Chapter 255

Chapter 255

In a world where the White Mist era had yet to fully begin, the sky was clear, the air was fresh, and even the ground beneath their feet smelled particularly fragrant.

The Duchess wandered around the island, rescuing victims trapped in various villas and underground laboratories. Occasionally, she would pause to savor this world.

One often doesn’t feel the importance of something until it’s lost.

"Thanks to the efforts of extraordinary individuals everywhere, especially the strong addition of the store owner from the academic circle, the spread of the White Mist has been slow, and our actions have been quite effective," she thought with relief.

The Duchess had compared the situation here with that on her side at the same time. Back then, the entire world had entered the White Mist era; as soon as the sun set, the White Mist would seep out from every crack. But here, the authorities could still reassure the public by saying, "Due to increased environmental protection efforts recently, the spread of the White Mist has been curbed. However, a complete solution will require everyone’s joint effort."

This information came from ‘Prince,’ who seemed rather low-key but could actually infiltrate any network as a mental entity. In the age of technology, there was no more cheating ability than this.

Knowing the situation outside, the Duchess completely abandoned any thoughts of leaving. As long as her companions in this world were safe, they didn’t need to meet. She also made up her mind that upon returning, her first task would be to seize power and thoroughly cleanse the remaining anomalies, so that the government here could proudly proclaim: "The White Mist has been completely eradicated through our efforts!"

On the other side, two students were also searching for survivors. The anomalies had killed the island’s ‘enemies’ but hadn’t harmed these trapped and victimized people. However, their condition was terrible, making life worse than death.

Only the white wolves were special. They sought out the souls of those killed by the bird island anomalies, devouring their lingering spirits. Since they were already here, they couldn’t leave empty-handed.

"Would you like a lollipop? We have all flavors." Ji Xinghai looked at the dazed child opposite him. She had almost no reaction, neither to sounds nor strangers… No, she did react to strangers. Whenever someone entered, she would immediately crawl up and take off her clothes.

They instinctively avoided delving into the implications behind this.

The Chief took off his clothes and wrapped her up, bringing her to Ji Xinghai. He wanted to comfort the child further, but there were other children waiting for him on the island.

Ji Xinghai and the child stared at each other for a while. He then pulled out a lollipop and handed it to her.

Despite appearing as an adult, the child looked at him with less fear in her eyes. After a few minutes, she reached out and took the lollipop.

The lollipop was a special food that could help people ‘dilute’ certain experiences for several hours. The memories remained, but without the intense emotional impact, as if seen through a veil or watched in a movie.

This dilution had a duration, but another permanent effect was that during its active period, the fears would transform into another emotion needing release. When they freely expressed these emotions, the pain would dissipate along with them.

When they returned to reality after such emotional release, recalling their past traumatic experiences would at least not lead to total despair.

The little girl ate the lollipop, her eyes seeming to glow. Her bright blue eyes sparkled when looking at Ji Xinghai’s hair.

"…Do you want to braid my hair?" Ji Xinghai strangely understood what she wanted right away.

The little girl nodded vigorously.

"…" He got it; the side effects of the lollipop were kicking in.

When the Chief brought another child over, he saw Ji Xinghai sitting on a small stool, his high-end tea set discarded, his hands supporting his face, looking somewhat dazed.

The previous little girl stood behind him, braiding his hair. Two small pigtails were already done, adorned with pretty pink butterfly clips.

Ji Xinghai glanced at the dazed Chief, then continued letting the little girl play with his hair.

This might be one of the most beautiful moments in her memory, thus becoming a way for her to save herself.

"Please give me a diamond hair clip, Sir Knight." The little girl said to Qin Yu.

"Of course, little princess." Qin Yu stood behind them, holding a tray with colorful clips and ribbons.

Because the children needed it, they were now a hero and knight duo, defeating demons and rescuing princesses. This was quite challenging for Qin Yu, but he still tried to maintain his righteous knight persona.

Not far from them, Prince lay in a chair, wearing a closed helmet to surf the internet.

The internet addict was immersed in the online world, posting secrets about Bird Island and setting unremovable, unblockable, and non-divertible password locks, while enjoying the healthy and robust internet world. He was oblivious to the outside world.

"…" The Chief, holding a child, was bewildered. What was going on?

The Chief didn’t have time to think deeply and hurriedly left after putting down the child.

