Travel through time, and then establish an anomaly management bureau!

Page 42

His left hand, clad in a shadow-stealing glove, was loosely clenched, while his right hand quietly rested on the hilt of the "Bloodthirsty Dagger" hidden beneath his combat suit. He might not necessarily use it, but he was fully prepared.

Through the double's senses, he could clearly "perceive" that the recreated dinner scene was not a simple illusion.

Those illusory figures were emanating a faint but real, distorted energy fluctuation.

"Remnants of rules? Echoes of time? Or something... parasitic in the piano?" Zhang Su's mind raced, his stand's gaze fixed on the piano playing beside Elion. "Protect this kid! I want to see what kind of devil is hiding under this mask of 'joyful music'!"

Volume 1: Chapter 39: The Grand Piano

Amber light flowed, and the illusion of a bustling crowd enveloped the "Starry Sea Hall" like a faded oil painting.

Elion stood frozen in front of the piano bench, his face paler than the spotlight on the stage, his mind blank from the shock of this surreal scene.

Her cold eyes sharply scanned each illusory figure, sensing the faint but undeniable fluctuations of distorted energy in the air. She waited, waiting for the source behind this illusion to bare its fangs.

Just then, amidst the smooth and cheerful piano melody, a young man's voice rang out without warning.

His tone was relaxed and cheerful, with a touch of lazy laughter, as if he were chatting at a pleasant tea party: "Aha, you two don't need to be so tense, relax. I mean you no harm, really."

"I was simply drawn in by the beautiful music, and on a sudden urge to play, I couldn't resist joining in. What a delightful night, isn't it?"

Upon hearing the sound, Elion looked around in utter horror.

"Two people? He said two people? But I'm clearly the only one here!"

Cold sweat instantly soaked his back, and a chill ran from his tailbone straight to the top of his head.

"That voice...where did that voice come from? Is it a person or a ghost? Could it be...could it be what those figures said?!"

Zhang Su was also calling out in his mind: "Yuan Shu, immediately analyze the current environmental situation and the source of the sound."

"Yes, Director. Begin analysis..." Yuan Shu responded instantly.

Three seconds later, Genshu replied:

[Environmental Status Assessment: Currently in a 'soundscape illusion'. All visible light, shadows, and sounds, except for those emitted by the target piano itself, are illusory projections constructed from abnormal energy based on a 'grand dinner scene,' and do not possess any physical offensive capabilities. However, the illusion itself contains a trace of mental pollution; prolonged immersion may lead to sensory distortion or emotional imbalance.]

[Status assessment of the 'grand piano' anomaly: This grand piano has been deeply influenced and activated by an unknown supernatural force, possessing intelligence and communication capabilities. The reason for its activation is unknown, but the core driving logic is preliminarily determined to be highly related to the concepts of 'music,' 'resonance,' and 'reproduction.']

"An activated, anomalous piano?" Zhang Su realized, but his vigilance remained undiminished. "Is it aggressive? Could it suddenly harm that kid?"

[Aggression Analysis: No physical attack modules or active mental attack capabilities have been detected in the target piano. Its current energy fluctuations are stable and do not carry any malicious intent. Based on existing data models, the probability of it attacking Elion von Silverlight is less than 0.7%. However, its energy reactions and dialogue content need to be continuously monitored.]

Hearing Yuan Shu say this, Zhang Su felt much more at ease, at least the anomaly did not pose any threat to them for the time being.

He then manipulated his double to silently create a distance of more than five meters between himself and the frozen Elion, hiding himself even deeper in the thick shadow cast by a decorative column.

Because he didn't want to reveal his true form yet, the test for Elion continued.

Just as Zhang Su stepped back, the piano seemed to notice his actions of hiding himself.

It stopped mentioning "the two" and focused all its "attention" on Elion, its voice becoming gentler and even praising him:

"Child, your playing is really good. For your age, your skill level and emotional expression are outstanding."

Elion snapped back to reality and looked at the piano playing right in front of him! "It's it! The sound is coming from the piano!"

"Have you ever considered becoming a touring pianist?" Ignoring his shock, the piano continued, "I can be your most loyal partner. Imagine, we travel the world together, delivering the most beautiful music to millions of listeners in every magnificent concert hall. Your talent, combined with my... well, 'beautiful piano playing,' we will become legends!"

