Chapter 2353 Amnesia <TOC> Chapter 2355 Tears of the Soul
Next page password is bold portion: giWa-lr=sPa9
Translator: SumTLMan
Cindy began, “When we found Reynolds, he seemed somewhat dazed. Upon inquiry, we discovered that parts of his memory were quite blurry. Lord Firo speculated that this might be due to the unique field of the Mist Belt affecting his soul, or perhaps his soul had been traumatized, or he had sealed off his memories himself. The exact situation is still unclear to us.”
After a few seconds of silence, Angel nodded, “Continue. Tell us everything about your encounter with Reynolds, what happened afterward, and everything Reynolds told you.”
Cindy nodded and began to narrate under the watchful eyes of the group.
They encountered Reynolds in a chaotic stone reef area deep within the Mist Belt, where he wandered aimlessly like a rootless ghost at sea near the reefs.
Such ghosts, though not common in the Mist Zone, could occasionally be encountered, most of them being the deceased from shipwrecks.
They had not planned to approach Reynolds initially until they noticed the tattoo on his face, which led Firo to bring the wandering Reynolds back with them.
At first, Reynolds was very confused and wary of them until Cindy discovered his real name, and Firo revealed their general objective, which awakened Reynolds from his self-indulgence.
During their inquiry, they learned that Reynolds had escaped from a laboratory, where everyone had numerical tattoos on their faces.
This laboratory primarily conducted biological experiments, filled with limbs and organs everywhere, along with numerous prisons holding various creatures.
“Something happened, and Reynolds rebelled against the authority of the laboratory, but he doesn’t remember the outcome. Anyway, he appeared in the Mist Zone in the form of a soul,” Cindy explained, summarizing the situation.
After hearing Cindy’s account, everyone had many questions. Nisi was the first to speak, “What is the name of that laboratory? Who are the people in charge?”
Cindy shook his head, “Reynolds doesn’t remember, but according to him, his amnesia isn’t due to the damage to his memory this time. The name of the laboratory itself is very strange, and even when his memory was intact, he would always forget it.”
Cindy’s words made Angel, Nisi, and Iron Armor Granny simultaneously think of a term: soul script.
Just like the text on Nisi’s stone slab, even if one saw it, the memory would blur in an instant.
Moreover, this laboratory and the dark forces behind the cavern altar are related, and the cavern altar is connected to certain forces in the Qwest World. Therefore, it’s possible that the laboratory’s name was in the script of the Qwest World.
Cindy continued, “As for the person in charge of the laboratory, Reynolds doesn’t remember the specific names, but he knows that everyone was referred to by a number, which is the numerical tattoo on their faces.”
At this point, Cindy seemed to remember something and added, “Right, Reynolds himself was the same; he also had his own number. In the laboratory, others also referred to him by this number, which was actually his real name. As for ‘Reynolds,’ that was a name he chose for himself later on.”
Angel asked, “So, Reynolds can’t remember anything about the inside of the laboratory, including their research?”
Cindy shared, “Reynolds, due to memory impairment, often speaks incoherently, and there are some terms that, although they come from his mouth, he himself doesn’t understand their meanings. His impressions of the laboratory are solely of fear, dread, the omnipresent scent of blood, blindingly bright lights, cloaked villains, the wails of souls… various dismembered limbs, mad rituals, and a plethora of bizarrely named apparatuses.”
Reynolds could occasionally recall a few names of these devices, but when asked to describe what they were, he couldn’t remember.
“His memories are jumbled, making it difficult to obtain detailed information from Reynolds. Essentially, Lord Firo was guessing at best.”
Nisi inquired, “What about Reynolds himself? Being part of the laboratory, even with partially obscured memories, he must have some general impressions of the experiments, right?”
Cindy shook her head, “Lord Firo had asked similar questions, but whenever the experiments themselves were mentioned, Reynolds showed great resistance and fear, repeatedly mentioning the dazzling white light and the ubiquitous scent of blood, along with those horrifying, ghastly faces.”
“Based on Lord Firo’s speculation, perhaps Reynolds wasn’t a staff member of that laboratory; he… might have been a subject of experimentation.”
