126: Welcome to the shelter, Mr. Author

Blue Star, Unknown Location, White Room

Sword River Fish didn't know how he got here.

One second, he was still in that simple village, excited about the 'stroke of genius' he had just completed.

The next second, with the appearance of the two men in black, the world before his eyes plunged into an irresistible darkness.

There was no rough arrest, no cold handcuffs, not even a single superfluous word.

The other party simply made a 'please' gesture to him with an unquestionable gaze.

Then, he lost consciousness.

When he woke up again, he was already in this maddeningly pure white room.

There were no windows, no door cracks, not even the seams where the walls met the ceiling were visible.

The entire room seemed to be carved from a single, giant white sugar cube.

In the air, there was a faint, cold and pungent smell, similar to disinfectant, but even more so.

He sat on a chair, also pure white, as if it were integrated with the floor.

Opposite him was a table of the same material.

On the other side of the table sat a man.

A man who looked to be around forty years old, dressed in a well-tailored grey suit, wearing gold-rimmed glasses, and always with a gentle, spring-breeze-like smile on his face.

"...Hello, Mr. Sword River Fish."

The man spoke, his voice warm and magnetic, like a host on a late-night emotional radio show.

"Or, should I call you... Mr. Author?"

Sword River Fish's heart sank sharply.

He didn't answer, just stared intently at the other party with a gaze full of vigilance and scrutiny.

His injuries had been treated.

His left leg had been re-plastered with a professional-grade cast, and the small wounds on his body were all covered with band-aids.

He had even changed into a clean, soft white hospital gown.

But this 'special treatment' did not make him feel the slightest bit of relaxation; instead, every cell in his body screamed the sharpest alarm!

Because he smelled an aura from this man in front of him that was a hundred times more dangerous than Director Liu of the mental hospital, and more dangerous than the police who had pursued him!

It was an absolute, unquestionable 'control' hidden beneath 'gentleness' and 'politeness'!

"Please don't be nervous."

The man seemed to read his thoughts, smiling as he gently pushed a pure white folder to the center of the table.

"We are not your enemies."

"Quite the opposite."

"We, perhaps, are your only 'kindred spirits'."

The man slowly opened the folder.

Inside, there were no photos, no files.

Only a single A4 sheet printed with dense text.

And the content on it was precisely the latest chapter he had just published online, titled "Evil God as Group Leader, Group Members Beg Me Not to Speak"!

— [The Emperor's Expedition!]

Sword River Fish's pupils suddenly contracted!

"Allow me to introduce myself."

The man closed the folder again, crossed his hands on the table, and leaned slightly forward.

His eyes, hidden behind the gold-rimmed lenses, were like two bottomless ancient wells, reflecting Sword River Fish's face, which was filled with shock.

"...My surname is Bai."

"You can call me Supervisor Bai."

"I come from a 'department' whose name you don't need to know for now."

"Our work is very simple."

— 'Contain' all 'anomalies' that should not exist in this world.

— 'Correct' all stories that have deviated from their 'normal' track.

— And 'protect' those 'lost ones' who, like you, accidentally fell from 'story' into 'reality'...

"... 'Lost ones'."

Boom—!!!!

Every word the man spoke was like an invisible heavy hammer, forcefully smashing into Sword River Fish's mind!

Contain... anomalies?

Correct... stories?

Protect... lost ones?

Sword River Fish's breathing instantly became rapid!

He wasn't the first?!

In this world, besides him, were there other 'Authors' like him who could interfere with 'reality'?!

Or was it... that this man, and the 'department' behind him, were themselves higher-dimensional existences than 'Authors'?!

Were they 'antivirus software' sent by the True Author to clean up him, this 'BUG'?!

"It seems you've roughly understood your situation."

Supervisor Bai nodded with satisfaction, the gentle smile still on his face.

"...Then, may we begin today's 'interview'?"

"...I need to remind you, Mr. Sword River Fish."

"...Every question I ask next concerns our 'risk assessment' of you, and the 'story' you created."

"And the outcome of this 'assessment' will directly determine..."

He paused, pushing up the gold-rimmed glasses on his nose.

A cold light reflected off the lenses.

"...Your 'fate', and the 'fate' of those 'people' you care about, in the future."

Sword River Fish's heart gave a sharp pang!

The person he cared about... Lin Wan'er!

"...What have you done to her?"

He finally spoke, his voice hoarse, dry, and filled with undisguised hostility.

"Heh heh..."

Supervisor Bai chuckled softly.

He didn't answer directly.

Instead, he raised his hand and gently snapped his fingers.

"Snap."

A soft sound.

The pure white wall next to Sword River Fish suddenly became transparent, like melting ice and snow.

On the other side of the wall was another identical, pure white room.

In the room, also, sat a person.

A girl wearing the same style and color hospital gown, hugging her knees, her head buried deep between her arms, trembling.

— Lin Wan'er!

She was here too!

"...Wan'er!"

Sword River Fish suddenly stood up from the chair, wanting to rush over!

But as soon as he moved,

An invisible yet irresistibly powerful force pressed him firmly back into his seat.

"I advise you not to do anything that would make us 'difficult', Mr. Sword River Fish."

Supervisor Bai's voice was still gentle.

But within that gentle tone, there was a chill that could freeze the soul.

"Miss Lin is doing very well now."

"We merely invited her to assist us with some necessary 'psychological evaluations'."

"After all, as an 'ordinary person' who has had deep contact with an 'anomaly',"

"Whether her 'mental state' is 'stable' is also one of the 'topics' we need to focus on."

"...Of course."

Supervisor Bai's face once again displayed that gentle smile.

But in Sword River Fish's eyes, that smile was a hundred times more terrifying than a devil's sneer!

"...Whether she can continue to be 'well' in the future..."

"...Depends on your 'performance' next, Mr. Sword River Fish."