"Fine, fine, fine, I'm not angry. Really, I'm not angry at all..." Shigure Kira forced a smile, trying to hypnotize herself.
But the thought that out of three phones, hers was the one that met misfortune, felt incredibly unfair.
Li Mo didn't turn back, walking at the very front, vigilantly observing their surroundings.
Noticing Shigure Kira's simmering anger, he offered perfunctorily, "Your phone should have cloud backup. Just get a new one and sync the data when you get back."
"But it's still a hassle. Consider it a favor I owe you."
"After this matter is settled, you can ask me to do one thing within my capabilities to repay this favor. Provided I can actually do it."
Li Mo's nonchalant reply instantly dispelled the gloom on Shigure Kira's face, and she broke into a happy smile.
Trading a phone for a favor from Li Mo? That was a fantastic deal!
What should I make him do? Hehe...
Countless delightful ideas immediately popped into Shigure Kira's head.
Make him hold a sign saying "Kira is the best star!" and stand in the most crowded part of Schicksal's shopping street for a whole day!
Or maybe, cast him as the lead in a comedy movie! Yes, the deadpan, gloomy guy playing a comedy lead would definitely be interesting.
Her mind wandered further and further, more concrete images appearing, and Shigure Kira couldn't help but giggle foolishly.
Snapping back to reality, Shigure Kira said with mock seriousness, "Ahem... You said it, no take-backs! How about... we do a pinky promise? I'm afraid you won't keep your word."
Li Mo: "I never go back on my word."
Saori Tsuruyo: "Big Brother, take my phone. You can just toss it if you run into danger. It doesn't have cloud storage, but there's no need to be sentimental about it!"
Li Mo: "There's no need. There's more than one of that ghost. If my memory serves, there are at least dozens of Granny Cat-Faces."
"We can only divert its attack target if other ghosts are present."
"For now, we don't need a phone's light as cover."
"Also, we're moving too slowly."
Li Mo turned around, scooped Saori Tsuruyo into his arms, channeled some strength, and sprinted, quickly navigating the ancient steps of the Heavenly Path.
He kicked up a gust of wind, making the surrounding leaves rustle "shaa shaa."
He didn't run at full speed, afraid the trailing Shigure Kira wouldn't keep up. Saori Tsuruyo, being a Valkyrie cadet, had limited physical stamina; even with Battlesuit enhancement, she might not match his or Kira's pace.
Shigure Kira's mood suddenly soured again. She took a deep breath, activated her Valkyrie Battlesuit with Honkai Energy to boost herself, and quickly followed.
On the way up the mountain, Li Mo chose paths shaded by leaves and rocks as much as possible, avoiding direct contact with moonlight.
Especially for Shigure Kira. Without her greatsword, dealing with the long hair trailing behind her head wasn't convenient in the short term.
While running, her shimmering white, smooth hair was often involuntarily blown by the night wind into moonlit areas. The bright moonlight made her hair translucent and sparkling, like a brilliant silver river fallen to the mortal realm.
Two meters of white hair floated with the wind, swaying chaotically.
After several hours of strenuous travel, the time reached the early morning hours.
Their luck was decent; they only encountered a few unknown Bizzare entities midway, which didn't attack them. Perhaps it was due to distance, the fact that Li Mo's group didn't trigger any rules, and weren't under direct light, thus not falling within the entities' attack parameters.
Just before reaching the summit of Mount Taixuan, Li Mo stopped.
He needed to give final reminders.
Turning back, he saw Shigure Kira bent over, hands on her knees, panting heavily.
"Haah... Haah..."
Shigure Kira's forehead was beaded with sweat, damp strands of ice-blue hair clinging to her cheeks.
The edges of her Valkyrie Battlesuit were soaked with sweat, showing irregular shades of light and dark.
Sweat trickled down from her hairline, glistening like tiny crystals, flowing past the bridge of her nose, dripping onto the corner of her mouth, drop after drop.
"Rest... Let's rest a bit..." Shigure Kira gasped, sitting down on the ground, her chest heaving rapidly.
Li Mo glanced over, confirmed Shigure Kira's condition, then averted his gaze.
