Endless Debt

Bologue didn't tell Aimou about the hallucinations he saw... perhaps it wasn't a hallucination, but something that truly existed. Bologue felt little pressure, as a Debtor, he often dealt with bizarre things and had grown accustomed to what appeared in hallucinations.

As for why he didn't tell Aimou about this, Bologue felt the current situation was bad enough, and telling Aimou wouldn't change anything; it's better to let her be at ease.

Sometimes ignorance is bliss. Thinking of this, Bologue began to reminisce about himself before becoming a Condenser, when his perception of the world was so naive. Reflecting on it now, the stark contrast made Bologue give a bitter smile.

Just...

Bologue glanced at the ground beneath him, recalling the mysterious fourth group.

The Order Bureau was aware of the anomalies within the Great Rift; the fourth group likely existed to deal with these anomalies. As for the ether vacuum environment surrounding them, it might have been orchestrated by the Order Bureau.

And this Great Rift...

At this moment, Bologue actually felt a bit excited, as he was very close to a secret, close enough to touch.

"A piece of good news, and a piece of bad news."

Carrying Aimou, Bologue advanced forward, the terrain increasingly opening up until Bologue felt he was strolling on a gray-white wasteland.

"The bad news," Aimou said.

"There's something strange here, a very strange kind," Bologue said. "The good news is, I have a plan and it might help us escape."

"What plan?"

"The Order Bureau has a task force stationed within the Great Rift; they might be nearby. As long as we find them, we'll be saved. Even if we can't find them, I have a worst-case scenario plan, but unless we're at a dead end, I suggest not initiating it."

The ash here was much softer, like piled snow, with Bologue stepping deep then shallow, warm ash pouring into his shoes.

Bologue reached the edge of the gray-white wasteland, before him was a Cliff. Below the Cliff stretched the gray-white ground, followed by another Cliff, like a giant's staircase, continuing forward.

Bologue thrust the folding knife into the Cliff face, moving downward arduously.

Usually, at such heights, Bologue would jump down directly, protected by Ether, he could easily withstand impacts, even if injured he could heal quickly.

But now, Bologue reverted to a mortal's body, everything required caution. Like a mountaineer, he painstakingly climbed down the two Cliffs, then was exhausted and out of breath.

"I think we should rest a while, don't you think?" Bologue said.

"I trust your judgment."

Aimou now resembled an ornament, carried on Bologue's back, fully trusting Bologue and leaving all actions to his judgment.

Bologue crawled along the craggy edge, finding a protruding spot, narrow and concealed. Until now, they hadn't encountered another living creature, but out of caution, Bologue decided to rest here a while.

Leaning in the shadow, the tense nerves faintly relaxed, soon pain and hunger surged in his heart.

Previously, Bologue could divert attention through actions, but after calming down, all these chaotic things came knocking.

Bologue was someone adept at endurance. He closed his eyes, enduring the torment, breathing steadily as if nothing had happened.

"Bologue, have you ever wondered what the world after death looks like?"

Suddenly, Aimou asked softly.

She lay to one side like a puppet, head askew, eyes glimmering with a faint light.

"Why ask this?"

"Just curious," Aimou said.

"The world after death?"

Bologue pondered for a few seconds, then said, "It's a world of void, placed in the boundless and deep starry sky, everything looks dead, lifeless, everywhere there are shattered boulders colliding.

There... it feels like a dream where anything can happen, occasionally you can even see Thunder streaking across."

Bologue endeavored to describe that bizarre and abstract world in comprehensible language to Aimou.

"Sounds indeed like a dream, but why do you think the world after death is like this?" Aimou continued to ask.

"No particular reason, because I can indeed reach the world after death... if it can be considered as such."

Aimou thought Bologue was artistically imagining according to his ideas, but in reality, this was exactly what Bologue could see after death. Hardly anyone had such an experience, thus talking about these things, Bologue surprisingly felt a tinge of pride.

Bologue continued explaining.

"Every time after I die, I briefly reach that world of void and then am banished back to the mortal world," Bologue hesitated for a moment. "I don't quite understand that place either; I thought about thoroughly exploring but each exploration requires death. Dying multiple times in a short term makes my dormancy period longer, so I had to temporarily give up."

