Rules-related weird stories: 4016

Chapter 457: The Characteristics of "Ashes"

The layer where the Art Building is located is a polar night environment similar to the Arctic and Antarctic, with endless darkness shrouding the entire world, and in that black sky, there is a black sun.

That sun is almost impossible to see clearly, leaving only a faint golden edge outlining its silhouette.

He also thought of a painting in the Diviner's room…

An endless coastline, black tides, an ancient and eerie castle, gray mist emanating from the depths of the ocean, heavy clouds, and… a sun with a golden outline.

"Sun" seems to have a very profound indicative meaning in the Art Building layer.

Convenience Store Owner-003 did not elaborate too much on the topic of "sun" or embers, but continued, "When ashes permeate here, their own extraordinary characteristics have been almost worn away, but even if only this tiny bit remains, it is devastatingly harmful to living organisms."

Lin Yi opened his mouth. If just a trace of afterglow has such a terrifying effect, then what level of horror would the "sun" itself be?

"But…" Convenience Store Owner-003 said, "Ashes themselves are not inherently destructive. Their destructiveness to living organisms is only due to the organism's inability to bear its level, leading to collapse and self-immolation. Once any entity is contaminated with ashes, if it cannot raise its level to the level of ashes within a limited time, it will be burned to ashes."

"Power itself is like this."

"It's not just 'ashes'; even the simplest blue-green aura is like this."

"If you can withstand and adapt, you can become a sports student or an art student. If you can't withstand it, you will become a Pseudo, a Sculpture, or a Night Walker."

"In the final analysis, it's just because the level of the ashes themselves is too high, so high that ordinary living organisms simply cannot touch them."

"Therefore, the so-called bearing or control is actually just a delusion given by ignorant people who don't know the whole picture."

"Ashes themselves are not terrible; what is terrible is how to adapt to ashes, master ashes, and ultimately… transcend ashes."

"'Transcend ashes'?" Lin Yi was extremely shocked. "If you transcend ashes… what is it?"

Convenience Store Owner-003's gaze fell on the "Burial Body." Within the "Burial Body," a faint golden light was floating: "If the state of an Ash Apostle is compared to taking the civil service exam, then landing ashore refers to stepping onto the 'Supreme Judgment' path."

"Does this path really exist?!" Lin Yi exclaimed in shock. If this is the case, then the information that the "Domain of the Gods" used to deceive Yuan Datou and Mu Daxian might be true?

"It really exists, but very few people know about it," Convenience Store Owner-003 said. "You don't need to think too much. In the entire campus, only a few Night Watchers, me, and that pitfall 'Principal' know about it, and there is no way to spread it out."

"The 'Supreme Judgment' path can only be known once you step on it. Words cannot record this path."

"Once recorded, the record itself will become a powerful pollution, like a virus. Once it spreads, almost no one can withstand it."

Lin Yi pursed his lips and subconsciously touched the notepad in his pocket.

He fully understood what Convenience Store Owner-003 was saying. He felt that his notepad was fully applicable to this condition.

"So, 'Ash Apostles' go up to become 'Supreme Judgment.' Were you all once 'Ash Apostles'?" Lin Yi asked.

Convenience Store Owner-003 said, "You can understand it that way."

"No wonder you can expel that 'Ash Apostle'…" Lin Yi revealed a look of realization. Convenience Store Owner-003's level was above that guy, so being able to expel him was naturally a matter of course.

Convenience Store Owner-003 said, "But that 'Ash Apostle' is an exception."

"Ah? What does that mean?" Lin Yi asked in confusion.

"It is a projection of the 'Ash Apostle' path in the campus," Convenience Store Owner-003 said. "Like a three-dimensional sphere, if it enters two dimensions, it is a circle. The organization that used Yuan Datou and Mu Daxian to arrange the ritual initially tore a gap in the campus, causing the 'Ash Apostle' path to project here from an unknown dimension."

"That 'Ash Apostle' formed by the projection can be called the 'Progenitor-Type Ash Apostle.'"

"Like the bloodline of vampires, it can suppress all other 'Ash Apostles.' Leaving aside combat power, the suppression in level is absolute."