Saori Tsuruyo, set down by Li Mo, felt the opposite of Kira. She wasn't hot; instead, she felt rather cold.
Li Mo had sprinted too fast, subjecting Saori to several hours of chilling wind.
If she hadn't enjoyed being held, Saori Tsuruyo would definitely have protested loudly and complained.
Thus, a strange scene unfolded.
Li Mo stood expressionless, calmly scanning the surroundings.
Saori Tsuruyo huddled, trying to tuck as much exposed skin as possible into her clothes.
Shigure Kira panted heavily, raising the ambient temperature considerably, her face flushed red.
The three seemed to exist in different seasons: Li Mo in a warm spring; Shigure Kira in a scorching summer; Saori Tsuruyo in a frigid winter.
"Shigure, are you an S-rank or A-rank Valkyrie in Schicksal now?"
"S-rank... why?"
"Nothing, just thought S-rank felt a bit weak."
"...Are you kidding me? S-rank isn't based on stamina! It doesn't mean I can sprint at full speed for hours! It's because you ran too fast that I had to push my Honkai Energy just to barely keep up! Even in a marathon, you maintain a steady pace! Running a marathon at a hundred-meter dash speed—if I hadn't trained diligently, I would've been left behind ages ago!"
"...Oh." Li Mo replied airily with a single syllable.
Is that so?
Li Mo felt he needed to re-evaluate the combat capabilities of S-rank Valkyries, or perhaps Shigure Kira had only just crossed that threshold.
"Big Brother, aren't we going through?" Saori Tsuruyo pointed at the passage ahead, resembling a Rashomon gate.
Li Mo remembered that last time, just after he and Changle's group entered, the Seven Swords of Taixu appeared right behind them.
Now, the Seven Swords might have completely lost their human consciousness. According to their parting words, they wouldn't kill during the day, only hospitably receive guests ascending the mountain.
Night was different; they had permission to kill.
Li Mo wasn't sure if walking in at this time would trigger an immediate attack.
And if attacked, how to respond.
If he wanted to leave, the current strength of the Seven Swords definitely couldn't hold him back. Their killing rule was eye contact; as long as he avoided it, he could use his strength to repel them, allowing for a fighting retreat.
But ghosts couldn't be killed, so Li Mo couldn't win.
If the stalemate continued, his own consciousness would be contaminated and twisted, his body eroded by the Bizzare.
Hiding in the dormant Room could offer temporary peace, but the Room could resist four ghosts. After Li Mo made eye contact with Changle, the number might have increased to five, or even more.
If he led the Seven Swords outside the Room, adding seven ghost judgments instantly, it would likely nullify the Room's protective ability.
The Seven Swords of Taixu...
It was a pity their last conversation was too short; he hadn't had time to ask how to handle returning at night.
"Let's stay here for a moment. I need to think about some things, and then, remind you of some precautions."
Li Mo turned around, facing Shigure Kira and Saori Tsuruyo, his gaze lowered to avoid meeting theirs.
"The Ghost Bride you saw in the town below the mountain—there's someone who looks exactly like her up here."
"She calls herself a princess of the dynasty, named Changle. Her purpose here is to seek blessings from the Immortal for the peace and safety of her country."
"She and I reached the summit yesterday. Changle acted completely normal, but I can't be certain she's fine. After all... you saw it in the town earlier. There's another Changle down there, and she's an unknown ghost."
Li Mo explained in detail.
Shigure Kira held her head. As she listened to Li Mo, images from earlier surfaced in her mind.
Dominated by some emotion, she had rashly broken down the door, rushed inside, and saw Li Mo and Changle on the bed, about to consummate their marriage.
Shigure Kira: "It was her? There's another one on the mountain?"
Li Mo: "Mm."
Shigure Kira: "Saori, what do you think? Do you think she's a ghost to be expelled, or a human we can travel with?"
Saori Tsuruyo: "Hmm... I'm not sure. But since there's a Changle both on the mountain and below, maybe we can find more clues through her. I don't know enough; I'll follow whatever Big Brother does. I trust Big Brother's judgment."
Li Mo: "We'll travel together for now. Also, don't mention anything about what happened below the mountain."
