Chapter 34 Approaching the End 4
Detective Kong first looked puzzled, then scrutinized my expression.
Why would you be interested in this?
Because spying on information related to Asaho might arouse suspicion, I had prepared an excuse beforehand: "I am very interested in strange and unusual things, and this matter may also be related to the Fallen Witcher incident."
"Hmm, is that so..." Detective Kong thought for a moment, then replied, "Actually, it's not exactly classified information. The reason Zhu Shi didn't tell you is probably because from the perspective of the Luoshan people, this matter isn't very respectable."
"You mean... Luo Shan did something bad?" I asked tentatively.
"I don't know if that's true. I'm not one of those people, and I don't have all the information. Let me answer your question first, about who that girl is..." he said, "As far as I know, she is the only known patient in the world who has recovered from amnesia."
“…Aphasia?” I murmured the unfamiliar name.
Based on the literal meaning, this should be considered a "soulless illness".
Forgive my ignorance, but I have never heard of this condition before, unless it refers to a person in a vegetative state.
"It's understandable that you haven't heard of it. In the surface world, this mysterious illness is only considered a symptom of an unexplained vegetative state. Only in our world is it called 'Soul Loss Syndrome'," Detective Kong said in a low voice. "It started spreading worldwide four years ago and has already affected many people. The source of the spread is unknown, the mode of transmission is unknown, and the treatment is unknown... Luoshan has mobilized countless experts and spent four years only to figure out two things:
"First, this is a disease spread by some unknown and strange phenomenon; second, although the patient's body is still functioning normally, their soul has completely disappeared."
"The soul has disappeared..." I suddenly had some thoughts.
When I previously asked Asao whether she had transmigrated physically or spiritually, her response was very vague. However, it was clear she couldn't confirm whether the body she was currently using was the original one. Assuming she truly is a transmigrator from the apocalypse, then the possibility of her being a spiritual transmigrator is very high.
Quite coincidentally, the body that Asaho is currently using was originally a complete empty shell in this era, practically placed there specifically to allow soul transmigrators to enter. Some transmigration novels I've read before even specifically describe how the original owner's soul dissipates due to drowning or fever, and then the transmigrated protagonist happens to come and take over that body.
But even though it's a fictional story, I still have to pay attention to real-world issues.
For example, where did the original soul in that empty body go, and is it related to Asahi's soul crossing over?
My first thought was—could it be that the original soul traveled to the post-apocalyptic era, lost all its memories for some reason, mistakenly believed that it was a resident of the post-apocalyptic world, and then traveled back to the present era for some reason?
No, this hypothesis has a serious flaw. Asa should have had a body to house her soul in the apocalyptic era. However, how could a body that is so similar to the current Asa appear in a different era?
Considering that Asahi's original body was likely very similar to her current body, another hypothesis seems more reasonable: she is Asahi from another world, and the apocalypse is a disaster that occurred in the future of that other world.
This is the so-called parallel world theory.
However... the parallel universe theory is still just a hypothesis in the scientific community. Wouldn't using it as the basis for reasoning be too far-fetched?
To be honest, right now my mind is filled with "time travel" and "apocalypse," and it's hard not to make things up when I'm analyzing things based on these words that I've only ever seen in novels and comics.
"I roughly understand." I decided to bring my focus back to reality. "In other words, this girl is a one-of-a-kind case of awakening. If we study her body, it might be possible to save many patients with amnesia, right?"
“Yes.” Detective Kong nodded slightly and continued, “However, after waking up, she immediately disappeared from the hospital. It wasn’t a simple departure; she vanished into thin air as if she had been swallowed by the air.”
“Spatial transfer?” I immediately recalled what Asaho had mentioned about her “blessing power”.
"Luoshan also believes so. But the problem is, before this girl named Mazao suffered from amnesia, she was just an ordinary girl; and while she was in a vegetative state, she couldn't possibly have had any opportunity to come into contact with supernatural powers." Detective Kong said slowly, "This is the kind of person who suddenly possessed the ability to teleport after waking up. What's even more puzzling is her actions; she's no pushover."
"When she reappeared, she had already infiltrated the local police department and stolen firearms and ammunition... This is something she should never have done, and absolutely could not have done."
The original owner of this body was also named Asaho, which seems to increase the credibility of the parallel world hypothesis. However, this could also be evidence that Asaho was lying, and that the apocalypse and time travel never existed in the first place.
