"True, your alternate personality can be a big help, but she can't use foresight, can she?"
Nan Yue had realized this as well. Zhu Xi Ning's alternate personality seemed specifically designed to protect her, providing an escape space to hide from situations she didn't want to face. However, the alternate personality did not possess the same abilities as Zhu Xi Ning.
"I never expected all of you to be damage dealers. It's not like I'm running a gang."
"Old Gu and I are responsible for the damage. Wenwen's knowledge helps us avoid many detours. As for you, I don't think I need to elaborate on your role."
Nan Yue looked into Zhu Xi Ning's eyes. "It's fine if you want to escape or if you're a coward, but I don't want you to misunderstand your position. I don't want my support to disappear in the end."
Nan Yue smiled. "Your ability has improved so much. Even your alternate personality knew she had to grab the Ant Mask in such a dangerous situation just so you could have a breakthrough."
"And here you are, thinking about hiding forever. If that other personality of yours heard that, she'd probably come out and stab you twice."
Zhu Xi Ning was amused by Nan Yue's words. Even though she was happy, she felt like crying.
She took a deep breath. "I understand."
Nan Yue squeezed her arm. "Your alternate personality exists to protect you. Don't make her shoulder unnecessary burdens. You have your own value, so don't belittle yourself."
Zhu Xi Ning wiped her reddened eyes, wanting to say something affectionate, but Nan Yue had already turned and walked away coldly.
"Of course, once we're out, I'll have Jiang Siyan take another look at you."
Zhu Xi Ning felt a bit embarrassed and suddenly felt like teasing her. "Jiang Siyan is a top 9 after all. Why do you make him sound like he's part of the family?"
"A-Nan, tell the truth. Do you have a crush on him?"
Nan Yue raised an eyebrow and admitted it openly. "Actually, I do. I'm so envious of his ability. If he joined us, I'd have a lot less to worry about."
Zhu Xi Ning hesitated. "But he seems like a loner who doesn't need us. What would he gain by joining our team?"
Nan Yue sighed. That was exactly why she was working so hard to demonstrate her own value.
Jiang Siyan didn't seem to lack anything. He didn't need damage or support; he could clear missions even as a healer. She could only approach him from other angles.
Jiang Siyan lacked human touch and even a sense of survival value. Therefore, Nan Yue started with empathy, letting him know that he wasn't the only one experiencing such despair.
Perhaps he might feel understood?
But those were matters for later.
Nan Yue spoke to Zhu Xi Ning as they walked, but she suddenly realized that Zhu Xi Ning hadn't responded for a while.
Her pace slowed, and her entire body tensed up.
There was indeed someone following her, but the footsteps were much lighter...
It was a child.
"Decapitation Valley... Listening Cliff... The seabed graveyard is in full bloom... La la la, the sea breeze sends me home... The seabed graveyard is in full bloom."
The nursery rhyme she had heard last night drifted from behind her. Nan Yue slowed her breathing, thinking that she must have entered an isolated hallucination space.
One part of Zhu Xi Ning's previous reasoning was correct: they didn't need to look for Jessica.
To be precise, Jessica would find them.
Individually, every single one of them.
The nursery rhyme looped over and over. Nan Yue felt the temperature in the hallway drop significantly. Despite her slow pace, she never seemed to reach the end of the corridor.
A ghost loop?
But Jessica wasn't dead.
Nan Yue stopped walking. The footsteps behind her stopped as well, and the nursery rhyme cut off abruptly mid-sentence.
The air seemed frozen. Nan Yue turned around to see a child standing behind her, reaching only to her mid-thigh.
She had golden hair, blue bows, and wore a pale yellow dress.
This child had clearly been well-cared for by Steve; she didn't look like someone living on a ship at all.
Jessica's head was lowered, so Nan Yue couldn't see her face. Her hands were empty; she didn't have the ball.
A faint black mist began to rise from Nan Yue's hand behind her back. If Jessica forcibly demanded the ball now, she would have to break the situation with violence.
But logically, it shouldn't be like this unless she had missed something.
"Big sister."
Nan Yue's drifting thoughts were pulled back by Jessica's voice.
She looked down and saw the face Jessica lifted.
It was a deformed and grotesque face.
Her features were all in the wrong places. Her entire face was wrinkled and shriveled, as if scalded by water or like a lump of dough kneaded haphazardly.
Her eyes were uneven, one higher than the other. She had no nose, only two small holes, and her mouth was right in the center.
All her features were messily crowded into the middle of her face.
Nan Yue's heart skipped a beat, but she quickly calmed down.
She looked at Jessica calmly, waiting for her next words.
Jessica took a step forward and called out again, "Big sister."
When she spoke, the features on her face twitched, giving the impression that they were alive and might move on their own at any moment.
Nan Yue's expression remained unchanged.
"Have you seen my ball?"
Nan Yue shook her head. She truly hadn't seen it.
Jessica seemed somewhat disappointed by Nan Yue's composure. She tilted her head back and asked, "Then can you help me find it?"
Nan Yue was silent for a moment. She knew John's mission was to help Jessica find the ball.
But since Jessica had asked, it meant there were options to this question, though it was a bit of a gamble.
Nan Yue decided to take that risk.
She was the one in the team with the best chance against ghosts. She had to find the most effective way to complete the mission.
As she had said before, not all teammates were damage dealers, and missions wouldn't only have a violent path to completion.
"You have to tell me what the ball looks like and where you lost it before I can help you find it."
Nan Yue didn't want to agree directly. So many scavengers had been looking for it during this time and found nothing.
If she agreed recklessly and couldn't find it, what then?
Jessica fell silent. She stood across from Nan Yue for a long time without saying a word.
Those deformed eyes stared at Nan Yue without blinking.
Nan Yue met her gaze calmly. After a long time, Jessica lowered her head.
"Then there's no need."
Almost the instant Jessica turned and ran away, Nan Yue felt the temperature in the hallway return to normal.
She looked around but couldn't find Zhu Xi Ning. The other girl probably hadn't come out yet.
She leaned against the wall, quietly waiting for her teammate.
Zhu Xi Ning knew she had entered an illusion almost the moment Nan Yue disappeared.
Talk about bad luck.
Her first instinct was inevitably to wish she could actively switch personalities.
Then she shivered. She realized she was even more dependent on her alternate personality than she had admitted to Nan Yue.
Rate on N.U.