"Level suppression…" Lin Yi pondered, "Then if you encounter it, can you only escape?"

"You can only escape," Convenience Store Owner-003 did not deny. "Or, you can pull out something of the 'Supreme Judgment' level to fight it."

"Like golden aura?" Lin Yi asked.

Convenience Store Owner-003 saw through Lin Yi's thoughts: "There is no problem with the golden aura, but the premise is that you can use it freely. If you mess up at a critical moment, even a god can't save you."

Lin Yi understood at this moment. No wonder his Bone Golden Body was not afraid of the burning of ashes. The thing refined from this golden aura must also be of an extraordinary level.

"Then if I get irritable, if I really encounter it and can't escape, I don't want the flesh and blood anymore. I'll just pick up the skeleton and fight it." Lin Yi thought to himself that he didn't expect Brook to be himself.

But Brook might not be as perverted as Lin Yi. What this guy was thinking was to tear off the arm bone of his left hand with his right hand and use it as a weapon…

"Your idea is very good," Convenience Store Owner-003 was shocked by Lin Yi's idea. "In desperate situations, you can try it."

"Why do I feel like your tone is a little strange?"

"No, I'm talking about desperate situations. You don't need to care so much at that time, right?"

"That's true…" Lin Yi nodded thoughtfully. "So, 'ashes' themselves don't actually have any characteristics?"

Convenience Store Owner-003 pondered for a moment, and then said conservatively, "If I had to say, the extraordinary characteristics in the ashes should only be 'tempering' and 'perception,' right…"

Lin Yi asked, "Is it the kind of tempering and perception that I understand?"

Convenience Store Owner-003 said, "Almost. There's no other meaning. 'Tempering' means that you can continuously purify extraordinary power. This is like how a sports student can make his aura become more and more blue. You can make the extraordinary power in your body infinitely close to ashes. Of course, doing so will accidentally cause you to burn up in advance…"

"And 'perception' is more mysterious. When you burn up, your will can transcend time, like 'dream weaving,' and get lost in the path of the Ash Apostle, feeling the time flowing through other Ash Apostles…"

"It's very mysterious, right? You'll know once you experience it."

"Once you are no longer an 'Ash Apostle,' you won't be able to enter that path, so if there is a chance, it is still worth 'dabbling' in."

Lin Yi remained silent, his brows slightly furrowed.

He had wanted to ask about the 'Ashen Apostle' in the school district, but the convenience store owner - 003 had already told him.

He had wanted to ask about the truth of the Yuan Datou and Mu Daxian incident, but the convenience store owner had also told him.

He already knew almost everything about the overall incident.

He slowly exhaled, following the convenience store owner - 003's gaze, looking at the light spot inside the 'Burial Body' that resembled Lao Mo's heart: "Lao Mo, he... how long will it take for him to be reborn?"

"It will take some time," the convenience store owner - 003 said, "I'm not a god, I can't just assemble him like using lotus roots to save Nezha and blow some immortal air on him, right?"

"Besides, the material's grade this time is extraordinary. If he's lucky, Lao Mo might be able to step into the 'Supreme Judgment' path."

"'Supreme Judgment'!" Lin Yi couldn't help but exclaim, "Will he become a 'Night Watchman'?"

"No, he won't," the convenience store owner - 003 rarely pursed his lips, adding, "Not only will he not, but his actions will also be limited to the cafeteria area. It's a castrated version of 'Supreme Judgment,' I guess..."

"Emmm..." Lin Yi couldn't help but scratch his head, thinking to himself, how come Lao Mo's skills are all castrated versions? If this continues, wouldn't he be called Eunuch Mo...?

"If I remember correctly, you're about to leave the school district, right?" the convenience store owner - 003 asked.

"Ah?" Lin Yi didn't know why the convenience store owner - 003 suddenly asked this.

"What I mean is, before you leave, you probably won't see Lao Mo recover to his original state," the convenience store owner - 003 said, pausing before adding, "I remember it's been five days since I first saw you."

"Five days?" Lin Yi was stunned for a moment, "This was originally my fifth day entering the school... Wait, are you saying?! Wait!! You... you saw me on the evening of May 6th?!"