Aimou was silent for a long time, trying to digest what Bologue said. This guy not only couldn't die but could also personally reach the world after death.

"Sounds really terrible, Bologue." Aimou sighed deeply.

"What's wrong?"

"You've shattered people's faith," Aimou said, "for instance, people believe they'll go to the Celestial Kingdom after death, but then an Undead comes and tells them there's nothing after death, just a void, maybe with some rocks bumping around."

"Don't overthink it, 'the world after death' is just how I refer to that environment. It could also be called something like 'Void World' or 'Between Nothingness.'

Bologue didn't expect Aimou to take it so seriously, so he quickly explained.

From a human perspective dealing with Aimou, Aimou was at the stage of forming a worldview, and Bologue tried his best to prevent her from becoming a freak like himself.

Hmm... Bologue couldn't guarantee it, but he tried to avoid it.

"To be precise, it can't be considered a true afterlife, it's more like a place where my consciousness briefly lingers when I'm in a state of revival."

After a long time, Aimou softly said "Hmm," allowing herself to hold onto a bit of fantasy about the world after death.

Seeing her like this, Bologue smiled and continued, "You remind me of Palmer."

"Why do you think of him?"

"Our daily patrols are actually quite boring, and on the road Palmer and I chat about all sorts of odd things, sometimes even guessing what's in each other's pockets."

"That sounds so childish."

"I also think it's quite childish, but it's a good way to pass the time."

Bologue muttered, with Palmer around, it's never boring, as long as you can handle his jinxed luck... to be precise, it's precisely because of that jinxed luck that it's never boring.

Aimou found it hard to understand the camaraderie between these two guys, and she wasn't willing to waste Ether to emphasize it, so she just said "Hmm hmm hmm," continuing to listen to Bologue's story.

"Once Palmer brought up a similar question to you, he asked me where people's souls go after they die?"

"How did you answer?"

"I didn't answer him," Bologue nonchalantly waved his hand, "It's too childish."

"Huh?"

Before Aimou could question, Bologue burst into laughter, finding it amusing to tease Aimou. In this eerie place, such fun was rare.

"Okay, okay, I really didn't answer him. That guy is such a chatterbox, once he starts, he never stops... this time was no exception, seeing no response from me, he just talked to himself."

Bologue recounted the memory.

"Palmer said that after people die, they sit in a car, hands gripping the steering wheel, driving on an endless highway.

The vehicle never breaks down, the fuel never runs dry, and the radio plays your favorite music. Maybe your best friends are with you, sitting in the passenger seat, the back seat, or even the trunk. It's a rather joyful scene.

It's like going on a picnic, stepping on the gas, facing the howling wind, chasing the sunset, with laughter and cheer, but you'll never reach the end, always driving on that long road."

Bologue's voice came to a stop, and after a brief silence, Aimou sighed.

"That sounds really... romantic."

"It's not romantic at all, it's just this guy piecing together elements he loves," Bologue exemplified, "driving, racing, radio music, plus some audience to listen to his endless cold jokes, for Palmer, that's his Celestial Kingdom."

"Palmer is really easy to satisfy, huh." Aimou didn't know how to respond.

"Probably, after all, being an heir of the Clarks, he's had enough of material wealth, he just wants some spiritual pursuit."

At this point, Bologue paused and continued.

"Palmer's spiritual pursuit is quite pathetic..."

This time it was Aimou's turn to laugh, she said, "You're rarely this humorous, Bologue."

"Just saying appropriate words in an appropriate environment, in this spooky place we indeed need some humor to relieve mental stress," Bologue replied.

The blue halo slightly rotated, Aimou couldn't understand if Bologue was genuinely humorous, or if his professional manner made him rationally think he should lighten up now.

They seemed indistinguishable, yet vastly different.

But one thing Bologue said was right, they all needed some light-hearted words, to ease their tense feelings.

Aimou relaxed, her tense emotions were like ice, slowly melting into warm water.

"Bologue, I have a secret." Aimou suddenly said.

"I'm listening."

Surrounded by dim darkness, when Bologue was silent, he merged into the shadows.

Hearing Bologue's words, Aimou felt much at ease, and then she continued.

"I seem... to have no free will."