Chapter 1266: Reversed
The torrential rain obscured the world, and the earth bore the continuous sound of rain as if everything was veiled by a curtain of rain, leaving only the rain in this vast world. As they ran far away and turned back to look, the distant white house appeared hazy and indistinct, as if it was about to evaporate from the curtain of water.
Once they left the house's shelter, they were soaked through within seconds, and even when they opened their mouths to speak, they would ingest rainwater. Yuan Xiangxi had to spit multiple times after saying a sentence, and his eyelashes, nose, and mouth dripped with water. "I said, where's Xiao Jiu? Aren't we going to bring her out?"
"If we bring her out, we'll bring the container with us, and who knows when it will fall out," Bohemia said, wiping her face as if she were a car that needed windshield wipers to continue working. "It's okay if she's left inside. As long as the things that can't be held with one hand appear outside her body, they won't weigh her down."
J7, carried in Yuan Xiangxi's arms, shook off a ring of water every time he turned his head; he remained silent. Puppeteer wiped the corner of his mouth with the back of his hand and muttered something under his breath, but no one heard clearly nor dared to ask.
They stood in the rain, gazing blankly at the distant white house. Through the living room window, they could vaguely see what was happening inside: a new shadow occasionally glided across the air or a burst of light flashed by. The sounds of items falling, colliding, and rolling were all drowned out by the deafening rain, barely audible—only the sudden blast of loud music coming from the living room made everyone look at each other.
"That music festival ticket. What...what song is it?" Bohemia asked, not knowing if she was talking to Puppeteer or Yuan Xiangxi.
The rain's singing was melodious and powerful, and every note seemed to lift people's hearts. Everyone listened silently for a few seconds until they saw no more shadows moving in the living room.
Yuan Xiangxi couldn't help but say, "Maybe not everything will fall out—"
A thunderous boom overpowered the rain's sound, tearing through the house's walls and scattering debris in a whirlwind of smoke and dust. The second floor teetered, threatening to collapse. The container, having burst through the constraints of the surrounding walls, demolished almost half of the front face of the house.
Everyone fell silent. They listened as the thundering sound gradually subsided, and the rain and singing rose again. They slowly began to walk back until they felt no more disturbance in the house, and it seemed like Lin Sanjiu was no longer dropping anything.
Now, the 40-foot container blocked any entry, leaving behind only a skeletal frame of the home and itself. Everyone fumbled and slipped in the pouring rain but couldn't find Lin Sanjiu anywhere. Puppeteer finally lost his patience.
"It's useless," he said, no longer looking at the other two and the machine. He reached out and grabbed the air. The container, as if lifted by a giant beast, soared and crashed into a distant field, the impact shaking the ground.
Under the curtain of rain and dust, Lin Sanjiu and her countless belongings lay among the broken bricks and wood. Though her skin had paled from the rain, she remained unharmed. Her ability upgrade stopped fluctuating, but they didn't know if she had completed it or if it had been interrupted again. The others hesitated and walked over, stepping on the open space amidst the debris, and finally reached her side.
"Heartbeat is 40% clearer than before," J7 said, his mechanical arm pressed against Lin Sanjiu's chest, like a doctor using a stethoscope. "Her breathing is also stable. That's a good sign."
"But all the food has been crushed," Bohemia said, lifting one foot covered in sticky jam and broken biscuits. "Everything is soaked in water. Even if we pick it up, we can't eat it."
This calamity destroyed all their spare clothes, daily necessities, and food reserves. After cleaning up, they sorted out what seemed usable or edible and gathered it into a small pile along with the Special Items. When they were finally done, they all sat in the central ruins like drowned rats, their expressions somewhat distressed.
"This house should be capable of repairing itself," Yuan Xiangxi said. "Don't worry; our home is still intact."
Puppeteer and Bohemia glanced at him.
"Why did this happen?" J7 murmured, the light on its head flickering on and off, seemingly unable to decipher the answer. "Isn't she supposed to have an ability upgrade? How come her ability has failed instead?"
