211-215

Chapter 211: The Beam

The loss of any tangible anchor to reality caused the pull from the spiritual realm to grow even stronger. In midair, fragments of Marilyn Raphael's skeletal remains, which had previously dissipated, seemed to momentarily regain vitality under the stimulus of the spirits, bursting forth with tremendous power.

Enveloped by the eerie blue glow emitted from the bones, the wandering spirits let out shrill screams, but they were powerless to resist as they dissolved into the luminous haze.

Amid the aggregation of countless spirits, a massive beam of spectral blue light stretched across the neighborhood.

Standing in the shattered heart of the district, Amanda stared at the enormous beam that had appeared out of nowhere. In a daze, she thought she could see spirits, brimming with resentment, struggling as they were absorbed into the light.

Unbeknownst to her, as Amanda gazed at the beam, a faint blue glow began to spread over her eyes.

Through her shimmering blue-tinged eyes, Amanda saw the multitude of spirits.

The spirits, in turn, seemed to sense her gaze. They twisted their faces towards her, their expressions filled with resentment and jealousy. One by one, they stretched out their arms, waving as though beckoning her.

Amanda’s face grew vacant as she observed them.

It seemed she had forgotten Spike’s warning. Almost instinctively, she began to take steps toward the beam.

“Amanda, stop!”

From a distance, Spike’s expression changed dramatically as he saw Amanda’s actions, and he shouted to her in alarm.

However, whether it was due to the distance or the influence of the spirits, Amanda seemed unable to hear anything around her.

Her eyes, veiled in an ethereal blue glow, led her step by step toward the spirits within the beam.

The spirits, noticing her approach, wore expressions of even deeper resentment mixed with a tinge of excitement. They squirmed and writhed as if eagerly anticipating her arrival and union with them.

One step, two steps…

Amanda drew closer and closer to the beam. Just as she was about to extend her hand to touch the spirits trapped inside—

At that moment, the silver necklace around her neck began to glow faintly.

Under its light, the blue hue in Amanda’s eyes gradually faded.

---

“Amanda, my princess.”

“Dad!”

Amanda opened her eyes and found herself standing in the backyard of a house.

She looked up at the wooden house behind her. It felt familiar, yet distant.

At that moment, a man’s voice called out from the grass behind her.

Turning around, she saw a little girl with a ponytail gleefully running into a man’s arms.

The man lifted the girl up and playfully teased her, their laughter ringing out.

Amanda tried to focus on the man’s face, but it remained frustratingly blurred. She felt as though something profoundly important had slipped from her memory. No matter how hard she tried, she couldn’t recall what it was.

She stood silently on the grass, watching the cheerful girl and the man, feeling like a misplaced observer.

---

The faintly glowing necklace on Amanda’s neck dimmed again as she opened her eyes.

She found herself once more in the ruined street, with the massive blue beam looming just before her.

A strange sense of loss stirred in her heart, though she couldn’t fathom why. Shaking her head to dispel the feeling, Amanda refocused on the beam. From this close, she could see the twisted, resentful faces within it.

They extended their arms, persistently trying to draw her in, as if yearning for her to join their ranks.

But Amanda, now fully conscious, would no longer succumb.

She stepped back slowly, retreating from the beam under the watchful, hateful gazes of the spirits.

Her movement seemed to provoke them further. The spirits writhed violently, sending out streaks of spectral blue light that were ultimately absorbed back into the beam and then into the sky as radiant orbs.

The beam of light, formed by the spirits, was so dazzling that it was visible even from several blocks away.

Through the lenses of media cameras, half of New York witnessed this extraordinary sight.

Some uninformed onlookers mistook it for a divine miracle, dropping to their knees in front of their televisions to pray for God’s forgiveness.

---

*New York, a shattered neighborhood.*

Construction crews worked to repair the damaged streets, stirring up clouds of dust that blanketed the surroundings in a gray haze.

The deafening noise of machinery filled the air.

Yet, amidst the chaos, the scene seemed to captivate countless onlookers. Large crowds of New Yorkers had traveled to the site, capturing photos and videos of the destruction on their phones while expressing awe at the devastation.

Around them, vendors had gathered, hawking their wares and creating a peculiar sense of bustling prosperity in the ruined streets.

