novelraw Chapter 857: The World of Lies (5)
Chapter 857: The World of Lies (5)
Arnold felt something cold splashing onto his face, causing him to abruptly open his eyes and take a deep breath, like someone who had just surfaced after almost drowning, greedily gulping in the surrounding air.
"Oh my God, boss, you’re finally awake."
The voice Arnold heard belonged to the dormitory manager, the guy who secretly worked for him.
"I saw that lady hurriedly leaving, but when I didn’t see you, I decided to check your room. That’s when I found you passed out on the sofa," the manager quickly explained what had happened after Arnold had fainted.
Instinctively, Arnold touched his neck. From the faint memories before he lost consciousness, he could determine that he had been knocked out by an electric shock. Arnold scanned the room, recalling something important. He quickly checked his body, only to find his wallet under the sofa—but the money was gone, along with something even more important.
"Boss, I didn’t take your money..." the manager hurriedly clarified.
Arnold suddenly threw his wallet aside, grabbed the manager by the collar, and glared at him with an almost murderous expression. "Where did she go?"
"She headed toward the south gate, probably leaving," the manager answered hastily.
"How long ago?"
"About... seven or eight minutes?"Arnold pushed the man aside and stormed out of the room, ignoring the manager’s shouts.
---
The university is a place teeming with people, yet at the same time, it can feel deserted and desolate, evoking a sense of loneliness. Amid the vast buildings, there are always hidden corners where no one ventures—like the areas of the teaching buildings where the lights have been turned off after classes are over.
The south gate was the fastest exit, and Caroline, having already made up her mind to leave, walked quickly with her head down. Now that she had her bank card back in her possession, she felt a renewed sense of confidence in escaping all this trouble.
Perhaps fate enjoyed playing tricks on her. Caroline suddenly found it laughable, as she still couldn’t understand why she kept encountering one bad thing after another. And just as baffling, she couldn’t comprehend why she was now facing the one person she least wanted to meet at this moment.
Yes, after successfully reclaiming her wealth and just about to leave this place of trouble, Caroline found herself confronted by the very person responsible for all her misfortunes—Hailey, the killer of Livia.
Now, Caroline could clearly distinguish between the brothers without any need for guesswork—because Arnold had already been electrocuted and left unconscious in the dorm. There was no time to wonder why Hailey had shown up now. The moment Caroline saw him, she had the overwhelming urge to flee—because Hailey looked terrifying, his eyes full of rage, his face twisted in a way that made him seem possessed by a demon.
This was the same kind of terrifying person who had killed Livia.
"Caroline." Hailey tilted his head from left to right, slowly uttering her name. His voice was like a growl, a question, an undeniable command, "Where do you think you're going?"
"Nowhere, just taking a walk... I'm going back now." Sensing that Hailey’s state was abnormal, Caroline quickly muttered a reply and turned to leave.
Clutching her bag tightly, she dared not look back. Her steps quickened until she was running, fleeing as fast as she could, desperate to escape the sight of this devilish man.
"Caroline—!!!"
Hailey roared like a wild beast and charged after her like a predator, swiftly closing the distance. This enraged Boston, who had been tailing from afar.
"Damn it, this freak!!"
Boston angrily kicked a nearby trash can. Hailey was supposed to go after Arnold, not chase after that slut!
Boston spat on the ground and was about to give chase when he heard a voice he dreaded—Arnold.
Arnold had jumped over the side railing, some leaves still clinging to him. He had taken a shortcut to the south gate, knowing that Caroline, unfamiliar with the campus, would only take the main roads, giving him a chance to cut her off.
"Boston, why are you here?" Arnold advanced, staring at Boston with fury in his eyes.
Boston instinctively reached for his gun... maybe killing Arnold here wouldn’t be such a bad idea. But that would be stupid, especially firing a gun here, where the sound would definitely attract campus security.
Looking at Arnold’s agitated state and recalling the scene with Caroline and Hailey, Boston sensed that Arnold was hiding something from him.
Thinking quickly, Boston lied, "I’m sorry, boss! Hailey escaped while I was out getting food. He seemed completely crazed and said he was coming after you, so I followed him."
"What? You let him out?" Arnold grabbed Boston by the collar, furious. "How could you!"
"I-I’m sorry..." Boston lowered his head. "But... he went that way! And that woman! Caroline! I saw her too!"
Arnold shoved Boston away and shouted, "I’ll deal with you later... come with me!"
Why couldn’t things go according to plan?
Why couldn’t everything go as desired...?
If only everything worked like a script, how great would that be?
It was frustratingly bad, maddeningly so, making one wish to destroy everything and start over from scratch.
---
They were like spectators, yet always had the ability to intervene.
The world experienced countless such events, and even at this moment, similar incidents were likely occurring in countless other times and spaces.
Wolfgang moved his fingers as if playing invisible keys in the air. The vibrations in the atmosphere produced a lively rhythm. "Emotions can inspire a melody... Hmm, this thing called Hailey, with all his rage, is rather interesting. Too bad he's just as ordinary as they come... I can't finish this tune."
He suddenly stopped, turning to Noah. "Aren’t you going to help that woman? She might not escape harm."
"If she has the opportunity to awaken to her power in the Main World, this difficulty is nothing," Noah said calmly. "If she can’t overcome it, then it proves she’s still unfit to exist in the Main World, and the will of the world is already orchestrating her end. That’s even more reason for us not to interfere."
"Oh?" Wolfgang raised an eyebrow curiously. "Didn’t you say she was going to be your bride?"
Noah flipped his sleeve. "Multiple worlds are interconnected... Each individual is independent, yet there is some sort of connection between them. Since the power of Dimensional Observer has emerged in the Main World, it could also emerge in other versions of her across different worlds... Failing here doesn’t mean failure elsewhere. As long as it's Caroline, it doesn't matter whether she's from the Main World or another one."
