Dimensional Store: Welcome to the Apocalypse Apartment - Chapter 174

Chapter 174

In Gu Huaiwei’s memories, her sister had always been gentle and kind.

Gu Changge had held an umbrella over her, shielding her from the storms of blood and gore in the outside world.

But a different perspective yields a different view.

Facing the same statue, some see a Buddha, while others see a demon.

The people of the Dawn Alliance viewed her sister as a Buddha.

However, that did not mean her sister’s actions were entirely selfless.

Sister Yu spent a long time fiddling with the mirrors, but the Formation failed to activate.

“Could it be that because you were the one who left these mirrors behind, they’re ineffective against you?” Sister Yu muttered to herself, at a loss for what to do. “Your image clearly appeared in the mirrors, which is why we brought you here… How could it fail? Are you really Gu Changge?”

“I am.” The Dawn Alliance held a deep reverence for Gu Changge. For her own safety, Gu Huaiwei had to pretend to be her sister and stick to that story no matter what.

In the mirrors left behind by Gu Changge, certain people would periodically appear. The Dawn Alliance would bring those individuals to this room to undergo the Baptism Ritual to strengthen their faith, thereby turning them into new members of the Dawn Alliance.

Sister Yu was in a bind. “Now that the Baptism Ritual won’t start, and you already know too many of our secrets, how am I supposed to deal with you?”

“Whether or not I remember the past, I am still me,” Gu Huaiwei said. She felt the tattoo on her wrist growing hot; Lin She must have received her signal.

It wouldn’t be long before Lin She found his way here.

Sister Yu did not see it that way. Shaking her head, she said, “It’s not the same. If you can’t recall the past, who will guide us?”

From the moment Gu Huaiwei’s silhouette appeared in the mirror, Sister Yu had regarded her as Gu Changge.

She thought the spiritual guide of the Dawn Alliance was finally returning.

But now, Sister Yu’s hopes were shattered.

Fortunately, for the sake of that face, Sister Yu was still willing to talk to her.

Gu Huaiwei feigned concern and asked several questions regarding the Baptism Ritual. She discovered that Sister Yu didn’t understand the principles behind the Formation; she only knew how to operate it.

She was merely an executor of her sister’s will.

“So, you’re saying you bring whoever appears in the mirrors to the Dawn Alliance, right?” Gu Huaiwei had a rough idea of her sister’s intentions now.

“Yes. Ever since your Oasis Matchmaking Agency opened, your image has been appearing in the mirror. I thought it was destiny bringing you back to help us again, but I didn’t expect it to be a cruel joke of fate.”

Sister Yu viewed Gu Changge as a savior-like figure. Her expression was troubled; facing this girl who lacked Gu Changge’s memories and only shared her appearance, she lost her initial spark of anticipation.

If she released her, Gu Huaiwei already knew the location of the Dawn Alliance headquarters and had seen the Laboratory; Sister Yu couldn’t take that risk.

If she imprisoned her, Sister Yu couldn’t bring herself to do it while looking at a face so identical to Gu Changge’s.

Too many people tried to find shadows of Gu Changge within Gu Huaiwei. But they possessed different souls; even as twin blossoms joined at the stem, they were two distinct individuals.

Not only were they different, but their personalities were worlds apart.

However, because her sister had left a trail of admirers across various Dimensions, Gu Huaiwei had received preferential treatment and taken many shortcuts thanks to their identical faces.
Sister Yu naively believed that these mirrors were left behind by Gu Huaiwei for the future of the Dawn Alliance.

Gu Huaiwei, however, knew that her sister had prepared these mirrors specifically for her.

Her sister had helped those who wanted to rebel against Alien rule establish the Dawn Alliance. She had left these mirrors and invented the so-called “Baptism” ritual for one reason: to ensure that when Gu Huaiwei appeared in this Dimension, the people of the Dawn Alliance would bring her to this very room.

It was just like the videotape her sister had left behind in the Wasteland World.

Her sister had something she needed to convey to her here as well.

“Sister Yu, could you let me study these mirrors?” Objects from the past were like books without words, and Gu Huaiwei wanted to find the traces her sister had left within them. “I was the one who left these mirrors behind back then. Perhaps I can find the reason why the Formation failed.”

“Are you willing to remember the past?”

Sister Yu had seen many people who appeared in the mirrors and were subsequently forced into the Dawn Alliance.

Usually, after seeing the Laboratory, they would denounce the Dawn Alliance as extremist.

Without undergoing the Baptism, those people had no way of identifying with the Dawn Alliance’s great ideals from the bottom of their hearts, let alone dedicating their entire being to the cause.

“I am,” Gu Huaiwei replied, putting on her trademark professional smile. It was warm and genial, a mask unique to her that she had practiced many times in front of mirrors.

Sister Yu was moved by Gu Huaiwei’s smile. Deep down, she truly didn’t want to keep Gu Huaiwei imprisoned.

Hearing that Gu Huaiwei wanted to remember the past made Sister Yu feel that, even in a state of amnesia, she was willing to identify with the ideals of the Dawn Alliance.

Sister Yu’s voice was earnest. “Miss Gu, I really hope you can come back. Whether or not you can remember the past, I hope you will choose to stay of your own free will.”

“Give me some space first. Let me try to repair this for… these mirrors,” Gu Huaiwei said with a slight curve to her eyes. “If I can get the Formation running again, it will be good for both of us.”

Gu Huaiwei’s words struck a chord with Sister Yu.

“Alright, take your time. Call me if you need anything.” Sister Yu left the room.

After confirming that Sister Yu wasn’t eavesdropping at the door, Gu Huaiwei immediately walked to the Life Gate of the Formation. She approached a massive mirror with a wooden frame and gold-painted edges, her hands fumbling across it for a mechanism.

The moment Gu Huaiwei’s fingertips touched the mirror, the room plunged into darkness.

It felt as though she was being sucked into the Chaos Space within the mirror.

She saw her sister sitting at a desk in the center, surrounded by endless darkness. The only source of light was a small, glowing desk lamp.

That tiny light illuminated her sister’s gentle face.

Her sister still looked at her with that same gaze, full of affection.

“Sister…” Gu Huaiwei’s voice trembled slightly. She ran toward her sister, but no matter how many steps she took, she couldn’t get a single inch closer.

Gu Huaiwei missed her dearly. Ever since her sister had entered her dreams to warn her last time, she hadn’t appeared again.

Even though she knew the person before her was just an image left behind from the past, Gu Huaiwei still wanted to get closer, just a little bit closer.

In her sister’s left and right hands lay a Big Fat Worm in each.

She simply sat calmly at the desk, offering no response to Gu Huaiwei’s cries.