"The wedding procession had two extra people carrying the sedan chair. I recognized them. They were Changle's Soldier operatives who were killed by ghosts on the mountain earlier."
Saori Tsuruyo: "Killed on the mountain, they appear below?"
Li Mo nodded. This was another piece of the truth.
"Those killed on the mountain are either skinned by the Seven Swords or turned into Human Skin Ghosts by some unknown Bizzare power of Mount Taixuan. Their flesh appears in the town below, becoming humanoid Flesh Ghosts."
"On the day of the Ghost Festival, the Flesh Ghosts will ascend the mountain, eventually find their own skins, and the two will combine to revive a complete ghost."
Shigure Kira: "Wait, that doesn't make sense. What about the Changle you mentioned? If the one on the mountain can travel with you, she can't be just a human skin, right?"
Li Mo: "She's only temporarily alive. If we make her realize she's already dead, she'll quickly turn into a Human Skin Ghost."
"The Seven Swords of Taixu... died exactly like that."
"Once they realized they weren't alive, they died."
Saori Tsuruyo pondered for a moment, gradually understanding the situation.
"Don't worry, Captain and I won't interact much with Changle to avoid accidents."
"But, Big Brother, about seeking an audience with the Immortal you mentioned earlier..."
"Since we already know the Immortal has fallen to demonic influence, why still seek her out? Don't we just need to prevent the Human Skin Ghosts and Flesh Ghosts from meeting? As long as the source Bizzare entity doesn't spread, why provoke it?"
Saori Tsuruyo asked, confused. On the way up the mountain earlier, Li Mo had explained that the legendary guardian of Shenzhou – Immortal Jingwei – was almost certainly the source of all Bizzare phenomena on Mount Taixuan, extremely dangerous.
She seemingly possessed the ability to alter memories through eye contact and even retained some humanity, though that bit of humanity appeared twisted beyond recognition.
In fact, Saori's impression was that Li Mo preferred not to get involved with Bizzare entities unless necessary, or if inaction would lead to spreading. Otherwise, avoidance was the policy.
No one could guarantee survival against Bizzare entities.
"My companion was eaten by it. I need to find a way to save her."
"Even if she's already dead, I have to retrieve her weapon and bring it back, to stay by our side."
It wasn't just about answering to Mei, but also to himself.
Li Mo's tone remained flat, as if stating something utterly insignificant.
He showed no emotion or concern, making it seem as if completing this task didn't matter.
This indifferent attitude could easily lead those unfamiliar with him to perceive Li Mo as cold.
But, in reality, words are often pale and weak.
Often, one must look at what people do, not what they say.
Li Mo's impassivity made it hard to grasp his true inner feelings. He spoke just like any other time – same tone, same pitch, same cool words.
But his willingness to venture into danger indicated that, in his heart, the matter's importance far exceeded his outward appearance.
"Mm..."
Saori Tsuruyo nodded silently. Shigure Kira tactfully refrained from interrupting, even her breathing becoming much lighter.
Almost simultaneously, both girls drifted into the same hypothetical thought that felt like it could become reality.
Women tend to indulge in such hypothetical musings.
If they were the ones eaten, would Li Mo risk facing the source Bizzare entity?
What kind of expression would someone like him, who never showed joy or anger, whose emotions never surfaced on his face, reveal upon learning such news? What words would he utter?
Li Mo was unaware of Shigure Kira and Saori Tsuruyo's inner thoughts. He walked to the Rashomon gate, sighed, then turned back onto the steps.
"Let's go. To the summit," Li Mo said.
Shigure Kira walked to Li Mo's side. "Can't make eye contact... If I keep my head down like you, it should be fine, right?"
Li Mo: "As long as our lines of sight don't meet, it's fine."
A spark lit up in Saori Tsuruyo's eyes. She immediately closed them. "Big Brother, I'm afraid I'll get distracted and accidentally make eye contact with a ghost. I'll just keep my eyes closed."
Saying this, Saori Tsuruyo tightly gripped Li Mo's right hand.
Shigure Kira: "(艹皿艹 )!"