“Hey, buddy…”

A Black vendor waved at a masked man passing by, pointing to his stand filled with various trinkets and, in particular, crudely made DVDs. Lowering his voice, he said, “I’ve got the latest footage of the ‘superhero’ battle, including rare clips I paid big money for. Even the beam of light that appeared over New York that night—it’s all on here. For just thirty bucks, you can see everything from that night. This is genuine footage of a superhero showdown, way more thrilling than any movie effects!”

“Are you sure it’s all included?”

The masked man seemed intrigued, hesitating as he asked.

“Of course! I was nearby when the fight broke out. As soon as I heard the explosions, I knew something big was happening, so I rushed over, risking everything to capture it. You wouldn’t believe how intense it was—way more exciting than anything in the movies!”

The vendor, sensing a potential customer, eagerly patted his chest in assurance.

“I’ll think about it…”

Despite the vendor’s vivid recounting, the masked man didn’t seem very impressed. Shaking his head, he turned and walked away.

“Hey, buddy! If it’s the price, we can negotiate—twenty bucks, fifteen, even ten! If superheroes aren’t your thing, I’ve got other DVDs you’ll love…”

The vendor’s persistent shouts faded into the distance.

Under his mask, Allen shook his head with a wry smile.

Who could know the events of that night better than the creator himself?

---

(End of Chapter)  

*Chapter 212: Following the Trend*

“What’s wrong, Spike?”

In a nearby café, Amanda noticed Spike suddenly stop talking. She looked at him and asked.

“Nothing,” Spike replied, shaking his head and turning his gaze back to her.

“It’s just… everything feels a little absurd all of a sudden.”

Hearing this, Amanda glanced at the endless stream of people bustling through the street outside.

“Perhaps that’s just life. For most people, none of this matters. To them, it’s just scenes on a TV screen or a few lines in a newspaper.”

“I heard several movie studios are already planning to make a ‘superhero’ movie based on what happened,” Angela said casually, not looking up from her laptop as she typed.

“Won’t the BSI stop them?”

Phil, an agent sitting nearby, frowned slightly, puzzled by Angela’s comment. After all, the BSI—or even the federal government—had always kept supernatural events under wraps.

“New York saw everything that night. Hoping to keep it all a secret now is pointless,” Agent Zhou replied calmly.

In truth, since superheroes began appearing in media reports, the BSI’s secrecy measures had already lost much of their effectiveness.

“Maybe it’s a good thing for us,” Angela said with a thoughtful expression.

“With the influence of the superhero battle in New York, BSI investigations might no longer need to operate under the FBI’s name.”

BSI and the FBI had been at odds since the former was founded—a fact Angela, as an agent, was all too familiar with.

“By the way, boss, what’s BSI planning to do about the two remaining ‘superheroes’?”

Ignoring Angela’s comment, Phil shrugged and glanced at a nearby building still partially destroyed, resembling an abandoned construction site. His curiosity got the better of him, and he asked Amanda.

Hearing Phil’s question, the rest of the BSI agents in the café also turned their curious gazes toward Amanda.

Feeling the weight of her team’s attention, Amanda deliberated briefly before revealing BSI’s stance on Andrew and Matt.

“For now, headquarters hasn’t made a concrete decision. The Pentagon has expressed interest in studying Andrew and Matt’s abilities. BSI is in a tug-of-war with the Pentagon over this. If BSI wins, the plan is to form a specialized team around them and use their powers for supernatural investigations…”

The reason for forming a special team was simple: Andrew and Matt’s identities were far too unique for BSI to trust them entirely.

Rather than cooperating for investigations, the team’s purpose would be to monitor them and prevent another disaster like the New York superhero battle.

After all, this wasn’t a movie.

The damaged neighborhoods wouldn’t magically repair themselves overnight.

According to The New York Times, the superhero battle caused damages exceeding hundreds of millions of dollars. Even for the state of New York, this was no small financial burden.

---

*“What do you think, Allen?”*

At Universal Pictures in New York, Ron Meyer greeted Allen with a friendly hug before asking his opinion.

“It was… overwhelming,” Allen replied, removing his mask and feigning a look of amazement.

“If I hadn’t seen it with my own eyes, I wouldn’t believe a few people fighting could cause so much destruction.”