Wolfgang shrugged and asked rather crudely, "So, in other worlds, is she still... pure?"
Noah gave Wolfgang a calm look, just as he was about to say something, he slightly frowned. In an instant, he pulled back his hood and turned his gaze behind Wolfgang.
Sensing Noah's shift in demeanor, Wolfgang quickly turned around—behind them stood three beings, each with a body of stunning perfection.
Their faces were flawlessly beautiful, and their attire was androgynous, making it hard to determine their gender. However, there was something about them that made Wolfgang uncomfortable.
Wolfgang flicked his golden wig slightly and remarked, “The notes in the air are starting to get restless.”
"The hymn of desire... how dare you defile the gospel," said the most beautiful among them, standing with arms behind their back, shaking their head gently.
Wolfgang's fingers suddenly twitched as if struck by something, and he quickly clenched them—his fingers now bore a slight bruise.
Shocked, Wolfgang glanced at Noah, but Noah merely raised a hand to stop him and said calmly, “Wolfgang, as much of a genius as you are, you cannot recreate this divine human gospel. What Gabriel carries is precisely that gospel, so stop meddling with your notes.”
“Gabriel…” Wolfgang's expression changed dramatically as he turned to face the newcomer with a grave demeanor. "It... is Gabriel, the left hand of God!"
Ignoring Wolfgang’s growing seriousness, Gabriel floated toward Noah, facing him for a moment.
Then Gabriel spoke, “Aren't you going to run?”
Noah shook his head and replied calmly, “One day, I dreamt I was already in heaven. From that moment, I knew I would return eventually. I just didn’t know when exactly… But I think, perhaps, it’s now.”
“I hope I don’t have to use force,” Gabriel nodded slightly.
Noah responded with a hint of resignation, “If it were any other angel, I might have considered resisting. I just didn’t expect that He would send you directly. That leaves me no choice.”
“Wise decision,” Gabriel smiled faintly. “No wonder you once bore the name of Prophet… Now, come back with me.”
“Could you wait a moment?” Noah suddenly asked. “I’ll come with you, how about tomorrow?”
“Don’t make me act here,” Gabriel’s eyes flashed with golden light.
“Well, there’s no other option then,” Noah said, making a gesture.
But Gabriel had anticipated Noah’s move, and in a swift motion, pinned Noah’s hand down. Noah smiled slightly, “I told you, I wasn’t planning to run… But my friend here has nothing to do with heaven. You can't just take him too, can you?”
As Noah spoke, Wolfgang’s body began to fade, and in a blink, he vanished completely.
Gabriel glanced at Noah silently before slowly releasing his grip. Then Gabriel said calmly, “I’ve heard that a group of extraordinary individuals has gathered in the dimensional rift, thinking they’ve escaped the world. But in the end, they can’t even linger in the Main World for long. Isn’t that just self-deception?”
Noah smiled without replying. He suddenly pointed to the starry sky, then his hand lowered, pointing toward a towering mountain. "What do you think lies beyond that mountain?"
Gabriel frowned, "What?"
"A shooting star," Noah said.
"How do you know?" Gabriel asked.
Noah shook his head and replied, "Do you want to see for yourself? Only by looking will you know if it's there."
Gabriel waved dismissively.
The two angels standing behind Gabriel immediately stepped forward, and Noah cooperated by extending his hands. One of the angels waved their hand over Noah’s wrists, and in an instant, a pair of shackles appeared on them.
“Take him away,” Gabriel ordered in a low voice.
The two angels transformed into light, and the light began to envelop Noah as well. The three figures gradually faded.
"I’ve been to the other side of that mountain, but I didn’t see you there... because you didn’t come."
Noah’s voice echoed softly just before the last bit of light disappeared.
Once the glow was completely gone, Gabriel turned and left. Unlike before, angels now walked in the Main World without causing much disturbance, for His glory had already illuminated the earth, letting humanity know of His presence.
They came quietly, and they left just as quietly.
However, Gabriel didn’t leave immediately but instead went to the high clock tower on the university campus.
Inside the clock tower, facing north toward the pole star, Gabriel knelt down, pressing his hands against his chest. Slowly, Gabriel stood up.
His body suddenly grew taller, and the delicate, elf-like features of his face became coarser, with the addition of some stubble, making his facial contours more rugged.
‘Gabriel’ stood with hands behind his back, walking onto the small balcony outside the clock tower, overlooking the vast city below.
‘Gabriel’ suddenly spoke in a low voice, “It's been a long time since I’ve seen the night... It's a bit dimmer than before. The pollution has gotten worse over the years.”
Footsteps came from behind him.
Someone was gently climbing the stairs to the top of the clock tower. Finally, she stepped into the room and saw ‘Gabriel’ gazing out over the city.
“If it were up to you, even heaven could have its nights, shining as brilliantly as ever,” she said.
‘Gabriel’ sighed. “I’ve descended this time specifically to thank you for informing me of Noah’s whereabouts.”
“Wasn’t that a service you purchased long ago? You requested that whenever the owners of the 'Book of the Void' and the 'Gem Sword' appeared in the primary world, we notify you. For hundreds of years, we’ve faithfully kept your request in mind,” she smiled.
‘Gabriel’ slowly turned around to look at her... She was a maid from a shop that specialized in selling anything and everything.
“I’ve always regretted it.”
‘Gabriel’ seemed to recall something. “I regret giving up your soul, which allowed heaven to continue existing to this day… Joan of Arc.”
“Customer, my name is Yōu Yè. You’ve made a mistake.”
‘Gabriel’ took a deep look at her, nodded, and softly said, “Yes... you’re more than just Joan of Arc.”
(Note: Joan of Arc or Jeanne d'Arc.)