After they settled back into their pocket dimension, Bohemia regained some courage. She glanced at Puppeteer and whispered, "Sir—"
"Don't call me that," Puppeteer said, sitting in the only intact chair, while the others sat on the ground. His drenched black hair clung to his increasingly pale skin, and water droplets slid down the leather like they had absorbed a touch of darkness. "You ask her."
Bohemia immediately shut her mouth.
"I think we should try electrifying her again. I can control the current," J7 said, seeking their opinions.
"It's raining," Yuan Xiangxi said. "Although electricity can't kill or revive me, we do have a cat at home."
"What cat?"
"I already told you I'm playing a cat," Bohemia said, impatient. "How can you forget—huh?"
They all turned their heads, looking towards the source of the sound.
Lin Sanjiu half-tilted her head, and rainwater continuously streamed down her face, forming a small puddle on the ground. Her eyelashes fluttered a few times, shaking off a few water droplets. "Where am I?"
"She's awake!" Bohemia jumped up, not knowing what to say. "She's awake!"
Lin Sanjiu reached out, her fingers dipping into the muddy puddle, and slowly propped herself up. Yuan Xiangxi, undoubtedly the most suitable to play the role of a wife among them, hurried over and supported her to sit steadily, saying, "It's alright... Do you remember when we went out together in the mountains?"
"Fuck you," Bohemia grumbled.
Lin Sanjiu closed her eyes, let out a soft 'Hmm,' and then seemed to realize something. She opened her eyes and scanned her surroundings, her gaze stopping on the pile of items. "What... happened to [Planar World]?"
"I don't know," Bohemia said. "It seems like you had an ability upgrade, but everything got thrown out for some reason. Luckily, we ran fast." She grabbed the Ukiyo-e, tossing it to Lin Sanjiu. "Try it. Can you still use it?"
"It works," Lin Sanjiu said, watching the Ukiyo-e transform back into a card, puzzled. "The card looks the same as before. Did I really level up?"
The others exchanged glances; even Puppeteer furrowed his brow slightly. Nobody had witnessed her upgrade, and it might have been interrupted again midway. Bohemia, unwilling to accept the loss of so many resources, said, "Take a closer look. Is there really no difference? You probably upgraded. Don't tell me you gained nothing despite losing so much."
Lin Sanjiu wiped the water off her face and brought the card closer, carefully observing it for about half a minute.
"It's exactly the same as before," she said almost dazedly. "If I'd upgraded, I would have received a card prompt. My conversion and weight limit should have increased. Last time, the card had a detailed explanation for using items to absorb ability effects... but now, I have nothing."
Bohemia seemed to have taken a heavy blow, and she slumped back down, sighing. "Alright, lost so many supplies, and all you got was waking up..."
"Throw the painting out first," Puppeteer said, suddenly speaking up, causing everyone to shudder. "Try it again empty-handed."
Perhaps because he hadn't left the pocket dimension all along, his words were unexpectedly calm, lacking the usual sarcasm and disgust as if he was genuinely thinking for Sugar Cube.
Lin Sanjiu found it hard to adapt to this change. After looking at him several times, she slowly got up and said, "I'll try."
"You should sit down and rest a little," the toaster said.
"J—J7?" Lin Sanjiu almost jumped up, realizing who the machine in the corner was. "What are you doing here? How did you—"
"Get down to your business!" Puppeteer spat out
Lin Sanjiu snapped out of it and pushed back all the questions in her mind. She said to J7, "For some reason, I want to rest while standing. Did you add some household functions? ...Okay, okay, I'll try now."
When she closed her eyes, everyone around her stared intently. After the container was gone, the pocket dimension house had begun slowly repairing itself. When the living room ceiling finally grew to a level that could barely shield them from the rain, Lin Sanjiu finally opened her eyes.
"I... I found something different." She paused, trying to find the right words to explain, but hardly able to believe it herself. "The changes must have come with the upgrade. Do any of you have a pen?"
"The study has one," said Yuan Xiangxi, the hostess. "What do you need the pen for?"
"[Planar World]... has reversed."
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