"Me, me too! You know, I'm pretty curious, always looking around. It's better if I close my eyes too."
Li Mo remained silent for a moment, then asked back, "Didn't you manage just fine on the way up?"
Shigure Kira: "I'm afraid of the dark."
Li Mo: "If you're afraid of the dark, shouldn't you open your eyes more? Closing them only lets you see darkness."
Shigure Kira: "Nope. Closing your eyes means you can't see anything."
Li Mo: "You can see darkness."
Shigure Kira: "Wrong answer! Actually... it's... safety."
Shigure Kira reached out and grabbed Li Mo's left hand. Mei's left hand trembled slightly for an instant before falling still. She felt a familiar aura from this hand.
"Your hand is so cold," Shigure Kira complained dissatisfiedly.
"You can let go," Li Mo replied calmly.
"Forget it. I'm afraid I'll accidentally fall and get my clothes dirty. Yup, yup, it's all for safety. Don't worry, I'll warm up this cold hand of yours."
Li Mo didn't answer. He couldn't grasp the meaning behind Shigure Kira's words.
Because... his focus was on whether his left hand currently belonged to him, or to the Bizzare Mei.
Both hands were very cold. After dying twice, he had lost most human connections and living physiological traits.
His right hand could be warmed, but once released, it would cool rapidly, returning to its original icy state.
Warmth, that seemingly comforting process, always felt as fleeting as a night-blooming cereus during his long journey.
"..."
Li Mo fell into a prolonged silence. Both his hands were occupied. What if they encountered a ghost?
Ah, whatever. With his current overall strength, unless he triggered an instant-death rule, few ghosts could kill him instantly.
Against ghosts that could kill him instantly, whether he used his hands or not was meaningless.
If Saori Tsuruyo and Shigure Kira really made eye contact with the Seven Swords, they might end up like Changle. Closing their eyes was indeed a good method.
He himself was calm enough, almost impossible to be swayed by curiosity. If he fell into a trap, it would be due to his own lack of observation and judgment, failing to perform optimally.
Li Mo decided to keep his eyes open for observation.
Once ready, Li Mo didn't push the two girls beside him away but led them by the hand into the Rashomon gate.
The moment they entered, an unusual chill rose from his heart, quickly enveloping his entire body.
He felt Shigure Kira and Saori Tsuruyo trembling slightly through his arms; they must be feeling the cold.
It was normal for Saori Tsuruyo, a Valkyrie cadet, to feel cold. For Shigure Kira, an S-rank Valkyrie, to feel cold indicated the surroundings were genuinely freezing.
Li Mo didn't even need to take out his thermometer to determine—
The Seven Swords of Taixu have arrived.
During the day, the Seven Swords wouldn't kill, at most offering the corpse-filled Ghost Banquet to kill indirectly.
At night, they would fight with the Human Skin Ghosts for control of bodies, death meant losing most memories and consciousness...
Thump... thump...
Frequent footsteps approached from ahead. Li Mo didn't look up, keeping his eyes fixed on the ground.
Just as expected.
Li Mo thought silently, aligning with his predictions.
After dying and reviving, the Seven Swords at night existed as Human Skin Ghosts, dried up like paper effigies.
Was this misfortune, or fortune?
If they appeared in living form, there were two scenarios.
First, the Seven Swords still retained scant consciousness from life. Li Mo could communicate with them and quickly leave for the Room.
Second, the Seven Swords had no consciousness, merely possessing their former strength and the rules of vengeful spirits.
If it were the latter, Li Mo would have to toss the Bizzare Coin to escape.
The Seven Swords couldn't kill him; Li Mo could kill all of them within twenty breaths.
But they were ghosts, unkillable. No matter how strong Li Mo was, he couldn't shake them off, only get entangled until exhausted.
If he accidentally made eye contact during the entanglement, he'd be killed and turned into a human skin.
Other unknown ghosts might interfere during the fight. One wrong move could trigger an unknown rule, leading to a baffling death.
Furthermore, in combat, it would be hard to protect Saori Tsuruyo. Li Mo wasn't a healer or a tank; he was a pure burst assassin.
All offense, no defense.