This unbelievable invitation struck Elion like a hammer blow!

Faced with the invitation from the unusual piano, Elion tried his best to remain calm and said, "Is that really you? A piano? What... exactly are you?!"

"Yes, of course it's me, your good partner, the piano." The voice readily admitted, the music still cheerful, even carrying a touch of joyful bouncy. "Wasn't the piece we just played wonderful? That was my composition. You were able to reproduce it perfectly after only hearing it once... Such talent is simply a gift from the gods! Absolutely amazing!"

Its tone was full of sincere admiration.

A piano that can talk, think, and even appreciate music and praise people completely overturned Elion's worldview built up over twenty years of his life!

In the Calidor Empire, and indeed throughout the civilized world he knew, people were instilled with deeply ingrained religious beliefs from childhood.

The world was created and maintained by the true gods. The souls of the virtuous ascend to the eternally bright heaven after death, bathing in divine grace; while the souls of those who turn away from the gods and act depravedly are cast into the hell of burning sulfur and eternal torment.

The devil is the culprit who tempts mortals to fall. He disguises, deceives, and exploits the weaknesses of human nature, spreading chaos and evil, all in order to drag more souls into the abyss of hell.

In the eyes of a devout... or rather, a noble youth shaped by his environment, any supernatural being that defies common sense and is alluring can only have one possible essence!

"A disguise!" Elion's voice trembled. "You must be the demon disguised as a piano! Just like those devils recorded in the scriptures! You use beautiful music as bait to lure the innocent into depravity! You want to defile my soul, so that after my death I cannot ascend to heaven, but will fall into hell to suffer that eternal curse! Isn't that right?!"

Hearing this "heaven, hell, and devil" theory from the shadows, Zhang Su felt no emotion whatsoever, and even thought it was perfectly reasonable.

In this world where divine and royal power are intertwined and religion permeates every aspect of life, what could be the first reaction of a boy who has never been exposed to systematic occult knowledge when faced with an incomprehensible anomaly that brings a piano to life, besides the deeply ingrained explanatory system of "gods, demons, and religion"?

This is just like the world before he traveled through time, where ancient people would think that a solar eclipse was a celestial dog eating the sun; it is an inevitable product of limited cognition.

"Oh my god, young man!" The piano's voice showed obvious surprise, the cheerful music even pausing for a half-beat. "Demon? Hell? No, no, no, you've completely misunderstood. How could I be such a terrifying being?"

The music resumed, becoming slightly more soothing, attempting to calm the frightened child.

"It seems that your understanding of beings like myself, and the true nature of the world we live in, is still very, very limited," the piano's voice said with a gentle tone that had weathered many storms. "This is not your fault, after all, the 'common sense' you have been taught is so one-sided."

It seemed to be carefully choosing its words, as the piano keys struck out several profound and thought-provoking chords.

"Then, do you need me to explain to you what I really am, and... about the world of 'us' that is hidden beyond the 'light' and 'hell' you know, a world that is much larger, more strange, and full of more possibilities?"

As Elion listened to its seemingly outlandish statements, his mind raced—he was genuinely curious about what the creature would say, even if he suspected it was a devil.

These few short minutes had a tremendous impact on his worldview; all the seriousness he had accumulated in the past was shaken and on the verge of collapse at this moment.

Fear, curiosity, bewilderment at the unknown, and a subtle, unnoticed stirring deep within him—a stirring drawn to the "real world" described by the piano—were all intertwined and shifted on his face.

Deep in the shadows, the stand-in controlled by Zhang Su narrowed his cold eyes slightly.

"Our world?" Zhang Su's mind raced. "This living piano seems to know quite a bit. Is it about to reveal the tip of the iceberg of the extraordinary world to Elion?"

He decided to remain in hiding and observe the situation.

The depth of this "interview" seems to have far exceeded expectations.

Elion remained silent for a long time.

The piano didn't urge us on, but simply let the cheerful melody continue to flow, like a patient background sound.

After a long two minutes, Elion, as if exhausted, managed to squeeze out a hoarse, strained voice from his throat: "I...I want to know..."

His body trembled violently, as if he were fighting against an invisible constraint.

"I want to know, what the real...world is really like!" He suddenly raised his head, his fierce gaze piercing the piano keys. "On the condition that—you! are not a devil! You are not using lies to lure me to destruction!"