Ron Meyer wasn’t surprised by Allen’s reaction. When he first saw the wreckage—the devastated streets and collapsed skyscrapers—he’d been just as shocked.

“Indeed. Real-life superhero battles are nothing like the special effects we see in movies,” Ron agreed, reflecting briefly before shifting back to the topic at hand.

“In fact, Universal has already sent a professional crew to document the site. The goal is to make the upcoming movie as realistic as possible.”

A hint of a smile appeared on Ron’s face.

“So quick to greenlight a new movie? That doesn’t sound like Universal’s usual style,” Allen quipped, raising an eyebrow.

The reason Allen had rushed to Universal was because of a phone call from Ron Meyer.

“We had no choice,” Ron said with a wry smile. “After the New York incident, several studios have already announced plans for movies about it.”

In Hollywood, following trends was always the safest way to profit.

With superhero-related movies flooding the market, Universal was eager to keep up. They had contacted Allen to speed up the scriptwriting process.

Superhero topics were time-sensitive. If other studios released their films first, Universal’s project would lose its edge—or worse, fail entirely.

That was a risk Universal couldn’t afford.

After all, Allen had pitched the idea of a superhero movie long before the battle in New York even happened. Universal was technically the first studio to plan such a film.

“As soon as the script is ready, Universal will start filming immediately. So, Allen…” Ron’s gaze turned hopeful.

“You know as well as I do, Mr. Meyer, that writing a movie script isn’t easy. The idea of a superhero movie based on New York was mine, yes, but it’s still just an idea,” Allen replied with a feigned look of difficulty.

“I understand it’s challenging, but I believe you can do it. And if you deliver a satisfying script, Universal will pay top dollar for it,” Ron said encouragingly.

“Alright. I’ll give it my best shot,” Allen finally agreed.

(End of Chapter)  

Chapter 213: A New Exchange

"...I hope Universal can help me gather as much news and reports as possible about New York's 'superheroes'..."

"If possible, even information about a few 'superheroes'—their identities and related backgrounds—would be great. That way, I can better incorporate reality into the script instead of fabricating everything from scratch."

"I’ve already arranged for someone to investigate and gather the information. I'll leave the script to you, Allen."

"I'll do my best," Allen solemnly promised Ron Meyer on the other end of the line.

However, after hanging up the phone, Allen immediately put the script aside.

What a joke! As the instigator of New York's "superhero" battle, who could possibly know the details behind everything better than him?

Forget television media—even those involved in the script, like 'Andrew' or Amanda, didn’t understand the secrets behind it all as thoroughly as Allen did.

Gathering information? That was merely a performance for Universal, a convenient excuse to show his "seriousness" in writing the script. In reality, Allen had already mapped out the script. The plot was a heavily modified adaptation of another world's "found footage" movie Chronicle combined with the New York 'superhero' battle.

The script was nearly complete, with only a few remaining details requiring minimal effort to finalize.

Of course, Allen had no intention of revealing this to Ron Meyer or Universal. After all, if he handed over the script too easily, how would they appreciate his "dedication" and "hard work"?

Besides, there were far more important matters awaiting Allen’s attention than writing a script.

His gaze lifted slightly, landing on the system's data panel.

*[Plot Points]: 1,565,800*

Thanks to the massive battle in New York, Allen’s Plot Points had skyrocketed past the million mark, reaching over 1.5 million.

The sheer number was enough to bring a broad smile to Allen’s face.

Taking a deep breath to calm himself, Allen turned his attention to the system’s backend panel.

---

*[**System&......Backend***History......Records……&%￥Exch……&ange&Items……]*

- *[Script 9]: Phantom Pool***

- *[World Evolution Rate]: 2.6%*

- *[Plot Prop—Spirit Notebook] (10,000/Exchange)*

  - Effect: Channeling

  - Description: A mysterious notebook left behind by the spiritualist Marilyn Raphael, containing secrets of the spirit world and even methods to enter it.

  - Note: Marilyn Raphael was a powerful medium said to host four spirits within her body.

- *[Blank Character Card (1/1)] (10,000/Exchange)*

  - Card Rank: Bronze

  - Description: Create a random, controllable plot character and insert them into any script without spending additional Plot Points.

  - Note: "Let me think, how should I design this?"

