[Day 4: I discovered the truth… MEI summoned this black fog through unknown means. The fog contains the source of the Bizarre. She is trying to make the Bizarre last forever, spreading it to every corner of every time and space…]
"What…?"
Li Mo's fingers dug into the third-to-last page of the notebook, his eyes wide with disbelief at the words written there.
Make the Bizarre last forever…
Absurd!
Li Mo bit his lip so hard that dark red blood trickled from the cut.
He stared intently at the notebook. There was nothing more, as if this was the final conclusion.
Why?
Li Mo couldn't understand. Hadn't they been risking their lives all this time to completely eradicate the Bizarre?
To let the Bizarre continue forever, to spread to every world…
Why would she do that? How many people would die?!
Li Mo couldn't accept it.
He had personally witnessed worlds torn apart by the Bizarre. Upon the ruins, former prosperity had turned to wasteland. The sky was shrouded in a faint, indescribable haze, as if even the light itself was twisted by the uncanny aura, casting mottled, eerie shadows. The wind that sometimes whistled past the windows carried hoarse whispers and wails.
Betrayal and slaughter among family members, sparked by a single baseless suspicion. Lies and deceit between friends, all for a sliver of resources to survive. The light of humanity dimmed under the Bizarre's shadow, and too many had abandoned everything for a fleeting moment of peace.
There was no more law, no more morality.
People watched their own kind scurry like rats before being locked onto by a ghost and dying a miserable death. Then it would be their turn… and in despair, they would end their own lives.
A person hiding in a supermarket would turn to find their own head on a shelf.
A person holding a bouquet of flowers would look down to see a human face grow from the petals.
The ghostly figures in the black fog drew ever closer.
The faceless man under the streetlight, the dissonant reflection in the mirror, the constantly crying ghost infant in one's womb…
It was a tragedy, a world truly devoid of humanity.
An endless hell that no one would ever want to face.
"MEI…!" Li Mo clenched his fists, the storm of emotions inside him gradually giving way to pure rage.
No matter what suffering one endured, it was never a reason to inflict harm on the innocent.
The notebook wouldn't lie, which meant what he had just seen was true.
"No wonder you had to hide it from me. Because there's no way I would ever let the Bizarre spread. That's why you were in such a hurry to send me on the next mission…"
"I risked my life, gave up everything to deal with the Bizarre, and handed over everything I gained to you… and this… this is how you repay me?" Li Mo gritted out, his voice low and heavy.
He knew the notebook might be trying to sow discord. He knew he might be walking into a carefully laid trap.
But no matter the circumstances, no one should ever commit such an inhumane act.
He couldn't accept it.
You don't have to be a protector, but at the very least, you shouldn't be a destroyer.
"Calm down… Calm down…"
Li Mo took deep breaths, trying desperately to quiet his racing thoughts.
But his clenched fists refused to relax.
"I'm going to find MEI and demand an answer."
He could rewind to any point in time he had previously existed. If he faced a life-threatening situation, he could instantly rewind to a safe point. He didn't need to worry about dying.
In terms of active abilities, he had:
The incomplete uncanny pistol, which could suppress some Bizarre phenomena without a price; and the Demon Blade, Akazome Sakura, which could kill some Bizarre entities on contact.
Facing the Bizarre, he no longer had to carefully probe their rules, saving him a great deal of time and effort.
In terms of passive abilities, he had:
The thermometer, which could detect Bizarre auras.
The Bizarre Eye, which could detect unobservable Bizarre entities nearby.
The Misfortune Ghost, which protected his consciousness.
These two items helped compensate for his own weaknesses.
And finally, his trump cards:
"Wish," "Rewind," and "Restart."
Any one of these trump cards could turn the tide of a situation, and "Rewind" was practically an instinct, requiring almost no cost.
"Restart" would only activate if he had no chance to "Rewind," but with the Demon Blade, Akazome Sakura, a situation where he couldn't rewind in time was almost impossible.
Now, Li Mo was confident he could face any Bizarre entity head-on, except for the Bizarre Kiana and Eileen.
He couldn't fight the Bizarre Kiana because meeting her meant being locked in time and space, where even death was not permitted.