Next came the son-in-law, who had rescued an adult woman, a rising star who had quickly faded like a shooting star. She had given birth several times, but none of the children belonged to her, disappearing without a trace. Consequently, her mental state began to deteriorate. According to the original timeline, this once-popular singer known for her sweet voice and healing smile would ‘commit suicide’ due to losing her value.

"You can sit here safely, don’t be afraid. We’re all lesbians. Except for women, they are the general orientation."

The previously normal son-in-law pinched his throat as he spoke, remembering the Chief who seemed to dislike men, adding, "…I guess."

Ji Xinghai, who had been looking down, quickly raised his head, a question mark appearing above his head.

The woman clutched the blanket tightly and managed a difficult smile at Ji Xinghai and the others.

Ji Xinghai smiled and waved at her, and the cool-looking Qin Yu, wearing sunglasses, nodded slightly at her.

It wasn’t overly enthusiastic, but it was reassuring.

When the Chief brought back a pair of twin boys, the small space was already crowded, and they sat around several long tables.

Apart from the returned Duchess and others, the rest were rescued from various villas and laboratories, totaling thirty people.

Most were women and children, with a few young men.

These were the living survivors; many more who had died or gone missing could not speak up or be found.

The survivors, reborn after the ordeal, sat around the tea table, which had been cleared of tea sets and filled with candies and snacks.

With the magic of delicious food, their faces showed expressions beyond numbness and fear. Overeating, chatting incessantly, binge-watching shows… everyone used different ways to soothe their souls.

They were like inflated balloons; if they didn’t release their emotions, they would break.

Ji Xinghai still sat on the small stool, surrounded by several little girls. One was braiding his hair, another painting his nails, and another drawing him. Qin Yu’s tray now held more items, like shiny nail polish.

"Who do you belong to?" Ji Xinghai protested to Qin Yu, who provided countless pink hair clips and shiny nail polish.

"If you could control your happy mood a bit, I might restrain myself, sir."

Qin Yu was dead serious. If he hadn't joined the military, he could have considered joining a theater troupe; his demeanor was that 'righteous.'

Indeed, Ji Xinghai felt a bit happy but hesitated for two seconds: "Even if that's the case, it can't be shiny nail polish. I prefer dark tones, like that roach-shell color."

"That's cherry red."

The son-in-law, munching on cherries, exclaimed in frustration: "I'm eating cherries!"

The prince, also eating cherries, remained particularly calm: "You're still worried about this? They're just roaches. Your academy is letting you keep such a strange phobia? You're not being tough enough. If you were in a desperate situation, would you still refuse to eat them? They're high in protein."

"Thanks, but before things get desperate, I don't want to think about whether I can accept it."

"You should start preparing yourself mentally now."

They argued about whether they should prepare themselves mentally, but their expressions were quite 'happy.'

Others had their own 'happiness' too.

This newfound liveliness came from eating the lollipops. Even though Ji Xinghai had kindly refused, they insisted on eating them and ended up all falling victim.

"Aooh~~~"

Hmm, even the wolves ate them.

"Are you sure you've notified their families?" the chief asked the prince.

"I went to each family individually, found someone trustworthy among their relatives, and sent them messages under the guise of an insider. I even helped book flights and provided travel expenses. But it takes time for them to arrive; how could they show up immediately?" The prince was very cautious. Although his innate abilities made him nearly invincible in the digital age, he could still die if trapped accidentally.

"Their children." Even the chief, in his excited state, spoke this sentence away from the crowd, lowering his voice.

The prince's smile paused for a second as he lowered his head: "I'm sorry."

"I understand. Perhaps it's a good thing." Food could heal their bodies, but healing their minds might take a long, long time. The chief truly hoped they could recover. In this situation, perhaps it was better not to have children.

"How is the outside world now?" the duke was curious about public opinion.

Hearing this question, the prince, who had been somewhat downcast, perked up: "It's quite lively. I released information simultaneously on several public forums. They can control their own citizens and news media, but can they control the whole world? So now these people are either destroying evidence or preparing to come here, but... unfortunately, they can't make it."

Why can't they make it? Because they died, in gruesome ways.

A large number of high-ranking officials died within hours.

They were scattered across different countries and regions, surrounded by elite bodyguards. Yet, in broad daylight, each one of them died after enduring torture, their bodies torn apart, blood splattering onto their family members' faces, causing them to scream in terror.

And in the next moment, those family members, with blood on their faces, began to suffer the same fate.