"I swear!" The voice on the piano immediately rang out, resolute and solemn, "I swear by all the truth and order I understand, I am not the 'devil' you speak of. Every word I say below is true! If there is even the slightest falsehood, I am willing to bear... well, the most severe punishment of the true God you believe in!"

It cleverly borrows the concept of supreme deterrence from the Elion cognitive system.

Elion's tense nerves hadn't completely relaxed, but he knew that this was the most "credible" promise the eerie piano could offer.

He stopped worrying about the authenticity of the vow and, with a resolute determination, sat back down on the cold piano bench.

"Okay, go ahead and say it," he said in a low voice.

“Very good, young man, you have made a courageous choice,” the pianist praised. “But before I begin, please allow me to ask a question, which will help me adjust my delivery…”

Its music also softened in response, "May I ask, how much do you know about the concepts of 'extraordinary' and 'mysterious' in the Book of Changes?"

Elion blurted out almost without thinking, "How much do I know? What I just told you—the temptations of gods, heaven, hell, and the devil—that's all I know! Do you think that counts as knowing anything?"

"Ah..." The piano let out a knowing sigh, the keys striking out a few slightly regretful notes, "Excuse my rudeness, this... is probably not even the tip of the iceberg. You, and the millions of ordinary people in this world, are just living in the appearances that 'they' have carefully constructed."

“'Them'?” Elion keenly grasped the key word.

“Yes, ‘they’.” The piano’s voice lowered, carrying a sense of knowing secrets. “They, who control knowledge and truth—the high-ranking officials of the World Government, the core cardinals of the Church of the True God…it is they who have isolated you from the other side of the world.”

“They don’t want everyone to know the truth because it would cause chaos, or… threaten their authority. For example, people like me are part of the ‘truth’ they are trying so hard to cover up.”

“The other side of the world…” Elion murmured, his eyes gleaming, “are they all magical objects like you that can talk?”

“No, no, no,” the piano chuckled lightly, its notes leaping with life. “Of course not. The world is far more complex and magnificent than this. My existence is merely one manifestation of it. In… well, among the people ‘over there,’ we are generally categorized as ‘abnormalities.’”

“Anomaly?” Elion repeated. “That’s a straightforward and easy-to-understand name.”

“That’s right, the abnormal, that is, something beyond reason.” The piano affirmed this point, and the music became more serene, about to begin a serious discourse. “So, young man, next, I will lift a corner of this veil for you and explain what ‘extraordinary’ and ‘mysterious’ mean.”

"First, forget your simplistic and crude 'heaven and hell' dichotomy. The real world is a huge, multi-layered, complex system interwoven with countless rules. The world you see every day, which follows the laws of physics, is only the outermost and most stable layer, like the surface of the ocean."

"Below the 'surface' lies a deeper, more unstable 'inner layer'. There flows a primordial energy known as 'psychic energy' or 'ether.' This energy itself is neither good nor evil, but it can be guided, shaped, and 'defined'."

"What is a 'definition'?" Elion couldn't help but ask.

“‘Definition’ is like a blueprint for building a house,” the piano used a metaphor. “It determines the form and nature of energy. Some powerful, ancient, or even innate beings… you can temporarily understand as close to the concept of ‘God,’ but far more complex than what your religions describe, or certain extremely special rituals and knowledge, can give these primordial energies ‘definition’ and form unique ‘pathways’.”

"The route?" Elion felt his brain was starting to malfunction.

"Yes, pathways. You can think of them as... paths or systems of extraordinary power. Each pathway has its core 'definition,' representing the direction and ultimate form of a certain power. Individuals who embark on a certain pathway can gradually master the power of that pathway and become 'extraordinary' by using specific methods, such as taking specific potions, performing complex rituals, and deciphering materials containing its knowledge."

“Extraordinary beings…” Elion was puzzled by the term. “Are they very strong? Like wizards and paladins in religious stories?”

“Power has different levels.” Piano stated objectively, “The lowest level of extraordinary individuals may only be slightly stronger than ordinary people and possess some minor tricks. But as they continue to ‘advance’ in their pathways and acquire higher-order powers, their abilities will become inconceivable—manipulating elements, distorting reality, predicting the future, and even influencing time and space… Theoretically, those who reach the pinnacle of their pathways possess power close to that of a god—or rather, they become ‘gods’!”