Cheng Lingshuang's Sword God wasn't weak either. Using Sword God, Cheng Lingshuang's strength definitely surpassed S-rank Valkyries like Shigure Kira.
In a battle of that level, the outcome was obvious: everyone except the two strongest would die.
The Seven Disciples of Taixu were ghosts, not dead, so only they would survive.
The Bizzare Coin could hold the Seven Swords' attention, allowing Li Mo to take the others and retreat to the Room for safety.
Though he'd lose a precious one-time life-saving tool, it was the only way.
Below the mountain were Granny Cat-Face and thousands of Flesh Ghosts. Staying too long before the Rashomon gate would inevitably lead to an attack by unknown ghosts.
Unknown rules were the most terrifying.
Only the Room was relatively safe. But it was now after 9 PM, and the Seven Swords, turned into Human Skin Ghosts, were the gatekeepers.
If his luck was bad, he'd have to toss the coin.
Fortunately, the Seven Swords appeared in their skin state – a silver lining amidst the misfortune.
"Wrap your clothes around your heads," Li Mo instructed.
Confused, Saori Tsuruyo and Shigure Kira obediently took off their outer jackets and covered their heads completely from top to bottom.
Li Mo did the same.
Soon, all three heads were covered, not a bit exposed.
Seven stiff human skins walked up to Li Mo, looked at Shigure Kira, then turned sideways to look at Saori Tsuruyo.
Finding that all three lacked heads, they began circling them.
Hearing the strange footsteps, Li Mo knew the Human Skin Ghosts' judgment logic was malfunctioning.
In the Slaughterhouse, when he hid below, they would directly stick to his head, aligning their eye sockets with his eyes.
That was the Human Skin Ghost's killing rule.
But even with eyes closed, the Human Skin Ghost would still cover the head.
To avoid triggering the eye contact rule, one would have to keep their eyes closed forever, or, like Li Mo, cut open their own face with a military knife.
Obviously, that was impossible. Neither Shigure Kira nor Saori Tsuruyo possessed recovery abilities like his, in Li Mo's view.
That's why covering their heads with clothes was necessary. This way, even if the skins covered their heads, they'd only stick to the clothes.
However...
Li Mo heard the footsteps quicken; the judgment process was nearing its end.
The Human Skin Ghosts seemed only willing to cover human skin, not the clothes on their heads.
Taking this opportunity, Li Mo didn't stay idle. He immediately pulled Shigure Kira and Saori Tsuruyo, heading towards the Room based on his memory.
Walking blind without guidance made precise navigation difficult.
Even Li Mo, having died twice, couldn't manage perfectly. But following the general direction without falling off the mountain was easy enough.
Li Mo had kept his gaze lowered since starting the ascent, so he remembered clearly.
Which spot on the stone path bulged, which spot had a sunken little puddle – the shapes and sizes were distinct.
Li Mo moved forward slowly, judging his position by the feeling underfoot, then adjusting his general direction to walk straight.
He reached another familiar location from memory, groping his way forward, coordinate by coordinate.
Walking in a straight line was an essential skill for traversing the Bizzare cave.
"..."
Shigure Kira and Saori Tsuruyo were very quiet. They heard footsteps from all directions, but since Li Mo gave no warning, they didn't ask.
This was crucial. If they spoke now, the Human Skin Ghosts' judgment might change, potentially causing them to lunge at their heads instantly.
Even though their heads were covered by clothes.
The footsteps grew fainter. Finally, the Human Skin Ghosts lost their target judgment and returned to their previous wandering state.
No, not wandering.
Li Mo heard clearly: seven distinct sets of footsteps heading in the same direction.
"They're gone. Now I'll take you to the Room."
After speaking, Li Mo paused noticeably.
That direction...
Li Mo was preoccupied with the direction the seven skins had gone. He repeatedly searched the ground around him for the familiar depressions.
After a moment, he finally stepped into one, nearly stumbling.
"Hehe, you're gonna die~"
"!"
Li Mo's body froze rigid.
That sharp, cursing voice in his mind—he was utterly familiar with it:
The Misfortune Ghost.
But why?
