"I... I don’t know, big brother, what are you talking about?" The little boy pressed his head with both hands, looking distressed.
Wen Xishu spoke:
"You’re just like a gravekeeper, these human holes, they’re like tombstones. What is Morioka to you?"
Morioka?
A very familiar name, the little boy instinctively felt it should be a warm name.
This name gave him a sense of friendliness, gentleness, and trustworthiness.
But he couldn’t remember.
Wen Xishu said:
"The human hole I just experienced, it made me play the role of Morioka. I should have died in the human hole, either killed by negative emotions or dying when Morioka said ’I am happy’ at three different points."
"But because I made some preparations, I forcibly ended the journey through the human hole."
The little boy didn’t understand but still said happily:
"Congratulations... big brother, since you made it back alive, you should leave quickly, your mental state isn’t good. If you enter the human hole again, you might not be able to distinguish reality."
Wen Xishu nodded:
"Hmm, I already found a way to break open the human holes on a large scale. But before that, I need to know one thing, what exactly did Morioka do to you?"
The little boy still shook his head:
"A very familiar name, like someone I really liked... but I can’t remember. Big brother, you are right, I am like a gravekeeper, my duty is to guard here and try... try to persuade you all to leave."
Wen Xishu looked at the little boy, his white kimono was identical to Morioka’s. Just several sizes smaller.
There was no doubt the little boy was not a normal human, but some kind of creation born from the human hole, similar to a spirit.
But the little boy was inherently kind. In Wen Xishu’s eyes, this child had no malicious intent. Persuading people to leave the human hole was also a good deed.
But playing the role of Morioka this time, there were too many inconsistencies.
First, Morioka seemingly had a split personality.
After giving gamblers happiness, Morioka started talking to himself.
Now Wen Xishu recalled, that feeling... it was like conversing with someone.
Second, Morioka repeatedly emphasized, "My happiness is making everyone happy." It felt like he was expressing his thoughts to another person. Just like the gambler telling Morioka his happiness was luck at the gambling table.
Third, Morioka’s white kimono was identical to the little boy’s.
Fourth, after absorbing someone’s misfortune, Morioka converted the misfortune into black liquid and placed it in a bottle with scales... This process was exactly like Wen Xishu’s current actions.
Fifth, as Morioka watched increasing amounts of misfortune, he sometimes seemed worried, yet sometimes displayed a certain urgency.
"It’s okay, my limit definitely won’t be just this little, right?"
At the time, when Wen Xishu was playing Morioka... it felt like he was talking to someone else.
Your limit won’t just be this little, right? You can definitely do more, right? My happiness is making everyone happy, you’ll satisfy me, right?
That intense sense of déjà vu reminded Wen Xishu of his childhood.
His parents said the same to him.
"Little Tree, you can do more, right? Our video is going to be seen by many viewers, can you smile even happier? For mom, you can do it, right?"
This questioning method made Wen Xishu feel nauseous instinctively.
Sixth, Morioka did not initially have the appearance of an Immortal. Morioka suddenly acquired the look of an Immortal.
Just like a bald girl suddenly having lush hair, a long losing streak gambler suddenly becoming invincible at the gambling table.
Morioka’s physical appearance started to change drastically in just a few years.
A person can indeed change from ugly to handsome, no doubt. But for someone to change from previously ugly to as handsome as Wenren Mirror... that’s very sci-fi.
Morioka himself, like those he helped, suddenly transformed certain flaws.
Everyone’s misfortunes disappeared, throughout the story—Morioka helped everyone achieve happiness. But even Morioka himself was that happy.
It was nearly like another person behind the scenes fulfilled Morioka’s wishes.
The hardest part to understand was, what was the price?
Even in fantastical worlds like the Three Towers and the Bunker, there’s no concept of constant happiness.
Who gains happiness without paying the price? Just drawing away misfortune would suffice?
At Node 01, Morioka was still talking to himself, saying my limits shouldn’t stop here, right?
At that moment, the secondary personality Wen Xishu hiding in the dream, observed everything, thinking—Morioka’s words implied there was a price for extracting misfortune.
But at Node 02, Morioka directly expanded the range, the initial village of human holes was no longer satisfying, expanding to the entire Hujiang...
Evidently, by Node 02, Morioka no longer seemed concerned about the price.
According to Wen Xishu’s first experience in a human hole as "Yoshida Koki," the happiness level in the human hole would increasingly become unrealistic.
"At Node 03, Yoshida Koki not only no longer had intellectual disabilities but also had far above-average intelligence, already beginning to ponder the flaws of the world."
"And in reality, Yoshida Koki, suffering lifelong pain due to intellectual disabilities, ultimately seeking happiness in the village of human holes."