- *[Prop—Fragment of Marilyn Raphael’s Bone] (10,000/Exchange)*

  - Effect: Channeling

  - Description: A fragment of Marilyn Raphael’s remains that can summon a spirit to serve you.

  - Note: Be cautious—spirits summoned by a powerful medium like Marilyn Raphael are not ordinary.

- *[Plot Scene Card—Spirit Realm (2/2)] (50,000/Exchange)*

  - Card Rank: Silver

  - Description: Insert this scene into any script without spending additional Plot Points.

  - Notes:  

    - Spirits lack sensory perception; to them, everything is void—no joy, no pain, no awareness. This is why they deeply crave the physical world and envy humans for what they possess.

    - The Spirit Realm is dangerous but also full of opportunities—if you can make it out alive.

- *[Plot Prop—Spirit Realm Ticket] (10,000/Exchange)*

  - Effect: Entry

  - Description: A ticket left by one of Marilyn Raphael’s contracted spirits, allowing you to temporarily enter the Spirit Realm in spirit form.

  - Note: If I were you, I wouldn’t want to go there.

---

The sudden spike in the *[World Evolution Rate]* to 2.6% left Allen astonished, despite being mentally prepared.

He had anticipated that Andrew and the others’ antics in New York would significantly boost the script’s evolution rate, but jumping from 0.73% to 2.6% still filled him with excitement.

Even so, the items available for exchange in the backend were far more enticing than the evolution rate, which was currently just a system metric.

Perhaps because Allen had already used a significant amount of Plot Points to materialize the Phantom Pool into reality, the exchange items for this script didn’t include the pool itself. However, the appearance of the *[Plot Scene Card—Spirit Realm (2/2)]* more than made up for it.

The card’s *Silver* ranking alone was enough to make Allen’s breath quicken again, even after his earlier excitement over the evolution rate.

After all, a Silver card was the highest-ranked item he had obtained so far.

Still, given the system’s descriptions, Allen knew better than to casually use such a valuable card. It would need the right script to unleash its full potential.

Reluctantly, Allen tore his gaze away from the *[Plot Scene Card—Spirit Realm (2/2)]* and examined the other items in the panel.

Even without the Silver card, the exchange items for Phantom Pool were undeniably valuable.

Take the *[Blank Character Card]*, for instance. While it might appear unremarkable at first glance, the system’s description revealed its potential—creating a controllable plot character was an invaluable ability.

(End of Chapter)

Chapter 214: The Spirit Notebook

To put it simply:

The appearance of the [Blank Character Card] gave Allen a chance to personally experience the evolution of a script.

By controlling a designed character, he could guide the storyline's development without consuming any [Plot Points].

At the same time, he didn’t have to worry about the events in the script harming him as the creator.

“This is a great tool.”

Although the system evaluation showed that the [Blank Character Card] could only create characters up to [Bronze] level—far inferior to the [Silver]-level Plot Scene Card – Spirit World—the [Spirit World] card was, after all, a scene card. In terms of narrative design flexibility, it was far less versatile than the [Blank Character Card].

With this realization, Allen didn’t hesitate and spent 10,000 [Plot Points] to redeem the [Blank Character Card] from the backend panel.

Now holding over 1.5 million [Plot Points], consuming a mere 10,000 points wasn’t even enough to make Allen blink.

He quietly stowed the [Blank Character Card] for future use and turned his attention to the other items displayed on the panel.

Beyond the most cost-effective scene and character cards, the remaining three items extracted from the script Phantom Pool were all connected to Marilyn Raphael to varying degrees.

It seemed that the presence of that bone fragment automatically prompted the system to complete Marilyn Raphael’s backstory, transforming her from a historically ambiguous medium into a genuinely powerful spirit communicator.

After all, in the evolved script, even the fragment of Marilyn Raphael’s bone displayed such immense spiritual energy. It was only logical that her identity as a powerful medium became canon.

This approach of retroactively filling in gaps effectively patched a flaw in Allen’s Phantom Pool script.

In fact, if Allen wanted to, he could use Marilyn Raphael’s backstory to design a spin-off script.

This mode of creation is not uncommon.

The most famous example is Marvel’s creation of TV series to supplement the movie universe after establishing it. Similarly, when the American sitcom The Big Bang Theory became a hit, the character Sheldon not only replaced Leonard as a co-lead but also inspired the spin-off series Young Sheldon, focused on his childhood.

