The Blackout and the Black Goat’s Awakening

A sensation akin to a blackout after heavy drinking consumed her mind. Fragmented scenes from the past flashed in quick succession, blurring the edges of her vision.

“Jie jie jie jie…”

Strange whispers echoed in her ears.

In that instant, the tearing sensation deep within her skull intensified, as if a hand were gripping her thoughts, attempting to rip her consciousness from her body.

In Ming Yu’s perception, her entire body was caught in a cruel dichotomy. One side felt as though she were bathed in scorching flames, an unbearable burning sensation consuming her. The other side felt like being plunged into the deep sea, the immense pressure of the water constricting her chest and stealing her breath.

Though it was merely a momentary sensation, within Ming Yu’s mind, the passage of time seemed to thicken and slow. That fleeting instant of agony was infinitely dissected, each fragment slowly gnawing at the depths of her soul.

At this moment, she was like a drowning person, engulfed in flames.

Through her blurred vision, the water’s surface seemed tantalizingly close, almost within reach. Yet, whenever Ming Yu tried to reach out, her fingertips always fell just short.

Just a hair’s breadth.

If only she could reach that point.

However, that minuscule distance felt as vast as the heavens themselves. No matter how she struggled, that imperceptible gap between her trembling fingertips and the tranquil surface of the water persisted.

Her body grew heavier, her consciousness more hazy.

It was as if Death itself had gripped its scythe, placing its razor-sharp edge against Ming Yu’s neck.

Above the water, a dark silhouette approached the shore with elegant steps, observing the struggling form beneath the surface with curiosity.

In the tranquil forest, at the edge of the lake, a colossal Black Goat lowered its head, lapped at the water, and then extended one of its eerily shaped horns beneath the surface.

It precisely found its way into Ming Yu’s palm.

Splash—

Ming Yu clutched the horn, dragging her body out of the water with all her might, sending a spray of water everywhere.

Concurrently, two tentacles coiled around her ankles, while several others shot out of the water alongside her, writhing wildly.

The grotesque mouths at the ends of these tentacles stretched into eerie, unsettling grins.

However, the instant they sensed the Black Goat, all the tentacles froze in place, ceasing their frantic movements.

The strange whispers abruptly shifted, now tinged with an unprecedented terror.

“Jie jie jie jie…”

This time, as the strange whispers reached Ming Yu’s ears, the previously meaningless murmurs suddenly gained coherence. The information they conveyed surfaced in her mind in a way she could fully comprehend.

“Great Dark Overlord, Supreme Mother Goddess, please, please forgive me…”

“I, I didn’t know this was yours…”

The tentacles’ voice trembled. The moment it perceived the other party’s aura, it instantly recognized their identity, wishing it could simply cease to exist.

Nicolaus lay languidly on the shore, not even bothering to lift her eyelids.

In that instant, the forest, the lake, the sky, the tentacles—this entire realm shattered like a flat mirror dropped to the ground. Countless dense cracks crisscrossed through the air.

“Scram.”

****

Nicolaus slowly opened her eyes, her gaze fixed on the dumbfounded human beside her, a faint, unreadable smile playing on her lips. She spoke with an unhurried grace.

“Well met… hmm, your name, I can’t quite recall it.”

At her words, Ming Yu finally managed to snap back to reality, patting her own face. She stared at the Black Goat before her, her eyes wide with incredible shock.

‘Am I dreaming…’

She glanced around, only to find that the vibrant, lush jungle had vanished. In its place, an endless void of darkness filled the entire space.

Her mind teetered on the brink of shutdown.

‘Why…’

‘Is this a virtual reality world…’

‘Or have I already…’

Ming Yu lowered her head, scrutinizing her palms, a sense of profound bewilderment settling in her heart.

After a long while, she slowly raised her head, gazing at the leisurely Black Goat. She swallowed hard, her eyes filled with a complex mix of emotions.

Before Ming Yu could speak, Nicolaus suddenly stood, stretched languidly, and then, with her elegant strides, circled Ming Yu.

“Oh, my, how truly fascinating…”

“Upon our first encounter, I already unlocked your genetic potential and planted a psychic seed within you…”

“This psychic energy will continually reshape your vessel; your frail carbon-based body will strengthen as your soul grows…”

“However, you seem utterly oblivious to psychic cultivation…”

“No matter…”

“What kind of sparks will fly when a weak, carbon-based body, bound by the laws of the universe, clashes with the cultivation methods of a chaotic creature from the Warp…”

“I truly look forward to it…”

As Nicolaus’s voice grew increasingly ethereal, Ming Yu’s consciousness began to blur, as if on the verge of departing this dark domain.

She tried to call out her name, but no sound escaped her lips. There was no medium for sound here; all communication occurred through telepathy.

Another wave of disorientation washed over her.

In the blink of an eye, the frozen time resumed its flow, and the surroundings shifted once more. The dark void seemed to vanish as if it had never existed.

The sharp cries of the White-feathered Sea Eagle incessantly echoed in her ears.

“Don’t you dare die! If you die, what about my seafood feast?”

“I apologize! I won’t squawk randomly anymore, and I won’t poke your eyes! Speak up, don’t die!”

“You scoundrel, I don’t even know your name yet! You haven’t told me, so how can you just die like this? Wake up!”

“Hey! Wake up!”

“Stop making noise, cough cough, if you keep squawking, I’ll eat you…”

As her consciousness gradually returned to the real world, Ming Yu suppressed the metallic taste in her throat, coughed twice, and retorted irritably.

She wasn’t sure when her grip had loosened, but the White-feathered Sea Eagle still firmly clutched her wrist, suspending her in mid-air as it flew.

This, however, surprised Ming Yu.

‘This white eagle… it’s quite loyal.’

“Eh-hey! You’re awake?!”

“The harbor you mentioned is right ahead; we’re almost there.”

The White-feathered Sea Eagle seemed quite excited, gliding downwards and steadily closing the distance to the harbor.

At this very moment, in the valley where the celebration was taking place.

For some unknown reason, the previously arrogant shriek suddenly turned agonizing and sharp, affecting the main city guards present nearby. Blood slowly trickled from the edges of their ear canals, and most of them lost consciousness.

The shriek gradually grew more piercing and desperate, as if something most cherished had been lost or an irreversible wound inflicted, causing it to wail in agony.

Ming Yu looked back into the distance, her eyes hazy.

‘Was it all a dream…’

‘Or perhaps…’

‘No, this isn’t scientific…’

Ming Yu was a staunch atheist, yet one bizarre encounter after another relentlessly challenged the very foundations of her understanding. First, this peculiar white eagle, and then Nicolaus…

Her existing knowledge offered no explanation for these phenomena.

‘This is absolutely insane.’

Ming Yu muttered to herself, focusing her attention on her feet, preparing for a potential fall from the sky. Having survived a plane crash before, she was adept at handling such situations.

The wind howled past her ears, and the landscape below rapidly grew larger.

Under the White-feathered Sea Eagle’s control, the landing was remarkably smooth.

Soon after landing on the deck, a pang of hunger gnawed at her stomach.

She smacked her lips, cast a fleeting glance at the White-feathered Sea Eagle perched on her shoulder, then averted her gaze.

‘This one will be emergency rations.’

While she was capable of piloting the boat, she still needed to first gather sufficient food, drinking water, and various daily necessities from the vicinity.

Ming Yu stood on the ship’s bow deck, gazing out at the distant azure expanse, her taut nerves slowly relaxing.

‘It’s time to go home.’