Why would the Misfortune Ghost suddenly curse him?
The Misfortune Ghost only cursed him shortly before his consciousness was about to dissipate.
But there were no other ghosts nearby now. The Seven Swords Human Skin Ghosts had moved away. Shigure Kira and Saori Tsuruyo were confirmed humans.
No meowing, and he wasn't standing under a tree.
How could his consciousness possibly be erased?
"Gloomy Guy?"
"Big Brother?"
Saori Tsuruyo and Shigure Kira called out, puzzled. They felt Li Mo grip their hands even tighter.
How could I die? I'm perfectly safe right now.
Emotion told Li Mo he was safe with no ghosts around. Yet, reason told Li Mo the Misfortune Ghost's curse was even more accurate than the Notebook's predictions.
The Notebook might set traps; death wasn't absolute. But the Misfortune Ghost had no such cunning. It only planted the curse for consciousness continuation just before death arrived.
"Oh? So you didn't know you were gonna die? Haha! It'll be quick, you're about to die right now!"
"How pitiful! Not even knowing how you'll die~ Hehe! Haha!"
The Misfortune Ghost's curse continued, mocking him wantonly, making no effort to hide its malice.
Coincidentally, Li Mo had just stepped into a depression shaped like a bottle. The bottle's mouth pointed exactly towards the spot where Li Mo had previously seen that "special human skin."
That skin, hanging at the very top of the towering Pagoda Tree, its face ghastly pale, eye sockets pitch black.
But its angle was just right to see the person beneath the tree.
"..."
My human skin...
Li Mo adjusted his foot, stepping fully into the depression.
Yes, that was it, it fit perfectly. The depression from his memory.
Human skin...
Li Mo suddenly connected this to his experience during the ghost marriage's consummation.
In the bronze mirror, not only could he see Changle's flesh, but he himself looked the same in the reflection – only churning, writhing crimson flesh remained, without skin covering, hideously exposed in the mirror.
"..."
Then what's the difference between me and Changle?
In the town below, the reflection in the bronze mirror was the same.
In the Room on the mountain, both maintained their living forms, both consciousness and body.
Since he suspected Changle, why hadn't he suspected himself?
Li Mo froze on the spot. He realized he might have been trapped in a misconception all along: that possessing Restart meant he must be human.
But he seemed to have overlooked one point: ghosts could also restart after dying.
Except they mostly restarted themselves, while Li Mo directly restarted the entire timeline.
Li Mo had theorized before: if he truly became Bizzare, its Restart would surely be special, restarting not just itself but also the surrounding space-time along with it.
This had nothing to do with whether he was human or ghost.
The Changle below the mountain was definitely a ghost; there were no living people in that town.
If Changle was a ghost, then what was he, who had been largely identical to Changle from start to finish?
Li Mo didn't want to accept this fact. This point alone wasn't enough to determine he was a Flesh Ghost.
But what if... his own human skin was on the mountain?
That skin hanging on the Pagoda Tree, the most sinister and grotesque, the skin of his tragic death...
"Ugh..."
Am I... a ghost?
"Big Brother?" Saori Tsuruyo asked worriedly, noticing something was wrong with Li Mo.
To better observe Li Mo's condition, Saori Tsuruyo disregarded the danger, opened her eyes, tossed aside her covering clothes, her eyes showing rare panic and concern.
Shigure Kira did the same, opening her eyes, removing the clothes, gazing worriedly at Li Mo, supporting his swaying body.
Li Mo released his grip on Shigure Kira and Saori Tsuruyo's hands. Not because he wanted to let go, but because he couldn't hold on.
His full, strong, flesh-and-blood hands rapidly withered. His legs shriveled at an alarming speed. Losing balance and support, his body immediately collapsed to the ground.
From top to bottom, his body was transforming into a barren, desiccated human skin.
His flesh vanished without a trace, as if evaporated.
"Take the gun from my waist... aim at my head..." Li Mo said weakly. His eyeballs had already disappeared, his eyes becoming pitch-black sockets identical to the hanging skin on the Pagoda Tree.
His hands and legs, devoid of flesh, couldn't even lift the Bizzare Handgun. He couldn't even kill himself.
