https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-876-The-So-called-Regret-Part-I-/13058588/
Chapter 875: Melanie and the City of Regret
Chapter 875: Melanie and the City of Regret
"Okay..."
After a concerned glance at Lyon, Anna bit her lower lip and didn't say anything else. She led Lyon to the inner room and quietly turned the doorknob to the children's bedroom.
The layout of the Happiness Apartment was not small. It was designed for three generations to live together, so even with three small beds, the space didn't feel overly cramped. The nearest bed was still a good three steps away from the door.
However, even with this arrangement, as soon as Anna pushed the door open, a small head popped up from the bed farthest from the door with a creak.
Hmm? Big brother's back?
Upon seeing the familiar figure behind Anna, William's round eyes narrowed slightly, and after a moment's thought, his eyes revealed a look of understanding.
Lyon, feeling speechless, pointed to the side where Melanie was sleeping with her legs spread wide and her pants rolled up to her knees. He then silently mouthed something to Lyon.
'The account book?'
"...?"
You really know her well... But this time, it's not about the account book.
Lyon shook his head at his mischievous younger brother, gestured for him to be quiet, took off his shoes, and tiptoed across the carpet to Melanie and Ellie's bed.
Due to the special relationship between the eldest son of the Lane family and Miss Emma, even though Ellie was only temporarily "lodging" with the Lane family, she still had her own small wooden bed, and there were even several colorful crayon drawings taped to the headboard.
However, at this moment, the cute and playful bed was empty. Ellie, who should have been sleeping in her own bed, was huddled in Melanie's arms, her light chestnut hair, similar to Emma's, hanging loosely.
Although the room wasn't particularly hot, fine beads of sweat were forming on Ellie's forehead. Her usually calm and adorable face was filled with panic and unease. Her small, fair fists clenched unconsciously, like a startled porcelain doll, and her tiny body trembled slightly.
Melanie, who had already tossed her pillow aside and was sleeping sideways, snored softly with her mouth open. She unconsciously hugged Ellie's head and gently patted her back, occasionally mumbling comforting words like "Don't be afraid."
Lyon gently pulled Melanie's arm away and touched Ellie's warm forehead. He sighed with relief upon confirming that there were no signs of a nightmare haunting her.
He was certain that Ellie wasn't having a bad dream; she had truly seen something from Emma's side.
As if sensing a reassuring presence, Ellie's trembling body finally calmed down when Lyon's palm touched her forehead. Her porcelain-like cheeks rubbed against his palm unconsciously.
"Mom... Mommy..."
"I'm here, I'm here."
As if some strange switch had been flipped, Melanie's snoring suddenly stopped when she heard Ellie's whimpering in her sleep.
Lyon was taken aback, but Melanie first sucked on some saliva sleepily, then hugged Ellie back while keeping her eyes closed. She rubbed her chin on Ellie's forehead and murmured half-asleep, "Ellie, be good... Your mom and my big brother are an item, and I'm his little sister, so I'm kind of like your mom too... Melanie's here, don't be scared..."
"..."
"..."
What... What nonsense are you talking about?!
After hearing Melanie's absurd dream talk, Lyon's hand trembled slightly. He glared at Melanie, who was comforting Ellie, feeling an urge to give her a good smack.
Being able to wake up instantly upon hearing the 'keyword' and comfort Ellie without even opening her eyes showed that Melanie had probably developed a habit in recent days. Whenever Ellie had a nightmare, she would come to comfort her, which was undoubtedly praiseworthy.
But your calculation of generations is... If you went to the supermarket entrance and shook a sign for two yuan, you still wouldn't say something like that!
Lyon took two deep breaths to suppress the urge to spank her buttocks and pinched Melanie's mouth, which had been spouting nonsense. He then woke her up with a stern look.
"Hmm? Hmm!... Hmm?"
Get lost! Your big 'hmm' has important business to attend to! As for the informant's fee and Melanie's matter, we'll settle that after you're done with your business!
Lyon glared at Melanie, whose face was filled with bewilderment, and gently lifted Ellie from her embrace. He then switched to the 'Nightmare King' badge and pressed his forehead against Ellie's brow, using the power of the Nightmare Overlord to infiltrate her dreams.
In the realm between the pitch-black sky and the pale land, a path of no return stretched, crowded with hesitant souls, like a stark white spine arching from the depths of the Netherworld. This path began at the Gate of the Dead and extended into the heart of the Netherworld.
The path seemed endless, and after passing through the Sage's Graveyard filled with tombstones and narrow paths, one would reach a pale swamp shrouded in transparent phantoms and dark mist.
At the heart of this Phantom Soul Swamp stood a massive city, constructed from countless head-sized gray tombstones, with countless red-eyed death crows perched atop its walls. It stood silently amidst the perpetual dark mist.
"Ding!"
As the Netherworld's sun reached its zenith, the cold and lifeless 'sunlight' dispersed the thick fog, revealing a sharp and shrill sound like a brittle bell from the center of the City of Regret.
"Is it time?"
As if awakened by the bell, the phantoms wandering aimlessly in the dark mist turned their heads towards the depths of the swamp, their faces now filled with human tension.
"It's time!"
"It's time!!"
The phantoms, almost in unison, shouted, their forms solidifying. They hurried through the pale swamp, covered in mud, towards the gray city veiled in black mist.
At the end of their journey, the heavy gates of the gray city slowly opened, releasing a multitude of disoriented souls with blurred faces.
