom. But because he’s still partially human, he can’t absorb the information flowing in his blood properly, leading to a split in his psyche."

"This is what is called going berserk... So, is it really alright to lift his seal now?" I asked.

"The brother I have now is different from when he was a child; he has already formed his own values. As long as we lift the seal gradually and step by step, there shouldn’t be any major issues." She first spoke cautiously, then her tone lightened humorously, "Don’t worry, it will definitely be fine. Instead of worrying about that, we should probably be more concerned about whether he’ll start saying things like ’Ah, the demonic blood within me is stirring...’ after the seal is lifted."

Hearing this, even the serious part of my mind was somewhat relieved by her words. Changan might indeed say something like that. "A power with a risk of berserk usage" is a classic trope for fighting manga protagonists, though it certainly isn’t something I envy... By the way, am I overthinking it, or does it feel like those close to me resemble the heroes of adventure stories? There’s always a sense of being isolated and left behind.

At this moment, I noticed Mazao was silent. It wasn’t the silence that couldn’t interject into our conversation, but rather it seemed like he was pondering something.

"Is there something on your mind?" I initiated.

"Um... I remember you guys were very concerned about Ying Lingyun’s news, but isn’t he already dead?" she asked.

That reminded me, I had not yet explained to her about Ying Lingyun possibly having a Divine Seal Fragment, so I shared all my speculations with her.

"I’ve already disclosed the existence of the Divine Seal Fragment to Zhu Shi, as well as the matter about the small bowl... Sorry, I forgot to consult your opinion on this matter," I said.

"... That’s okay."

Although she said that, I felt like Mazao was slightly annoyed that I had discussed it with Zhu Shi first. She didn’t express it but only said, "I see, so we still have to continue fighting Ying Lingyun... What should we do next, use my abilities to investigate his ’clinic’ in the old district?"

Zhu Shi said sternly, "No, Mazao, you should go home first and use the medicine for treating the soul. With your current condition, you shouldn’t continue using your power, at least for another two days."

"That’s right. You can trace the clues using your blessing power anytime, right? Don’t rush in these one or two days." I chimed in support.

Seeing us both agree, Mazao looked displeased, "But..."

"Besides, it’s not like you can’t do anything at home." Zhu Shi continued, pulling out a USB drive from his pocket, "I tasked Lu Chan to gather a list of the nation’s soul loss victims, complete with photos. You can take this home and check if your friend Xiaowan is among them."

Mazao immediately had her attention captured and took the USB drive with both hands.

Zhu Shi added, "The information here is just a part, about twenty thousand people. More data will continue to be sent, and you can check each one."

"Twenty thousand people..."

I had only known that there were numerous soul loss sufferers but never asked about the specific numbers. If twenty thousand was just a part, then what was the total number?

After asking, Zhu Shi showed a serious expression and said, "The number worldwide is unclear, but within the country alone, this figure may have already approached one hundred thousand to date."

"One hundred thousand?" I exclaimed, "Has there been no report till now?"

"Soul loss has been classified by Luo Mountain and official forces as an abnormal phenomenon, and so far both parties... especially the latter, have temporarily agreed to maintain secrecy and do their best to prevent the ordinary society from knowing about the abnormal world," she said. "This agreement is becoming more and more fragile, and the rate of increase in soul loss sufferers is also accelerating. It is said that hundreds of new cases are added everyday."

"I don’t believe that Luo Mountain will be helpless with this collective coma phenomenon till the end; in history, there have been more terrifying abnormal calamities. Impermanence might not have truly taken this matter seriously; once they take action, clues to resolve soul loss will likely emerge. But by then, it would be too late. I don’t know how many families will have been destroyed by that time.

"So, Mazao, if you have any leads..."

Towards the end, her tone became more subdued, while Mazao silently put away the USB and said, "I understand."

Every day, hundreds of new soul loss sufferers are added; what a startling number. Keep in mind, this isn’t something like the flu, but rather randomly occurring cases of vegetative states across the nation. To be able to control this information suggests some inexplicable measures.

I remember that the outbreak of soul loss began four years ago; to date, nearly one hundred thousand patients have accumulated, and assuming five hundred new cases each day, that means about two hundred thousand new patients after a year.

This increasing rate continues to worsen over time. In reality, the number of patients after a year will certainly be much higher, and there are likely many cases that haven’t even been accounted for. No calculations needed—it’s clear this is a dire situation.

Indeed, if under such urgent circumstances, the forces behind Lu Youxun engaging in somewhat underhanded methods to find Mazao is entirely understandable. At that time, Lu Youxun admitted in front of me that "our side hasn’t been completely straightforward", probably more because he was trying to woo me at the time, so he agreed with me just for the sake of agreement. In fact, it would not be too difficult to debate me from a standpoint of justice.

As long as Luo Mountain doesn’t plan to harm Mazao and only requests her to undergo some detailed examinations, then naturally, I see no reason not to support it. I expect someone will soon approach Mazao to discuss this matter.

After saying goodbye to Zhu Shi, I took Mazao home, buying her a phone on the way, which she politely accepted after thanking me. If it had been when we first met, she definitely wouldn’t have accepted my gift so obediently—such progress in our relationship made me somewhat happy.

However, conversely, after hearing more about soul loss, she seemed to be heavily burdened. After we got home, we sat down on the sofa, and I taught her how to use the phone. She clumsily fumbled with the phone, gradually becoming slower in her movements and more absent in her expression as I guided her through browsing social information on the web.

"...Zhuang Cheng, do you think my time travel is really related to soul loss?" she asked. "If Luo Mountain studies my body, can it really save so many people?"

"You don’t need to think too much right now," I said. "Didn’t Zhu Shi give you the data list of those with soul loss? If you can find Little Bowl’s photo, then it means there’s a connection. If not..."

Could finding nothing prove there’s no connection? I paused, considering my own logic.

"I think it’s probably related, although it’s just a feeling. My Broom Star Physique always gets me into many terrifying coincidences, and coincidences aren’t necessarily unconnected," she said, looking at her phone. "Maybe I was originally from this era, once a girl skilled at using a phone, who then traveled to the Doomsday Era, mistakenly believing herself to be a citizen of that era.

"And many people I encountered in the Doomsday Era might be like me, having traveled from this era, then getting harmed because of me... If that’s really the case..."

"You mean to say... if their soul loss is cured, those who died in the Doomsday Era could come back to life in this era?" I asked.

She gently nodded.

I suddenly had a bad feeling. Seeing her current expression, if Luo Mountain were to perform destructive experiments on her in search of a cure for soul loss, she might even decide to sacrifice herself. Of course, Luo Mountain wouldn’t waste a valuable case of awakening; I would definitely stop them, even if it meant going against her wishes. But her current mental state seemed to have a self-destructive tendency.

I had to get her out of this state.