He couldn't fight Irene because she seemed to ignore the limitations of Bizarre Rules and was also the source of the Bizarre pistol, meaning she could easily suppress Bizarre phenomena.
One had existed for millions of years, while the other was acknowledged by the notebook as the most complete Bizarre entity he had ever seen. The Demon Blade, Akazome Sakura, was no match for them.
But aside from those two, Li Mo could handle any other Bizarre entity with ease and confidence.
As he was thinking, Li Mo tried to return to the past as himself, but he failed.
He remained in this time and space, still in the form of Otto.
"What's going on? The Impostor's Rule should let me return to the past easily. Did I miss something?"
Li Mo took out the notebook. "Why can't I go back? You don't lie, so what you told me before should be true. I should be able to go back using the Impostor's instinct. Why did it fail? Are you tricking me? Did the Rule of the third-to-last page give you the power to deceive?"
The notebook quickly provided a response: [My name is Li Mo. As you read this, I am dying, and I am about to be reborn.]
[I tried to use the Impostor's Bizarre ability to return to the Eigenworld. I failed.]
[I continue to live in this world as Otto Apocalypse.]
[After the curtain fell on the Theater of Dominance, the group from St. Freya began to celebrate their victory. I peeled the Bizarre Stigma from my back, sealed it in a syringe, and then went to face myself.]
[I said to that lonely, helpless version of me: "So, just like me… Li Mo, for the one you love, die willingly. And die of your own free will."]
[After handing the syringe, named the Type-II Stigma, to myself, I returned to Schicksal HQ and continued to impersonate Otto in Kolosten to draw everyone's attention, creating an opportunity for my other self to have the time and ability to go to the Cocoon of Finality.]
[As expected, my other self injected the Type-II Stigma, and the seed of the Bizarre began to sprout. An innocent, naive idea ignited a flame powerful enough to subvert fate.]
[The Cocoon of Finality was contaminated. My other self died.]
[Kiana went into the Cocoon of Finality and discovered the truth. I took the opportunity to go to the rental apartment and returned to the Eigenworld before Kiana came back with my head.]
Li Mo stared at the contents appearing on the first page of the notebook, lost in thought.
"So, until the me in this timeline dies, I can't return to the Eigenworld as myself. To think the Impostor had such a restriction…"
"But I have one question. Why can't I just kill him directly?" Li Mo said calmly, as if killing himself were the most ordinary thing in the world.
[My name is Li Mo. I killed myself.]
[My name is Otto Apocalypse, an Impostor. I tried to return to my original body, but the original body was already dead. I will live forever as Otto Apocalypse.]
"Original body… you mean he is the real Li Mo, and I'm the fake one? Or are we both real? Like Zhi Zun Bao and Sun Wukong from A Chinese Odyssey—the same person, yet not the same, separated by a vast gulf of time."
"It doesn't matter. Whichever it is, it will only waste a little time."
Li Mo took all the Bizarre items with him and went to that specific point in time, the moment when his other self felt weak and helpless, lonely because he couldn't keep up with Kiana.
"You only have one choice. Once you make it, there is absolutely no turning back."
Li Mo placed the syringe on the table. It was a prop he had specially prepared for himself, one of a kind. He had even leaked information about the related Type-II Stigma Project—all of it fake.
The purpose was to create a veneer of legitimacy. He would not allow his plan to have any flaws.
Just to be safe, Li Mo had to watch his other self inject the Bizarre Stigma with his own eyes before he could rest easy.
As for whether his other self went to the Cocoon of Finality, Li Mo didn't see it himself. He was in Kolosten, drawing everyone's attention.
But he knew himself well. No matter how many times he had to do it, he would make the same choice.
The "last time," he was the participant. This time, he was the witness.
After it was done, Li Mo didn't go to the Imaginary Tree. Instead, he returned to the modest rental apartment, sat on the sofa, and watched through the window as the sky outside was torn open by a giant gash, from which scarlet raindrops like fresh blood slowly trickled down.
A girl with a deathly pale face, holding a rotting head, walked toward the building like a soulless corpse.
Li Mo mulled it over for a moment, then turned away.
"Time to leave."
Li Mo closed his eyes. His golden hair reverted, and Otto Apocalypse's face quickly changed back to his own.