Cindy couldn’t help but show pity as she spoke. The resistance and fear emanating from the depths of Reynolds’ soul whenever he answered such questions were unmistakably genuine. Such emotions of fear were enough to affect them, the living.
It was for this reason that Firo believed Reynolds might just be an experimental subject.
Nisi asked, “Is there any other information?”
After pondering for a moment, Cindy said, “Although Reynolds doesn’t remember the specific details inside the laboratory, he remembers its approximate location.”
It was because Reynolds had outlined a general area that Firo had gone alone to search for clues two days ago.
“Besides that, there’s no other information… Oh, right, there’s one more thing. Lord Firo had once inquired Reynolds about a name, something Ginny.”
Iron Armor Granny softly said, “It’s ‘Delicate Crimson Night Butterfly’ Ginny Watson.”
“Yes, exactly! That’s the person Granny mentioned,” Cindy nodded vigorously.
Iron Armor Granny asked, “How did Reynolds respond?”
Cindy pondered for a moment, recalling, “Reynolds had a strange reaction upon hearing this name. He looked at Lord Firo with a bizarre expression and then said something.”
“Reynolds asked Lord Firo——’Are you trying to compete with her?'”
“‘Compete with her?'” Angel narrowed his eyes: “Who is this ‘her’?”
Cindy shook her head: “Reynolds didn’t say. Then, when Lord Firo continued to press the question, Reynolds became as silent as a clam, never answering.”
Iron Armor Granny concluded, “Although Reynolds didn’t say, his behavior pretty much confirms that he knows something about Night Butterfly Witch.”
Nisi nodded in agreement, “Exactly, it’s probably because of Reynolds’ reaction that Firo became restless. He went to investigate on his own without even waiting to notify anyone… It’s really a mess.”
Angel glanced at Nisi, who looked reflective, and thought to himself: Blaming Firo for the mess, when it was you who urged him to take on the mission.
Angel turned to Cindy, “Besides these, is there any other news?”
Cindy shook her head.
“Did he ever mention having any companions?”
Cindy still shook her head, “No.”
Angel’s continuous questioning, especially about Reynolds’ companions, made Nisi and Iron Armor Granny look sideways.
Angel felt their gaze but didn’t immediately explain. Instead, he continued to ask Cindy, “Did he mention someone named Nausica?”
“Nausica?” Cindy was momentarily stunned, “Do you mean, Asbay?”
Angel nodded, “You know Nausica too?”
A spark of recognition flashed in Cindy’s eyes, “Yes, I and Sunny once undertook a mission together, and Sunny talked a lot about Nausica. Although I’ve never met Nausica, her name is very familiar to me.”
After a pause, Cindy realized she had digressed and quickly got back on track, “Reynolds never mentioned Nausica.”
Angel’s brow furrowed, his fingers tapping on the table slightly hurriedly.
Angel hadn’t expected that a casual inquiry into the cavern altar would end up being connected to Reynolds. Most importantly, Reynolds was connected to Nausica!
After the Novastar Competition, Nausica left with Reynolds. Now, Reynolds has become a soul, and there’s no news of Nausica. What exactly happened?
Where is Nausica now? Is she also involved in this matter, and… is she still alive?
The more Angel thought about it, the more uneasy he felt.
After a while, he looked up at Cindy, who seemed confused, “Is Reynolds still with you guys now?”
Cindy nodded, “Yes, the four of us who took on the mission are now on an uninhabited island in the Mist Belt. Reynolds is here too.”
Angel said, “Log off now, and ask Reynolds if he remembers Nausica. If he remembers, let him tell you about Nausica’s situation; if he’s unwilling to speak, mention my name… If he still refuses to answer, hand him the login device, and let him log in. I’ll ask him myself.”
Cindy opened her mouth, unsure, “Lord Rhine, aren’t we supposed to keep the login device a secret? Would it be alright to let someone whose background we don’t know come in like this?”
Cindy harbored such thoughts because she had been in possession of the login device for only a brief period and was unaware that the Wilderness of Dreams was, in fact, a creation of Angel’s own making.
However, upon observing the disapproving expressions on both Iron Armor Granny and Nisi, she nodded in agreement, “Alright, I’ll go ask now.”
After Cindy departed, Nisi turned to Angel and inquired, “Nausica was that female pirate from your time, wasn’t she?”