The Misfortune Ghost's curse was rapidly fading; Li Mo heard its voice in his mind growing quieter.
Clenching her fists, Shigure Kira quickly took the Bizzare Handgun from Li Mo's waist, flicked off the old-style safety, and aimed the muzzle at where Li Mo's brain should be.
A normal handgun might not kill him, but a vital hit from the Bizzare Handgun definitely would.
"Captain! Wait!" Saori Tsuruyo's mind raced, desperately trying to think of a way to save him.
But Shigure Kira was different.
She wasn't as clever as Saori, nor as calm and rational as Li Mo.
The only thing she could do was obey orders absolutely, leaving the decision-making to wiser minds.
That day, after the funeral ended, moonlight pierced the window gauze, illuminating the room's gloom.
Shigure Kira had a dream. In the dream, she saw the despair brought about by her failure to strictly follow Li Mo's orders.
Her squad, all its members, and most of St. Freya's students died on that cold night.
The smell of blood and the sound of tearing flesh deeply stimulated every nerve in Shigure Kira's body.
"Shoot!" Protected by the Misfortune Ghost, Li Mo roared with the last shred of his rationality and strength.
The next second— BANG!
The gunshot rang out without hesitation, piercingly loud, almost shattering the cold night that felt exactly like the one in her dream.
A spray of blood mist spread out, filling the air.
The blue-purple flames burned inextinguishably, gradually consuming every inch of human skin below Li Mo's head.
"Big Brother! Big Brother!" Saori Tsuruyo cried out, grabbing her clothes and frantically beating at the eerie flames. But the fire didn't diminish at all, instead growing fiercer, devouring Li Mo's skin.
Shigure Kira stood aside, holding the gun, staring blankly, motionless.
After an unknown amount of time, Saori Tsuruyo stopped her futile efforts.
She knelt beside where Li Mo had been, clutching dust in her hand.
"He triggered a rule. He's dead," Shigure Kira said after thinking for a long time, unable to find suitable words.
Shigure Kira knew no amount of gentle comfort could hide the truth. Saori Tsuruyo was smart; Kira couldn't fool her. What she herself knew, Saori had already understood long ago.
Saori simply couldn't accept it, clinging to the fantasy that she could find a solution.
"I know."
Saori Tsuruyo walked over and picked up the charred Notebook.
She opened the ominous Notebook.
The worn, black-stained pages remained silent, displaying only one conspicuous sentence—
[My name is Li Mo. When you see this sentence, I am already dead.]
The Notebook wouldn't lie. Saori Tsuruyo bit her lip until it bled, asking many questions.
She knew the consequences of using the Notebook, but she didn't care, didn't care about anything.
However, the Notebook disappointed Saori. It remained silent, just like the Li Mo behind her who had turned to ash, utterly quiet.
The Bizzare Handgun fell from Shigure Kira's hand. She lacked even the desire to turn around, walking straight towards the place where Li Mo died, like a tightly wound doll moving stiffly, sluggishly forward, capable only of stepping out a melody of grief and suppression.
Shigure Kira knelt, carefully cupping the black ashes with both hands, patiently picking out grain after grain of sand.
Her clear, bright azure eyes lost their usual sparkle, as if a great fire had swept through, burning away all the dark lotuses and dreams in the pond, leaving behind only a pervasive, suffocating sadness that filled every tiny crevice of her soul.
"I really want to go to your side."
"The me right now could definitely say those words..."
"Idiot."
"..."
"..."
Her final words were obscured by the twisting distortion of the restarting space-time.
Li Mo dazedly opened his eyes. The Rashomon gate, covered in green moss, stood before him.
"Your hand is so cold."
Li Mo suddenly heard a girl's teasing voice. His left hand was covered by warmth; the other person seemed to be trying to warm his hand with her own body heat.
"..."
Li Mo remained silent. His clouded eyes glanced at her, pupils dilated, dirty, as if the eyeball had ruptured, cellular tissue jumbled together.
"Why are you glaring at me?"
"Hmm? Let me guess, you definitely want to say something like 'Then let go of me'."