These sudden, brutal massacres of political figures sparked new speculations. Those who had experienced the island were terrified and sought shelter worldwide. Knowing the existence of the anomalies, they rushed to religious sites where they had spent vast sums of money.

But it was useless; the anomalies' speed and ferocity defied logic.

At this moment, everyone was in a frenzy, unable to care about Bird Island. The prince quickly notified the survivors' families, urging them to come as soon as possible.

If they delayed, things would become complicated, and unethical journalists might expose the victims' identities, causing further harm.

Ji Xinghai and the others weren't worried about confronting the government of this world.

In the past, the anomalies of Bird Island took seven days to exterminate the perpetrators and their blood relatives. Now, they were more efficient than ever.

By the time the government arrived, they would be long gone.

No one pitied the blood relatives of those people, including the innocent children protected from knowing anything.

Because none of the people present were good.

Moreover, the killers were anomalies. Anyone with objections could take it up with them.

They ate and drank until late. Ji Xinghai, who rarely stayed up all night, brought out the food cart, and others set up tents, providing extra ones for the survivors.

No one entered the luxurious villas.

Tents of various colors dotted the island like blooming flowers, clustered together.

"The sugar effect has worn off." Ji Xinghai lay in a small boat, hands neatly folded on his stomach. Without opening his eyes, he heard the crying outside.

It's good that they can cry; the worst is when they can't, only wanting to die.

Everyone heard the crying but pretended not to.

The students and the extraordinary ones kept their eyes open, staring at the dark tent ceilings. The white wolves, the peculiar anomalies, woke up early. As anomalies, they couldn't empathize, but a faint sense of pressure emanated from the food cart. Most anomalies knew when to behave; they had brains.

Drip, drip.

Raindrops fell, and Ji Xinghai saw water droplets formed from white mist for the first time. His hand passed through the wall of the food cart, catching the falling raindrops, which rolled on his palm and turned into anomaly coins. "..."

The food cart quietly extended its mechanical arm, sucking in the raindrops.

"They're back."

Qin Yu also woke up, looking up through the roof of the cart, seeing golden birds above the white mist. With every flap of their wings, they became smaller.

With their enemies dying again in the same manner and Bird Island exposed, some survived. Perhaps because of this, the Bird Island anomalies lost their targets, and their energy began to dissipate.

"If this continues, the Bird Island domain will disintegrate on its own." Ji Xinghai frowned.

"What will happen?"

"The connection between the two worlds relies on the rifts created by the anomalies. If they disintegrate, I'll have to create a new channel myself, which requires massive amounts of energy."

Ji Xinghai looked troubled, but as soon as he said this, the golden birds stopped disintegrating. They descended from the white mist, with a few landing outside the tents, their black eyes watching inside. The others flew into the food cart, settling on the sofas.

"Did you hear what I said?"

The largest golden bird nodded.

Originally expecting a world-destroying demon lord, they found instead such a considerate little darling. Ji Xinghai reached out to pet one of the birds: "You still want to do my hair?"

"Chirp." The golden bird pressed its head closer and even extended a bird leg, dropping a shiny pink hair tie.

"..." Even as something strange, it still had this taste?

"Once your family comes to pick you up, we'll go back."

"Chirp."

"Of course we will come. You are their precious family."

"Chirp chirp."

"That's right, the demon has been defeated, and the princess is going home."

Voices continued in the car for a long time.

On the first day, just as dawn broke, ships from the mainland sliced through the darkness to retrieve their lost treasures.

Survivors emerged from their tents, initially bewildered by the sight of their loved ones, but then, like finding a lifeline, they broke down in tears.

The students hid behind a villa like thieves, only peeking out to watch.

"Getting old, can't handle scenes like this. Did you give them the anonymous cards? The experiences can't be erased, but the compensation must be adequate."

"Given, given. It's all money from those guys' black accounts, enough for them to live comfortably for the rest of their lives."

"Been talking with a strained voice for so long, my throat hurts."

"They already figured it out, typical straight guy."

"Let's go."

The white mist enveloping the island dissipated under the sunlight, transforming into invisible energy that dispersed into the sky. By the time the survivors and their loved ones had finished crying and remembered the 'kind informants,' no one else remained on the island.

"The hero and knight completed their mission, so they left. They have another princess to save." The little girl looked at the sky and nodded firmly.

"You're right." Her aunt, holding her, also gazed at the sky.

The sky was clear, with only a golden sun rising from the horizon.