The death crows perched on the city walls took flight, circling above the fallen souls in the pale mud. They led some of the dazed souls, who instinctively continued their journey, deeper into the Netherworld, cawing as they flew.
As the new batch of souls emerged from the city, a fresh group of crows circled above them, ready to guide them like their predecessors. They perched on the city walls, closing their blood-red eyes, once the souls stumbled through the gates.
These crows, responsible for leading the dead, became motionless like stone sculptures after landing. They remained still until the souls, worn down by the city's erosion, forgot all their regrets and were expelled like trash, ready to be guided deeper into the Netherworld...
In theory, this was how it should work, but...
"Caw! Caw? Caw!"
A series of astonished caws filled the air as a new group of crows found their designated roosts on the city walls already occupied by others.
On one side, diligent worker crows, denied their rightful homes, and on the other, peaceful residents suddenly invaded by unwelcome guests, the two groups engaged in a fierce battle, feathers flying as they pecked and clawed at each other.
Below this noisy avian brawl, in the vast central square of the City of Regret, a giant ship, resembling an open gingko leaf, over 800 meters long, had crashed diagonally into the ground. It crowded the once spacious square, even destroying some of the surrounding structures.
The defeated crows in the scuffle, without their own nests, flew towards the city, circling above the giant ship. They screeched in their incomprehensible language, berating the souls below for disrupting the rules and leaving them homeless.
Another day had passed? Hearing the raucous cawing above, the 'dead' aboard the Saio King Ship realized with dread. They looked up at the circling crows, their faces pale with genuine fear.
"I... I can't take it anymore!"
As the cawing above intensified, accompanied by approaching footsteps, a desperate wail echoed from within the pit on the main deck of the King Ship. A large, bearded man suddenly knelt, clutching his head and sobbing:
Please... collect... 6... 9... books...
"I can't go on! Let me die!"
The atmosphere of dread that had enveloped the crowd since the cawing began seemed to ignite with the bearded man's plea. Soon, cries of despair echoed one after another.
"I... I can't go on anymore... I really can't hold on!"
"Please, anyone who can, let me be free!"
"Death! Let me die! I don't want to live anymore!"
Amidst the hysterical wails, a woman with her arms wrapped in blood-stained bandages, leaning against the corner of the deck, stirred and opened her bloodshot eyes.
Looking at the group of cleaners who had broken down under the torture and were now wailing and screaming, Emma's chapped lips trembled slightly as if she wanted to say something to comfort them. But in the end, she remained silent, instead quietly straightening the crown of thorns atop her head and tightly gripping the hilt of her sword.
"Please, help me!"
Although Emma didn't speak, the sound of her awakening caught the attention of the cleaners.
Upon realizing she was awake, the bearded man, the first to break down, shuddered, then stumbled over and knelt before her on the deck with a thud. He started banging his head vigorously while pleading in a hoarse voice:
"You can kill me! You have the power to do it! Please, just do it!"
"..."
Emma's lips trembled at the man's bizarre plea. After a moment of silence, she shook her head slightly and spoke in a raspy yet gentle tone:
"Pavlo, please hold on a little longer. It's not yet time to give up all hope.
Although we possess immortal anomalies, for the Netherworld Lords who control death itself, killing us is still an easy task. Yet, they haven't done so; instead, they torment our minds and bodies with various methods..."
"No, I don't want to hear it! I just want..."
"Pavlo! Listen to me!"
Emma raised her voice slightly, stopping the bearded man from continuing his wails. As the footsteps below the ship grew louder, Emma, her face pale, leaned weakly against the deck's side, pleading as best she could:
"I don't think the Netherworld Lords are so bored as to specifically torment us. The only reason I can think of is that they fear the Bureau's stance and dare not kill us outright... At the very least, they can't do it directly.
So, these deliberate tortures are intended to push us to the brink of mental collapse, hoping we'll take our own lives. If we were to kill each other, they wouldn't have to answer to the Bureau."
Emma paused for a moment, then raised her voice slightly as she looked around at the cleaners, each with their own unique expression:
"I know these past days have been unbearable, constantly facing our greatest regrets and sorrows. Anyone would struggle under such circumstances. But please, don't speak of not wanting to live anymore.
The Bureau won't abandon us. No matter how unbearable the torture, there will be an end. The more urgent and intense the torment from the Netherworld Lords, the closer we are to regaining our freedom.
As long as we persevere and don't give up on ourselves, when the Bureau..."
"No one is coming..."
A male cleaner with bloodshot eyes suddenly interrupted Emma's soothing words.
He held his head with both hands, digging his nails into his face, and screamed in agony:
"It's been over half a month! If they were coming, they would've been here by now! If they couldn't come, they would've sent a message! But there's been no sign of them! We've been abandoned! No one is coming..."
"They will!"
Emma took a deep breath, remembering the figure who, despite enduring painful memories, had carried her on his back through the Black and White Bridge, out of the Netherworld. She interrupted the man's desperate howls, her teeth clenched.
"Don't give up. Someone will come for sure!"
Listening to the footsteps that had reached the deck below, Emma's face paled, her blood-stained cheeks now as white as paper. She breathed rapidly, like a bellows, and struggled to open her lips, her words serving as both encouragement to others and a reminder to herself:
"I know him! No matter what, he will come... I can't let him not find me!"
(End of Chapter)
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