Back when Angel first ventured into the mirror world, it was Nisi who guided them into the chasm abyss, hence Nisi’s recollection of Nausica… because Nausica was strikingly beautiful. Moreover, Angel shared a good rapport with Nausica, a fact Nisi had gleaned from his short-lived apprentice, Hookedick.
Angel nodded in affirmation, “Yes, Nausica is a friend of mine.”
“Was there something between her and Reynolds?” Nisi probed further, “Were they lovers?”
Angel shook his head, “After the Novastar Competition concluded, Nausica left with Reynolds, claiming they needed to retrieve something of importance…”
At this juncture, Angel suddenly paused.
Reynolds had mentioned his escape from a laboratory, identified as Subject Number 1… Nausica had expressed her intention to accompany Reynolds to retrieve something significant…
The sacrificial rites of the cavern… the skeletal remains and organs…
Within Totoro’s scene, organs preserved in a special fluid… extraordinary organs from various races including humans… the right hand of Night Butterfly Witch…
At this moment, fragmented memories that had previously eluded understanding began to surface in his mind, weaving together into a logical chain laced with hidden threads.
At the end of this logical chain, a memory fragment of Nausica emerged.
It was when Angel, still an apprentice, had returned from the Fairytale World to the Savage Grottoes.
Upon his return to Apprentice Town and just as he was about to push open his home’s door, he noticed a woman clad in soft armor standing under a nearby tree.
It was Nausica.
Initially, Nausica had her back to Angel, her beautiful brown wavy hair tousled by the wind.
“Nausica.”
Seemingly hearing Angel’s call, she gently turned around, her nearly perfect profile lighting up with a soft dimpled smile upon seeing Angel.
“Hey, Angel.” Nausica waved her left hand, “You’re finally back.”
Angel’s gaze drifted to her right hand, or rather, the emptiness where it should have been.
“Your right hand… is it injured?”
“Injured?” Nausica perceived the astonishment in Angel’s eyes, yet she herself was oblivious, smilingly saying, “My right hand, it just happened to be lost by accident.”
The memory stops here.
Angel felt his thoughts were still somewhat hazy, but deducing from this chain of memories, it seemed he had come to understand something.
Nausica, being a witch of the bloodline branch, undoubtedly, her right hand was extremely important. Even if Angel had created a special prosthetic to replace it, it ultimately couldn’t achieve the complete intuitiveness of an actual limb.
Without question, Nausica needed a right hand.
After the conclusion of the Novastar Competition, Nausica left, telling Angel that the place Reynolds took her to had something she needed. This thing was very important to her, the first goal towards achieving her ultimate dream.
Although at that time Nausica didn’t specify what it was, now, deducing from various clues, what Nausica wanted was probably a right hand.
And the laboratory where Reynolds was could indeed provide Nausica with a right hand.
After clarifying Nausica’s goal, Angel was filled with doubts again.
Why did Nausica think she could obtain a right hand from those tattooed individuals?
What exactly happened afterward?
“Angel?”
“Angel?”
Angel snapped back to reality, lifting his head to look at Nisi across from him.
Nisi: “Why are you zoning out again, what are you thinking about? You just said, Nausica left with Reynolds to get something important, what is it?”
Angel, without hiding anything, briefly explained Nausica’s situation and also shared his speculation.
Nisi, finding it very plausible, said: “Your speculation seems to really make sense. Nausica just happens to be missing an arm, and those numbered tattoo people are very likely involved in organ smuggling. In Totoro’s scene, we also saw many extraordinary organs, including right hands… Eh?! I remember Night Butterfly Witch’s was a right hand, could it be that Nausica was eyeing this?”
Iron Armor Granny, tilting her head, lightly exclaimed: “That’s very possible. Do you guys remember how Reynolds responded when Firo asked about Night Butterfly Witch’s situation?”
——Are you trying to compete with her?
Here, “her” in the common language, specifically refers to a female third person.
Nisi clapped his hands: “Exactly, exactly! It must be so! Nausica, this girl, really has high standards, actually setting her sights on Night Butterfly Witch’s hand!”
Nisi’s speculation might indeed be on point. However, at this moment, for Angel, this wasn’t important.
What he was more concerned about now was, what exactly was Nausica’s current situation?