“And I,” the piano keys glided gracefully, “among others. We are not naturally born beings, but are usually the product of certain powerful supernatural characteristics—that is, highly condensed supernatural energy with a specific ‘definition’—that are fused and activated with ordinary objects under specific conditions. We have our own consciousness, varying in strength. We possess special abilities based on our own characteristics, and… often come with a cost or some kind of… well, ‘quirk’. For example, I particularly love beautiful music and the souls that resonate with it.”

"You mean, there's a price to pay for using the power of an anomaly like yourself?" Elion frowned.

"Yes, not only anomalies, but also the use of one's own power by extraordinary beings. This is a universal law of the extraordinary—all power comes at a price."

The piano's sound became serious.

"The advancement of extraordinary individuals is fraught with danger; a slight misstep can lead to loss of control and transformation into inhuman monsters. As for anomalies, using their abilities may also require paying a price, or their very existence may have a subtle influence on their surroundings. This is the cruelty and balance behind the 'mystery.'"

Elion listened with great excitement as a completely new, bizarre, and perilous world slowly unfolded before his eyes, challenging his preconceived notions.

He desperately wanted to know what was going on!

Then, just as Elion's thirst for knowledge was fully ignited and he was ready to delve deeper into asking more questions...

A change has occurred!

A figure as fast as a ghost appeared without warning behind Elion—it was the stand controlled by Zhang Su!

Her movements were swift (six) and precise, with inhuman explosive power, and her target was clear—she aimed straight for Elion's neck!

Elion's extraordinary "inspiration" only caught the cold, murderous impact at the last moment, and the hairs on his body stood on end instantly. A deadly sense of crisis pierced his spine like an ice pick!

Almost instinctively, he tried to lunge forward or roll to the side!

However, it was too late!

The Stand's speed far exceeded the limits of ordinary people. Its left hand, wearing the "Shadow Thief Glove," was as fast as lightning, its five fingers like cold iron pincers, and it grabbed Elion's neck from behind with perfect precision!

"Ugh!" Elion only had time to let out a short groan before the feeling of suffocation and the excruciating pain of his neck being strangled instantly struck him!

Immediately afterwards, an overwhelming force came from that cold hand, and Elion felt his body lift off the ground instantly, like a light rag doll, being violently thrown diagonally forward by that force!

“Bang! Crash—!”

Elion's body traced a parabola in the air.

At the critical moment of life and death, his aristocratic fighting training and physical instincts played an amazing role. Instead of panicking and struggling wildly, he forcibly curled up his body in mid-air, tightly protecting his vulnerable throat and back of the neck with his hands, while adjusting his center of gravity, bending his legs slightly, and preparing for the impact!

He fell heavily onto a dining table covered with a snow-white tablecloth, about three meters away from the piano!

Expensive porcelain and silverware were thrown into the air, the sounds of shattering and the clanging of metal hitting the ground were deafening.

The thick tablecloth slipped off him, and he rolled awkwardly onto the thick carpet, tumbling twice more before finally stopping.

Although he was dazed and seeing stars after the fall, and his back and shoulders were burning with pain, he managed to protect his vital organs and avoid fatal injuries. His landing posture also minimized the impact.

He struggled to lift his head and looked at the attacker in utter horror—a rare woman who had appeared out of nowhere, wearing a strange black bodysuit, with a cold and unique face, but empty eyes!

"Cough cough... Who... who are you?!" Elion was both shocked and angry, his voice hoarse.

At this moment, Zhang Su, controlling his stand-in, stood coldly beside Elion's original spot, his gaze sweeping over the still-shaken boy before finally settling on the grand piano that had suddenly stopped playing and whose lid had trembled slightly.

"That's enough for this little bit of quirky knowledge, kid."

Zhang Su thought to himself.

“If he continues to listen, given his mortal state of mind and body, the ‘mysterious’ concepts inherent in this knowledge alone could become a source of contamination, planting seeds of uncontrollable behavior in his soul. The less he knows right now, the safer he is.”

"The remaining 'lessons' can be taken slowly after he joins my administration and is protected by the Cornerstone and the Source Hub. Now, it's time to deal with this talkative piano."

The stand-in slowly raised his hand, aiming it at the silent grand piano, his cold, lifeless gaze fixed on it as if looking at an ant.