As Detective Kong continued, from an outsider's perspective, I considered a possibility: "Are you suggesting that she didn't actually awaken from her amnesia... but rather that her empty body was taken over by an evil spirit that appeared out of nowhere?"
That seems to make sense now.
Why does Razan track Asaha down like a criminal? Because they are not tracking a "one-off case of awakening," but an evil ghost possessing a girl's body.
Even I myself don't have enough evidence to rule out this possibility.
However, compared to "doomsday time travelers," the possibility of "possessed evil spirits" is inevitably disappointing. Moreover, if Luo Shan is on the side of justice, why would Zhu Shi and Detective Kong find Luo Shan's actions unseemly?
“I had the same suspicion, but the higher-ups didn’t think so.” Detective Kong shook his head. “They launched a large-scale search based on the premise that ‘it’s a patient with amnesia who has awakened.’ They were even so eager to act first and report later, first classifying the target as a serial killer and then asking the public security system to confirm the suspicion. However, the other side has not agreed. If it were just a small possessing evil spirit, the higher-ups would never have used such methods.”
"Could it be that they themselves are not sure?" It was I, an outsider, who deliberately interpreted it from a relatively benevolent perspective: "That girl could be either a patient who has awakened or someone possessed by an evil spirit, and they have prepared for the worst."
"For example, because that girl had previously infiltrated the police department and stolen guns and ammunition, it was inconvenient for them to use the pretext of searching for abducted or missing girls; but coincidentally, there was a serial killer of unknown identity in our city recently, so they naturally used that pretext."
"With the methods of high-level demon hunters, detecting whether there is an evil spirit intrusion inside the ward is a piece of cake; they are certain of it. Although they cannot understand how that girl obtained her power or why her personality changed so drastically, they do not consider her a different person," he said. "In addition, considering that the other party possesses unknown spatial teleportation abilities, the higher-ups have decided to expand the search to the entire country."
"Needless to say, more investigative methods will be used, and the radical accusations employed before will not be spared. Such elaborate and unscrupulous methods again... Zhuang Cheng, do you understand what this means?"
Nationwide search? By any means necessary?
I was relieved that Ma Zao was not a simple possessing evil spirit, but I was also shocked by what Detective Kong had said, and then I fell into deep thought.
Given the potential value that Asahi might possess in Luo Shan's eyes, a nationwide search was perfectly reasonable, and Asahi's infiltration of the police department to steal firearms and ammunition was undoubtedly his fault. From a secular legal perspective, it wouldn't be an exaggeration to call it a serious crime. However, Luo Shan is not part of the police system, and his actions do not resemble the official attitude that a fair and impartial official organization should present. Apart from the official scale of the operation, it exudes an aura of unethical behavior from beginning to end.
It's really confusing!
I felt my blood rushing, and slowly uttered my thoughts on what Detective Kong had said: "As long as we can get that girl, her basic rights don't matter... Is that right?"
Wait a minute, isn't that describing me?
Detective Kong nodded.
"That's all I know about that girl. I shouldn't have told you so much, but you seem to have a habit of digging deep into strange and unusual stories. Rather than letting you ask around elsewhere, I'd rather explain it to you clearly," he said. "Of course, I hope you don't misunderstand Luoshan. Luoshan has more than one faction, and what's happening now is just one of the more radical factions."
That last part felt like it was insulting me... So I changed the subject: "Are you from that mountain too?"
The word "mountain top" gives me a bad impression.
“I’m just a nobody at the bottom of society, how dare I claim to be from any faction? I’m just someone who’s been kicked around like a football.” He laughed self-deprecatingly, then added, “By the way, Zhu Shi has absolutely no connection with any faction involved in this matter.”
"Thanks for the reminder." I looked ahead and said, "Speaking of which...where are we moving in?"
“Didn’t I say before that I have to handle my main job as a ‘probe’?” He stopped in front of me. “Ghost story investigation—that’s what you’re most familiar with. If you’re interested, you can come with me. Maybe in some areas, even I, a professional, can’t compare to you.”
We have now arrived at an abandoned construction site near Saltwater University.
Ahead lay a desolate, empty lot, with a bare, unfinished building standing in it. Its original purpose was unknown, nor why it was abandoned. From a distance, it resembled a stark, gray tombstone erected in the city, and even the wind seemed to chill it further.
This is where I first met Asahi.
(End of this chapter)
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