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Lin Yi tried hard to recall, and then a hazy figure suddenly flashed in his mind.

It was probably when he and Wei Liang went to the toilet, he vaguely saw a fleeting figure in the hazy shadows at the end of the corridor.

He still remembers that feeling, cold, eerie, terrifying, and with a certain flavor that he couldn't quite put his finger on...

That figure was the convenience store owner - 003?!

"I just happened to see you," the convenience store owner - 003 said, "Because you were with that guy, I remembered you right away."

"'That guy', you mean Liangzi?" Lin Yi asked.

As he asked this, his heart jumped fiercely.

Wei Liang also said that he lived a three-point line life between the teaching building, cafeteria, and dormitory, honestly abiding by the rules for seven days—no, five days plus the last two days of being unconscious.

He didn't even enter the convenience store, so how could he leave such a deep impression on the convenience store owner - 003?

"That guy... is quite a troublemaker," the convenience store owner - 003 said, stopping there and not continuing, "If you really want to know something, you can ask him."

"Uh... I wanted to, but he doesn't say anything," Lin Yi pouted.

The convenience store owner - 003 said, "He will say it, but the time is not right yet."

"Boss, are you... very familiar with Liangzi?" Lin Yi suddenly asked, and after saying this, he stared closely at the convenience store owner - 003's sapphire-like eyes.

However, he couldn't see anything unusual in the convenience store owner - 003's eyes.

"I've seen him a few times. That guy made a mess of the convenience store. If he hadn't slipped away so quickly, I would have caught him and made him clean up for me," the convenience store owner - 003's expression was very calm.

But Lin Yi couldn't believe what he was hearing.

[If he hadn't slipped away so quickly]

Isn't it? The convenience store owner means... Wei Liang escaped from his hands?!

Moreover, judging from [I've seen him a few times], it seems the implication is that Wei Liang successfully escaped every time?

I swear to the Celestial Worthy of Boundless Life, Wei Liang!

This can't be explained by "tricks and skills" anymore, right?

And the convenience store owner - 003, discovered him when he went to find Wei Liang?

"Then why didn't you stop him at that time?" Lin Yi asked.

The convenience store owner - 003 shook his head: "There was no need."

Lin Yi thought to himself, if Liangzi were here, he would definitely give you a thumbs up and add, "You're a pretty good guy, actually."

As the convenience store owner spoke, he slowly turned around and began to leave the area where the 'Burial Body' was located.

Seeing this, Lin Yi withdrew his attention from the 'Burial Body' and followed the convenience store owner - 003's footsteps.

"Oh, right," the convenience store owner - 003 suddenly stopped, and Lin Yi almost bumped into him, but managed to swerve to the side.

"What's wrong?"

The convenience store owner - 003 returned to the 'Burial Body' and then reached out and pressed it.

The 'Burial Body' seemed to sense something, wriggling violently like boiling liquid, while emitting a high-frequency, sharp roar.

But the convenience store owner - 003 was unmoved, only murmuring coldly:

"「Engler Gr mOt lySet og gr ikkE p Avveie」..."

These syllables seemed to contain an unspeakable magic, falling onto the 'Burial Body' like a materialized edict. The mountain-sized 'Burial Body' immediately calmed down, and then the countless corpses began to twist, faintly separating to both sides like vines.

Eventually, the 'Burial Body' cracked open a dark and deep gap, and a fleshy branch covered in oily, slippery mucus slowly emerged from the darkness, reaching out like a tentacle.

At the tip of the fleshy branch, it seemed to be wrapped around something.

The fleshy branch wriggled and extended, eventually reaching the convenience store owner - 003, then it slowly loosened, and the thing it was wrapped around fell into the convenience store owner - 003's palm with some liquid.

A bone.

A black bone, one end like a spherical bulge, the other end like a broken spike, overall looking like a charred piece of charcoal. The surface of the bone was covered with crooked golden inscriptions, like traces carved by a beginner with crude strokes, barely forming some strange characters.

The characters seemed like secret runes, but not quite. Compared to the secret runes that Lin Yi had seen, these characters looked too close to some seal scripts that he was familiar with.

The convenience store owner - 003 turned around and handed the bone covered with inscriptions to Lin Yi.