He left this world before Kiana returned to the apartment.
If only Kiana had entered a moment sooner, she would have seen a whole, living Li Mo…
The sorrow of her lover's death would have shattered in an instant. The tragedy would not have happened.
But there are no "if onlys." Everything was fated, including the chances they missed.
Kiana holed herself up in the small apartment, clutching Li Mo's head, until… the "next time" arrived.
His thoughts returned to the present. Li Mo was back on the night before he was due to leave for the Impostor's world.
MEI glanced at the uncanny pistol tucked into his belt and said casually, "Next time you see Irene, have her complete this gun. Its current state is far from perfect."
The moment she finished speaking, Li Mo violently slammed MEI against the wall, his hands gripping her wrists tightly.
He used so much force that his fingers dug into the wall itself, but Li Mo didn't care.
His pupils dilated as he stared fixedly at MEI, his lips moving, but no words came out for a long time.
"Li Mo, what are you doing?" MEI asked calmly.
How should he start?
How could he even begin?
He… he had always believed everything MEI said, entrusting his back, his faith, and even his life to her.
But all he got in return was that one line from the notebook: [She is trying to make the Bizarre last forever, spreading it to every corner of every time and space…]
"Li Mo? What's wrong with you?" Shigure Kira asked with concern as she approached. Li Mo's sudden change felt very out of character.
At home, Li Mo had always been like a docile kitten around MEI. Now, he looked as if he were facing his mortal enemy.
It was not Li Mo who broke the silence, but MEI.
"You're hurting me. Let go."
MEI's tone was calm, her eyes downcast, not meeting Li Mo's gaze.
This time, Li Mo didn't obey. He kept her pinned forcefully against the wall, struggling to control his emotions.
"MEI, I need to know the truth you mentioned, right now."
"Didn't we agree that I would tell you after you returned from your two missions?"
MEI was puzzled, but the answer to her confusion came quickly. She narrowed her eyes, staring at the barely suppressed rage in Li Mo's.
So, that day has finally come.
I just didn't expect it to be like this.
MEI was speechless. She slowly closed her eyes, a bitter smile playing on her lips. To Li Mo, the gesture seemed exceptionally mocking.
Li Mo squeezed harder, the force so great that MEI's face instantly turned pale, her lips trembling slightly.
"You'll tell me after you've accomplished that, is that it?"
The air around them seemed to freeze, and time slowed to a crawl.
Li Mo's chest heaved violently, each breath a heavy gasp as he fought to suppress the rage and confusion in his heart. His voice was hoarse and trembling.
MEI opened her eyes. Her gaze pierced through Li Mo's anger, looking directly into the untouched softness deep within his heart. After a moment of thought, she said dismissively, "I don't know what you're talking about."
Li Mo: "I came here with the answer. Are you still going to play dumb at this point?"
MEI: "You asked the notebook."
Li Mo: "Yes. So what if I did?"
MEI: "I assume the notebook only revealed this to you after you had escaped the three-death state and regained your emotions, correct?"
"Li Mo, calm down. Think carefully about why the notebook would tell you this at such a specific time."
"And don't forget. The notebook is a Bizarre item. It cannot be fully trusted. After dealing with it for so many years, you should understand this better than I do."
Despite MEI's attempt to reason with him, Li Mo said with absolute certainty, "But it doesn't lie. You do."
"…"
Li Mo's hands trembled slightly. A faint light leaked from between his fingers, illuminating MEI's pale and indifferent face.
MEI's lack of concern left Li Mo at a loss.
He had come to confront her, full of rage, just wanting an answer, an explanation, a reason…
An excuse he could use to convince himself.
But MEI did nothing. She just watched him quietly, neither explaining nor arguing, as if she tacitly acknowledged the truth of what the notebook had said.
To let the Bizarre spread forever, to harm more people…
He could not accept such a thing.
"From the very beginning, I told you everything, whether it was about the Bizarre items or the intel on the Bizarre. But you've been hiding things. I didn't care at first, because I believed you and I shared the same ideals, the same self-awareness of being human. But why would you do this? We don't have to save them, but at the very least, we cannot choose to destroy more people!"