However, Allen wasn’t so attached to Marilyn Raphael’s story to the extent of designing an entire script around her.

So, after the thought flashed through his mind, he quickly refocused his attention on the exchange panel.

His eyes scanned the list of three redeemable items from top to bottom.

With a flicker of intent, a worn notebook with a yellowed cover appeared in his hands.

The [Spirit Notebook] was, according to the system’s description, the simplest and most straightforward of all the redeemable items.

Its content recorded information about the spirit world. However, the system priced it at 10,000 [Plot Points], on par with the [Blank Character Card], making Allen suspect it wasn’t just an ordinary notebook.

After all, upon reflection, the spirit world was a setting within the evolved script.

Yet the system’s description claimed the [Spirit Notebook] contained intelligence about the spirit world.

This clearly indicated that the system not only supplemented Marilyn Raphael’s backstory but also expanded the script’s depiction of the spirit world.

As these thoughts passed through his mind, Allen opened the [Spirit Notebook].

"I… over the past two decades, have left my physical body behind in the human world and ventured as a spirit into the world beyond death—the 'Spirit World.' What follows is a record of my experiences and observations in the Spirit World..."

"Many may doubt my extraordinary experiences, but I ask that you set aside your skepticism for now. I am confident that once you’ve read my account, you’ll understand these records are entirely real. You will also realize that the human soul truly exists beyond our natural world. This place, where souls reside outside the natural world, is called the 'Spirit World.'"

"…The physical world and the Spirit World are like two sides of the same coin—closely connected and mutually dependent. At the intersection of these two worlds, various phenomena that defy common sense often occur. These events seem to hint at the existence of the Spirit World, as illustrated by the following two examples…"

Because it was a notebook, the [Spirit Notebook] began in the first person. Marilyn Raphael described how, as a medium, she discovered the existence of the Spirit World, using two anecdotes to illustrate her point. Both stories involved mothers who saw images of their deceased sons, one of whom even saved her son who had been buried alive in a coffin.

Through these examples, Marilyn Raphael argued for the reality of the Spirit World and concluded that only spirits can perceive other spirits.

"…Even when spirits are far apart or separated by walls, they can communicate freely through 'thought exchange.' However, communication between spirits and embodied humans is impossible. The premonitions humans receive are merely messages transmitted through thought exchange by spirits. Humans perceive these moments of communication while in a state close to death."

"You might feel like someone is standing behind you… but when you turn around, no one is there—or notice that certain spaces feel unusually different and become perplexed… I believe everyone has had such experiences. These sensations are faint and often go unnoticed or unacknowledged. In truth, these moments occur when the Spirit World or a spirit briefly appears behind you. In that instant, you may unknowingly glimpse a corner of the Spirit World."

"The Spirit World is mysterious and concealed, but not without traces—like the two mothers who saw the spirits of their deceased sons. Exceptional mediums or individuals with extraordinary abilities can, through temporary death, contact this world beyond life…"

"I used my willpower to place myself in this 'state of death,' allowing me to freely traverse the Spirit World. Of course, this method is far from safe, but at the time, it was the best solution I could devise as a medium…"

At this point, Allen closed the [Spirit Notebook] and silently pondered its contents.

*Chapter 215: Observations of the Spirit Realm*

"Before I explain the method to enter and exit the Spirit Realm, I’d like to share an extraordinary experience. It was this experience that initially led me to explore the world of souls. I’ll never forget it—it was a summer evening more than twenty years ago. I had left my small town at someone’s request and found myself alone in New York City…"

"That day, after completing my business, I wandered into a bar by myself. Besides me, there were no other customers in the bar."

"‘Just a drink,’ I said, approaching the counter and ordering one. The bartender promptly served me a glass, and it was then that I noticed something unusual about him. At the time, I was just a novice medium and didn’t realize what was amiss."

"'It’s really quiet here. Not a single other customer.’ The bar’s eerie stillness caught my attention. I sat at the counter, making casual conversation with the bartender. Gradually, more and more figures began to appear throughout the bar. Their forms were strange and entirely unlike humans. It was in that very bar that I encountered the individual who first provided me with information about the Spirit Realm. Of course, whether that person was even human is something I still cannot confirm. However, after this encounter, I gained the ability to freely enter and exit the Spirit Realm—the world of the dead."