"I'm just afraid of falling and getting my clothes dirty while walking with my eyes closed. Yup, yup, it's all for safety. Don't worry, as payback, I'll warm up this cold hand of yours."
Seeing Li Mo silent for a long time, Shigure Kira chuckled to herself.
Although the current Li Mo gave her the illusion that he had become even more silent, even colder.
Li Mo pulled his left hand away from Shigure Kira's grasp, looking at it thoughtfully.
Restarted three times. This is the fourth life...
If not for obtaining this hand in Mei's Bizzare world, this life would have been his last, and he couldn't afford much more contamination, needing to return to his native world immediately to clear the accumulated deaths.
Li Mo knew clearly.
The final life was the last step before he became Bizzare.
Every bit of contamination pushed him further, whether passively received from the outside or actively released by himself.
The final life was practically walking a tightrope. A little too much contamination, and he would instantly lose his self, reduced to a Bizzare entity acting solely on rules.
Becoming Bizzare was irreversible.
But obtaining Mei's left hand gave Li Mo a fourth chance to restart. Meaning, without using excessive power, he still had one more chance.
However... he had to use power, and the extent would be second only to those two times in the Previous Era.
Now, bolstered by three restarts, the Misfortune Ghost's Bizzare abilities were enhanced. Combined with the Usurpation ability, as long as the usurped item wasn't too valuable, Li Mo's body, bordering on becoming Bizzare, could withstand it.
Not only that, but the Room would also judge him as a ghost. Thus, after 9 PM, the possibility of the Room being breached was minimal.
"Big Brother?"
Saori Tsuruyo, whose hand had been pulled away, was very confused.
Li Mo didn't explain, grabbing Saori's hand again, silently leading both girls into the Bizzare Rashomon gate.
Upon entering, Li Mo felt Shigure Kira and Saori Tsuruyo tremble slightly through his arms, just like last time.
The Seven Swords were currently in their skin state, lacking consciousness from life.
Li Mo quickly removed Shigure Kira's and Saori Tsuruyo's outer clothes.
"Hey, hey, hey?! Wait, Big Brother, in a place like this..."
"Whoa, whoa, whoa, Gloomy Guy, what are you doing? Keep your hands to yourself! Holding hands is the limit! Where are you touching!"
Thump... thump...
Frequent footsteps approached from ahead. The chilling aura struck fiercely, frightening Shigure Kira and Saori Tsuruyo into quickly shutting their eyes.
Soon, Li Mo had removed their outer clothes and swiftly wrapped their heads.
Only then did he remove his own outer jacket to cover his head.
"..."
The Human Skin Ghosts began circling the three. During their judgment process, Li Mo recalled what happened before.
The moment he realized he was a ghost, he triggered the instant-death rule.
"..."
It's here.
Li Mo's hands began to wither again. But this time, before the flesh disappeared, Li Mo used "Usurpation" on himself.
The next second, Li Mo's hands rapidly recovered, refilled with flesh.
However, this situation lasted only a few seconds before Li Mo's body started shriveling again.
"Found you."
Li Mo turned his head, his cold gaze converging on a vast expanse of darkness.
That's the Daoist Temple.
The instant the death rule triggered, Li Mo sensed a Bizzare aura he had never noticed before, originating from there, constantly spreading.
Even now, that Bizzare aura clung to him, inextricably tangled.
Li Mo didn't believe he was a ghost. Becoming like this, triggering the undeath rule, was likely thanks to the "Immortal" in the Daoist Temple secretly helping.
Thank her for modifying his living identity.
Without hesitation, Li Mo used "Usurpation" again.
The target of Usurpation had to be within memory. So just now, Li Mo had to recall that specific memory, then, at the instant the death rule triggered, usurp his own disappearing flesh.
But he underestimated this death rule. It seemed as long as he remembered he was a ghost, this rule would continuously manifest until Li Mo was reduced to a human skin.
The second "Usurpation," Li Mo usurped his own memory.
Using blank memory to cover the memory that triggered the death rule.
This wasn't replacement, but burial. The next time he encountered something related, he would still remember, and then trigger the death rule again.
This method was currently just drinking poison to quench thirst.