"Could it be that bar?"

Turning the pages of Marilyn Raphael’s *Notes on Mediumship*, Allen’s brow furrowed slightly as he came across a mention of the bar.

He hadn’t expected the system to integrate the bar from the earlier storyline in such a manner.

Though his mind was filled with odd thoughts, Allen continued flipping through the notebook in his hands.

"…Entering the Spirit Realm and communicating with spirits involves using one’s will to separate the soul from the body. I call this method the ‘Art of Death.’ Now, let me explain what happens when the soul detaches from the body and enters the Spirit Realm. Humans are not merely physical forms; they also possess a deeper, more essential spirit. All physical activities are guided by this spirit. However, when the soul is bound by the body, it cannot fully express its essence."

"For example, consider the two mothers I mentioned earlier. The moment they ‘touched death’ was one such instance. At that moment, people briefly enter a state of death, and their souls are freed from the body’s constraints, allowing them to glimpse the Spirit Realm. I, on the other hand, use my will to actively free my soul from my body. At the beginning of this detachment, I experience a hazy state, neither awake nor asleep."

"Gradually, I begin to feel incredibly alert, with my awareness growing sharper. However, this is not physical perception but rather the awakening of the soul. My physical senses—sight, hearing, smell—fade as my spiritual senses grow increasingly acute. During this state, I’ve found that the sensitivity of my soul’s perception—visual, auditory, tactile—is fifty to a hundred times greater than usual. If someone were to see me in this state, they would think I was dead, as my heartbeat and pulse cease entirely. I call this the ‘Death State.’"

"This is just astral projection," Allen thought as he skimmed through Marilyn Raphael’s descriptions of the Death State. He glanced up at the system in front of him, shaking his head slightly.

"…When this state deepens and my soul no longer feels the body at all, it signifies a complete detachment, allowing me to freely traverse the Spirit Realm and communicate with spirits. I’ve used this method to explore and study the Spirit Realm extensively."

The following pages of the notes briefly documented Marilyn Raphael’s encounters in the Spirit Realm through the Death State. In one notable instance, she described how leaving her body for too long allowed another spirit to occupy it. After an intense struggle, she successfully reclaimed her body, and the spirit that had attempted possession became her first mediumistic subject—Eileen.

"Eileen was a renowned spiritualist in the West during the 20th century. Through her descriptions, I gained a deeper understanding of the Spirit Realm."

"…From the perspective of the material and natural world, physical death marks the end of human existence. However, from the standpoint of the soul and the Spirit Realm, death merely signifies that the soul within the body has lost the ability to control it. Death is merely the journey of the soul to the Spirit Realm. At the moment of death, the soul awakens, becoming a new spirit. At first, it might mistake its condition for resurrection, leading to profound astonishment. Drawn by a mysterious force, the spirit begins to explore. I have observed this process several times while in the form of a spirit. Spirits can pass freely through walls, barriers, and other obstructions as they journey toward the Spirit Realm, a domain where they find eternal existence."

"Eternal existence… That phrase reminds me of something. I recall someone once mentioning the ability to grant me eternal life. However, I couldn’t bear the price of such immortality and refused. At the time, I was young and indifferent to such matters. If the opportunity arose now, I might not so easily turn away from the allure of eternity."

"In the days that followed, I continued to explore the Spirit Realm. However, Eileen warned me that the Spirit Realm wasn’t as idyllic as I imagined. It is a realm built from the residual memories of countless spirits. These memories might create beautiful worlds or worlds filled with resentment, but either way, they remain unchanging. Because of this, spirits long for the real world, where true existence lies."

"Eileen’s words gave me a clearer understanding of the Spirit Realm, but they didn’t deter me from exploring it. With Eileen’s protection, I grew bolder in my journeys through the Spirit Realm. During one such expedition, I encountered a second spirit who became attached to me—a figure whose presence was both startling and unforgettable: Ernest Hemingway, the world-renowned author of The Old Man and the Sea."

"…I still remember the circumstances of meeting Hemingway in the Spirit Realm. It was amidst an endless ocean…"

(End of Chapter)